(Grand Arcanum Academy – Combat Class)
As the blinding light from the final clash faded, the dust settled over the training ground.
The once-pristine stone beneath them was shattered, deep cracks spiderwebbing across the arena. The air was still heavy with residual mana, and faint embers flickered where Ignatius' flames had scorched the ground.
For a moment—no one spoke.
Then—
THUD.
Alistair exhaled slowly, his sword lowering as he took a step back, his legs slightly unsteady.
His uniform was torn in places, singed from the heat, and a faint trickle of blood ran down his left arm where one of Ignatius' earlier strikes had grazed him.
And yet—his expression remained calm.
Not just calm. Composed.
On the other side of the cracked battlefield, Ignatius Pyros let out a low chuckle.
He rolled his shoulder, his own arm slightly burned from Alistair's aura-infused sword strikes.
Then, to everyone's shock—he grinned.
"Hah! Not bad, kid," he rumbled, his golden reptilian eyes gleaming with approval.
He reached into his belt pouch and tossed something toward Alistair.
A crimson vial.
Alistair caught it midair, recognizing it instantly—a high-grade healing potion.
"Drink it," Ignatius ordered. "You earned it."
Alistair eyed the potion for a moment before uncorking it and drinking without hesitation.
As soon as the liquid flowed down his throat, a cooling sensation spread through his body. The dull ache in his muscles began to fade, and the small wounds on his skin closed rapidly.
The gathered first-years were frozen, their eyes flicking between Alistair and Ignatius in disbelief.
"He actually… fought an instructor head-on," someone murmured.
"And he awakened his aura already? That shouldn't even be possible yet!"
Elaine's gaze lingered on her brother, a mixture of pride and unease in her expression.
Morganna chuckled under her breath, tilting her head. "He's a monster," she mused, sounding delighted.
Even the vampire twins, Lunara and Veylen, were watching in amusement, their crimson eyes gleaming as if they had found a new toy.
Ignatius finally crossed his arms and looked at Alistair with satisfaction.
"I'm making this official," he announced, his voice booming across the arena.
"From now on—you'll be sparring with me every combat class."
A ripple of shock went through the students.
That was practically an admission that Ignatius saw Alistair as worth training personally.
Alistair met his gaze, his expression unreadable, before simply nodding.
"Fine."
Ignatius let out another laugh. "Good. Then get ready, because I won't be going easy next time."
Then—his gaze swept over the rest of the students, his amusement fading.
"What are you all staring at?" he barked. "You think watching one fight makes you stronger? Get to your duels!"
The students scrambled into motion, hastily pairing up.
But even as they began their own spars—
Their eyes kept flickering toward Alistair.
Because in just a few weeks since his second awakening—
He had done something that most students wouldn't achieve in years.
And now—
Everyone knew.
The sparring matches began in full force, filling the combat hall with the sounds of clashing steel, crackling magic, and battle cries.
Instructor Ignatius Pyros watched from the sidelines, arms crossed, his golden reptilian eyes scanning the students as they engaged in combat.
"Let's see if any of you are actually worth my time," he muttered.
As the duels commenced, it quickly became apparent who stood above the rest.
****
Leon and Evelyn stood across from each other, both radiating immense battle auras.
Leon's golden-blond hair glowed under the artificial sunlight of the training hall, lightning crackling around his greatsword. His stance was confident, almost casual, as if victory was already assured.
Evelyn, ever composed, raised her sword and shield. Her emerald-green eyes locked onto Leon's form with calculated precision.
"You always rush in recklessly," she noted. "You still haven't learned patience."
Leon smirked. "And yet, I always win, don't I?"
Without further warning, he moved.
A golden arc of lightning erupted from his blade as he lunged forward, aiming to break through Evelyn's defenses with raw power.
CLANG!
Evelyn met his strike with her shield, the impact sending shockwaves through the training hall. Sparks flew as divine energy clashed, her defensive stance holding strong.
Leon didn't hesitate—he stepped to the side, twisting his greatsword into a downward slash.
Evelyn pivoted, dodging gracefully before retaliating with a quick thrust.
Leon smirked, narrowly avoiding it by shifting his weight, his speed just a fraction faster.
He pressed the attack. His blows came heavier, faster.
BOOM!
Each impact forced Evelyn to give ground, her shield absorbing most of the force, but she knew—Leon had the slight edge in raw power.
"You're improving," he admitted, charging another lightning-infused strike. "But not enough!"
He swung down—but Evelyn ducked, rolling to the side.
Using the momentum, she slammed her shield into his ribs.
CRACK!
Leon grunted, stumbling back, but his smirk never faded.
"Not bad," he chuckled. "Let's see if you can keep up!"
The duel continued, both warriors locked in a fierce exchange of strength and strategy, neither willing to back down.
***
In another arena.
Elaine's silver-blonde hair shimmered under the glow of mana lights, her twin swords drawn in a poised stance.
Morganna, draped in black, her violet eyes glowing faintly, wielded her cursed rapier, dark mist curling around her fingers.
"Try not to hold back, Elaine," Morganna purred. "I want to see what happens when the Moon Huntress fights in the dark."
Elaine exhaled, steadying herself. "You'll regret asking for that."
The fight began.
Elaine dashed forward, her twin blades flashing like silver crescents.
Morganna flickered—a shadowy afterimage left behind as she sidestepped, countering with a precise thrust aimed at Elaine's ribs.
Elaine twisted mid-air, her agility unmatched. She deflected the strike, landing gracefully before lunging again.
Their blades clashed—fast, calculated, relentless.
Morganna's cursed magic seeped into her strikes, leaving dark afterimages that confused the eye.
Elaine, however, adapted. Her movements became sharper, more fluid, predicting Morganna's misdirection tactics.
"Getting serious now, are we?" Morganna teased, deflecting another strike.
Elaine narrowed her eyes. "You talk too much."
BOOM!
She unleashed a burst of lunar mana, forcing Morganna back.
Both combatants smirked, knowing this fight was far from over.
While some had equal patners to fight, other simple dominated the fight.
Kieran faced off against another water-affinity student, an upper-class merfolk warrior.
The opponent was strong—commanding torrents of water like whips, trying to outmaneuver Kieran with agility and precision.
But Kieran?
Kieran was on another level.
The moment the fight began, he dominated.
With a mere flick of his hand, the battlefield shifted—water rose, twisted, and bent to his will.
His opponent barely had time to react before a tidal surge crashed against him, slamming him into the ground.
Kieran smirked, tilting his head. "You done already?"
The merfolk student groaned, struggling to stand.
He tried launching a high-pressure water blast—but Kieran caught it with a single hand.
Then, with casual ease, he redirected it—sending the attack right back.
BOOM!
His opponent was sent flying, unconscious before he even hit the ground.
Kieran dusted off his sleeves, grinning at the stunned audience.
"Too easy."
*****
Dain Drakonis faced an upper-class fire-affinity noble.
It was supposed to be an even match.
It wasn't.
The moment the duel started—Dain roared.
His opponent barely had time to react before Dain's fist collided with his gut.
BOOM!
The noble was sent flying across the arena.
The crowd gasped.
Dain cracked his knuckles, unimpressed. "That it?"
His opponent groaned, barely conscious.
Dain snorted. "Weak."
The match was over before it even began.
***
The Vampire Twins didn't bother with fair fights.
Their opponents—a pair of noble duelists—never stood a chance.
Lunara moved like a whisper, vanishing and reappearing behind her opponent, sinking her blade into their side before they could even turn.
Veylen, with surgical precision, broke through his opponent's stance with a single movement—a soft tap that shattered their concentration before his sword traced a thin red line along their throat.
They never killed.
But they always made their opponents feel like prey.
As their challengers collapsed in surrender, Lunara sighed dramatically. "Was that really the best they had?"
Veylen simply smirked. "Disappointing."
As the duels ended, Instructor Ignatius watched, unimpressed yet intrigued.
He had seen potential.
He had seen raw talent.
But only time would tell which of these students would become true monsters.
And as he glanced at Alistair Vaelthorne—who stood still, quietly observing everything—Ignatius couldn't help but wonder.
What will you become?
(To Be Continued...)