The three teenagers stood once again in their training garments, the cool evening air brushing against the fabric as they faced the vast Reginald training grounds.
The arena stretched before them like an ancient battlefield—wide, dust covered earth bordered by towering stone pillars carved with old runic markings.
A faint breeze carried the metallic scent of the weapons racks nearby, and the sky above glowed with the warm, setting sun.
"Okay, listen up. In a tournament like this—where you don't know your opponent's power or abilities—what do you do first?" Luke questioned, pacing slowly around them. His boots crunched against the gravel with each step.
Luke had slipped back into full sergeant mode, his face stern and unreadable as he studied the three children with sharp, calculating eyes.
"Get some rest and get ready for the next…" Ren began.
"Wrong. Absolutely wrong." Luke cut him off sharply, pointing his wooden instructor's staff at Ren's forehead with an exasperated sigh.
"You observe and analyze. You find out their abilities, their limits, their flaws, their strengths, and possible counters to them."
He stopped pacing, fixing them with a hard stare. The wind rustled the edges of his coat as he spoke.
"Now, we're going to identify the next qualifiers and their powers based on your observations. Jayden, you go first."
2 felt a small twinge, the familiar thought crossing his mind: Isn't there supposed to be favoritism? Dad being the teacher and all?
He sighed and pushed the thought aside as he recalled his match with Victor.
"Hmm… I think his magic is Mercury.
Maybe." 2 said after a moment.
"Hmm. Surprisingly, you're correct. Maybe your magic made you smarter," Luke replied with a faint smirk. "He's actually using Mercury Magic. Now, your turn, Nadia."
The truth was, 2 hadn't figured it out on his own. The moment he tried to think about it, the answer simply appeared—like a clear, visualized image imprinted onto his mind.
"The person I fought—I'm pretty sure he used lasers," Nadia answered immediately.
"Me too," Rex added. "The girl I fought definitely used telekinesis."
"Both correct," Luke said, nodding. "Now remember: more mages won than swordsmen in the first stage, so a pandot will probably take place."
"What's a pandot?" 2 asked, frowning.
"Ha. This is what happens when you're all brawn and no brain," Ren teased.
Nadia simply shook her head in disappointment.
"You seriously need to pay more attention to your studies," Luke said, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"How can you be participating in the tournament and not know what a pandot is?"
He straightened and explained, "A pandot happens when a swordsman or mage has to fight against two opponents to balance both teams, usually in a five to three scenario. But if it becomes a six to two case, the tournament ends and the larger team wins. Do you understand?"
Luke stared directly at 2 to ensure the message landed.
"Yes, go on," 2 said, though the slight irritation on his face admitted that Luke's concerns about his concentration weren't entirely wrong.
"Good. The advantage of the losing team is that they get to choose their fighter after the announcer randomly picks for the winning team. Understood?" Luke finished.
"So we just need to know our opponents' magic and counter it, right?" Nadia asked.
"Exactly. By now everyone should know the basic abilities mages used in their first fights. There are exceptions, of course, some abilities stay hidden for a long time."Luke and the other two's eyes subtly drifted toward 2 before he continued.
"The remaining three were harder to observe," Nadia said thoughtfully. "But I think Levi uses body enhancement, Simon uses some kind of lightning magic, and I have no clue what's up with Kevin."
"Good observations. I'm not even certain about Kevin myself," Luke admitted.
"I think Kevin uses IQ magic. Is that strong?" 2 asked.
Luke's expression darkened briefly. His hand instinctively moved to his chest before he dropped it.
"How do you know that?" Luke asked, his tone sharper.
"It was the same as with Victor. The answer just appeared in my head, and I said it," 2 replied casually.
"Hm… maybe you're right. He did use that strange weapon to fight," Luke murmured. "If your guess is right, he might be the one chosen to represent the swordsmen tomorrow."
"That means he's the strongest in their team, right?" Ren asked.
"Yeah. And if he's as good as the rumors say… Well, let's leave that for tomorrow," Luke said.
"Don't worry—we'll kick his ass tomorrow. Just you watch," 2 said confidently, stretching his hand out.
"You bet!" Ren grinned, stacking his hand over 2's.
"Sure," Nadia added, placing hers on top.
Together, they raised their hands in the air after a quick countdown.
"That's the spirit, kids. Now get some rest for tomorrow. You're dismissed," Luke announced.
"What!? Then why did you make us wear our training clothes?" Nadia snapped.
Luke had already begun walking back inside, but her words made him flash step directly into her face—moving so quickly that the wind blasted her blue hair backward.
"Oh? So you want to train? Is that it?" he said with a dangerous smile.
"No! I'm sorry for speaking out of line, sir!" Nadia blurted with a bow, flashes of their brutal training sessions haunting her thoughts.
"Good. Now scram, you pebbles. Tomorrow's another day—and an interesting one at that." Luke grinned before lifting off the ground and flying toward the house.
"Well, let's get ready. We have a big day ahead," 2 said, teleporting the group back home.
"Let's go win this thing," he added, a wide grin stretching across his face as the world warped around them.