The Villian Who Broke The Story

Chapter 72: Chapter 72: The Tournament:The Second Phase 2

A powerful burst of mana erupted from Kael’s body.

Wilt instinctively felt danger.

"So fast—!"

Before he could react, Kael twisted his blade, changing the angle of the clash. Wilt’s sword was pushed away while Charlotte’s lance slid harmlessly to the side.

The two found themselves completely open.

Kael took advantage immediately.

He stepped forward, closing the distance with Charlotte first.

Bang!

The flat of his blade struck the middle of her lance, knocking it away from its intended trajectory.

Charlotte’s eyes widened.

"So that’s how he redirects attacks..."

She immediately attempted another thrust, pouring more lightning mana into her weapon.

Blue lightning crackled wildly around the lance as she launched a rapid sequence of attacks.

Each thrust was faster than the last.

Kael blocked them all with minimal movement.

Clang!

Clang!

Clang!

The spectators watching through the floating screens stared in amazement.

"She’s gotten so much stronger."

"That lightning affinity is terrifying."

"She wasn’t anywhere near this level during the entrance examination."

"But Kael is still overwhelming both of them."

Inside the arena, Charlotte grit her teeth.

She refused to back down.

Every time she attacked, Kael calmly corrected her mistakes.

He wasn’t simply defending.

He was teaching.

Kael stepped outside another thrust before speaking.

"Charlotte."

She instinctively answered while attacking again.

"What?"

"If you keep enhancing your lance with your mana like that..."

He casually deflected another strike.

"...you’ll run dry soon."

Charlotte froze for the briefest moment.

Kael continued.

"It’s best to conserve your mana."

Another clash echoed.

"The way you enhance it..."

Kael shook his head slightly.

"...I guess you didn’t learn enough from Miss Lyra."

Charlotte frowned.

"What do you mean?"

Kael smiled.

"Let me show you a proper demonstration."

Dark mana slowly flowed across his blade.

Unlike Charlotte’s lightning, it wasn’t leaking wildly into the surroundings.

Instead...

It coated the sword in an incredibly thin, dense layer.

The mana barely extended beyond the blade itself.

Every bit of energy remained perfectly controlled.

Charlotte’s eyes widened.

"So little..."

Yet somehow...

The pressure coming from Kael’s sword became several times greater.

Before she could process what she was seeing—

Kael disappeared.

Vanishing Step.

He appeared directly in front of her.

One clean vertical slash descended.

Charlotte instinctively raised her lance to block.

Clang!

Her eyes widened.

The reinforced lance...

Split cleanly into two pieces.

The upper half spun through the air before embedding itself into the arena floor.

Charlotte stood frozen, staring at the broken weapon in disbelief.

"My lance..."

Before she could recover—

Wilt attacked from behind.

"I’ve got you!"

His sword descended toward Kael’s back.

Without even turning around...

Kael lifted one leg.

Boom!

A perfectly timed backward kick slammed directly into Wilt’s stomach.

The impact drove the air from his lungs.

Wilt’s eyes bulged.

His body shot backward like a cannonball before crashing heavily into the arena wall.

Dust exploded around him.

"Cough!"

He slid to the ground, clutching his abdomen.

Kael finally turned back toward Charlotte.

His sword remained pointed toward her.

His expression softened ever so slightly.

"Congratulations."

Charlotte blinked.

"You’ve completed the assignment."

She looked confused.

"The assignment?"

Kael nodded.

"Your reflexes have improved."

"You’ve learned to observe your opponent before attacking."

"You’ve also begun using your lightning affinity to enhance your body’s reaction speed instead of relying solely on offense."

Charlotte unconsciously looked down at herself.

He was right.

Compared to a month ago...

She had changed tremendously.

Kael smiled.

"Rest now."

He lowered his blade slightly.

"I can already see signs of mana depletion."

"You’re pushing yourself too hard."

Charlotte stared at him silently.

Then...

A gentle smile appeared on her face.

"I’ll get my revenge..."

She lifted her head confidently.

"...on you next time."

Kael walked past her.

"If you truly want to get your revenge and defeat me..."

He didn’t even turn around.

"...you still have a long way to go."

Charlotte laughed helplessly.

"I give up."

The Domain immediately judged the outcome.

Her body dissolved into countless particles of light before disappearing from the battlefield.

Only Kael and Wilt remained.

Wilt slowly stood once again.

His breathing had become noticeably heavier.

He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth before gripping his sword tightly.

Kael rolled his shoulders.

"You ready for a one-on-one?"

He smiled.

"I’ll also have to find out if you can die in this Domain."

His crimson eyes narrowed slightly.

"And since you’re in the Top Twenty..."

A faint killing intent escaped his body.

"...I won’t hold back."

Wilt instinctively shivered.

His instincts screamed at him to run.

Before he could even move—

Kael vanished.

The arena became silent.

Wilt’s pupils shrank.

He couldn’t sense him.

Couldn’t hear him.

Couldn’t even feel his presence.

Then...

A cold sensation touched the back of his neck.

Kael’s voice sounded quietly behind him.

"You lost."

Wilt froze.

The Domain immediately responded.

His body dissolved into light before Kael’s blade could even complete its swing.

Kael clicked his tongue.

"So it still won’t let me test it."

The battlefield suddenly trembled.

The surrounding walls shattered into countless fragments of light.

The Domain itself began collapsing.

A calm voice echoed throughout the entire tournament grounds.

"The Preliminary Round of the First-Year Tournament has been completed."

Light swallowed Kael’s vision.

A moment later, he found himself standing in the middle of the stadium.

Around him stood thirty-one other students who had successfully passed the preliminary round.

Some were exhausted.

Some were injured.

Others stared at the remaining competitors with wary expressions.

Kael slowly surveyed the survivors.

Only thirty-two remained.

The real tournament was finally about to begin.

He stretched his shoulders before letting out a quiet sigh.

"I guess I’ll rest for now."

A grin slowly spread across his face.

"The real fight starts tomorrow."

As the crowd erupted into cheers from the incredible battles they had just witnessed, Kael simply looked toward the remaining competitors.

There were still monsters among them.

Students he had yet to face.

His excitement only continued to grow.

Tomorrow...

The tournament would truly begin.