The Villian Who Broke The Story

Chapter 79: Chapter 79: Draw Your Blade.

After the opening match concluded, the announcer’s voice echoed throughout the massive stadium.

"The next tournament battle is between Kael Draven and Felix Blazeford!"

The moment the names were announced, the atmosphere shifted.

Students leaned forward in their seats while several guests quietly turned their attention toward the elevated platform in the center of the arena.

This wasn’t just another match.

It was the first official battle involving one of the Top Ten first years.

"This battle is between the current Rank 11 against the current Rank 10! This is the first official battle that a member of the Top Ten is participating in!"

A loud round of applause erupted.

Kael stepped onto the platform from one entrance, his expression as calm as ever. His sword remained sheathed at his waist while his hands rested casually in his pockets.

Across from him walked Felix Blazeford.

His crimson hair swayed gently with each step, while the longsword hanging by his waist radiated a faint warmth from the fire mana naturally leaking from his body.

Unlike Kael, Felix walked with absolute confidence.

After all...

He had spent years within the Top Ten.

His reputation wasn’t something a newly promoted noble could simply erase.

The two eventually stopped a few meters apart.

For a few seconds...

Neither moved.

The entire arena became strangely quiet.

Felix had a cocky grin on his face as he saw Kael standing before him.

"I’m really surprised that you made it all the way up here and people even began to give you titles, the Dark Horse. Well, I still view you as that pathetic loser that bought his way into the academy."

Kael simply sighed.

It wasn’t anger.

It sounded more like someone who had heard the exact same joke one too many times.

"I get that you’re jealous of my wealth, but must you keep reminding me that I’m richer than you? Or that you’re broke? Because you just keep repeating the fact that I bought my way into the academy."

Silence.

Then—

Laughter exploded across the stadium.

"Hahaha!"

"Did he really say that?"

"That was brutal."

Even several instructors struggled to hide their smiles.

Where the Student Council members were seated, the Tigerkin threw her head back laughing loudly.

"That boy really knows how to crack me up!"

The Student Council President remained composed beside her.

"calm down a little. You’re making our guests stare."

The Tigerkin wiped a tear from her eye before pointing toward Kael.

"But did you hear him? He didn’t even deny it!"

Meanwhile...

Felix’s smile completely disappeared.

Veins bulged on his forehead as he glared at Kael.

"So you’ve learnt to talk back, huh?"

Without another word—

He drew his sword.

SHING!

The polished blade reflected the morning sunlight before Felix disappeared from where he stood.

His speed immediately surprised many first-year students.

"So fast!"

In an instant, Felix appeared before Kael.

His sword descended toward Kael’s shoulder.

CLANG!

Kael never drew his own weapon.

Instead...

He lifted the still-sheathed blade hanging from his waist, casually blocking Felix’s strike with the scabbard alone.

The impact echoed throughout the arena.

Felix narrowed his eyes.

Another slash followed.

Kael blocked again.

A thrust.

Blocked.

A diagonal slash.

Blocked once more.

The exchanges became faster.

Metal continuously collided against lacquered wood and steel.

CLANG!

CLANG!

CLANG!

Each impact became heavier than the last.

Felix’s strikes were clean, disciplined and aggressive.

Every movement flowed naturally into the next without unnecessary motion.

It was the swordsmanship expected from someone who had remained within the Top Ten for so long.

Yet...

Kael answered every strike perfectly.

Not a single wasted movement.

Not a single unnecessary dodge.

He wasn’t overpowering Felix.

He wasn’t faster either.

He simply...

Matched him.

The audience slowly noticed something strange.

"...Wait."

"Isn’t that..."

"They’re using the same footwork."

A second-year student leaned forward.

"No..."

"The timing too."

Another clash echoed.

CLANG!

Felix swung horizontally.

Kael responded with the exact same angle.

Felix stepped left.

Kael stepped left.

Felix rotated his wrist before transitioning into another slash.

Kael mirrored the movement perfectly.

The two looked less like opponents...

And more like reflections.

Felix frowned.

His attacks became increasingly aggressive.

Kael continued defending with the sheathed sword alone.

The crowd became quieter.

Every exchange only made the similarity more obvious.

"He..."

"He’s copying him."

"Again."

Among the first years, those who had witnessed Kael’s earlier matches weren’t nearly as shocked.

One student folded his arms confidently.

"I told you."

"He’s doing it again."

"But..."

A girl beside him frowned.

"He hasn’t even observed Felix fight before."

"How is he copying him already?"

None of them had an answer.

Felix suddenly accelerated.

His blade blurred.

Three consecutive slashes came from different angles.

Kael’s body moved instinctively.

Tap.

Step.

Turn.

Block.

The attacks were stopped effortlessly.

Felix immediately followed with a spinning slash aimed at Kael’s neck.

Kael bent backwards just enough for the blade to pass inches from his face before stepping back to create distance.

The exchange had lasted barely thirty seconds.

Yet...

Neither had landed a single hit.

Felix slowly lowered his blade.

His eyes never left Kael.

"...Who exactly taught you?"

Kael simply smiled.

"I thought we were fighting."

Felix clicked his tongue.

"You’ve got quite the mouth."

He dashed forward once more.

This time the battle became even fiercer.

Both figures continuously disappeared and reappeared across the arena.

Dust rose beneath their feet.

Stone cracked wherever their momentum shifted.

Even though Kael still refused to draw his sword...

Felix couldn’t gain even the slightest advantage.

Each strike he launched returned to him with equal force.

Each feint was answered immediately.

Each opening vanished before he could exploit it.

Minutes passed.

Sweat slowly formed on Felix’s forehead.

Not because he was exhausted...

But because something felt horribly wrong.

Every habit.

Every rhythm.

Every instinct he relied upon...

Kael seemed to know them before he acted.

It was as though he was battling...

Himself.

Felix suddenly jumped backwards, putting several meters between them.

His expression had completely changed.

The arrogance from earlier was gone.

Only caution remained.

He stared at Kael for several seconds before finally speaking.

"Where did you learn that technique from?"

Kael merely wore the same relaxed grin.

"I believe I asked before."

"Have you ever fought yourself?"

Felix Blazeford’s expression darkened,

His grip tightened around the hilt of his sword. The veins on the back of his hand bulged as his eyes remained locked on Kael.

"So you’ve learnt to talk back, huh?" Felix said coldly.

Without waiting for a reply, he kicked off the ground.

His figure shot forward like an arrow released from its bow.

Clang!

Kael didn’t even draw his blade.

Instead, he calmly lifted the scabbard at his waist, blocking Felix’s strike with effortless precision. The impact produced a loud metallic clang that echoed throughout the arena.

Felix immediately twisted his wrist, changing the angle of his blade before launching another slash.

Kael met it again.

Clang!

Another strike.

Another perfect block.

The rhythm between them gradually accelerated.

Their feet carved grooves into the stone platform as sparks erupted each time steel collided against steel.

The spectators leaned forward.

"What incredible fundamentals..."

"They’ve already exchanged over twenty strikes!"

Felix continued pressing forward, refusing to give Kael a single moment to breathe.

Horizontal slash.

Vertical slash.

Thrust.

Reverse cut.

Every movement flowed naturally into the next.

Yet Kael matched every attack with movements that looked almost identical.

He wasn’t simply defending.

He was mirroring Felix.

Each stance...

Each step...

Even the timing of his breathing.

It was as though Felix was staring into a mirror.

The realization slowly crept into the minds of everyone watching.

"...He’s copying him."

The second-years who had witnessed Kael’s previous matches exchanged helpless smiles.

"So it started again."

"Poor Felix."

Meanwhile, the guests seated in the VIP stands frowned in confusion.

"Wait..."

"It’s as though they’re the same person."

"Can he read minds?"

"I can’t even tell who’s leading the exchange anymore."

Their confusion only grew as the duel continued.

Every ounce of strength Felix poured into his attacks was returned with equal force.

Every feint was answered by another feint.

Every defensive maneuver was replicated perfectly.

Kael wasn’t simply reading Felix.

He was becoming Felix.

The pressure slowly began to build.

Felix’s breathing became heavier.

His sword swings became sharper.

But no matter what variation he introduced, Kael answered with the exact same technique.

Clang!

Clang!

Clang!

The arena became filled with the constant ringing of steel.

Felix suddenly stepped back, creating several meters of distance between them.

His eyes narrowed.

"You bastard..." he growled.

"Are you toying with me?"

He pointed his blade directly at Kael.

"Draw your blade."

The stadium became quiet.

Kael simply stopped moving.

His sword remained peacefully inside its scabbard.

He shrugged.

"Come on. I don’t want the fight to end quickly."

He smiled casually.

"It’s obvious that we are both holding back, and if we go all out the fight will just end instantaneously."

Felix frowned.

"You know I was holding back... how?"

Kael almost answered honestly.

Because I’ve fought you dozens of times inside Stella’s gravity training.

Instead, he merely smiled.

"Well... you know because I was holding back too."

He shrugged again.

"But who cares?"

Felix’s gaze sharpened.

"I won’t repeat myself."

Mana exploded from his body.

Heat swept across the arena.

The air itself began to distort.

Orange-red flames spiraled around his sword before climbing toward the sky like a blazing pillar.

"DRAW YOUR BLADE." Felix repeated glaring at Kael.

"So that’s his Fire Affinity..."

"Incredible."

"His control is amazing."

Even several instructors nodded in approval.

Felix slowly lowered himself into a familiar stance.

The fire wrapped around his blade, taking the shape of burning wings.

The flames roared louder.

The image of a phoenix slowly emerged behind him.

"Blazing Phoenix Scar!"

Boom!

Felix shot forward.

His speed nearly doubled under the enhancement of his flames.

The burning phoenix seemed to descend alongside him as his sword carved a blazing arc across the arena.

Several lower-ranked students instinctively stood from their seats.

"What power!"

"That’ll end it!"

Kael finally moved.

"...If you say so."

His hand slowly rested on the hilt of his sword.

For the first time since the match began...

He drew his blade.

The instant steel left the scabbard...

The world became silent.

The roaring flames...

The cheers...

Even the wind...

Everything disappeared.

There was only a single target standing before him.

A brilliant celestial light quietly bloomed around Kael.

It wasn’t loud.

It wasn’t explosive.

Yet every person present instinctively held their breath.

Even several of the honored guests leaned forward.

"What is that sword style?"

Kael’s breathing steadied.

He lowered his stance.

"Celestial Star Breathing..."

A radiant streak of silver-blue light gathered around the edge of his blade.

"...First Form..."

His figure disappeared.

Many of the first-years completely lost sight of him.

Several second-years blinked in disbelief.

Even some of the honored guests failed to follow his movement.

Only the strongest individuals present could barely perceive a streak of light crossing the arena.

"...Guiding Light."

The next instant...

Kael stood behind Felix.

Click.

His sword slid smoothly back into its scabbard.

Silence.

Felix remained frozen with his flaming blade still raised overhead.

The blazing phoenix behind him slowly dissolved into countless sparks.

The flames coating his sword flickered...

Before disappearing completely.

His eyes widened.

"...What..."

A thin crimson line appeared across his chest.

His knees buckled.

His sword slipped from his grasp.

Clang.

Moments later...

His body collapsed face-first onto the platform.

Blood slowly pooled beneath him.

The referee stared in stunned silence before finally raising his voice.

"The Winner..."

"...Is Kael Draven!".