Both of them infused their aura. The man charged again, muscles flexing as he lunged forward like a bull.
Ellen barely sidestepped, the wind from his fist brushing against her cheek. She clicked her tongue.
"Fast for a guy that big," she muttered.
He didn't let up. His foot slammed into the floor, launching him toward her again. A hook aimed straight for her ribs.
Ellen ducked, twisted her hips, and aimed a palm strike at his exposed side. But the brute reacted quicker than she expected, raising his elbow to block. The impact rattled her wrist.
He's... quite good?
He threw another punch, a feint this time. The real attack came low, a sweeping kick meant to break her balance. Ellen jumped, flipping back with ease and landing with barely a sound.
He grinned. "Not bad. For a twig."
She smirked. "Thanks. You hit like a boulder. Shame you move like one too."
His grin vanished, and he rushed her again. This time Ellen met him head-on.
She infused aura into her arms, catching his punch with both forearms. Her knees bent from the force, boots grinding against the floor, but she held firm.
Using the opening, she launched a knee straight into his stomach. He grunted, stepped back, and threw a backhand to her face. Ellen leaned back, letting it pass just inches away.
She followed with a flurry of jab, hook, elbow, spin kick.
Each blow forced him back. He blocked most, absorbed a few, but his guard was breaking. Her movements were clean and sharp.
He roared and slammed both fists downward. Ellen dodged to the side, feeling the floor crack beside her.
She twisted her body, planted one foot, and launched a spinning side kick into his ribs. The shock rippled through his body, and he staggered.
Ellen didn't give him time to recover. She dashed in, ducked under his desperate swing, and aimed a heavy punch at his chin.
It connected.
The man stumbled, then dropped to one knee, gasping.
She stood over him, catching her breath, aura still faintly buzzing beneath her skin.
"That all you got?" Ellen said with a smile.
The man stayed silent before laughing. "Apparently not," he said, flashing a grin.
Ellen raised an eyebrow. "Did I hit you too hard or something?"
Then she felt it.
The atmosphere shifted—the man's aura suddenly stabilized. It wasn't wild or chaotic anymore. It wrapped around him like a second skin, smooth and dense.
"Oh? You have a good sense," he said, taking a step forward.
Ellen narrowed her eyes.
Before she could ready herself, he was already in front of her. A punch flew toward her head, she barely tilted her body aside to avoid it.
She stepped back, only to be met with a kick aimed for her ribs. She dropped low and rolled, barely dodging in time.
He didn't stop. His movements were fast, precise, and heavy. Not just a brute force fighter anymore.
Ellen blocked a heavy downward blow with her forearm, the impact sending a jolt through her bones. She gritted her teeth and countered with a hook to his side, but he twisted his torso and deflected it with his elbow.
'Damn it, this guy's the real deal.'
He launched another combo, jab, elbow, low kick. Ellen weaved and deflected what she could, but still caught a grazing hit across her shoulder, sending her skidding back.
He didn't chase. Instead, he let her catch her breath.
"What? Are you giving me a break?"
"I like knowing how strong my opponent really is. Don't die too fast, girl."
Ellen straightened up, brushing her hair behind. "Damn you bastard." She smiled.
---
Meanwhile—
The girl stood with her back straight, eyes locked on her opponent. The female hijacker was smirking, leaning casually to one side, as if the threat didn't matter.
The girl took the chance.
A series of complex magic circles formed in the air around her. Ice-blue light surged. The temperature dropped sharply.
She flicked her hand, and a massive formation bloomed beneath their feet. A complex pattern glowing bright. Ice formed from the nothing, it was a result from freezing the temperature.
The ice quickly covered the hijacker, freezing her on the spot.
The girl exhaled. "Got you."
She lowered her hand, relaxing her stance.
Crack
The sound was faint.
The ice split. Steam hissed from the cracks. And then—
The woman stepped out, brushing ice from her shoulder. Her body was steaming.
"Impressive," she said. "I haven't seen someone calculate formations that fast in a while."
The girl's eyes widened. She had thrown everything into that spell. Is the hijacker much stronger than she anticipates?
The hijacker smiled, then lifted her hand.
A bolt of flame roared toward the girl. But she countered immediately. A wall of frost bloomed from nothing, catching the flames mid-air. Steam exploded between them.
They began trading spells.
A fireball shattered against a barrier of mist. A bolt of lightning curved toward the hijacker but was split by a sudden gust. Both of them were forming magic circles mid-cast, weaving symbols in seconds, cancelling, redirecting, shattering magic circle before they could finish.
The girl focused her mind. Visualize. Structure. Compress. Release.
Her opponent did the same.
Magic bloomed and burst all around them. The crowd cowered in their seats as the duel grew intense. Debris swirled through the air.
And they did all of this while moving, dodging each other attack.
Then suddenly, a finger snap could be heard.
Everything froze.
Literally.
The girl blinked. The wind, the heat, the echoes, they all stopped. Her own spell circle also froze.
And in that moment of silence, a slow clap echoed.
"Enough."
A new voice rang out. An older man stepped forward, arms crossed. The large man Ellen had been fighting stepped back. The hijacker woman smiled.
The crowd was confused.
The girl stood frozen. Ellen furrowed her brows.
The female hijacker smirked. "Congratulations. You both passed."
"...Passed?" Ellen asked.
The brute nodded. "It was a test. For scholarship students. To see how you'd react under pressure."
The rest of the crowd began murmuring, confused and shocked.
The hijackers? It was the instructors and seniors. And the danger? Simulated.
And now, both Ellen and the girl had the spotlight.
A mix of applause and gasps rippled through the Arcane Ship as the instructors began calming the passengers.
Ellen raised an eyebrow, brushing dust off her sleeves. "This academy better be worth it," she muttered, clearly unimpressed. A stunt like this on a transport vessel? Ridiculous.
Beside her, the girl stood still, slowly breathing. Her mana was drained to the last drop, sweat dripping down her temples.
Then came heavy footsteps. The brute from earlier, looks calm and collected now. He walked toward them. He scanned their exhausted forms before he reached into his coat pocket.
"Here," he said, handing them two small glass vials. One was red. The other, blue.
"The blue one's for mana recovery. The red one's for physical injuries. Should kick in fast."
"Thanks," both girls said in unison, still catching their breath.
A voice suddenly rang out behind them. Loud. Carefree.
"Oh-ho! Giving them potions already? What a kind senior you are, Malvick!"
The female hijacker from before, walked toward them with a wide grin on her face. No signs of fatigue. Just pure mischief in her step.
"Hello, freshmen! I'm Yuri, and that scary brick wall over there is Malvick. We're your seniors. And congrats! You passed one hell of an entrance test for the scholarship student."
And then she kept talking about the academy, the history of this tradition, her favorite food, the kind of people to avoid at Lumen, and how many other things.
"Y-Yuri," Malvick finally interjected, rubbing the back of his neck, "I think they need a bit of rest first."
"Ah! Right, right! Good point!" Yuri said, clapping her hands. Then, spinning on her heels, she skipped down the corridor. "C'mon then! Let's go meet the others!"
Malvick gave the two a little nod before following her.
"That was... more than talkative," Ellen muttered under her breath.
She glanced sideways at the girl beside her was quietly sipping from the small mana potion vial, her hands still trembling slightly from exhaustion.
Ellen uncorked the red potion, intending to chug it down the same way.
"W-What are you doing?!" The girl beside her looks surprised.
Ellen blinked. "Drinking it? Like you?"
"That's not how physical recovery potions work! Be grateful I stopped you," she scolded with a furrowed brow, then extended her hand. "Show me where you're hurt."
With a slight shrug, Ellen tugged at the sleeve near her shoulder, revealing a nasty graze. It was the aftermath of barely dodging Malvick's punch.
She clicked her tongue and uncorked the red potion with care, then gently poured it onto the wound.
"Damn… it stings," Ellen hissed through her teeth.
"That's why you don't drink it," She replied flatly, her precision making sure not a single drop was wasted.
Ellen exhaled, feeling the cool tingle spread as the wound slowly closed. "Back in the game, they never showed how this stuff works..."
"Game? What are you talking about?"
"Nothing. Just thinking out loud."
A small pause. Then Ellen spoke again, this time more casually. "So? What's your name?"
"Seraphina Corven," she said, finally standing straight.
"Ellen Ymara. Nice to meet you, Ms. Mage."
Seraphina nodded. "Likewise."
They both turned their gaze out the nearest window, the arcane ship now cutting through clouds. And just beyond the shimmering horizon. There's Lumen Academy.