“

  “The final round will be between Kelix and Eden,” Arian announced.

  We stared at each other.

  Finally… it was time.

  But I had already lost most of my strength in the previous battles. My body felt heavy, yet I was determined to give everything I had left.

  “Both of you ready? Then begin,” Arian said.

  Eden looked at me for a moment before speaking.

  “Don’t worry,” he said calmly. “I know you’re tired. I won’t go too hard on you. If you want, we can have this match tomorrow instead.”

  He paused before continuing.

  “I don’t want you blaming your loss on exhaustion… and I want this fight to be fair.”

  As soon as the command was given, we moved without wasting a second.

  Both of us vanished in a blur, shockwaves rippling across the ground as dust and smoke rose into the air.

  I rushed forward and started throwing punches without stopping.

  Eden dodged every attack smoothly, as if my strikes were nothing. Then he suddenly caught my fist with one hand. His other hand remained behind his back, like an arrogant noble enjoying a game.

  “Hmm… boring,” he said with a sigh. “I thought you would entertain me. But now I’ll have to finish this. You’re no fun.”

  “Humph… then I’ll show you what fun really is,” I replied.

  “Seriously? Oh… then I’m waiting.”

  In an instant I disappeared from his sight and appeared behind him, ready to strike.

  But before my attack could land, Eden had already seen through it. He grabbed my arm, spun me around effortlessly, and slammed me into the ground.

  BOOM.

  The impact dug a massive crater beneath me. Pain exploded through my body, and blood filled my mouth as I coughed.

  I tried to stand again, forcing my body to move.

  But before I could recover, Eden appeared in front of me and started punching my stomach—again and again without stopping.

  Each hit felt heavier than the last. My body bent under the force, my breath leaving me with every strike.

  Finally, he stopped.

  Not because he was tired… but because he knew I had no strength left.

  Still, I forced myself to stand.

  My punches were weak now. They had almost no power behind them, and against someone like Eden, they barely mattered. Yet I kept attacking with everything I had left.

  The result was always the same.

  Eden blocked or dodged every strike easily.

  Slowly, I began losing control of my body. My strength faded, and everything felt strangely light.

  My legs gave out, and I collapsed to my knees before falling to the ground.

  Darkness started closing in. I was unconscious… yet my eyes were not fully shut.

  Through my blurred vision, I saw Eden walking toward me. His shoes stopped right in front of my face.

  Then he leaned closer and whispered into my ear.

  “Kelix… boy, I barely even hit you that hard, and you’re already on the ground. That’s why I told you to behave. See what your stubbornness has done?”

  I could hear every word.

  And I hated the fact that… somehow, he was right.

  My consciousness was fading.

  But then I remembered what I had told him earlier.

  That I would prove him wrong.

  That I was serious.

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  He may have started this game… and played it well.

  But I will be the one who ends it.

  Eden stands and turns his back from Kelix and he is going then suddenly he feels some strange aura power he turns around and sees that Kelix is not in the ground he feels something is passed by him and he turns his head and he sees it’s Kelix.

  Until Eden realised that he is going to attack him and he quickly tries to defend it but he can’t and Kelix smack his face with his knee. As the knee hit his face he then Koch him in the stomach Eden slid and hit the wall of the stadium.

  Everyone in the arena was shocked by the sudden change.

  Before anyone could react, Eden rushed forward at full speed, launching a series of powerful attacks at Kelix.

  But something was different.

  Kelix dodged every single strike effortlessly, as if he already knew when Eden would attack, how he would attack, and from which direction the blow would come.

  Eden’s frustration began to grow. None of his attacks were landing.

  How is this possible? he thought.

  Just moments ago Kelix could barely stand… and now his speed was even faster than the academy’s elites.

  Then Eden noticed something strange.

  Kelix’s face.

  His eyes.

  The pupils of his eyes had turned black, surrounded by a thin red ring. His actual eyes were barely visible because he was moving at incredible speed, never stopping for even a moment.

  Eden barely had time to react.

  Finally, he managed to find a small opening and rushed forward to attack. But when he got close enough and saw Kelix’s face clearly…

  He froze.

  In that instant, Kelix’s fist crashed into Eden’s face.

  BOOM.

  Eden was sent flying and slammed into the ground, digging a massive hole from the impact.

  He tried to stand up, but Kelix was already on him.

  Punch after punch rained down without stopping.

  Eden struggled to keep up. Lightning-fast attacks came from every direction.

  He desperately used his magic to defend himself.

  Earth magic to block.

  Fire to counter.

  Water and ice forming shields around him.

  But even with all that, he was slowly being overwhelmed.

  Eden’s breathing grew heavier. His body was starting to tire.

  Then suddenly—

  Kelix grabbed Eden by the neck, lifted him high into the air, and hurled him back toward the ground.

  The impact shook the arena.

  Kelix landed on top of him in the crater formed by the fall.

  And then…

  Kelix began returning every punch Eden had given him earlier—one by one

  Eden was no longer in a condition to continue the fight.

  Kelix prepared his final move—a powerful lightning attack. Rage was clearly visible in his movements. He did not give Eden even a single opening, attacking continuously with punches and strikes until Eden was completely overwhelmed.

  But Eden was stubborn.

  Even after enduring all those attacks, he forced himself to stand again.

  When he looked at Kelix, he noticed the change in his eyes—the burning rage within them. Yet at the same time, there was something else… a strong determination, a desperate will not to lose.

  At that moment, Eden understood.

  He could continue the fight if he wanted. He still had more power left.

  But instead… he accepted his defeat.

  The two stood facing each other in the broken arena.

  Slowly, Eden walked toward Kelix and held up his hand.

  “The winner… is Kelix.”

  Hearing those words, the rage inside Kelix slowly began to calm down.

  But suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his head.

  Kelix grabbed his head as the world around him started spinning. Before anyone could react, his body collapsed and he fell unconscious.

  Both fighters were immediately taken away by the Health Savers, people with special healing abilities who treated the injured students.

  Later, Eden and Kelix were placed in the medical room.

  Kelix was still unconscious.

  Eden, although equally injured, was sitting up on the bed when Arian entered the room.

  “You saw it yourself. Kelix was pushing himself too far,” Arian said to Eden. “He refuses to accept defeat. If this continues, he’ll end up hurting himself again. Because of you, he used that power for the second time since he lost his family.”

  “Yes… but according to the rules, I almost lost,” Eden replied. “When a fighter can’t attack anymore, the match is over. And if I had attacked Kelix one more time… I would probably be half dead.”

  “For your correction,” Arian said calmly, “both of you would be half dead. You didn’t stop either. Kelix might even be dead.”

  Arian looked at him seriously.

  “So tell me, why did you accept your loss?”

  Eden sighed.

  “If I pushed him any further, he would have completely lost control. His power is too much. His eyes had already changed… If it continued, he might have destroyed the entire stadium. No one saw him like that except us… so I announced him the winner.”

  Arian looked at him for a moment.

  “Or maybe… you were worried about what would happen to him. And you saw his determination to win—even through his rage and uncontrolled power.”

  “No it’s not like that “.

  “Ok fine ,Good job my boys it’s a very interesting day today now you get some rest” Arian left the medical room”.

  Kelix wakes up and sees that they both are in opposite beds in the same room and both have some dents on their face.

  No one spoke for a while. They stayed silent until they recovered.

  Later, both of them went to Arian’s room, as he wanted to check on their condition.

  “Are you two just going to stand there, or do you want to say something?” Arian asked.

  “As we promised,” Eden said, “we will teach Kelix for the next two days. As much as we can… or rather, we will try our best.”

  “Okay,” Arian replied.

  Then he calmly looked at Kelix.

  “Do you have any doubts or questions about this?”

  “No, I don’t.”

  Arian nodded slightly.

  “Well… do you know what happened to you during the fight?”

  “No, I don’t remember. Why? Did something happen?” Kelix asked.

  “No, nothing,” Arian replied. “Then it’s settled. Eden will start training you tomorrow.”

  As soon as they left Arian’s office, Eden spoke.

  “Hey, Mr. Vintage, don’t you think you should apologize to me?”

  “Fine. I apologize,” Eden said. “I never go back on my words. But I still say you’re irresponsible.”

  “Are you serious? Even after I defeated you?”

  “Yes. Even after that. Because I know it was your ego.”

  Kelix’s expression hardened.

  Without another word, he stepped forward and punched Eden in the face.

  “You know you’re stupid,” Kelix said angrily. “You think you can say whatever you want and do whatever you want just to prove yourself right.”

  “Excuse me? What did I do?” Eden replied.

  “Seriously? Maybe you don’t remember because you’re old and vintage, so let me remind you.”

  Eden frowned but stayed silent.

  “You never explained the rules,” Kelix continued. “You can defeat your opponent, but you’re not supposed to beat them half to death. If your opponent stands up within ten seconds, the fight continues. If not, the other person wins.”

  “Max was on the ground for more than ten seconds, and you still didn’t end the fight.”

  “A newbie has to fight someone at the same power level or hunter status.”

  Kelix stepped closer, his voice sharper.

  “So what was the reason for not telling me all this? Your arrogance, not mine. You didn’t even teach me how to control my power… and that’s the most basic th

  “Thanks to Sophy,” Kelix said. “She gave me the academy rulebook and the power control manual. She helped me learn how to use and control my powers.”

  Eden crossed his arms.

  “You can use your powers. You’re as powerful as you think. Your training starts tomorrow, so yesterday I wasn’t willing to teach you anything.”

  “Isn’t that childish?” Kelix replied.

  “You’re the childish one,” Eden said coldly. “Yes, I didn’t tell you those things because I wanted you to understand how difficult and dangerous this is. You were taking it too lightly. You only have two days of training, remember?”

  Kelix clenched his fists.

  “Childish? What did you expect from me?” he said angrily. “I’m standing here without knowing where my family is… or if they’re even safe. And you expect me to stay in this academy for months or years?”

  His voice grew heavier.

  “I can’t waste that much time here. Every single minute I’m thinking about them. And you think I’m arrogant and childish?”

  “Do you remember what you told me before the exam?” Kelix said. “You said every student here works extremely hard. Do you really think I can learn all this in just two days? Maybe I can… maybe I can’t.”

  He took a breath and continued.

  “But one thing is different. They didn’t lose their families. I did.”

  His eyes hardened.

  “The difference is that my will to save my family will push me to do things that seem impossible. I can go to any extent for them.”

  He stepped closer.

  “That’s what makes me different from your students. I have a will that strong. Your hard work alone can’t create that.”

  Kelix tightened his grip without realizing it.

  “So all I want from you is some cooperation. After that, you follow your path and I follow mine. I hope you got your answer.”

  Eden looked down calmly.

  “Yes… now leave my collar.”

  Kelix suddenly realized he had grabbed Eden’s collar during the argument and quickly let go.

  For a brief moment, Eden saw the same fierce determination in Kelix’s eyes that he had seen during their fight.

  Eden sighed slightly.

  “Alright… I’ll help you if that’s what you want.”

  He watched Kelix quietly.

  This kid is really something… he thought. Why didn’t I notice it before?

  Well… maybe Arian is right.

  I’m getting old.

  “Humph. Don’t get the wrong idea,” Eden said. “It’s not because you’re special or anything. I’m helping you only because of your family… and because Arian asked me to.”