Chapter 48 - Second Step

Although his attacks hadn’t broken through, William wasn’t anxious.

He had the advantage. Fang had only managed to ward off that last technique through lucky timing. If the same attack rained down on him repeatedly, he would eventually be unable to defend.

William’s thoughts were correct—Fang knew he could defend against the golden spears for now, but it wasn’t enough to be a threat. Though his energy reserves were high, Fang wasn’t sure he could outlast William.

Quick reflexes had saved him from that strange scythe, but he wasn’t sure he could block it again. If he showed any sign of weakness, he’d lose.

There was no hope in stalling the fight out—to win, he had to go on the offensive!

Fang charged toward William, zigzagging from side to side with a fierce glint in his eyes.

William immediately understood what Fang was doing. Since he outclassed Fang in ranged attacks, Fang was closing the distance for a direct confrontation. This might have caused panic in some fighters, but to William, it was a laughable strategy.

Grinning, William’s hands glowed golden. A sharp scythe spun toward Fang, cutting off his approach.

As the yellow light neared, Fang paused and swung his arm, gathering energy into the shape of a club. With fierce momentum, the club smashed toward the scythe.

But instead of shattering, the scythe embedded itself into the club, inching closer and closer as it dug through Fang’s energy. The metallic element made William’s energy unmatched against non-elemental energy.

Fang abandoned the club and retreated as the scythe sped toward him. In a matter of seconds, it would strike.

At that moment, Fang disappeared.

*5th grade yellow skill – Shadow Step!*

It was impractical to confront every technique head-on, as energy typically traveled faster than a physical body could react. That was why speed-enhancing techniques like Shadow Step were developed. However, the mismatch between body and mind often caused severe disorientation, making such techniques impractical for most fighters at the intermediate stage.

But Fang had mastered it.

And that wasn’t all—he followed up with a second step, changing direction completely.

*V Shadow Step!*

A single step was impressive, but chaining two in quick succession? Shock rippled through the crowd. It was common knowledge that only fighters attuned to the wind element could execute speed techniques like this at the intermediate stage. Even many at the advanced stage couldn’t move with such agility.

For Fang, though, this was nothing—just a shallow echo of what one of the ten elders had once explained to him.

The combination of steps turned the situation around. Fang had evaded the attack and was now mere meters away from William.

William’s face darkened as Fang, taking advantage of the distance, swept his leg in a long arc. Energy condensed into a wave and flew toward William’s torso.

Unable to dodge, William summoned a large golden shield on his arm.

*Bang!*

The shield cracked slightly as William slid backward, dust trailing in his wake. He was unharmed, save for a small graze along his arm.

Fang couldn’t help but admire William’s quick reflexes. He was on a completely different level than anyone Fang had fought before.

Although William had withstood the attack, cheers erupted from the crowd. Initially, William had been expected to win flawlessly, but now it seemed Fang was close to defeating him.

Richard’s expression grew solemn as he watched the fight. At first, he hadn’t paid much attention to Fang, assuming his low energy level meant he was weak. But now, seeing Fang force his son into such an unfavorable position, Richard scowled. He finally understood why Valeria had chosen this boy.

Fang wasn’t famous yet, but his potential was terrifying. It was only a matter of time.

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Fang pressed his attack relentlessly, trying to break through the solid shield protecting William. Realizing he couldn’t compete with Fang in close combat, William began retreating. He hadn’t expected Fang’s barrage of techniques, and despite the metal element enhancing his energy, Fang gave him no opening to counterattack.

William’s expression grew grim as he backed away, fending off Fang’s assault of kicks and punches. Despite the barrage, his shield refused to break. He wasn’t defeated yet, but things weren’t looking good.

Seeing their prefect take the lead, the students from Class Eight grew more excited.

“I said our prefect would win, but no one believed me!”

“Anyone could’ve won, but it’s obvious Fang’s got the upper hand now. William doesn’t have any chance to counterattack.”

“I didn’t expect Fang to know so many combat skills, and he even mastered Shadow Step!”

“William’s metal energy may be strong, but this fight isn’t about who has more energy—it’s about who has better skills!”

Compared to the lively chatter in Class Eight, Class Two sat in stunned silence. They had expected William to crush Fang with superior energy, but it wasn’t that simple. Fang was proving to be a nightmare to deal with, his variety of techniques and precise timing making him terrifyingly difficult to predict.

A fearful doubt crept into their minds. Could the representative of the top class really lose to the lowest class?

Before the battle, William had never imagined he’d end up in such a precarious position. He had wanted to humiliate Class Two, and it was supposed to be easy.

There was no way he, William of Minuet City’s largest business and the leader of Garden College’s top class, could lose like this.

This was unacceptable!