Cybernetic Evolution System

The other side of his flesh tore open, forming an X-shaped, grotesque mark over his chest.

"ARGGGHHHHH!!" Jaran yelled in agony as he slammed his back against the floor.

I pinned his leg to the ground with one foot.

"Lesson one..." I said, raising the Dove Sealing Blade again.

***

None of this made sense!

Ivory had repeated this thought countless times in her mind as she remembered how she had lost in her duel against Ezekiel.

Her mind was bugged with questions - none of which could be answered because they didn't align with everything she had known about him.

As long as she could obtain the answer to that question, she was prepared for whatever punishment the Zahara Clan's descendants had planned to give her.

Now that same question had reemerged as she saw Ezekiel withstanding Jaran's attack and brutally incapacitating him with ease.

She was sure that everyone had these questions racing through their minds at the moment.

Because...

None of it made sense!

As Ezekiel strode forward, towards the brutally injured and fallen Jaran with his most prized magic sword, she snapped her gaze at Fredric to see if he was going to stop this duel, as it was already clear who the winner was.

He didn't seem to. He continued to observe the unfolding scene intently with a thoughtful expression.

Ivory couldn't help but wonder what was going on in his mind.

Ever since the plan for Ezekiel's complete downfall failed, forcing the Zahara Clan's descendants to restrategise. Rather than spearheading the plot once more, Fredric had taken control, claiming that he was far more capable and could achieve the desired result.

However, he had made it clear that he wouldn't blindly listen to their plans but alter them as he saw fit, having learnt from their previous failure.

Trusting in his capabilities, the Zahara Clan's descendants had handed it over to him.

For her, nothing changed. She remained a side piece.

However, this wasn't a part of the plan.

Was this a plan he had suddenly come up with?

Wasn't he aware of the consequences that would follow?

Ivory frowned.

They couldn't afford to harm a Windcrest Clan's descendant, renowned for exceptional talent for the Magical Swordsman Path.

She glanced at the other Windcrest Clan's descendants in their class.

They were too stunned to intervene and observed the battle with a mix of shock and disbelief.

Once they recovered their senses and realised that one of their own had been brutally injured and incapacitated to the point of exhaustion from blood loss by the Worst one.

The servant heir of the Zahara Clan—

Ivory felt a headache throbbing at the back of her mind.

Too many questions. Too few answers.

Ivory tried to revise them in her mind to see if she had overlooked anything that could lead to a clue to solve her current predicament.

"He's my prey. Do not get in my way?"

A stern voice resonated beside her.

Ivory shifted her gaze to the side.

Milas Segrum.

He sat beside her, legs crossed. He gazed at her solemnly.

She had been too lost in her thoughts that she had failed to recognise when he had arrived to sit beside her.

"I know about the scheme between him, you, Mr Fredric and the Zahara Clan's descendants, and I honestly don't care. Whatever plans you all have would have to wait. Right now, Ezekiel is my prey."

Milas glanced at the stage and pointed at Ezekiel, Fredric before refocusing his gaze on her.

Ivory's frowned deepened. She gritted her teeth and responded, "This is a matter of the Zahara Clan. As an outsider, you cannot interfere."

Milas snorted. "I don't care. If you want to kill him, then wait until the term is over."

"Besides, are you even a part of the Zahara Clan? You are just a tool that would serve its purpose until it's broken and no longer valuable."

Ivory tightly clenched her fists.

It was as though she had read a noble brat a list of rules on how to behave, but instead he pulled out of list of crimes he had committed on his way, which were already settled, completely disregarding her words.

"I'll not repeat myself unless.. of course, you want me to involve the Segrum Clan," he added.

Ivory's face instantly paled.

Compared to Ezekiel, Milas reputation was quite the opposite. He was only known as the shame of the Segrum Clan due to awakening a limited number of Spirit Veins that made it impossible for him to awaken the Mage Path.

His life was ordinary.

No one paid attention to him, but they didn't treat him bad.

Although not a proud member, he was still a descendant of the Segrum Clan. After his graduation, he would most likely be given a bureaucracy task with limited time to handle dungeons to protect him.

That was why he was called, 'Unlucky Milas,' and Ezekiel was named 'the Worst One.'

No one wanted to call a descendant of the Segrum Clan, a renowned Mage Clan, a name worse than that given to a person known as 'The servant heir.'

Even the Zahara Clan's descendants wouldn't dare touch Milas just because of their internal disputes.

In terms of status, she was an ordinary woman with her freedom on a leash, comparing herself to a moving mountain.

'What do I do?' Ivory's mind raced.

All this would never have got to this point if Ezekiel had died as they had initially planned.

She knew that Milas didn't pay much attention to Ezekiel previously, and it was only the duel that she had lost that his interest in him suddenly rose.

Ivory remained silent.

"It's good you know your place," Milas said with a smile, "But I don't want to make this difficult for you. So I'll give you a message to help me deliver to the Zahara Clan's descendants, 'Hands off. He's my prey."

Ivory sighed in relief and nodded. "I'll report this message to them. But you should be prepared. They won't let this matter slide because of your threat."

Milas nodded. He refocused on the brutal and embarrassing scene unfolding on the stage.

"I know. However, I don't think that I might need to act. Their plans might collapse like a pack of cards by the very person they are looking down on," he added, his smile widening, and taking on a crazed look.

"I can't wait to see how he accomplishes such a feat and what other surprises he has yet to show."

Ivory glanced at Milas's restless and trembling hands, which tightly grasped and rubbed against each other as he spoke.

She quickly turned to the stage and pretended as though she hadn't seen it. Although her situation had become more complicated, one thing that Ivory was sure of was that she hated noble brats.

Ezekiel pinned down Jaran with his leg and made another grotesque cross-shaped mark on his back.

Although it wasn't enough to kill, it would surely leave a terrible scar, even after it's been healed.

Ivory decided to observe how Fredric planned to handle the ongoing battle.

***

"ARGGHHHHH!!" Jaran continued to yell out in agony, as he thrashed around on the ground like a bug spread by an insecticide.

"Stopp!!.. I understand the lesson!!!... I'll practice more as soon as I return to class!!.. Please Stopp!!" Jaran coughed up blood at varying intervals as he said.

I suspected that he had already forgotten that he could end this duel merely by admitting defeat.

I didn't point it out either, as I decided to take advantage of the situation.

I raised the Dove Sealing Sword in my hand and swung it downward -

The blade halted mid-air.

Fredric has finally intervened.

He pinched the long sword with two fingers carefully, and gazed at Jaran, assessing his condition before turning to me.

"Ezekiel, even if this is an official duel and you're allowed to free rein to act as you wish as long as your opponent doesn't die, don't you think that it's too much to treat your classmate this way?" Fredric asked, breathing tiredly, looking concerned.

I knew he's reaction was fake. Instead, the only thing he was concerned about was why I hadn't died yet.

"It's the rules. As long as he doesn't admit defeat, I've no choice but to continue the battle." Still, I continued the charade.

"I SURRENDER..!! I SURRENNDER!!... MR FREDRIC.. SAVE ME!!" Jaran suddenly shouted, remembering that he hadn't admitted defeat after eavesdropping on our conversation.

[ Quest Completed. ]

The familiar system notification alert greeted my eyes.

I suppressed my excitement and dismissed the notification alert.

I'll check on it later.

Fredric nodded.

"He has admitted defeat. This duel is over," he said, sighing. He moved his fingers, pushing his sword to the side.

I nodded.

I threw the sword to the ground beside Jaran.

Clankk!!

Jaran exhaled in relief and collapsed, sprawled on the ground.

Fredric turned to the students around us and announced, "The winner is Ezekiel Zahara!"

The hall was silent.