*4 Month Later*
The main group stood atop a vast plateau, sweat dripping from their brows as they panted from exhaustion. Hajime, arms crossed, observed them with a smirk. Four months had passed since Jayden had vanished from their ranks, and in that time, their training had pushed them beyond their limits.
Hajime clapped his hands, and the air around them shifted. "You three are finally starting to resemble warriors."
The group exchanged tired but satisfied glances. Each of them had grown immensely, their bodies honed and their abilities refined. But training in isolation was one thing. Now, it was time to test themselves against others.
Hajime, ever the enigma, had arranged for them to visit the most prestigious academies in the realms including Elijah who was meant to go to a low tier school at first. With the elders' reluctant permission, they would spar against the best students each school had to offer. The only realm missing from this arrangement was the one steeped in darkness, no elder had stepped forward to participate, but none were surprised by that.
Travel to the Academies.
The first academy they visited was grand, a structure of polished stone and intricate designs that towered over the landscape. The moment they stepped inside, heads turned. Murmurs spread through the halls as students spotted Elijah, Yuna, and Seraphine walking among the older students.
"Why are there kids here?"
"Are they lost?"
Elijah's dark eyes flashed in annoyance, but he said nothing. Yuna clutched her fist tightly, her expression unreadable. Seraphine, however, met every gaze head-on, unbothered.
As they reached the training hall, the elders overseeing the matches inspected each of them carefully, their sharp eyes assessing every student present. One by one, the team was matched against academy students. The first match was Seraphine versus a sixteen year old girl. The tension in the air was thick as the duel was about to begin.
Seraphine tilted her head. "You ready?"
Her opponent scoffed. "Shouldn't I be asking you that?"
The moment the elder gave the signal, the fight was over in an instant.
BOOM!
Seraphine's first strike sent her opponent flying through three walls, leaving a crater where she landed. Silence followed. Students and instructors alike stared, mouths agape. Dust settled, revealing the girl unconscious in the rubble.
"Oops." Seraphine flicked dust off her sleeves, completely unbothered by the destruction.
Shouts of outrage erupted from the academy students. "What the hell?! She nearly killed her!"
The elders were stunned, some visibly shaking their heads. Hajime sighed, stepping forward to restore the shattered walls with a flick of his wrist. "Relax. It was just a tap. And Seraphine what happened to gentle persuasion" he asked causing her to get flustered as she looked at the ground
The students were far from reassured, but the elders reluctantly nodded, realizing now why Hajime had been given so much freedom to train these warriors. However, as they turned to Yuna and Elijah, doubt flickered in their eyes.
The second match was Yuna's.
Her opponent, a confident boy wielding twin daggers, tried to size her up, clearly underestimating her small stature.
Yuna simply stared at him before exhaling. "Alright. Let's get this over with."
The moment the fight began, she moved like a blur. The boy didn't even have time to react before Yuna's kick made contact with his ribs. The impact sent him skidding across the ground, and before he could recover, a second hit from behind knocked him out cold. The crowd barely processed what had happened before the elder declared her the winner.
"Next!" Hajime called, clearly enjoying the growing panic among the academy students.
The final match was Elijah's. His opponent was the top student of the academy, a boy whose aura flared with confidence. Unlike the previous fights, this match lasted longer, but only because Elijah wanted it to.
Every attack the student threw was dodged effortlessly. Every attempt to counter was met with overwhelming force. Within minutes, Elijah grew bored.
"You're too slow. But i guess that's what happens when your training with the fastest force of nature"
Dark tendrils erupted from his shadow, wrapping around his opponent before slamming him into the ground with enough force to crack the ground beneath him. The match was over, and with it, the remaining shreds of the academy students' pride.
Hajime chuckled as the elders smacked their foreheads in disbelief. "I did warn you all. These three have been training under yours truly."
As the group left the devastated academy behind, whispers of "monsters" followed in their wake.
"I'm not a monster." said Seraphine, nearly shedding tears. Elijah went towards the group of students who had called them monsters and said " say sorry. Or you might just die.". The students then realized sooner that they're just kids. So they apologised and made amends.
Ever since Elijah saw Seraphine cry, he felt a different way for her. He didn't know what but he hid it from everyone from then on.
Days after the calamity struck Shinsou Academy, word of the incident spread to other prestigious schools. Many believed that Shinsou no, the entire establishment had fallen from grace. In response, the headmasters of the top five schools Shivoria in Valoria, Centensin in light veil, Hellsing in Light Veil, and Musashi-chi, also in Valoria gathered and decided to organize a tournament. They extended an invitation to Shinsou's three powerhouses and their mentor, expecting to witness their supposed downfall firsthand.
The Valorian elder handed Hajime the invitation with a sigh. "Apparently, the schools want to fight your students in an all-out brawl. Savages."
Hajime waved it off casually. "I wasn't planning on accepting anyway. We've got more important things to do. The only reason I agreed to the first school fight was to assess their strengths. Seraphine still struggles with holding back, Yuna underestimates her opponents too much, and Elijah—well, he just treats them like toys. Though, I'm pretty sure that's just his dragon's influence."
The elder smirked. "So, he's getting close to mastering it?"
"Oh, not even close," Hajime replied. "But he's making progress. At least the dragon has stopped trying to take over his body. Now, Elijah can harness the small amount of power emanating from it and use it as a divinity source for the arcane."
"So he doesn't need to breathe it in like the rest of us?" The elder chuckled. "That kid really is something special."
"If you're so interested in gauging their strength," the elder continued, "why not give them real combat experience by unleashing them against 10,500 so-called powerhouses?"
Hajime scoffed. "Because if I let those kids loose, all 10,500 of them would be dead in an instant. Besides, the schools would just try to recruit me as a teacher, and I'm way too lazy for that." He smirked, clearly amused by the thought.
The elder sighed. "I still think you should do it. If they can't hold back, this would be the perfect chance to train them on restraint. And honestly, wouldn't you like a break? With your condition, you should take better care of yourself. You remember what happened to your last student when you ignored your own well-being."
In an instant, Hajime grabbed the elder by the throat and slammed him against the wall. His voice was low, dangerous. "Don't you dare blame that on me. And don't ever bring it up again."
The elder didn't react, knowing full well he had crossed a line. "I apologize, Hajime. I just want you to take better care of yourself."
Hajime exhaled sharply, realizing he had overreacted. He loosened his grip and stepped back. "Fine. If you really think it's necessary, I'll consider it. After all, you did raise Elijah—you deserve to have some say in this."
Not giving the elder a chance to respond, Hajime vanished in a blur, eager to escape the conversation before it went any further.
The Inter/Tournament Arc Begins...