The Aftermath of Chaos

Vivian observed the chaotic scene, where thick steam obscured everyone’s vision. No one had any idea what was truly unfolding in the dueling arena. In truth, she was no different; as a mage, not a warrior, she couldn’t pierce through the dense steam to discern the events without employing her magic.

“Boom!!!”

Suddenly, a colossal roar erupted from the arena, stirring a restless curiosity among the students, an urgent desire to uncover the truth of what had just transpired.

‘This is bad!’

Upon hearing the thunderous sound, Vivian inwardly cried out, ‘This is bad!’ The situation felt as though it had spiraled beyond her expectations; she had initially intended to intervene and rescue Ai Ou should his life be in peril. Yet now, with visibility completely obscured, and the origin of the massive explosion unknown, everything was shrouded in an impenetrable haze, utterly beyond her control.

With a flick of her finger, she pointed into the empty air and began to chant softly. As her finger traced continuous circles, the steam in the arena seemed to find an exhaust vent, rushing madly towards Vivian’s outstretched hand. Soon, the steam in the arena began to dissipate, completely gathered by Vivian.

The collected steam, compressed by Vivian’s magic, transformed into a crystal-clear bead within her fingers. She had condensed it from gas to liquid, and then from liquid to solid. This bead in her hand encapsulated all the steam generated from Furlan’s full-power Water Dragon Tornado colliding with Ai Ou’s magic shield.

****

When all the steam had been cleared by Vivian, everyone could finally see the true state of affairs in the dueling arena.

Furlan lay unconscious on the ground, his dozen or so layers of magic shields having vanished. Ai Ou, meanwhile, had dispelled his summoned fireballs and looked disdainfully at the unconscious Furlan.

‘Is that all? Just this?’

All the spectators swallowed hard, feeling the atmosphere grow heavy as they gazed at the formidable Ai Ou on the platform, wondering what his next move would be. After all, academy rules stipulated that only if one of the two duelists verbally conceded or surrendered could others intervene. Otherwise, no one was permitted to interfere in a duel, which, in the eyes of mages, was sacred and inviolable.

Now, Furlan was incapacitated and unconscious, making it impossible for him to declare surrender or concession. Therefore, even if Ai Ou were to kill him, it wouldn’t violate academy rules. Moreover, Furlan’s magic earlier had clearly been intended to kill Ai Ou. Such magic, if unleashed upon an ordinary army, could instantly wipe out hundreds of soldiers. If its power were concentrated on a single person, that individual would undoubtedly be annihilated without a trace.

Ai Ou glanced at Furlan, then adopted a fist-swinging stance, as if he would strike in the very next second, ending Furlan’s life. Everyone’s hearts pounded in their throats, daring not to breathe, fearing they might miss a single moment.

‘Could Ai Ou truly be planning to finish Furlan off right here?’

Ultimately, Ai Ou did not strike. He looked at the unconscious Furlan, then retracted his stance, turning to Vivian and saying, “Teacher, why aren’t you hurrying to take Furlan to the infirmary? He forcibly cast a spell beyond his limits; he’ll likely suffer after-effects.”

Only then did Vivian stir as if waking from a dream. She quickly approached Furlan’s corpse—no, his body—and began casting water-element healing magic.

“Clear Spring Renewal!!”

“Vibrant Rejuvenation!!”

“Restore Anew!!”

After casting several water-element healing spells on Furlan, she then cast a levitation spell on his body, turning to Ai Ou and saying, “Wait here. I’ll take Furlan over and then come back for you!”

With that, she quickly departed with Furlan’s body, rushing towards the infirmary, where professional medical mages were stationed specifically to treat injuries and illnesses.

So, what exactly happened amidst the steam earlier? At this moment, everyone on the ground looked at Ai Ou on the platform, desperate for answers. In just a brief instant, after the misty haze, it was all over? Furlan lay on the ground, unconscious, seemingly gravely injured, while Ai Ou was completely unharmed, merely breathing a little heavier. If sweating counted as a loss, then Ai Ou had sustained a minor one.

“So, will someone please tell me what just happened?”

“Yeah, I just want to know what move Ai Ou used to take down Furlan!”

“Damn it, I lost all my bets! I staked a hundred gold coins on Furlan! And he actually lost.”

“Bloody hell, the odds were one to twenty, and I put everything on Furlan. It’s all gone!”

“You’re lucky. I bet a thousand gold coins! I thought Furlan would crush him, but it was a dark horse victory!”

“May all gamblers perish! May the price of groceries rise for all who bet on sports!”

At this moment, the students below displayed a myriad of reactions: some were joyful for Ai Ou’s victory, some were curious about what had transpired, some were perplexed by the dense mist, and others were furious, having lost all the money they’d wagered on Furlan.

‘That guy, he used to win every time. Why did he falter now? And not just a little bit.’

“Hey! Ai Ou! What happened? How did you win?”

Suddenly, someone shouted towards Ai Ou.

Upon hearing the question, Ai Ou’s lips curled into a wicked smile as he said, “Do you want my treasure? If you want it, I’ll give it all to you! Go find it for yourselves! Cough, cough, cough, wrong line. Do you want to know what happened? If you want to know, go research it yourselves! I’ve left all the traces right here.”

With that, Ai Ou left the dueling platform and headed for the infirmary to find Vivian. He had something to discuss with her. He had originally intended to bring it up after class, but Furlan’s incident had delayed it for so long that dusk had already settled.

Everyone watched Ai Ou depart. The moment he was gone, the dueling arena erupted in a cacophony of shouts.

“Wow, so cool! Lord Ai Ou is amazing!”

“From now on, I declare Lord Ai Ou my idol!”

“Didn’t you just change idols yesterday? Changing again?”

“Look, Ai Ou’s cold declaration to ‘go find it yourselves’ was so cool! That noble, inviolable aura is so inspiring!”

“I declare myself a ten-year veteran fan of Ai Ou!”

While Ai Ou was present, his imposing aura had suppressed everyone, making them afraid to even breathe, creating an oddly tense atmosphere. After all, Ai Ou had so effortlessly defeated the formidable Furlan, a feat that instilled a sense of dread. However, the world of magic was often complex. People feared the strong, yet simultaneously worshipped and yearned to emulate them. They felt fear in Ai Ou’s presence, but once he departed, their admiration surged. Such was the complexity of life.

As a throng of people began declaring themselves Ai Ou’s devoted fans, a pair of emerald-like eyes, as clear as pristine water, watched his retreating figure, filled with enigmatic emotions. Was it a maiden’s affection? Or admiration? Or fear? It was impossible to tell, for those beautiful eyes held a multitude of feelings. Even the most exquisite emerald could not compare to the beauty of those eyes.

The owner of these captivating eyes was a girl with golden hair, a few stray strands standing up on either side, and a single cowlick fluttering in the breeze. As she gazed adoringly at Ai Ou’s departing back, the girl murmured, “Ai Ou, Ai Ou, who exactly are you…?”

Her voice faded into a whisper, becoming inaudible even to herself.

****

On the way to the infirmary, Ai Ou encountered Vivian, who was rushing back after taking Furlan there.

“Teacher!”

“Ai Ou, perfect timing! I was just looking for you. Didn’t I tell you to stay put?”

“Coincidentally, Teacher, I was looking for you too! With so many people watching me, I felt a little shy, so I slipped away to find you.”

“Alright.”

Vivian rubbed her head. “By the way, what was that about you just now? And what happened in the steam?”

“What do you mean, Teacher?”

“Your magic! Your Fireball spell, why was it so powerful, so immense? And you can cast Fireball instantly! You know, even a Level 6 mage might not be able to do as well as you did!”

Vivian was somewhat shocked by Ai Ou’s performance. While it was true that Ai Ou possessed a dual-element, super-grade magic affinity talent, one crucial point needed to be understood: talent didn’t automatically equate to strength. Transforming talent into power required time. Yet, Ai Ou’s display was far beyond mere talent. His Fireball spell alone, coupled with his almost draconic physique, suggested that even a Level 7 or Level 8 mage could potentially be defeated by him if they weren’t careful.

It was well known that mages were a fragile profession. Their bodies, like those of ordinary people, were their greatest weakness, a vulnerability that could only be mitigated at higher levels. Before mastering certain spells, mages who weren’t vigilant could easily be ambushed and defeated by lower-ranked opponents.

“Moreover, your body is nothing like that of an ordinary mage, and your magical proficiency is utterly unlike a freshman’s. Your Fireball spell alone is enough to be a teacher. Who exactly are you? What sinister plot are you involved in?”

Vivian grew suspicious, yet Ai Ou’s age didn’t fit the profile of an ancient schemer.

“Teacher, you’ve been reading too many novels! What sinister plot? I’m just a sixteen or seventeen-year-old kid. And all I know are Fireball and Fire Magic Shield. Oh, and meditation. These are the only three spells I know, and I taught myself. Did you see me use any other magic? It’s just that my control over magic is a little bit stronger than others. As for my body, it’s just a little bit stronger than others. It’s natural; I can’t help but be just a little bit stronger.”

Vivian was speechless. It seemed Ai Ou had indeed only used one spell, Fireball, and nothing else. But, young man, were you serious? A little bit stronger? It was a million times stronger! The difference between you and others wasn’t just a little bit; it was monumental!