Chapter 29. Try Again
Succubi Chapter 29. Try Again
The instructor almost called off the fight—her voice parting her lips, her magic already surging to stop the attack.
‘Not yet.’
I lunged. "Dark Healing!"
A surge of black energy erupted from my palm, tendrils of shadowy mana latching onto Adrian’s body, sinking into his skin.
His posture straightened instantly, the color returning to his face, but he wasn’t fast enough to react before the Lightbringer’s hammer swung down.
The force behind it rippled through the air, the pressure alone enough to send cracks splintering into the arena floor beneath us.
Adrian tried to lift his arms, but— Not enough time.
I growled, planting my feet firmly against the ground as the Lightbringer’s massive hammer descended upon me like a falling star.
“Devil Armor!" Dark energy exploded around me, wrapping my body in an ethereal, hellforged plating, the cursed metal forming just in time before impact.
-CRASH!
The hammer slammed down, its energy clashing violently against my armor.
I crossed my arms in an X-shape, bracing myself for the full impact— A massive shockwave erupted, dust and magic bursting outward, sending cracks splintering across the arena floor.
For a split second, the sheer force pushed me back, my boots grinding against the ground, but…
No pain.
No damage.
The cursed energy surged through my armor, devouring the holy light, nullifying it entirely.
The Lightbringer reeled back in confusion, its radiant weapon dimming, reacting to the unnatural corruption spreading from my armor.
Adrian, still catching his breath, stared in shock.
“You…” he exhaled. “You just… blocked that head-on.”
I smirked. “That’s right.” My own eyes glinted.
It was time to end this.
I felt it—something inside me pulling, shifting, unraveling.
Instinct took over.
I raised my arm. The energy in the air shivered, as if something unnatural was forming. A deep, dark pulse throbbed in my chest, my veins buzzing with an unfamiliar force. "Death Wave!"
A massive shockwave of necrotic energy exploded outward, tendrils of black mana whipping in every direction. The air turned thick, like the very atmosphere itself had been drained of its vitality.
A low, eerie hum vibrated through the battlefield. The opponents didn’t stand a chance.
The Lightbringer staggered, his body corroding instantly as the dark force devoured him from the inside out. His once-radiant hammer dimmed, the energy inside him sapped away in an instant.
The opponents tried to resist— But their movements faltered, slowed, then stopped entirely.
The necrotic force wrapped around them, draining every ounce of energy in their forms, their bodies crumbling apart, their very essence ripped away.
The Warlock Revenant was the last to fall. His crimson eyes flared in resistance, his form twisting, trying to counteract the wave— But the Death Wave was too strong.
With a final, piercing shriek, his body shattered into fragments.
All ten opponents—dead.
The arena fell into absolute silence.
The swirling dark energy faded, dissipating back into the void, leaving only a heavy, haunting stillness behind.
For a moment, I didn’t move.
I just stared at the aftermath of my attack.
Everyone else did too.
I could feel their gazes, their eyes locked onto me—some in shock, some in confusion, some in fear.
Even Adrian, breathing hard beside me, looked stunned. “Holy…” His voice trailed off, his eyes wide with disbelief.
I swallowed, my own hands shaking slightly. I never thought my attack would be that deadly.
Elise finally broke the silence.
Her voice was calm—controlled, but there was something sharp behind her words. “…Very good.”
I turned, and she was watching me carefully.
Not with fear.
Not with suspicion.
But with calculated curiosity.
As if she had just seen something she didn’t expect.
I licked my lips, my throat suddenly dry.
The instructor stood motionless, her eyes locked onto me, analyzing every inch of the aftermath.
I could feel it.
That sharp gaze, the quiet calculation behind it.
She knew I was an anomaly—everyone did at this point—but even she hadn’t expected this level of power.
Slowly, she stepped forward, her arms crossed as she spoke, her voice even but thoughtful.
“…I knew you are an anomaly, Evan.”
I exhaled through my nose, rolling my shoulders. “Yeah, I get that a lot.”
She ignored my sarcasm, continuing. “Most hybrid-class students—those who balance between different Houses—only inherit traces of each skill tree. They dabble in multiple styles but rarely excel.”
Her gaze intensified, her expression unreadable. “But you?”
She gestured toward the battlefield, where the remains of the constructs had already dissipated into mana dust.
“You’re different.”
I scoffed, stretching my arms. “Yeah? How different are we talking here?”
She tilted her head slightly, as if debating something internally.
Then, finally, she said, “Your abilities aren’t just scattered fragments of different disciplines.” Her voice lowered slightly, almost as if she were talking to herself.
“They are… fully developed. Not half-baked. Not weak imitations.” She gestured at my still-flickering Devil Armor, which was slowly fading back into my body.
“And this armor of yours…”
I raised an eyebrow as I felt the lingering warmth of the cursed plating dissipating from my skin.
“This is a good one.” Elise’s gaze flickered with something like approval. “It’s comparable to the final-tier defensive enchantments used by our graduating students from House of Titans.”
I blinked. “Wait—what?”
Most of the other students were still processing what had just happened, but now they really started whispering.
“Final-tier? That’s insane…”
“That’s like… end-of-year level mastery…”
“…And he’s using it already?”
I glanced back at Elise. “You serious?”
She nodded. “This isn’t something that should be accessible to a first-year. The fact that you’re using it this early, without any formal Arcana reinforcement, suggests something unusual.”
I exhaled. “Great. Another thing to add to the list of ‘Evan Being Weird.’”
Elise smirked slightly. “You’re an interesting case.” She turned slightly, her eyes scanning me again. “And I suspect there’s more to you than even you realize.”
I just sighed. “Wonderful. Can’t wait to find out how weird I am.”
She chuckled, but before she could say more, a roar erupted from the next arena.
The House of Valor training ground.
All of us turned sharply, our attention snapping toward the massive, open-air combat field just beyond the Arcana zone.
A second later, I caught a glimpse of the fight through the open barrier. His sword gripped tightly, sweat rolling down his forehead, his muscles tensed like a coiled spring. His stance was aggressive, his breathing heavy.
And his opponent?
Evelyn.
And holy shit— She was toying with him.
I leaned forward slightly, watching the fight unfold.
Ares charged, swinging his sword downward, aiming to end the match with one decisive blow.
Evelyn?
She just sidestepped.
Effortlessly.
The sheer force of Ares' strike sent dust and debris scattering across the battlefield, but Evelyn was already moving before it landed.
Before Ares could recover, she stepped into his blind spot—fast.
Too fast.
Her dagger flashed, a silver gleam against the sunlight, and in a fraction of a second— She was behind him.
Ares’ body tensed, his entire form jerking to a halt as he realized she had won the exchange.
She could’ve ended the fight right there.
But instead, she just tapped the back of his shoulder with the blunt edge of her dagger.
Like she was mocking him.
Like she was saying, "Try again."
Ares’ eyes blazed with fury.
He turned, swinging faster this time, adjusting his weight as he launched a series of powerful, consecutive slashes—each one strong enough to break bones if they landed.
But they didn’t.
Because Evelyn was dancing around them like it was nothing.
She was fighting on her terms, controlling the pace.
I smirked.
“She’s messing with him,” I muttered under my breath.
Adrian, still catching his breath beside me, followed my gaze. “Huh?”
I nodded toward the fight. “Evelyn’s faster, more precise. She’s poking at his defenses, testing his reactions.”
Adrian frowned slightly. “Isn’t Ares supposed to be one of the strongest in Valor first semester?”
I chuckled. “Yeah. And that’s what makes this even funnier.”
Ares roared again, lunging forward, this time aiming a low feint before twisting into a high strike.
A tricky move.
One that should have caught any normal opponent off-guard.
But Evelyn?
She just ducked under the swing, pivoted smoothly, and— Kicked him square in the gut.
The impact sent Ares skidding backward, his boots digging into the ground as he barely managed to stay upright.
The whole crowd watching the Valor arena gasped.
I grinned.
“Damn,” Adrian muttered. “She’s really not letting him breathe.”
“Why should she?” I leaned back slightly, watching as Evelyn casually twirled her dagger in her hand. “This is how she fights. She finds her opponent’s weakness, exploits it, and makes them feel helpless.”
Ares’ face was red with anger, his hands tightening around his sword.
This wasn’t just a spar anymore.
This was personal.
And honestly?
I was loving every second of it.
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