"Watch the next match closely. If you are able to understand even the slightest bit of it, I'll consider enjoying my match with you."
I remembered Kuzon's last words to me before entering the ring.
'What did he do?!' My mind rang.
Nothing within reason came to mind, so that meant I had to think outside the box. Unfortunately, before that happened, the boy in question made the next step.
"I should end this now..." He muttered.
"[Shock]"
Suddenly, buzzes of purple electricity flowed on his hand, generating violent sparks. They danced around his fingertips and cackled ominously.
Watching his Spell from afar, my puzzlement increased to greater heights.
'[Shock] is a close-combat move, and can't be sent to far distances!'
Why was he using such a move when he was quite some meters away from Anabelle? The advantage of the [Shock] Spell was that it wasn't categorized into Tiers or levels. It was an independent-type Spell that varied based on the amount of mana poured into it.
Still, against an opponent so far away... how was it supposed to be effective?!
>BZZZTTTZZZZZ!!!<
Much to my surprise, no, to the shock of everyone who watched, the purple bolts transversed the distance that existed between Kuzon and Ana in a flash, and before I knew it...
"ARRRRHHHHHHHH!!!"
... Ana's scream filled the air.
The purple bolts of lightning roasted her body, causing vestiges of smoke to emanate from it.
Purple flashes lingered, clearly stinging her body as she writhed in pain. The girl uncontrollably for a few moments, already damaged beyond her limits, before falling to the ground in defeat.
>THUD<
Her body landed on the floor and the sparks ceased. Millions of questions ran through my mind, but my first concern was Ana's warfare.
I had defeated many people, and so had she. But, the sight of her losing so miserably and helplessly... it caused me great grief and my chest tightened.
The feeling of watching someone I cared about and nurtured be so easily overpowered by another... it felt terrible. Some unsavory memories came to my head, but I quickly brushed them away before they took a hold of me.
There were things I would rather not think about at all in this new life I had been given!
"Winner, Kuzon Midas!"
My eyes unconsciously trailed to the timer set above for all to see, and I caught a glimpse of how long the march lasted.
"T-twenty seconds?!" Edward exclaimed beside me.
His face showed shock, but I was just as surprised.
'So, this is what you meant when you said I took too long in my match... Kuzon...' I narrowed my gaze and focused on the boy who casually left the stage the moment the victor was decided.
Unlike before where cheers of victory sounded, the hall was at a decorum. Many were sure to have been supporting Ana, seeing as she was able to conjure a powerful spell with ease, and tried her best in her match.
They must have also felt devastated when Ana shrieked as she was assailed by the jolts made by Kuzon's attack.
A grave silence greeted Anabelle's loss and Kuzon's victory, and we all watched in silence as the medics rushed to take the girl off-stage.
I had no idea how much Mana Kuzon poured into his attack, but for it to have bypassed Anabelle's enhancements and sent her into a state of unconsciousness in an instant... it must have been a bizarre amount!
For a student to have achieved that within barely a moment without experiencing Mana Shock... just what kind of monster was this mysterious boy? How was he even able to transverse the distance with such a close-range spell—and so quickly at that?
My mind was in a state of panic and multiple emotions and questions flooded me. It felt like I would hyperventilate as I couldn't handle all of them at once.
"...red! Jared! Jared!!!" I heard someone call for me, suddenly bringing me out of the overwhelming state I was in.
"W-what?!" I snapped, looking to my side at the person who was shaking me violently.
Edward gave a look of relief the moment he realized I was fine, and finally, let go of my arms.
"Hoo, you didn't look like yourself back there, and you also weren't responding to my call. That was why I—"
A smile formed on my face as I saw an uncertain expression playing on Edward's face. I supposed I lost too much composure and even worried the young boy.
"Jared... I wasn't able to figure anything out during that fight. Anabelle's loss came as a shocker to me!"
The moment he said his last sentence, Edward paused, realizing something inappropriate in his words.
'Shocker, uh? Was it an unconscious attempt at word play?'
"I-in any case... did you figure anything out concerning what that guy did?!" Edward asked, still recoiling from his embarrassment.
Once his question hit me, I slightly turned my face and looked toward the stage, seeing some scorch marks on the ground. The blackened lines gave me an inkling of something, but that was enough for me to dissuade my anxieties.
"No... not yet." I smiled at my companion.
"But, don't worry... I'll get to the bottom of this... very soon!"
Edward nodded, returning his gaze to the stage. A smile played across his face and he gave a determined look.
I was certain the boy was currently worried about his best friend, but he couldn't allow that to mentally destabilize him, especially since his match would be coming next.
"Ana gave her all, just like she wanted to. It's a shame she lost, but that only means she can learn from her mistakes and move on. Besides... I know you're going to get vengeance for her!" Edward grinned, as though calming both himself as well me concerning the event that just transpired.
Somehow, his words actually worked on me. While I was a bit anxious about facing Kuzon in the finals, I took a resolve upon myself to shake off any semblance of fear.
He had utterly defeated my student! There was no way I planned on disgracing myself as a teacher.
"Yeah. You're right, Edward!" I gave a bright smile.
In my battle against Kuzon... I was going to win no matter what!
