Return Of The SSS-Class Hunter-Chapter 136: Derek Vs Cecilia

First, it was only silence. Because no one could process what just happened. And then the murmurs exploded. This outcome was something no one could have expected.

Some still couldn't accept it. But most could no longer deny Derek's existence.

Linda walked out of the arena, and her footsteps felt unusually heavy. She didn't look back.

Not because she didn't care. But because she knew — if she stayed even one second longer, she might lose the little pride she had left.

And just like that…

Only two people remained in the arena.

Derek. And Cecilia Glaciblade.

The noise in the arena slowly died down. The cheers, the whispers, the gasps — all of it faded into a strange, expectant silence.

Everyone could feel it. This fight was different.

Derek exhaled slowly and adjusted his grip on his sword. His daggers hovered quietly behind him, like two patient predators waiting for the right moment to strike.

Across from him, Cecilia stood calmly. Her silver-blue hair fluttered gently in the air, her expression cold and composed, her sword resting against her shoulder as if she were merely waiting for class to begin.

'…Her again.' Derek narrowed his eyes slightly. 'So it really came down to this.'

A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

'Are you finally going to show the world what you're really capable of, or are you still planning to hide?'

Others knew Cecilia was strong. Very strong.

But only Derek truly understood how terrifying she was.

After all…

He had already crossed swords with her in his previous life.

The two of them stood there, facing each other in silence.

Then....

Cecilia spoke. "We had an unfinished fight."

Her voice was unmistakable. Calm. Cold.

The arena stirred. Many students widened their eyes.

"She still hasn't forgotten about the entrance exam?" One boy from the first year asked.

"Can you blame her? She is strong and wants strong opponents. If not for the time being over, she would have surely defeated that boy." Another one added.

"This one is going to be fun to watch.…" Someone said in the murmurs.

Derek chuckled softly. He tilted his head slightly, studying her. "So it's down to only the two of us."

Cecilia's eyes narrowed. "You believe you could have won that day if the bell hadn't rang, didn't you?" she asked.

"I don't know. Why don't you show me?"

Then....

Her aura exploded. Not violently. Not chaotically. But like a silent, unstoppable blizzard spreading across the world.

Whooooo!

A freezing wind swept across the arena.

The temperature dropped sharply. Frost began creeping across the stone floor.

And in the next instant…

A wave of pressure washed over the audience. The instructors in the gallery stood up almost simultaneously.

"Th... This aura…!"

"No way…"

"She's…"

Someone's voice trembled. "She's D-class."

The words hit the arena like a thunderbolt.

"What?!"

"D-class?!"

"How is that possible?!"

Daniel's eyes widened. Several senior instructors stared at Cecilia in disbelief.

"She's… how old?"

"Eleven? Twelve?"

"And she's already D-class?!"

"That's… that's insane!"

Everyone knew. Reaching D-class before graduation was considered an exceptional achievement.

Reaching it at graduation was considered genius. Reaching it before even entering the upper years… It was nothing short of monstrous.

And yet… Cecilia Glaciblade was standing there. A D-class mage with sword mastery. A true prodigy indeed. Even Linda felt her scalp tingle. It was already bad enough that she was overshadowed by one first-year student; now, here was another one. Even far stronger than Derek. Or that's what everyone thought.

Meanwhile, Nicholas couldn't help but chuckle. After all, finally, his time to shine had arrived.

In the arena, Cecilia's internal energy surged like a frozen ocean beneath cracking ice.

The air itself seemed to crystallize around her.

Derek stared at her for a moment. Then he laughed. 'So… you really decided to go all out.' Derek thought.

'So that's how it is.' His eyes gleamed. 'No more hiding, huh?'

He rolled his shoulders once. 'Good.' If it were before he had talked with Yami, then he would surely lose this round. Because to defeat her, he would have to go all out even after all those developments.

The air grew heavy with tension. Daniel's voice echoed. "Begin!"

The moment the words fell....

Cecilia moved.

Her hand swept forward with the sword.

Shhhhh!

Dozens of frosty arcs exploded into existence, slicing through the air like crescent moons made of ice.

The audience gasped.

"So fast!"

"That's the swod-mage for yeah. She isn't just talented. She is one in a billion!"

Derek stepped forward. His sword flashed as well.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

Each strike shattered an ice arc into glittering fragments. The air filled with mist and frost.

He pushed forward, breaking through her first wave.

But then…

His brow furrowed. His right hand felt…

Heavy.

Stiff.

Cold.

He glanced down. Frost was creeping up his fingers. His skin was turning pale blue. "…So it's already started."

A few students noticed it too. "His hand…!"

"It's freezing!"

"He didn't even get hit directly!" 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

Derek flexed his fingers slowly. The movement was slightly sluggish.

Then...

He smiled. Not nervously. Not tensely. But with excitement. 'There she goes.' He said to himself. 'The real Cecilia Glaciblade.'

He looked up at her. 'If I hadn't learned the dagger-wielding technique and received the enlightenment… I would've lost for sure.'

"She really is the best sword mage. And that title isn't just for show." He whispered.

Cecilia stepped forward. Her sword moved.

The temperature dropped again. Their blades met.

Clang!

A shockwave rippled outward. Frost exploded. Lightning crackled. They separated and clashed again.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Their swords moved too fast for ordinary students to follow. Only the instructors and high-ranking seniors could barely track their exchanges.

"So precise…"

"So clean…"

"The way she wields her sword… she would make aurans look pathetic."

The gallery was buzzing with murmurs.

Every time Cecilia's sword passed near Derek, frost spread. Not just on the ground.

On him. His arm. His shoulder. Even his chest armor began to frost over.

"You're slowing down," Cecilia said calmly.

Derek grinned. "Am I?"

He stepped in. Their swords locked. For a brief moment, they were face-to-face. Her eyes were cold and unwavering. His words were sharp and burning.

Then...

He broke away.

And his daggers moved.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The twin blades shot toward her from behind at impossible angles.

Cecilia's eyes flickered. She twisted and swung her sword.

Clang! Clang!

She deflected them. But that split second...

Was enough.

Derek closed in.

Ban!

Their swords collided again. This time, Cecilia slid back several steps.

The audience erupted in shock and disbelief.

"No way! He pushed her back!"

"But she's D-class!"

"Unless.... That kid is also a ..." One instructor started but couldn't finish her words.

The fight intensified.

Ice storms.

Sword flashes.

Dagger arcs.

The arena turned into a battlefield of frost and metallic clashes.

Students watched in stunned silence. Seniors clenched their fists.

"How can those two be in only the first year?"

"This is already upper-tier combat."

"Yeah. If it's Cecilia, I can still understand. But that boy as well? How? Why?!"

Gradually…

Everyone was so busy enjoying the fight that almost everyone failed to notice the gradual change. Cecilia's breathing was growing heavier. Her attacks remained sharp. Her control remained terrifying.

But her stamina…

It was being pushed to its limit.

Derek, on the other hand… Looked like he was enjoying himself.

'So this is your full power even at this age,' he thought. 'No wonder you never bothered with anyone else.'

Cecilia didn't say anything. She attacked again.

One final, overwhelming wave of freezing energy surged forward. The arena floor cracked. Ice erupted like spears. The air howled.

"For a moment," one senior whispered, "I thought he was done."

But then...

Derek's eyes sharpened. His daggers vanished. And reappeared.

Behind her.

Inside her guard.

Before she could react... The flat of his blade struck her side.

Thud!

Cecilia was sent flying. She crashed and slid across the arena floor, finally stopping near the barrier.

She tried to stand. But her knees trembled.

She failed.

Silence.

Then....

The frost faded.

Daniel swallowed. "The third trial ends here."

The arena exploded.

"He won!"

"He beat a D-class!"

"Is this guy even real?!"

Derek exhaled slowly and walked toward her.

Cecilia sat there, breathing heavily, her sword resting beside her.

"I didn't know you were holding back this much back then," she said quietly.

Derek smiled. "I wasn't holding back."

She froze as she kept looking at him for a long moment.

Medical staff rushed in.

As Cecilia was carried away…

Daniel's voice echoed again. "With this, our third trial ends!"

The noise slowly calmed. "The fourth trial will begin shortly! All remaining participants, after a thirty-minute break, please enter the arena!"

One by one, the remaining teams steadied themselves. Two more rounds to go. This time's half-yearly rankers' test had reshuffled every team's position, and no one knew what would happen next. But they knew one thing for sure. They didn't even need to worry about a team when a single person's shadow was hard enough to forget.