My F-Rank Sagea is Secretly an EX-Rank Calamity

Chapter 20: Rowan Flynn vs. Edgar Salmore

The arena was filled with anticipated students. Some disagreed with the rules of the duel, as Rowan was obviously more powerful than Edgar.

"Participants for round one, please descend to the arena floor!" The amplified voice of Lady Kaelen echoed through the stone arches.

Edgar stood up so fast his chair screeched against the marble floor. His face was entirely devoid of colour, his hands trembling slightly as he adjusted the cuffs of his pristine academy uniform. He didn’t just look nervous; he looked like he was marching toward the executioner’s block.

Right across from him, Rowan rose with agonising grace. He didn’t look at Edgar. He didn’t look at the crowd. He merely stretched his shoulders, gave his brother a brief, reassuring nod, and walked out the door.

"Try not to leave too much of a mess, Rowan!" Fang called out, leaning back with his hand looped behind his head.

Rowan didn’t even turn around, raising a single hand in a lazy wave as the heavy steel doors slammed shut behind him.

As Rowan and Edgar stepped onto the sweeping sands of the Grand Arena, the place erupted into a deafening roar.

High above, the massive Aetherscope projection zoomed in on their faces, broadcasting every flicker of emotion to thousands of students and spectators.

"On the left!" Lady Kaelen continued. "Representing the prestigious Salmore lineage—Edgar Salmore!" Her voice boomed over the amplification arrays. "And on the right, the vanguard of the Flynn bloodline—Rowan Flynn!"

Edgar took a deep breath, trying to steady his erratic pulse. ’I am a Salmore,’ he reminded himself fiercely. ’I have the resources, the training, the elite heritage. I am not a stepping stone.’

"Begin!" Lady Kaelen shouted.

Edgar didn’t hesitate. He slammed both palms into the arena sands, his mana exploding in a brilliant, earthy amber; his raw execution of such a spell was flawless for an Umbrax student.

"Tectonic Art: Golem of the Shattered Crag!"

There was a collection of gasps from the crowd.

"As expected from our leader!" a student yelled, and a few others followed with a surprised look on their faces. "Isn’t that the evolved version of the stone wall we all know?"

The ground groaned and buckled violently. Shards of dense, metallic slate tore free from the arena floor, magnetically snapping together to form a towering, twelve-foot-tall construct of jagged stone.

Clad in a dense aura of pure kinetic defence, the spell-woven golem let out a silent, vibrating roar that sent shockwaves across the sand.

Edgar immediately retreated behind his creation, rapidly weaving a second tier of complex geometric spell arrays in the air to bolster its heavy armour.

Rowan stood completely still, his hands resting casually in his pockets. The wind whipped his dark hair across his eyes, but his expression remained entirely unfazed by the massive stone giant looming over him.

Asher’s mouth almost went agape.

’Since when?! I still haven’t evolved my spells yet, even with a Sagea,’ Asher thought to himself, displeased at the sight.

DING!

[NOVA VESTA NOTICE]

[POLISHING YOUR SPELLS IS FAR DIFFERENT FROM THE EVOLUTION OF ONE’S SAGEA]

’Well, I knew that, but...’ Asher trailed off in his thoughts.

"Is that all?" Rowan murmured.

With a sudden, violent drop in atmospheric pressure, Rowan summoned his Sagea.

Erebus growled softly, his eyes fixed on the golem that Edgar had crafted. The legendary nine-tailed wolf materialised from the dark, its massive spectral tails flaring with an oppressive gravity that actively drank the light from the stadium.

"Erebus! Crushing Void," Rowan commanded softly.

The nine-tailed wolf didn’t even move from its spot. It simply slammed one of its massive tails into the ground. Instantly, the gravity directly around the golem multiplied by a hundredfold.

Edgar’s eyes widened in sheer horror. "Defend! Maximum fortify!" he screamed, pouring every drop of his remaining mana into the spell arrays.

The golem crossed its massive arms, activating its localised tectonic shield to the absolute limit. But against the crushing weight of Erebus’s gravity, Edgar’s spellcraft meant absolutely nothing.

The intense pressure imploded the stone. Within three seconds, the golem was pulverised into a fine, swirling cloud of molecular dust and stray pebbles.

The concussive, dark shockwave blasted past the ruined spell, hitting Edgar squarely in the chest. He was lifted off his feet, flying backwards across the stadium before slamming hard into the reinforced barrier wall, completely out of mana.

Erebus went back into the shadows.

"Winner is Rowan Flynn!" Lady Kaelen announced.

The arena fell into a stunned silence for a single beat before exploding into frantic cheers. In the lounge, Asher leaned forward, his eyes narrowed.

’He didn’t even take his hands out of his pockets. He’s exceptional... always has been,’ Asher admitted painfully.

"Now just you wait..." Edgar muttered as he stumbled back up to his feet.

There was a loud gasp in the crowd.

"No way! He managed to get up after that?" A student exclaimed, causing others to make comments as well.

"Edgar Salmore, Rowan is already declared the winner of this match," Lady Kaelen stated through the magical amplifier.

The air was tense.

Rowan stood still.

’That’s impressive,’ Rowan admitted internally.

Edgar fumed with rage at being defeated with one attack. Although he expected it, he was facing a higher-ranked student. Without hesitation, Edgar stood up straight, using the survival medal he was awarded a few days earlier.

His mana exploded, surrounding him vigorously. There was a collection of gasps from the crowd.

"Edgar Salmore!!" Lady Kaelen warned.

Rowan let out a huff. "Please leave him be, my lady. I’ll handle it," he assured her.

Lady Kaelen looked at him, then gave a nod of approval.

"Edgar has been given a second chance by Rowan! Does the Order of the Veil approve of this?" Lady Kaelen asked, turning her gaze to the other lords.

They all gave a nod of approval. Malovik let out a sigh, his gaze fixed on Edgar. Perhaps judging his decision to take on Rowan for the second time.

"The match continues!" Lady Kaelen commanded.

Asher gritted his teeth. His fists clenched on his thighs.

"He just wants to prove nothing. There’s no chance of beating a top-tier student. Why try it a second time?" Remi complained, sitting beside Asher.

Asher turned. His gaze fixed on her.

A thought suddenly crossed his mind, making him blush a little. He quickly turned back to face the match.