Absolute Cheater - Chapter 491
491: Averin Academy XV 491: Averin Academy XV “Why fight in the dark,” Sylens said, parrying another blow, “when we were born to fight through it?” Kairn smirked, pushing harder.
“Then prove it!” Their auras flared violently, each collision shaking the dueling platform.
Maxwell appeared beside him in a flash, his blade joining Sylens’ for a synchronized strike.
Together they forced Kairn back.
Amanda’s whip cracked again, pulling away the last of his defenders.
Lia’s arrow followed, landing perfectly between his feet, pinning the last shadow sigil to the ground.
The entire arena flashed white.
When the light faded, Kairn stood frozen, his aura breaking apart.
He let out a short breath, then smiled faintly.
“Looks like you’ve already mastered what most take years to learn.” The referee sigil pulsed.
Victory-Team Magnus.
Silence hung for just a moment-then the arena exploded with cheers.
The Magnus cousins stood at the center, panting, covered in dust and faint burns, but smiling faintly.
They didn’t shout or celebrate-they simply looked at each other and nodded.
Above, Asher’s arms were crossed as he leaned back slightly.
A quiet smile tugged at his lips.
“They didn’t just win,” he murmured.
“They evolved mid-battle.” Even the other guardians around him nodded slowly, watching the five young fighters stand beneath the falling motes of violet light.
The second round was over.
The announcer’s voice thundered once more through the crystal amplifiers, echoing across the massive examination arena.
“Second Round-Concluded!
The victors will advance to the Semifinals!” The crowd roared as the light sigils reformed across the ring.
Names and team crests appeared in glowing arcs of energy, rotating high above the plaza.
“Four teams remain!” the voice continued.
“Team Magnus of House Magnus!
Team Drevan of the Silver Core!
Team Korrin of the Iron Vale!
And Team Selnar of the Astral Court!” A wave of murmurs rippled through the crowd.
Each name carried reputation-old bloodlines, academy prodigies, heirs of clans renowned across the continent.
First Semifinal: Team Korrin vs.
Team Selnar The air shifted as the dueling sigils ignited anew.
Team Korrin entered first-four armored figures wielding massive claymores etched with runes of metal and earth.
Their leader, Garren Korrin, carried a weapon so large it cracked the ground with every step.
Across from them, Team Selnar arrived in a shimmer of astral blue light.
They were lean, sharp, and precise-each member channeling starlight through their weapons.
Their leader, a calm-eyed girl named Nyss, drew a longbow made of pure crystal essence.
When the signal flared, the ground erupted.
Garren’s team surged forward like a quake, their weapons striking with coordinated fury.
But Nyss and her companions weaved through them like phantoms-every movement guided by starlit trails.
“Shift three-left flank!” Nyss called, her voice calm even amid chaos.
Her team obeyed instantly.
Blades of starlight crossed in a spiral formation, cutting through the incoming shockwaves.
A brilliant flash followed-a cascade of meteor-like bolts raining across the Korrin formation.
Garren roared, deflecting most, but his aura flickered.
The Selnar formation closed in, binding him within an astral cage that pulsed brighter with each heartbeat.
“Team Selnar-Victory!” the referee’s sigil declared.
Applause erupted.
Even the stoic guardians above murmured approval at their synchronization.
Second Semifinal: Team Drevan vs.
Team Falix Next entered the Drevan siblings once more-bruised but composed.
Their dark-themed resonance shimmered like liquid obsidian.
Across from them stood Team Falix, four youths in crimson robes whose every motion pulsed with fire-imbued precision.
The duel began in an inferno.
Team Falix’s captain, Ren Falix, unleashed a dome of heat that turned the air molten.
The Drevans countered instantly-shadows blooming outward, devouring the flames.
“Seal pattern-threefold veil!” barked Kairn Drevan, eyes narrowing.
His team weaved sigils in motion, their shadows converging to swallow Ren’s attack completely.
Flames vanished, leaving only flickering embers and an echo of darkness.
A heartbeat later, Kairn appeared behind Ren, his blade resting against the latter’s shoulder.
“Checkmate.” The referee sigil pulsed red, then blue.
“Team Drevan-Victory!” They bowed silently, their discipline clear even in triumph.
Third Semifinal: Team Magnus vs.
Team Atheron Then came the final semifinal match-the one most of the audience had waited for.
Team Atheron, champions from the southern academies, entered the field surrounded by a faint golden glow.
Their resonance was disciplined and pure, each motion exuding technique honed by years of royal instruction.
Their leader, Eren Atheron, carried twin blades of lightsteel that hummed faintly with kinetic power.
His calm eyes found Maxwell’s across the field.
“You’re the family they’re all whispering about,” he said evenly.
“Let’s see if the stories hold.” Maxwell grinned faintly, tightening his grip on his sword.
“They usually do.” The referee sigil flared.
“Begin!” The clash was immediate-no hesitation, no testing blows.
Sylens and Maxwell engaged Eren head-on, their swords crossing in a storm of sparks.
Amanda’s whip lashed from the flank, intercepting one of Atheron’s defenders.
Lia and Sophia coordinated at range-arrows of violet light striking precisely where Sophia’s shield angled opponents into their path.
Eren countered fiercely.
His twin blades left radiant trails, forming a lattice of light that repelled Maxwell’s strikes with divine precision.
But Sylens adjusted immediately, channeling his aura into Maxwell’s rhythm-matching timing, amplifying pressure.
Their synchronization turned the tide.
Every clash became sharper, faster, perfectly measured.
Amanda’s whip seized the moment-coiling around one of Eren’s blades and wrenching it aside.
Lia’s arrow struck through the gap.
A flash.
A burst of violet energy.
Eren dropped to one knee, breathing hard, his aura unraveling.
He gave a quiet nod.
“Understood,” he said, and yielded.
The referee sigil glowed bright.
“Team Magnus-Victory!” Above, Asher watched as the energy faded and the platform reset for the final round.
Around him, other guardians whispered in growing interest.
“House Magnus… I heard they are newly ascended new family from lower realm” “how do you know?'” ” My cousin works at the Association” “Damm, they are new yet they have such powerful innate talents and arts” “They’re fighting like veterans already.” Asher said nothing.
He simply stood there, eyes reflecting the faint shimmer of the fading duel field.
The finals awaited-Team Magnus versus Team Selnar.