>BBBRZZTZZZZZ<
Suddenly, sparks of purple electricity appeared on my opponent's fingertips, bringing back memories.
"Those again, eh?" I smiled nervously.
"Well, yeah... I wonder how you'll avoid it."
Before I could say anymore, Kuzon snapped his fingers and the purple electricity zoomed in my direction at a frightening pace.
Even with my current enhancements, it was barely possible for my eyes to keep up with the speed.
In a flash, before I could dodge, the lightning caught up with me and encircled my body.
"GUARGHHHHHH!!!" The deathly scream of Jared Leonard filled the air.
To those who watched, I wondered about the horror they must have experienced—seeing as a student was being fried with so many jolts of electricity.
"Arghhhh!!!" More cries of pain echoed before they began to subside.
Sparks ignited, appearing around the smoking body of a previously confident boy. Smoke rose and in a heavy thud, the Lower-Class champion who had made it this far—Jared Leonard—collapsed.
"Hmm? This is disappointing..." Kuzon murmured, frowning a little.
He made slow steps and began moving closer to the fallen figure.
"... I was actually hoping you'd have figured out the trick. Did I expect too much from you?"
He finally paused, directly in front of my smoldering and utterly defeated body.
"Moderator, I guess this counts as—"
>BZZZTTTZZZZZ<
Instantly, a flash of purple electricity buzzed from beneath Kuzon, covering a large area.
"Wha—?!"
Before the flustered boy could say any more, a brilliant detonation of pure electricity charged from underneath him, enveloping his body in pure energy.
>BOOOOOMMMMM!!!<
The surrounding area shattered apart and the crowd burst forth in excitement and amazement—even fright.
The effects of the spell ascended to as high as thirty meters high, sending vibrations across the room. The deafening roar of the shattering ground and the crackling lightning sent all into awe.
This was a High-Tier Intermediate Level Spell pushed to its limits.
How did it happen? When? The question must have surfaced in the minds of everyone who watched the surprising event.
I was certain that the one who was hit by the Spell felt the same.
"H-how...??!" Kuzon let out.
The lightning Spell lasted for a few moments before being forcefully canceled—dispersed by a Wind Spell activated at the center of the blast.
>BOOOOOOMMMMM!!!<
Remnant cackles of electricity buzzed before completely disappearing.
"Hoo, not bad. You fooled me... that's quite impressive..." Kuzon smiled, completely unscathed by the Spell.
His eyes completely ignored the figure that was at his feet—a copy of myself. Instead, he looked straight ahead, as though seeing through my currently invisible self.
"What did you do?"
I smiled at his question and decided that the jig was up. With a sigh, I undid my Invisibility Spell, revealing an unscathed version of myself to Kuzon as well as the rest of the crowd.
"Guess even that didn't work, eh?"
Gasps radiated the hall as the audience was in awe and shock at my sudden appearance. In the very same instance, the lightning-struck body on the floor—my duplicate—turned into Mana particles and vanished.
Kuzon and I both smiled at each other, both most likely wondering about the same thing.
"How did he escape my spell?!"
As for how I was able to avoid Kuzon's earlier attack, it was thanks to my multiple Mana Cores. I cast a Magic Clone and Invisibility Spell at the same time.
'Both are High-end Intermediate Spells at least. They also take a deal of time and Mana to activate.'
Taking these factors into consideration, no one in the match bothered using them.
My prowess in Magic was incomparable to that of others, making it possible for me. Before Kuzon activated his lightning Spell to fry me, I multi-cast both Spells, turning invisible and creating a clone at the same time to act in my stead.
Fortunately, Kuzon was distracted by his spell that he failed to notice my actions. From the audience's reaction, they had also not seen it coming.
Usually, it would be impossible to cast both Spells simultaneously—however, thanks to having five Cores, I was able to achieve it!
"I'm more curious as to how you're unscathed after being hit by my Lightning Spell," I spoke first, smiling at the boy who seemed a bit more on guard.
"That's a trade secret." He chuckled.
'So that's how he's going to be, uh?' I reasoned, eyeing my opponent closely.
I didn't expect Kuzon to be so difficult an opponent. He was quite a guy!
Not only was he exceptional at close combat, but he was extremely adept at Spells too. The boy also remains unscathed after a surprise attack, a testament to his defensive measures.
How was one supposed to beat such a guy?
"So, did you figure out my trick? The one I used against your female friend at the time?" Kuzon suddenly spoke.
To be honest, I tried as much as I could to map out different theories and possibilities during the one-day break. Unfortunately, with only limited knowledge—and having only seen him use that move once—there was very little information to work on.
"Not really. I figured it would be best to see for myself and arrive at conclusion." I responded.
I had a few ideas in mind before our match began, some of which were disadvantageous for me. However….
"And? Have you realized it now?" Kuzon's smile deepened.
"Yes."
My response was flat, but my expression told a different story.
"Then you must have realized it by now… how impossible this match is." My opponent spoke with a grave tone.
I understood perfectly. For the first time since I met Kuzon, the truth had finally become clear. I couldn't win against him, at least not with the kind of handicap shackling me.
'If he wanted to, this guy could most likely end things now. I didn't notice them earlier, but now…' My senses trailed across the arena. I could practically see what surrounded me—the very same constructs that floated around the stage.
They were invisible to the normal eye, and even with enhanced vision, it was still impossible to pick up their traces. The only reason I noticed them now was because I had realized the 'truth' about Kuzon.
The thin layers that enveloped the platform on all ends that were completely under my opponent's controls… were none other than threads!
Looking at Kuzon, who was surrounded by a barrier of these threads, a bead of sweat fell from my face and I made an inquisition.
"You… can use Original Magic, can't you?!"
