Rhys lay on the cracked stone for a long moment.

Breathing.

Bleeding.

Alive.

Finally, two healers ran toward him with glowing hands. Rhys weakly swatted at them.

"I'm… fine… I think… maybe…"

He wasn't.

He absolutely wasn't.

But he forced himself to sit up anyway.

Because the announcement echoed across the arena:

[MATCH COMPLETE!]

[Remaining contestants: 6]

[Next rounds: Qualification Matches for Top Ten]

The crowd CHEERED.

Students shouted his name.

Upper-years stared like they had seen a ghost.

Teachers whispered to each other in shock.

And Puddle exploded into a cloud of sparkles.

"MASTER SURVIVED THE BALRON!! MASTER IS NOT PANCAKE!!"

Sophia hugged the little water creature tightly.

"He did amazing."

Lyra nodded once.

"He earned his victory."

Caria looked at her ripped notebooks.

"…My notes didn't survive. Again."

Rhys pushed himself up.

His legs shook.

His ribs were screaming.

Every muscle felt like it had been replaced with burning sand.

He finally stood…

…and immediately leaned on his sword like a 90-year-old grandpa.

"Okay," he muttered, "standing was a mistake."

A staff healer rushed to help.

Rhys waved him off.

"No—don't touch me. I'm one poke away from exploding like LEGO pieces."

He limped to the railing next to the stage.

Every step hurt.

But when he reached the edge and looked down—

He froze.

Because the next match had already started.

And the fighters…

Looked terrifying.

Two new contestants entered the arena.

One carried a spear crackling with silver lightning, sparks jumping along the blade.

The other wielded a greatsword covered in dark runes, each rune pulsing like a heartbeat.

Rhys blinked several times.

"…Okay. Nope. That sword is definitely cursed. That guy is cheating."

Sophia whispered,

"That's Zenith. Last year's Rank 3. Dark-Rune Greatsword Style."

Rhys stared.

"Dark runes? Isn't that… dangerous? Illegal? Both?"

Lyra replied calmly,

"It's Zenith. If someone complains, he hits them with the sword. Then they stop complaining."

"Oh good," Rhys muttered. "Everyone here is insane."

Puddle nodded proudly.

"MASTER IS ALSO INSANE FOR NOT DYING TO BALRON!"

"…Thanks? I think?"

Zenith and the lightning-spearman rushed at each other.

BOOOOM!!

CRAACK!!

The arena floor split right down the middle.

Rhys stared blankly.

"…Was the arena built from cardboard? Or does everyone here have explosion magic hidden in their muscles?"

Sophia answered,

"…Both?"

Caria scribbled furiously.

"These two… their mana control… their strike power… absolutely insane…"

Puddle tugged on Rhys's sleeve.

"MASTER, when you fight them, please don't explode!"

Rhys swallowed.

"…WHEN? Why WHEN? Why can't I NEVER fight them?"

Lyra looked directly at him.

"You're still in the tournament. Only six fighters are left. You WILL face one of them."

Rhys watched as Zenith's runes glowed pitch-black.

The spearman dashed in.

Zenith stepped once—

—and his greatsword smashed down like a falling mountain.

BOOOOM!

The lightning spearman flew across the arena and crashed into the wall.

Match over.

Rhys paled instantly.

"…Yep. I'm going to die."

Puddle hugged his arm again.

"No dying! Only painful winning! Very painful!"

Sophia giggled.

"I'll heal you as many times as needed."

Caria added,

"And I'll write every near-death moment in detail!"

Rhys covered his face.

"…Why is everyone so positive about me almost dying?"

Lyra smirked.

"Because you survive every single time. Somehow."

Rhys sighed.

"…I hate that that's true."

Rhys lowered his hands from his face just in time to hear the announcer's voice boom across the arena:

"NEXT QUALIFICATION MATCH—BEGIN!"

The next two fighters stepped onto the stage.

A swordswoman with a blade made of shimmering crystal.

And a muscular axemage whose axe glowed red-hot from internal fire mana.

Puddle whispered,

"Ooooh… shiny sword lady versus super-angry axe man."

Rhys muttered,

"Can I go home?"

"No," Lyra replied instantly.

Caria was already writing again.

"This will be… destructive."

Sophia held Puddle tighter.

"This is going to hurt to watch."

Crystalyn vs Brakk the Fire Axe

As soon as the signal was given—

FWOOOM!!

Brakk charged like a bull.

Crystalyn didn't move.

Her crystal blade simply hummed.

Brakk swung.

Crystalyn's sword flashed once—

PING!

And Brakk's giant axe shattered.

Rhys's jaw dropped.

"…I take it back. I don't want to fight her either."

Brakk panicked and threw a punch.

Crystalyn stabbed the ground.

"CRYSTAL PILLAR!"

A massive spike of transparent crystal erupted beneath Brakk—

BOOOOM!!

Launching him into the sky like a firework.

He crashed down unconscious.

Match over in ten seconds.

Crystalyn walked off calmly.

Puddle whispered,

"…pretty… but scary…"

Rhys nodded.

"Very scary."

The Iron Twins vs Riven the Spearmage

This one was different.

No explosions at the start.

Just tension.

The Iron Twins spun their twin axes in perfect sync.

Riven lowered his spear, calm as a monk.

The bell rang.

The twins rushed in.

Riven didn't move.

Not even one step.

"Is… he asleep?" Rhys asked.

Lyra shook her head.

"He's focusing."

The twins swung together—

Riven's spear blurred.

CLANG! CLANG!

Two perfect parries.

Then one simple motion:

THUD!!

Riven hit both twins with the blunt end of his spear.

They were lifted off the ground

—spun three times—

—and crashed unconscious side-by-side.

Caria stopped writing.

"…That's… not normal."

Sophia whispered,

"Rhys… please don't fight him."

"I don't WANT to!" Rhys hissed.

The announcer raised his hand as the crowd roared:

"THE THREE ADVANCING TO THE TOP TEN ARE—

ZENITH!

CRYSTALYN!

RIVEN!"

The crowd exploded with cheers.

Puddle exploded with sparkles.

"MASTER!! TOMORROW YOU WILL FIGHT THESE MONSTERS!!"

Rhys stared at the arena, horrified.

"…I don't want to."

Lyra smirked slightly.

"You don't have a choice."

Sophia tried to comfort him.

"At least you have tonight to rest!"

Caria patted his back.

"And I'll note all your improvements!"

Rhys exhaled slowly.

Everything hurt.

Everything was terrifying.

Everything was insane.

But…

He had made it.

After defeating Balron…

After surviving half the bracket…

After crawling into the Top Ten…

He was officially one of the top-ranked fighters of the academy.

Even if he felt like he might die tomorrow.

"THE TOP TEN RANKING BATTLES BEGIN TOMORROW!

REST WELL, COMPETITORS!"

The arena lights dimmed.

The crowd slowly dispersed.

The healers approached Rhys.

Rhys held up a hand weakly.

"Please… fix me… I think my bones are in alphabetical order…"

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