The Villian Who Broke The Story

The medical staff hurriedly escorted the unconscious elf toward the Academy Infirmary while restoration mages once again repaired the arena that had been reduced to rubble during Hulk Ironhammer’s brutal match. Cracked stone slowly knitted itself back together under layers of restoration magic until the battlefield looked as though nothing had ever happened.

Despite the repairs, the atmosphere inside the stadium had changed completely.

The spectators no longer viewed the first-year tournament as a simple ranking competition.

Every battle seemed capable of producing another monster.

Students from the upper years, academy staff, distinguished guests, and nobles all watched with renewed interest. Conversations echoed throughout the stadium as everyone discussed the combat dwarf who had appeared out of nowhere.

”He just bulldozed through the fight and beat the elf silly.”

”Yeah, and this is also the first time I’m seeing a dwarf fight.”

”Who knew that combat dwarves were this strong?”

Many of the human students nodded in agreement.

Meanwhile, the elves seated throughout the stadium wore expressions of varying displeasure.

”How could he do that to a noble elf?”

”That’s why dwarves are such barbarians.”

An elf spoke angrily.

A beastkin seated a few rows behind him scoffed loudly.

”Why don’t you say that directly to the face of a dwarf and see what they think of your nobility.”

The elf frowned but wisely chose not to respond.

Everyone had just witnessed what happened to someone who irritated Hulk Ironhammer.

Picking a fight with a combat dwarf outside the arena suddenly seemed like a terrible idea.

Below the VIP stands, Cairo leaned back in his chair with an amused smile still lingering on his face.

”I have to admit...”

”That wasn’t the ending I expected.”

The Student Council President sighed softly.

”It was certainly...”

”...memorable.”

Cairo laughed.

”I guess that’s what happens when a cool elf fights a hot dwarf.”

He elbowed the Student Council President lightly.

”Get it?”

He wore a grin that suggested he found himself far funnier than anyone else did.

The Student Council President simply stared at him for a brief moment before looking back toward the arena.

She completely ignored his joke.

”...”

Cairo scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

”You’re really no fun.”

She pretended not to hear him.

Instead, she calmly asked,

”You know who the next contestants are, right?”

That single sentence immediately brought Cairo back to reality.

His eyes lit up.

”Who are we talking about?”

The Student Council President folded her arms.

”It’s a battle between Kael...”

”...and Hulk the dwarf.”

Cairo nearly jumped out of his seat.

”Get out!”

His excitement instantly returned.

”I honestly thought the only fight that could get me this excited was Kael versus Zion.”

”But now...”

He looked toward the arena with sparkling eyes.

”I really want to see what Kael does this time.”

”That dwarf is insane.”

The Student Council President couldn’t help shaking her head at Cairo’s childlike enthusiasm.

Sometimes...

He behaved less like the Head of the Disciplinary Committee...

And more like a boy attending his very first tournament.

”Oh!”

”They’re announcing the next contestants already!”

Cairo pointed excitedly toward the arena.

The announcer’s amplified voice echoed throughout the stadium as officials completed the arena preparations.

The Student Council President simply ignored Cairo’s antics.

”I guess this year’s first-year tournament...”

”...is finally reaching its climax.”

Cairo nodded before turning toward her again.

His expression became surprisingly serious.

”Tell me something.”

”Have you made up your mind on who you’ll take as your protégé?”

She looked at him thoughtfully.

”Judging from the way you’re asking...”

”I take it you’ve already found someone?”

Cairo smiled.

”Yeah.”

”I just wanted to know whether I should start preparing for a duel between us anytime soon.”

He spoke so casually that one would think challenging the Student Council President was something perfectly normal.

She remained silent for a few seconds.

Then she slowly shook her head.

”Yeah...”

”I don’t think I’ll have the same choice as you when it comes to choosing a protégé.”

Cairo shrugged.

”I don’t really know what you’re implying.”

”But honestly...”

”I’ll gladly take whichever promising first-year I can get.”

His attention returned to the arena.

”If we’re lucky...”

”This batch might become the strongest first-year generation this academy has produced in years.”

Meanwhile...

Kael sat quietly inside the waiting room.

Unlike the noisy excitement filling the stadium outside, the corridor leading to the competitors’ rooms remained almost completely silent.

His fingers tapped lightly against the armrest of his chair.

His body felt strangely restless.

Not from fear...

But anticipation.

”As of now...”

”Ranks Three and Four should be battling.”

”I’ll fight whoever wins next...”

”...before facing Zion.”

A grin slowly spread across his face.

”Just one step closer...”

”To battling Zion.”

”Then Aurella...”

”And finally completing my first major milestone in this world.”

His heart beat slightly faster just thinking about it.

Among every first-year student inside the academy...

Those two were the opponents he had been looking forward to the most.

Zion Crawford.

The future Sword Saint.

And Aurella Voss...

The prodigy whose talent bordered on monstrous.

The stadium suddenly became unusually quiet.

Kael noticed immediately.

”...That’s strange.”

Normally every battle was accompanied by cheers or loud reactions.

But this...

This silence felt different.

He considered walking outside to see what had happened.

Instead...

He leaned back in his chair.

”No.”

”I should stay focused.”

”The next battle is mine.”

He closed his eyes briefly, mentally reviewing every fight he had witnessed throughout the tournament.

Every copied technique.

Every weakness.

Every possible scenario.

A few moments later...

A staff member entered the waiting room.

”Kael Draven.”

”It’s your turn.”

Kael opened his eyes.

A confident smile appeared on his face.

”...Time to go.”

Kael rose from his seat, adjusted the collar of his academy blazer, and followed the staff member through the quiet corridor leading toward the arena.

Each step echoed softly against the stone floor.

Unlike the deafening atmosphere outside, the hallway was almost eerily silent, allowing Kael to organize his thoughts.

”This should be Rank Three versus Rank Four...”

”After this...”

”Only Zion and Aurella remain.”

His excitement grew with every step.

The tournament had been progressing smoothly so far.

As the exit to the arena drew closer, Kael expected to hear the usual roar of thousands of spectators.

Instead...

Only low murmurs greeted him.

”...That’s odd.”

He frowned slightly.

”There’s barely any cheering.”

Passing through the entrance tunnel, he stepped into the light of the stadium.

The first thing he noticed wasn’t his opponent.

It was the referee.

The referee stood several meters away with an expression that looked somewhere between exhausted and cautious, his attention fixed on someone standing inside a transparent barrier.

Kael blinked.

”...What exactly is going on here?”

His gaze shifted toward the person trapped inside the barrier.

A short figure carrying an enormous steel mallet glared furiously at everyone around him.

The announcer’s voice echoed across the stadium.

”And introducing Kael Draven’s opponent...”

”Hulk Ironhammer!”

For a brief moment...

Kael completely froze.

”Hulk...”

His brows knitted together as memories resurfaced.

”Hulk...”

”Why does that name sound familiar?”

He stared at the dwarf, searching his memories.

Then...

His eyes widened.

”...Wait.”

He pointed directly at Hulk.

”Hey!”

”You’re that dwarf that almost beat me up for nothing when I came to collect a free sword!”

The entire stadium became silent.

Hulk slowly turned toward Kael.

Recognition flashed across his face.

Then...

His expression twisted with rage.

”You bastard!”

His voice thundered throughout the arena.

”Don’t let me get my hands on you!”

”How dare you point at me!”

”Is it because you’re tall?!”

”I’m going to knock some sense into you!”

The barrier surrounding Hulk shook violently as he slammed his mallet against it.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

The referee instinctively took two steps backward.

Kael rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

”...Yep.”

”He’s definitely the dwarf I met before I fought Sean and he seems a little bit unhinged.”

He paused.

Watching Hulk continue screaming inside the barrier...

Kael slowly corrected himself.

”...Nope.”

”He’s more than a little unhinged.”

”He’s definitely out for blood.”

Several students burst into laughter.

”So they already know each other?”

”I almost feel bad for Kael.”

”Almost?”

”Did you not hear the dwarf?”

”He’s trying to kill him.”

Even Cairo couldn’t help laughing.

”So that’s where they met.”

”No wonder the dwarf reacted like that.”

The Student Council President sighed.

”I somehow feel like this match is going to destroy the arena.”

High above them, several guests observed the exchange with amused expressions.

Garrick crossed his arms.

”I like this dwarf.”

”He’s honest with his emotions.”

The Sword Saint glanced toward Kael.

”...Or perhaps too honest.”

Madam Voss remained silent, though even she seemed mildly interested in what was unfolding below.

The referee looked between the two contestants before taking a deep breath.

”...Please.”

”Try not to destroy the entire arena.”

Neither contestant appeared to hear him.

Kael’s attention remained fixed on Hulk.

Likewise...

Hulk’s murderous glare never left Kael.

The tension between them grew heavier by the second.

Finally...

The referee raised his hand.

”The battle...”

”...Begins!”

The barrier surrounding Hulk disappeared.

The instant it vanished—

BOOM!!

The arena floor exploded beneath Hulk’s feet.

His body shot forward like a cannonball.

Kael’s instincts screamed.

Without hesitating for even a fraction of a second...

He activated Vanishing Step.

His figure disappeared from where he had been standing.

Less than a heartbeat later—

CRAAAAASH!!

Hulk’s gigantic mallet smashed into the exact location Kael had occupied.

The reinforced arena floor caved inward.

Massive cracks spread across the stone like a spider’s web before chunks of rock were blasted into the air.

A cloud of dust engulfed half the battlefield.

Gasps erupted from every section of the stadium.

”What destructive power!”

”He nearly shattered the platform!”

Kael reappeared several meters away and stared silently at the crater.

His eyes moved from the destroyed ground...

To the enormous mallet resting at its center...

Then finally...

To Hulk himself.

”...If even a single attack from that thing lands on me...”

”I’ll be in serious trouble.”

His playful expression disappeared.

For the first time since the tournament began...

Kael slowly reached toward the sword hanging at his waist.

Shing!

The blade slid free from its scabbard.

Its polished edge reflected the afternoon sunlight.

Kael lowered his stance, his crimson eyes locking onto the furious combat dwarf.

This...

Would not be a battle he could afford to take lightly.

”So you’ve finally decided to stop fooling around!”

The dwarf tightened his grip on his massive mallet before charging once again.

His movements were surprisingly agile for someone carrying such a heavy weapon.

Every step shook the arena beneath him.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The distance between them closed almost instantly.

Hulk swung his mallet horizontally with enough force to create a powerful gust of wind.

Kael’s eyes narrowed.

Instead of meeting the attack head-on, he activated Vanishing Step, narrowly slipping outside the weapon’s range.

The mallet swept past him with terrifying momentum.

BOOM!

The shockwave alone shattered several stone tiles behind Kael.

”So fast...”

A student muttered from the stands.

”But the dwarf’s attacks are terrifying.”

Kael didn’t allow himself to relax.

He immediately retaliated.

His sword flashed toward Hulk’s shoulder.

Clang!

The dwarf intercepted the strike using the thick steel handle of his mallet.

The impact echoed throughout the arena.

Hulk laughed.

”Good!”

”You actually know how to swing a sword!”

He twisted the handle, forcing Kael’s blade away before delivering a heavy kick.

Kael blocked it with his forearm and slid several meters backward across the arena floor.

He exhaled slowly.

”His physical strength is ridiculous...”

”Every exchange feels like I’m fighting an ogre.”

Unlike Felix...

Unlike the Tigerkin...

Hulk relied almost entirely on overwhelming physical power.

There were no elaborate techniques.

No complicated feints.

Every swing carried the simple intention of crushing whatever stood before him.

The spectators watched with growing excitement.

”This is completely different from Kael’s previous fights.”

”He can’t dominate this one.”

”That dwarf isn’t giving him any breathing room.”

Cairo leaned forward.

”Now this...”

”This is interesting.”

The Student Council President nodded.

”Hulk’s raw strength is forcing Kael to fight seriously.”

Back on the battlefield, Hulk raised his mallet above his head.

”Stop running around!”

He slammed it downward.

CRAAASH!

The arena split apart once again.

Kael disappeared just before the weapon landed.

Chunks of stone shot into the air like cannonballs.

Without warning—

Kael emerged from the dust cloud.

His sword danced forward in three precise strikes aimed at Hulk’s blind spots.

Shoulder.

Waist.

Neck.

Hulk reacted purely on instinct.

He shifted his body just enough to avoid a fatal hit while blocking the remaining attacks with the shaft of his mallet.

Sparks erupted with every collision.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

”So that’s your game!”

Hulk roared.

”You hit harder than you look!”

Kael smiled faintly.

”And you’re even tougher than I expected.”

He kicked off the ground again, refusing to stay in one place.

”His openings disappear the moment he attacks...”

”Breaking through his defense won’t be easy.”

Hjlk suddenly burst into laughter.

”Quit thinking so much!”

He spun his mallet in a full circle before charging again.

The massive weapon whistled through the air.

Kael ducked beneath the first swing.

Twisted around the second.

Jumped over the third.

The audience could barely keep up with their movements.

”He dodged all of them!”

”No...”

A teacher corrected.

”He predicted every swing.”

The exchange continued at a blistering pace.

Neither contestant was willing to yield.

Hulk’s overwhelming strength constantly destroyed the battlefield.

Kael’s superior speed and swordsmanship prevented even a single direct hit.

It became a battle between absolute power...

And flawless precision.

High above the arena, Garrick folded his arms.

”That boy really knows how to adapt.”

The Sword Saint nodded.

”He’s already figured out the rhythm behind Hulk’s attacks.”

Madam Voss remained silent, though her eyes never left Kael.

Far below...

Kael tightened his grip on his sword.

A small smile appeared on his face.

”I understand...”

”So this is your fighting style.”

Across from him, Hulk rested the head of his mallet on one shoulder.

He grinned ferociously.

”What happened?”

”I thought you wanted to become Rank One.”

”Show me something worth remembering!”

Kael slowly lowered his stance.

Mana quietly flowed through his body.

His crimson eyes sharpened.

”If that’s what you want...”

”I’ll stop testing you.”

The atmosphere around the arena suddenly changed.

Even the spectators could sense it.

Cairo leaned forward in anticipation.

”...He’s about to get serious.”

The Student Council President narrowed her eyes.

”So is Hulk.”

The next exchange....

Would decide the direction of the battle.

For a brief moment, neither of them moved.

The arena fell silent.

Hulk’s ferocious grin remained plastered across his face as he tightened his grip on the massive mallet resting on his shoulder.

Kael slowly exhaled.

His crimson eyes locked onto Hulk’s every movement.

”His attacks are overwhelming... but no matter how powerful they are, every attack has an opening.”

The instant Hulk’s feet dug into the arena—

Boom!

He disappeared from his spot.

The spectators gasped as the enormous dwarf closed the distance in an instant, his mallet descending toward Kael’s head with enough force to flatten the arena.

Kael didn’t retreat.

Instead, he activated Vanishing Step at the last possible moment.

BOOM!

The mallet crashed into the ground, sending fragments of stone flying in every direction.

Before the dust could settle, Kael appeared at Hulk’s flank.

His sword flashed like a streak of black lightning.

Slash!

A shallow cut appeared across Hulk’s forearm.

A single crimson line formed...

Then droplets of blood slowly trickled down his arm.

The entire stadium froze.

”...He...”

”He actually injured Hulk!”

One of the students shouted in disbelief.

Cairo’s eyes widened.

”So even Hulk isn’t invincible.”

The Student Council President silently watched the exchange, a faint glimmer appearing in her usually calm eyes.

Hulk himself looked down at the cut on his shoulder.

For a brief second...

He simply stared.

Then he slowly raised his bloodstained hand before rubbing the wound with his thumb.

His grin disappeared.

”...”

”You...”

His voice was unusually calm.

”You cut me, Hulk the Dwarf, with a pathetic blade...”

He slowly lifted his head, his eyes burning with fury.

”...and you’re tall to begin with.”

”How dare you.”

”I will definitely kill you!”

His grip around the mallet tightened as strange runes and ancient engravings across its surface suddenly began glowing with a deep crimson light.

Kael frowned as he sensed the pressure radiating from both Hulk and the weapon.

At that moment, he immediately realized where he had gone wrong.