It was already the second day of the tournament for the hand of the young lady Victureo, and just as Burushi has predicted, Zoemi was about to face the woman who would have been his grandmother if she and her family didn’t disinherit the man who adopted the black-haired boy.

As Zoemi was walking up to the arena already frowning, his expression become a lot fiercer as he saw the old brown-haired woman already on the position.

There was no place for doubt, it was the teacher who was so keen on interrogating him after the death of Xeonith, and even made the mistake of trying to force him to talk by using force.

That granny pulled no punches and clearly showed that she thinks he is guilty.

Funnily enough, she was right, but that alone did not mean she had any right or justification for acting the way she did, except for her own gain.

And Zoemi wasn’t going to gloss over the fact that she was the same person who completely glossed over what Xeonith did to Burushi, making the disgusting sadistic monster seem like a completely innocent heroic young man.

”I don’t know how you did it but it must have been a trick of darkness magician! I’ve seen you at the academy! You’re just a weak dar…!”

”Oh, shut up, old hag! This is not the Academy and no one is here to hear monologues! If you want to talk, get the hell out of this arena!”

Zoemi groaned and interrupted the brown-haired woman before she managed to finish whatever speech she had in store.

”How dare you…!”

”BEGIN!”

That made her angry enough to almost froth from the mouth and her body started blowing brown basically at the same time as the start of the duel was announced.

”Shadow armor!”

Zoemi called out loudly, even though he didn’t need to use the verbal incantation anymore, and his body got enveloped in a murky-black demonic-looking set of armor.

”!!!!”

He could just use the discreet shadow enchantments, but since he wanted to show off, he decided it was okay to go a bit further than that – not too much though.

”Tricks of a weakling! The same as what you did yesterday!”

The old woman shrieked furiously as she shot out from her spot like a stone flung from a sling and while in flight.

”THIS IS WHAT A REAL FIGHT IS LIKE!”

She roared as her arms got enveloped in the earth and stones that got pulled from the arena, increasing in size at least four times as she readied for delivering a devastating punch to the shadow-clad boy.

”PFFFT… AHAHAHAHA! Are you really trying to twist the truth and make it so that I am actually weak? Getting delusional at your age already, my lady?”

Zoemi burst into laughter as he effortlessly dodged the attack and moved his hips, barely bumping into the passing woman…

*SLAM*

”HGU-AUGH…!”

The earth where he was standing just a moment ago exploded under the terrifying force like the woman crushed into the arena with enough force to create a crater.

”You…! You cannot be strong! You are just a worthless foundling who…!”

Lady Auequas growled, climbing her way up, glaring at Zoemi with hatred as her body shone with the intense light of her enchantments.

”Ah… I get it now. You are simply in denial. You cannot accept that you made a mistake by refusing to acknowledge me so you try to bend the reality to fit your view of the world…”

But instead of letting her tell him exactly who she thought he was, Zoemi turned around in a dance-like move and delivered a devastating punch at her exposed jaw…

”I AM ZOEMI BENEVI BANEMOR!”

He roared as the hit connected and he felt stone armor appearing under his fist, forming a protective layer between him and the earth magician.

…he clearly wasn’t the only one good at the last moment decisions…

|It’s so infuriating that she is competent at fighting! Why someone like that would cast my father away!|

Zoemi gritted his teeth and merely continued the motion, letting his shadow-clad fist dig into the stone armor.

*WHAM*

”KHHHH…!”

With a loud bang and pieces of extremely hard stones flying around the woman stumbled back with unfocused eyes.

The hit didn’t knock her out but it definitely had an effect.

”What you and the Auequas family did to my adoptive father…!”

*SLAM*

Zoemi howled and with horrifying precision, he delivered an uppercut right to the woman’s stomach.

”…WILL NEVER BE FORGOTEN!”

”GHHHHRAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHH…!”

The woman’s enchantments were still active so the punch didn’t split her in half and instead sent her flying straight up.

”HMPH!”

*BOOOOM*

As if this was his plan from the very beginning Zoemi jumped after the woman and just as he was above her he joined his hands together and using the force of gravity that was now pulling both of them down he smashed them at the woman’s head sending her straight down onto the ground.

”THIS IS YOUR PUNISHMENT FOR SPITTING IN OUR FACES!”

*SLAM*

Zoemi called out as the earth magician hit the ground and raised a cloud of dust.

”…hmm…?”

The shadow-clad boy landed y the crash site and let out a shocked voice.

What he landed in… was sand!

|…I hate this…|

Zoemi bared his fangs and raised his leg.

”IGNITE!”

He shouted and stomped his foot…

…from underneath the sole of his shoe murky-black flames erupted covering the six feet in diameter around him and turning all the sand into rough glass in an instant.

”Bring it on…!”

Furious Zoemi looked around, he didn’t expect to find the older teacher around since he was sure that she burrowed herself in the sand for either protection or in preparation for a surprise attack.

”…huh…?”

But then there she was, exactly on the spot she crashed at, with her body still glowing strongly with the protective enchants.

”If you act dead, at least deactivate your enchantments!”

Zoemi scoffed rushing at her without a moment of hesitation.

The next second he grabbed her and raised her up while holding a firm grip on the back of her head.

Sightly surprised by the lack of reaction, Zoemi still raised her up with the intention of smashing her head into the newly made glass when…

”Please, stop!”

A blue-haired middle-aged man jumped from the audience straight onto the arena with his arms raised in a peace gesture and made Zoemi stop momentarily.

”You won, could you put her down…? Judges, please announce that lord Banemor has won already.”

The man asked politely and then called out to the judges observing everything from the side as Zoemi glared at him with suspicion.

”…”

After all his opponent hasn’t moved even though he picked her up by her head and was just dangling limply!

”Her enchantments are still active…”

Zoemi said cautiously, there was still no reaction from the woman in his hand.

”That’s because she was in the army and learned to keep her enchantments active even when she loses consciousness… Just take look at her face.”

The man spoke in a tense voice without making any sudden moves.

Zoemi glared at him but then he lowered his hand still holding the woman and turned her towards himself.

”Oh…”

He muttered.

The older teacher’s eyes were flashing white, her nose was bleeding and her mouth was hung open, even with all that her enchantments were glowing strong.

The lights were on but nobody was home.

”I see.”

Zoemi nodded and gently placed the woman on the ground.

”The winner is lord Zoemi Benevi Banemor representing the Victureo family!”

…and released the shadow armor only after the judges made the announcement…

—-

”This sure is therapeutic!”

Burushi breathed out with satisfaction while watching the fight from the slightly opened door to the sick bay.

After making sure that every patient was properly taken care of, she could allow herself a moment of a breather and used her spare time to witness Zoemi’s fight.

”That old hag dared to ask me to heal that **stain Xeonith even though she knew exactly what he did to me! Don’t listen to that guy! Rough her up even more!”

She cheered Zoemi on in a hushed voice, while glanicng over at her patients to make sure that none of them has woken up and overheard her.