Chapter 62: Edwin vs Elvan
Edwin and Elvan walked together out of Livden Academy, heading toward the training field in the back courtyard, an area exclusively used by highborn students.
They stood at a considerable distance from each other, not too close.
The female instructor from earlier stepped forward to act as the referee, while Sera stood at the edge of the field watching as a spectator.
"The rules are simple. If you defeat Head Instructor Elvan, you win. If you can survive against him for ten minutes, you win," the woman explained, glancing coldly at Edwin.
"I understand."
Edwin drew his sword, revealing the black blade named Black Raven. Elvan watched this while summoning his fire-affinity magic staff through magical manifestation.
A battle between a mage and a knight. To some people, the knight would have the advantage because their abilities were more balanced, while mages specialized more in long-range attacks.
However, that was no guarantee. Right now, the difference in their strength was enormous. To Sera, Edwin would obviously win the fight easily. His level was far higher than Elvan’s.
On the other hand, Elvan and the female instructor believed Elvan would win the fight. He was the head instructor and the strongest among the instructors.
Facing Edwin, a man with no clear identity, did not seem threatening to them at all.
The female instructor stepped back, raised her hand, and started the match.
Elvan launched the first attack, summoning red fire runes behind his back before firing a barrage of flaming meteors forward.
Meanwhile, Edwin ran in circles while tightly gripping his sword. He searched for openings in Elvan’s attacks so he could maximize his own strength.
"You won’t win if all you do is run and dodge, Sir."
Edwin ignored him. Occasionally, he swung his sword and easily split Elvan’s flaming meteors apart.
Elvan was somewhat shocked that his fire meteors were being destroyed so quickly by Edwin.
Still, Elvan did not give up. He launched an even greater number of flaming meteors, attempting to trap Edwin.
Edwin gripped his sword tightly and swung it sideways. A sword slash shot forward and destroyed every fire meteor Elvan had unleashed.
BLAST!
A massive explosion erupted, accompanied by fierce winds. Edwin was pushed far backward but managed to maintain his balance.
Thick black smoke rose in front of him, blocking his vision.
Edwin had to stay cautious. He suspected Elvan would attack from within the smoke.
His suspicion was correct. A phoenix made of fire burst forward with tremendous mana power.
The bright crimson flames illuminated the area before Edwin. Yet the man showed no fear.
He swung his sword upward, releasing a crescent-shaped slash that destroyed Elvan’s fire phoenix and triggered another huge explosion.
Elvan grew increasingly confused and disturbed. His strongest attacks were being broken apart by Edwin with ease.
Three minutes had already passed, yet Elvan still could not defeat him. Clearly, that was not good.
Not only could Edwin immediately become a Highborn Instructor, but Elvan’s reputation would also be stained if he lost to an unknown man with no clear background.
"Who exactly are you?" Elvan asked in confusion.
"I’m... Edwin."
From within the smoke, Edwin charged forward while activating his sword energy.
Elvan narrowed his eyes, then widened them in shock after witnessing Edwin stabilize his sword energy perfectly.
"What?!"
Edwin attacked by swinging his sword, attempting to defeat Elvan through close combat.
That was the only method Edwin could use to secure victory.
However, Elvan was no ordinary man. His past battles had given him plenty of experience.
He slammed his staff against the ground, summoning a protective dome of fire that instantly clashed against Edwin’s mana energy.
The collision of mana shocked the female instructor at the edge of the field, but not Sera.
Instead, she noticed Edwin was holding back. He was not using sword skills because they would consume too much mana.
Since his forbidden magic was already active, relying on sword skills would be extremely dangerous.
The mana in his body would drain rapidly and put his condition at severe risk.
Elvan continued struggling against Edwin’s sword energy, but somehow he could feel Edwin’s power far exceeded his expectations.
If Elvan did not unleash his ultimate attack soon, he would lose this battle.
"I’ll show you the power of the Highborn Head Instructor!"
A fiery explosion blasted Edwin backward. Elvan pointed his magic staff forward, summoning a fire rune that launched a flaming spear toward Edwin.
The flaming spear carried overwhelming mana power and looked terrifying.
Edwin realized this was Elvan’s ultimate attack. If he did not destroy it immediately, he could suffer severe injuries.
Edwin gripped his sword with both hands, maximizing his sword energy until brilliant white light burst from Black Raven’s blade.
With a single forward slash, Edwin released a white crescent attack that collided with Elvan’s powerful flaming spear.
An enormous clash of energy erupted. Sera acted quickly by summoning tree magic and surrounding the field with magical roots, preventing the explosion from destroying the surrounding area.
Edwin continued channeling mana from his body into the white crescent slash.
The more mana he poured into it, the stronger the attack became.
Cracks began spreading across Elvan’s flaming spear. The man grew increasingly panicked, realizing his defeat would soon arrive at the hands of an unknown man, not a noble.
CRACK!
The flaming spear shattered and exploded, while the white crescent slash continued flying toward Elvan.
However, Edwin reacted quickly and extended his hand, canceling the attack before it could kill him.
The explosion from the destroyed flaming spear caused flames to spread across several parts of the field, while the ground itself was heavily damaged from their battle.
The female instructor, who had still been frozen in shock, finally snapped back to reality once the ten-minute mark had passed. Whether she liked it or not, she had to announce Edwin as the winner.
"The battle is over!"
"The winner... Edwin."
Edwin smiled, deactivated his sword energy, and sheathed his sword once more.
Elvan smiled in satisfaction, though deep down he still could not accept this defeat.
He needed to find out who Edwin truly was, because Edwin’s strength was nothing like that of an ordinary commoner knight.
"Congratulations, Edwin. You managed to defeat me. I’m impressed," Elvan praised.
"Thank you."
"Come back tomorrow. I’ll officially appoint you as the new Highborn Instructor," Elvan said.
"Of course. I’ll come tomorrow."
"Thank you for this opportunity, Head Instructor Elvan."
