The Luminic Arena.
A place reserved for the most serious training, where the power of the Lumen was amplified, where every strike became a trial, and every mistake could cost far more than just a bruise.
Gaël walked alongside Kaëlan, casting occasional glances at the Lumen manipulator who had provoked them. The latter had remained silent since Hector's intervention, but his eyes still burned with defiance.
The corridors widened, replacing the flickering wall torches with majestic Lumen crystals. Their glow pulsed gently, spreading a pure and vibrant light, casting shifting shadows across the stone walls. Then, at last, they emerged into the Luminic Arena.
A colossal amphitheater stretched out before them, carved directly into the rock, its circular stands forming a silent ring of observers. The smooth, polished ground was etched with luminescent arabesques that reacted to the magical flows of the students. The moment they stepped onto the surface, the patterns came to life, faintly shimmering as if acknowledging the presence of new combatants.
All around, raised stands allowed other students to observe the fights, and already, some were taking their seats, eager to witness the confrontation.
Gaël felt his heart quicken slightly.
This was real.
They were about to fight here, under the eyes of the entire Academy, or at least, those who had heard about the dispute.
Hector stepped to the center of the arena and turned to face them.
"Alright, before we begin, a few clarifications."
He pointed at Gaël and Lucian, a sly grin on his lips.
"This duel was born from a personal dispute, but the honor of warriors is at stake. Today, you do not fight only for your pride… but to either erase an insult or carve it into stone."
Murmurs rippled through the stands.
'Such big words,' Gaël thought. 'He really loves the sound of his own voice…'
Hector continued.
"The objective is not to kill, but to prove superiority. The fight ends when one of you is unable to continue… or when an instructor intervenes. Understood?"
Gaël and the blond guy nodded.
Hector snapped his fingers.
"Good. Gaël, take your position on one side. You, on the other."
Gaël took a deep breath and stepped forward, stopping on one of the glowing circles traced on the ground while Hector retreated toward the stands.
His opponent did the same, assuming a stance clearly drilled into him at the Academy. His body was relaxed, his gaze piercing, his energy unfolding around him like a subtle aura.
Taking his position, Hector raised his hand.
"Last chance to back out."
Neither of them moved.
Kaëlan, seated in the front row of the stands with the other students, threw his arms up and shouted, "Good luck, dude!"
Gaël flashed a brief smile before focusing back on his opponent. Higher up, Sélène watched the scene in silence, her expression unreadable.
Hector lowered his hand.
"Begin."
And the fight began.
Gaël's opponent moved first. With a sharp motion, he raised his hands, releasing a series of arcs of light. A golden wave exploded around him, illuminating the arena with a blinding brilliance. His eyes burned with an incandescent glow as he leapt into the air, higher than any normal human could.
'The Dawn Leap.' Gaël recognized it instantly, the realization hitting him like a hammer.
'Not just any Blessed of the Lumen…' His heart clenched.
'He's already a Guardian of the Radiance!?'
A shiver ran down his spine.
'Shit. That changes everything.'
He rolled to the side just in time. An instant later, fists imbued with Lumen crashed down with the force of a meteor, shattering the ground in an eruption of blinding light. Gaël felt the heat of the impact brush against his skin, sending a chill through him. He couldn't afford to take a hit like that.
If I take that head-on, I'm dead.
The blond smirked and took a step back, fluid and composed.
"Not bad… for a country bumpkin."
Gaël didn't respond. He was reading him.
'Fast, but not untouchable.'
'He's got power, but does he know how to control it?'
He exhaled slowly, trying to steady the adrenaline burning through his veins. But then a brutal, undeniable thought crashed into him:
'A Guardian. I challenged a damn Guardian to a duel… I'm completely insane. But... how the hell is a first-year already a Guardian? What kind of lunatic academy is this?'
But now wasn't the time to be shocked. He had to act. Thinking too much meant dying.
The Lumen manipulator attacked again. This time, his entire arm ignited with a razor-sharp glow. The wave of pure light stretched, forming the shape of a luminous blade.
Oh, hell no.
Gaël moved before the attack even struck.
Pivoting on his back foot, he let himself fall backward, barely slipping beneath the incoming strike. The Lumen sliced through the air above him, leaving a blazing afterimage seared into his vision.
Without hesitation, Gaël countered with a low sweeping kick, aiming for his opponent's legs. The Guardian's balance snapped, his body slammed into the ground with a dull thud.
A murmur rippled through the crowd. A shiver of disbelief.
Kaëlan, standing at the edge of the arena, burst out laughing.
"That's my guy."
But Gaël knew this wasn't over.
His opponent rolled to the side, his eyes burning with rising fury. He pointed an accusatory finger at him.
"Enough games."
The ground shimmered. A wave of energy condensed around him, forming a radiant shield. At the tip of his finger, a concentrated glow erupted into a vibrating filament of raw power.
'That's… a concentrated Lumen beam…'
Impossible to dodge at this distance.
"Divine Finger, First Form!"
The attack was unleashed before Gaël could react.
A streak of light tore through the space in the blink of an eye.
Gaël was blasted backward. His breath hitched as the shockwave crashed into his chest. He struck the ground, skidding several meters before coming to a stop, his torso ablaze with pain. A deep ache radiated from his sternum where the strike had landed. Beneath his tunic, he could already feel a bruise forming.
His opponent straightened, panting but triumphant.
"You can't win against me, little fighter. The light will never be defeated by a mere commoner."
Silence fell over the arena.
Gaël, still on the ground, coughed up a mouthful of dust before slowly pushing himself up, one hand on his knee, a cold smirk stretching his lips.
His gaze had changed. It was no longer the look of a student in a duel. It was the gaze of a man who had severed his doubts.
"We'll see about that."
The murmurs of the crowd faded into an expectant hush.
Opposite him, his opponent basked in his own superiority, his eyes gleaming with arrogance.
"Still standing? Impressive for an insect. But it won't change anything."
Gaël didn't respond. He didn't even think.
He moved.
One step. A lightning-fast punch aimed straight at the arrogant Lucian's face.
But the other had anticipated it. He dodged with a slight tilt of his torso and caught Gaël's wrist, bending his knees slightly.
A sudden impact.
In the next instant, Gaël felt his own momentum turned against him. A flash of pain erupted in his arm as he was flung sideways, his body twisting like a ragdoll.
He hit the ground and rolled, but he didn't allow himself to stay down.
His muscles screamed, his breath burned in his throat, but he ignored the pain.
'Move. Now.'
He pivoted immediately, regaining his footing and launching a counterattack with a sharp elbow strike. Too slow.
His opponent dodged with terrifying ease, his body glowing with golden light. The energy of the Lumen surged through him, propelling him forward with inhuman speed.
A blinding flash, followed by a knee driving into his stomach.
Gaël felt the air explode from his lungs in a ragged gasp. His body doubled over from the impact, his mind teetering on the edge of unconsciousness. Yet, even through the haze of pain, he forced himself to strike again.
'No… I have to… move…'
A second knee struck him under the chin.
Stars. A black void. Nothingness.
His opponent's voice, mocking, echoed like a distant whisper.
"Pathetic."
Gaël staggered backward. He couldn't feel his legs. Every muscle in his body screamed in agony.
But he refused to fall.
He planted a foot on the ground. His trembling fists clenched.
'Not here. Not now. That would be… yes, pathetic…'
He lifted his head, his gaze burning with a flickering fire. His body begged for surrender, but his mind roared a different truth.
'I am a swordbrother now… for my honor… for Kernéval!'
One last attack. A desperate strike, raw, instinctive.
A golden flash.
The Lumen manipulator struck his chest with a radiant palm.
The impact was merciless.
Gaël was lifted off the ground, his body flung through the air like a ragdoll before crashing violently onto the ground, carving a trail of dust and debris.
The sounds around him faded. His ragged breath barely filled the void spreading in his mind.
'Too strong… He's too strong…'
'Too fast…'
'I'm going to…'
Darkness took him.
He didn't even feel the ground as he collapsed.
_ _ _
The spectators held their breath, transfixed by Gaël's motionless figure sprawled on the ground.
The silence stretched, heavy, almost suffocating. Then, the crowd stirred, a faint ripple spreading through the arena: a mix of disbelief and disappointment among the fighters, while a murmur of satisfaction coursed through the Ardentis, like a restrained wave of triumph.
Kaëlan, who had been smiling confidently moments ago, felt a chill of helplessness crawl down his spine. His amusement was gone, replaced by a deep, unsettling tension. He clenched his fists, but there was nothing he could do…
Nothing except making sure Gaël got the help he needed.
At the center of the arena, Lucian Valchor slowly lowered his fist, shaking his head. A flicker of disappointment crossed his golden eyes.
He shrugged, mocking.
"That's it?"
Then he turned away, throwing one last contemptuous glance at his defeated opponent.
"I already knew a country bumpkin was worthless… but this? This is downright pathetic." He let out an exaggerated sigh. "I was hoping for at least an entertaining fight. What a waste of time."
Kaëlan felt his nails dig into his palms. He wanted to yell. To strike. But he knew now wasn't the time for another fight.
The only thing he could do was help Gaël get back on his feet.
_ _ _
Further up in the stands, Hector Dicon stood with his arms crossed, watching the scene with a displeased expression. His gaze shifted from Gaël's motionless body to the arena, still crackling with lingering Lumen energy.
A sharp "tch" of annoyance escaped his lips.
"And here I thought I had raised the bar for training… They're still just rookies."
He turned on his heel, walking away from the spectacle with a heavy sigh.
"We'll have to step things up." He muttered, his silhouette vanishing into the crowd.
His mind was already racing with ideas, greater trials, harsher tests, to forge these apprentice fighters into something stronger.