"How?!" Gleen shouted, his voice filled with concern as he rushed toward her, abandoning his stance.
"How... when did this happen?" Behan's voice shook with disbelief, her feline eyes narrowing as she tried to recall the sequence of events. She had been so focused on Jett, on the battle, that she hadn't even noticed Lyla go down.
The crowd, equally confused, began murmuring among themselves. The tension was palpable as they tried to piece together the sudden shift in the fight.
"Was that your plan all along? To take out our mage?" Orpa asked, his voice, "But when did you have time to...?"
Jett stood tall, a smug grin on his face as he addressed the shocked audience. "When you were all too busy focusing on me," he began, turning his attention back to the group he had been fighting, "I got close enough to your mage and knocked her out. Right when you thought I was dodging and playing around."
The realization hit Behan, Orpa, and Gleen like a ton of bricks. They'd been too distracted by Jett's taunts, his acrobatic dodges, and rapid movements to notice when he'd stealthily closed in on Lyla. He had taken her out with precision, all while making them think they had the upper hand.
Jett shot a glance over to Asher, who was watching from the sidelines, smirking. Asher smirked back, a glint of acknowledgment in his eyes. 'Bastard, when did you get that fast? I almost couldn't follow your movements,' Asher thought, surprised yet impressed at how Jett had pulled off the move so effortlessly.
"That was impressive, though," Matthew chimed in, unable to hide his admiration.
Freya crossed her arms and mused, "He's just showing off."
But Asher, his eyes still fixed on Jett, shook his head. "No, that's not it. He's sending a message to someone else," Asher said, his gaze shifting upward to the third floor of the arena, where a mysterious figure stood watching the match intently.
Jett stretched his arms, cracking his knuckles, and said, "Alright, time to end this." Without hesitation, he launched himself toward Behan.
In an instant, Jett sent Behan flying across the arena with a single blow. The sheer force of the attack left her crashing into the far wall. As soon as she was down, Orpa fired a rapid series of arrows, his precision unmatched.
[Snipe]
[Phase Shot]
But Jett dodged each arrow with near-flawless agility, his movements so fluid it was as though he anticipated every shot. Then, with an effortless spin, Jett delivered a merciless kick to Orpa's back, sending him sprawling onto the ground, gasping for air.
Gleen, the last one standing, knew he had to stop Jett somehow. "I won't let you break through my defense!" Gleen yelled desperately.
[Iron Wall]
With a shout, a massive stone wall erupted between them, Gleen's final line of defense. It stood tall and imposing, a testament to his defensive prowess.
Jett's eyes narrowed as he analyzed the wall, 'With over 300 points in strength alone? This will be easy,' he thought, a smirk curling on his lips.
CRASH!
In a single, devastating punch, Jett shattered both the stone wall and Gleen's shield, the impact so powerful it reverberated throughout the entire arena. Gleen, standing defenseless, stared at the fragments of his shield in disbelief. He had no choice but to acknowledge the immense gap between them.
"I... I admit defeat," Gleen muttered, lowering his head in resignation.
The arena fell silent for a moment as everyone processed what had just happened. Then the murmurs began, some students in awe, others shaking their heads in disbelief.
"He didn't even use his full strength..."
"He broke that wall skill with only one punch!"
"What kind of monster is he?"
In the stands, Asher simply watched, a knowing smile tugging at the corners of his lips. He knew Jett well enough to understand that this was only the beginning and he had to work harder to catch up.
Freya huffed, "Showoff."
Asher grinned. "I'd say that was more than just showing off."
As the dust settled, the crowd finally erupted into applause, cheers, and shouts of admiration, all directed at Jett. He had won, and he had done so in the most spectacular fashion imaginable.
*****
"Huh? No, really, you don't have to," Gleen replied quickly, waving his hands in protest. "It's fine, seriously."
But Jett shook his head. "Too late." He then turned and called out, "Yo, Cedric!"
From across the arena, Cedric glanced over and made his way to the group. "You need something?" Cedric asked, a curious look on his face.
"How's your blacksmith training coming along?" Jett asked, his eyes gleaming with mischief and a plan.
Cedric's face brightened instantly, excited to talk about his progress. "Actually, I've made a lot of progress! I've been working on refining my techniques. Why do you ask?" Chapter Stay:
Jett grinned, patting Gleen on the shoulder. "Gleen here needs a new shield. You think you could help him out?"
Cedric's eyes lit up with enthusiasm. "Oh, definitely! I've been wanting to try making something like that. I'll get to work on it right away!"
Gleen blinked in surprise but smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Cedric. And you too, Jett."
Jett gave him a playful shrug. "No problem. Consider it an apology for breaking your old one."
*****
Ross stood at the edge of the table, his face contorted in frustration as the duel came to a definitive close. The result was clear, Jett had completely dominated the fight. His fists clenched, anger simmering just below the surface as he glared at Dana.
"I hope it was worth it," Ross spat, barely able to contain his frustration as he stormed away, leaving his seat empty.
Dana watched him go, her expression cold and unmoved. Beside her, Lana and Lance exchanged glances, trying to justify their earlier decision. "Look," Lana began, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, "he may be strong but he's still trash in my eyes, he shouldn't even be breathing the same air as we are."
Dana nodded in agreement. "Exactly. Strength isn't everything. We need people we can trust, who know how to work together without causing us trouble. He probably used some kind of trick to overwhelm his opponents. No first year is that strong."
Lance sighed, rubbing his temple. "Besides, the club's not just about power. We need to maintain cohesion. Jett's a wildcard, he's a virus, that's what we were warned about."
Lisa, leaning against the wall, rolled her eyes in boredom, clearly uninterested in their justification. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. You guys can keep making excuses, but I don't see any valid reason why you hate the guy so much." She folded her arms, unimpressed by their logic. "He's strong, he's confident, and he just wiped the floor with a whole team. Seems like the perfect addition to me."
Dana huffed, crossing her arms. "There's more to it than you think, Lisa. You wouldn't understand."
Lisa shrugged, clearly unconvinced. "If you say so."
*****
Across the academy grounds, Gwendolyn had been watching the duel from a higher vantage point. Her sharp eyes followed Jett's movements closely, and as the battle reached its conclusion, a smile of pure delight spread across her face. She was incredibly impressed.
'He's... remarkable,' she thought, her mind racing with possibilities. The way Jett had handled himself, the precision of his attacks, the ease with which he dispatched the opposing team: it was unlike anything she had expected from a first-year.
Her thoughts drifted back to the incident in the dining hall, where she had also been present. She recalled the look in Jett's eyes then: calm yet calculating, as if he already knew how everything would play out. It wasn't just his strength that intrigued her, but his intelligence, his foresight.
Gwendolyn's smile widened, a glint of determination in her eyes. "This changes everything," she whispered to herself, her tone filled with newfound excitement. Her heart raced at the thought of the future, a future where Jett would play a crucial role.
She turned away from the arena, walking gracefully with a newfound purpose. "Just wait for me, Jett," she said to herself, already scheming.
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Thanks for sticking around