FANTASY LIBRARY

First Duel

At this time, the defense barrier around the stage had been opened, leaving only two gaps—one on the left and one on the right—for the combatants to enter.

Erend walked out of the player area, following the designated passage to step onto the battlefield.

The official ranking battle had already been going on for some time, and several duels had taken place. The audience, completely immersed in the intense atmosphere, erupted into discussion as they watched the matches unfold.

Now, as Erend and his opponent entered the stage, the cheers were noticeably louder than before.

If one paid attention, it was easy to see why.

"David Curran, ranked thirteenth, has stepped onto the stage!"

"The first person right below the twelve on the first page!"

"Finally, a real challenge!"

Excitement rippled through the crowd.

A thirteenth-ranked fighter was just one step away from joining the prestigious twelve on the first page, making him the strongest contender outside that elite group.

Although ranked students had participated in earlier duels, none of them had reached the level of the twelve on the first page. Those positions represented the pinnacle of skill within the academy, and even during the official ranking wars, challenges against them were rare.

Today, only two such duels had occurred—one where a ranked student challenged the twelfth-ranked fighter and another where the tenth-ranked fighter faced off against another member of the first twelve.

Apart from those battles, this match—where the thirteenth-ranked David Curran was taking on an unknown challenger—was the most noteworthy of the tournament so far.

Naturally, the audience was thrilled.

However…

"Who's his opponent?"

"Let me check… Huh? He's not even in the famous sacrificial book?"

"No way! A ranking outsider challenging the strongest on the second page?"

"This duel is already decided before it even starts."

Many spectators, after checking Erend's ranking, sighed in disappointment.

A challenger with no official rank taking on the top fighter outside the first page? It seemed like a joke.

But just as people were about to lose interest, an exclamation broke the murmurs.

"No! This guy is a user of pure heavy colour-style weapons!"

Pure heavy colour-style weapons!

The entire arena was stunned. Everyone hurriedly rechecked Erend's profile, and what they found shocked them even more.

"He's the eighth user of pure heavy colour-style weapons in Durmstrang Academy!"

"The Black Furnace Demon Sword?"

"I've heard of that one! Isn't it legendary?"

"Of course! It's one of the four-color demon swords!"

"This guy is wielding a four-color demon sword?"

"No wonder he dared to challenge thirteenth place!"

The audience's disappointment turned into anticipation.

Pure heavy colour-style weapons were rare.

Before this duel, only seven students in Durmstrang Academy had been known users, and four of them were members of the first twelve.

That meant that over half of all users of these rare weapons had reached the top rankings.

Such weapons drastically improved a fighter's abilities, making them stand out.

Anyone capable of wielding a pure heavy colour-style weapon was unlikely to be weak, and if this unknown challenger was truly a user of the legendary Four-Color Demon Swords…

Could this be a future member of the first twelve?

The audience's curiosity soared.

Meanwhile, some of the higher-ranked students watching the match wore grim expressions.

For them, the appearance of a new user of pure heavy colour-style weapons signified one thing: a new threat.

If Erend turned out to be as powerful as his weapon suggested, he would undoubtedly rise in the ranks—and fast.

Even Julis, sitting in the VIP section, looked serious.

Beside her, Claudia remained calm, her smile unfazed.

"Finally, it's his turn."

Julis immediately caught on.

"He's the one you've been keeping an eye on?"

Claudia didn't deny it.

"I helped him acquire a loan for his pure heavy colour-style weapon," she admitted, smiling. "I'm curious to see how well he can use the Black Furnace Demon Sword. Just thinking about it is exciting."

Julis turned back toward the stage, her gaze locked onto Erend.

Even she had heard of the Four-Color Demon Swords.

The Black Furnace Demon Sword, in particular, was infamous for its difficulty to control. It was said to burn everything in its path, turning the very ground into a furnace if its power was unleashed.

She wanted to see it in action.

Clearly, so did the rest of the audience. The cheers grew even louder.

On the stage, Erend and David Curran faced each other.

Erend took a moment to study his opponent.

David Curran was a university-level second-year student, twenty years old, and ranked thirteenth in Durmstrang Academy.

He had once been among the first twelve and had even competed in the Phoenix Star Warrior Festival. At that time, he had ranked eleventh in Livermorny Academy and partnered with the twelfth-ranked student. Together, they had reached the top sixteen of the tournament.

Though he had since dropped to thirteenth, his past ranking alone proved his strength.

"As an opponent for my first duel, he's qualified," Erend thought.

David, however, looked wary.

Unlike the audience, he had checked Erend's information beforehand. He already knew that Erend wielded a pure heavy colour-style weapon, making him a dangerous adversary.

Even so…

"Not long after obtaining a pure heavy colour-style weapon, and you're already challenging rank thirteen? You're too impatient, junior."

David's voice carried confidence.

"Even wielders of pure heavy colour-style weapons don't always make it into the first twelve," he continued. "That alone proves that possessing such a weapon isn't enough to climb the ranks."

Indeed, of the seven known wielders of pure heavy colour-style weapons at Durmstrang Academy, three had never made it into the first twelve.

A powerful weapon alone wasn't enough.

One needed the skill to control it.

In David's eyes, even if Erend was highly compatible with his weapon, he hadn't had enough time to master it.

He had faced pure heavy colour-style weapons before in past tournaments.

And he didn't think Erend would be any different.

Unfortunately for him, Erend was no ordinary opponent.

"Are you worried about me, senior?"

Erend's tone was lighthearted as he smiled.

"Then please, show me how strong the top fighters are."

With that, Erend drew his weapon.

"Emima!"

A brilliant red light erupted from the Black Furnace Demon Sword's omnipotent crystal, illuminating the entire arena.

The duel was about to begin.