These words were very insulting. They immediately made the local Imperial fans in the stands angry. They shouted one after another: "Exactly! Too arrogant!" "The masters from the Imperial Magic Academy are right!"
Ilya finally looked toward the group from the Magic Academy. She blinked her beautiful blue eyes. She raised a slender finger covered in silver armor and lightly tapped her chin. She looked like she was thinking hard, as if searching for the right words. This childish gesture was a strange contrast to the heroic warrior who had just defeated everyone on the field.
After a moment, she seemed to have made up her mind. She lowered her hand. Facing the Magic Academy, she gave a perfect, elegant smile. Then, she gave a slight bow, performing a short but standard gesture of politeness.
Just as everyone thought she was about to apologize, her cool, clear voice rang out across the arena again:
"Hmm, how should I put this..." Ilya tilted her head. Her smile did not change. Her tone was as casual as if she were talking about the weather. "Looking down on you? Hmm... saying it like that might not be right."
She paused. A playful light flashed in her blue eyes, like sunlight dancing on a frozen lake.
"It should be—'Could you please make things a bit more fun for me?' After all, that warm-up just now was a bit... boring."
As she spoke, she spread her hands innocently. She acted as if she were just stating a simple fact.
BOOM—!!!
These words were like a drop of cold water falling into boiling oil. They instantly made the entire crowd explode with noise—especially the angry teachers and students from the Magic Academy!
"Insolent!"
"She doesn't know how high the heavens are!"
"How dare she insult the Imperial Magic Academy like this!"
"Teacher! Please let us teach her a lesson!"
The young students had never been insulted like this before. Each one was shaking with rage. Their magic power began to leak out uncontrollably. Even Teacher Zel's face turned dark. A cold light flickered in his eyes.
"Fine, very well," Zel said coldly. "Since this young lady wants 'entertainment' so much, then my Imperial Magic Academy shall show you the true meaning of magic! All students, prepare for combined casting! Let her understand the price of insulting the Empire's dignity!"
"Yes!" the students shouted together. They quickly moved into formation and began chanting spells. The waves of magic energy instantly became violent. Their individual strength was not high (mostly between Level 10 and 20). However, the power of their combined magic was dangerous. It was enough to threaten a normal Adamantite Rank adventurer.
The spectators in the stands held their breath. They felt both nervous and excited. The teachers and students of the Magic Academy were joining forces against a mysterious silver-haired girl. This was a rare sight!
Hekkeran and his team also grew tense. They had confidence in Ilya, but they still worried. They were facing an organized magic attack.
Ilya watched the crowd across from her. They began to glow with magical light. She was not nervous. Instead, she lightly licked her pink lips. A spark of interest flashed in her blue eyes as if she had found a new toy.
'Combined casting? Interesting... but their levels are still too low.' Through [Divine Domain Insight], she instantly saw their strength. She knew what kind of magic was coming. It was just a mix of Tier 2 to Tier 4 attacks: fireballs, ice spears, wind blades, and mana rays. At most, the total power was like a casual strike from a Level 27 or 28 player. With her [Valkyrie's Aegis] armor, she could survive much more than this. She could even take hits from Super-tier Magic. She could stop this by just using her pressure or even a breath, but that would be too dull.
She looked down at her long, straight legs. They were covered in silver armored boots and black tight leggings. The material was like silk and fit like a second skin. It showed her perfect leg lines and the "absolute territory" between her armor skirt and boots. A mischievous smile formed on her face.
'Let's use that. I haven't used it in a long time... the low-tier skill I loved most when I first started the game.'
With a thought, she activated a basic skill of the [Valkyrie] class—[Flash Chain Kick]. In YGGDRASIL, this was a low-tier physical skill. It let the user move at high speeds over short distances and perform many kicks. At the lowest level, one could kick several times per second. However, Ilya was Level 119. Her stats and mastery were at the limit. This basic skill was now terrifyingly powerful.
She bent her legs slightly. The tips of her silver boots lightly touched the ground. The muscles beneath her black leggings tensed with explosive power.
"Fire!" Following Teacher Zel's command, the Magic Academy's attack launched! Dozens of fireballs, ice spikes, wind blades, and mana rays flew toward Ilya. They looked like a bright but deadly storm! The magic light lit up half the arena. The heat and cold made the spectators' skin sting.
Just as the magic was about to hit the silver girl—
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
A series of rapid thuds rang out. They were so fast they sounded like a single explosion of air.
Ilya's figure vanished!
No, she hadn't vanished. She was moving so fast that the human eye couldn't see her. She turned into many blurred silver shadows! These shadows didn't move in straight lines. They moved in strange zig-zags and arcs. They looked like silver flowers blooming in an instant!
Then, a scene that no one would ever forget happened.
The magic attacks—the fireballs, ice spikes, and rays—hit an invisible wall as they reached Ilya's spot. They were blocked, shattered, and kicked apart in mid-air!
Fast! Too fast!
People could only see flashes of silver boots in the middle of the exploding magic light. Her slender legs kicked out from impossible angles! She used front kicks, side kicks, and roundhouse kicks. She even did downward axe kicks while upside down! Every strike hit the weak point of the magic perfectly. Her movements were like a dance, but they had the power to crush anything!
She wasn't just taking the hits. She was "kicking them apart" like an artist! Her black leggings rubbed against her silver armor as she moved. The light reflected off them, showing a mix of strength and beauty.
Not a single spell could touch her. She was like a silver elf walking through a magic storm. Her figure flickered in and out of the explosions. She was elegant, precise, and incredibly strong.
"Th-This is impossible!" Teacher Zel stood frozen. The staff in his hand was shaking. He had never seen anyone crush a combined magic attack with just their body. He didn't understand how a "warrior" could do this!
The students were even more shocked. They forgot to cast the next spells they were chanting.
Gasps of shock rose from the stands. This time, it wasn't anger. It was pure awe. They were looking at a strength that was beyond human understanding!
In just a few seconds, the magic storm ended. Ilya was the only one standing in the center of the field again. She landed lightly. Her silver armor was clean, without a single speck of dust. She wasn't even breathing hard. She raised a hand and brushed some dust from her shoulder. Her blue eyes looked at the frozen teachers and students. She tilted her head slightly.
"Is that all? The 'power' of the Imperial Magic Academy?"
The casual question was more painful than any insult. Teacher Zel's face turned red and then white. The students were so ashamed they wanted to disappear.
Meanwhile, in a luxury room high up in the arena, the manager Osk was staring at Ilya. He looked very serious. Two people stood beside him.
One was a green-skinned giant over two meters tall. His muscles were like rock. He was a Troll and one of the Empire's strongest warriors. He was the "Martial Lord," Go Gin. He crossed his thick arms. His eyes were full of scorn.
"Hmph, all show and no substance," Go Gin said. His voice sounded like thunder. "She's just a woman who is a bit fast. True strength isn't shown by kicking small fireballs. Let me go down there. I could flatten her armor with one punch!"
The other person was a tall, thin "girl" with pale-gold hair and long ears. He was a member of the Headhunter Rabbit race. He was actually a male with a very beautiful, feminine face. He wore light leather armor and a thin sword. He was looking at Ilya with interest.
"Lord Go Gin, you shouldn't say that," the Headhunter Rabbit said. His voice was pleasant and lazy. "That lady's speed isn't just 'a bit fast.' Also, she hasn't even used her weapon yet. I am very interested in 'meeting' her." He licked his lips. He wanted to fight her.
Osk rubbed his head. He had a headache. Both Go Gin and the Headhunter Rabbit were his "trump cards." He paid them a lot to keep the arena fights exciting. Ilya was a huge problem for his plans.
"Calm down, you two," Osk said. "We don't know where this woman came from. Her strength is impossible to measure. We need to be careful. Lord Martial Lord, can you see how strong she really is?"
Go Gin laughed. "Strength? No matter how fast she is, you can't hide power! Look at those thin arms and legs. How much strength could she have? It's just tricks! Let me test her, then we'll know!"
The Headhunter Rabbit smiled. "Mr. Osk, why don't you let me go first? I am fast too. It's a good chance to see if she only has speed."
Just then, there was a knock on the door. A worker hurried in and whispered to Osk. Osk's face changed.
"His Majesty the Bloody Emperor... and Lord Fluder Paradyne have both sent people to ask about this," Osk whispered. He felt the pressure. The situation was now so big that the leaders of the Empire were watching.
Hearing this, Go Gin and the Headhunter Rabbit stopped acting casual.
"The Emperor's intent?" Go Gin asked.
"His Majesty seems... very interested," Osk said carefully. "As for Lord Fluder, he wants us to watch her closely and report everything." He didn't say that Fluder's message mentioned "attention from an even higher level." That made Osk's heart beat fast.
At the same time, inside the Imperial Palace.
The young Bloody Emperor, Jircniv, was rubbing the dark circles under his eyes. He was tired and anxious. Ever since the battle where he saw the power of the Magic King, Ainz Ooal Gown, he had been under a lot of stress. He was even secretly trying to make an alliance with the Slane Theocracy to survive. The Empire looked calm, but there was a lot of trouble hidden underneath.
"Oh? A silver-haired girl? She defeated gladiators alone and kicked apart magic from the Academy?" Jircniv looked surprised and interested. In these stressful days, this was a rare bit of fun. "A human girl? Silver hair... how interesting. Go, tell Osk to handle it well. Don't let things get out of control. Also... I want to see for myself what this 'Silver-haired Lady' can do." He waved his hand. A small smile appeared on his tired face.
Meanwhile, in a secret room, the Empire's Chief Wizard, Fluder Paradyne, was stroking his white beard. A crystal ball floated in front of him. It showed the scenes from the arena.
"The orders from Nazarick... Lady Albedo and Lady Rubedo cannot act right now. But they want me to watch every move this girl makes..." A sharp light flashed in Fluder's eyes. "To make those two ladies care so much... who is this Ilya? I must go and see her myself."
He stood up. A powerful wave of magic came from him. It made the air around him bend. He was one of the few Tier 6 magic users among humans. He was confident in his power. But because the order came from Nazarick, he did not dare to be lazy.
"A silver-haired girl... hmm? Hehe, this boring world is about to get exciting again." Fluder's body slowly faded and disappeared into the magic light.