Magus Supremacy

"Huh? What the hell is going on?" Grey shouted in anger as he noticed Finral glaring at him with a cold, deathly stare that sent a chill down his spine.

"Don't ask me silly questions!" Finral roared. In an instant, he shoved Grey's sword aside with his own, then bolted forward at full speed. His blade sliced through the air so fast it whistled sharply, heading straight for Grey.

'What has suddenly gotten into Finral? Why is he attacking me? And why the hell is Ray just standing around doing nothing?' Grey thought, his heart racing as he stared at the sword flashing toward his face with terrifying speed.

'No! Something is wrong,' he realized. His grip tightened, and with quick reflexes, he brought his sword up just in time, the metallic clang ringing out as he blocked the deadly strike.

The force nearly sent him skidding backward, but Grey stomped his foot down hard, anchoring himself in place as his teeth clenched and his gaze locked with Finral's.

"What has suddenly gotten into you, you stupid fool?!" Grey roared in anger. Their blades clashed furiously, neither one giving an inch.

"What did I say earlier?" Finral growled with a furrowed brow. "Don't freaking ask me any damn questions anymore!" His voice erupted with rage as he pushed forward with raw strength and immense speed, forcing Grey to stumble back. His sword gleamed in the air, angling to slice Grey apart while the latter staggered.

"Fine. If you don't want to have sense, then I'll just have to beat it into you!" Grey spat as he steadied himself. His grip tightened, and in one fluid motion he leaned back, narrowly avoiding the fatal swing. He retaliated instantly, his leg snapping upward in a sharp uppercut kick aimed straight for Finral's face.

"Tch!" Finral scoffed. His reaction was swift. He snapped his hand back, dragging his sword across just in time.

Grey's foot slammed into the blade with a loud metallic bang that reverberated in the air. The clash sent Finral skidding backward, his arms throbbing with the impact as his furious glare burned into Grey.

'Damn! These weights are still holding me back,' Grey cursed inwardly, his eyes flicking down at the thick hand weights locked around his wrists. After his intense training with Thalos, Grey had decided to wear them even after they returned to the academy.

The enchanted weights were cruel. They adjusted to the wearer's growth, constantly becoming heavier as strength increased. What had once been 200kg now pressed on him at 300kg, dragging down his speed and dulling the power of his strikes.

"You think you're some kind of hot shot?" Finral snarled, his face twisted with fury. "You disappear for so many days, stroll back like nothing happened, and now you think you can question me?" His voice shook with anger, and his knuckles whitened as he gripped his sword tightly.

"Huh?" Grey muttered, genuine confusion written across his face.

"The world doesn't revolve around you, damn it!" Finral shouted again. His roar echoed like thunder as he kicked off the ground.

The air cracked with the sudden burst of speed. In just two seconds, he was right in front of Grey, his sword already thrusting forward with terrifying force, aiming straight for Grey's chest.

"Huh?" Grey muttered again as he quickly pivoted on a single foot, barely avoiding the thrust by the skin of his teeth. The tip of Finral's sword sliced through his shirt, the fabric tearing with a hiss, and almost grazed his skin—if he hadn't smashed his own blade against Finral's at the last second.

'That was a close shave.'

'Something is different about Grey,' Ray thought, his sharp eyes narrowing as he leaned against the doorframe. He stood with his arms crossed, silently observing the rapid, vicious exchange.

'He's more flexible than before, faster too. And his aura… his Ki feels refined, sharper than it used to be. Wait. Has he broken through to the next stage? But how? When?'

"Finral, what has gotten into you?" Grey demanded, leaping back just as Finral's sword whistled through the air in front of his face.

'Hold on. Why did the academy even allow real weapons inside the dorms? And how the hell is Finral wielding one? Where did he get it from?' Grey thought frantically.

His instincts screamed as he ducked under another slash. The blade nicked the edge of his hair, a few strands floating down.

"Okay. Playtime is over," Grey muttered, his voice low and resolute. His sword shimmered faintly, then vanished from his grip, disappearing into thin air.

"What?" Finral's eyes widened. "You decided to keep your sword aside? I'm not about to go easy on you, so bring it back from wherever you sent it to!"

Fueled by rage, Finral dashed forward at blinding speed, Ki swirling violently around his feet and legs. The surge boosted his speed to a dangerous degree, and within a single breath, he was already upon Grey.

He swung his blade down in a brutal vertical slash. Grey sprang back, narrowly escaping by the skin of his teeth. The sword cracked against the floor, sending a sharp ring echoing through the room.

Finral didn't waste a moment. He snapped his wrist, pulling the blade sideways in a deadly horizontal sweep that carved the air, producing a loud swoosh.

Grey pivoted to the side, just outside the arc of the slash, and in that same instant, Ki burst across his limbs, surging to his hands and feet. His body blurred forward in a counterattack, his eyes locked on Finral, who was still trying to regain his footing.

BOOM!

The ground shuddered as Grey leapt into the air, twisting his body. His leg came crashing down in a ruthless axe kick, slamming into Finral's shoulder with crushing force. The impact echoed like thunder.

"Arghh!" Finral cried out as his sword flew from his grasp. His body smashed into the ground with bone-jarring force, blood trickling down the side of his face as dust swirled around him.

"And stay down!" Grey barked, his chest heaving. He leapt back off Finral's body, breathing hard, his arms trembling slightly from the exchange.

Clap. Clap. Clap.

The sound of slow, deliberate clapping echoed across the room. Grey's eyes snapped toward the source.

His grip tightened as he saw Ray strolling forward, a wide smile spread across his face, hands still tucked lazily in his pockets.

'Shit. I forgot about Ray,' Grey cursed inwardly. 'I only managed to beat Finral because we're both Stage Two warriors and fairly even in strength. But Ray… although he's still a Stage Two, he's standing right on the cusp of Stage Three. If he decides to fight, things will get ugly fast.'

Grey slid into a defensive stance, every muscle in his body tense, his gaze fixed on Ray.

"Don't worry," Ray said casually, his tone light. "I'm not going to attack you. I'm not hotheaded like that fool." His chuckle carried a quiet mockery.

"And who the hell are you calling a fool?" Finral groaned from the floor. He twitched, then slowly pushed himself upright, his teeth gritted, his eyes burning with fury as he glared daggers at Grey.

'Crap. He's awake already,' Grey thought, his pulse quickening as he shifted his gaze between the two. 'What has gotten into both of them? What's going on here?'

"I just want to say, welcome back, Grey," Ray said with a smile that looked far too easy, far too knowing.

He stepped closer, his presence suffocating despite the calmness in his voice. "I knew nothing bad was going to happen to you."

"Huh? Why aren't you attacking me too? And why the hell did Finral come at me like that?" Grey snapped, frustration boiling in his tone as his glare flicked toward Finral.

"Oh, kek!" Ray chuckled, clutching his stomach as if he had just heard a good joke. "That was his own way of welcoming you back, I guess."

"Wait, what?!" Grey exclaimed, rubbing his forehead with both confusion and irritation. "What the hell is going on? None of this makes sense."