Arcane Academy: The Divine Extraction Legacy Chapter 1241 1241: The Knights

Amidst the professors, Vale positioned himself flawlessly, his disguise impenetrable to mortal vision.

To the spectators, he appeared as merely one more teacher from Marshall Academy, overseeing his pupils.

However, any Immortal nearby could perceive the reality. He made no effort to conceal his Divinity, and the shadowy aura enveloping him was impossible to overlook.

As Queen Sabrina's voice echoed through the coliseum, Vale's attention locked onto her… He knew that face all too well.

'Impossible…' he pondered. 'Sabrina Hoffman?'

He had encountered her years prior, during his ventures into the Shadow Realm. Though her hair shade had changed and she looked more mature, Vale recognized it as mere transformation art. The shadow divinity, physique, and aura remained identical!

"What is she doing here?" he muttered involuntarily upon verifying her identity.

Memories flooded back of their initial meeting in that realm.

Contrary to its name, the Shadow Realm wasn't a void of perpetual night. It spanned a massive plane brimming with nations and urban centers, where Dark Arts reigned supreme yet other paths flourished too. In Hymn City, their paths had crossed…

At that time, Sabrina served as Regional Commander for the group called Luminis Hold.

Vale had assumed their encounter was a one-off. But now, she stood as queen in the Human Realm.

He remained clueless about her motives, yet queenship didn't fit the image he held of her.

'Did she trail me to this world? Or… could she traverse realms all along?'

This notion disturbed him deeply.

Her arrival in the Human Realm implied her mastery of interworldly paths exceeded his expectations.

Nevertheless, this discovery confirmed his hunch. She likely hailed from the Hoffman Family, key founders of this land's Dark Arts factions.

But was she a foe?

Vale couldn't say for sure. He had already dispatched Lesley, the Hoffman Family prodigy. Should Sabrina know of it, she might blame him.

Still, he might be reading too much into it. Maybe no Hoffman ties existed, and her appearance was pure chance.

His gut urged utmost caution.

His reputation had spread across realms, so she undoubtedly knew of him… Yet her lack of approach suggested hidden agendas.

He breathed out steadily, quelling the unease in his core.

Rather than confront her, Vale shifted focus to his students.

Through telepathy, he imparted guidance.

"Do not let yourselves be pressured," he instructed. "Focus on the competition. Ignore the noise. We are here to prove ourselves…"

The students nodded firmly, their resolve bolstered.

Though facing pupils from a specialized Academy dedicated to particular Arcane Arts, confidence surged within them.

Even with Marshall Academy covering all Arcane Arts branches, their training quality rivaled those focused institutions…

Victory seemed well within reach!

Meanwhile, Vale's gaze rested on Queen Sabrina once more.

He wouldn't engage her... Not now. Her schemes would surface eventually.

For the moment, he chose to lead his students through the challenges and elevate Marshall Academy to the pinnacle of Arcane Academies!

***

Soon enough, the coliseum's focus turned as announcers heralded the Knight's Path battles.

Unlike the Combat Path's reliance on soul-forged Aura and hand-to-hand combat, the Knight's Path emphasized weapons and arcane spells, dubbed Spellswords in certain lands.

Rather than Aura, Knights drew Arcane Energy from within to empower their hefty armor and arms…

The rules here were straightforward: elimination format.

A single defeat meant elimination. No retries.

Eighteen academies had qualified to enter Knight Path students into the event.

All competitors donned their armor and armed themselves, primed to shine.

No caps on weapon tiers either! Sovereign Artifacts were fair game if wieldable.

It might seem unbalanced, but sustaining such energy-hungry Sovereign Artifacts—even for First-Class Arcanists—proved true worth. Most such relics could slay their bearers otherwise…

"Let's start!"

"Finally! Let's see those Knights!"

"Bring it on! The Yun Academy will win this!"

"Only the Kildare can win this!"

"Empire's Hervont is number one!"

The audience thundered as initial bouts commenced, cheering their favored contenders.

Thus, the clash of metal resounded throughout the coliseum…

Knight Trainees battled directly, lacking the flair of other paths' spellwork.

Shields crumbled, swords swung high, and any spells cast stayed subdued…

Kildare Knights Academy from Milton Kingdom led as top contenders… Their trio exuded discipline, techniques forged over centuries.

Yet Hervont Knights Academy of the Palham Empire trailed near, famed for war-hardened champions.

Marshall Academy under Vale remained a wildcard. Their Knight division launched just this year. Zero track record, no legacy, scant hopes beyond the Shadow Immortal's involvement.

Journalists lacked details on their staff, hindering strength assessments.

Still, Vale observed his three Knight Path students with steadfast assurance.

They hadn't mastered Forbidden Spells like rivals or inherited mystical bloodlines. Yet all carried Zerel's Dragon Blessing, the Ancient Lightning Dragon!

But as Vale anticipated an effortless triumph for his Academy, a known aura prickled from Hervont Academy's coaching bench...

'Adam?'

Vale hadn't foreseen the Golden Immortal's presence!