They were down to just fifteen after an hour of running. Darian was in the lead, followed closely by Arthur. Azel trailed a few meters behind, side by side with a classmate named Valérie, a brunette with blue eyes and a B+ ranked power. Then came Phénix and Élio, who were struggling. The rest of the participants lagged behind, in an even more pitiful state.
"Damn, I thought I could stand out... I don't even know if I'll manage to qualify," thought Phénix, feeling a slight dip in motivation.
He had started the race fully motivated, but his drive had steadily weakened, just like his pace. He had gone from hoping to beat Darian to just trying to qualify alongside Élio. He felt humiliated.
At 1:10, only six people remained. Those ten minutes had by far been the hardest for everyone. Even the top two were no longer at ease.
Valérie was in last place, struggling greatly, just ahead of Phénix, who was in the same state. He was furious, not just because he had performed far worse than expected, but also because, in the end, he had been beaten by Élio.
At 1:12, they were out of the race.
"Damn, I'm really at my limit... bouaaaaaaaah," thought Élio before vomiting at 1:15, marking his elimination in fourth place.
"He really pushed himself to the limit..." thought Professor Frank, watching the scene along with the rest of the seated class.
Next, it was Azel's turn to collapse at 1:20, despite having kept his mental strength intact throughout the competition.
Only Darian and Arthur remained, both visibly exhausted. They kept an eye on each other, waiting to see who would fall first. This lasted until 1:30. At that moment, they each entered a state of intense concentration. Their fatigue was overwhelming, but neither could afford to lose. They could see nothing; all their energy was focused on the race. It was as if the light had gone out around them. Each had forgotten the other, focusing only on their own endurance.
This continued until 1:40, when they began to forget why they were even running, yet they had the deep conviction that they had to keep going. By 1:50, the race had become nothing but intense pain. Arthur seemed to endure it better than Darian, but he was the first to fall at 1:55. Darian continued until 1:56, when he was stopped because he hadn't noticed that Arthur had collapsed. He had literally lost consciousness.
Frank considered the event a great success, as the students had truly given their all.
One could say that Darian was the grand winner, but in a sense, he wasn't the one who had pushed himself the hardest. The goal was to determine which student had the greatest mental strength. Without a doubt, Arthur was the winner in that regard. The professor was quite shocked by his performance. Darian was the chosen one, selected by the heavens, having received the best possible training from a young age. Arthur, on the other hand, was just a nobody with no history.
Frank also took note of Élio, as he seemed to struggle significantly but had held on for a very long time. He hadn't been eliminated because his mind had given out, but because his body had reached its limit...
"Rest up," said the professor to the students before leaving to fetch the rope for the second event.
"The students are really talented..." he thought, but his expression betrayed more worry than joy.
"Impressive performance, don't you think?" said a voice behind him.
Frank turned around and saw that it was Élio speaking to him.
"Yours was particularly impressive," replied the professor with a hint of sarcasm.
"..."
"You seem worried, sir," said Élio, ignoring the remark.
"Worried? Why would I be?" he replied, laughing.
"After all, it's only natural for a soldier of Saba," Élio responded with a slight smile.
Frank scoffed. "And what next? Am I the Hero of Asturias?"
In Asturias, powers were divided among different pillars, including the director of Ascendia. But when a fighter reached rank 7, the level of a divine warrior, they became the Hero of Asturias, an all-powerful entity with absolute authority over the city. According to legends, only the founder of the kingdom had ever reached that rank.
"You don't believe me? There's no doubt about it—you have an unshakable composure, Frank Brossier."
Hearing that name, the professor's expression changed completely. The sports storage room fell silent. Frank stared at Élio with empty eyes. In reality, he wasn't looking at him—he was thinking about what to do.
The silence stretched on for a few tense seconds. Frank's mind raced. "How does he know?" he thought. "I have to eliminate him. But this isn't the right place or time. The other students might hear..."
Sensing the growing tension, Élio spoke again, his voice calm but firm. "Don't worry. I have no intention of revealing your true identity." He paused for a moment, letting the words sink in before adding with a smirk, "All I ask in return is a small favor."
Frank's eyes narrowed. "A favor?"
Élio's smile widened. "Yes."
He had planned this all the way.