The aide didn't wait for questions. He turned briskly, expecting Dave to follow. The room filled with the hushed shuffle of voices as every eye stayed locked on him until the door shut behind them.
Elira sat frozen for a moment longer before her friend nudged her, whispering sharply, "Elira, that's Captain Fuegoleon's aide. Do you know what that means?"
But Elira didn't answer. Her gaze lingered on the empty spot where Dave had been sitting, unease and curiosity churning together.
The corridors of the outpost felt quieter this early in the day. Morning light cut in through tall windows, throwing long stripes across the stone. Dave walked steadily, hands in his pockets, not once glancing at the recruits who peeked out from doorways as word of his summons spread faster than fire.
The aide stopped before a set of reinforced oak doors, embossed with the Vermillion crest. He rapped twice, then pushed them open.
"Captain, I've brought him."
Inside, the strategy chamber smelled faintly of parchment and flame. Scrolls lay unfurled on a long table, and standing at its head was Fuegoleon Vermillion himself. His amber gaze lifted from the documents the instant Dave stepped through.
"Leave us," Fuegoleon ordered.
The aide bowed and departed, closing the doors behind him. Silence settled, heavy but not suffocating.
Fuegoleon studied Dave for a long moment—long enough to test the boy's composure. Dave's posture didn't shift, his silver eyes steady, calm as still water.
Finally, the captain spoke. "You have drawn attention, Dave. More than is usual for a recruit. Some whisper of your four-leaf grimoire, others of your magic being near captain-class already."
He stepped closer, the faint crackle of mana curling around him like living flame. "I do not summon rookies for gossip. I summon them when they show a spark worth noticing. Tell me… do you understand the weight of what you've done?"
Dave's reply was flat, unshaken. "I eliminated the target. Nothing more."
A flicker of a smile crossed Fuegoleon's lips—faint, but real. "And nothing less."
For a moment, silence again. Then Fuegoleon lifted his chin slightly. "Reports can be exaggerated. Words travel fast, and faster still when envy is mixed in. I prefer to see for myself." His hand ignited with a controlled flame, warm but intense. "You will spar with me. No ceremony, no crowd. Just us. I want to see who you are with my own eyes."
The air between them shimmered faintly as the heat of his mana filled the chamber.
Dave didn't flinch. He slipped one hand from his pocket, his grimoire floating into the air with a soft glow. His voice was calm, almost bored.
"Fine. But don't hold back."
Fuegoleon's eyes sharpened, like a predator's. "Good. You'll need that resolve."
The temperature in the chamber rose instantly, parchment edges curling as Fuegoleon's mana swelled. His flame spiraled into the air, not wild but perfectly disciplined, every spark bending to his will.
Dave stood calm, his four-leaf grimoire hovering at his side, pages fluttering as if caught in a silent breeze. The glow of its clover radiated faint silver light, faint but resolute, refusing to bend against the captain's heat.
Neither moved at first. They simply watched.
Fuegoleon's voice broke the silence, low and steady:
"Strength without discipline is ruin. Discipline without purpose is wasted breath. Show me which you are."
His hand swept forward—
FWOOSH!
A lion's head of living flame burst into existence, roaring as it shot toward Dave. The chamber thundered with heat, wood groaning under the pressure.
Dave didn't flinch. His grimoire's pages snapped open, light gathering. He raised a single hand.
SHHHK!
A spear of silver mana materialized, not of fire or ice, but dense, compressed force. He swung it casually—like brushing aside a curtain.
BOOM!
The flaming lion scattered into sparks that rained harmlessly around him.
Fuegoleon's brow arched faintly. "Not bad."
Before the last ember died, he struck again. His entire arm blazed as he thrust forward— five lion heads erupted in succession, weaving together midair into a spiraling inferno. The chamber became a furnace, glass in the windows cracking from the heat.
Dave's silver eyes narrowed just a fraction. His grimoire spun faster, and from the air behind him, three spears formed, sleek and sharp.
He pointed lazily.
FWIP! FWIP! FWIP!
Each spear cut a line through the firestorm—precise, merciless. The inferno shattered apart, bursts of flame dispersing like broken glass. Smoke curled upward, leaving Fuegoleon standing at the other end, smile widening.
"You don't hesitate. That's good."
And then he vanished.
Dave's head tilted slightly. Fuegoleon reappeared a breath later, flame-coated fist driving straight toward Dave's chest.
CRACK!
A silver barrier shimmered to life an instant before impact. The chamber rang with the sound of flame meeting force. Dust and sparks whipped outward, rattling the scrolls on the table.
Fuegoleon pressed in, his fist grinding against the barrier. "Defense too. Not bad… but if you only stand still, you will be buried!"
The barrier fractured, shards of silver light falling away. Fuegoleon drove his knee forward—
But Dave sidestepped, smooth as flowing water. One of his spears flickered into place, grazing Fuegoleon's side as he passed. Not deep enough to wound—just enough to mark that the strike had landed.
Fuegoleon stopped, glanced at the faint cut across his coat. His smile deepened. "Controlled. You could have tried for blood. You didn't."
Dave's reply was calm, without pride. "This is a spar. Nothing more."
Fuegoleon exhaled, then lifted his palm skyward.
The chamber exploded with light as a lion of pure flame, larger than the hall itself, rose behind him. Its jaws opened, heat crashing against Dave in waves that threatened to suffocate. Fuegoleon's voice echoed with command:
"Then stand against this!"
Dave's grimoire flared, silver light bathing the walls. His expression didn't change—but the pressure of his mana surged, the air rippling like water around him. Spears formed—ten, twenty, thirty—hovering in an arc behind him like a storm held at bay.
For the first time, Fuegoleon's eyes narrowed, impressed despite himself. "So… this is your true measure."
The lion roared.
The spears sang.
And the chamber was swallowed in a collision of fire and silver light.
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