Power of Runes

"Before you go to fight him, fight me first. I'll defeat you. And after that, don't ever bring this up again."

Another bombshell dropped, making the tension even harder to stand. It felt like the atmosphere itself had turned heavy, pressing down on everyone's chest.

"Stop, Elysia. You have just healed. You can't possibly fight." Grace hurriedly stepped forward, holding her shoulder firmly, her voice filled with panic and concern.

"Yes, you should not act recklessly. Don't make hasty decisions." Lyra also spoke from behind, nudging her gently, trying to pull her back from doing something irreversible.

But Elysia's face was dead serious. Her expression didn't even flinch. Before she could reply to them, Ray, who had already stopped after hearing her words, slowly turned back and looked at her. His face was stiff, but the anger beneath was clearly visible.

He tried to suppress it, tried to appear calm and unaffected. But it was all for nothing. His emotions had already started leaking through his gaze, clenched fists, and slightly trembling jaw.

"You want to fight me?" Ray asked, his voice low but heavy.

"Yes," Elysia replied plainly, her tone unwavering.

"Why?" Ray frowned deeply as he looked at her, struggling to understand.

"You're seriously asking why? Weren't you just about to challenge Ash to a duel? And now that I'm doing the same, you have the nerve to ask me why?" Elysia's voice turned cold, unusually so. There was a frost in her words that hadn't been there before.

Just a few moments ago, she had been panicking because she was caught off guard by Ray's sudden duel declaration.

But now ? ... now she was perfectly calm. Even she found it strange how quickly her state had shifted. Yet, deep down, she understood that this calm boldness was not entirely her own.

It was coming from the influence of demonic energy that had been deeply tied to her life force for a long time. Although it was long gone now, it's influence was subtle, but it had rooted itself into her emotions, making her more decisive, more daring and more obsessive.

"This and that are different," Ray said. His voice was a little lower now, but his gaze didn't waver. His fists remained clenched, and his heart still felt like it was being squeezed tightly from inside.

Elysia took a step forward and stood right in front of him. Lifting her head, she met his eyes directly, her blood-red eyes unblinking and sharp.

"How is this and that different, Ray? You were just about to challenge Ash to a duel..... just because I rejected you. And now I challenged you because of that..... So tell me, how exactly is that different?"

Her words landed with weight, heavy with truth and unfiltered pain.

"What are you trying to prove by fighting him? That you're powerful? That you're better than Ash? And even if you are..... so WHAT?"

"Even if you defeat him..... Even if you stand above everyone else..... I still won't like you, Ray. That's not going to change. It never will."

Silence.

The air turned heavy, thick with unspoken emotions, and Ray, barely holding himself back, clenched his fists as he squeezed the words out, his voice trembling,

"I-I see... but you do realize what you just said, right? You said it yourself... that Ash is stronger than me. And if that's truly what you believe, then I want to test it. I want to face him, I want to see if he is truly stronger than me like you said."

He paused, his voice tightening with a mix of desperation and frustration.

"And even if you never come to like me, I want to prove one thing—that weakling you admire so much... he's not the one better suited for you. He has low potential, and deep down you know it too. He'll remain weak, always lagging behind. He doesn't deserve—"

Before his words could finish, Elysia snapped. Her voice tore through the tension like lightning.

"And who do you think you are to decide who's better for me, huh? Just WHO gave you that right, Ray Dawson? Don't cross the line. Don't you dare try to make choices for me."

She stepped forward, eyes locked onto his, not with fear or hesitation, but unwavering defiance.

"Or are you hesitating to fight me because you're scared you'll lose?" Her voice was cold, but steady.

"If you're worried that you'll end up hurting me, then let me ease your concern. I've already recovered fully. My body's back in shape, and even though my strength hasn't increased since a few months ago, I don't care. I want you to understand something clearly... I will show you that strength isn't everything. Even if I lose, I will not let you look down on Ash, ever again."

Elysia's voice turned cold, sharp and precise. She wanted to curse him, to scream every bitter word building in her chest... but she didn't. Something in her mind held her back, gripping her thoughts before they could spill out.

Is this really the same Elysia I knew?

That was the thought echoing through both Grace and Lyra's minds, and in fact, it wasn't just them. Everyone watching had a similar reaction.

How did she change this much? Was she always this bold and daring?

But amidst those thoughts, something else surged within her.

How dare he spout bullshit about Ash?

Ash... a weakling? I will kill this bastard. I swear, I will kill this fucker, tear him apart... Read ahead and get updates at M*V*L*E*M*P*Y*R.

Kill him. Kill him. Kill him.

Those murderous thoughts were about to burst out like a storm in her mind, but again, it stopped—choked back by that same strange, familiar tug in the back of her mind. Like invisible chains wrapping around her fury.

And she calmed down.

"Fine lets duel."

Ray finally spat the words, his voice cold, stripped of its earlier desperation. His head hung for just a moment, and in that brief second, something inside him changed.

His entire aura shifted, like a mask falling away. The desperation drained, replaced by an unsettling calm.

And then, that familiar system sound echoed inside his mind.

[Skill: Null Mind has been successfully purchased.]

[Deducting 180,000 system points...]

[Remaining System Points: 5,33,432]

**

Skill Name: Null Mind

Skill Rank: Legendary (S)

Description: Erases all emotional feedback, placing the mind in a state of perfect calm and stillness. In this state, the user is unaffected by emotions allowing clear, sharp thinking in any situation. Decision-making becomes faster and more precise, and awareness of surroundings is greatly enhanced.

-Consumes mana while active.

**

While this was happening, Melissia had been quietly listening from the very beginning, taking in every word about how Elysia liked Ash and how Ash might feel the same way about her.

Yet, despite hearing all that, there was no visible expression on her face. She just stood there, still and silent, her expression blank.

But her eyes, strangely enough, remained fixed on Elysia.

As if trying to read something hidden deep within her.

Her mind, however, was not as calm. Inside, it was a mess—a storm of thoughts crashing into each other, leaving her in turmoil she didn't know how to handle.

**

[Starlight Arena]

"Are you sure you want to fight?" Instructor Leonard asked, his tone unusually serious.

To his question, both Elysia and Ray answered at the exact same time, "Yes."

Instructor Leonard took a long look at them both. Then finally, he let out a deep sigh.

When Amelia had rushed over to tell him that a serious fight was about to break out, he hadn't wasted a second and immediately made his way to the scene.

And just as she said, the air around both the students was filled with tension, as if one wrong word could set off an explosion. Honestly, he was certain they would have already been throwing punches if he hadn't arrived right on time.

But since no blows were exchanged yet, technically, he couldn't punish them for something that hadn't happened.

Which is why now, they were standing inside the Academy's official battle zone—a specially designed arena built specifically for student duels, where safety was a high priority and protective measures were already in place.

I just heard that Ash and this girl Elysia returned today... I was planning to check on Ash's progress, maybe assess whether he's been neglecting his close combat training or not. But instead of that, I end up supervising a love-fueled duel...Ahh, my old bones really weren't ready for this kind of drama...

More than anything else, what surprised him the most was the reason behind the duel. Normally, duels were fought during exams, born out of rivalry, jealousy, or sometimes just raw pride. It was common for students to challenge each other to test their strength or settle a grudge

But this?

It was probably the first time in his entire life that he had seen two students step onto a battlefield because of love.

I never imagined I'd live long enough to witness something like this... Maybe retiring wasn't such a bad idea after all.

He looked away from Ray and Elysia and quietly thought to himself, Youth nowadays are really strange and reckless...

"Fine then," Leonard finally said, his voice dropping into a more formal tone.

"Go stand in the center of the arena. You will only be using the standard weapons provided by the Academy. No personal weapons are allowed. The duel will only end under two conditions—either one of you becomes unable to continue, or someone admits defeat and surrenders. Killing, however, is strictly forbidden. If anyone dares to kill the other... then I will personally end the killer myself."

His voice grew cold and sharp, sending a chilling warning across the entire field. Everyone who heard it felt their backs go stiff.

"You are fighting at your own risk. If things don't go your way, don't come crying about unfair rules later."

"Yes, Instructor."

"Alright, Instructor."

Both Elysia and Ray replied in unison, their voices calm but firm.

The Starlight Arena itself was massive—resembling a coliseum in structure. It stretched nearly as wide as a 2 football fields , perhaps even more.

Within this field were multiple dueling platforms, each one evenly spaced and identical in design.

But as the match was being prepared, all those small platforms slowly sank into the ground. In their place, from the very center of the field, a much larger stage began rising upward—this was the main dueling ground.

Though the arena had enough seating to hold hundreds of people, it wasn't just Class 1-S students who had come to witness this strange, heated duel. Students from other classes had begun trickling in, their curious chatter filling the stands. Whispers flew through the air like sparks. What had started as a rumor was becoming a spectacle.

Even a few instructors had arrived, speaking quietly with Leonard. Judging by the irritated looks on their faces, they were most likely the teachers whose classes had been left empty as their students fled to watch the drama unfold here.

***