The Extra Villain: I Made a Contract With The Dragon Empress!-Chapter 299: Battle Arena (2)

"Impossible… How is Nysera still standing there, completely unharmed?"

Margaret froze, covering her mouth with her left hand.

Miya's attack had been powerful and terrifying. It was high-level magic—no matter how strong Nysera was, surviving without a single injury seemed impossible.

Yet the reality before her shattered every expectation. Nysera had endured it, unscathed.

Merlin simply smiled, saying nothing. He had anticipated this.

Although Nysera didn't appear in the novel and Merlin knew nothing about her, he could sense her extraordinary potential.

The young dragon was strong—stronger than most first-wave students.

Perhaps only Catrine could rival her among the new students taking this test.

"You're strong, Miya! But that's all! Now it's my turn," Nysera said with a grin.

She stomped her right foot on the ground. Instantly, the arena floor cracked and shattered.

Nysera placed her right fist on her waist while extending her left fist forward.

"Huff…" A faint breath escaped her lips as she assumed a fighting stance. "Stage One Fighting Style: Dragon Fist!"

Whoosh!

In an instant, she vanished and reappeared above Miya. Twisting her body, she aimed her fist straight at Miya's head.

Miya was stunned and quickly cast a protective spell. A blue barrier sprang to life above her, glowing brightly.

Bang!

Nysera's fist slammed into the shield. In the next moment, it cracked and then shattered into pieces.

"What? How is that possible!?" Miya exclaimed, fear etched across her face.

She didn't have time to think. Nysera's powerful fist was only a few meters away.

Clasping her palms together, Miya shouted, "Body Strengthening Magic!"

Buzz!

Green light surged across her body. She raised her fist and met Nysera's strike head-on.

Boom!

The collision triggered a massive explosion. The shockwave rippled outward, shaking the arena barrier and rattling the surrounding area.

Students scrambled to regain their balance from the force of the impact.

"Insane! Completely insane! Are children even supposed to be doing this?" a professor shouted in horror.

He adjusted his glasses, which had nearly fallen off, his gaze fixed fearfully on the arena.

This generation was truly terrifying. Compared to the last, these students were nothing short of monsters.

With talents like Merlin Clay, Luna, Crystal, and the other first-wave students, he had a strange feeling that this era would be ruled by geniuses.

Other professors nodded in agreement. The strength displayed by this generation was already overwhelming—almost unreal.

"Hahaha! Isn't this fantastic? The stronger the new students, the stronger the academy will be, right?" Ronald laughed heartily.

The professors didn't argue. Though the students would eventually leave to follow their own paths after graduation, they would always remain part of Saint Freya Academy.

If the academy needed them, they would come without hesitation.

The battle between Nysera and Miya raged on. Both unleashed all the power they had.

Even amid the fight, Miya cast several high-level spells, leaving many spectators astonished.

It was worth noting that Miya was only a five-star mage, equivalent to a fifth-core spirit.

Yet her spellcasting was efficient, fast, and devastatingly powerful.

Her magic far surpassed what most students of her level could produce.

Merlin himself was impressed. Though he hadn't taken Miya seriously at first, her skill was undeniably remarkable.

After fifteen minutes of relentless combat, Miya finally showed signs of weakness.

Casting advanced spells one after another had drained her magical and mental energy.

Finally, Nysera's powerful strike hit her squarely in the chest, sending her flying out of the arena.

Ronald smiled and announced, "The winner is Nysera!"

Upon hearing this, the students erupted in cheers.

"Long live Nysera!"

"So cool! Nysera, will you be my friend?"

"Nysera…"

The cheers brought an involuntary smile to Nysera's face.

She swept her gaze across the audience with a smug expression, then finally landed her eyes on Merlin and Catrine.

Only the two of them, along with Luna and Margaret, remained calm, as if her victory meant nothing.

A flicker of annoyance rose in Nysera's chest, especially as she recalled the moment Catrine had humiliated her.

However, she quickly suppressed her anger. Now wasn't the time for revenge—it would have to wait until after the second test.

Taking a deep breath, she snorted coldly and stepped down from the arena stage.

After Nysera's match, Ronald announced the next battle.

This time, a boy named Robert, ranked seventh in the first test, would face Judish, ranked fifth in the second test preliminaries.

Their fight was fierce—but compared to Nysera and Miya, it felt dull.

Twenty minutes later, the battle ended, with Robert emerging victorious.

One match followed another, each less exciting than the last. Watching the dull fights, Merlin leaned toward Margaret. "Don't forget our bet, okay?"

Margaret flushed, pressing her lips together in annoyance. But it was too late—there was no taking back what she had wagered.

"I know. What do you want?"

Naturally, Catrine and Luna turned to Merlin, curious about his request.

But Merlin said nothing. Getting a promise from Margaret was rare enough—he would keep it for later.

Who knew? He might need it later.

"No need now. I'll save it," Merlin replied casually.

The two girls looked disappointed. They had hoped to find out what he wanted to ask Margaret, but it seemed impossible.

Still, they respected his choice and didn't press him.

Margaret felt the same—but she secretly wished Merlin would make a bolder, more… daring request.

The thought alone made her face flush and her breath quicken.

'What's wrong with this girl?' Merlin muttered, scratching his head in confusion.

"All right, let's start the next match! Catrine Clay from the Holy Kingdom of Aldoria versus Misha from the Knight Kingdom of Batrum!"

Ronald's booming voice reignited the students' excitement.

Misha had taken first place in the preliminary round three days ago, while Catrine had topped the first test. Their high scores left all the prospective students in awe.

Now, the two most outstanding figures were finally facing each other.

Merlin turned to Catrine and gently patted her shoulder.

"Good luck, Catrine. Defeat your opponent, but don't kill her, okay?"

Catrine smiled and nodded lightly.

"Don't worry, Brother. I'll hold back," she replied earnestly.

Without another word, she leapt into the arena, heading toward the center.

Misha followed, also moving toward the center with focused determination.

Misha was strikingly beautiful—tall, with black hair braided into two plaits, and wearing a fitted dress that highlighted her well-developed curves.

Her brown eyes were sharp, like daggers.

"Catrine Clay, I didn't expect we'd meet in the same area. I can't wait to defeat you," Misha said, her smile radiant and confident.

When the results of the first test were announced, she had been dissatisfied. Her score of eight thousand hadn't placed her in the top ten.

It wasn't that she was weak or inferior—her goal had only been to complete the test.

No one had anticipated that the scores from the first three stages would be combined, with the top ten earning the privilege of skipping the next three days of testing.

Now, she would show everyone—especially Catrine Clay—that she was far stronger than any of the first-test top ten.

"Oh…" Catrine replied flatly. "Good luck."

Misha froze at that, blue veins pulsing on her forehead. Her smile stiffened.

"You're so arrogant, Merlin Clay. Fine… fine, I understand," she gritted her teeth.

Drawing her sword, she thrust it forward as the aura of the Fifth Awakening erupted around her.

"I will completely defeat you and make you see that I am far stronger!"

Ronald smiled at Misha's fierce competitiveness.

With a grin, he raised his hand and then brought it down.

"The battle begins!"

Whoosh!

Misha appeared beside Catrine, swinging her sword. A faint red light shimmered along the blade, followed by a crushing pressure that warped the air around it.

When the blade came within inches of Catrine's neck, she tilted her head back, narrowly avoiding the attack.

"What?" Misha's eyes widened in disbelief. "How—"

Before she could finish, Catrine clenched her left fist and thrust it toward her stomach.

Startled, Misha jerked her sword back to dodge, but Catrine wasn't about to let her escape so easily.

Ice roots erupted from the ground, coiling around her right leg. Misha tried to cut them, but it was too late.

Bang!

Catrine's fist slammed into her chest, sending her flying five meters.

Misha tumbled across the ground but quickly regained her footing.

Rubbing her aching chest, she whispered, "That was unbelievably fast and precise… How did she do that?"

The ice roots had caught her completely off guard, leaving her vulnerable.

'Looks like I can't take this lightly,' she muttered, assuming a fighting stance.

A red aura burst from her body, cracks spreading two meters from her feet.

Catrine stayed calm, showing no fear—if anything, she looked bored.

"That girl, Misha, is definitely going to lose," Merlin remarked, shaking his head.

Luna turned to him. "How long will she last?"

Merlin closed his eyes. "Two minutes, at most."

"Two minutes? Isn't that too fast?" Margaret asked doubtfully. "Even if Catrine is strong, shouldn't it take a little longer to defeat Misha?"

Merlin glanced at her, smiling. "How about we make a bet?"

Margaret: "…"