NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 31: Max's Turn
Seeing Randy defeat his opponent, the boys erupted in excitement.
"Yeah, let's go, let's go, that's my dog!" Max screamed, his voice carrying across the training ground. Alex and Han joined in, their cheers echoing through the arena. The crowd's reaction remained mixed - most applauded politely, acknowledging Randy's victory, while the Zenith Order members scowled, clearly displeased at seeing a noble lose to someone of lower status.
Randy strode back to his friends like a champion returning from war, head held high despite his right shoulder drooping from Freddy's earlier punch.
"That's my boy!" Max exclaimed, delivering a congratulatory slap to Randy's shoulder.
"Dude, watch it!" Randy recoiled, shrugging away from Max's enthusiastic gesture. "That hurts!"
Max's booming laughter filled the air, his belly-deep chuckles resonating like an old man's. "Oh my bad, man. Just got too excited!"
Alex and Han exchanged knowing looks, shaking their heads at Max's antics. Alex extended his fist toward Randy. "Glad you won, man."
Han flashed a thumbs up, his gesture adding to the quiet celebration of Randy's victory.
However, before the boys could say anything else, Professor Bain's voice sliced through the dojo's charged atmosphere. "Max, Derek - step forward."
A predatory grin spread across Derek's face as he strode toward the center, his orange uniform seeming to shimmer with barely contained flames. Max rose to his full height, his enhanced frame casting long shadows across the practice floor as he moved to meet his opponent.
The air crackled with tension as they faced each other, months of bitter rivalry condensed into this single moment. Along the dojo's edges, Derek's lackeys watched with barely concealed malice, while Alex and Randy's hands clenched into fists, their bodies tensed as if ready to leap into the fray themselves.
"Finally," Derek's voice dripped with venom, flames dancing between his fingers. "Time to remind everyone what happens when commoner trash forgets their place."
Max's enhanced muscles rippled beneath his uniform as he settled into a fighting stance, his expression hardened with quiet determination. "Funny," he replied, his voice carrying an edge of steel, "I was about to teach you the same lesson."
Cutting into the trash talk professor Bain says.
"Remember - three hits and you lose. If I detect a potentially lethal strike, I'll stop the fight immediately and declare a winner. Understood?" Professor Bain's gaze shifted between the two combatants, waiting until both nodded their confirmation.
Raising his hand high, Professor Bain sliced it downward through the air. "Begin!"
Max launched forward instantly, his enhanced frame closing the distance with explosive power. His fists shot out in long, devastating combinations, each blow carrying the full force of his bloodline-strengthened muscles. Derek backpedaled frantically, his hands erupting into brilliant flames as he created space between them.
Unlike other students still struggling with basic magic manipulation, Derek had mastered projectile combat. Fire bolts blazed from his palms with practiced precision, each one a testament to his prodigious talent with the Ignivar bloodline.
"Die, you filthy pig!" Derek roared, gathering flames between his cupped hands. The fire condensed into a massive bolt that screamed through the air toward Max, who had been successfully evading the smaller projectiles until now. This one moved too fast to dodge.
Instead of attempting to evade, Max charged straight through the inferno. He reinforced his arm with every ounce of power he could muster, meeting the fireball with a devastating punch. Flames cascaded around him like a hellish waterfall, singeing his uniform, but Max ignored the burning sensation. Like an enraged bull, he crashed through Derek's attack and into close combat range.
Instantly settling into his boxing stance, Max unleashed a thunderous right cross. Though Derek managed to raise his guard, Max's enhanced strength proved overwhelming. The punch shattered Derek's defense, sending him flying across the dojo floor.
Rolling with the impact, Derek channeled flames through his feet, using them like thrusters to propel himself even further back. Once he'd created sufficient distance, he began weaving his hands in an intricate pattern, fingers dancing through the air like a master crocheting with threads of fire. Mana flowed from his palms, coalescing into a complex glyph that hung before him, its burning symbols pulsing with deadly intent.
Grasping the glyph with both hands, Derek raised it to his lips like a conductor about to command an orchestra of destruction. He drew in a deep breath, his chest expanding as he gathered his power. Then, with a roar that shook the very air, he exhaled through the glyph. The magical array transformed his breath into an infernal torrent, turning the dojo's atmosphere into a corridor of hellfire.
Max could only reinforce his body with mana and raise his guard against the oncoming inferno. The dragon-like breath attack scorched everything in its path, threatening to reduce him to ash if his defenses proved insufficient.
Scorched and bloodied, Max's burnt skin glistened in the dojo's ethereal light. He knew his situation was dire - one more hit would end the match. With Derek's superior mobility keeping him at range, Max realized he had only one path to victory: he needed to weather one final blow to create an opening for a lethal strike, forcing Professor Bain to intervene and declare him the winner.
Though limited to mana reinforcement, the past weeks of training hadn't been wasted. Max recalled his instructor's lessons about footwork - how the man seemed to glide across the ground like a surfer riding waves. Squaring his stance, Max watched Derek gather the last reserves of his fire mana into his fists, preparing the same explosive burst he'd once used against Alex.
Max knew his superior physical strength gave him the advantage in close combat, but technique would determine who landed the crucial first strike. Drawing on his training, he launched forward with unnaturally light steps, each movement propelling him closer like micro-teleports across the dojo floor. His enhanced frame moved with surprising grace, closing the distance with deadly purpose.
Derek, no amateur in close quarters, set his stance. He launched a probing jab which Max sidestepped, countering with a left hook that shattered Derek's guard. As Derek reeled backward, Max dipped low for an uppercut that barely missed as his opponent used residual flames to propel himself away. Derek transformed the retreat into offense, using his fire-propelled hands to spin like a deadly top.
His backhand blazed past Max's head, forcing him to dodge. Derek pressed his advantage, following with a palm strike wreathed in explosive flames. Max caught the attack on his forearm, using the momentum to create an opening in Derek's center. As Max's fist rocketed toward Derek's exposed face, his opponent made one final, desperate gambit.
With a primal roar, Derek channeled every remaining spark of his fire mana into a point-blank beam that caught Max square in the chest, launching him backward. The noble section of the audience erupted in cheers, celebrating what they saw as a commoner being put in his proper place.
"The winner - Derek!" Professor Bain announced, rushing to administer healing potions to both combatants. The familiar liquid shimmered with restorative magic as he treated their wounds.
"Excellent fight, truly excellent!" Professor Bain's voice carried through the dojo, resonating with genuine enthusiasm. "This, class, is what magical combat should embody - leveraging your strengths while adapting to both your opponent's weaknesses and your own limitations. Both fighters demonstrated remarkable growth." His eyes gleamed with pride as he regarded Max's evident progress and Derek's natural talent. "Well done, both of you. You've exceeded expectations."
Derek's chest swelled at the professor's praise, his victory over Max adding fuel to his already blazing ego. His gaze swept across the gathered commoner students, contempt dripping from every word. "Do you see now? Do you understand what true noble power looks like?" He strode back to his aristocratic companions, flames still dancing between his fingers. "Remember this moment, for I am the flame that will burn brighter than the sun itself."
"Look how the mighty have fallen," Derek sneered, his voice carrying across the dojo as he circled Max's kneeling form. "Did you really think a commoner could stand against noble blood? Against power refined through generations?" Flames danced between his fingers, casting sinister shadows across his features. "Even with your enhanced strength, you're nothing but a brute swinging his fists in the dark."
Alex and Randy rushed to Max's side, their faces tight with barely contained fury. Max's enhanced frame trembled - not from pain or exhaustion, but from frustration so deep it seemed to radiate from his very bones. His massive fists clenched against the dojo floor, knuckles white with tension.
"Oh, what's wrong?" Derek's laughter rang sharp and cruel. "Did the rabid dog finally learn his place?" His noble friends joined in, their mockery echoing through the sacred training space. "Perhaps next time you'll think twice before challenging your betters."
"That's enough, Derek," Professor Bain's voice cut through the taunting. Though his tone remained professional, a subtle edge of warning crept into his words.
Not catching the memo Max pushes himself to his feet, his enhanced frame casting a long shadow across the dojo floor. Despite his defeat, he stood tall, meeting Derek's gaze with unwavering determination. "You won today," he acknowledged, his voice steady despite the bitter taste of loss. "But this isn't over - not by a long shot."
Derek's smirk faltered slightly at Max's composed response, having expected - perhaps even hoped for - an outburst of commoner rage. He recovered quickly, but not before Alex caught that brief flash of uncertainty in his eyes.
"Keep dreaming, pig," Derek spat, but some of the venom had left his voice. He turned away, his noble entourage falling in behind him like well-trained shadows.
"Enough!" Professor Bain's voice cracked through the air like thunder. "I've praised your abilities, but this petty squabbling ends now. You're here to grow stronger, to learn - not to nurture childish grudges." His gaze swept across the dojo, fixing each student with a look that demanded attention. "This isn't about noble versus commoner. It's about becoming the best versions of yourselves."
But even as Professor Bain's words echoed through the sacred training space, the divide between the groups had already crystallized into something harder, more permanent. Randy's victory over Michael and Max's loss to Derek had created a perfect storm of resentment and pride. The nobles, led by Derek's sneering confidence, clustered together like storm clouds promising violence. Meanwhile, the commoner students gravitated toward Alex's group, drawn by their willingness to challenge the established order.
What had started as simple class rivalry had transformed into something far more dangerous - a microcosm of the larger societal tensions that plagued their world. Each side now had their victories and defeats to fuel their convictions, their heroes and martyrs to rally behind. Professor Bain could see it in their eyes - his words of unity falling on ears already deafened by the drumbeat of tribalism.