The arena, freshly rebuilt.

The ground still smelled of smoke and scorched mana and ice from the last battle.

Aphasia had been taken away.

Now, the storm everyone waited for had arrived.

Noah vs Elijah.

The two stood still, face-to-face in the middle of the arena.

The silence was deafening.

No words. Just pressure.

The crowd didn’t dare to breathe. They sat frozen—statues carved by fear and awe. Their eyes wide, desperate not to miss a single frame.

Noah’s lightning had already shattered their expectations. But they didn’t know—

Noah wasn’t done.

He had space and time affinities buried deep within. No skills yet to wield them. But soon.

For now, he didn’t need them.

He was already enough.

Or so he thought.

…

Elijah’s golden eyes stared at Noah. Calm on the surface.

But rage simmered underneath.

This wasn’t just a duel. This was personal.

From the very beginning of these trials, Noah had been provoking him, hunting the girls Elijah desired, mocking him with every glance.

It wasn’t subtle. It was deliberate.

He was doing it in purpose.

And Elijah wasn’t stupid. He had noticed it.

He just didn’t understand why.

But it didn’t matter. Hostility was all he needed.

Whoever dared to show hostility towards him will not receive any mercy from him.

His body radiated fire. The arena’s temperature soared. The floor cracked beneath his feet.

His eyes ignited—molten gold.

Noah tilted his head. “Seems you’re done thinking.”

He stepped forward lazily.

“So, Chosen One…”

He raised his chin.

“You ready to dance?”

A flicker of movement—then Noah vanished.

Before Elijah could even respond, Noah was already in front of him—a punch mid-swing.

Elijah reacted instinctively, palm raised—caught it.

The impact boomed. Sparks and frost exploded around them.

“Sneaking up on me now?” Elijah hissed, flames consuming his arm.

Noah smiled.

“Not sneaking. Just checking your reflexes. You are not bad.”

His ice surged, and—

BOOM.

The two launched backward in opposite directions. Steam burst across the arena from the clash of fire and frost.

Noah didn’t stop. His aura flared—ice and lightning roaring together.

He dashed forward. A lightning-forged javelin materialized in his hand. With a smooth throw—he hurled it like a god of war.

The ground beneath froze—turning the battlefield into a treacherous sheet of blue ice.

Elijah didn’t flinch.

His fire aura erupted. The ice beneath him melted instantly. With a calm step, he caught the lightning javelin mid-flight—bare-handed. His strength was terrifying.

He spun—then flipped it back with absurd force. And vanished.

Light-speed teleportation.

His speed was incredible, even Noah didn’t manage to react in time.

He reappeared behind Noah as the javelin returned to him.

BOOM.

Noah blocked it mid-turn—only to be blinded by a flash of light in his face.

“—Tch.”

CRACK!

A fist to the gut.

The impact sent Noah flying—slammed into the ground hard enough to crater it. His shirt torn, blood on his lips.

The arena gasped.

But Elijah wasn’t done.

From above, he appeared again. Floating. Wings of pure light spread behind him. Looking like an angel from the heaven.

Holy.

His hand glowed—a massive golden fireball forming.

Chains of light whipped from his palm, locking Noah down like glowing serpents.

Elijah’s voice was cold.

“Burn.”

BOOOOOOMMMMMM.

The explosion swallowed the field in smoke and fire. The stands erupted.

“ELIJAAAHHHH!!!”

“NUMBER ONE!! THE CHOSEN ONE!!!”

Cheers shook the city.

But not everyone celebrated.

The geniuses watched in silence.

Noah’s allies—Ester, his shadow, his beast Neko—watched without emotion. Eyes like still water.

Selene, far away, frowned but didn’t worry.

She knew.

This wasn’t the end.

Elijah knew too.

He stood in the air quietly, forming a blade in each hand—one of fire, one of light. Twin swords forged through talent and years of quests, battles, and awakenings.

Elijah was a monster in his own right.

But then—The smoke cleared.

The crowd froze.

Noah sat there, unbothered.

Chains of light still wrapped around him.

But surrounding him—a shimmering dome of ice and lightning.

A barrier.

A last-minute defense.

Cracked. Flickering. But still standing.

Noah looked up—expression calm.

Then he broke the chains with a twist of his aura.

CRACK.

They shattered like glass.

He stood, brushing dust from his ruined clothes. Blood on his chin.

But his posture? Straight. Calm. Dangerous.

“You’re truly good, Elijah.”

His voice echoed softly—calm yet filled with steel.

“You actually made me bleed. With my aura active and me being serious, no one should have been able to do that.”

“But yes…you are the chosen one after all.”

Everyone felt the pressure. Even from the stands, it was suffocating.

Damon, watching, laughed softly.

“Monsters. They’re almost on the same level as that damn Student Council President…”

Noah cracked his neck.

“I told my mother I’d beat all your asses today. Now look at me. Bleeding with a tattered clothes.”

He shook his head wryly.

But then—

He grinned.

“Guess I’ll just have to stop holding back.”

“For real this time.”

Elijah hovered above him.

Eyes narrowed. Voice colder than ever.

“Am I supposed to be happy hearing this? That I am the only one that makes you bleed?”

“You think I’m like the others?”

“I was chosen Noah. Over billions.”

“That means I’m better than all of you.”

He spat the words.

Noah just smiled.

Then—his aura vanished.

No lightning. No ice.

Just silence.

Then…

BOOM.

A new aura exploded from him.

Not elemental. Not magic.

Authority.

Noah had activated Aura of The Ruler.

The air crushed downward.

The skies darkened. The crowd began to sweat—those with weak mana nearly fainted.

Even Damon raised a brow.

Noah’s silver eyes burned like stars of frost.

He looked up at Elijah. Voice heavy. Unrelenting.

“Great speech, Elijah.”

“Now let’s end the delusion.”

“Because right now…”

“I’m done playing.”

He stepped forward.

Each step—reverberated like thunder.

And then—

“And get the fuck down…when you talk to me.”

BOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM.

The aura hit Elijah like a meteor.

He dropped.

Wings flickering—knees slamming into the earth—face gritted under unbearable pressure.

It wasn’t a spell. It was dominance. It was authority.

The Ruler had spoken.

And so,

You had no choice but to obey.

—End of Chapter 41—

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Madara Web Novel