‘He must be Blumer,’ Ace thought to himself upon seeing the resembween him and Olivier.

  “Young master Blumer,” Falner replied respectfully. “Are you sure?”

  Blumer was the younger brother of the most talented warrior their empire had produced i era, and although not quite as talented as his older brother, Blumer would definitely go on to surpass him i-so-distant future, and as they were of the same empire, Falner had no qualms about l his head.

  Still, the oppohis time was someone who was suspected of having the power of a ninth-rank expert. If that’s true, then he doubted even he was his match.

  Falner suddenly found himself between a rod a hard pce. On the one hand, he didn’t want to offend Blumer by rejeg him in public; plus, he didn’t particurly want to deal with the little devil that is Gol D. Ace.

  But oher hand, if he allowed Blumer to go up and anything happeo him, he couldn’t afford to face the retribution of the young man’s older brother.

  “I’m sure,” Blumer calmly replied, able to guess what the man was thinking. “sider this a farewell gift for the school that pyed such a major role in makihe man I am today.”

  “You’re applying for early graduation?” Falner asked, uanding the hidden meaning behind the young man’s words.

  “I am,” Blumer nodded calmly, his firmation ing as a shock to all his peers. “I have long si the requirements to join the War God’s College. I was only waiting previously as I wao be as strong as possible before entering, but my older brother told me that I was already strong enough.”

  “I uand,” Falner nodded. “Lord Olivier’s right; staying here any longer will only dey your progress.”

  Blumer nodded calmly before turning his indifferent gaze to the dark-haired teen on stage. “But before I go, please allow me to do this one final thing on behalf of the Academy.”

  Blumer didn’t even wait for Falner’s response as he gracefully leapt over the crowd, elegantly nding in the ring just teers away from his oppo.

  “Fine,” Falner agreed, knowing that Blumer had already made his mind up. “But sihis is an official battle betweeudents of two schools, I will act as the referee.”

  Ace chuckled inwardly when he heard that. There was nothing official about this battle. It was obvious that Falner had no iion of being a referee; he simply wao be close enough to a case something happeo their number oudent – not that it mattered.

  Falner was just about to signal for the fight to begin when an aged but powerful voice rang in the ears of all those present.

  “Step back, Falner,” The voianded. “I’ll be the oo referee this battle.”

  As if he had teleported, a burly man eared to be in his mid-30s appeared on stage.

  His sudden appearance had shocked everyo Ace, who had sensed his rapidly approag presence from a mile away.

  He was just at the early stages of the ninth rank, but as Ace looked at him, he felt a slight threat. Even before his most ret breakthrough, Ace’s strength had surpassed that level, so he couldn’t help but feel a hint of surprise as he looked at the man, but with Ace’s love for battle, that surprise quickly turo anticipation.

  “Not bad,” Ace smiled fiendishly. “You should be the oo fight me!”

  “Insolence!” Falner barked. “Head Talore isn’t someohe likes of you challenge!”

  It was impossible not to hear the Discipline Head’s shouts, but Ace seemed to pletely disregard the man as he eyed the head of the Academy as though he redator who had just found his prey.

  Still, the man iion didn’t so much bat an eyelid at Ace’s challenge. Like Falner, he knew full well the rumours of Ace weren’t mere rumours.

  Not only was he the head of the Academy, but he was also the close and personal friend of Olivier Akerlund. He had heard straight from Olivier’s mouth about Ace’s unbelievable prowess, so he wasn’t surprised about Ace’s ck of i in the rest of the personnel in the Academy.

  What he was surprised by was the dangerous aura Ace was giving off. Talore wasn’t your average early ninth-rank warrior; his ability also allowed him to jump ranks to defeat those above him, a his senses honed by all his years otlefield were screaming at him that the teen in front of him was a threat. Still, not even a ripple could be seen on his indiffereerior.

  “If you defeat Blumer, I will accept your challealore replied calmly.

  “Haha, I’m looking forward to it,” Ace ughed excitedly.

  Blumer didn’t say a word as he watched Ace all but disregard his presence, but the trembling of his ched fists expily how he was feeling.

  He was there when Olivier told Talore about Ace, and truth be told, he hadn’t actually said mu the topic.

  When asked if the rumours were true, Olivier her firmed nor dehem; all he said was that Ace was the most talented child he had ever seen.

  Talore knew how proud his friend was, and so his admitting that may as well told the Academy head that not only were the rumours true, they likely didn’t do Ace justice.

  Blumer, oher hand, put his brother on a pedestal. As far as he was ed, Olivier was the most talented person their Empire had ever seen. So when he heard Olivier’s words, a burning desire to defeat Ad quell those rumours ond for all was born.

  Even if Olivier was right, and Ace was more talehan even his brother, he refused to believe that he could jump ranks to defeat him, someowo ranks above him, a genius also capable of defeating the strong as the weak.

  Both Ad Talore noticed Blumer’s ge in mood, but her said anything. Ace couldn’t be bothered to care for the young maions, and as for Talore, he khis was something Blumer o fa his own.

  “This is just a friendly battle betweeudents of two schools,” Talore said. “Aempting to use lethal force will be stopped and penalised.”

  “I uand,” Blumer replied, slowly drawing the longsword on his back.

  Even though he appeared to be addressing both boys, Ace was clear that it was a subtle warning for him. Still, he nodded casually before zily waiting for the fight to begin.

  “Draw your on,” Blumer called out.

  “If it was your brother, I might sider it,” Ace shook his head. “But for you… There’s no need.”

  Blumer’s brows twitched as the veins on the side of his head pulsed. He was Blumer Akerlund, one of the most talented warriors of his geion, the younger brother of Oliver Akerlund, the prodigy sword saint!

  He had never been looked at with such btant disregard, ahe boy in front of him seemed determio do exactly that with every ce he got.

  “Your arrogaruly knows no bounds,” Blumer voiced icily as he forcibly reigned in his anger, knowing how important this battle was, not only for his future, but also for his family’s legacy. “I hope you don’t regret your decision.”

  As he said that, a golden battle-qi coated his body, only adding to his regal and anding aura as he silently waited for the signal for the match to begin.

  Sensing the rising tension, Talore held back his sigh and nodded. “Begin!”

  Blumer’s body moved like a fsh of light appearing directly in front of A the blink of an eye.

  ‘So he already mastered the movement teique Olivier created for his Lightshadow Sword Art…’ Talore nodded with appreciation when he saw near instantaneously close the gap. ‘Unfortunately, the gap between them ’t be closed so easily.’

  Blumer believed he had caught his oppo off guard as Ace seemed uo react, but just as his sword arced through the air, he found his sciousness suddenly waning.

  Blumer went from viciously closing in on his oppoo stumbling past him, desperately fighting to remain awake, but before he could shake off his sudden o of drowsiness, he felt the side of Ace’s hand chop into the back of his neck.

  Looking down at the unscious blonde-haired teen whose neck was firmly in his grasp, Ace had to admit that he was far from a mat terms of speed. Fet him; not even Mira would be able to touch him in a test of speed.

  In another situation, Ace would have loved to have been able to push Blumer to his limits so he could gleam as much as he could from such a profound movement teique, but Arianna had already told him that if he wao create as much of an impact for the Pavilion as possible, all his fights at the War God’s Academy o be won with an overwhelming dispy of force.

  For this reason, Ace showed everyohat although important, speed wasn’t the be-all and end-all, especially when the oppo follow your movement as if you were moving in slow-motion.

  The moment Blumer neared, he was hit by a wave of Ace’s [queror’s Hak, allowing him to casually knock him out and grab him by the neck.

  Still, even though he was slightly impressed by Blumer’s show of overwhelming speed, that was all it was. What he was far more ied in was his challenge.

  “Now,” Ace said, his enthusiastic voice cutting through the stunned silence of the spectators as he turned his head towards the head of the academy, casually tossing the unscious teen bato the crowd. “About ht…”

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  P.atreon./ACoilingDragon

  Book 8 Plot: Part 7 – Creation of A Divine Pne