The Grand Arena was packed with students, teachers, and even some elite figures from the academy. The excitement was at an all-time high, and the air buzzed with anticipation.
The matching board flashed with the next battle
[Alex Vonn vs. Marcus Vale]
A collective gasp spread through the crowd.
"Epsilon Shadow versus the Thunder Prodigy?!"
"No way! Marcus is one of the strongest in Alpha Class!"
"This is going to be intense!"
Alex remained composed as he stepped forward. He had expected a tough opponent, but he didn't anticipate facing Marcus this early in the tournament.
Marcus was a Level 7 Tay user, known for his Thunder Tay, which granted him superhuman speed and powerful lightning based attacks.
Most would see this as an unfair match.
But what the crowd didn't know was that Alex had already reached Level 5.
And with that, he had unlocked three powerful abilities:
Shadow Blink A short-range teleportation skill. Cloak of Darkness A stealth ability that shrouds him in near-invisibility. Shadow Grasp A technique that summons shadowy tendrils to bind or attack enemies.
Marcus smirked as Alex entered the ring. "I was hoping to fight you, Vonn." His body crackled with electricity. "But you should've backed down when you had the chance."
Alex shrugged. "Let's see if you can back up all that talk."
The referee raised his hand.
"Begin!"
The Battle Begins
BOOM!
The moment the match started, Marcus vanished in a streak of lightning, reappearing directly in front of Alex with his fist charged with thunder.
Alex barely had time to react—
CRACK!
Marcus's punch landed, sending Alex skidding backward.
The audience erupted.
"Marcus is too fast!"
"Epsilon Shadow might lose this one!"
Alex quickly steadied himself, shaking off the numbing sensation from the impact. He couldn't afford to take too many hits like that.
Marcus smirked. "Not fast enough, are you?"
Alex activated Cloak of Darkness, his body vanishing into the shadows.
Marcus's smirk faded.
"Tch. Hiding? Coward."
He raised his hand, summoning a bolt of lightning, illuminating the battlefield—
But when the light faded—
Alex was gone.
Marcus's eyes darted around.
To the left—nothing.
To the right—nothing.
Then—
"Behind you."
Marcus barely had time to turn before Shadow Grasp activated. Dark tendrils burst from the ground, wrapping around his arms and legs.
"What the—?!"
Marcus struggled, but the shadows tightened.
Alex's voice was calm. "Still think I'm too slow?"
The crowd exploded with cheers.
"He caught Marcus!"
"How did he move so fast?!"
But Marcus wasn't done yet.
BOOM!
A surge of electricity erupted from his body, shattering the shadows in an instant.
Marcus blurred forward again, using Thunder Dash, launching a spinning kick toward Alex's head.
But Alex simply smirked.
Shadow Blink.
In a blink, he vanished, reappearing behind Marcus in an instant.
And before Marcus could react—
Alex struck.
His shadow-clad fist slammed into Marcus's stomach, sending him flying across the ring.
Marcus crashed into the ground, rolling several times before coming to a stop.
The crowd exploded with cheers.
"Epsilon Shadow is unreal!"
"He countered Marcus's attack like it was nothing!"
Marcus groaned as he pushed himself to his feet. His confident smirk was gone, replaced by pure frustration.
"You…!" Marcus charged again, but this time, his movements were slower.
Alex noticed it—Marcus was losing energy.
The constant use of lightning-based attacks was draining his stamina.
Marcus threw a desperate punch.
Alex dodged effortlessly.
Marcus kicked.
Alex vanished into the shadows and reappeared at a distance.
"Too slow," Alex muttered.
Marcus panted, sweat dripping down his face. His Thunder Tay was strong, but it had a weakness—it burned through energy too quickly.
Desperation filled his eyes.
He clenched his fists, one final move left.
"Thunder Barrage!"
Marcus launched dozens of lightning-fast punches, sending out electrical waves in every direction.
Alex narrowed his eyes.
"Risky move, but I see right through it."
Alex activated Shadow Blink again, teleporting just outside the range of the attack.
Marcus's punches landed on nothing but air.
And before he could recover—
Shadow Grasp.
This time, the tendrils didn't just restrain Marcus—
They slammed him into the ground.
Marcus gasped, pinned down and unable to move.
The once-proud Thunder Prodigy was now at Alex's mercy.
The crowd was in shock.
The great Marcus Vale was… begging?
"P-Please…" Marcus wheezed, his strength fading. "I… I give up."
Silence.
Then—
"Winner, Alex Vonn!"
The arena erupted in deafening cheers and applause.
"Epsilon Shadow WON!"
"He actually BEAT Marcus!"
"This is insane! Who is Alex Vonn, really?!"
Marcus lay on the ground, defeated, his reputation shattered.
As Alex stepped out of the ring, he could feel countless eyes on him.
Some in awe.
Some in fear.
Some in hatred.
Aristotle, from the stands, clenched his fists.
"He's getting stronger. This is bad."
Sarah, watching closely, bit her lip.
"Epsilon Shadow… Alex Vonn… just who are you?"
Even the higher-ups of the academy were silent.
For the first time, they feared the unknown student in their midst.
But Alex didn't care about any of that.