The crowd was still murmuring about Jaxon Pyre's elegant destruction of Ironhide when Master Rhelgar's voice rang out again, silencing the arena like a blade cutting through smoke.
"And now, for the next battle in the Velmora Academy Tournament… Cassian Veyne of Class A versus Kale Vorn of Class S!"
The students leaned forward, intrigued. This was a matchup they'd been waiting for—not because of the raw power, but because of the complexity.
Cassian Veyne, the prodigy with the terrifying ability to copy and master up to nine abilities at once—each for twenty-four hours—stepped onto the stage with quiet confidence. His white uniform was pristine, his expression unreadable. His silver eyes glinted as he surveyed the arena.
Across from him, Kale Vorn bounced lightly on his heels, his wild hair tossing with the motion. Fast, reckless, regenerating, and fiercely competitive—Kale was known for overwhelming his opponents with raw speed and persistence.
Zarek leaned over the railing, arms folded. "This is gonna be wild. Cassian's the kind of guy who makes you wish you didn't have powers."
Kenneth nodded, eyes never leaving the arena. "He doesn't just copy your power. He becomes you. And then he outdoes you."
Kael smirked faintly. "Kale might regret showing up."
The match began with a gust of wind—the signal flare exploding above them.
Kale vanished in a blink.
Cassian didn't flinch.
In a split second, Kale appeared behind him with a spinning kick aimed at Cassian's temple, but the boy moved at the exact same speed, ducking low and countering with an uppercut enhanced with wind pressure. The two clashed midair—Cassian launching upward, fire trailing behind his fist while Kale zipped left, rebounding off the barrier wall and striking with a lightning-quick jab.
Cassian parried it, matching the tempo flawlessly.
Students gasped as the two figures blurred across the arena, wind screaming in their wake. Lightning and ice flared in the distance as Cassian began rotating through powers like a conductor changing tempo mid-symphony—fire, lightning, wind, ice, invisibility. All of them flowing as if he'd spent years mastering them.
"He… he already copied Kale's speed," Elara said, stunned.
"And his regeneration too," Mira added. "But he's using it smarter than Kale is."
Below them, Cassian vanished into thin air, reappearing right in front of Kale with a blast of lightning. Kale blocked it—but then caught a frost-covered elbow to the ribs, sending him skidding back. He got to his feet quickly, but blood leaked from the corner of his mouth.
"Persistent," Cassian said coolly, his voice barely audible. "But you rely on chaos. I don't."
With that, he shot forward, kicking the ground and launching himself with wind behind his legs. He spiraled around Kale, switching abilities mid-movement, slashing with wind-enhanced punches before disappearing again.
Kale gritted his teeth and let his instincts guide him, responding with vicious flurries and explosive bursts of speed, but the more they clashed, the more desperate his moves became.
Cassian had no openings.
Because he had become Kale.
But more refined. Smarter. Cleaner.
Zarek whistled softly. "He's not just copying his style. He's fixing it."
Kael muttered, "This is... terrifying."
Kale, breathing heavily, backed up toward the edge of the arena. His chest rose and fell rapidly as he eyed Cassian, who stood at ease, arms folded.
"You always this smug?" Kale spat.
"No," Cassian replied. "Only when I've already won."
Kale's face twisted, and with a roar, he dashed forward, vibrating at high speed. He aimed a flurry of punches at Cassian's chest, but Cassian blurred out of view.
In the next moment, Cassian reappeared above him, slamming down with a wave of compressed air. Kale was driven to his knees. Before he could rise, a follow-up blast of lightning crashed down from Cassian's fingertips, pinning him to the cracked arena floor.
The air shimmered with heat, frost, and raw pressure from wind currents. It was like watching five Elemental Masters fight at once.
Kale growled and pushed himself up again, wounds sealing rapidly—but Cassian didn't stop. He swept forward, matching every burst of speed with perfect timing, hitting critical points with icy precision. A slash of fire grazed Kale's side, and a fist infused with wind pressure sent him flying.
Kenneth leaned forward, eyes narrow. "It's not even a fight anymore."
"Yeah," Zarek agreed. "It's a demonstration."
Kale crashed into the barrier, smoke rising from his back. He stood shakily, knees trembling, but the fire in his eyes hadn't dimmed.
Cassian's voice was calm. "You're fast. But not faster than someone who knows what you'll do before you do it. You're healing—but not smarter. You have power—but not control."
Kale snarled and took a step forward.
Cassian raised a hand.
Suddenly, sharp blades of ice erupted beneath Kale's feet, catching him off guard. As he stumbled, Cassian was already there—delivering a final lightning-enhanced punch to the gut. The arena cracked beneath the impact.
Kale slumped.
He didn't get up.
Silence blanketed the arena.
Then, Master Rhelgar's voice rang out, firm and final. "Winner: Cassian Veyne!"
A wave of chatter broke loose from the crowd.
"Did you see that combo?"
"He made it look easy…"
"No way I'm fighting that guy."
Elara shook her head. "Copying nine abilities is one thing. Copying their experience and refining it? That's something else."
Kael simply said, "Velmora's living library."
As medics rushed to Kale's side, Cassian turned his back and walked away without fanfare. No smirk. No raised hands. Just eerie silence.
Kenneth watched him closely, arms crossed.
"He's not trying to prove anything," he murmured. "He's showing us how far behind we are."
Cassian Veyne had made his statement.
And the entire academy heard it loud and clear.