Chapter 84 : Alex vs Alicia(1)

Chapter 84: Chapter 84 : Alex vs Alicia(1) The atmosphere at Zenith Academy’s training grounds was electric. The crowd was still buzzing from the last match—Lilith’s display of overwhelming strength had sent shockwaves through both junior and seniors alike. Now, it was Alex’s turn. He stared at the platform, lips dry, heart doing its best impression of a drumroll. He gulped. "Just my luck." "Hey, step aside," Alden said, casually nudging Ethan out of the way. "I want a front-row seat to watch that bastard get flattened." Alex’s eye twitched. Alden, somehow holding a tub of popcorn, tossed a handful at ethan with a grin, as if he were watching an action flick instead of a duel. "Sharing the experience," Alden added, like it was a noble gesture. Alex turned to Alicia and Alistar with a deadpan expression. "Can I forfeit?" Alicia tilted her head, a mysterious smile tugging at her lips. Alistar chuckled and crossed his arms. "You already know the answer." Alex sighed. A vein throbbed in his temple. "Of course I do." He stepped forward with the dramatic flair of a man walking to his own funeral. "Let’s do this. How bad could it be?" Alicia followed him onto the dueling platform, her steps light and elegant. The crowd roared the moment they saw her take position. Students were shouting from all sides. "Break that pretty face of his, Prez!" someone from the first-year section yelled. "You can do this!" came another voice. "Why the hell are you cheering for him?" someone snapped. "Bastard, I’m cheering for Prez!" the friend shot back. Amid the chaos, a group of girls cried out, "Please, leave his pretty face alone, Prez! Don’t hit it!" Alicia burst out laughing. "You really do have some unique fans, don’t you?" Alex smirked, brushing a hand through his hair like a smug celebrity. "What can I say? If being handsome were a crime, I’d be serving life imprisonment." That made Alicia laugh even harder, her amusement echoing across the arena. The crowd loved it. The stage was set. The duel hadn’t even started, but already, the tension was delicious. And Alex could feel it—this was going to hurt. Then Alicia said with a teasing grin, "We should begin." Alex stiffened instinctively. The pressure she exuded was subtle but dense—like the calm before a storm. Alicia noticed his reaction and let out a musical laugh. "Don’t worry, I’m not heartless. You’re just an Advanced (Low) rank, and I’m a Master (Mid)," she said, flipping her glossy hair behind her shoulder. "So, I’ll give you a handicap." She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I’ll limit myself to Expert (Mid)-rank strength. If you can land even a single hit on me—no matter how small—or force me to use anything beyond Expert rank... then you win." Alex’s lips curled into a smirk. "You sure about that, Prez?" Alicia’s eyes gleamed dangerously. "Oh, I’m absolutely sure. Don’t worry about me... worry about yourself." Alex chuckled to himself. He knew she was playing with him. But he had nothing to lose. Alistar, standing beside the sparring platform, merely watched with amused indifference. He raised his hand—and the duel began. Alex’s eyes sharpened instantly. 『Mind’s Eye』 Time seemed to slow for him. His perception sharpened, predicting movements, analyzing angles, mentally plotting a hundred possible outcomes in the span of seconds. 『Phantom Shift – Activate!』 A faint distortion wrapped around his body as he blurred, afterimages mimicking his stance. His presence flickered, becoming harder to track. He lunged forward. 『Shadow Step!』 ZAP! In a blink, Alex reappeared beside Alicia, twisting mid-air for a wide horizontal slash. CLANG! His blade stopped. Alicia hadn’t even unsheathed her sword. She simply raised one foot and kicked him square in the ribs. CRACK! He was sent tumbling across the stage, coughing. From how bad could it be. The experience became very bad. Alicia shook her head, smiling. "You’re fast. But not fast enough. Keep trying." "Tch..." Alex rolled up, blood dribbling from his lips, and shot forward again, muscles flaring. 『Heavy Strike – Activate』 His next blow came with immense force, his blade whistling through the air like thunder. Alicia ducked effortlessly, stepped into his guard, and delivered a crisp uppercut to his jaw. CRACK! His head jerked back violently. Blood sprayed. He staggered. His skill Titan’s Resilience absorbed some of the impact—or he would’ve been knocked unconscious. Alicia spoke casually, "Keep your shoulders lower when you charge. You’re telegraphing." From the edge of the arena, Alden whooped, "YEAH! HIT HIM HARDER, SIS! BREAK HIS FACE!" Ethan joined in, laughing, "Knock his teeth out!" Only Seraphina and Ava shouted, "C’mon Alex! You can do this!" Charlotte, still fuming from her earlier loss, shouted, "Make him suffer, Alicia!" Alex scowled, bruises already forming. Lightning Resonance Sparks danced across his skin. His speed increased, steps crackling with energy. Astral Void Rend: 『First Form: Void Step!』 CRACK! He vanished in a flicker of electric light—and appeared behind Alicia. 『Second Form: Phantom Rend!』 His sword danced like lightning, leaving a trail of afterimages that slashed in tandem. Dozens of overlapping cuts surged toward her. Alicia sidestepped, body weaving effortlessly between the blades as if she had seen them all before. Then she spun and elbowed him in the chest. BOOM! He was thrown back again. "Too predictable," she said sweetly. "Don’t rely on just one tempo. Vary your rhythm." Alex coughed hard. His vision blurred. He wanted to curse, but instead— 『Third Form: Celestial Flow!』 Suddenly, his movement changed. Fluid. Like wind through a canyon. He glided across the stage, conserving energy, letting momentum guide him. He dashed in, feinted left, and pivoted to strike from above. Alicia casually dodged, not even bothering to move more than a few inches. She smiled. "Better. But still—" She flickered forward and punched him in the stomach. WHAM! He bent over with a wheeze. Alicia leaned in. "Too slow." 『Fourth Form: Bladestorm Mirage!』 With a scream, lightning burst from Alex. His blade erupted into a furious cyclone of slashes. ZRRRT! ZRRT! ZRRT! Dozens of blades howled through the air in a storm of energy and motion. Alicia’s eyes widened slightly. For the first time, she moved her hand to her sheath. SHING— One clean motion. A single draw. CLAAAANG! Her sword cut through the whirlwind like it was paper. A gust of force pushed Alex back and his body hit the ground with a thud. Alicia tilted her head, genuine curiosity in her voice. "My brother wasn’t joking. That sword art is strong. Really strong. Maybe even on par with my family’s style. Where did you learn it?" Alex lay on the floor, groaning. He forced a bloody smile. "Sorry, Prez. I can’t satisfy your curiosity. It’s a secret." He slowly stood up, swaying. "And since you’ve already turned me into minced meat, I’d like to end this match now. I really just wanna go home... maybe cry into my pillow... maybe sleep for two weeks." He limped toward the edge of the platform. Everyone assumed the duel was over. Seeing Alex moving out of the platform, Alicia sighed and muttered under her breath, "He clearly lacks motivation." Then she raised her voice, just as Alex was about to step out of the ring. "You have a sister, right?" Alex froze. Just like that. His battered shoulders stiffened, spine straightening. Alex didn’t turn around. But the spark in his eyes reignited. "I heard she’s afflicted with Abyss Corruption," she continued, her tone suddenly more serious. "And that you’re looking for a cure." Alex’s expression froze, his body turning cold as his head slightly tilted back toward her. "You investigated me?" Alicia smirked, unfazed. "Looks like that struck a nerve." "That’s not the answer to my question," he said, voice low and sharp. She shrugged casually. "Relax, I was just... curious about you." Then, after a pause, she added, "To make up for it, how about a deal?" He narrowed his eyes but said nothing. "Show me what you’ve really got, and I’ll help you find a cure for your sister." A beat. Then, with a tone colder than before: "Or... walk away, and I’ll report that little cafeteria incident you started. Who do you think the academy will believe?" She crossed her arms, voice calm but firm. "For the upcoming Inter-Academy Tournament, where the top academies of the world will compete... We need someone strong and sharp to lead the first years. And if you can’t even land a single hit on me, then you’re not fit for the title of Apex. Just another loudmouth with no bite." Alex scoffed at the threat. He knew she was bluffing—there was no evidence tying him directly to that cafeteria mess. At worst, he might get suspended or stripped of his title. But that wasn’t what made him hesitate. No, it was her other offer—the chance to gain her support in curing Lily. Even if Alicia held back her power, her technique, speed, and mastery from reaching Mid-Master rank made her a monster. She wasn’t a typical Expert anymore—her adjusted strength was still leagues above his. Landing a hit on her? Practically impossible. But... Alex closed his eyes, letting out a long sigh. He could give up his title. He could walk away. But he wouldn’t. No. He opened his eyes and looked at her. "Remember what you promised, Prez," he said softly. Then lightning sparked across his body. His mana surged violently as he activated Lightning Resonance again, arcs of white-blue electricity crackling across the arena floor. The air itself hummed with unstable pressure. He took his stance. Then, with quiet resolve, he spoke: "Astral Void Rend." Suddenly, vivid red notifications flooded his vision. --- [System Alert: High-tier technique detected.] [Warning: Current physical condition is not optimal.] [Proceeding may cause permanent muscle damage or internal strain.] [Use is not recommended at this time as the host is not ready.] His long-dormant, assumed-to-be-dead System had suddenly come back to life. He smirked at the blinking red text. "Nice to meet you too, useless system." His lips moved, barely audible over the storm of his own mana— "Fifth Form... Dimensional Sever." A pulse of energy erupted outward, the fabric of space around his blade beginning to warp and tremble as if the very arena couldn’t contain what was about to come. Alicia’s smile vanished. And then— ----------- A/N:- So how was the Chapter tell me on comments. Thanks for the golden tickets @Dawid4859, @DaoistP5ZNDv @david_goodin, @Tika826 , @Peacekeepers15 I really appreciate the support ????.