Multiverse: Library

"Shhh—"

A sharp tearing sound echoed through the eerily silent duel stage.

Fragments of fabric fluttered into the air as Arkadi was sent hurtling backward, retreating in a desperate, ragged motion. He barely managed to regain his footing before he could collapse onto the ground.

Yet, his expression was far from composed.

One side of his uniform had been sliced open—dangerously close to the school badge pinned on his chest.

"You actually dodged that?"

Opposite him, Kaiser stood poised with the Ser-Veresta, still maintaining the upward stroke of his attack. A single brow arched in intrigue.

"As expected of Rank Thirteen. Taking down a senior like you won't be so easy after all."

Kaiser's words did not flatter Arkadi. On the contrary, they stung like humiliation.

Glancing at the ruined remains of his weapon—its barrel severed cleanly in half, the molten edges glowing red like liquid steel—Arkadi took a deep breath.

"I should be the one saying that. The Ser-Veresta lives up to its reputation—it destroyed my weapon in an instant."

Without hesitation, Arkadi discarded the expensive firearm-type Lux. His gaze, however, turned ice-cold.

"I was too naive. Trying to defeat you with a weapon and a fighting style I wasn't proficient in…"

"I should have realized from the start—someone who's been acknowledged by a Four-Colored Magic Sword could never be an ordinary opponent."

"I never expected that our academy was hiding a powerhouse like you."

A student from outside the rankings, possessing physical abilities rivaling mid-tier ranked students, was already shocking enough. But to also wield such an awe-inspiring level of swordsmanship?

He had been hiding far too much.

"But I won't give you another chance."

Arkadi reached for his true weapon and activated it.

A katana-shaped Lux.

Its blade was exceptionally thin—thinner than most Lux weapons, clearly fine-tuned and customized for precision.

This was the weapon that had earned him his reputation.

Of course, if he tried to clash against the legendary Ser-Veresta, his katana would likely shatter in an instant.

But if he didn't block and instead focused solely on evasion—then he wouldn't have to worry about his weapon being destroyed.

Close-quarters combat was his specialty.

Even if Kaiser's swordsmanship was impressive, his raw physical strength and Prana reserves were inferior. That was his weakness.

"As long as I keep dodging, you'll never catch me."

Arkadi declared.

To this—

"If that's the case, it would be rude of me not to take this seriously."

As Arkadi drew his true weapon, Kaiser's aura shifted completely.

Yet, rather than surprise, a smirk tugged at his lips.

"What do you mean by that?" Arkadi's expression darkened.

"I mean—this is where the real show begins."

Kaiser raised the Ser-Veresta.

"Zing—"

A swirl of star-like embers ignited around him, enshrouding his body in radiant celestial light.

Summoning every ounce of Prana within him, Kaiser poured it all into Ser-Veresta.

Immediately, black markings surfaced along the blade.

The dark patterns spiraled and writhed, streaming toward the crimson Urm-Manadyte embedded in the hilt.

In that instant—the once-pure white blade of Ser-Veresta began accumulating an even more terrifying level of heat.

Its color deepened.

From pure white—

To searing red—

To a blazing violet-black.

"Whoosh—"

At the same time, an immense wave of heat burst forth.

A fierce windstorm of scorching air erupted around Kaiser, causing the space around him to distort and shimmer like a mirage.

Standing at the epicenter of the heatwave, Kaiser's entire body radiated with dazzling Prana.

At that moment—he looked like a star flickering amid the inferno.

This overwhelming sight sent an involuntary shiver down Arkadi's spine.

His instincts screamed at him.

Yet, before he could react—

"BOOM!"

The flickering star at the heart of the heatwave exploded.

A dazzling burst of light surged forth, carrying a hurricane of blistering wind.

And within that instant—

Kaiser vanished.

In the blink of an eye—

He appeared right in front of Arkadi.

"Wh—?!"

Arkadi's eyes widened in horror.

Before he could even process what was happening, a mirage-like figure wreathed in flames materialized before his very eyes.

"Zing!"

Ser-Veresta shimmered.

A streak of violet-black light carved through the air.

Arkadi had no time to react.

He could only watch helplessly as the blade slashed across his chest.

"Snap!"

Time froze.

Arkadi stood motionless, frozen in place.

His mind blanked.

Before him, Kaiser remained poised, his form still wreathed in flickering embers and waves of heat. Ser-Veresta remained suspended in its finishing stroke.

"Hummm—"

The blade vibrated with a resonant hum as Kaiser slowly withdrew it.

Then, he spoke.

"Good match."

The moment his words fell, the synthetic voice of the school badge's processing system echoed through the arena.

"Duel Over."

"Winner: Kaiser."

As the declaration resounded—

The badge on Arkadi's chest shattered cleanly in half, the fragments clattering onto the stage.

"————"

Silence.

A deathly stillness enveloped the entire arena.

Everyone stared in shock—no one could even find their voices.

Then—

"WAAAAAAAH!"

The audience erupted.

A wave of chaotic noise flooded the stands.

"Did you see that just now?!"

"H-He was so fast!"

"What the hell was that speed?!"

"Not just his speed—his slashes were on a completely different level too!"

"How did he do that?!"

"He's insane!"

An uproar surged through the spectators.

Julis, watching from the stands, shot to her feet in disbelief.

"What was that just now?" She blurted out. "In those last few seconds—how did he suddenly become that strong?!"

The speed Kaiser displayed just moments ago—she couldn't even react to it.

That meant—

If she had been in Arkadi's place, she would have ended up exactly the same.

"How did he do it?"

She muttered to herself.

At that moment, Claudia spoke.

"It was the heat."

Her gaze remained locked on the arena.

"The heat?" Julis frowned.

"Yes," Claudia nodded, her expression serious. "He deliberately released the heat from Ser-Veresta, creating a surge of hot wind. Then, he channeled that wind against himself in the opposite direction of his movement—propelling himself forward."

"In simple terms—he used the heat as a thruster to accelerate his movement."

"Even his final slash—he used the heat wave to push the blade forward, accelerating the strike."

"That's how he reached such impossible speeds and swung his sword so fast."

Hearing this, Julis was utterly stunned.

"But… he just got Ser-Veresta a few days ago, didn't he?" she muttered in disbelief. "I heard the Four-Colored Magic Swords are notoriously difficult to control—how could he possibly master it so quickly?"

"…I've never heard of anyone utilizing the Ser-Veresta like this before," Claudia admitted with a wry smile. "This application is unheard of. He might just be the first person to ever do it."

Could this be… the result of exceeding the compatibility threshold?

Claudia's hand subconsciously brushed against the weapon at her waist.

Elsewhere in the stands, the other high-ranking students had grim expressions.

In their eyes—wariness had surfaced.

They all understood.

Starting today, Seidoukan Academy had gained a new powerhouse.

A warrior capable of standing among the Page One.

A warrior who might even claim a place at the forefront of that elite group.

Kaiser had arrived.