Dark Magus Returns

Chapter 1424: Do You See Me?

The audience leaned forward in anticipation, buzzing with excitement as the second Central Academy student prepared to take the stage. The first display had already stirred the crowd with its unique magic, and now all eyes were fixed on what would come next. Even the principals seated together began whispering among themselves.

"I have no doubt this young woman will show us something remarkable," one of them remarked, his voice laced with expectation.

"Of course," another replied smoothly. "Central Academy is filled with talent. But it does make me wonder, Ibarin, have you really shown us your best students today?"

Headmaster Ibarin chuckled, his laughter deep and confident.

"Hahaha, you know very well there are too many talented mages in this new generation," he said. "If I could, I would have had all ten of my students display their abilities here. But remember, not all unique traits or special affinities guarantee the strongest of mages. We must also emphasize those who work hard, not simply those born with gifts."

His eyes gleamed as he added, "And besides, two is more than enough from one academy. Usually, each group only sends out one student. We wouldn’t want to give the audience the wrong impression, now would we?"

Then his gaze shifted toward the Wilton Academy delegation. His smile was polite, but his words carried an edge. "I must admit, I’m surprised your academy sent out two students. The last one you showed us was... quite impressive."

Wilton’s headmaster gave a cool smile in return. "True. But since your student is going first, I fear my Wilton student’s accomplishments may be overshadowed."

Ibarin laughed again, his tone casual but sharp underneath.

"Don’t say that. The order was random, after all. And I’m certain, just like last time, your student will surprise us."

Outwardly, his words sounded generous. But inwardly, Ibarin’s thoughts told a very different story.

Unlike the last event, the expedition through the portal, this display was wide open to the public. There would be no way for Wilton Academy to pull the same tricks they had back then. Ibarin doubted they had anything left to surprise him with, and he knew very well the order of students had been anything but random.

Nannan had been purposefully placed right before the Wilton student for the exact reason Wilton himself had mentioned. Whatever the Wilton student showed, it would pale in comparison. The impact would be dulled, the applause muted.

And that was exactly what Ibarin wanted. He didn’t just aim to beat Wilton Academy, he wanted to crush them.

None of the other academies had yet seen Nannan display her skills, in magic or otherwise. Which only heightened the anticipation, the waiting eyes pressing in on her.

Unlike the other students, she required no equipment, no stage props, no elaborate setup. Nannan simply stood at the center, her posture relaxed, a smile curling at her lips. She let the silence hang for a moment, long enough for everyone to lean closer.

Then she spoke, her words clear and playful, cutting through the air.

"Now you all see me," Nannan said, her smile widening. "Now... you don’t!"

And just like that, before the crowd could even blink, Nannan vanished.

One moment she was standing in the center of the arena with a mischievous smile, the next she was gone, completely gone. Not a trace of her could be seen, and even the most sensitive mages in the audience couldn’t sense her presence at all.

"Her unique trait... it lets her go invisible?" someone in the crowd whispered, their voice breaking the stunned silence.

"That’s pretty neat," another said quickly. "I mean, think of all the places I could sneak into if I had that kind of power."

"You mean like peeping in baths? You’re a total perv."

"What?! No! I was thinking about movie screenings! Get your dirty thoughts out of your head!"

Ripples of laughter spread through the stands, but it didn’t last long. Because the display had only just begun.

A sudden blaze of fire magic erupted out of nowhere, roaring high into the air as if flames themselves had been conjured from the void. Before the crowd could recover, a jet of water magic crashed to the ground, spreading in rippling swirls that danced across the arena floor.

And then, wind. A twisting column formed in the very center of the arena, spinning faster and faster until it became a tornado, its funnel stretching dangerously wide. The sheer force of it whipped hair and robes in the stands, its power undeniable.

Gasps echoed all around. Skilled magic. Controlled magic. But no one could see who was casting it.

Not once did the invisible figure reveal herself.

Then, as suddenly as she had vanished, Nannan reappeared, standing gracefully in the exact center of the arena. With perfect poise, she dipped into a bow, her smile dazzling as the crowd erupted into thunderous applause.

They had heard of unique traits that granted invisibility before. Some water mages could even bend light in such a way that they seemed to vanish. But all those abilities shared the same fatal flaw, attacking or casting magic gave away the user’s location.

Yet Nannan had remained unseen the entire time, even while casting fire, water, and wind magic of such magnitude. That meant she hadn’t just been invisible, she had been in complete control, managing her mana so precisely that she could maintain her hidden state while unleashing large-scale spells.

It was extraordinary. It was powerful. And it left the audience in awe of what kind of force she could become in the upcoming group stage battles.

As the cheers still thundered, Nannan walked calmly back toward her place. Her expression softened for just a moment as she turned her gaze toward the Wilton student, her eyes glimmering with quiet challenge.

****

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