Then—
came the next match.
And unlike every battle before it—
this one held the attention of the entire kingdom.
The atmosphere inside Nexus Academy had completely changed.
Students filled every seat possible.
Professors stood silently near the upper levels.
Even nobles and guild representatives watched with visible anticipation.
Because the next duel was not merely a quarterfinal match.
No—
this was a clash between monsters.
The Apex of the first years.
Against the heir of the Ryker Family.
Even the higher-ranked students from the senior years had already finished their own matches early just to witness this battle personally.
Among them—
stood the Apex of the Second Years.
Orvyn Thalor.
A tall man with dark blue hair and sharp amber eyes who leaned calmly against the railing while observing the arena below.
Beside him—
stood the Apex of the Third Years.
Seraphina Ravenshade.
The student council president silently watched the battlefield with narrowed crimson eyes.
And above them all—
a black-haired young man lazily sat atop the highest section of the arena seats.
Sylas.
The Apex of the Fourth Years.
The strongest student within Nexus Academy.
Even the Crown Princess herself stood nearby watching quietly.
That alone showed how absurdly important this battle had become.
Every eye within the stadium remained locked onto the arena.
Then—
I stepped onto the battlefield.
The cheers throughout the stadium erupted instantly.
Meanwhile—
on the opposite side—
a black-haired cadet slowly walked forward calmly.
Silver Ryker.
Darkness quietly flowed around him while his cold blue eyes remained fixed upon me.
For a brief moment—
our gazes met.
And strangely enough—
both of us smiled faintly.
Because we remembered.
Back during the entrance examination—
we had already crossed swords once before.
At that time—
I had barely managed to defeat him through my Sword Field.
But now—
everything had changed.
Silver had grown stronger.
Far stronger.
And honestly—
so had I.
Which only made this fight infinitely more interesting.
The wind quietly passed between us as silence overtook the stadium.
No cheers.
No whispers.
Just anticipation.
Then—
the signal rang.
"BEGIN."
"BEGIN."
BOOOOOOM.
The instant the signal echoed—
both Silver and I disappeared.
The arena ruptured beneath our acceleration as our blades collided directly at the center of the battlefield.
CLANG!!!
A violent shockwave exploded outward.
The crowd instantly erupted.
Fast.
Far too fast.
Even several second years struggled to properly follow our movements.
Silver's black blade descended toward me again, darkness flowing around it like liquid night itself.
I twisted sideways narrowly.
SHIIIIING.
The slash carved through the arena floor effortlessly, leaving behind a massive black scar across the battlefield.
My eyes narrowed slightly.
His darkness affinity became far stronger.
Then—
Silver vanished.
Not speed.
Not movement.
He simply disappeared into the shadows themselves.
The atmosphere immediately changed.
Cold.
Heavy.
Dangerous.
The shadows around the arena slowly began stretching unnaturally as darkness spread beneath Silver's feet like an endless abyss.
The crowd visibly tensed.
Because unlike ordinary darkness affinity users—
Silver's power felt wrong.
Ancient almost.
Then—
his voice echoed quietly throughout the battlefield.
Eclipse
FWOOSHHHHH.
Darkness swallowed everything.
The skies above the arena vanished completely.
The light from the barriers disappeared.
Even sound itself became muffled.
For a brief moment—
the entire stadium froze in absolute darkness.
Gasps erupted throughout the crowd.
"What the hell is this?!"
"I can't see anything!"
High above the arena—
Seraphina Ravenshade narrowed her crimson eyes slightly.
"…A domain-type technique."
Even Sylas finally opened his eyes properly.
Interesting.
Inside the darkness—
I slowly exhaled.
This feeling…
I recognized it.
Because this was the same technique Silver once used during the entrance exams.
The technique that dragged me into his world of darkness.
A realm where Silver's senses and affinity became overwhelming.
Then—
pain screamed through my instincts.
I tilted my body instantly.
SHIIIIING.
A black slash passed inches from my face.
Silver emerged from the shadows silently before disappearing once more.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Slashes came endlessly from every direction while darkness distorted my perception completely.
The crowd outside could barely see fragments of the battle occurring within the Eclipse.
Only flashes of black and silver.
Yet despite the overwhelming pressure—
I smiled slightly.
"…So this is your answer."
Space around me distorted subtly.
CRACKKKK.
The darkness suddenly trembled.
For the first time—
Silver paused.
Then—
space fractured outward violently around my body.
The Eclipse itself distorted.
The crowd's eyes widened.
Because even though they could not fully see inside—
they could feel it.
The pressure within the battlefield had become monstrous.
Not S-Rank.
Not yet.
But their attacks…
The sheer destruction behind each collision…
It was already approaching that realm.
BOOOOOOOM.
Darkness exploded apart briefly as Silver and I collided head-on once more.
The entire arena shook violently.
Cracks spread across the barriers surrounding the battlefield.
Several instructors immediately stood up.
Mitch Rozenberg laughed loudly despite the chaos.
"HAHAHA THESE BRATS ARE INSANE!"
Meanwhile—
Aurelia silently watched the battlefield.
Her silver eyes remained calm.
Yet even she looked impressed.
Inside the distorted battlefield—
Silver's black blade met my sword once more.
CLANG!!!
Space twisted around the impact point while darkness surged violently outward.
The collision alone shattered the arena beneath us completely.
Silver's blue eyes met mine.
For the first time—
he smiled.
A genuine smile.
"…You really did become stronger."
I smirked back.
"You too."
Then—
both of us vanished once again.
BOOOOOOOOOOM.
Inside the endless darkness of Eclipse—
Silver slowly stepped backward.
The shadows around him deepened unnaturally.
Then—
he raised his blade.
"…I won't lose again."
FWOOSHHHH.
The darkness beneath the battlefield suddenly rippled violently.
At first—
I thought they were ordinary shadows.
Then—
they began standing up.
My eyes narrowed.
One.
Two.
Ten.
Then—
dozens.
The crowd outside the domain could barely see what was happening anymore, but even they felt the horrifying shift in mana.
And inside the Eclipse—
I stared silently as shadowy figures emerged endlessly from the abyss.
Every single one held Silver's appearance.
Same black hair.
Same cold blue eyes.
Same blade of darkness.
Then—
more appeared.
And more.
Until eventually—
the darkness around me contained over a hundred Silver clones.
For the first time during the battle—
even I looked genuinely surprised.
"…You're kidding."
During the entrance exams—
Silver could barely maintain one clone inside Eclipse.
One.
And even then it strained him heavily.
But now—
over a hundred stood silently within the darkness.
The pressure instantly became overwhelming.
Silver calmly pointed his sword toward me.
Then—
every clone vanished simultaneously.
BOOOOOOOOOOM.
The battlefield exploded.
Black slashes erupted from every direction at once.
Above.
Below.
Behind.
Every angle.
Every blindspot.
The sheer synchronization was monstrous.
I immediately distorted space around my body.
CRACKKKK.
Several slashes bent away from me unnaturally—
yet countless more continued rushing forward.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
My blade moved repeatedly at absurd speeds as I deflected attack after attack.
But the terrifying part—
was that every clone carried genuine power behind their strikes.
This wasn't an illusion.
Silver had somehow manifested real shadow bodies inside Eclipse.
The arena outside trembled continuously from the pressure leaking outward.
Students stared wide-eyed toward the darkness swallowing the battlefield.
"T-THERE'S MORE THAN ONE OF HIM?!"
"What kind of technique is that?!"
Even Orvyn Thalor frowned slightly now.
"…That's ridiculous."
Meanwhile—
Sylas only grinned wider from above.
"Oh this is getting fun."
Inside the abyss—
the attacks never stopped.
A hundred Silvers moved perfectly together like a single entity.
One slash forced me left—
another immediately appeared from my blindspot.
Darkness filled every inch of the battlefield.
Relentless.
Oppressive.
Beautifully coordinated.
Then—
the real Silver appeared directly before me.
SHIIIIING.
Our blades collided violently.
His silver eyes stared directly into mine.
"…Can you still keep up?"
BOOOOOOOM.
At that exact moment—
all hundred clones attacked simultaneously.
The entire Eclipse exploded beneath the sheer amount of darkness mana released at once.
Inside the endless darkness of Eclipse—
the battlefield had become absolute chaos.
Hundreds of Silver's clones surged toward me simultaneously from every direction.
Their attacks flowed perfectly together.
Every slash forced another opening.
Every movement cornered me deeper into the abyss.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Dark blades collided endlessly against mine while the shattered arena beneath our feet continued collapsing further.
Even with space—
even while reading their attacks—
the pressure remained overwhelming.
Because Silver himself had become monstrously stronger.
Then—
another slash tore across my shoulder.
SHIIIIING.
Blood scattered into the darkness.
For the first time—
I was genuinely being pushed back.
Outside the Eclipse—
the crowd stared at the black dome swallowing the battlefield while violent shockwaves continuously erupted from within.
Even the barriers surrounding the arena trembled now.
Inside the abyss—
I slowly exhaled.
Then—
golden mana erupted around me.
FWOOSHHHHH.
Radiant light exploded outward violently.
The darkness recoiled instantly.
Several clones dissolved beneath the overwhelming brilliance while countless golden chains of light slowly emerged around the battlefield.
The atmosphere changed completely.
The chains spread endlessly throughout the Eclipse like divine laws descending upon the abyss itself.
Silver's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…So you're using it."
Yes.
The very same sword field I revealed during the entrance examinations.
But now—
far stronger.
I slowly raised my blade.
"Celestial Law."
BOOOOOOOOOOM.
The chains of light erupted throughout the Eclipse violently.
Golden radiance illuminated the endless darkness as countless luminous chains wrapped across the battlefield itself.
The Eclipse trembled.
Cracks spread across the dark domain.
The crowd outside gasped loudly as rays of golden light burst outward from the black dome swallowing the arena.
"What the hell is happening in there?!"
"THE DOMAIN IS BREAKING!"
Inside the Eclipse—
Silver's clones shattered apart one after another beneath the overwhelming pressure of the chains.
The light itself seemed to reject the darkness.
To judge it.
To erase it.
Yet—
even then—
I understood something clearly.
It's incomplete.
Compared to Leon's perfect Sword Field—
my Celestial Law was still unstable.
Still unfinished.
The chains flickered inconsistently.
The domain itself hadn't fully manifested yet.
I could feel the strain spreading through my body already.
Because unlike Leon—
I still hadn't fully mastered the concept behind a true Sword Field.
And Silver noticed immediately.
He smiled faintly afterward.
"…Then I just need to destroy it before it's complete."
BOOOOOOOM.
The remaining darkness inside Eclipse erupted violently.
Hundreds of clones surged forward again despite the chains restricting them.
Silver himself accelerated directly toward me.
Fast.
Terrifyingly fast.
The chains of light shattered apart one after another as darkness tore through the unfinished domain violently.
Meanwhile—
my heartbeat only accelerated further.
Because this—
this was exactly what I wanted.
A battle where both sides pushed each other beyond their limits.
The hunger within me intensified rapidly as I tightened my grip around my sword.
Then—
Silver's blade collided against mine once more.
CLANG!!!
Light and darkness exploded throughout the Eclipse again.
Inside the collapsing battlefield of Eclipse—
light and darkness continued tearing the arena apart violently.
CLANG!
Silver's blade collided against mine once more as hundreds of clones surged around us relentlessly.
The unfinished chains of Celestial Law flickered throughout the abyss while darkness continuously devoured portions of the domain.
The pressure was absurd.
Even my light affinity wasn't enough to completely suppress Silver anymore.
And honestly—
it was starting to piss me off.
Another clone appeared behind me instantly.
SHIIIIING.
A black slash cut across my arm.
Then another attack came from the front.
Then above.
Then below.
The sheer synchronization of the clones was monstrous.
"Tch."
I immediately bent space around my body to avoid several fatal strikes—
but even then—
Silver himself appeared directly before me.
CLANG!!!
Our blades locked violently.
His silver eyes calmly stared into mine.
"…You're slowing down."
Something inside me snapped slightly hearing that.
I smiled afterward.
Not calmly.
Not confidently.
But excitedly.
"…Right."
"Then let's stop holding back."
For a brief moment—
silence filled the Eclipse.
Then—
space shattered.
CRACKKKKKKK.
The battlefield distorted violently.
The darkness swallowing the arena suddenly twisted unnaturally as invisible fractures spread throughout the Eclipse itself.
Silver's eyes narrowed instantly.
Meanwhile—
outside the arena—
everyone stood up.
Because the pressure leaking from the battlefield had changed completely.
The barriers surrounding the arena began trembling violently.
Even Aurelia's expression sharpened slightly.
"…Space."
Inside the abyss—
I slowly raised my hand.
Then—
the world bent.
BOOOOOOOOOOM.
Invisible force crushed downward throughout the Eclipse.
Silver's clones froze instantly.
No—
space itself forcibly stopped them.
The battlefield distorted unnaturally as gravity twisted in every direction simultaneously.
Several clones shattered apart instantly beneath the pressure.
Then—
more fractures spread.
CRACKKKK.
The darkness around us began tearing apart like broken glass.
Because unlike light—
space didn't oppose darkness.
It ignored it entirely.
Silver's Eclipse visibly trembled for the first time.
Meanwhile—
I could feel my mana surging violently.
The arena around us warped unnaturally while spatial distortions spread endlessly across the battlefield.
The pressure skyrocketed instantly.
Several instructors outside immediately reinforced the barriers.
Even the higher years looked stunned now.
Because the attacks colliding inside the Eclipse no longer resembled ordinary A-Rank combat.
Each collision now carried enough destructive force to resemble something approaching the level of true monsters.
Inside the distorted battlefield—
Silver immediately accelerated again.
But this time—
space bent around him instantly.
His movement slowed unnaturally.
Not because he lacked speed—
but because the space itself refused to let him move properly.
My eyes glowed faintly afterward.
"…You know."
I stepped forward calmly while fractured space distorted around my body beautifully.
"…This affinity really is unfair."
Then—
I clenched my hand.
BOOOOOOOOOM.
The entire Eclipse shattered apart violently.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM.
The entire Eclipse shattered apart violently.