Cleaver Of Sin

Chapter 468: Officially Rank 100

Instructor Jane’s eyes shifted toward Lior for a brief moment, lingering on him without saying a single word. Lior felt a chill run down his spine, sharp and unmistakable, yet he did not dare to break eye contact. He remained exactly where he was, unmoving and unflinching, knowing that even the slightest reaction could give him away. Silence stretched between them, heavy and oppressive, before she finally looked away.

"Let’s go," she said as she rose from her seat, breaking eye contact with Lior as though she could not care less about his existence. Her voice was flat, devoid of interest. Without missing a beat, Asher, Finch, William, and Lior followed her as they headed toward the battleground.

The arena was shaped like a Colosseum, though wider and more expansive, with high-raised, polished seats encircling the stage where the battle was meant to take place. The structure carried an imposing presence, its design meant to magnify every clash and every impact. By the time they arrived, the student ranked one hundred was already waiting, his posture relaxed and his expression calm. He had only returned from a mission five days prior and had been spending his time attending classes and resting before he was suddenly challenged without warning.

Under normal circumstances, duels always attracted spectators eager for entertainment, but today the arena was nearly empty. Most first-year students were out on missions, scattered across various assignments. Besides, who would waste their time watching the weakest student attempt to leapfrog his way into the top one hundred? No one had the patience for that. Everyone had their own priorities, their own training, their own missions to focus on.

Asher, William, and Lior leapt toward a cluster of seats, settling in comfortably as they took their places. Finch and the rank one hundred student, whose name was Pablo, stood on the stage opposite each other, facing one another in silence.

"I’m sure I don’t need to read the rules to either of you, nor remind you what you have staked for this duel," Instructor Jane stated with a detached expression, clearly uninterested in the proceedings. "Begin." Her voice echoed through the arena, and in the very next instant, she vanished entirely, reappearing atop a seat beside William as though she had always been there.

Without the slightest hesitation, Pablo blurred forward, intent on ending the duel as swiftly as possible so he could return to whatever occupied his time. His foot snapped toward Finch’s head with sharp precision, but Finch calmly sidestepped the attack with effortless ease.

Pablo arched an eyebrow, surprised. He had fully intended to end the match in a single strike. Adjusting instantly, he threw a fist toward Finch’s chubby stomach, yet Finch dodged again, his steps light and measured. He had faced assassins, Emovirae, and monsters far more dangerous than this. Compared to them, Pablo posed little threat.

Even so, Finch knew he could not rely solely on dodging. He knew nothing about his opponent, neither his weapon, nor his ability, nor even his Life Rank. Dragging the fight out was unnecessary, especially while being underestimated. It was best to end it now. Having reached that conclusion, Finch acted.

Another kick blurred toward his chest, but he stepped aside, his body twisting fluidly as his feet danced across the ground. He spun smoothly, the movement training drilled into him by Instructor Elowen shining brilliantly in that moment. Without hesitation, his elbow tore outward with frightening speed. Before Pablo could even blink, the strike smashed into his temple.

The impact was devastating. Pablo’s head snapped violently to the side as Finch’s After Damage ability activated, striking the exact same spot once more with doubled force. Pablo felt the world blur as his consciousness began to slip, his senses disorienting under the overwhelming blow.

But Finch was not finished.

He leapt upward, twisting midair with precise control, and his forefoot crashed into Pablo’s chest. The force was mind-numbing. Pablo’s body was hurled backward at tremendous speed as After Damage activated again, amplifying the impact and power of the strike beyond what should have been possible.

A series of heavy thuds echoed across the arena as Pablo’s body slammed into the ground below. His chest was caved in, his body battered and broken, the sheer momentum of the impact leaving no room for resistance. In that instant, he lost consciousness completely.

The battleground fell into silence.

William and Asher stared in stunned disbelief, their expressions frozen as they tried to comprehend where Finch had drawn such overwhelming physical power from. Lior, on the other hand, smiled quietly to himself. Only he knew the truth, that every attack Finch landed carried double the force and damage. Even Finch himself stood momentarily stunned, having seemingly forgotten about Lior’s second ability in the heat of battle.

Instructor Jane appeared before Finch in the blink of an eye, her presence sudden and calm. She gazed at him for a brief moment before speaking. "Whale Finch wins." She paused slightly before continuing, her tone unchanged. "People will be sent to clear out Pablo’s room for you to move into. We won’t be making you wait for him to regain consciousness." Without waiting for a response, she turned away. With a casual gesture, she lifted Pablo from the ground using Astra Manipulation and vanished from the arena.

Asher and William regrouped with Finch, congratulating him on his victory while silently wondering where such raw power had come from. They did not ask. Both of them were far from foolish; they were too sharp for their own good. Even without confirmation, they already suspected that the sudden change was linked to Lior.

With that, the group left the battleground. By the time they returned to Finch’s residential building, everything had already been handled. The rooms had been swapped, belongings relocated, and Finch was officially settled into the rank one hundred room, now holding the position himself.

Finch briefly wondered if he should have challenged someone in the top seventy instead, but he soon sighed and dismissed the thought, leaving it for another day. They celebrated his win with drinks, passing the time together as the mission cooldown period ticked away, the next day swiftly arriving.

Without hesitation, they headed to the Logistics and Missions Operation Hall, meeting the facilitator who had already assumed that this group was addicted to missions and Academy points. Their third and final mission took nine days to complete, pushing them to the very limit of the allocated time. When they returned, weary but successful, they arrived back at the Star Academy.

With the completion of the third mission, Asher officially left the team. Oliver joined immediately, having finished his own mission some time earlier. Everyone returned to their respective rooms for the night, knowing that starting tomorrow, they would be heading to the Training Facility Building, a place infamous for turning the rich poor within the span of just a few hours.

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AUTHOR’S NOTE: I’ve skipped the team’s third mission as agreed. Also, I need your golden tickets please, need to climb the ranking. Thanks for reading.