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Chapter 96: Swimming Class

Solvas Umbra.

I never imagined I’d face him right from the start of the international individual preliminaries.

‘If you’re going to assign me, at least do it properly.’

Then again, in this cramped forest, how much can they really manage?

Still, I couldn’t help but feel a bit resentful.

“Your name is Hannon, isn’t it?”

Solvas kept talking.

The guy knew not just my name but everyone involved in this event like the back of his hand.

“Since it’s a coincidence that we ended up on the same team, how about teaming up? All we need to do is make it into the top 16 in the preliminaries. Teaming up seems like a good idea.”

Solvas flashed a friendly smile.

What a liar.

The guy’s probably already plotting to stab me in the back.

“Really? If it’s teaming up with someone like you, Solvas, I’d be honored.”

But that goes for me too.

Solvas and I smiled at each other.

Solvas is not the type of person who’s easy to deal with.

He’s never revealed his true intentions—not even once.

But he doesn’t know.

That the person standing in front of him is the only one who can truly see through him.

“This is great. I’ve already secured some people in our group. If we join up with them, we should be able to clear this easily.”

The ones Solvas “secured” are just decoys.

He undoubtedly has other members in this group who are truly on his side.

‘The decoys will stick together, eliminate others, and once they’re worn out…’

He’ll call on his real team members to take them down.

‘He really is using the exact same method he employed in the international preliminaries before.’

It was safe to assume so.

“That’s a solid strategy. It seems like we can pass the preliminaries without wasting too much energy.”

“Haha, is that so?”

Just then, a sound came from the bracelets we were wearing. It signaled that all the students had taken their positions.

【3】

The countdown to start the preliminaries began.

【2】

Solvas and I exchanged smiles.

【1】

And then, I immediately crouched forward.

【Preliminaries Start】

Whoosh!

A shadow blade grazed past the tree next to my head.

I stomped hard on the ground and activated the magic engraved beneath my feet.

Boom!

Like a cannonball, my body shot forward, charging straight at Solvas.

His eyes met mine, and he curled his lips into a grin.

Proof that he didn’t trust me from the beginning, either.

If he’d done his homework, he’d know I’m dangerous.

Of course, he wouldn’t take me into his decoy team, let alone trust me.

Thud!

Solvas stomped on the ground.

Shadows surged up like ink right in front of me.

My vision was briefly obscured, but without hesitation, my hand lashed out toward the shadows.

Clang!

My sword collided with a blade emerging from within the shadow.

Solvas stood there, gripping his shadow blade.

The moment our blades clashed, we jumped back from each other.

“You didn’t trust me from the start, did you?”

“Same goes for you, doesn’t it?”

Before I knew it, even my tone had changed.

Solvas chuckled with narrowed eyes.

“I’m good at reading people, you see. I can tell when someone’s suspicious.”

“I don’t waste time talking to palm readers.”

Even at my provocation, Solvas didn’t flinch.

He simply smiled.

Instead, the shadow beneath his feet began to writhe.

The House of Umbra possesses a unique skill passed down through generations.

This skill is known as:

Night Shadow.

Night Shadow originates from a mystical power venerated by the Umbra family for generations.

Mystical Power: The Lily’s Shadow.

The ability to manipulate and reshape shadows at will, by severing a portion of the Lily’s shadow.

This is the essence of the Umbra family’s secret technique.

In the House of Umbra, one’s rank in succession depends on how skillfully they can wield Night Shadow.

It’s a grueling task, akin to controlling a body part that doesn’t belong to you.

Most descendants of the House of Umbra struggle to handle it effectively.

But in this generation, there’s one exception.

Solvas.

He has a natural gift for Night Shadow.

The shadows he wields move freely, transforming into whatever he desires.

This makes Solvas’s combat style highly unpredictable.

Even if you locate him, you can’t track his shadows.

They’re everywhere and can strike from anywhere.

As a result, anyone fighting Solvas must constantly stay on high alert, never knowing where the next attack might come from.

Those who’ve fought him describe feeling mentally exhausted from the constant vigilance.

Solvas exploits this fatigue to strike when the opponent lets their guard down.

It’s a tactic he uses frequently.

Sure enough, a shadow formed beneath my feet.

Before it could rise, I stepped back.

Sharp, spike-like shadows narrowly missed my chin.

Without pausing, I shifted my rear foot forward.

Where my foot had just been, short spikes emerged and then disappeared.

Solvas’s eyebrow twitched subtly as he observed me.

Again, his shadows moved to attack me.

This time, the strike came from a complete blind spot.

But I evaded the shadow’s assault as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Solvas stared at me with a peculiar expression.

Of course he did.

To him, it must’ve been unbelievable to see someone avoid every attack from his blind spots.

“…Can you see my Night Shadow, Hannon?”

“See your shadows? What do you mean?”

I smirked shamelessly.

Solvas’s eyebrow twitched again.

“Strange. I wonder how you’re managing it.”

Usually unflappable, Solvas now looked visibly irritated.

Solvas takes great pride in his Night Shadow.

For it to be completely seen through—it’s only natural for him to react this way.

The reason I can sense Solvas’s Night Shadow is simple.

‘Because I possess the same kind of mystical power—Steel Body.’

Mysteries tend to respond to each other instinctively.

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Ordinary people might not notice such interactions between mysteries.

But the body of steel is my very own body.

For ordinary people, the movements of Solvas's shadows would be entirely imperceptible, an attack from a blind spot.

However, I could sense every movement of Solvas's nocturnal shadows.

‘Well then.’

Your tricks won’t work on me.

I revealed a grin brimming with blatant provocation.

"Fine."

In response to my provocation, Solvas shrugged off his irritation and smiled back at me.

"Then I'll just make it impossible to dodge, even if you can see it."

A chilling energy radiated from Solvas's body, spreading rapidly through the forest.

Sensing it, I abruptly stopped in my tracks.

Rumble—

Soon, a sound that should have been impossible to hear reached my ears.

Boom, boom, boom—

The steel body that formed me reacted violently.

My vision wavered.

And with that, the corners of Solvas's lips curled into an even more malicious grin.

RUMBLE!

Behind Solvas.

A towering wave of shadows filled the forest and surged upward.

"Ahhhhhh!"

"What, what is this!?"

"Glurk—h-help!"

Nearby kids were swept away by Solvas's wave of shadows, instantly incapacitated.

Is this how it feels to face a natural disaster?

I had suddenly become no more than a mere human confronting an unstoppable force of nature.

Solvas spread his arms wide at me.

"Try dodging this."

The Wave of Shadows.

The outlaw of the tides.

What a ruthless bastard.

The moment he judged me a threat, he played his strongest hand without hesitation.

This move is unavoidable.

As the wave that engulfed the trees and terrain closed in on me, I was swallowed whole by the shadows.

* * *

Above the Shadow Wave.

A boy with ash-gray hair styled in a wolf cut stood gracefully, his hair fluttering in the wind.

Solvas Umbra.

The Son of Shadows, one of the Six Stars.

He had mastered a secret art of nocturnal shadows: The Outlaw of the Tides.

This massive shadow wave consumed an enormous amount of energy.

But its overwhelming power was undeniable.

Originally, he hadn’t planned to use it.

But the moment he saw Hannon, he changed his mind.

Hannon had become a celebrity within just half a year at Zerion Academy.

The lunatic who transferred to Zerion Academy and, on his very first day, openly criticized a past disaster.

It was indeed madness.

But the actions he displayed afterward made his words impossible to ignore.

Foreign nations had yet to fully grasp the extent of his feats.

But Solvas had planted spies within Zerion Academy.

Through them, he had learned of Hannon’s accomplishments.

"The achievements we've seen are just the tip of the iceberg."

There were too many inconsistencies in Hannon’s behavior, suggesting he was secretly up to something.

‘His actions at Zerion Academy must serve some purpose.’

Zerion Academy was far from a peaceful haven.

If he had a purpose, it meant he was someone with countless hidden moves.

Solvas had studied Hannon's record and drawn his conclusion.

And today.

Facing Hannon in person, he made his decision.

The look in Hannon’s eyes as he confronted Solvas was unwavering.

That meant either he was arrogantly confident in his abilities—

Or he had a plan to counter Solvas’s powers.

Hannon was the latter.

Such individuals were dangerous if not dealt with early.

Solvas was not one to underestimate others easily.

Even as one of the Six Stars, he remained vigilant, constantly doubting and testing his opponents, throwing calculated moves or bold gambits when necessary.

Seeing Hannon, Solvas decided he had to play his strongest card.

‘When sprouts grow rampant, you have to crush them thoroughly.’

If the opponent has time to think of their next move, you crush them before they can act.

Though it wasn’t part of his original plan, this was a perfect opportunity to sweep away all the students with The Outlaw of the Tides.

That’s what Solvas thought.

Splash—

Then he heard something.

The sound was like swimming.

Thinking he must have misheard, Solvas scanned his surroundings.

All around him, only the pitch-black Shadow Wave raged.

Splash, splash—

But the sound came again.

A bad feeling washed over him.

He quickly turned his attention to the interior of the Shadow Wave.

There, he sensed something moving.

Alarmed, he whipped his head toward the source of the disturbance.

Splash!

Inside the Shadow Wave, someone was cutting through it with astonishing speed.

It was butterfly stroke.

Yes, it was butterfly stroke.

Within the Shadow Wave, glowing crimson eyes gleamed.

"...Is he insane?"

Solvas muttered blankly at the sight.

And it was no wonder.

What kind of lunatic would even think of swimming through a Shadow Wave?

And yet, there he was.

Splash, splash, splash, splash, splash!

Faster than anyone could imagine.

Hannon Irey.

Hannon, who the Shadow Wave had swallowed, was there.

As Solvas whispered his name, his fists clenched tightly.

And in that moment, he realized—

Hannon was far more dangerous than he had anticipated.

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