ONLINE: Blades of Eternity-Chapter 248: DISPLAY OF POWER

Mortis Blightmore's fury exploded the moment the gloomy-looking girl spoke.

Her voice, laced with condescension, was like a dagger twisting into his pride.

"Actions speak louder than words. So why don't you start speaking?"

His face darkened with sheer rage, and in an instant, his magic flared violently.

"Crush them!" Mortis roared.

His command was met with immediate action. The entire Blightmore House group surged forward, their hands weaving intricate, sinister symbols in the air.

Then—

BOOM!

A massive surge of multi-combo advanced dark magic rained down upon the Dawning of Magic team. Cursed flames, necrotic chains, and void-like tendrils twisted and lashed out with deadly precision, all converging on their opponents in an overwhelming display of power.

The coliseum shook under the sheer force of the dark barrage.

But—

Kent Harrow didn't even move.

He simply stood at the back, completely unbothered. It was as if the attacks weren't even worth his attention.

Instead, his team handled everything.

Rafaela, the Lunar Mage, stepped forward first. With a graceful wave of her hand, silver-white magic burst forth, forming a shimmering celestial barrier that neutralized multiple dark blasts before they could even reach them.

Pine Hughes, wielding his dual crescent blades, moved like a phantom. His swords gleamed with ethereal light as he sliced through necrotic chains, dispersing them into harmless energy.

"Morons"

The gloomy-looking girl, the one who had provoked Mortis earlier, smirked slightly as she absorbed a portion of the dark magic with her own special brand of shadow manipulation, twisting it before redirecting it back toward its casters, forcing them to stagger back.

Gasps filled the coliseum.

The Blightmore House's strongest attacks—nullified, countered, and outright ignored.

Mortis' fury reached a boiling point.

His breath came in ragged gasps, his pride being torn apart in front of thousands. But before he could order another move—

Someone stepped forward.

It was the archer.

Silent and composed, she had remained in the back the entire time, watching, analyzing.

Now, she raised her bow.

A faint, golden light shimmered around her as she nocked an arrow.

But the moment she did—

The air changed.

"Divine Bow Series: Solar Ray"

The sheer pressure of her magic was unlike anything before. Even the audience felt it—a sharp, suffocating tension, as if the entire space had been compressed by her mere intent.

And then—

She released.

FWOOOM!

The arrow tore through the air, a golden streak of pure devastation.

Before the Blightmore House members could even react—

BOOM!

A violent shockwave erupted as the attack landed.

The impact sent every single one of them flying—including Mortis.

They crashed across the arena, utterly overwhelmed.

A stunned silence followed.

The dust settled.

And there—

The entire Blightmore House team lay defeated.

The Dawning of Magic Academy…

Had won.

Seraphine, after a brief moment of stunned silence, finally raised her hand.

"Victory goes to the Dawning of Magic Academy!"

The coliseum erupted into cheers, the crowd roaring in celebration of the Dawning of Magic Academy's absolute victory.

It wasn't just a win.

It was a statement.

Kaelen Dragonyx remained silent amidst the deafening noise, his expression dark and unreadable.

Never—never—had he felt this grim about an opponent before.

It wasn't just about raw power.

It was the sheer ease with which they dominated.

Forbes, standing beside him, finally spoke, his tone carrying an unusual weight.

"This group…" His eyes remained locked on the departing team. "They're now your biggest threat in this tournament."

Kaelen clenched his fists but gave a slow nod.

"Yeah," he admitted. "I know."

His piercing gaze followed Kent Harrow and his team as they walked out of the arena, their victory secured, their confidence unwavering. But then—

Kent suddenly turned his head.

And looked straight at him.

A resplendent smile adorned his face, bright, almost mocking.

Kaelen's heart skipped a beat.

It wasn't fear—no, it was something deeper.

A recognition. A warning.

Kent held his gaze for just a moment, his expression unreadable despite the smile, before—

He shifted his attention.

This time, his eyes landed on Kelvin.

And he smiled again.

But unlike Kaelen, Kelvin wasn't fazed.

Instead—

His face twisted.

A dark look took over, something sinister, almost unnatural.

He stared straight into Kent's eyes, a cold intensity brewing in his expression.

For the first time, Kent's smile twitched, amusement flickering across his features.

'He kinda looks scary.'

The thought was playful, but beneath it…

A genuine intrigue took root.

Up in the VIP section, Castaneda, the chancellor of the Pacesetters Academy, let out a small chuckle as he turned toward the man sitting not far from him.

"Impressive. Truly impressive." His voice carried an air of casual praise. "I must commend you, Lockwood. To think the Dawning of Magic Academy would field such promising students… It seems you've outdone yourself this time."

Lockwood, the chancellor of the Dawning of Magic Academy, was silent for a brief moment. His sharp, calculating eyes remained on the arena, even as a faint smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

Then, without looking at Castaneda, he finally responded.

"Enjoy your academy's first-place standing while it lasts."

The words were calm. Too calm.

But beneath them…

A hidden threat lurked.

A heavy silence followed.

Marel, Castaneda's best friend and long-time ally, felt his jaw tighten. His gloomy expression darkened with anger, his fingers slightly curling into fists.

But—

Castaneda himself did not waver.

His eyes, filled with quiet intensity, remained locked onto Lockwood.

Then, slowly, a confident smile spread across his face.

"I appreciate your concern," he said smoothly. "But you misunderstand something, Lockwood."

He leaned back slightly, exuding an unshakable confidence.

"My students aren't sitting at the top because of luck. They're there because they earned it. And they'll keep proving it—again, and again."

A flicker of something unreadable passed through Lockwood's gaze.

Neither man said another word.

But the tension in the VIP section was palpable. Especially since Lysander glanced at them for a short while while he thought. 'Do they seriously think they are the only one who has a shot in winning this convention?'

As the excitement from the previous duel settled, Seraphine gracefully stepped forward once more, her voice carrying throughout the coliseum.

"And with that, the first round of the group battles has officially come to an end!"

The massive display screen above the arena flickered to life, drawing the attention of both the audience and the remaining participants.

A moment later—

The list of qualified groups appeared.

1. Pacesetters Academy

2. Valen Military Academy

3. Stormfell Family

4. Dawning of Magic Academy

5. Ferrum Clan

The crowd erupted into a mix of cheers and murmurs, their excitement barely contained as they analyzed the final five.

But just as everyone was absorbing the results, Seraphine lifted her hand, signaling for silence.

"However!" she continued, a mischievous glint in her golden eyes. "This round is going to be a little different."

Her words piqued the interest of everyone present.

"A special rule has been added," she declared. "One of the five remaining groups will fight twice in this round."

A wave of whispers and surprised exclamations spread throughout the coliseum.

This meant that one group would have to endure an extra battle while the others only fought once—an undeniable disadvantage.

And then—

Seraphine snapped her fingers.

The display screen shifted, rearranging the rankings once more before finally highlighting a single name.

Ferrum Clan.

An audible gasp rippled through the audience.

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Even among the participants, shocked expressions surfaced.

For a split second, the Ferrum Clan's group members remained silent, processing the announcement. Then, their leader who obviously is Magnus Ferrum—let out a slow exhale, his face unreadable.

Despite the sudden disadvantage, the Ferrum Clan did not complain.

Instead—

The leader merely smirked.

As if he was welcoming the challenge.

Up in the sub-VIP section, a tense atmosphere settled over the family heads of the Lucent Family, Blightmore House, and even the Stormfell Family.

The moment Ferrum Clan Academy was revealed as the group that would have to fight twice, their reactions were nearly identical—shock and suspicion.

"This is unexpected," muttered Alric Lucent, the head of the Lucent Family, his sharp golden eyes narrowing at the screen. "An additional battle in this stage is no small matter."

"More than unexpected," scoffed Vlad Blightmore, the head of Blightmore House. His dark eyes flickered with something almost predatory. "It's a blatant disadvantage. The Ferrum Clan should be outraged."

Yet—

When they turned their attention toward the head of the Ferrum Clan, their expressions darkened with confusion.

Because unlike them—

He wasn't the least bit bothered.

Sitting calmly, his muscular arms crossed, Gerard Ferrum had an air of absolute confidence about him. His steely gray eyes remained locked on the arena, his face unreadable.

The other family heads exchanged glances, growing increasingly suspicious.

Something was off.

"Gerard," spoke up Benjamin Stormfell, the Stormfell Family's head, his deep voice laced with curiosity. "Your academy has been put at a serious disadvantage. Yet you don't seem even slightly concerned."

Vlad Blightmore leaned forward, his gaze sharp. "Don't tell me… this was planned?"

At that—

Gerard Ferrum finally turned to face them.

And smirked.

"Planned?" he repeated, his voice carrying a hint of amusement. "Now, now—what kind of man would I be if I plotted something like that?"

His words were light—but not dismissive.

A deliberate answer without revealing anything.

That only made the others more wary.

Before anyone could pry further, Gerard leaned back into his seat, his smirk widening.

"Instead of questioning it, why don't you all just sit back and enjoy the show?"

The sub-VIP section fell silent.

Yet—

None of them could shake the feeling that something was about to happen.