“What’s wrong with them?” Thomas asked, his voice echoing in Ludwig’s mind as the silence in the arena stretched on. The students around the perimeter of the arena seemed frozen, their hands hovering near the metallic boxes but not pressing the buttons. “I mean, they sure know you’re strong, but at least one would try and challenge you, right?”
Ludwig smirked, his eyes scanning the crowd as he stood in the center of the arena, his one-handed scythe resting casually at his side. “Think about it,” he replied mentally, his tone calm and analytical. “If they fight me, regardless of who wins or loses, they’ll be tired. The first person to go up to the arena isn’t the one at a disadvantage—it’s the one who wins their first fight. And they all know that even if they win, they’ll have to fight more and more students afterward. So, no one wants to risk it.”
Thomas let out a low whistle, impressed by Ludwig’s reasoning. “I see. But aren’t the third years also here? They should at least think they’re strong enough to take you down.”
Ludwig shook his head slightly, his expression thoughtful. “They’ll be under the same problem. Even if they take me out, they’ll spend resources doing so, which will leave them vulnerable to other third years. It’s a game of attrition, and no one wants to be the first to make a move.”
“Ah, I see,” Thomas said, his tone shifting to one of understanding. “I guess you have some good fortune then. No one’s challenging you, so you might just get a free pass.”
Ludwig’s smirk faded slightly, replaced by a more serious expression. “Nah, I’m not so sure about that,” he said, his voice low. He knew this stalemate was only temporary. Someone was bound to press the button eventually, and once that happened, the chain reaction would begin. The tension in the arena was grave, the silence almost deafening as the students weighed their options.
“This is getting a bit annoying,” Olim’s voice boomed across the arena, breaking the silence. His tone carried a hint of frustration as he addressed the crowd. “Remember, if no one challenges Ludwig, he’ll automatically be given the right to pass this trial and enter the Five Tower Tournament.”
The announcement seemed to stir the students into action. A murmur rippled through the crowd, and Ludwig could see the hesitation on their faces slowly giving way to determination. The stakes were too high to let Ludwig walk away without a fight.
“God damn it,” one of the students muttered, breaking the tension. It was Vini. He stepped forward, his expression a mix of resignation and determination, and pressed the button on one of the metallic boxes. His name appeared on the screen above the arena, and the crowd erupted into cheers.
Without anyone else challenging Ludwig, Vini was asked to move to the arena. He nodded at Ludwig as he stepped forward, his posture tense but his eyes filled with resolve. “Let’s do our best, Ludwig,” he said, his voice steady despite the nerves Ludwig could sense radiating from him.
Ludwig nodded back, his expression calm but serious. “Good luck,” he said, his tone respectful. He wasn’t one to underestimate an opponent, no matter how inexperienced they might seem.
“The rules are simple!” Olim announced, his voice carrying over the noise of the crowd. “Make your opponent surrender, do enough damage that one of the teachers has to intervene to stop the match, or ring out. If you manage to push your opponent off the rims, it’s an automatic victory.” He paused, his gaze sweeping over Ludwig and Vini. “Are the rules clear for all?”
Ludwig nodded, his grip tightening on his scythe. Vini did the same, though his hands trembled slightly as he raised his wand. The crowd fell silent, the tension in the air almost suffocating as the two combatants prepared for the match.
“Alright! MATCH START!” Olim shouted, his voice echoing through the arena.
The moment the words left his mouth, Ludwig moved. His body was a blur, his scythe flashing in the light as he closed the distance between himself and Vini in an instant. Vini barely had time to funnel any mana in his wand. Ludwig’s scythe came with great force at Vinni’s wand, immediately disarming him.
But Ludwig wasn’t done. He flicked his wrist, and the chain attached to his scythe lashed out like a whip, wrapping around Vini’s other arm and yanking him forward. Vinni staggered as he realized the strength behind Ludwig’s skinny frame was preposterous. Vini’s eyes widened in shock. He tried to counterattack, a spell, any spell, but Ludwig was already moving, his scythe spinning in a deadly arc.
The blade of the scythe grazed Vini’s arm, and he stumbled, his balance faltering. Ludwig didn’t give him a chance to recover. He stepped forward, his movements fluid and precise, and delivered a swift, calculated power kick to Vini’s side. The force of the blow sent Vini sprawling to the ground. Ludwig could feel a couple of ribs breaking from the sheer force.
The crowd gasped, the match over almost as quickly as it had begun. Vini lay on his back, frothing at the mouth with his eyes rolled back, completely unconscious. Ludwig stood over him, his expression. Not a single sign of exhaustion on his face. His undead nature made him immune to trivial things like exhaustion.
“M-MATCH OVER!” Olim shouted, his voice filled with a mix of surprise and excitement. The crowd erupted into cheers, the tension in the arena breaking as the first match came to an abrupt end.
Ludwig stepped back, his scythe resting at his side as he looked down at Vini. He felt a flicker of sympathy for the boy—he had put up a good fight. The few broken bones should be a reminder to not get close to a melee fighter as a mage. The teachers quickly moved in to tend to Vini, their hands glowing with healing magic as they worked to revive him.
As the crowd continued to cheer, Ludwig turned his attention back to the metallic boxes on the pedestals. The first challenge had been dealt with, but he knew this was only the beginning. The next opponent would be stronger, more prepared, and Ludwig would need to be ready.
“Well, that was quick,” Thomas said, his voice filled with amusement. “Guess they’ll think twice before challenging you now.”
Ludwig smirked, his confidence growing. “Nah, if you want to make things more interesting,” Ludwig said as he pointed his scythe at a specific person around the arena, “Why don’t you get up here, we have a score to settle.”
Kuro, who was on the other end of the scythe smiled, “Sure, let’s do this then.”