The Most Satisfied Reincarnate

"Master Desmond, pray tell, what brings you to this hallowed ground?" Elizabeth's voice cut through the stunned silence, her eyes brimming with disbelief, jolting the others back to their senses.

Desmond's gaze shifted to Elizabeth, and with an air of formality, he offered a respectful salute. "Miss Elizabeth, as you can discern, my presence here bears the same intent as yours and all others gathered. We are here to overcome the trials of the academy, are we not?"

A growl escaped the purple-haired boy standing beside Elizabeth. His eyes blazed with fury, and had it not been for her timely interjection, he might have lunged at Desmond in an instant.

"Is this some cruel jest? How did this uncouth barbarian find himself amidst our final competition?" Edison erupted, his face flushed with anger as he recalled the humiliation he had suffered at Desmond's hands.

Diana regarded Desmond with a mixture of emotions, unsure of how to respond. In their encounters, she had often found herself oscillating awkwardly between feigned pride and shyness, desperately trying to forge a connection. Yet their interactions had remained confined to friendship, leaving her with a twinge of disappointment. His indifference pierced her heart, but she resolved to change that.

I must become stronger than him! Only then can I capture his attention! Diana vowed silently, the memories of Desmond clashing with his formidable father and the opinions voiced by her own father about him etched vividly in her mind.

Meanwhile, Gabriela stared at Desmond in bewildered silence, feeling left out in the wake of her friends—the purple-haired boy and the red-haired girl—who seemed to possess prior knowledge of him.

On the other hand, the black-haired girl observed the scene with indifference, her gaze fixated coldly on Desmond. She sniffed disdainfully at his presence, the memory of her defeat at his hands fueling her determination to emerge victorious.

When Matson heard Desmond's words, a smirk crept across his face. "How presumptuous of you! Do you truly believe your power is enough to vanquish all of us?" he sneered, his head held high as he looked down on Desmond, a reflection of the deep-seated animosity his father harbored toward him.

Meanwhile, the cocky Gibson sought refuge behind Clark, resembling an elephant hiding behind an ant, which elicited laughter from the onlookers.

Though Gibson could hear the mocking remarks from his peers, he appeared unfazed, his face pale as he beheld Desmond's countenance.

Suddenly, Clark, who had been silent throughout, interjected with a composed tone. His eyes bore into Desmond, emanating a frigid energy that seemed to sap the strength of those perceived as having a trace of "evil" within them, including Matson.

"Hey," Clark's voice pierced the air, his words cutting through the tension. His deliberate stride carried him closer to Desmond, an aura of suppressed power enveloping him.

Desmond met Clark's gaze while internally muttering, No, it would be best to scan his status. With unwavering focus on Clark, he summoned his inner power, activating his scanning abilities.

[WARNING! Unknown energy attempting to manipulate host body!]

[Initiating energy elimination process...]

[System unable to suppress the energy! Activate active defense mode?]

No, instead, scan his current status, Desmond silently commanded, his eyes fixed on Clark as the latter steadily approached.

[Scanning target...]

[Scan complete!]

[-Status-

Name: Clark

Gender: Male

Age: 10 years

Race: Human

Class: 1st class Swordsman / 0th class Wizard

Occupation: None

Unique Energy: 28.12

(14.06)

Strength: 35.80 (17.90)

Agility: 30.40 (15.20)

Stamina: 5.60 (2.80)]

A smile tugged at Desmond's lips as he perused Clark's statistics. Ah, what a devious trait you possess. Your combat prowess has been boosted by a whopping 100%. It appears the 'overtime' effect can immediately unleash your maximum potential. But fret not, I foresaw this coming.

"What have you done to that poor girl?" Clark's accusation hung in the air, jolting Elizabeth and the others into a state of shock. Elizabeth blinked rapidly, trying to process the gravity of the situation, while Diana frowned, her gaze fixed on Clark.

Matson and Gibson remained impassive, but Edison's mischievous smile widened. "Ah, so my suspicions were correct. The girl belonged to you, didn't she?" His smile morphed into a sinister grin as he schemed in his twisted mind.

Disgust contorted the faces of the girls on the stage as they turned their gaze from Edison to Desmond, their expressions darkening, particularly Diana, who seemed poised to launch herself at him.

"Please remain in your position, Miss Diana," Elizabeth interjected, though her tone was tinged with an air of authority. As she turned, Diana found herself frozen in place, while Gabriela regarded Elizabeth with a perplexed gaze.

"And Clark, I implore you to restrain yourself. There appears to be a misunderstanding here, doesn't there, Master Desmond?" Elizabeth shifted her gaze towards Desmond.

As Desmond locked eyes with her, he detected a distortion in the pure and sincere Elizabeth he had come to know. Her smile and the aura she emitted felt strangely different, raising his suspicions.

"What are we waiting for, Miss Elizabeth? This is a competition, not a courtroom. Instead of wasting time conversing with him, why not deliver a thorough beating to reveal the truth?" Edison interjected, his words dripping with sarcasm.

"Water Wave!"

*Boom!*

Amidst the heated debate, unnoticed by the participants, immense waves surged from behind Desmond, yet miraculously, they bypassed him and crashed towards Elizabeth and Matson's group.

*Crack!*

Forced to retreat, they hastily chanted spells, but before the waves could reach them, they froze in mid-air, forming a barrier that prevented their advance towards Desmond.

As the commotion settled, Desmond stood unscathed, his gaze fixed on the last group.

Matson remained rooted in place, his nose almost touching the frozen wave. Fury contorted his face as he shifted his gaze to the black-haired girl, who was panting with a slight sheen of sweat on her brow.

"He is mine. The rest of you can wait for your turn," the black-haired girl proclaimed arrogantly, her eyes scanning her stunned teammates. "Stay here. I'll take care of this swiftly," she added, dashing forward towards Desmond, leaving her comrades in shock.

"Ice Spike!" In perfect synchronization with her sprint, the black-haired girl chanted her spell, conjuring a magic circle that materialized in thin air. Numerous ice spikes hurtled towards Desmond.

"You've already tasted defeat before, and now you believe a surprise attack can bring me down?" Desmond spoke calmly, his gaze unwavering as he faced the incoming barrage of massive ice spikes, each as formidable as a hammer.

Energy gathered around Desmond, swirling like a whirlpool. With casual grace, he began casting his own spell.

"Fireball." The words left his lips, and another magic circle materialized before him, drawing in the swirling energy.

*Swoosh!* *Roar!*

Yet, instead of a conventional fireball, a majestic purple-flamed dragon head burst forth from the magic circle. It engulfed the ice spikes in its fiery breath, melting them instantly as it continued its relentless advance towards the black-haired girl.

The purple fire left a scorching trail across the green meadow, transforming it into a blazing inferno that spread in all directions.

"Furthermore, I have no intention of prolonging this any further," Desmond declared, his voice laced with determination. The purple blaze that had engulfed the meadow, spreading in all directions, began to melt the colossal frozen waves.

With a flourish, Desmond unleashed his custom spell: Area Spike.

*Boom!* *Boom!* *Boom!*

In a breathtaking display, the rate at which energy coalesced around his being surged. Earth spikes, resembling swords in size, erupted from the ground with remarkable speed, hurtling towards Matson and Elizabeth's group.