"The winner of the 21th duel is Rosalina Valentina!"
A loud cheer went up from the crowd.
Down on the sandy floor, a big, burly boy lay flat on his back, eyes wide and chest heaving.
He looked like he had just been hit by a truck.
Rosalina stood over him, calm as ever.
With one smooth move, she slid her sword back into its sheath. The tal made a soft *click*.
"Trash," she muttered under her breath, loud enough for the front rows to hear.
She turned on her heel and walked away without looking back.
From the waiting area, Julius watched her go with the biggest, goofiest grin on his face.
"Oh my Rose," he whispered to himself, eyes sparkling.
"He really is trash, isn’t he? But co on... who can even fight you properly?"
"My lovely Rose, just wait for your husband, okay? As soon as this silly tournant ends, we’re going on that date. You promised."
He let out a small, happy giggle and rocked back on his heels, hands clasped behind his head like a kid waiting for candy.
The earlier fight had lasted maybe ten seconds.
Rosalina drew her sword. One clean swing. Boom. Done. The boy didn’t even get to finish his fancy spell.
Julius shook his head, still smiling. "Not many people here who can keep up with us, huh?"
The professor cleared his throat and raised both arms to quiet the crowd.
"Now we co to the last duel of the day!" he shouted.
"Once this is finished, all today’s winners will move up to the Wolf Class. And tomorrow, we will decide who joins the Star Class!"
The students exploded into excited cheers and whistles.
The professor waited a mont, then read from the glowing board in a clear voice.
"The final duel is between... Julius Augustus Hayes and Zain Thorne!"
Julius had been mumbling to himself, his face still a little red from excitent. Then the na Zain Thorne popped into his head.
Just like that, the smile faded.
"Thorne?" he muttered, eyes sharpening as he looked toward the waiting students in front of him.
That na felt familiar. Very familiar. He had a deep feud with that guy.
"Wait... wasn’t he ntioned in the early Chapters of TST?"
Julius thought out loud as he slowly walked toward the arena. "He’s the big brother of that trash, right?"
He tried to rember the details of that mini arc.
Then it clicked.
"Ah."
As he stepped into the arena, a boy with white hair and blue eyes walked in.
Just from his face alone, he looked like trouble. Cold eyes. Sharp smile. The type who thinks he owns the place.
"That’s him," Julius murmured.
Zain Thorne. The guy who was also the reason that trash got his first harem girl, Alia Ruth.
’Honestly, he’s trash too. Sa blood, sa attitude. No surprise there.’
’He liked Alia. Then the "hero" arrived at the academy, they clashed, and of course, Zain got beaten up badly. Classic story.’
’Minor villain shows up, acts tough, gets crushed, hero shines, girl falls in love.’
’You know the type. The kind of character who exists just to get punched and make the main character look cool.’
’The sa kind that new novel heroes get transmigrated into. "Reborn as a minor villain," steal the heroines, change fate, blah blah blah.’
’Yeah. That kind.’
The professor stepped back to the edge of the arena, arms raised high.
"Are you two ready?"
Zain Thorne gave a slow, firm nod. "Yes. I’m ready."
Julius was still lost in his own head, eyes a little distant. He gave a short, absent nod without really looking up.
"Alright," the professor shouted, "let the duel begin!"
He jumped down from the platform.
The second his feet hit the ground— BOOM!
Zain stomped the ground hard enough to crack it.
Dust flew up around his boots. He charged straight at Julius like a bull, both fists glowing bright.
"Infinite Cast: Mighty Fist!"
Mana rushed into his hands.
Two perfect black circles ford around each fist, spinning fast.
The circles pulsed once, then sank into his skin. His hands turned pitch black and shiny, like they were made of iron now.
He swung hard, right for Julius’s stomach.
Julius didn’t even blink. He was still muttering to himself.
"Infinite Cast: Magic Arsenal. First form: Shield."
A small round shield popped into existence right in front of him.
It was silver, simple, exactly the size of an old comic-book captain’s shield. It floated there, steady as stone.
BAM!
Zain’s fist slamd into it full force.
The shield didn’t budge. It just flashed once with orange light and pushed Zain’s arm back like it weighed nothing.
Julius kept thinking out loud, voice calm.
’Do I have any use for him?’
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
Zain didn’t stop.
He threw punch after punch, left, right, uppercut, hook. He even spun around to hit Julius from behind.
Every single ti, the little shield zipped through the air faster than the eye could follow.
It blocked every strike perfectly. Front, side, back, didn’t matter. The shield was always there first.
’Is he even worth it?’ Julius wondered.
’Truth be told, no real potential. In the original story, after the hero beats him to a pulp, this guy just switches sides and becos a cheerleader for the trash little brother.’
’Loyal dog number two. But later... he gets killed by so random Zlycon soldier. Pathetic end for a side character.’
Zain was breathing hard now. Sweat rolled down his face.
"Pant... pant... What the fuck is this spell!"
He stopped for a second, glaring at the floating shield. It just hovered there, innocent and shiny, like it was mocking him.
"Tsk." He clicked his tongue. "So this is what an S-rank talent looks like, huh?"
Bitterness twisted his mouth.
’Compared to him, none of my siblings are anything.’
mories started flashing in his head, since his childhood—
"ahhh?"
And just as the sad backstory was about to start rolling in...
Julius suddenly opened his mouth. His eyes lit up.
He looked at Zain, whose power-up mont had just been cut short.
"I know what to do with you," he said softly. A small giggle slipped out. "Hehe."
He raised both hands.
"I was planning sothing anyway... and you’ll make it a lot easier. Of course, I won’t say that part out loud yet, oopsy!."
He looked straight at Zain, grin growing wider.
"But for now... let make you taste this."
"Magic Arsenal:
Second form....Weaponry."
The mont the words left his mouth—
Circles blood around him.
Not on his body.
Around him.
White. Red. Black. Blue. Dozens of glowing magic circles spinning slowly in the air, each humming with power.
They ford a wide ring around Julius like a silent storm waiting to fall.
And from each circle—
A weapon stepped out.
A sword.
A spear.
An axe.
A hamr.
Daggers. Halberds. Blades of shapes no one in the academy had ever seen.
They floated in the air, perfectly still, all pointed outward.
All ready.
Zain’s breath caught in his throat.
"This...?"
His knees gave out.
He dropped to the ground without realizing it.
Julius stood at the center, calm and untouchable, surrounded by an army of steel.
It was not just magic. It looked like control. Like every weapon in the world had chosen him as its master.
"How..." Zain whispered, voice shaking.
"How can soone our age be this strong?"
The will to fight drained from his eyes.
Julius let out a soft laugh.
"You really thought you could fight ?"
His golden eyes began to glow. Not bright like a hero’s.
Sharp and Cold.
"Even your little brother, with that almighty system... even after all his regressions... he couldn’t beat ."
The weapons shifted slightly.
Not attacking.
Just reminding.
Zain felt it then. The gap. The crushing, unfair distance between them.
Julius stepped forward once.
tal followed him like loyal soldiers.
A slow, wicked grin spread across his face.
After all—
"I’m the perfect villain."
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