Reincarnation Of A Swordsman: The Omni Mage

Kyle observed Orion as he sat on his mat.

'Impressive. I never believed he'll win,' Kyle pondered. 'I wonder how he's feeling now, after having proved himself to not be a nerd.'

"Kyle. Milo. You're up next," Layla called out, interrupting Kyle's thoughts.

Ding!

[New Quest: You have all it takes to be a master of all. Win your first Magic Duel!]

[Reward: 50 EXP!]

Kyle had a grin on his face after observing the quest. "This would be a breeze," he muttered confidently, while getting up.

Milo, another one with a grand ambition calmly walked to the stage, a face that showed neither arrogance nor pride.

Everyone knew that he was the least favorite to win, after all, this wasn't the first time he had duelled Kyle, which he had lost miserably.

In General Weapon Training, Kyle had fought majority of his classmates. Proving his sword skills time and time again.

'Let's see if you'll beat me without your Katana, dear Kyle.'

Kyle arrived at the stage, cupped his hands and lightly bowed, he picked up something from his opponent.

"You won't win me... Not this time."

"Oh. We've fought before?" Kyle slightly chuckled.

Milo gritted his teeth in anger and took his stance. They couldn't begin channeling their mana until the Instructor started the match.

'I have to be careful not to use the spell too much...' Kyle thought, he had observed from the Orion's match, their ability to only cast Lightning Bolt five times before their mana depleted. He'll have to follow as well.

"Begin!" Instructor Layla's voice came, signaling the start of the match.

Immediately he heard the instructor's voice, Kyle began to draw mana from his core, like he had done earlier.

'Gather it in your hand... Visualize... Patience.'

"Ouch!"

Kyle clenched his stomach in pain, and crouched on the floor.

[HP: 25/30]

He knew he couldnt lose focus. His opponent might have been fast, way faster than him. But he could still win.

He had been too absorbed in the spell preparation that he hadn't noticed when Milo fired.

Zap!

Another spell came his way, but thankfully, this time he had been prepared when he saw Milo move his hand and had quickly rolled out of the way.

He didn't just stop there, as he jumped to his feet the next second and threw the already formed lightning Bolt.

"Tsk."

Milo hissed, as he had already stepped from its path before it left his palms.

He threw another lightning bolt, which ended up meeting Kyle's, who had already gotten a hang of spell casting.

Light flared around the room as the two spells met each other, canceling the other out.

Kyle immediately began preparing to cast another spell, but like the first it was taken much time.

The worst came when the Mana he had drawn dissipated into the air, making Milo hit him with another spell.

[HP: 17/30]

Milo smiled with pride after landing another hit, simultaneously preparing another spell— his last.

"Let's end this."

"Scrap this. Give me a sword and I'll teach this kid a lesson," Kyle cried out, while preparing another spell— his third.

"Yes!!" Kyle couldn't help but cry out after he formed the spell.

Unfortunately, the spell met nothing and struck the wall harmlessly.

Milo's lips curled to a grin as he threw his own attack, he had held it for a while, to improve his accuracy.

Now his opponent missed, it will be hard for his not to hit.

Zap!

Time seemed to slow down for the fast approaching bolt as it moved towards Kyle.

"Ah…" Kyle screamed again, as the spell had cleanly landed on him.

"Enough," Layla called, announcing the result to everyone. "The Winner: Milo!"

"Yay!"

Everyone cherred as Kyle had been defeated.

[Quest Failed!]

He heard two words, that broke him further.

Kyle looked up and observed a firm hand being offered to his. He took his hand and slowly stood up, getting ready for the taunts.

And here it came...

"You ain't invisible here, are you?" Milo asked him.

"Don't worry. It's a promise, I'll win you next time." Kyle said firmly.

"Ha. We'll see about that," Milo retorted, clenching his palms tighter.

"We'll see..." Kyle used all his strength to grip Milo's hand tighter, making him regret going for his.

"Ouch! Leave me, you monster."

"He he," Kyle laughed.

Layla immediately came and separated them from their little brawl.

Kyle made his way back to his seat, his body still tingling from the residual effects of Milo's final *Lightning Bolt*. He could hear the murmurs of the other students, though he ignored them, his thoughts still locked on the fight. Losing wasn't something he was used to, and even though he knew why it happened—his need to hold back—it didn't make the defeat any easier to swallow.

As he sat down on his mat, Orion leaned over with a smirk on his face. "Didn't expect to see you lose, Kyle. I thought you were supposed to be tough. Guess I was wrong."

Kyle shot him a glare. "I'm not weak, Orion," he snapped, his voice low enough that only the nearby students could hear. "I'll win next time."

Orion shrugged, adjusting his glasses with a smirk that irritated Kyle more than he wanted to admit. "Yeah, sure. Just don't let Milo make you look like a fool again." His tone was teasing, but Kyle could sense the hint of satisfaction underneath it. Orion had won his match earlier, and now it seemed like he was enjoying Kyle's brief moment of weakness.

Kyle clenched his fists but said nothing. He'd prove himself soon enough, but there was no point in arguing with Orion now. The rest of the matches went by without much of a hitch. Some were fast, others drawn-out, but none of them had the same intensity as his battle with Milo. Students were growing weary, and their movements became more sluggish as the duels dragged on.

When the final match ended, Instructor Von stepped forward, her gaze sharp as she addressed the class. "Now that you've experienced combat firsthand, it's time to focus on your cultivation. Lightning is fast, volatile—always moving. If you don't control it, it'll burn you out just as quickly as it takes down an opponent."

She paused, letting the lesson sink in. "Your homework is to cultivate every day. Practice drawing on your mana, expanding your reserves, and refining your control over Lightning Bolt. The more you cultivate, the more power you'll be able to draw on during fights. Don't neglect this—your progress depends on it."

With that, she dismissed the class, the room buzzing as students gathered their things. Kyle stood, his mind already focused on what came next. Elective class was soon, and while the loss still sat heavy on his shoulders, he knew one thing for sure—he wouldn't let this defeat define him.