Tired of Lorenzo's persistence, Elizabeth decided to challenge him to a duel to put him in his place.

  The arena vibrated with tension as Elizabeth and Lorenzo faced each other. The students of class 1A held their breath, anticipating a clash of power and strategy.

  The arena shook beneath Lorenzo's steps. The wind surrounding him roared like a wild beast, stirring up dust whirlwinds and tearing through the mist in his advance. Each step left a faint crack in the reinforced floor, as if the ground were not made to contain his power.

  Some students instinctively stepped back. Others only whispered his level in disbelief:

  "Fifty-two…"

  Lorenzo didn't hear them. He had left behind the need to impress. Only the strength of his body and the edge of his sword existed.

  This time… I won't back down, he thought.

  His sword whistled as he raised it, charged with Beta-level wind. The air seemed to part in fear of the blade.

  Elizabeth watched silently. Not a single step backward.

  Her hair floated slightly, drawn by the electricity accumulating around her. It wasn't fear; it was contained precision. Her level—fifty-nine—and Delta affinity allowed her to expend energy with almost unnatural efficiency.

  If I can survive the first three moves, the battle will be decided.

  She didn't have to wait. Lorenzo attacked first.

  The impact was brutal.

  Compressed wind descended like a scythe, but Elizabeth raised her hand, and lightning struck before the sword. Pure electricity hit his chest, pushing him several meters back, forcing him to anchor his sword to the ground to avoid falling.

  Lorenzo growled, pained. Sparks scattered across his armor.

  "Not bad… princess," he muttered, spitting blood.

  Elizabeth didn't respond. With a smooth motion, she conjured five electric spheres that began orbiting around her, emitting a high-pitched hum. Each one launched calculated discharges, forcing him to block or deflect with the wind, rapidly draining his stamina.

  Lorenzo understood the danger of her strategy.

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  She's managing her mana… and forcing me to spend more than I can recover. She doesn't want to beat me quickly. She wants to tire me out.

  The certainty troubled him more than the pain.

  Driven by urgency, he struck the ground with his knee and unleashed a whirlwind around him. The air became razor-sharp. Elizabeth dodged by leaping backward, but a gust struck her thigh, leaving a wind-sliced burn.

  She bled. And smiled just slightly—not out of arrogance, but with genuine interest.

  "Interesting."

  Lorenzo was already breathing heavily. His muscles burned, and the wind reinforcing him began to dissipate. Elizabeth, on the other hand, maintained a firm stance. Her spheres still danced around her, though more slowly, like predators circling before the final strike.

  He understood.

  His shield had faltered. His strength as well.

  Elizabeth lowered her hand.

  "End of calculation."

  Lightning descended from above, concentrated and silent. It struck Lorenzo with absolute precision. There was no scream. Only the dry thud of a body succumbing to a force beyond it.

  The warrior fell, unconscious. The arena vibrated from the impact.

  The electricity surrounding Elizabeth gradually faded as she exhaled, without arrogance.

  "I hope you don't bother me again," she said softly. "Or next time, it will be worse."

  No one dared break the silence.

  The students erupted into applause, first scattered, then powerful, like a wave rolling through the stands. Some stood up, others whispered in disbelief; no one had expected such a calculated outcome. The fight had not been a display of brute strength, but a masterclass in efficiency, affinity, and strategy.

  Elizabeth took a deep breath. Though a slight tremor still ran through her body, her gaze remained steady. She didn't celebrate or smile. She simply watched Lorenzo, lying a few steps away, conscious but exhausted, with the dignity intact of someone who falls only after giving everything.

  There was a moment of reverent silence.

  Lorenzo had pushed beyond his limits, reaffirming the innate strength of warriors compared to mages. But that duel made it clear that natural talent, level difference, and Elizabeth's Delta affinity were factors beyond physical power. Her absolute control of energy, the precision in maintaining distance, and her ability to sustain advanced spells throughout the battle had tipped the scales.

  She had won without needing to dominate. She prevailed like those who understand their power: without wasting a single move.

  Teacher Clara approached Naomi with light steps, her eyes shining with excitement and her hands trembling slightly from the adrenaline of the moment.

  "That was extraordinary!" she exclaimed, unable to contain herself. "A mage defeating a warrior!"

  She raised a hand as if about to cast a spell, her voice full of pride.

  "See? This is what happens when talent is combined with speed… and a pinch of magical brilliance."

  She spun gracefully, infecting the nearby students with her enthusiasm.

  "Remember this: the key isn't just power," she said, pointing to the arena, "but speed in casting, precision in calculation, and never underestimating your opponent… not even the most resilient knights. If Elizabeth could sustain that offense while controlling everything, it's because she turned her strategy into a weapon."

  Some students exchanged glances, surprised to feel encouraged for the first time after such an intense battle. Clara smiled at the blush on their cheeks.

  "So…" she added with a knowing wink, "practice! And make sure you stay awake. I wouldn't want anyone to receive a little burn… purely didactic, of course."