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Chapter 400 91.8 - Duels [2]

"Did you see that? He played him like a fiddle!"

"Lucas Middleton is a genius. That was a masterclass in swordsmanship."

The fact that Lucas had completely dominated the duel and won in a mere five minutes was a considerable achievement. Typically, duels between berserkers and speed types dragged on, each combatant exploiting their respective strengths. But this time, it was as if Lucas had been several steps ahead of Vincent from the start.

In the stands, the reactions were varied. The vassals and the allies of the Middleton family turned all their attention to the person whose opinion was most valuable. The white-haired man, Lucas\'s father, nodded approvingly. "You\'ve truly grown, Lucas. Stepping into the Illusion Realm… impressive."

Meanwhile, the Hale family members were left in shock and disappointment. Vincent\'s father, head of the Tasty Gods guild, clenched his fists, a mixture of anger and grudging respect on his face. "That boy… he\'s a formidable opponent."

In the crowd, students whispered among themselves, their respect for Lucas skyrocketing. Though not many people dared to say it, everyone who witnessed the twins fighting knew that Julia\'s talent at sword was incomparable.

"I never knew he was this good," one said, awe in his voice. "It\'s like he was reading Vincent\'s mind."

"Lucas wasn\'t just fighting; he was orchestrating the entire duel. Every move was calculated."

"Still….What was that last move? Even I felt my senses being deceived."

The students were talking amongst themselves, yet there was a certain group of people watching the fight.

In the stands, Lilia, Ethan, Irina, and Julia watched the scene unfold, their expressions a mix of awe and curiosity.

Ethan, unable to contain his amazement, turned to his friends. "When did Lucas become this good?" he asked, his voice filled with genuine surprise.

Julia, still processing what she had just witnessed, shook her head slowly. "I honestly don\'t know," she admitted. "I knew he was training hard, but I had no idea he had reached this level." There was a hint of confusion in her voice as if she was struggling to reconcile this new image of her twin with the one she had known all her life.

Lilia, intrigued by the intricacies of the duel, looked to Julia for answers. "What was that last move?" she asked. "It seemed... complex. Like he was manipulating reality itself."

Julia sighed, a faint frown creasing her brow. "I wish I could tell you," she replied. "But I don\'t know. It feels like there\'s a rift between us now. A part of him that I don\'t understand." The realization left a strange aftertaste, a sense of unfamiliarity with her own twin.

Irina, who had been quietly analyzing the fight, spoke up. "I am not sure exactly what he did. But, from what I could see, he utilized a special Light spell, 「Refractive Array」," she explained. "It\'s a rare and advanced spell that allows the user to disturb the light that was reflected from the object itself and change the location that was perceived by the opponent. Only a handful of people can master it, and it requires an extraordinary level of precision and control."

"Refractive Array? This…When did he learn that?" Julia asked herself. Something. Something was weird about this. From the start, she knew Lucas was smart, and he had already immersed himself in tactics.

If Julia was the brute force type, then Lucas would be the mindful type. He would plan things and think before acting. That was why she thought, as twins, they complemented each other.

But she had never seen Lucas studying magic before, let alone such an advanced Light magic. It was particularly hard to control the light particles since they contained higher raw energy than other particles.

But the thing that puzzled her was.

\'This idea….I also had it.\' She had been trying to develop a new style for herself for a long time, trying to upgrade her combat style.

But rather than memorizing some random spells, she preferred testing things while \'feeling\' them.

Lilia raised an eyebrow, "But how was he able to obstruct the other senses? Especially the mana sense? Considering that, even from here, we weren\'t able to sense anything, and that seems to be the case for higher-ranking Hunters watching the fight, either?" she asked.

Irina paused, considering Lilia\'s question. "I can\'t say for certain how he was able to obstruct the other senses, especially the mana sense," she admitted. "But if my observations are correct, it likely involves a combination of sword [Stripe]s and magic blocks. It\'s something highly complex and not easy to analyze in a short time."

Julia, still deep in thought, muttered to herself, "How did he manage to combine such techniques so seamlessly?"

Irina shrugged. "It\'s a rare skill, and it\'s possible he\'s been working on it in secret. Lucas has always been methodical and strategic, so it wouldn\'t surprise me if he\'s been honing this technique for a while."

Ethan, still processing the information, nodded slowly. "Lucas has always been a step ahead, but this... This is something else entirely."

Lilia crossed her arms, a thoughtful expression on her face. "It\'s impressive, no doubt. But it also means he\'s been keeping a lot to himself."

Julia\'s frown deepened. \'It just feels... strange. Like there\'s a part of him I don\'t know anymore.\'

Something had been bothering her. It was a certainly foreign feeling that she felt for the first time.

She threw a quick look at the man sitting on the lounge.

\'What does father think?\'

The person she respected the most in the world. His opinion was certainly valuable, more than everyone else\'s.

\'He is smiling….\'

And she saw his smile.

At that moment, something inside her was stirred.

********

Irina, looking at Julia like that, somehow felt like she could understand Julia\'s thoughts and views. But at the same time, she thought to herself.

\'This oddly feels familiar. Phantom\'s Land…..After that, whatever it is, things changed.\'

Her partial memories, the things that she couldn\'t understand, made her feel like she must understand.

\'Is he there?\'

Suddenly, she felt the urge to talk to him. Since her match was tomorrow, she had some free time. Though, she would start stretching her senses not long after.

After his match yesterday, he suddenly disappeared, and she wasn\'t able to contact him even once.

She looked around the place, but she couldn\'t find any trace of him.

None at all.

Irina scanned the amphitheater, her eyes coated with mana as she activated her [Mana Observation].

Her gaze swept across the crowd, students and families alike, all still buzzing with excitement from the duel. Amidst the sea of mana signatures, one stood out.

\'Here!\' It was a familiar trace, the distinct pattern of Astron\'s mana. Her eyes locked onto it immediately.

He was standing near the back, partially hidden by a pillar. His eyes were focused on the scene before him, specifically on the crowd. Irina could see the intensity in his gaze, as if he was discerning everything, taking in every detail.

But then, just as she was about to make her way towards him, Astron moved. He turned and started to leave, his movements swift and purposeful.

\'Come on, where are you going?\' Irina\'s heart quickened as she hurried to follow him.

She pushed through the crowd, trying to keep his retreating figure in sight. But despite her best efforts, Astron\'s skillful evasion techniques made it difficult to track him. He weaved through the throngs of people with practiced ease, and soon, he disappeared from her view.

"Tsk. Just stay where you are, bastard."

Irina cursed under her breath, frustrated by how easily she had lost him. She continued to move through the crowd, hoping to catch another glimpse of him. But as the minutes ticked by, it became clear that Astron had effectively vanished.

"Sigh…."

At the end of the day, she missed him again.

*******

<Thursday Afternoon, Arcadia Hunter Academy>

The sun was supposed to hang high in the sky, casting a warm glow over the bustling amphitheater. Yet, with winter already coming, the scene was shrouded by the clouds formed across the place.

The duels were in full swing, and the excitement in the air was palpable.

Students and spectators alike were engrossed in the spectacle, their cheers and gasps echoing through the arena.

In contrast to the jubilant crowd, Callum stood at the edge of the amphitheater, his expression a mix of weariness and annoyance. His disheveled hair and the dark bags under his eyes made it clear he had not rested well.

He scanned the crowd with a sharp, vigilant gaze, though he looked as if he would rather be anywhere else.

"I can\'t believe Eleanor called me in for this," he muttered under his breath. "As if I have nothing better to do than play babysitter."

A woman standing nearby, dressed in the same hunter\'s uniform, rolled her eyes and smirked.

"Oh, come on, Callum. You\'re exaggerating. It\'s not like you were doing anything critical. You were just catching up on sleep."

Callum shot her an irritated glance. "Amelia, do you have any idea how much work I\'ve got piling up? Reports, training schedules, actual hunts. But no, I\'m here, watching a bunch of kids spar."

These two were schoolmates as Eleanor, graduating at the same time. And both of them worked for the government.

Agents of Demonic Human Bureau.

Their faces were not clearly known to the world, yet they were both important Awakened. Though, those who knew them from the academy, could possibly recognize their faces.

Thus, they were still in their disguises.

Amelia chuckled softly. "Relax, Callum. It\'s not just about the duels. Eleanor thinks something\'s up. And if she\'s worried, we should be too."

Callum sighed, rubbing his temples. "I know, I know. It is the Eleanor we are talking about. There is no way she would call us for something random."

He said, slowly scratching his neck.

"But it\'s still a pain. We\'ve got real threats out there, and we\'re stuck here babysitting."

Amelia\'s expression grew more serious. "Speaking of threats, have you noticed anything unusual?"

Callum shook his head, scanning the crowd again. "I did notice quite a lot of things," Callum said, looking across the arena. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Really? Why did you-"

Before Amelia could even ask him, Callum replied.

"It was Eleanor\'s decision."

"What? Don\'t tell me." As Amelia\'s eyes widened, Callum nodded his head.

"Yes. She wants to catch the executive."

Eleanor was already looking far ahead from the start.