FANTASY LIBRARY

A tearing sound echoed across the duel stage, plunging the entire area into sudden silence.

As fragments of torn cloth fluttered in the air, Curran was sent flying backward, retreating in panic before finally managing to regain his balance just as he was about to crash onto the ground.

However, despite his successful landing, Curran's expression was far from pleased.

A portion of his clothing had been sliced open, narrowly missing the school badge attached to it.

"Did he actually dodge that?"

Standing opposite him, holding the Black Furnace Demon Sword in an upward slashing stance, Erend raised an eyebrow.

"As expected of someone ranked 13th—it's not that easy to take down a senior."

Rather than taking it as a compliment, Curran felt humiliated.

He glanced at the gun-shaped heavy colour weapon in his hand, which had been effortlessly sliced in half, the broken end still glowing red like molten metal. Taking a deep breath, he muttered,

"So, this really is the legendary Black Furnace Demon Sword... To destroy my weapon so easily..."

Without hesitation, Curran discarded the remains of his expensive weapon, his eyes growing colder as he fixed his gaze on Erend.

"I made a mistake thinking I could defeat you with weapons and methods I'm not skilled with."

"I should've realized it sooner—anyone chosen by a pure star heavy colour weapon of the Four-Color Demon Sword level is no ordinary person."

"To think such a formidable opponent was hiding within the academy all this time..."

A student unranked in the top tiers having physical abilities matching mid-ranking fighters was one thing, but possessing such astonishing swordsmanship?

It was shocking.

"But I won't let this happen again."

This time, Curran took out his real heavy colour weapon and activated it.

It was a katana, its blade significantly thinner than that of a typical heavy colour weapon—clearly custom-made and finely tuned.

This was the weapon that had earned Curran his reputation.

While he knew that blocking the legendary Black Furnace Demon Sword would likely result in his blade being shattered, his plan was different.

"As long as I focus on dodging, you won't be able to land another hit on me."

Curran's voice was filled with confidence.

In response...

"Since you put it that way, it would be rude of me not to get serious."

Upon seeing Curran draw his signature heavy colour weapon, Erend's aura shifted dramatically.

"What do you mean?"

Curran's expression darkened.

"I mean, this next part is the real show."

Erend raised the Black Furnace Demon Sword.

"Emima..."

A dazzling burst of stardust swirled around him, enveloping his entire body in radiant light.

Erend channeled all of his star power into the Black Furnace Demon Sword. Immediately, black lines began to ripple across the blade, twisting and flowing into the clean core embedded in the hilt.

In an instant, the once pure-white sword took on a deep purple-black hue, radiating an intense heat that distorted the surrounding air.

"Huh—"

The searing energy whipped around Erend, forming waves of heat that bent the air like the flickering flames of the sun.

Standing at the center of the storm, his body gleamed with powerful star energy.

He looked like a star shining within a heat wave.

The breathtaking sight made Curran's heart clench with unease, prompting him to take an unconscious step backward.

But then—

"Bang!"

The star blazing within the heat wave suddenly erupted, unleashing an explosive force.

The bursting energy carried with it a fearsome hot wind as Erend propelled forward at a terrifying speed.

In the blink of an eye, he was upon Curran.

"What...?!"

Curran's expression finally twisted in shock.

A figure wreathed in flames, like a living sun, had appeared before him in an instant.

"Buzz!"

The Black Furnace Demon Sword, exhaling intense heat, flickered with a purple-black glow.

Its speed was beyond Curran's ability to react.

Before he could even attempt to defend himself, he felt the blade cut through his right chest.

"Snap!"

Time seemed to freeze.

Curran stood motionless, staring blankly ahead, unable to process what had just happened.

Before him, Erend—his body still trailing stardust and heat—stood with the Black Furnace Demon Sword in a follow-through stance.

"Buzz!"

The sword vibrated with energy as Erend calmly withdrew his blade. Looking at Curran, he spoke,

"Thank you."

At that moment, a mechanical voice echoed from the arena's speakers, processed through the school's emblem system.

"The duel is over."

"Winner: Erend."

The moment the winner was announced, the school badge on Curran's chest split cleanly in half and fell to the ground.

"————"

Silence.

A deafening, stunned silence.

For several long seconds, no one in the audience uttered a word, their eyes locked onto the scene before them.

And then—

"Wow!"

The auditorium exploded with noise.

"Did you see that just now?!"

"That speed—unbelievable!"

"How did everything change so suddenly?"

"His movements and attacks became an entirely different level!"

"How did he do that?"

"He's a monster!"

The crowd was in uproar.

Even Julis, standing up from her seat with wide eyes, was in shock.

"In those last few seconds, how did he suddenly become so much stronger?"

The speed Erend had just displayed—both in movement and swordplay—far surpassed his performance from earlier in the duel.

Even Julis herself, if she had been in Curran's place, was unsure whether she could have fared any better.

"How did he do it?"

As if answering her question, Claudia spoke up.

"It was the hot air."

Julis blinked.

"Hot air?"

Claudia nodded, her expression serious.

"Yes. He deliberately released the heat from the Black Furnace Demon Sword, creating hot winds that pushed his body forward."

"It works like a propulsion system—similar to a jet engine. He used the force of the hot wind to launch himself in the direction he wanted to move. The final slash that broke Curran's badge used the same principle, accelerating the blade for an even faster strike."

Hearing this, Julis couldn't believe her ears.

"But he only received the Black Furnace Demon Sword a few days ago, didn't he?!"

"I heard that the Four-Color Demon Swords are notoriously difficult to control. How did he master it so quickly?"

Claudia sighed.

"I've never heard of anyone wielding the Black Furnace Demon Sword this way before... This technique is completely unheard of. He might be the first person in history to do it."

Could it be... that this was the result of a compatibility rate surpassing all limits?

Claudia touched the weapon at her waist, lost in thought.

Meanwhile, in the audience, the high-ranking students watched Erend with solemn expressions.

They all knew—

From this day forward, a new powerhouse had emerged at Durmstrang Academy.

A warrior strong enough to compete among the top twelve.

This version preserves the original story's intensity while improving readability and grammar. Let me know if you need further refinements!