My System Doesn't Give Power

The referees began calling the first set of numbers, and just like the previous day, five matches started at once.

Unlike yesterday, however, the fights lasted noticeably longer. With half the contestants already eliminated, those remaining had at least learned from some of their earlier mistakes.

Zac’s match came surprisingly early. He stepped onto the stage, faced his opponent, and ended the fight almost as quickly as he had yesterday.

Then Sabrina’s number was called. She found a woman waiting across from her with a sword in one hand and a shield in the other.

’Mira Kale, Class B.’

The moment Mira realized who she’d drawn, her grip tightened around both weapons.

Sabrina Snow. One of the greatest prodigies of their generation.

Marty leaned forward. "Why is she going in barehanded?"

"I have seen her train with a sword before and she is really good with it, but when I asked her why not use it, she said, ’I don’t use it unless it’s necessary.’"

Zac’s lips curved faintly. "As cocky as always...ah. Don’t worry, she’ll be fine. My first day on campus involved fighting her, remember?"

His eyes stayed on Sabrina. "Besides, it’d be pretty embarrassing if she lost her first match after all that attitude. All bark and no bite."

On the stage, the referee dropped her hand.

"Begin!"

Mira moved first. Mana coated her legs as she rushed forward, her sword cutting toward the unarmed Sabrina.

Sabrina waited, and at the last possible instant, she shifted aside and knocked Mira’s sword arm off course with her wrist.

Mira reacted quickly, bringing her shield around to guard against the counterattack.

Sabrina didn’t attack the shield. Instead, her hand snapped around Mira’s sword wrist.

Before Mira could pull away, Sabrina stepped in, twisted her balance, and slammed her onto the stone.

Mira hit the stage hard, though she immediately tried to rise; Sabrina was already on her. She dropped low, trapped Mira’s sword arm between her legs, and pulled it into a lock.

Her other fist hovered inches from Mira’s face.

The referee’s hand shot up. "Stop! Winner, Sabrina Snow!"

Sabrina released Mira and returned to the others as though the whole thing had been routine.

Everyone congratulated her. Everyone except Zac.

Once Sabrina sat down, he leaned back and murmured just loudly enough for the entire group to hear.

"A mage body-slamming a warrior. That’s one for the history books."

Sabrina’s face remained perfectly blank, but her fist slowly clenched.

Kelly noticed immediately. "Zac, don’t tease Snow like that. If you keep making her angry, you might be the next person she body-slams."

Zac broke into laughter.

Around them, several others hurriedly covered their mouths.

Kelly looked from face to face. "Why are you all smiling?"

Zac wiped the grin from his face. "Kelly... are you sure you’re taking her side?"

She blinked and then slowly turned and saw Sabrina staring directly at her.

Kelly immediately faced the stage again. "The next match looks interesting."

Daniel’s turn came soon afterward.

Compared to Zac’s blunt efficiency and Sabrina’s icy precision, Daniel’s fighting style felt far more grounded.

His opponent from Class B fought with two short axes and managed to keep the match going for a while, but Daniel never lost control of the pace.

His spear kept the man at a distance, redirecting one attack after another until Daniel found his opening and secured the win without much trouble.

When he returned, Marty was waiting for him. "Can you do me a favor?"

Daniel gave him a wary look. "What?"

"If we ever get matched against each other, could you please trip over your spear?"

"No."

Marty pressed a hand to his chest. "So cold. I thought we were friends."

"We are." Daniel walked past him. "That’s why I’m telling you early."

Before they could finish talking, Marty’s number was called.

Kelly gave him an encouraging smile. "Good luck."

Shobin nodded toward the shield strapped to Marty’s arm. "That’s your advantage. Make him come to you. Don’t rush in."

"Oh, I’m not planning to."

Zac considered him for a moment. "Don’t do anything stupid."

Marty stared at him. "And here I thought I was your best friend. Your faith in me is absolutely beautiful."

With that, he climbed onto Stage Five.

His opponent, Caleb Stone from Class B, carried a short staff and looked considerably lighter on his feet than Marty.

"Begin!"

Caleb immediately began circling. His staff darted toward Marty’s shoulder, knee, and then ribs in rapid probing strikes.

Marty planted his feet and raised his shield. Mana spread across its surface and reinforced the forearm behind it.

Caleb clicked his tongue. "You’re really just going to hide behind that? Like a turtle?"

Marty peeked over the shield. "That’s generally what shields are for, genius. And what’s wrong with turtles? They’re cute."

"Idiot." Caleb snapped his staff forward.

The strikes came faster this time, hammering Marty’s defense from different angles.

Marty struggled to shift his shield quickly enough between attacks.

His mana coating wasn’t as refined as Sabrina’s, as efficient as Zac’s, or as disciplined as Daniel’s.

But it held. Even when a couple of strikes slipped past the shield and struck his body, Marty gritted his teeth and stayed planted.

Caleb’s movements gradually became sharper and more impatient.

But then, one small misstep—he stepped too close.

Marty immediately took the opening. He drove the edge of his shield upward and knocked Caleb’s staff aside.

Before Caleb could recover, mana surged through Marty’s legs and shoulders.

His entire body became the weight driving it forward.

Caleb’s eyes widened. "Wait..."

The shield slammed squarely into his chest, sending him tumbling off the stage.

The referee raised a hand.

"Winner, Marty Williams!"

Marty puffed out his chest. "Behold. The Turtle Lord advances."

When he returned to the others, his grin was impossible to miss. "See that? I won."

"Yes," Daniel replied. "We all have eyes."

Shobin frowned. "What was that name you made up? Turtle Lord? Really? You couldn’t think of anything better?"

Marty pointed at him. "You shouldn’t be talking. Your title is Nerdy. Turtle Lord clears that easily."

"Who said Nerdy was my title?"

Zac, meanwhile, simply watched Marty without commenting.

Kelly’s match came not long afterward. This time, she walked toward the stage with noticeably steadier steps.

Shobin glanced at Sabrina. "She’s not nervous today?"

"She practiced that mana blast all night." Sabrina kept her eyes on Kelly. "She’s got a decent handle on it now."

And apparently, she had. Once the match began, Kelly let her opponent close the distance. Then, the moment he entered her range, she thrust both hands forward.

And compressed mana erupted from her palms.

Her opponent barely had time to react before the blast hurled him off his feet and sent him crashing outside the boundary.

An easy victory.

Shobin won his match soon afterward as well.

Then came Adrian. Unfortunately for the referee, it was the same man who had overseen Adrian’s match the previous day.

The moment he saw Adrian approaching his stage, irritation spread across his face, and Adrian, naturally, seemed delighted to see it.

The match played out much as expected.

He filled every movement with unnecessary flair, overwhelmed his opponent, and secured another victory without much trouble.

And, equally predictably, he couldn’t leave without saying something sufficiently noble and narcissistic to make the referee’s temple visibly twitch again.

Just like the previous day, the final match once again belonged to Ravena.

The moment the students realized it was her, the atmosphere in the arena shifted. Conversations died down, and even those who had been only half-watching turned their attention toward the stage.

The referee had clearly learned from yesterday.

Rather than step into Ravena’s cursed range to check her VSB, he had apparently memorized her lot number beforehand. He only verified her opponent, Nolan Gray, before retreating to a comfortable distance.

"Begin!"

Ravena drew her daggers without a word.

Nolan approached cautiously, his mana coating already spread across his body. Each step was measured, and he was as cautious as he could be.

But the moment he entered the range, his strength drained from his limbs, and the mana around his body flickered as his control began slipping.

Nolan clenched his jaw and forced himself forward anyway.

His weapon came down, but Ravena turned it aside with ease. Her dagger followed immediately, the flat of the blade striking sharply against his forearm.

Nolan flinched and pulled back.

"She’s doing it again..." The murmur spread through the spectators.

Zac watched Ravena closely.

Her movements were efficient. Precise. Yet something about them felt wrong. "She’s restraining herself more than she needs to."

[Good observation.]

[She’s dividing her attention. Part of it is on the fight, while the rest is being used to keep her curse energy from leaking any further.]

Zac’s eyes narrowed slightly.

On the stage, Nolan gathered himself and committed to a direct slash.

Ravena slipped past it.

One step carried her through his guard, and before Nolan could recover, the tip of her dagger was resting against his ribs.

The referee stepped in at once. "Stop! Winner, Ravena Voss!"

Ravena lowered the dagger, and the black mana coating its blade faded away as she sheathed both weapons and turned toward the edge of the stage.

Once again, the crowd parted before her. Whispers followed in her wake, but no one came close enough to say anything directly.

With that, the second round came to an end.

Arena staff began clearing the stages while the eliminated students either left in frustration or remained behind to watch how the tournament would unfold.

Zac, Marty, Daniel, Shobin, Kelly, Sabrina, and Adrian had all advanced to the third round.

Matilda stepped forward to announce the results.

"The third round will begin tomorrow morning. Eleven matches will determine the eleven students advancing further. The draw will be posted through the academy system this evening."

Once they were dismissed, the group left the arena and headed toward the beginners’ restaurant to get something to eat.

They hadn’t gone far when their VSBs began chiming one after another.

Marty opened the notification with a relaxed smile, but when he saw it, his smile vanished. Slowly, he turned toward Daniel.

Daniel was already staring at his own VSB, his expression unusually still.

Kelly’s eyes widened as she read the draw. Shobin said nothing, merely looking between the two of them.

Sabrina checked the names once, then glanced at Marty.

Adrian pressed a hand to his chest and gasped theatrically. "How deliciously cruel."

The next-round matchup glowed clearly on their screens.

Marty Williams vs. Daniel Martel.

Daniel lowered his VSB.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Then he met Marty’s eyes.

"Let’s do our best."

Marty stared back at him before forcing a grin that didn’t quite reach his eyes. "Yeah." His fingers tightened around the strap of his shield. "Let’s do our best."

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