Dark Magus Returns

Chapter 1496: The Challenge Accepted

If Raze had simply spoken in a normal tone, or even raised his voice into a shout, only those sitting in the very first rows might have caught his words. If the crowd had been silent—utterly still and waiting—then perhaps they could have pieced together fragments of his declaration. But this was not such a moment. The air was alive with chatter, the venue bursting with energy, excitement, and anticipation.

And yet, every single person in the colossal arena heard him clearly. His words rang out as though whispered directly into each of their ears: the challenge to duel Ibarin, the Grand Magus, principal of the Central Academy.

It wasn’t by chance.

Through the subtle mastery of wind magic, Raze had amplified his voice. Just as a mage could bend the air to hush whispers and carry silence, they could also magnify sound—stretching words, weaving them through the currents of air, and ensuring they carried across an entire colosseum. With careful control, his voice had sliced through the noise, so none could mistake his intent.

The reaction was instantaneous.

"He wants to fight the Grand Magus? The principal himself?"

"He’s insane! How could a mere student dare suggest such a thing? Grand Magus don’t simply entertain random duels. Even witnessing one fight is considered a historic event in itself!"

"Are we all forgetting something? This is the teacher’s demonstration! Not a student competition. He shouldn’t even be standing there in the first place. Why aren’t the organizers doing something?"

The voices rose higher and higher. Disbelief mixed with curiosity, outrage clashing with awe. Yet not all dismissed the audacious declaration so quickly.

"Wait, but isn’t that the student from Wilton? The one who fought Kayzel? Don’t you remember—when the barrier went up, no one could see how he bested the Central Academy students. We only saw the results. If this is the same person, maybe there’s more to him than we know. It could be worth seeing..."

"You’re right," another voice joined. "Still, choosing Ibarin? If he had challenged any other teacher, perhaps it would have been accepted for show. But the Grand Magus himself? That’s different. That’s dangerous."

And secretly, within the growing hum of conversation, a different emotion began to take hold—hope.

Few ever saw a Grand Magus battle. To witness their power firsthand, to see a Nine Star mage in combat, was the kind of spectacle whispered about for lifetimes. They knew the outcome was obvious, yet that didn’t matter. Even a doomed fight was worth the sight.

Would Ibarin accept? That was the real question.

The announcer, who had been guiding the event, looked utterly dumbfounded. His face drained of color as he clutched at his microphone.

"Uh... l-ladies and gentlemen, please... we just need to clarify. Did Wilton Academy actually send a student in place of their teacher? I-I’m sure... as much as we’d all love to see the Grand Magus himself step in, he wouldn’t—"

The announcer’s words faltered. His mouth hung open as gasps, exclamations, and pointing fingers spread across the crowd like wildfire.

Up in the special viewing box, the one reserved for the principals, something had changed. A perfect circle was being carved into the reinforced glass. Then, with a precise gesture, the cut-out pane was lifted and slid aside, carried effortlessly on the wind.

There he was.

Ibarin.

The Grand Magus stepped forward into the open, his robes glimmering with threads of magic, his expression calm but sharpened with intent. Without sparing even a glance backward, he extended his hand. The glass he had removed was set back in place, and the edges burned with hot flames until the seams fused seamlessly once again. To the eye, it was as though the barrier had never been touched—save for those who had seen it happen.

And then, he began to descend.

Floating down from the grand box, his body carried effortlessly by his own mastery of wind magic, Ibarin drifted toward the center stage. Dust and grit lifted into the air around him before being pressed back flat against the stone, as though the world itself bent to accommodate his presence.

The crowd erupted.

"It’s him—he’s really coming!"

"The Grand Magus himself! He’s answering the challenge!"

"Is this... is this real? This has to be staged—it’s too perfect!"

Doubt clashed with awe. Some believed it must have been planned from the beginning, a spectacle arranged to astonish. Others knew better. The pride of a Grand Magus was not something that tolerated mockery. To step forward now, Ibarin had to be taking this seriously.

Raze, watching him approach, understood exactly why his plan had worked. By making the declaration in public, before thousands, he had cornered the Grand Magus.

Ibarin had been mocked by Wilton Academy’s involvement in the event. His authority had been undermined, his pride repeatedly tested by failures and disruptions. To walk away from this challenge would be to show weakness, to admit fear in front of the entire magical world gathered here today. That was unacceptable.

More than that, Raze had handed him an opportunity. An official duel, in front of all Alterian, with a student from Wilton. If Ibarin crushed him, it would not only humiliate Wilton but serve as proof of his supremacy, silencing doubt and washing away every slight against his authority.

This was why Ibarin couldn’t refuse.

Because for Ibarin, this wasn’t simply about Raze. It was about power. About pride. About domination.

Finally, the Grand Magus’s feet touched the ground. The air stilled, his aura wrapping over the arena like an invisible shroud. His smile was calm, almost polite, but the intensity behind it made the atmosphere heavy.

He raised his voice, the wind carrying it to every corner of the colosseum.

"I, Ibarin, Grand Magus and principal of the Central Academy, accept this duel."

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