Magus Supremacy - Chapter 264

Chapter 264: Below the belt!
Chapter 264

“Let the spar begin!” Eric declared, his voice booming through the hall as his arms swung down like the crack of a judge’s gavel.

Boom!

In a blink, the students erupted into motion, their bodies blurring with speed as they surged forward, eager for the clash.

Dante took the lead, his fingers digging into the air as four sharpened earth spears launched forward with a heavy rumble. As Drey’s soles touched the ground, a flash of brown energy enveloped his feet. Then—

Boom!

He vanished in a burst of speed, weaving between the spears like a serpent through grass. A slab of solid earth hurtled toward him, aimed to crush, but Drey spun and slashed with his clawed hand.

The strike cleaved the slab apart, sending chunks scattering into the wall with a thunderous crack that shattered stone.

Drey stood his ground—and then suddenly, Dante was upon him, an earth-forged gauntlet materializing around his fist.

He swung, the air splitting with a loud bang, but Drey caught the gauntlet mid-swing, his own clawed hand gleaming with yellow energy.

“You’ve held onto that Big Three spot for far too long,” Drey growled, his lips curled in a sneer. “It’s time you stepped down.”

He swung with his other hand, but Dante reacted with lightning speed, encasing his left arm in another gauntlet to block the punch.

“No can do, loser,” Dante spat. “If you want my spot, take it!”

At his shout, an earth spear erupted from the ground, spiraling upwards toward Drey. But Drey twisted mid-air, planted his foot in Dante’s gut with a brutal kick, and propelled himself backward just as the spear pierced empty space.

“I’ll gladly take it!” Drey roared, surging forward like a yellow comet.

“Claw Slash! Claw Slash! Claw Slash!” he chanted, each shout birthing a flash of yellow energy. Razor-sharp slashes howled through the air like crescent-shaped shockwaves, closing in on Dante.

“Earth Wall!” Dante countered, slamming his palm into the ground. A towering wall of stone surged up just in time.

Bang!

The slashes collided, exploding against the wall. Shards of earth rained down as the structure cracked and split, pushing Dante back.

Yet, he stood firm, a smug grin curling his lips as floating earth shards orbited around him like blades of judgment.

“Is that all you’ve got?” Dante taunted.

“Not even close!” Drey hissed. He dashed forward once more, the earth shards streaking toward him like missiles. With a mid-air twist, he unleashed a sweeping kick—

Boom!

A vortex of wind burst from the impact, knocking the shards away and embedding them into the stone floor. He landed lightly, only to rocket forward again.

In a blur, Drey reappeared in front of Dante, claws swinging toward his face. But just as he was about to connect, a slab of earth surged from the side—

Wham!

It slammed into Drey’s ribs, sending him flying. He skidded across the floor, blood trickling down the corner of his lips.

Dante stood tall, chest heaving.

“Now I see why they put you in the Big Three,” Drey coughed, his voice rasping. “Still… you got your ass handed to you by a puny general from Drakesville!”

With renewed fury, Drey lunged again, his claws radiating a blinding yellow light. They streaked through the air, aimed directly at Dante.

Dante stood motionless.

His fists clenched, his mind spun—he saw again the silent executioner, felt the suffocating helplessness from that day.

The claws were nearly upon him.

He snapped out of it—just barely—his arms moving instinctively. “Earth Wall!” he cried, but the wall was rushed, unstable.

Crash!

The claws tore through, slicing through his defenses and landing square in his gut. Blood sprayed from his mouth as he tumbled back.

Drey stood a meter away, breathing heavily, eyes blazing.

“You know what else you failed at?” Drey shouted, voice venomous. “Protecting your dear friend! You let Kael die… because you were too weak!”

Those words struck Dante like a hammer to the soul.

Memories returned—his mind swiftly flash backed to how the so-called ant king killed Kael gruesomely, the pain, the agony, the bitterness came flooding down that he forgot what he was doing earlier and that’s when Drey struck again.

Boom!

His leg collided with Dante’s ribs, lifting him off the ground and slamming him back down like a ragdoll. The floor quaked from the impact.

Dante lay conscious, but hollow.

“Winner—Drey!” Eric called out, his voice echoing as silence fell upon the hall.

“That’s not fair!” Charlotte protested, stepping forward with clenched fists, her eyes blazing. “He didn’t win fairly—he attacked Dante with his words!”

Eric’s cold eyes met hers. “And in war, will your enemies spare your feelings? Drey used tactics. If Dante was that emotionally vulnerable, he should fix that.”

‘He’s right,’ Grey admitted inwardly, his gaze following Dante’s slow retreat into the crowd. ‘Dante’s still drowning in the trauma from that raid. It’s eating at him.’

Grey’s eyes narrowed, drifting to Drey who now stood tall, having reverted to his normal human form. ‘That transformation… it was flashy, but lacked impact. If someone like Captain Amir used it, the difference would be night and day.

Still, Drey made up for it with his wicked tongue. That verbal assault was cruel—but smart. Without it, he’d have lost.’

‘Tsk! These students are pitifully weak,’ Eric thought with disgust, his gaze sweeping across the crowd—pausing slightly on Grey, who was still observing Drey with calculating eyes.

“Next fixture,” Eric announced, breaking the tension and returning focus.

In one corner, Charlotte, Lyra, and Selene surrounded Dante, who leaned against a wall, staring into nothing. A solitary tear slipped down his cheek.

“Damn it!” Charlotte muttered, her voice thick. “He worked so hard to move past Kael’s death. And now—this.”

“Dante, are you alright?” Lyra asked gently. “Do you need a shoulder—or a chest—to lean on?”

“Lyra, not now!” Selene snapped, frowning.

“I’m serious!” Lyra retorted, gesturing at her generous chest. “He could cry all he wants here. I got plenty of space.”

Before Selene could answer, Dante’s soft voice cut through the moment. “I’m fine, guys.”

He turned and walked away, positioning himself in the far corner of the class. His eyes closed. His heart bleeding silently.

“He’s clearly not,” Charlotte whispered, and both Lyra and Selene nodded.

Eric’s voice rose once more. “Next match—Scarlet Trevor versus Dave Walter.”

The air went still. Whispers ceased.

The hall held its breath.