"Contestants Fike and Serena, please come on over to the arena! The match will begin shortly!"

Hearing these two names being called together, almost every one of the teachers and students present held their breaths in anticipation.

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Everyone had the same thought. Although no one could yet determine who would take first place in this competition, the top three was indisputable.

Fike had already entered the arena at this time and was facing Serena, who had emerged from the other end. As the two approached each other, Fike opened his mouth and called out.

"Serena, the poison you treated me to yesterday was really delicious!"

There was a hint of ferocity in his gaze as he stared down his opponent.

Serena's expression changed when she heard his words. She averted her gaze in silence, not daring to look back at him.

"It's alright, you don't have to say anything. I'll just show you my strength later!"

Fike said calmly.

At the sound of the gong, the match began.

Serena took the initiative.

A phoenix made of ice took to the sky, soaring up high. In an instant, the entire ground of the arena was frozen solid.

However, the area below Fike's feet revealed an open patch of terrain, unchanged and unfrozen.

It seemed that the temperature radiating around him was abnormally high.

"It looks like Fike has completely grasped the mysteries of the Advanced Upgrade!"

Professor Maggie, who was on the rostrum of the Spell School as usual, cheered with pride.

Her experienced eyes were able to notice that Fike was currently controlling the fireball spell, casting a thin layer of flames atop the layer of frost on the ground.

With his understanding of the Advanced Upgrade, the form of the fireball spell was easily manipulated according to his wishes.

Serenam, however, watched Fike in confusion.

She didn't understand how Fike was melting the glacial effect of the Ice Phoenix without casting any spells.

Regardless, the Ice Phoenix was already diving toward him.

With a swift raise of his demonic sword, Fike ducked down. The Ice Phoenix charged right toward the blade, and was sliced cleanly in half.

The crystals that had coated its body scattered across the ground as it fell heavily with a thud.

Fike had just performed the last stance of the 32 Swords Slash, Swift Wind Slash.

At a blinding speed ordinary people would've never been able to witness, a swift burst of Sword Qi had cut through the air like lightning.

Watching this in disbelief, Serena immediately summoned a Crimson Flame Bear, preparing to launch a counterattack against Fike.

A shower of sparks erupted from the creature's gaping jaw as it charged toward Fike.

Fike yelled out assertively.

"You want to play with fire? You'd have no hope of beating me in that regard!"

At his words, a countless number of meteor-sized fireballs descended from the sky.

This move was precisely his Heavenly Fire that had eclipsed the sky several times before, but once again boosted with the effects of the Advanced Upgrade.

"What kind of move is that? Isn't it too powerful?"

The students in the stands were discussing among themselves.

Even the teachers on the rostrum were stunned.

Professor Maggie, Fike's own teacher, was not an exception.

"How many more moves does this kid have?"

The Crimson Flame Bear on the field had completely lost its vitality after tanking the hail of meteors.

It fell heavily onto the melting layer of ice on the ground.

Serena had intended to pull off a combo between the Ice Phoenix and the Crimson Flame Bear, utilizing the freezing power of the phoenix and the flames of the bear.

However, the two summoned creatures had simply been nothing more than toys in the face of Fike.

Serena sighed as she started to realize his staggering strength.

"Looks like I can only use that move!"

At this moment, the staff in Serena's hands suddenly burst out with what looked to be chains that attached themselves to her heart.

"Come out! My strongest pet!

"Aurora Pterosaur!"

A brilliant prismatic pterosaur suddenly materialized in the sky.

At the same time that the ancient bird-like creature appeared, it opened its beak, channeling an intense wave of light that it shot out of its mouth.

Fike rolled away as he dodged. When the blinding light faded, there was a hole in the arena wall that had been behind him.

He smiled lightly as he spoke contemptuously.

"Is that your full strength, Serena?"

Fike stared at the Aurora Pterosaur as a golden third eye appeared on his forehead once again.

Suddenly, the eye exploded with a blinding burst of light, even more dazzling than the last time.

A huge golden ray shot straight toward the flying creature, at a speed so fast it didn't have any time to dodge.

The attack hit the creature dead center.

At the end of the ray, a gaping hole could be seen on the Aurora Pterosaur's body where it had pierced straight through the creature.

It was a while before the spectators came back to their senses after witnessing that devastating blow.

"This... This is... What kind of power is this?"

One of the students stuttered.

Meanwhile, Serena saw that Fike was now slowly walking toward her with a serious expression.

She subconsciously took a step back.

"No... Don't... Don't kill me!"

Serena's voice trembled.

Fike brandished his longsword and looked down at the frail and cowering girl without saying a word.

Serena clenched her eyes in fear. She was pressed against a corner and didn't dare to move a muscle.

Witnessing the scene in the arena, Fike clearly looked like a villain right now.

However, how would anyone who didn't know what had happened behind the scenes understand his anger toward Serena?

Fike raised his weapon, preparing to slash down.

Serena finally said in a weak voice.

"I... I surrender!"

The voice was so soft that it seemed only Fike had been able to hear it.

The referee showed no signs that he intended to stop the match either.

"I've sealed your fate!"

Fike grimaced at Serena.

"Tell me, why did you poison me?"

"I just wanted to get the reward for the first place. I had no intention of harming you. Let me go and I'll give you the method of defeating Rowan, okay?"

Serena trembled in a low voice.

"Is it really that simple?"

Fike berated her sternly.

"Yes! Yes! It's really that simple."

"How do you even know what the reward for the champion is?"

Seeing that she was hesitating, Fike made a show of raising his blade high, pretending that he was going to chop clean through her with his sword.

Serena noticed it and quickly spoke up.

"It was a black-robed man in the city who told me!"

"Black-robed man?"

Fike narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

"Yes! It was the black-robed man! He was the one who told me that the reward for first place would greatly increase the power of my skills, and its effects would last for a long time. But I knew I couldn't defeat Rowan, so I could only try to get you to cooperate.

"He was also the one who gave me that black potion."

Fike continued to press on after hearing Serena's answer.

"Was the black-robed man in the school when you gave me the potion?"

Serena nodded.

"Looks like the school is going to be in big trouble."