The grand arena was packed to the brim.
The stands overflowed with spectators, the noise deafening.
All eyes were fixed on the two finalists: Adam, the mysterious orphanage boy, and Kyle, the arrogant noble heir.
The match had already begun.
Adam moved with astonishing speed, dodging Kyle's furious, rapid strikes. Every motion was precise, every physical counter aimed perfectly, drawing gasps of shock from the crowd.
Kyle roared in rage as he took another hit:
"You dare touch me?! Do you really think you can beat me?!"
The audience laughed mockingly at the orphanage boy:
"Look at him! Too weak to face Kyle!"
"His little punches won't do anything!"
The laughter only fueled Adam's anger. His face flushed red, his heart pounded violently. Memories of Sophia, of Kyle's insults toward her and her tragic fate, surged inside him. A burning, furious emotion grew stronger with every second.
The Escalation and the Insults
Kyle didn't stop at physical attacks. He began hurling loud insults:
"Lost your courage already, orphanage rat?! Sophia got eaten by the jinn—just like you, weak and useless. Nothing you do will ever matter!"
The crowd exploded with laughter. Some pointed at Adam in mockery, others laughed so hard the arena shook with the sound.
Adam felt an unbelievable rage. He could no longer control his emotions.
Every laugh, every insult, every attack, every memory pushed him to the breaking point.
"You've gone too far…" he muttered under his breath.
Then he unleashed a power no one had ever seen from him.
The Blue Flame
Strange blue flames erupted around Adam—deep, dark blue, blazing with majestic and terrifying intensity.
For the first time in the academy, the blue fire appeared, glowing with immense power, filled with a mixture of rage and sorrow.
Kyle froze in shock. He couldn't react fast enough.
"What… what is this power?!"
Adam roared with raw force:
"Everything you said about Sophia… you will pay for it!"
The blue flames exploded across the arena.
Tongues of fire stretched outward, blue smoke rose thickly, and the entire ground trembled. Destruction began to spread everywhere.
Intervention of the Judges and Hunters
Despite the flames' ferocity, the judges and hunters intervened immediately to save Kyle, realizing Adam's attack could kill him.
Judge Armando Val cast a counter-spell to suppress the damage, while several hunters grabbed Kyle and pulled him away from the direct blast.
The students in the stands were stunned. They had never witnessed such power. The air vibrated, blue smoke filled the arena, and nearly the entire structure was damaged.
The crowd fell silent for a moment, shock written across every face.
There was no longer any doubt about Adam's strength—but it was clear the blue flames had spared nothing, not even the stone framework of the arena.
Declaration of the Winner
When the flames finally calmed and the smoke began to clear, Adam stood firm.
His breathing was heavy, his face still burning with anger, but he had regained control of his power.
The judge announced officially:
"The winner of the Strongest Student Tournament… Adam, the boy from the orphanage!"
The crowd erupted into thunderous applause and astonishment.
Kyle stood in complete shock. His friends were speechless.
Students whispered to each other in disbelief:
"The orphanage boy… he actually did it… his mind, his body, and now the blue flame… I've never seen anything like this!"
Adam didn't smile much.
But inside, he felt deep satisfaction.
He had defended his honor and the honor of the one he loved.
He had revealed a power no one had ever witnessed from him before.
The arena still smoldered faintly with traces of blue embers.
The whispers continued:
"Who… is this boy really?"
And in Adam's eyes, a quiet fire still burned—not blue this time, but the fire of someone who had finally stopped being weak.