Chapter 369: Inter-Academy Tournament (XXI)
The boy’s name was Azraelion Veyra, the top genius of Dragon Slaying Academy’s 4th year.
His movements were almost flawless, and the way he controlled the wind around him suggested he had a deep connection to a powerful entity, likely a god or ancient spirit.
Gray could see the faint traces of divine energy in his aura, hidden but unmistakable to someone like him.
Aurora leaned closer to Gray, her voice soft as she noticed his focused gaze.
"You spotted him too," she whispered.
"Azraelion Veyra. He’s one of the strongest in the 4th year. His wind affinity is almost at the Sovereign level. And I’m pretty sure that he has a direct contract with an ancient wind spirit."
Gray raised an eyebrow in interest, but he didn’t comment on anything.
Instead, he kept watching the screen intently, his black eyes locked on Azraelion Veyra as the boy moved across the floating island with incredible speed and precision.
The silver-haired genius was cutting through opponents with effortless grace, his sword leaving behind faint trails of wind that knocked multiple students off their feet at once.
The crowd in the hall cheered loudly every time he made a decisive move, and the commentator was practically shouting his name.
’Jasmine,’ Gray asked inwardly, his expression remaining completely natural as he watched the battle.
’What kind of God could he possibly be contracted to?’
Jasmine’s voice echoed in his mind after a short pause.
[I don’t know exactly... but its divinity is extremely weak. It feels like a remnant of an ancient wind spirit, not a full god. Probably a contracted lesser entity that survived the old wars. Nothing compared to what I used to be.]
Gray’s lips curled up slightly into a faint, cold smile.
After all... he needed more Divinity for Jasmine.
On the massive projection screens, Azraelion Veyra was in the middle of the floating island’s middle layer, surrounded by opponents from two different academies.
The crowd in the hall was cheering loudly as the silver-haired genius moved with incredible speed and precision.
Suddenly, Azraelion did something crazy.
He jumped high into the air, his body surrounded by a swirling vortex of wind.
The wind aura around him grew stronger, forming a massive tornado that lifted him even higher. From that height, he pointed his sword downward and released a devastating attack.
"Wind Saint’s Descent: Stormfall!"
A colossal blade of compressed wind energy shot down from the sky like a falling meteor.
The attack cut through the air with a deafening roar, slamming into the ground and creating a massive crater.
The shockwave knocked over dozens of students from the opposing academies, sending them flying off the edge of the island and eliminating them instantly.
The crowd went wild.
"Did you see that?!" the commentator shouted.
"Azraelion Veyra just used a king-level technique! That’s the power of the top genius of Dragon Slaying Academy!"
The screen showed Azraelion landing gracefully in the center of the crater, his silver hair swaying in the wind as he looked at the remaining opponents with sharp, piercing violet eyes.
He didn’t look tired at all.
In fact, he looked even stronger than before.
Then, the commentator’s voice echoed excitedly across the hall.
"More fighters are joining the fray! This is turning into a full-scale battle in the middle layer! Azraelion Veyra is still standing strong, but he’s about to face multiple opponents at once!"
Gray leaned forward slightly in his VIP seat, his black eyes narrowing with clear interest. His gaze was locked on Azraelion, but he was also scanning the new arrivals.
Suddenly, one figure stood out from the rest.
A tall young man with short black hair and sharp golden eyes stepped forward from the Gloria Academy group.
His name was Vaelor Drakthar, one of the top students in Gloria’s 4th year.
He carried a massive greatsword on his back, and his body was surrounded by a faint, dark crimson aura that radiated pressure.
The ground beneath his feet cracked slightly with every step he took.
The crowd in the hall reacted immediately.
"Who is that?! He looks strong!"
"Vaelor Drakthar! I’ve heard about him! He’s supposed to be one of Gloria’s strongest 4th years!"
Gray’s lips curled up slightly.
’This was interesting...’
Vaelor walked straight toward Azraelion, his golden eyes locked onto the silver-haired genius.
He stopped about twenty meters away and spoke in a deep, confident voice.
"You’re Azraelion Veyra, right? The famous wind genius from Dragon Slaying Academy. I’ve been waiting to fight someone like you."
Azraelion turned to face him, his violet eyes calm but sharp. He raised his sword slightly, the wind around him swirling in response to his emotions.
"You’re Vaelor Drakthar," Azraelion replied.
"I’ve heard about you too. Gloria’s rising star with the blood of an ancient dragon in your veins. Let’s see if the rumors are true."
The two of them stared at each other for a moment. The other students around them instinctively backed away, sensing the tension between these two powerhouses.
Vaelor was the first to move.
He drew the massive greatsword from his back with one hand and slammed it into the ground.
A wave of crimson energy exploded outward, shaking the entire middle layer. The ground cracked and split as dark red flames mixed with draconic pressure surged toward Azraelion.
"Dragon’s Dominion: Crimson Wave!"
Azraelion didn’t panic.
He raised his sword and spun it once, creating a powerful barrier of compressed wind that blocked the incoming wave.
The two forces clashed violently, creating a massive shockwave that knocked nearby students off their feet.
The crowd in the viewing hall cheered loudly.
’Vaelor has strong physical power and draconic energy.
His attacks carry heavy pressure. Azraelion’s wind is fast and versatile, but he’s being forced to play defensively right now.’
Azraelion countered immediately. He jumped high into the air again and swung his sword downward.
"Wind God’s Descent: Stormfall!"
Another colossal blade of wind energy shot down toward Vaelor. But this time, Vaelor didn’t dodge. He raised his greatsword and swung it upward with both hands.
"Dragon’s Roar: Heaven Splitter!"
A massive crimson slash erupted from Vaelor’s sword, clashing directly with Azraelion’s wind blade.
The collision created a huge explosion of wind and fire that lit up the entire middle layer. The shockwave was so strong that several nearby students were sent flying.
The crowd in the viewing hall erupted in loud cheers.
"Did you see that clash?! Both of them are monsters!"
Gray watched the screen with focused eyes, his black gaze never leaving the two fighters.
He could feel the power behind both techniques even through the projection.
Azraelion’s wind blade was fast and precise, while Vaelor’s crimson slash had raw, destructive force.
The two of them were clearly the strongest in this layer right now.
The dust settled, revealing both fighters standing on opposite sides of the crater. Azraelion’s silver hair was slightly messy, but he looked calm.
Vaelor’s golden eyes were burning with battle intent as he held his greatsword firmly.
"Not bad," Azraelion said quietly.
"You’re stronger than I expected."
Vaelor smirked.
"You too. But I’m not done yet."
He charged forward again, his greatsword glowing with crimson energy.
This time, he used a different technique, a series of rapid, heavy slashes that created multiple crimson arcs in the air.
The attacks were slower than Azraelion’s wind strikes, but each one carried enough power to split the ground.
Azraelion moved like the wind itself, dodging and weaving between the crimson arcs.
He countered with quick slashes of his own, sending small, cutting wind blades toward Vaelor’s blind spots.
The two of them clashed again and again.
Every collision sent shockwaves across the middle layer. The other students had completely stopped fighting each other, choosing to watch this epic duel instead.
Gray’s eyes narrowed as he analyzed every move.
’Vaelor has more raw power and endurance. Azraelion has speed and versatility. This fight is about who can outlast the other.’
Vaelor suddenly roared and slammed his greatsword into the ground.
"Crimson Domain!"
A large area around him turned into a burning, crimson zone.
The ground cracked, and lava-like energy bubbled up from below. The domain restricted Azraelion’s movement, making the wind around him less effective.
Azraelion’s eyes sharpened.
He jumped high into the air and spun his sword rapidly.
"Tempest Vortex!"
A massive tornado formed around him, countering the crimson domain. The two opposing forces clashed violently, creating a storm of wind and fire that covered the entire area.
The crowd was going wild.
"This is insane! They’re both using king-level techniques!"
Gray watched silently, his mind calculating the next moves.
Vaelor broke through the storm first, his greatsword glowing with even more power as he swung it downward with all his strength.
"Dragon’s Roar: Final Strike!"
The attack was massive, a crimson blade of energy that cut through the remaining wind and headed straight for Azraelion.
Azraelion tried to block with his own technique, but the power difference was too great. He was forced to retreat, but the attack grazed his side, drawing blood.
The silver-haired genius stumbled back, breathing heavily. His wind aura was starting to weaken.
Vaelor didn’t stop. He charged forward with his greatsword raised for the final blow.
Azraelion tried to counter with one last wind blade, but it was too weak.
Vaelor’s greatsword smashed through it and struck Azraelion’s sword, sending the boy flying backward. Azraelion hit the ground hard and didn’t get up immediately.
The referee’s voice echoed across the island.
"Azraelion Veyra has been eliminated!"
The crowd erupted in cheers for Vaelor Drakthar.
Vaelor stood in the middle of the crater, breathing heavily but victorious. He raised his greatsword in the air, and the Gloria Academy students cheered loudly.
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