The Strongest Student of the Weakest Academy

BOOM!

Lucas took one heavy step forward.

The ground beneath cracked.

His eyes locked on Aestrea.

"Fuuu..."

Aestrea exhaled slowly, his breath cold.

Then—his own energy burst out.

SHOOOOM—!!

A wave of lavender light spun around his body, lifting his coat slightly with the force.

His usual silver mana had turned into something different, a lavender-colored energy, swirling gently but strongly.

It was obviously the fusion of both his mana and aura.

Then, Aestrea lowered his stance, one foot sliding back, ice forming under his boots. His right hand held a long, sharp sword made of ice.

CRACK!

Not wasting any time, Lucas dashed forward, fist clenched, lightning crawling up his left arm.

『 Lightning Series: Thunder Fist! (✦ 3rd-Level Spell ✦) 』

ZAAAP—!!

His punch shot forward, aimed at Aestrea's chest like a hammer.

Aestrea twisted.

The punch flew past his ribs, barely grazing his coat—

WHOOSH!

But Lucas turned mid-step, bringing his knee up into Aestrea's gut.

THUMP!

Aestrea slid back three steps.

His boots scraped the floor, frost trailing under them, then he ducked forward, getting into his most prominent stance.

Lucas's eyes immediately widened as he quickly raised his sword, but to his surprise, Aestrea did not use his sword art at all.

He slashed sideways—fast.

SWISH!

Clang!

Sparks flew.

And despite Aestrea faking his moves, Lucas still managed to block his attack with Excalibur, metal clashing against ice.

But just as quickly, Aestrea ducked low, throwing a quick punch into Lucas's ribs.

THUD!

"Hagh!" Lucas grunted and stepped back—but right away, fired lightning from his palm.

『 Lightning Series: Lightning Bolt! (✦ 2nd-Level Spell ✦) 』

ZAP—!!

A bolt of lightning screamed across the air.

Aestrea raised his hand.

『 Ice Series: Ice Barrier! (✦ 1st-level Spell ✦) 』

CRACK!

A round shield of ice formed and shattered as the bolt hit, but it slowed it just enough for Aestrea to slide aside.

WHOOSH!

Lucas ran behind the spell, swinging Excalibur down like a guillotine.

"Demon Slaying Sword Art....!"

『 Breaking the Sky! (✦ A+ level Swordsmanship ✦) 』

KAAAA-CHING—!!

His sword came crashing down, glowing with fire and thunder.

Seeing this, Aestrea's eyes widened as he crossed both arms.

『 Shield Series: Winter's Barrier! (✦ 6th-level Spell ✦) 』

BOOOOM—!!

Ice walls burst up, layer over layer, like a dome around him.

Lucas's strike slammed into the shield.

CRAAACK—!!!

The top of the barrier shattered—but Aestrea was already moving, sliding out to the side.

His hand lifted, glowing a light blue light.

『 Ice Series: Frost Barrage! (✦ 3rd-level Spell ✦) 』

SHRRK!

Ten sharp ice shards shot forward in a fast line.

Lucas spun, blocking most—but one sliced across his arm.

"Dammit!"

He hissed, then jumped back.

Step...

Then, Aestrea walked forward again, sword in hand, the lavender energy swirling behind him like mist.

"Agh..."

Across the arena, Lucas rolled his shoulder, cracking his neck.

His chest rose as he dragged Excalibur across the broken stone, the golden blade scratching deep lines into the floor.

"Let's finish this, shall we?" he let out a small yet crooked grin.

Aestrea raised an eyebrow at his words.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" he couldn't help but ask.

To his words, Lucas only grinned.

"Yeah... if you manage to take this hit... it will be your win and my loss." Lucas declared confidently, taking a deep breath.

Tilting his head, Aestrea nodded slightly.

Then, he waited for Lucas to make his move.

"Haaagh..."

Lucas groaned slightly, taking another deep breath.

He looked at Excalibur for a moment.

{You can only use it one time per week. Are you sure you want to use it?}

Excalibur asked in annoyance, to which Lucas nodded promptly.

{...Tch. Damn kids. Fine—do it.}

At Excalibur's words, Lucas smiled and lifted his head, staring directly at Aestrea.

"Prepare yourself."

He mimicked Aestrea's words from before.

SHROOOM!

A massive beam of golden light dropped from the sky like a hammer, slamming down onto Lucas's body.

The crowd gasped.

"WHAT IS THAT?!"

"LUCAS?!"

"IS THAT… A WING?!"

WHOOOSH!

The wind exploded outward, blowing everyone's hair and clothes in every direction.

Behind Lucas, two massive angel wings burst from the golden light—then another pair.

FOOOOM!!

Four wings.

One could say that he looked like a true angel.

Light poured off of his back, forming a glowing halo behind his head.

His feet lifted slightly off the ground, the golden marks began to crack and crawl across his skin like lightning.

His body looked like it was about to burn apart—but he didn't fall.

His eyes turned fully white. No iris, no pupils. Just glowing light.

And when he spoke again—his voice echoed like a god's.

"Excalibur's Divine Ability..."

He raised the sword straight in the air.

A golden pulse spread from the blade.

『 Slaying Demons, Slaying Devils! (✯ Divine Ability ✯) 』

VRROOOOOM—!!

The sky twisted.

Clouds above the arena swirled in circles.

Light shone through the cracks of the clouds as if the heavens themselves were watching.

The ground began to shake slightly—stone crumbling from the edges of the arena platform.

Then—

THOOM!!

Lucas vanished.

He moved faster than lightning, faster than sound—just light and fury crashing toward Aestrea.

One strike.

A single, perfect blow.

Excalibur glowed so bright it turned white, the air around it burning, screaming as it sliced through space.

Aestrea's eyes sharpened.

He didn't even raise his sword.

SLASH—!!!

The divine blade struck him dead-on.

KRA-KOOOOOOM!!!

A massive explosion ripped through the entire arena.

Golden light flooded the space, blinding the crowd. Wind tore through the stands. The floor beneath Aestrea split and shattered, stones flying in every direction like shrapnel.

Dust swallowed everything.

Not a sound could be heard.

Only a deafening silence filled with golden mist and cracked earth.

"AESTREA!!" Violet screamed from the edge of the arena, her voice high and cracked with fear.

"NO—AESTREA!!" Rose cried too, her face contorting in worry as he bit her lower lip tightly, holding herself back from jumping to the arena.

"That… that couldn't have been a spar anymore…" Maya's eyes widened.

Iris stared at the smoke with tight brows.

"Did he… actually try to kill him?"

"That… that was meant to kill." Leon crossed his arms, jaw clenched.

Telmo stayed silent, watching carefully, though his fists were tense at his sides.

Ethan's knuckles turned white as he leaned over the railing.

"Come on, man… Don't fall like that..."

Meanwhile, Ella stood frozen.

Her eyes were locked on the crater—wide, unblinking. Her lips pressed tight. She didn't say a word.

But her hands were shaking.

She gripped her sleeve so hard her knuckles turned pale.

Not even she knew how scared she looked.

The whole arena was turned into a crater.

Lucas stood at the edge of it, breathing hard, his wings dimming, his gold aura fading fast. He gripped Excalibur, now steaming in his hand.

He spoke through ragged breath.

"…It's over."

But—

CRUNCH.

The sound of a footstep on broken stone, coming from the heart of the crater.

Gasps echoed across the arena.

A figure emerged through the dust.

"Aestrea…?" Rose whispered, tears lining her lashes.

Lucas's eyes widened.

A figure stepped out of the smoke—his long coat torn, hair loose, eyes sharp like knives. His body steamed with frost. Blood traced his lip, and ice crusted over parts of his chest and shoulders.

But he was standing.

Still standing.

Aestrea slowly exhaled.

"…You really tried to kill me with that."

His voice was cold as fucking ice.

Lucas took a step back.

"No fucking way…"

The mist behind Aestrea shifted—lavender energy curling again, denser than before.

And then—

CLACK.

A new ice sword formed in his hand.

He pointed it at Lucas.

"…My turn."

Aestrea's feet stopped.

The wind that brushed past him slowed.

The glow in his eyes... intensified.

Not softly.

Not faintly.

They burned.

Deep crimson, lit from within, swirling with mana that now mixed with something stranger… colder.

A crescent moon—faint and pale—etched itself into his forehead like a sigil carved by the Goddess of the Moon herself.

The ground around his feet started to crack.

The lavender aura thickened, swirling.

Lucas couldn't move at all, his body started shaking from the sheer pressure.

Aestrea raised his hand—just slightly.

Enough to summon the cold again.

Enough to—

FWUUUUUUMP—!

Wind suddenly blew through the arena as the Headmistress appeared, standing between them like a sudden ghost.

Her black cloak fluttered behind her, her expression unreadable.

"That's enough," she said firmly.

"This match ends now. Victory goes to Aestrea."

The entire arena went quiet again.

But Aestrea didn't lower his hand.

He looked at her—no, he stared into her.

Right into her soul.

The pressure in the air spiked.

Her eyes flickered.

And then… she looked away.

She lowered her gaze.

CRACK.

Aestrea's sword began to tremble in his hand.

"…Fucking coward," he muttered.

It was quite loud.

Just enough for her to hear every syllable.

The ice blade in his grip shattered—splintering into a thousand tiny shards that blew away in the wind like glass dust.

He turned his back on all of them and started walking off the stage.

The crowd didn't cheer or clap.

They only watched in silence.

He already knew that he headmistress was watching.

From the beginning.

From the moment Lucas raised Excalibur and used his divine ability.

She didn't stop it.

Why?

Because she believed in him?

No.

Because she believed in herself.

In her control.

Because deep down… she feared something worse than Lucas losing.

She feared Aestrea winning.

Because if Aestrea had struck back with full force…

Lucas wouldn't be standing.

And if that happened, the church—the Empire—the whole fucking world—would turn their eyes on him.

He'd be labeled as some kind of devil.

And her precious academy?

The one she polished, praised, and built up for decades?

The one no one cared about… until Aestrea came?

That would crumble in the backlash.

She wasn't worried about him.

She was protecting her reputation.

And now, as Aestrea walked away from them all, head held high, back straight—

The only sound behind him…

Was the wind blowing through the cracked, frozen stone.

And the blooming ice lotuses that grew with each step he took.