"Stand back, everyone," Nox calmly stated as he stepped in front of the others. His expression was serene and calm; not even a flicker of anxiety could be spotted on his handsome features.
After facing the powerful elemental beast in Snowhelm, avalanches were nothing new to him. The audience and Nox's teammates were stunned as they stared at him, wondering just what he was up to. As for the Cromwell barony, a flicker of hope returned to their eyes.
"Just what are you up to?" Bridget's eyes flickered with interest as she saw Nox approaching the avalanche. She had already made up her mind that even if he didn't win the tournament, she would recruit him to the Academy. She, like the others, didn't think there was a way for Nox to escape this ambush.
"You jumped to conclusions too soon, Vice Principal," Zarek spoke in a confident tone as he leaned back in his seat and placed his legs on the table.
"What do you mean?" Bridget shot an inquisitive gaze at the blindfolded man. She couldn't help but briefly wonder how he was even able to see the ongoing tournament with that blindfold on, but she didn't think too much. The most pressing issue was this mysterious man's confidence in Nox.
'If I'm right, the Silver family should hate Nox and make plans to kill him because of what he did to Ren Snowhelm,' she thought back to Brandon's report with a thoughtful expression on her face. 'Could it be that the Silver family has more insider information about Nox that even I don't know?'
Zarek didn't respond to Bridget and simply focused on the screen. The vice principal was irritated by this blatant disrespect. There were only a few people who could disrespect her—not even Lucas, the head of the Silver family, could do something ... yet this man...
Sigh, Bridget took a deep breath to calm the rising volcano in her heart. Despite her nation-topping beauty, Bridget was very petty at heart.
Meanwhile, inside the mysterious realm,
"What are you planning on doing?" Nyx asked with a furrowed brow, a hint of worry finding its way into her usually indifferent voice.
"Nothing," Nox responded without turning back, his voice nonchalant. "Just a trick I'm hoping works."
"What's the trick?" Wendy asked.
"If I tell you... then it'll no longer be a trick." Nox replied, and before anyone could speak further, his body started to flicker. A fierce expression appeared on his face as he locked eyes with the third sister, who was still surfing on the avalanche, an exhilarating look on her face.
"Tsk, such a shame I won't be the one fighting you... I'd have liked to have some fun." The third sister grinned wickedly as the avalanche roared behind her. She leaned forward, ready to crash into Nox with the force of nature itself. However, the moment her eyes met his, her grin faltered.
Something in Nox's gaze sent a shiver down her spine. It wasn't fear or anger—it was sheer, overwhelming confidence, as if he knew something she didn't.
[Divine Velocity Activated!]
Just then, Nox's figure shimmered like a mirage. In an instant, he vanished.
"What!?" The third sister's eyes widened, her mind struggling to process what had just happened. One moment Nox stood in her path, and the next, he was gone, like a ghost.
The audience gasped, and even Bridget leaned forward in her seat, her previous irritation momentarily forgotten. Zarek's smile deepened as he remained relaxed, watching with amusement.
When Nox reappeared, he was running in circles at an impossible speed, forming a tight spiral between the two incoming avalanches.
'He didn't disappear... that was his speed!' Bridget's mind raced, her eyes wide. 'But it felt as if he teleported. Could... could this be an ultimate skill? Just how many ultimate skills does this kid have?'
The shadow on the duke's face grew denser. Even he hadn't expected this outcome!
'Such speed!' Kron muttered with wide eyes. Seeing the astonishing speed, Kron was beginning to realize why he had felt uneasy about Nox... it was because the silly kid from a few years ago had grown stronger! Far stronger than he had ever imagined.
Without engaging in a fight with Nox, he could tell the latter was countless times stronger than him. How did he know this? It was simple—he couldn't follow Nox's speed with his eyes. If the two were to fight, he wouldn't even know how he died.
In the Cromwell barony, everyone stood on their feet, their eyes sparkling with belief and hope as they started to chant Nox's name.
Their collective voice was so loud that it reached all the way to the Armstrong Duchy. The citizens in the duchy heard the echoes in their heads, and one after another, they began to chant Nox's name as well.
As if he could hear them, Nox's movement increased severalfold. He was a rocket! His movements were so fast that the air around him began to distort, generating a powerful vortex. Rocks and debris were swept into the swirling wind, pulled into a rising cyclone.
"This is not going according to plan!"
Both the second and fourth brothers cursed simultaneously, color fading from their faces, making them look extremely pale. The speed generated by Nox caused a giant wave of wind to slam into the avalanches, disrupting their momentum. The once unstoppable waves of rock splintered into fragmented streams, scattering in all directions.
Soon, the powerful gust knocked the fourth and second brothers off the makeshift skateboards they were using, and they became part of the growing cyclone.
Meanwhile, the third sister, atop the avalanche, still maintained her balance. However, her heart thudded loudly in her chest. She was fighting the inevitable... the wind Nox generated was just too strong, and soon, she lost her footing. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she was flung backward, her confident grin replaced by a look of panic.
"No... way!" she gasped, tumbling helplessly into the chaotic cyclone.
"Heavens!" Everyone erupted in disbelief as the chaotic cyclone consumed the siblings. The once-cocky Armstrong team, who had unleashed the avalanche with arrogance, was now swirling helplessly within the storm Nox had created.
There was pin-drop silence all around. Zarek clenched the armrests of his seat, a grin spreading across his face, revealing his pearly white teeth. "This... this is the difference between ordinary geniuses and monsters born once in a lifetime. All these years I thought he was a true monster, but this kid...
he is the true monster!" Zarek muttered in a barely audible voice as the face of someone he hadn't seen in years flashed in his mind.