Aluis tilted his head slightly. "Do you wish to proceed with the third phase?"

  Kai swallowed once, then nodded. "Yes."

  A low murmur rippled through the crowd.

  "You've come empty-handed. Do you want to use a weapon?" he asked, almost politely.

  Kai's eyes flicked down, then up, as if he was weighing his words.

  "A sword," he said.

  Aluis smiled.

  Then he stomped.

  The stone under the platform pulsed. Dirt and earth rose like a tide, coalescing into shapes in front of Kai. Not one weapon, but several, lined up in a neat row. Different lengths. Different weights. Some broad, some slender, some curved, some straight.

  'Amazing', I mumbled to myself. Aluis's use of magic was something phenomenal. It almost felt unreal seeing it before my own eyes. This was magic? It wasn't conjuration or transfiguration in the way I'd imagined it. It seemed far too fast. Unlike the spells I had seen in the game.

  Kai stepped forward, eyes scanning. He picked a slender blade, light enough to move quickly with.

  Aluis nodded once, like he'd expected that choice.

  "The only rule," Aluis said, voice flat, "Neither side is allowed to use mana."

  Kai nodded, and the uneasiness on his face seemed to loosen just a little.

  Then, Aluis clasped both hands behind his back.

  "For a second handicap. I will not use my hands. I think this is a fair matchup." He smiled.

  A cold silence gripped the room. Everyone present was a little shaken. The students gathered here had come with grand aspirations to join humanity's great war against the demons. To make a name for themselves. It wasn't wrong to assume that everyone was talented in their own way.

  Yet what Aluis had said here had slapped them back to reality.

  I immediately guessed his intentions.

  'He wants to paint us as frogs in the well', I chuckled.

  He wasn't wrong. Compared to a real awakened, all of us might as well be as inconsequential as an ant. I was sure that the other candidates didn't think too differently. Yet feeling the difference and seeing it in action was something worlds apart.

  Kai tightened his grip on the sword. "Ok."

  Aluis didn't move.

  "Begin when ready," Aluis said simply.

  The crowd leaned forward as one, eyes peeled.

  I could feel it. The hunger in the silence. Everyone here wanted to see how the examiner moved, what he allowed, what he punished. They wanted to steal a pattern. A trick. Anything they could carry into their own spar.

  For a moment, Aluis and Kai just stared at each other.

  Then Kai started to circle along the edge of the platform, sword lowered, steps careful. His eyes never left Aluis's centreline.

  'He's measuring him'

  But Aluis seemed far too experienced. He neither gave any tells nor shifted his position.

  So Kai lunged.

  'Fast.' I flinched in surprise.

  Kai stabbed straight, a thrust aimed for the chest.

  Aluis deftly slid a half-step to the side.

  Kai's sword snapped into a slash on instinct, the edge cutting toward Aluis's ribs.

  Aluis dipped under it with ease.

  The crowd exhaled in a single, stunned breath.

  Kai didn't stop.

  He surged again, this time with unnerving speed. Another thrust. Another slash. A feint into a sudden reverse cut.

  But Aluis bobbed and weaved through all of it. He moved as if he'd already seen the attacks before they were thrown. But with his eyes covered by a mask, how exactly had he dodged the attacks?

  'Some sort of sensing skill?' I muttered, trying my best to recall such a skill.

  Kai accelerated again.

  The spar turned into a blur of footwork and steel. Kai was fast, freakishly fast. His feet skated across the stone, his shoulders rolled, his sword snapped out again and again in a frenzy.

  But the more he pushed, the more it showed.

  His techniques were messy.

  Not weak. Not slow. Just… wrong. The angles were off. The transitions were crude, like he was trying to force the sword to keep up with his body instead of letting the blade lead.

  Despite the crazed frenzy of attacks, Aluis didn't panic.

  He dodged every swing with that same calm precision, hands still clasped behind his back, chin level, mask unreadable. The scarier part was that he hadn't retreated either. Instead, he'd just been a half step ahead of every move.

  My mouth went dry.

  Kai was moving at a speed I could barely track. And Aluis was still ahead.

  A thought echoed in my head, 'If this is without mana. Is he using raw skill and instinct to come up on top?'

  Before I could come to a conclusion, I heard the platform echo with the sharp hiss of steel cutting air. Kai's breath turned ragged. Sweat started to shine on his forehead. His grip tightened, knuckles whitening.

  Kai's shoulders began to hitch. His footwork grew heavier. The rapid bursts turned into longer, strained lunges. His blade wavered by a fraction each time he recovered.

  I could already see it. And I was sure Aluis could tell too.

  His stamina was running out.

  Kai went for one last rush, teeth clenched, pushing for a finish that didn't exist. A thrust, a slash, then a desperate overhead cut.

  With a swift flicker, Aluis stepped inwards at the most dangerous movement.

  Kai's sword passed inches away from Aluis's shoulder, missing by nothing but timing.

  Aluis didn't strike him. He didn't need to.

  "Stop," Aluis said.

  Kai froze mid-breath, chest heaving. He swallowed, then lowered the sword with shaking arms.

  The platform was silent except for his breathing.

  Aluis regarded him for a moment.

  Then he nodded.

  "You pass," he said.

  Kai's head snapped up, disbelief and relief mixing on his face.

  Aluis continued, voice still even. "Your speed and agility are exceptional. But your style is unbalanced. Your weapon does not match your control. I'd recommend training it further."

  The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  Kai's grip loosened slightly, "Yes." All he could muster was a single word in response.

  Aluis stomped again.

  A chair formed on the edge of the platform, earth rising into a clean seat.

  "Sit," Aluis said.

  Kai obeyed, still breathing hard.

  I could feel the crowd's sentiment shift. Excitement rippled through the candidates now, bright and dangerous. If Kai could pass, they told themselves, so could they.

  I didn't feel excited. Rather, I was unsure of what I'd just watched.

  'What kind of fifteen-year-old moves like that?' I cursed. The fact that Aluis had specifically quoted his agility as a reason for passing felt appropriate, as Kai had not managed to land a single blow for the entire duration of the spar.

  'The spar's not really about winning, but just about impressing the examiner.' I nodded to myself.

  Aluis lifted the list again.

  He looked down.

  Then he spoke the next name.

  "Noah Reed."

  For a second, I thought I'd misheard. My heart skipped a beat.

  Aluis cleared his throat again and repeated. "Noah Reed."

  I stood up slowly, spear in hand, my fingers tightening around the haft until the wood creaked. The exhaustion from the run and the written exam was still in my muscles, but it was distant now, pushed aside by adrenaline and something sharper.

  I stepped through the crowd and slowly felt all eyes turn towards me.

  Aluis waited at the centre, hands behind his back.

  I climbed onto the ring and rolled my shoulders once, spear angled down at my side.

  My heart hammered. My breath fogged in front of my face.

  "Do you wish to proceed with the third phase?" He asked

  I stared at Aluis and forced my grip to settle. "Yes."

  "I see you've brought a weapon, but if you wish, I could offer you one of mine." Aluis offered and gestured with an open hand.

  I raised the spear into a ready stance and stepped forward. "I'd rather use my own. I'm a bit used to its grip."

  "Noted." Aluis flicked a wrist, and the nominal damage on the platform was repaired in an instant. Then he gestured me to one side, " The conditions don't change. No use of mana, and I will not be using my hands. Is that clear?"

  "Yes."

  "Begin when you're ready." Aluis nodded.

  -

  I raised my spear and let out a slow, controlled breath. I shifted into a natural stance, shifting closer and closer with minimal footwork while I watched Aluis's feet.

  'Kai was fast. But Aluis still managed to dodge everything.' My thoughts raced. This meant that Aluis was far faster than I was.

  'I can't win in a contest of speed.' I slid forward until the tip of my spear lay just in front of his figure, close enough to be threatening, far enough to be safe.

  'What I need is the element of surprise.'

  I held that distance like it was a wall.

  Then I started to circle.

  Slow at first. Like a shark in deep waters.

  Each step I took narrowed the circle, not by rushing him, but by forcing the centre to shift. I kept him on the edge of my reach, kept myself one breath away from striking.

  Aluis didn't move an inch. He simply turned to face me. Watching and waiting.

  'Now!'

  I darted in.

  A sharp dash, spear snapping up in a straight thrust at his head.

  Aluis rolled under it like it was a lazy jab. I followed with a horizontal swipe to catch him rising.

  He ducked.

  I thrust again, a quick stab at the ribs, but he spun out of it.

  I reset my range, circled again, then struck with a feint into a low jab, trying to bait a predictable slip.

  He stepped aside.

  'Feels like I am fighting smoke.' My grip tightened.

  Aluis's head tilted just a fraction. It wasn't that my technique or moves pressured him. I wasn't even close to that level yet.

  No rather.

  'He's curious'

  I took in a sharp breath and made my decision.

  I stepped in hard, one move after another, unleashing an overwhelming number of strikes, waiting for just the right moment.

  Aluis flickered with each thrust, weaving through the attacks, always a hair's breadth away.

  'Just one chance.' I grit my teeth and kept attacking with everything I had. 'Just one goddamn opening. Anything.'

  I stomped and did a strong swipe of my spear, forcing Aluis to jump back. But for just a second, both his feet were off the ground. He was immobile.

  'Now!' This was my only chance, the only opportunity that I had somehow created.

  The next instant, with a sharp flick, I pushed forward.

  [Basic Footwork]

  Putting everything I had into my legs, I tore the gap between us by rushing in.

  A fraction of a second later, Aluis's eyes widened, but I was already in position.

  My stance dropped, the spear angled, and I fired.

  Seven strikes, light and fast, not heavy enough to slow me down, not deep enough to overcommit. I snapped the spearhead like a needle towards his chest.

  One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven.

  [SKILL: SEVENFOLD THRUST]

  The crowd's murmurs surged; I could hear them all behind me.

  And yet in front of me, Aluis was already gone. He'd whipped his head back, creating just the imbalance he needed to land mere inches away from my attacks.

  I swore under my breath and kept moving. Circle, strike, circle, strike. Different angles. Different speeds. Sometimes a sharp lunge. Sometimes, a slow probing tip, like I was testing glass.

  Having lost my surprise, I had decided to weave in [Sevenfold Strike] with every move. But no matter what I did, Aluis avoided all of it.

  A minute passed. Maybe more. My arms started to burn properly now. My breath roughened. My legs began to complain in small, treacherous ways.

  Aluis spoke while I moved.

  "Very interesting. You have handled a spear before," he said, a slight smile crept on his lips.

  "Quite unusual at your age," he continued. "Most avoid spears for their difficulty. But I see that you're not bad for your age."

  I thrust again, a clean line at his chest, then snapped into a sweep.

  He slid back, still untouched.

  Then he added, calm as winter.

  "Your body, however, is behind your technique."

  I smiled wryly, my breath hitched as I moved, still trying my hardest to attack him. "I already know that much."

  His words stung because they were true.

  I could feel it in the way my lungs scraped. In how my grip wanted to fail. In the tiny lag between thought and motion, the fraction of slowness that turned intent into effort.

  Aluis stepped back for the first time, not because he had to, but because he was ending it.

  "Enough. This test is over."

  I froze mid-step, spear held out, chest heaving.

  Silence gathered on the ring.

  Aluis studied me for a moment.

  Then he nodded once.

  "Noah Reed. You do not pass the third phase," he said, voice flat.

  My stomach dropped.

  Then he continued.

  "But you will receive bonus points. Your weapon control is good. Your footwork is better than it should be. You have initiative."

  I exhaled so hard my ribs stung.

  "Sit," Aluis said, and with another stomp, more chairs rose near the edge where Kai was already seated.

  I stepped off the centre and walked toward them, spear held low, careful not to let my legs shake too visibly.

  Kai watched me as I approached, eyes too bright, too curious.

  I sat two chairs away and finally let my body sag back.

  Stone pressed into my spine. Cold crept through the fabric of my coat.

  I should have felt relief.

  Instead, I felt that strange, tight awareness that came after pushing too hard. Like my body was a machine and I'd just heard a gear grind.

  I closed my eyes.

  Around me, the next spars began.

  Footsteps. Grunts. The whisper of movement. Aluis's calm voice judged the candidates like he was turning pages in a book. Sometimes Pasadin's voice joined in, softer, different, but still carrying that same authority.

  I tried to listen.

  I tried to learn.

  But exhaustion was a weight on my mind, and it was sinking into me.

  At some point, my head tipped slightly. My hands loosened. The ring noises blurred into a distant rush.

  And I slept.

  -

  [An hour later]

  A sharp clap cracked through the air, echoing gently against my ears.

  I jolted awake like I'd been struck, heart, kicking hard against my ribs.

  Aluis stood in front of the platform again. The ring was quiet now. The candidates had reorganised, faces drawn, eyes wide with that particular kind of fear that only comes when you know you are about to be judged.

  Pasadin floated down beside him, wind settling around his boots like a cloak.

  Aluis didn't speak. He simply watched.

  Pasadin did the talking.

  "This batch," he said, voice carrying across the field, "was better than most."

  A few people swallowed audibly.

  "Out of those who reached the third phase," Pasadin continued, "Kai Ashcroft was the only candidate to pass outright through the spar."

  My eyes flicked to Kai. He looked startled again, like the word pass still didn't feel real.

  "Fifteen candidates," Pasadin said, "passed the written examination directly."

  A rustle. A breath held.

  "And five more," he added, "passed through the third phase bonus evaluation."

  That number made the air shift.

  Because everyone understood what it meant.

  You could be smart and still fail.

  You could endure and still fail.

  You needed something else.

  Pasadin raised a sheet of paper. It hovered in front of him without shaking, like the wind itself was holding it steady.

  He began reading names.

  Each name hit like a hammer. Some people flinched when it wasn't theirs. Some straightened when it was.

  My palms were damp. My mouth was dry.

  Then I heard it.

  "Noah Reed."

  For a second, my brain didn't process it. Like the sound had bounced off my skull.

  Then my band lit up, warm against my wrist.

  A soft glow.

  A real glow.

  Strange warmth flowed through my chest, as if I was finally reassured. Before I knew it, I was led along with the group that had passed.

  Everything going forward was a bit fast-paced. As if they were keen on rushing us out.

  Candidates with glowing bands were directed forward, separated from the ones whose wrists stayed dark. The ones who failed stood in a silent line behind Aluis. A few looked like they wanted to argue. None of them did.

  Not with him watching.

  Our group was led into a small room off the side of the field, walls plain, floor clean, the air warmer than outside. Cabinets lined one wall, shut tight.

  Pasadin faced us.

  "Congratulations," he said, and for the first time, his expression softened by a fraction. "As stated, you have been accepted."

  "The Academy begins in two weeks," Pasadin continued. "Till then, that is your time. Speak to your families. Settle your affairs. Prepare yourselves."

  'Family.'

  The word slid past me without catching.

  Pasadin lifted a hand.

  The cabinets snapped open all at once.

  Inside were uniforms. Black fabric, clean seams, dark blue lining along the edges that marked us as new intake.

  Pasadin gestured.

  "On the day you are summoned, you will wear this."

  A small stack of scrolls sat on a table beside the cabinets.

  "In two weeks," he said, "We will provide you a teleport scroll. It will take you directly to the Academy. Do not be late. Do not lose it. Do not attempt to sell it. That is your last and only warning."

  A couple of candidates nodded too quickly.

  Pasadin's gaze swept over us.

  "The circle outside will return you to your origin point," he finished. "Go."

  We filed out.

  One by one, people stepped onto the magic circle. Light swallowed them. Then they were gone.

  When it was my turn, I stepped forward.

  As I did, I caught Kai looking at me again.

  Just… focused. Like he was trying to make sense of me.

  'Did I do something wrong?' I thought to myself, but I couldn't quite put a finger on it. Regardless, I knew I'd see him in the academy, and I'd probably talk to him then.

  I stepped forward, then the circle flared.

  Light rose.

  And the testing grounds vanished beneath my feet.