Grand Return System

Frost That Silences the Proud

Blaise felt it—sharp, bitter, almost suffocating.

Again.

His sword cut through nothing but air.

Again.

Selena had slipped past him like mist, her figure gliding just out of reach every single time. No wasted movement. No panic. Not even a hint of strain.

It stung.

No—it burned.

His jaw tightened, fingers clenching harder around his sword hilt as frustration crept into his bones. Around the arena, murmurs rose and fell like waves, each whisper scraping against his pride.

I’m supposed to be a genius...

Second only to Kevin in the entire Celestis Academy.

Even Shan—he had never taken him seriously.

Yet now—

He couldn’t even touch Selena.

The realization hit like a slap.

His breath grew heavier.

What kind of genius... looks like this?

Something in him snapped.

Thinking of this, Blaise was furious and no longer hid anything...

A sharp exhale left his lips as his stance shifted. The sword in his hand began to move—faster, sharper, more decisive. His aura surged violently, like a storm finally breaking free of its cage.

The Agressive Talisman ignited.

In an instant, his strength began to soar.

A ripple of pressure spread across the south Arena, pressing down on the spectators like an invisible weight.

Someone gasped.

"This aura...!"

Everyone was shocked. This power was already approaching the ninth star of the Astral Realm.

Even those seated high above leaned forward slightly, their expressions tightening.

Selena felt it too.

The air had changed.

The playful ease from before vanished from her gaze, replaced by something colder... sharper. Her fingers tightened around the Amethyst Mist Sword as she slowly drew it from its sheath.

A faint, clear hum echoed—like a whisper of winter.

She had no choice but to take him seriously now.

"Watch my sword."

Blaise’s voice cut through the air, thick with restrained anger.

He moved.

Out came the strike, sharp and wild, fueled by pride more than skill. The steel moved heavy, dragging every insult he’d ever swallowed. Not being seen as less drove each inch of that cut.

Selena didn’t retreat.

She stepped in.

Steel met steel.

Out of nowhere, a clang split the air - crisp, fierce - light flaring where blade met blade in full force. Moving like shadows, they darted close, hits coming fast, one parry following another, always watching, always adjusting. Sparks flew again when steel scraped steel, neither giving ground.

A hush fell as light tore across the space, sharp cracks following each collision.

Clouds shaped the Amethyst Mist Swordsmanship, smooth yet tested now. Blaise’s power grew stronger, pressing against its grace until tiny breaks appeared where rhythm stumbled.

Selena felt it.

A slight shift in balance.

A faint suppression.

Her heart turned cold.

Enough.

Without hesitation, her wrist turned—

Moonlight Flicker strike.

Bang—

The world seemed to shudder.

A single slash cut through the air like a falling star, colliding with Blaise’s attack in a burst of light and sound. The shockwave rippled outward, kicking up dust and rattling the arena floor.

It had to be said that Blaise’s strength was really strong.

He actually held.

His feet dug into the ground, body trembling—but he didn’t fall.

Selena’s brows lifted ever so slightly.

A flicker of surprise.

But only for a moment.

"Junior Sister," Blaise said, breath uneven, yet a hint of pride creeping into his voice, "is my sword still worthy of your attention?"

He smiled—just a little.

As if he had finally proven something.

Selena looked at him.

Calm.

Measured.

Then she nodded.

"Not bad."

Simple words.

No mockery.

No praise beyond what was deserved.

Yet somehow—

They felt heavier than any insult.

And then—

Everything changed.

Her aura shifted.

The temperature dropped.

A faint mist curled around her feet, spreading outward like creeping frost.

Her lips moved slightly, voice so low it barely carried—

"H... Hell Blizzard Technique..."

It wasn’t loud.

But it didn’t need to be.

The world answered.

An extreme coldness surged forward, swallowing the arena in an instant. The air turned sharp, biting—like countless invisible blades grazing the skin.

Blaise’s smile froze.

"This..."

The cold didn’t just touch his body.

It pierced deeper.

Straight into his soul.

His thoughts slowed.

His breathing faltered.

Something inside him began to crack under that chilling pressure, as if his very consciousness was being frozen and shattered piece by piece.

Panic surged.

The woman before him—

No longer felt like someone he could fight.

She stood there, silent, distant—

Like a goddess made of frost.

Untouchable.

Unreachable.

Selena’s eyes were lifeless.

No hesitation.

No mercy.

She moved again.

Moonlight Flicker strike.

She didn’t want to reveal too much of her strength...

But this—

This was necessary.

I can’t waste time here. Not with Shan waiting.

In an instant, her sword rose—

Then fell.

A crescent of pale, freezing light tore down from the sky, carrying with it a crushing force that seemed capable of splitting heaven itself.

The entire arena fell silent.

Everyone present was shocked.

Mike’s hand tightened around the armrest of his chair, knuckles whitening.

"Heaven-grade secret technique!"

His voice carried a rare edge of urgency.

He could see it clearly.

That cold aura—

It wasn’t from her Divine Ice Bones.

It was something else.

Something like Rias’s Inferno Lotus Art... but the complete opposite.

An extreme ice-attribute Sacred Art.

Domineering.

Absolute.

Below, Shera’s eyes darkened as he stared at Selena.

There was a flicker of calculation in his gaze.

"As expected... she has a killing move hidden."

A faint, knowing smile curled at his lips.

"Hmph... Fortunately, I was prepared."

But on the arena—

Blaise had no room for thoughts like that.

His face turned pale.

That descending sword—

It felt like judgment itself.

His hand trembled.

Not from weakness.

From fear.

A fear that came from the soul.

Yet even now—

At the brink of defeat—

He refused to give up.

A hoarse breath escaped him as he raised his sword, gathering every ounce of strength left in his body.

I won’t... fall like this.

He slashed upward.

Everything he had—

Poured into that final attempt.

For a brief second—

It looked like he might succeed.

But—

The difference was too great.

The sword fell.

And crushed everything.

Blaise was directly swept out of the arena, his body thrown like a broken leaf, crashing heavily onto the ground beyond the boundary.

Silence followed.

Heavy.

Still.

"I... lost."

Below the arena, Blaise struggled to stand up from the ground with a dejected expression.