"Yes, you can leave," Dahlia replied to Asher's question.
"As expected from the grandson of the Sword God," some students whispered among themselves.
They couldn't believe what had just transpired.
Most of them were too stunned to speak, including all the rankers.
Even Damian, who would usually cheer for Asher, was awestruck by his friend's talent.
"We will stop the Next Spar for a moment," Dahlia announced, making her way toward Blake.
She had seen what Asher had just done.
At the last moment, when Blake's sword was nearing Asher, Asher employed a strange movement technique unknown to her to shift slightly backward.
It wasn't much, but enough to throw off Blake's strike. What happened next left her speechless.
Asher used Mir Steps to appear just to the left of Blake, moving so fast that Blake, who was focused on his sword, didn't notice.
In the next instant, Asher grabbed Blake's hand, twisted it, and pulled his body backward using only his strength, halting his momentum instantly.
It was hard to believe that all these refined movements occurred instantly, but countering Blake's Sword Art wasn't difficult for Asher.
It wasn't hard because he had done it once before.
It was a spar, so Asher didn't push things too far and ended the duel before it became dangerous.
The memories from the Rune of Eirdin were still vivid in his mind. It was safer for him not to stay around others for too long.
Even with Gavin, he had difficulty refraining from killing him outright.
'Let's just go back,' Asher thought, walking past Damian, who was trying to approach him.
Seeing this, Asher shook his head and advised Damian against it.
"Focus on that," Asher pointed at the sparring spot where Blake was getting up.
"Oh, right," Damian waved his hand and returned, forgetting that the class was over.
Asher was heading towards the exit but altered his path slightly as he walked past Gavin, who had observed the entire duel with his eyes wide open.
"Choose your sides carefully," Asher whispered to Gavin as he left the Duel Class.
Gavin didn't react noticeably, so no one realized that Asher had spoken to him.
But Gavin had heard Asher clearly.
Initially, Gavin had hoped that Blake would teach Asher a lesson, allowing him to negotiate with Asher later.
But now, having seen what had just occurred, all his hopes and plans were dashed.
Like him, Alan, who had watched the whole duel, struggled to control his trembling hands.
No one noticed it, but when Asher defeated Blake, his gaze fell on Alan.
It was only momentarily, but Alan knew that Asher was looking at him.
Seeing that indifferent look once again brought back memories of the Representative Tournament.
"Isn't that guy too strong?" Venessa casually mentioned to Amelia.
"Ah, yeah," Amelia responded, puzzled as to why Venessa spoke informally to her.
"Blake, do you want to continue with this spar?" Dahlia asked, looking down at Blake, who sat on the floor with his head hung low.
'Did I just lose?' Blake pondered.
'No, it was because I couldn't use aura,' he reasoned.
'I can't lose to a First-Year, no,' Blake's mind was in chaos.
"Blake Cranston!" Dahlia called out loudly, causing Blake to look up.
"Do you want to continue this spar?" She repeated her question.
She understood why someone like Blake would be so unsettled by his loss and acknowledged that she would probably react similarly in his position. However, she had to continue with the class.
Blake looked around and saw the faces of all the students present. He could sense their mocking stares.
"Yeah," Blake responded, his gaze landing on Kevin and the other rankers.
He could tell that they all believed they could beat him.
He hadn't experienced this kind of scrutiny in a long time.
Being the top-ranked student who had always triumphed over others, being perceived as weak wounded his pride even more.
Upon hearing Blake's response, Dahlia allowed the three teams she had formed to come forward and spar with Blake.
'I need to show them,' Blake thought, growing even angrier.
"We can defeat him," Elena said to Kevin.
She believed that if Asher could do it, so could they.
Kevin shared her sentiment. If Asher could do it, perhaps it was Blake who wasn't that strong.
It wasn't just them. Apart from the second-year students, all the first-year students blamed Blake for being too weak.
"Ah, Leon won't like this," Jack, who had watched the whole duel, realized what kind of news would spread across the World Academy.
It wasn't the sort of news Leonard would want to hear right now.
'It's a good thing I joined him,' Sam noted Jack's expression when Asher defeated Blake in the spar.
He felt as if he had made the right choice.
Despite joining Asher, he wasn't confident that Asher could help him.
'Maybe he can really save my mother,' Sam thought.
"Begin the next spar," Dahlia commanded as Kevin, Elena, and Lishia stepped forward.
"I will attack him, and you two can support me," Kevin said, and Elena nodded in agreement.
Three minutes later, Kevin was on the ground, as were Elena and Lishia.
"These fools think I'm a loser?" Blake spat out, his eyes gleaming with anger.
Kevin looked up at Blake while blood trickled from his mouth.
After Asher's spar, Blake completely changed his fighting style.
The other second-years could tell he was serious now.
This was the Blake Cranston they knew, but it only further emphasized what kind of monster Asher was.
And this was confirmed again when Blake defeated the next two teams, including Amelia and Damian.
Joining this class, his only motive was to go easy on everyone except Asher to reduce his fame around the World Academy.
But nothing went according to his plan.
He clenched his fist, feeling the mockery still directed at him.
"You can leave now," Dahlia instructed, noticing Blake's behavior.
Even though he hadn't violated the spar's rules, these were more like duels than spars.
'It seems his ego is bruised,' Dahlia surmised, sensing that the defeat was messing with Blake's head.
Blake turned to leave the Duel Class, heading straight for the Second Year Ranker's Dorm.
*BAM* *BAM* *BAM* *BAM*
Blake relentlessly struck the walls in his floor's training area.
*BAM* *BAM*
"Dammit," Blake cursed, continuing to hit the wall until his hands began to bleed.
He was too enraged to calm down.
He could feel all the respect and fame he had earned crumbling down. Even though he had defeated everyone else, losing to Asher in a one-on-one spar was too much.
"Brother won't like this," Blake thought as he finally stopped.
The Cranston family was very strict, and he knew they would not react favorably to this news.
"Shit, shit, shit," Blake cursed under his breath.
Meanwhile, Asher was in his room, looking at the information Tom had sent him for today.
"So, they've tracked him down," Asher muttered.
Tom had told him that some people had attacked Darren Marks, and he was killed soon after.
Darren Marks was the same guy that Asher had blackmailed into killing his two friends, Gemard Ratliff and Robert Willis.
He knew it would have happened sooner or later, as both Gemard and Robert were involved with Rothschild and Allister's business, which wasn't open to the public.
It was only a matter of time before Darren would have been found, and seeing now that he had been killed meant they knew both Gemard and Robert were dead.
"He'll be occupied for now," Asher said, thinking about James Rothschild.
First, the incident at the Kalvas Gala involved Louis Rothschild, and now one of their moles in the Abyss Corporation turning on them. He would be busy until the Kalvas Gala.
But he knew that the one who sent the assassin was probably from the Allister Family.
Everything was going as Asher had planned.
It was enough of a distraction to keep many people busy until the Gala took place.
Right now, the name Zephyr was still not enough to shake the foundation of the elite families.
But that would soon change.
"The Gala should be interesting," Asher said, his eyes turning cold.
