"Huff... Huff..."

Sweats beaded on Adrian's brows, his breaths coming in ragged gasps.

"Clang! Thud! Swish!"

Adrian parried and dodged as best as he could, but Rowan's mastery of the Ironheart Family's Seven Serpent Spearmanship was evident. The relentless barrage of attacks left Adrian little room to retaliate, forcing him into a defensive stance.

"Thud!"

Adrian fell on his knee, coughing up little blood.

"Is this all you have, Rowan?" But he didn't back down and even taunted, his voice steady despite the pain. "I thought you were supposed to be impressive."

Rowan's eyes flashed with irritation, his grip on the spear tightening. "You still dare to mock me, huh? You'll regret those words."

'Ironheart Family's Seven Serpent Spearmanship: -'

"I'll show you the true power of the Ironheart Family!" Rowan declared, his voice echoing through the arena. "Seven... Serpents... Devour!"

With a swift, fluid motion, Rowan lunged forward, his spear moving so fast it seemed to blur. As he executed the move, spectral images of seven serpents appeared in the air, their jaws open wide as if ready to devour their prey. The serpents coiled and twisted, their forms shimmering with a deadly, otherworldly light.

"Whoosh! Thud!"

The serpents lunged at Adrian in unison, their ethereal fangs aimed at his vital points. Adrian's eyes widened as he saw the attack coming, but he steeled himself, gripping his sword tightly.

"Clang! Swish! Thud!"

Adrian deflected the first serpent with a swift parry, but the second and third struck him with bone-jarring force, driving him back. He gritted his teeth, his body screaming in protest, but he refused to yield. The fourth and fifth serpents slashed across his chest and legs, leaving deep, bleeding wounds.

"Argh!" Adrian grunted, his vision blurring from the pain. He staggered, barely able to remain standing. But as the sixth and seventh serpents closed in for the kill, something inside him ignited.

"Not... yet..." he muttered, his voice a hoarse whisper.

With a surge of willpower, Adrian raised his sword high, channeling every ounce of his remaining strength into a single, desperate strike. His blade glowed with a brilliant, white light, cutting through the air with a resounding hum.

'The Whispering Cut.'

"Clang!"

"Swoosh!"

"Boom!"

The seventh serpent collided with Adrian's sword, the force of the impact creating a shockwave that rippled through the arena. The ethereal serpent shattered, its form dissipating into shimmering fragments of light.

Adrian staggered, blood staining his clothes and body, his movements sluggish.

Rowan observed him coldly, his spear spinning in his hands as he prepared for the finishing move. "It's over."

"..."

Adrian, despite the pain and exhaustion, smirked. "Right," he said, voice steady. "It's over."

"But for you."

Rowan's eyes narrowed in confusion as Adrian's form seemed to blur and then vanish.

'Shadow Glide!'

Rowan's spear struck the empty air where Adrian had been a moment before. The sudden disappearance left him momentarily off-balance. In that split second, Adrian reappeared behind Reina, who was fiercely protecting Kane with the golem.

"Thud!"

With a swift, precise strike, Adrian's sword connected with Reina's side, the force of the blow knocking her off balance. She stumbled, eyes wide with shock, before collapsing to the ground, her weapon clattering away.

Adrian didn't pause. Utilizing 'Shadow Glide' again, he vanished from sight and reappeared behind Kane. With a fluid motion, he swept Kane's legs out from under him, sending the 'Golem Mage' crashing to the ground.

"Thud!"

Kane's connection with the golem wavered, and the massive construct faltered, its movements becoming sluggish and uncoordinated.

"Now!" Adrian shouted.

Ardel seized the opportunity created by the chaos. Moving with the swiftness of a shadow, he closed the distance to the archer. Before she could react, his twin daggers flashed, striking her bow and then her arm. She cried out, dropping her weapon as she fell back, disarmed and incapacitated.

Meanwhile, Aria focused on the remaining mage. Her sword glowed with a fierce light as she advanced, casting a series of ice shards that sliced through the air with precision. The mage tried to conjure a defensive spell, but Aria was too fast. Her blade struck true, and the mage crumpled to the ground, his staff clattering away.

In a matter of seconds, the battlefield had shifted dramatically. Adrian's team had taken down their opponents with startling efficiency. The only one left standing was Rowan.

"..."

The entire arena fell into an eerie silence, the tension thick and palpable as Rowan, the last remaining member of his team, stood alone amidst the fallen. Adrian's team, despite their injuries and exhaustion, now had the upper hand.

"..." Rowan glanced at his fallen teammates with a calm expression before his gaze turned to Adrian and his group.

"Impressive." He said his voice intrigued. "I didn't really expect this. What a brilliant strategy. I bet even Ceil would have fallen for it."

"But, don't believe you have won yet." He muttered as he took steps.

"All of you are probably exhausted now. Your Aether must have run out as well."

"I can easily defeat all of you know." He stopped just a step away from Adrian.

"Yeah. You can." Adrian replied, his voice hoarse. "But..."

"If you have time that is."

"?" (Rowan)

Rowan paused, his eyes narrowing at Adrian's words. The entire arena seemed to hold its breath, the tension mounting with each passing second. Then, just as Rowan began to comprehend Adrian's statement, the shrill sound of a bell rang through the air, signaling the end of the match.

"RING!"

The sound echoed across the battlefield, cutting through the tension like a knife.

"The match ends." Instructor Darius announced indifferently as the time for the match had run out.

Rowan's eyes flickered with surprise. "Oh, I see now..." He nodded in realization.

Adrian's breaths were still ragged, his body protesting every movement, but he kept his gaze locked onto Rowan. Rowan turned toward them and started walking.

His steps were deliberate, each one echoing in the suddenly hushed arena. The spectators watched with bated breath, the tension palpable. Adrian's team tensed, ready to defend their leader if necessary.

As Rowan stopped just a step away from Adrian, his eyes bore into Adrian's with an intensity that made the first-year's heart race. The silence stretched, the weight of Rowan's presence pressing down on Adrian.

Everyone had the same question, what is he gonna do?

______ __

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