The Return Of The Exiled Villain-Chapter 278: Class Duels (IX)

KRAAAAAAAABOOOOOOM!!!

The claw that formed above the arena was not something anyone could mistake for a normal technique.

It stretched from one end of the battlefield to the other, covering the entire engagement zone in a vast structure of layered lightning that seemed to press down on the air itself.

Nine separate layers stacked over one another in wide, overlapping arcs, each one carrying a slightly different color at its core, faint shifts in tone that hinted at different frequencies woven together into a single attack.

The light from it was overwhelming.

It caught the glow of the arena and threw it back in sharp flashes, turning the entire space into a storm of flickering brilliance while the weight of the technique built slowly above them, like a massive hand lowering itself with quiet certainty.

There was no rush in it.

It was simply coming down.

The crowd fell silent at first, the kind of silence that spread when people needed a moment to understand what they were seeing.

Then the confusion started.

"Is that... Curry’s skill?"

"That’s literally Curry’s skill."

"That’s the twelfth-ranked third year’s signature ability—"

"WHY DOES A FIRST-YEAR EXCHANGE STUDENT HAVE CURRY’S SKILL—"

"You’re worried about that?! He just pulled lightning out of the sky!"

"DOES HE EVEN HAVE A LIGHTNING ATTRIBUTE—"

"LOOK ABOVE YOU—!!!"

The most shocking thing about this... was that Gray was using Curry’s technique, and yet, his attack looked and felt much stronger than Curry’s.

The noise in the stands rose quickly, voices overlapping and climbing in volume, but none of it mattered to the people still standing in the arena.

Because the claw had already begun to fall.

KRAAAAAAAABOOOOOOM!!!

Inside the engagement zone, everything happened at once.

"FUUUUUUUUUUCK!" Vael reacted first.

FREEEZEEEE!

The thin layer of frost that had covered the ground surged upward in a violent rush, every trace of moisture pulled together into a thick, rising wall of ice that expanded in front of the formation.

Crack, crack, crack, crack!!!!

The surface hardened instantly, compacted and reinforced as it met the descending lightning, the energy spreading across it in branching patterns instead of focusing in one place.

Adrian moved at the same time.

"Tsk...!"

FWOOOOOOOOOM!

All four of his affinities came alive together!

The ground beneath them rose into solid columns of earth that braced against the pressure from above, while wind pushed sideways in a steady force that shifted their position just enough to avoid the center of the impact.

Water flowed over the earth, forming a thin layer that caught the lightning and carried it outward, and fire followed behind it, burning away what remained before it could reach their feet.

Mira disappeared.

One moment she was there, and the next she was gone, her body dissolving into shadow as if she had never existed in the first place, the darkness absorbing what the light could not.

CRACKLEE!

Lyra stepped forward.

"Dammit, Gray! How come you were still holding back such a strong move!" she gritted her teeth as she injected more and more lightning into the giant lightning claw.

Golden lightning burst from her blade in a sharp flare, meeting the lowest layer of the descending claw with a counter force that did not try to overpower it, but instead slowed it, just enough to reduce the final impact.

Around them, the outer ring broke formation.

Students scattered toward the edge of the zone, moving on instinct, their bodies reacting before their thoughts could catch up to what was happening above them.

Then the claw hit.

BAAAAAAAAAAOOOOOM!!!

The entire arena shook.

The impact sent a shockwave rolling outward in every direction, lifting loose fragments of stone from the ground and suspending them in the air for a brief moment before gravity pulled them back down.

The mist that had covered the field vanished instantly, burned away, and was blown clear in the same violent surge.

When the dust began to settle, the result became clear.

The Black Turtle formation was still standing.

Vael’s ice wall was gone, completely erased, leaving behind nothing but drifting vapor. His catalyst rings gave off thin trails of smoke; the metal strained from the sudden overload.

Adrian had dropped to one knee, his breathing heavier now, the elemental constructs around him collapsing and reforming slowly, their output noticeably reduced.

Mira reappeared near the edge of the field, her form stable, though the faint strain in her posture made it clear that the shadow had taken more from her than she showed.

Lyra stood with her blade still raised, her arm marked by the cost of her counter, the fabric of her sleeve burned away from the elbow down, her skin flushed red but intact.

The others stood at the boundary, alive, upright, and visibly shaken, their expressions caught somewhere between disbelief and the slow realization that they had just survived something they had no business surviving.

Everyone was still in the arena.

Gray watched them.

His rapier fell back into his hand from where he had thrown it earlier, the spin finishing neatly as his fingers closed around the grip without him needing to look.

He gave a small nod.

"...Not bad," he smiled lightly.

And there was no mockery in it.

"U-ugh..." Lyra let out a slow breath, flexing her arm once, testing it.

Adrian pushed himself back to his feet, the four elements reforming around him, weaker than before but steady enough.

He glanced at the empty space above them, then back at Gray.

"Was that... was your ultimate move?"

Gray tilted his head slightly, ignoring his questions.

"It was a clean defense. Surprisingly, you all moved without hesitation," he added instead.

Albeit annoyed, Adrian nodded slighly.

"We prepared for difficult situations like that one... so it’s normal that our teamwork is a bit coordinated," he took a deep breath.

"It showed."

CRACKLEEEE!!!

Another bolt of lightning came down from above before the moment could settle, striking Gray’s right side and flowing into him in a bright surge that wrapped around his arm.

The crowd reacted instantly.

"ANOTHER ONE—!!!"

"He’s doing it again—!!!"

The energy gathered faster this time, the currents tightening and aligning in his hand with less resistance than before, the shape of the technique forming almost naturally now.

Gray looked at them again.

At Vael, still rebuilding.

At Adrian, whose reserves had clearly taken a hit.

At Lyra, standing firm despite the damage.

At Mira, conserving what she had left.

They had given everything to survive the first strike.

A faint smile touched his expression.

"If you can handle one," he said, raising his hand, "then let’s see how you handle another."

Adrian looked at him, then at his own partially restored affinities, and for a second, he just laughed, the sound lighter than it should have been given the situation.

"Lyra..."

CRACKLEEE!

"I see it," she answered, her lightning flaring back to full strength despite the strain.

Vael adjusted immediately, his rings pulling moisture from the air this time instead of the ground, changing his approach without hesitation.

Mira stepped back into shadow again.

The outer ring hesitated for half a second, then moved back into position, drawn in by a mix of stubbornness and something that looked a lot like determination.

Gray watched all of it.

And finally, his right hand fell.

"[Nine Heavens Thunder Claw]"

KRAAAAAAAABOOOOOOM!!!

The giant claw of lightning fell once again, as the four of them repeated the same actions as before.

CRACK!

However, this time, the field of ice created by Vael was instantly destroyed. He didn’t even try to use water as the lightning would probably proppel himself through it.

But Adrian had changed his approach, creating a huge cyclone of wind, trying to slide the giant claw away.

Mira hid herself away, as she was the one who couldn’t do anything in this situation because her affinity here was pretty much useless, or not strong enough to do something.

"...You can let go now, brother," Lyra spoke to Adrian, her body sparkling with golden lightning, with her sword unsheathed.

Gray tilted his head at Lyra’s actions.

’...Mhm, is she finally going to take the hint I gave her and absorb the lightning?’ Gray was honestly a little curious about what she was going to do.

Fwoop!

As the giant cyclone dissipated, Lyra didn’t waste any time and shot directly towards the big lightning claw.

CRACKLEEE!

The nine layers of lightning struck her body at once, but the small spark of her golden lightning... was also crackling loudly.

CRACKLEEEE!

THRUUUUUUUM!

The blue lightning filling her body suddenly started turning into a golden color as Lyra was turning that lightning into her own!

Gray finally smiled in satisfaction.

Then, still in the air, Lyra condensed all the lightning around her into a spear, and gritting her teeth.

"HAAAAAAAYAAAAAAAAAA!!!"

CRACKKLEEEEEE———!!!

She threw the golden lightning spear directly at Gray, who surprisingly didn’t move a single meter away from his original standing.

"....GRAY, DODGEEE!!!"

Lyra’s voice suddenly came in a panic as she realized that Gray wasn’t going to dodge that lightning spear.

But Gray simply struck his right hand, and the moment the spear’s tip was about to touch him, he flicked his finger in response.

"Nullification."

Fwooop!

The lightning spear dissipated into scattered wisps.

[- 300 Soul Energy!]

’...Quite a lot, huh?’

Gray looked at the notification before glancing at the other four, whose faces had turned into complete desperation and even a hint of fear.

"...A-ah... we thought that we could defeat a monster like him?" Mira stammered as her form appeared once again, revealing her speechless expression.

"I give up..."

Thump!

She fell on her knees with the expression of someoen that had her hopes entirely shattered. The others also felt the same, including Lyra, who sighed in relief.

She was the only one who was relieved that Gray was so strong.

"Fucking hell..." Adrian sighed, looking at the sky.

"I gotta give to you... You’re simply too damn monstrous! I also give up," he raised his hand in complete surrender.

Vael didn’t want to speak, but the moment he felt Gray’s gaze on him, he quickly raised his hand juts like Adrian did.

"I forfeit, alright? Don’t look at me like you want to use that annoying move again!" he quickly spoke his feelings in worry that Gray would actually do that.

Lyra smiled at their expressions and nodded towards Gray.

"I also give up."

She waved her hand at Gray before getting out of the arena. With that done, Gray turned towards the other, just to see only the Phoenix Class students.

In front of them, Maelis waved her hand excitedly while Cassandra simply nodded at him.

Apparently, they had taken care of the rest of the other classes.

"Ahem! I declare that the Phoenix Class is the winner!"

Shortly after, Ellen’s voice echoed out through the arena as the girls embraced each other and exclaimed excitedly.

Gray also smiled.

But right now, his mind wasn’t on the fact that they had won.

[It’s time to check your blessing, Gray~]

Jasmine reminded him with a cheerful tone.

’Yeah... It’s time.’