Ashan slowly stopped exhaling as the raging flames finally began to fade. The sea of fire that had swallowed half the arena gradually died down, leaving behind scorched ground and scattered patches of burning embers that still flickered across the battlefield.
He frowned slightly.
'Damn it… I pushed the chakra output too high.'
Because he was still unfamiliar with these techniques, especially the balance between input and output, controlling the scale of the attack had been harder than expected.
Ashan lifted his head.
Hundreds of eyes were staring at him.
Some were filled with awe.
Others with fear.
And many with disbelief.
He scratched his cheek awkwardly.
'Haha… damn. Something's definitely going to happen after this fight.'
He sighed internally.
'Whatever. Let's just finish this quickly.'
As the remaining flames cleared, Rianne's figure finally became visible again.
She stood inside the transparent green barrier, completely protected by her Reflection Barrier.
Even though fear still lingered in her eyes, Rianne forced herself to glare at him arrogantly.
"That's enough!" she shouted. "You won't be able to harm me anymore."
She raised her chin proudly.
"This barrier reflects elemental attacks. Your fire can't pierce through it."
Ashan lowered his stance slightly, positioning himself as if preparing to launch forward.
"Then I'll just break it with my bare hands," he replied calmly.
Rianne burst into loud laughter.
"You think so?"
Her smile was full of mockery.
"This barrier is an A-rank skill. A B-ranker like you trying to destroy it?"
She sneered.
"In your dreams."
A small smirk appeared on Ashan's face.
"I think you misunderstand something about me."
His eyes sharpened.
"I might be a B-ranker… but my physical abilities are far beyond that."
He took a step forward.
"I'll crush that arrogance of yours."
Ashan suddenly dashed forward and threw a powerful punch directly at the barrier.
BOOM!
The impact echoed across the arena.
But his fist bounced back violently.
Ashan slid back half a step.
'It reflects the force back at me…'
However, he noticed something important.
'There's a delay.'
The reflected force did not return instantly.
'If I break contact before the reflection triggers… the backlash won't hit me.'
A grin slowly spread across his face.
'Let's see how many punches this thing can take.'
Suddenly Ashan began attacking the barrier repeatedly.
Punch after punch crashed against the surface, each strike landing at a different location and timing. His movements were fast and precise, breaking contact with the barrier just before the reflection could activate.
The barrage of strikes became almost continuous.
BOOM! BAM! BOOM!
Rianne's eyes widened.
"He's attacking the barrier without taking the backlash!?"
Her teeth clenched.
"Impossible!"
Up in the observation seats, Maren narrowed her eyes.
She turned slightly toward her secretary.
"What exactly is happening down there? What kind of barrier is that?"
The secretary quickly checked the student records.
"According to her profile, she possesses an A-rank skill called Reflection Barrier," the secretary explained. "It reflects incoming attacks back toward the attacker."
She looked down at the arena.
"But it seems student Ashan is avoiding the reflected force and slowly weakening the barrier."
"Oho…" Aren stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"That's a clever strategy."
Maren glanced at him.
"But?"
Aren's eyes remained fixed on Ashan.
"In the past few days, I've been observing him closely," he said slowly. "That student possesses physical abilities far beyond what a B-ranker should have."
He paused.
"It's extremely unusual… but those capabilities can rival even A-rank fighters."
His gaze sharpened.
"So if my guess is correct… he might actually break that barrier."
He leaned back slightly.
"Though it certainly won't be easy."
Back in the arena, Ashan continued striking the barrier relentlessly.
Tiny cracks began forming along the surface.
A weak point appeared.
Before Rianne even realized what was happening, Ashan suddenly stopped punching.
His hands moved.
Lightning-fast hand seals appeared.
[Rikiri]
Lightning erupted around his fist.
Ashan thrust his arm forward and struck the weakened point.
CRACK!
The barrier shattered halfway.
His electrified fist shot through the broken gap, stopping just an inch away from Rianne's face.
Rianne froze.
Her pupils trembled violently.
Her legs shook uncontrollably.
For a moment, she truly believed she was about to die.
But the lightning suddenly faded from Ashan's hand.
"It's over," he said calmly.
"I landed a lethal strike."
He withdrew his fist.
"You lost. Accept your defeat."
The audience erupted into cheers.
"Did you see that!? He broke the barrier!"
"He can control lightning like that? That must be a unique ability!"
"The fight was over the moment he broke the barrier!"
But hearing the crowd only made Rianne's expression twist with rage.
'No… this can't be happening.'
Her hands slowly lowered.
'I lost like this?'
Her breathing became heavier.
'If my father hears about this… he'll throw me out of the family.'
Her eyes darkened.
'No… I refuse to accept this.'
Mana began gathering in her palms.
"Accept defeat?" she muttered.
Her voice turned venomous.
"Like hell I will."
Suddenly both of her hands transformed into sharp spikes.
Without hesitation, she lunged forward and thrust them toward Ashan's chest.
But Ashan had already seen it coming.
He sidestepped calmly, moving beside her and avoiding the attack completely.
"I already gave you a chance to keep your dignity," he said quietly.
"Now don't blame me."
His hand moved instantly.
SLAP!
The sound echoed across the entire arena.
The impact was so powerful that Rianne's body flew through the air, smashing through the remaining fragments of her broken barrier.
She crashed onto the ground and bounced several times like a thrown stone before finally going unconscious.
The entire stadium fell silent.
Ashan exhaled deeply and began walking toward the exit of the arena.
Then the referee's voice rang out.
"The winner… Ashan Ashvale!"
The audience erupted once again.
"Bloody hell! He slapped the shit out of her!"
"She deserved it! Attacking after losing the duel? Shameless!"
"If it were me I'd have kicked her in the face!"
Even the S-rankers remained silent for a moment.
"That was… impressive," Luphar finally said, his gaze thoughtful.
"He ended the fight with a single slap. But honestly, that woman deserved worse."
He crossed his arms.
"She dishonored the duel. When your opponent stops a killing blow and gives you the chance to surrender, the honorable thing is to accept defeat."
Magnar nodded.
"True. The fight was short, but it was easily the duel of the day."
Meanwhile Rowan remained completely silent.
A memory he had been trying to forget resurfaced.
The humiliation of a slap.
The masked man.
The pain.
Yet he had no idea that the one who had done it… was Ashan.
Outside the arena, Ashan searched for his friends.
'It was a good fight… though I ended up slapping her.'
He sighed.
'Well… it's her fault. No need to feel guilty.'
Just then Nevil and the others pushed through the crowd and rushed toward him.
Ashan scratched his head awkwardly.
"I hope I didn't bore you guys."
Zevi immediately wrapped an arm around his shoulder.
"Bore us?" he laughed. "Are you kidding me? That was amazing!"
He grinned.
"You almost killed that bitch… and that final slap was perfect."
Nevil punched Ashan lightly in the stomach.
"I don't think I can call you human anymore," he said with a helpless smile.
"You're basically a humanoid dragon."
He sighed dramatically.
"I'm seriously jealous."