Dimensional Overseer: I Can Manipulate DNA!

For Zane, fighting had never been about strength—it had always been about survival.

Every fight he'd ever been in, every moment of resistance in his life, wasn't to win. It was to endure. To make it through with as little damage as possible. That mindset had been carved into him, not by choice, but through years of relentless bullying. The scars weren't just physical; they were etched into his way of thinking.

It was never how hard can I hit them back—it was how do I get out of this alive?

Through trial and error, he'd developed a strange, instinctive sense of self-preservation. He learned which parts of his body could take hits, which ones to protect at all costs, and how to deflect aggression with just enough pushback to escape. It wasn't elegant, it wasn't formal, and it certainly wasn't taught. But it had kept him alive.

That philosophy became his fighting style. Not overly aggressive. Not completely defensive either. A middle ground. A calculated, reactionary dance that aimed to limit exposure and survive long enough to wear the enemy down. It wasn't pretty—but it was his.

And then he fought Lune Starpiercer.

Within seconds, Zane knew. He wasn't in a fight.

He was in a storm.

The first clash of their blades seemed even, at least to an untrained eye.

Cling!

But Zane felt it. He felt the gap—wide, gaping, and impossible to cross. Her reactions were too fast. Her control too flawless. Every time their swords met, she already knew exactly where he'd move next.

And worse… she was holding back.

He could feel it.

Sometimes she'd open a clear path to strike—his shoulder exposed, his footwork messy. Any decent fighter would've punished it. But Lune? She pulled her hits. Redirected the blade to clash instead of cut. She didn't miss the opportunities; she chose not to take them.

Why? Zane thought bitterly, deflecting her next attack and thrusting forward in return. It missed by a mile. Lune spun around him like a whisper of wind and sent another attack his way, forcing him back on defense.

Their blades locked.

For a moment, eyes met.

Zane's brow furrowed in frustration, confusion swirling behind his stare. Lune, meanwhile, looked calm—eerily so. Her expression never broke. As if this whole thing was a casual stroll.

Her movements weren't just precise—they were fluid. Every step, every swing, bled into the next like a pre-choreographed sequence she knew by heart. It was beautiful in its brutality. Zane wasn't fighting a person. He was resisting an orchestra of motion.

He parried another strike, only to meet two more.

Cling! Cling!

Each clash forced him back a step. Every time he thought he saw an opening, she closed it before he could even raise his sword. The tempo she set was dizzying—ten hits in a row, each unique, each demanding a different kind of response.

'I'm getting overwhelmed!'

With a sharp inhale, he flared his energy and vanished from sight.

Flash Step!

He reappeared to her side, aiming a quick horizontal slash.

But Lune was already there.

Clang!

Her sword met his mid-strike, and before Zane could react, she twisted her body and drove an elbow into his back.

BANG!

"AGH!" he gasped, crashing to the ground as the blow knocked the wind out of him. His chest heaved, lungs screaming. His vision flickered white for a second.

'She hits like a truck…'

Still, before she could follow through, he forced himself to roll away. His knees scraped against the wooden floor as he stumbled upright.

"Hah… hah…" Zane's breath came in ragged gasps. Sweat clung to his brow. His hands trembled, barely gripping the sword.

Across from him, Lune stood without a single scratch. No sweat. No fatigue. Her breathing was slow and measured, like she'd just finished a walk in the garden.

Zane gave a crooked smile, full of resignation.

Yeah… I never stood a chance. Not from the beginning.

"So this is what an S-rank talent looks like…" he muttered under his breath. "Not even close."

"You're good."

His head jerked up at the sound of her voice. She hadn't spoken the entire fight—not a single word—until now.

"Huh?"

"You're really good," she repeated, her gaze as steady as ever. "For someone who's never trained with a sword, you've got potential."

Zane blinked slowly.

'She… knows?'

It hit him. Of course, she knew. Someone like her could read an amateur's movements in seconds.

"Uh… thanks?" he mumbled, standing with effort. "You're not so bad yourself."

Lune smiled—barely. A ghost of amusement tugged at the corner of her mouth.

"Shall we end this?" she asked, raising her blade.

Zane exhaled. It had already been more than two and a half minutes. She had probably decided that was enough fun.

'So she was toying with me... Just for the thrill of it, huh?'

Still, he didn't feel insulted. If anything, it was weirdly flattering. She didn't take him seriously—but she hadn't treated him like trash either.

'Alright,' he thought, tightening his grip. 'Let's give them something to remember.'

He steadied himself, drawing in his energy until his muscles tensed like coiled wire. Across from him, Lune did the same. Her aura surged quietly—calm, cold, unshakable.

Suddenly, the temperature in the room seemed to drop.

"W-What the hell is this?!"

"I-I can't breathe…"

Their classmates staggered back, shielding themselves from the invisible pressure swelling between the two fighters. It was like the very air was trying to collapse in on itself.

Even Judge, who had been scribbling notes this whole time, stopped.

His eyes narrowed, interest piqued.

'This… could be interesting…'

"Z-Zane!" Elizabeth covered her mouth, watching wide-eyed as both energies clashed in the center of the arena like storm fronts colliding.

The tension broke in an instant.

BOOM!

Zane and Lune exploded forward, their bodies a blur. The audience couldn't even track the motion—only the aftershock of their impact.

BANG!

Wood cracked. Sparks of violet energy burst where their swords collided. The ground trembled under their feet.

Zane grit his teeth, locking his arms to withstand the blow. "Agh…!" he growled. I won't fall that easily!

He pushed forward, digging his heels into the ground, forcing all his energy into one final burst of strength. For a second—just one—Lune's eyes widened, surprised.

But it didn't last.

With a flicker of strength, she surged back against him. Her blade pressed down harder, and Zane felt his body tremble under the pressure.

His knees began to buckle.

She's too strong… I can't—

But even as his muscles screamed and his vision blurred, Zane held his ground.

Just a little longer.

Just one second more.

However... Even when every part of his being merged with his will, there was only so much he could do with that huge gap of power. After all, as much as will can push limits, it can never shatter logic and common sense. At least not when there is no reason for that.

*BANG*

"AGH!" Eventually, Zane's muscles gave up as he was blasted back several feet, rolling on the ground before coming to a screeching halt. His entire body went completely numb as he laid there, breathing heavily.

All his energy was dispersed around him, leaving small sparks here and there.

"..."

Silence took over the entire arena as everyone watched with shocked expressions. The outcome of the battle took several seconds to sink in before they could react.

"It's... over?"

"Yeah... I think so..."

"Lune Starpiercer wins!" Judge declared, confirming their suspicion. "Good work, you two." He added with a mysterious tone.

Lune gave him a side glance but didn't reply. Instead, she walked toward Zane, who was still on the ground, breathing heavily.

When she reached him, his eyes shifted to look at her, feeling her presence. The two exchanged eye contact for a few seconds before she finally nodded faintly and then stretched her hand for him.

"It was a good fight." She said calmly.

"..."

"I had fun."

Her words sent another wave of shock across the entire group.

"She's... She's helping him stand up.."

"Lucky bastard!"

"She had fun? I could've put on a better fight than that nobody. Why am I not in his position? Ugh!"

Some seemed impressed while others cursed their bad luck for not being the target of Lune's attention. After all, this aloof girl barely showed interest in anyone ever since they met her.

But, Zane, ignoring all of that, simply had his expression change slowly. Slowly, he stood up without her support and said.

"I also had fun." He replied. "But, it would've been more fun if I beat you."

"Oh really?" Lune asked, seemingly a bit amused by his response. "Is that a challenge?"

"Hmm, no. This was my one and only chance to test that. I do not want more." Zane replied with a shrug as he picked up his sword and walked away. "But, it was a nice experiment. I learned a lot thanks to you."