Reincarnation Of A Swordsman: The Omni Mage

"THE WINNER OF THE FINAL MATCH: LORA INGS!!"

The crowd erupted into thunderous applause, not out of loyalty to the winner, but in celebration of the exhilarating battle they had just witnessed.

The coliseum's stands vibrated with the sheer energy of their excitement.

It didn't matter that Kyle, the favorite, had lost. What mattered was that both he and Lora had delivered a fight for the ages.

Cheers, shouts, and whistles filled the air as the students reveled in the thrill of the match's unexpected conclusion.

In the stands, Kyle's friends reacted in their own ways.

Riya crossed her arms, a frown etched on her face.

"I didn't get defeated by a nobody," she muttered under her breath with a proud smirk.

Lora's win might have been surprising, but Riya could assure herself that she got defeated by the winner in the semi-finals, which meant she got first pick on the grand prizes.

Orion, ever the analytical one, adjusted his glasses as he tried to piece together what had just happened.

"That… that shouldn't have been possible." He sounded almost baffled as he shook his head, eyes locked on the arena floor where the runic circle was barely visible.

"The time it takes to draw a rune, activate it, and set a trap in the middle of a fight—statistically speaking, that's beyond improbable for someone like Lora. It's... borderline impossible."

Anne sat beside them, quiet as usual, but there was something different in her expression.

Though she said nothing, her eyes gleamed with an odd satisfaction, her lips twitching in a hint of a smile.

It was as if she had watched something deeply personal unfold. Her foe had stumbled, and despite her silence, she seemed quietly pleased.

Milo, meanwhile, clicked his tongue in annoyance. Explore stories at m,v l'e-m|p| y r

"Tsk. I would've done better," he grumbled, arms crossed.

His competitive nature refused to acknowledge Lora's victory as anything more than luck.

"Kyle let his guard down. If I had been in there, that wouldn't have happened."

But Zack, always the lighthearted one, was bouncing on his feet, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Bro lied to me!" he exclaimed, pointing accusingly at the arena as if Kyle could hear him. "He told me it was a sure thing! Lora—how did she even...?"

Zack couldn't contain his excitement, his eyes wide with disbelief and amusement at the twist of fate.

"Damn. This is wild!"

While Kyle's friends processed the fight in their own ways, Kyle himself lay unconscious on the arena floor.

His body was devoid from signs of a brutal match, but that didn't make him any healthier.

Medics were already rushing to his side, carefully lifting him onto a stretcher.

The lightning strike that had hit him cleanly on the chest had taken its toll, leaving his body limp.

Yet, despite the pain, his face was calm, his lips slightly parted as if he were still processing the events even in his unconscious state.

Lora, on the other hand, stood at the edge of the arena, still breathing heavily from the exertion.

Her legs trembled, barely holding her up, but her expression was one of calm satisfaction.

She hadn't expected to win either—not like this—but she had done it. She glanced at the medics carrying Kyle away, her eyes softening as she watched him.

The victory tasted bittersweet. She respected Kyle, and seeing him like this aroused something within her.

She wanted to go and help. She was deeply concerned for his well being but she couldn't run off after him when she could practically do nothing to help his condition.

Lora had no other option than to watch as the medics took Kyle's body away from the arena.

Instructor Dan made his way into the arena as the medics hurried past him with Kyle in tow.

He approached Lora, clapping her on the shoulder, his face beaming with pride.

"Well done, Lora," he said with a smile. "You've shown incredible talent. You earned this win."

Lora blinked, still dazed, but she managed a nod, her lips curving into a small smile. She had done it. She had won.

Dan turned to the crowd, raising his hands to quiet them. "The prize ceremony will begin in an hour!" he announced. The crowd cheered once more, eager for what was to come.

Meanwhile, Kyle woke up in the coliseum infirmary, his muscles hurting in pain.

He blinked a few times, groaning as he tried to sit up, his body protesting with every movement.

His chest felt like it had been smashed with a sledgehammer.

"What… the hell happened?" he muttered to himself, his voice thick with frustration.

And then, without warning, Void's voice echoed in his mind, mocking him as usual.

[That was quite the performance, Master. Truly inspiring. Especially that part where you let yourself get fried by your own lightning bolt. Bravo.]

Kyle clenched his fists, gritting his teeth. "Shut up, Void," he growled, his frustration mounting.

He replayed the last moments of the battle in his mind, trying to make sense of how Lora had managed to turn the tables. He hadn't seen the trap, hadn't even sensed it.

[Oh, don't worry. It was subtle, but clearly beyond your level of comprehension,] Void continued with a smug tone.

[You let your guard down even after I warned you about the rune. And to think I'm stuck with you…]

Kyle swore under his breath, his anger bubbling up inside him. "I had that fight. I should've won."

['Should've,' 'could've'… all meaningless. Fact is, you didn't win. Maybe next time, don't underestimate your opponent.]

Kyle lay back on the infirmary bed, his mind racing as he replayed the battle over and over. He had lost—fair and square. But that didn't mean he was going to forgive himself.

He felt great pain coming this far into the tournament only to see himself lose afterwards.

Ding!

Just as he was about to rest his eyes once again, Kyle heard a familiar pinge from the system directly in his mind.