The Villian Who Broke The Story

Without gaining access to Aura, it is impossible to copy someone else’s Aura.

At least, that was the conclusion Kael had arrived at after countless simulations and observations also information he got from playing the game.

Aura and Mana were fundamentally different.

Mana originated from the Mana Core and flowed through the Mana Conduits of the body.

Aura, however...

Aura was born from the soul itself.

Every person’s Aura carried a unique signature that reflected their existence. No two people possessed the exact same Aura, just as no two souls were identical.

That was why copying Aura wasn’t as simple as watching someone perform a technique.

It wasn’t impossible to imitate the way someone used their Aura...

But first, one had to awaken their own.

Only after drawing energy directly from the soul could a person manipulate Aura, shape it, and develop techniques around it.

Until then...

Copying Aura remained impossible.

Kael slowly lifted his head.

His breathing was heavy.

Deep cuts covered his body, while the aftereffects of Mana Emphasization continued to spread through his Mana Conduits.

Even standing had become a struggle.

Still...

He forced himself back onto his feet.

Across from him, Zion calmly rested his sword on his shoulder, his gaze fixed on Kael.

"Tell me, Zion..."

"You watched my last battle with Hulk."

Kael’s voice was steady despite his condition.

Zion raised an eyebrow.

"Don’t tell me you’re reminiscing about past victories before your defeat."

Kael snorted.

"What? No."

"I’m not that humble."

A grin slowly appeared on his face.

"But you do know what I did during that fight?"

Zion remained silent.

Kael’s Mana suddenly began rising once again.

Darkness slowly seeped from his skin.

His entire body became wrapped in black Mana that flowed around him like living smoke.

"Mana Emphasization."

The words caused Zion’s expression to change ever so slightly.

Kael looked down at his own hand as Darkness Mana escaped through every pore of his body.

"I was trying to enhance the Celestial Star Sword Art with my elemental affinity."

"It didn’t work."

"Atleast it didn’t work the first few times I tried it."

He chuckled quietly.

"But unexpectedly.."

"I succeeded."

The Darkness surrounding him became denser.

Even the students watching from the stands unconsciously swallowed.

The pressure emanating from Kael had completely changed.

He slowly lowered himself into the stance of the Celestial Star Sword Art.

"Now, Zion..."

"I have a request."

Zion mirrored his stance without taking his eyes off Kael.

"What is it?"

Kael smiled.

"From this moment on..."

"Battle like your life depended on it like you are willing to kill me or you might not win."

The instant those words left his mouth—

Kael vanished.

Vanishing Step.

The arena floor cracked beneath where he had been standing.

He appeared beside Zion almost instantly.

Clang!

Their swords collided.

The impact echoed across the stadium.

Neither swordsman gave the other room to breathe.

Kael immediately shifted his footing and followed with another strike.

Zion intercepted it before rotating his blade to force Kael backward.

Kael refused to yield.

He pressed forward once again, Darkness Mana still pouring from his body.

The exchange became increasingly violent.

Steel clashed against steel.

Neither side spoke.

Neither side hesitated.

Only their swords communicated.

Clang!

Clang!

Clang!

Kael suddenly changed his rhythm.

"Sixth Form."

His blade rotated around him in continuous motion.

Celestial Orbit.

Instead of waiting for Zion to attack, Kael used the defensive form offensively, forcing Zion to withdraw a single step.

The opening lasted only an instant.

Kael immediately transitioned.

"Fifth Form."

Meteor Shower.

Dozens of rapid sword strikes exploded toward Zion.

Zion’s eyes sharpened.

He answered without hesitation.

"Fifth Form."

His own Meteor Shower met Kael’s head-on.

An endless storm of flashing blades erupted between them.

Every strike collided with another.

Neither technique overwhelmed the other.

Sparks filled the arena as the two sword arts mirrored one another almost perfectly.

For everyone watching...

It looked less like a duel...

And more like two reflections battling inside a mirror.

After A Few Minutes.

The storm of blades finally subsided as both swordsmen slid several meters apart.

Neither lowered their guard.

Kael’s Darkness Mana continued to seep from every pore of his body, wrapping him in a veil of black mist that distorted the air around him. His breathing had become noticeably heavier, yet the grin on his face refused to disappear.

Zion narrowed his eyes.

"I see..."

"So you’ve really decided to stake everything on Mana Emphasization."

Without another word, he disappeared.

Fourth Form... Astral Crossing.

His presence vanished completely.

Kael couldn’t see him.

He couldn’t hear him.

The only thing he relied on was instinct.

Clang!

Their swords collided again as Kael intercepted Zion’s attack at the last possible moment.

The impact pushed both of them apart.

Instead of pursuing immediately, Zion observed Kael carefully.

"...Your reactions haven’t slowed."

Kael smiled.

He twisted his blade before lunging forward once more.

This time, he didn’t rely solely on swordsmanship.

His Darkness Mana flowed violently around his arm as he mixed sword strikes with close-quarter attacks, forcing Zion to retreat one step after another.

Every clash echoed throughout the arena.

Neither combatant was willing to surrender even a single inch.

...

Far above the battlefield, silence lingered inside the VIP lounge.

Lyra stood beside Stella her eyes remained fixed on the arena from the moment she arrived after receiving her punishment from the vice principal.

Her expression gradually darkened.

"...You know that if he keeps this up..."

"He might die before he even defeats Zion."

"Mana Emphasization is something even Even some third Years are forbidden from using without the direct supervision of experienced instructors."

Stella didn’t immediately answer.

She continued watching Kael exchange blows with Zion.

Finally, she spoke.

"Don’t worry."

"He won’t die."

"He would’ve died a long time ago if that were the case."

"And look at the bright side..."

"He’s still not using the Concept of Darkness."

Lyra’s expression didn’t improve.

Instead, her eyes narrowed.

Kael suddenly swung his sword toward empty space.

His strike missed Zion completely.

A second slash followed.

It also missed.

Then a third.

Only empty air.

Lyra’s face changed.

"...The Mana Emphasization is already affecting him to this extent."

"Kael..."

"...can’t see."

For the first time since the battle began—

Even Stella frowned.

The realization struck Zion almost immediately.

Kael’s sword swings had begun to miss by just enough to expose the truth.

"...I guess you haven’t mastered Mana Emphasization."

A faint smile appeared on Zion’s face as he shifted his footing.

If Kael’s vision had truly been consumed by the Darkness he was releasing...

Then the fight should already be over.

Without hesitation, Zion exploded forward.

His sword traced a deadly arc toward Kael’s shoulder.

The instant the blade entered striking distance—

Clang!

Kael’s sword intercepted it.

The collision sent both combatants sliding backward.

Zion’s eyes narrowed.

He attacked again.

This time from Kael’s blind side.

Kael twisted his body at the very last second.

The blade grazed his shoulder instead of piercing through it.

Blood splashed across the arena floor.

Kael ignored the wound completely.

He stepped back, rolling his shoulder before gripping his sword once more.

A grin slowly spread across his face.

"Sorry to say this..."

"I might not have mastered Mana Emphasization..."

"...but fighting blind..."

"I think I know my way around that."

Although he spoke directly toward Zion...

His eyes weren’t looking at him.

Instead, they stared into empty space.

The sight sent a chill through the audience.

"He..."

"He’s really blind."

Charlotte unconsciously covered her mouth.

Even several instructors exchanged uneasy glances.

Yet Kael continued smiling.

Zion took a slow breath.

"...You’re insane."

He disappeared once again.

His footsteps became almost impossible to perceive.

His sword struck from above.

Kael tilted his head.

The blade barely missed.

Another strike came from behind.

Kael reacted instinctively, turning just enough for the attack to skim across his ribs instead of cutting straight through them.

A third.

A fourth.

A fifth.

Each attack landed closer than the last.

Fresh blood stained Kael’s uniform.

Yet something strange gradually began happening.

His reactions became cleaner.

His movements smoother.

Every exchange narrowed the gap.

Zion frowned.

"...Don’t tell me..."

"He’s adapting."

Kael no longer attempted to track Zion with his eyes.

Instead...

He listened.

He felt the disturbance in the air.

The vibration beneath his feet.

The subtle shift in Mana before every strike.

It wasn’t perfect.

He still suffered cuts.

But each new wound taught him something.

Each clash sharpened his instincts.

His body was learning.

His gift—

Infinite Adaptation doing it’s job.

Zion attacked again.

Kael met the strike head-on.

Their swords collided.

Instead of retreating, Kael remained exactly where he stood.

The Darkness surrounding his body surged violently.

The arena trembled beneath the pressure.

For the first time since realizing Kael had gone blind...

Zion found himself pushed backward.

Only a single step.

But it was enough.

"...Impossible."

Kael laughed.

A low...

Almost unhinged laugh.

"You know..."

"I’ve been wondering something."

"If I can’t rely on my eyes..."

"Then maybe..."

"I never needed them in the first place."

Darkness continued pouring from every inch of his body.

His vision had vanished.

Yet his fighting spirit only burned brighter.

Across the arena...

Zion slowly raised his sword once more.

His expression finally lost every trace of amusement.

Only seriousness remained.

The battle had reached the point where even a single mistake would decide everything.

Kael lowered his stance.

His crimson eyes remained unfocused.

His body leaned slightly forward.

Ready.

Waiting.

Expecting Zion’s next move.

A crazed smile spread across his face.

"Come on..."

"I’m blind, Zion..."

"Take me out."

The entire arena fell silent.

Not a single spectator dared to breathe.

Both swordsmen stood facing one another.

One relied on perfected technique.

The other had abandoned even his own sight.

Neither intended to yield.

The decisive clash...

Was about to begin.