As Loro Varn's chain weapon clattered to the ground and the barrier shimmered down, the crowd erupted into stunned murmurs. Renji stood motionless, chest heaving from exertion, his opponent sprawled unconscious behind him. Though he trembled slightly, he didn't back away from the fallen boy not until the instructors gave him the all-clear.
"Impressive," murmured one of the instructors from the elevated observation platform. "That boy… he's not just lucky."
Down in the stands, nobles and scholars exchanged glances.
"Another Noble-born child, no doubt," said one well-dressed woman.
"No," replied a man with sharp eyes and an insignia of House Brask. "That one's a commoner. I looked into him after the scuffle days ago. His name is Renji no lineage, no inheritance. Just potential."
Meanwhile, Ashura stood at the edge of the battle ring, his cloak fluttering slightly from the residual force of the fight. His black-clear eyes watched Renji exit the ring, an unreadable expression on his face.
'He's grown stronger... faster than I thought. The look in his eyes it wasn't fear or desperation. It was clarity.'
From one arena to the next, the duels continued some ended in seconds, others dragged into tactical stalemates. Slowly, other figures began to stand out:
A girl with brilliant green eyes and short silver hair moved like a whisper in the wind. Her opponent didn't land a single strike. She used no weapon only subtle gestures and flicks of force that knocked her adversary unconscious. A Cosmic Aura user. She bowed slightly after her win, then exited without a word.
"She's from the Verdant Reach," someone whispered in the audience. "Their clan vanished twenty years ago. Could she be…"
Another clash drew gasps a boy with beast-like features, wolfish ears twitching with each sound, his eyes glowing faintly yellow. He fought with a blend of raw savagery and calculated instinct, evading a storm of attacks before driving his elbow into his opponent's gut and throwing him from the ring with one motion.
"That's one of the feral-blooded," muttered an instructor. "Rare to see one in the cities these days. What's a kid like that doing here?"
Then came a thunderous bout between two nobles one of them from House Drelik, and the other a scion of House Ultima. Flames clashed with crystal barriers, the entire arena rattling from the shockwaves until both combatants collapsed. Neither won, and both were disqualified.
The crowd loved it.
Among the other victors, several bore no noble crests, no fancy bloodline seals or status markers. Just skill. Some had likely trained in forests, mountains, or under obscure masters. A girl who fought with dual short spears left her opponent tied in knots, literally, using the shafts of her weapons. A boy with a shattered wooden staff used only his hands and footwork to disable a taller, armored opponent. Raw talent was blooming in places few had expected.
By the time the final matches were called, only a few hopefuls remained.
The instructors gathered the final participants under the arching canopy of the central courtyard. The sun was dipping lower, casting a golden light across the cracked marble floor.
"Listen closely," barked one of the silver-robed guides. "The first round has concluded. The following individuals are moving on to Phase Two of the Combat Readiness trials."
He unrolled a long scroll, his voice ringing with power as he called out the names.
"Ashura of Nova."
Ashura stepped forward, head held high, his cloth-wrapped scythe still across his back. Whispers surged at the sound of his name.
"Renji Irelis commoner class:Bronze District."
He moved beside Ashura, standing quietly, though a small smile flickered at the corner of his lips.
"Marshall of the Wildblood."
The beast-like boy snarled lightly as he walked forward, muscles tense but calm.
"Elira of the Verdant Reach."
The green-eyed girl gave a shallow nod and joined the line.
Others followed some noble, some unknowns and when the final name was read, only sixteen competitors remained.
"These sixteen," the guide declared, "have passed the first evaluation through combat prowess, adaptability, and awareness. You are the last standing of over one hundred and thirty."
The crowd cheered.
Ashura remained quiet, his gaze fixed not on the spectators, but on the other finalists. These are the ones who made it… the ones worth remembering.
Then he thought again of the girl with the green eyes Elira. She hadn't looked his way, hadn't smiled or even blinked when her name was called. Her calm unnerved him in a different way than Mael's feral energy. There was depth behind those eyes. History.
She doesn't fight for show, he thought. She fights to end things quickly.
The next instructor stepped forward, a stocky woman with scars across her arms and a hardened jaw.
"Rest well. In twenty-four hours, Phase Two continues the coordination trial. You'll be grouped and tested in unfamiliar teams. Show us more than just power. Show us leadership. Instinct. Trust."
Ashura's jaw clenched. Trust… that's the hardest part.
Valerie stood in the shadows of the colonnade, arms crossed. Her porcelain features betrayed nothing, but her gaze lingered on Ashura. Behind her, several other clan representatives murmured among themselves some impressed, others wary.
"Ashura of Nova," one muttered. "And he uses a scythe. What are they raising in that forest?"
Valerie didn't respond. But she thought quietly to herself. 'They're not raising anything. He raised himself...with me as his guide.'
To be Continued