Ma~gi~cal~ Trick!

The match began, and Iron Wood immediately activated his first Soul Skill, Steel Bear Charge, barreling straight toward Anaxa.

The spectators in the stands saw this and burst into excited cheers.

"Iron Wood! Beat him down!"

"Show that arrogant brat what real strength looks like!"

In the VIP seats, Phainon watched, his brow furrowing.

Yet Anaxa was still standing where he was, without releasing his Martial Soul or taking any kind of defensive stance.

A flicker of worry crossed Phainon's mind. He turned to Ye Qiong.

"Teacher, why isn't Anaxa... 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 gaze back to the arena.

Beside him, Keleradra kept her blue eyes fixed on Anaxa, a touch more interest in her gaze.

Anaxa was unruffled in the face of danger. He must be absolutely certain of himself.

In the arena, Iron Wood had already closed to within three steps of Anaxa.

Someone in the stands covered their eyes, unable to bear watching what was about to happen.

But just as the bear paw was about to slap Anaxa across the face, Anaxa finally moved.

He swept both hands outward, and a green ripple blossomed from his eyes.

Then he called out:

"Ma~gi~cal~ Trick!"

The next moment, Iron Wood's body abruptly froze.

The vicious light in his eyes turned hollow.

He stared at Anaxa as if he were seeing something utterly terrifying.

Then his knees buckled. With a thud, he dropped straight to his knees before Anaxa.

At the sight, the entire audience fell silent.

Even the referee's raised hand remained frozen in midair, forgotten.

Everyone stared, wide-eyed.

Iron Wood—a Level 38 Power Attack System Battle Soul Elder who had fought dozens of matches in the Soul Fighting Arena, and never even furrowed his brow when he left his opponents covered in blood—was now kneeling before a frail-looking boy, trembling like a startled rabbit.

"W-what's going on?"

"Why did Iron Wood kneel?"

"What Soul Skill did that kid use?"

Questions sprang up from every direction, but no one could answer them.

Anaxa's lips curled ever so slightly.

He took one step forward, and Iron Wood jolted, scrambling backward on hands and feet.

Anaxa took another step, and Iron Wood retreated again, whimpering in terror.

"D-don't... don't come any closer..."

But Anaxa seemed not to hear him. He kept advancing, step by step, while Iron Wood kept retreating, trembling harder with every step, until he reached the edge of the platform.

With one final step, Iron Wood toppled backward and fell off the platform.

At the sight,

the whole arena fell silent once more for a moment,

but the next instant, cheers surged like a rising tide.

"Holy crap! He won? Just like that?"

"I didn't even see how he did it!"

"Iron Wood's been humiliated beyond words. He might never recover from this!"

"This is freaking ridiculous..."

Anaxa stood at the edge of the platform, glanced down at Iron Wood, then turned to the referee.

"Referee, the answer's obvious. Aren't you going to announce the result?"

Only then did the referee come to his senses. He hurriedly nodded.

"I-I declare the winner to be Anaxa, representing Omphalos Academy!"

Quite a few spectators rose to their feet, applauding wildly.

"Anaxa's a beast! Omphalos Academy rules!"

"Defeating an opponent without even fighting—Anaxa, you're a role model for all Soul Masters!"

"Anaxa! I want to have your babies!"

"Get lost, you fat pig! Have you looked at yourself? You think you deserve him? Baby Anaxa is mine!"

Anaxa paid no attention to the crowd's enthusiastic cheers. He calmly turned and walked toward the passageway.

In the stands, Phainon took a long moment to recover. Then he turned to Ye Qiong.

"Teacher... what Soul Skill was that?"

Ye Qiong smiled.

"His third Soul Skill, Color of the Pupil Door. It can inflict various negative statuses on targets within a certain range, such as fear, confusion, blindness, and poisoning."

He paused and glanced at the platform.

"Iron Wood was afflicted 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 prowess isn't top-tier, but his control abilities are outstanding. This Soul Fighting match was only his first appearance. You'll see more of his tactics in the future."

At that, Keleradra gave a soft "Heh."

Ye Qiong turned his head toward her.

"What does Your Highness think?"

Keleradra 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, with fighters meeting force with force and trading blows, their matches rousing the crowd.

Others were contests of skill, their movements swift as lightning and every strike aimed to kill.

Phainon watched intently from the VIP seats, occasionally asking Ye Qiong in a low voice about certain details of the fights.

Ye Qiong answered each question, also explaining how to adapt to changing situations in actual combat.

About half an hour later, the host once again stepped onto the stage and shouted:

"Ladies and gentlemen! The next Soul Fighting match will also feature a newcomer from Omphalos Academy!"

"Her code name is Caesar!"

"She'll face Vampire Bat, Gulai, who currently holds a forty-match winning streak!"

The audience was quiet for a moment, then erupted into an uproar.

"Omphalos again? How many fighters did they bring today?"

"Caesar? That code name sounds imposing!"

"Wait, I checked the pre-match info. Caesar's Martial Soul is... the Scales of Justice? A support type?"

"A support type?! A support type entering a Soul Fighting match? One-on-one?"

"How's a support-type Soul Master supposed to fight? Heal their opponent?"

Phainon frowned when he heard that Keleradra would be fighting alone. He turned to Ye Qiong.

"Teacher... isn't Her Highness Keleradra a support type? Can she really enter the Soul Fighting arena by herself?"

Ye Qiong replied calmly:

"You're underestimating 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 tie you down. Who says support types can't fight?"

Phainon stared blankly, unable to make sense of it.

Seeing his reaction, Anaxa gave a mocking laugh.

"Foolish."

He glanced at Ye Qiong, a flicker 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 all your opponents down."

Phainon was stunned for a long while before scratching his head and giving an awkward smile.

"Oh, is that it? I understand."