The match began, and Ironwood immediately activated his first Soul Skill, Steel Bear Charge, barreling straight toward Anaxa.
The spectators burst into excited cheers at the sight.
"Ironwood! Beat him to a pulp!"
"Show that cocky brat what real strength looks like!"
In the VIP section, Phainon frowned deeply as he watched.
Yet Anaxa was still standing right where he was. He hadn't released his Martial Soul or taken up any kind of defensive stance.
A trace of worry flickered through Phainon's heart. He turned to Ye Qiong.
"Teacher, Anaxa... why isn't he dodging?"
Ye Qiong leaned back in his chair, his expression calm.
"Don't rush. Just watch."
Phainon wanted to say more, but could only turn his eyes back to the arena.
Beside him, Cerydra kept her blue eyes fixed on Anaxa. There was a touch more interest in them now.
Anaxa was facing danger without flinching. He must be absolutely certain of himself.
In the arena, Ironwood was already three steps away from Anaxa.
One spectator covered their eyes, unable to bear watching what came next.
But just as the bear paw was about to smack Anaxa in the face, Anaxa finally moved.
He swept both hands outward, and a green ripple blossomed from his eyes.
Then he called out:
"Magic~Tricks~!"
In the next instant, Ironwood's body jerked to a stop.
The fierce light in his eyes turned blank.
He stared at Anaxa as if he were seeing something utterly terrifying.
Then his knees gave way. With a thud, he dropped to his knees right in front of Anaxa.
The moment the spectators saw this, the entire venue fell deathly silent.
Even the referee's raised hand froze in midair, forgotten.
Everyone's eyes went wide.
Ironwood—the thirty-eighth-level Power Attack System Battle Soul Elder who had fought dozens of matches in the Soul Fighting Arena and never even furrowed his brow after beating his opponents bloody—was now kneeling before a frail young man, trembling like a startled rabbit.
"W-what's going on?"
"Why did Ironwood kneel?"
"What Soul Skill did that kid use?"
Questions sprang up all around them, but no one had an answer.
Anaxa's lips curled into the faintest smile.
He took one step forward, and Ironwood shuddered violently, scrambling backward.
Anaxa took another step, and Ironwood retreated again, letting out frightened whimpers.
"D-don't... don't come any closer..."
But Anaxa acted as if he hadn't heard, steadily pressing forward. Ironwood trembled as he backed all the way to the edge of the platform.
With one final step, Ironwood toppled backward and fell off the platform.
At the sight,
the whole arena fell silent once more, if only for a moment.
Then the cheers surged like a tidal wave.
"Holy crap! He won? Just like that?"
"I didn't even see how he did it!"
"Ironwood's lost all face this time. I doubt he'll ever be able to pick himself back up!"
"What the hell was that? That's ridiculous..."
Anaxa stood at the edge of the platform and looked down at Ironwood, then turned to the referee.
"Referee, the answer is obvious. Aren't you going to announce the result?"
The referee finally snapped back to his senses and hurriedly nodded.
"I-I hereby declare the winner to be Anaxa, representing Amphoreus Academy!"
A good number of spectators rose to their feet, applauding wildly.
"Anaxa, you're amazing! Amphoreus Academy is amazing!"
"Defeating your opponent without a fight—you truly are a role model for us Soul Masters!"
"Anaxa! I want to have your babies!"
"Get lost, you fat pig! Have you looked at yourself? You think you're good enough? Baby Anaxa is mine!"
Anaxa paid no mind to the crowd's enthusiastic cheers. He turned calmly and headed toward the passageway.
In the stands, Phainon took a long moment to come back to himself.
He turned to Ye Qiong.
"Teacher... what kind of Soul Skill was that?"
Ye Qiong smiled.
"His third Soul Skill, Color of the Pupil Door. It can inflict various negative effects on targets within a certain range, including fear, confusion, blindness, and poisoning."
He paused and glanced at the platform.
"Ironwood was hit with fear. What he saw wasn't Anaxa, but the thing he feared most."
Phainon drew a deep breath.
"That's incredible..."
Ye Qiong nodded.
"Anaxa's combat strength isn't top-tier, but his ability to control the battlefield is outstanding. This Soul Fighting match was just his first appearance. You'll see plenty more of his tactics in the future."
At his words, Cerydra let out a soft "Hmph."
Ye Qiong turned his head toward her.
"What did you think, Your Highness?"
Cerydra withdrew her gaze, her tone even.
"The Soul Skill itself is quite interesting. But this person's true value doesn't lie entirely in that Soul Skill."
Ye Qiong smiled and nodded.
Several more Soul Fighting matches followed.
Some were clashes of pure strength, one hard blow against another, leaving the spectators' blood racing.
Others were contests of skill, with movements swift as lightning and every strike aimed to kill.
Phainon watched closely from the VIP section, occasionally asking Ye Qiong quiet questions about the finer points of the fights.
Ye Qiong answered them all, also explaining how to adapt to changing situations in actual combat.
About half an hour later, the host strode onto the stage again and shouted:
"Ladies and gentlemen! The next Soul Fighting match will once again feature a new competitor from Amphoreus Academy!"
"Her codename is Caesar!"
"She'll be facing Vampire Bat, Gulai, who currently holds a forty-match winning streak!"
The spectators fell silent for a moment, then erupted into commotion.
"Amphoreus again? How many competitors did they bring today?"
"Caesar? That codename sounds imposing!"
"Wait, I read the pre-match info. Caesar's Martial Soul is... the Scales of Justice? A support type?"
"A support type?! A support type is entering a Soul Fighting match? One-on-one?"
"How's a support-type Soul Master supposed to fight? Heal the opponent?"
When Phainon heard that Cerydra would be going up to fight alone, he frowned and turned to Ye Qiong.
"Teacher... isn't Her Highness Cerydra a support type? Can she enter the Soul Fighting Arena alone?"
Ye Qiong answered calmly:
"You underestimate her. Support is only the basic classification of her Martial Soul. I never said she was an ordinary support."
Phainon froze.
Ye Qiong continued:
"Besides, don't let common sense hold you back. Who says a support can't fight?"
Phainon was taken aback. He couldn't quite make sense of it.
Beside him, Anaxa saw his reaction and gave a mocking laugh.
"Dim-witted."
He glanced at Ye Qiong, a flash of approval in his eyes.
Then he looked at Phainon and said:
"What the teacher means is that the best way to support your teammates is often to knock down all your opponents."
Phainon stared blankly for a while, then scratched his head and gave an awkward smile.
"Oh, is that it? I understand."