The training wasn't over yet. After a brief duel between Kaien and Elric, the teacher retook the students' attention. This time, he instructed them to practice combining magical attacks and defenses in a pair-based simulation. Each student will work with a partner to destroy target dolls that contain mana, allowing them to move and use magic.
"Damian and Liam, you go first," the teacher instructed.
The magic wooden doll emitted fire magic from its hands and aimed it at them.
Damian and Liam both advanced. Damian straightened his body and took a deep breath. Mana flowed from his hands, forming a thin, multi-layered wall of ice. This layer protected Liam, who was speeding toward the wooden doll.
Liam, on the other hand, dodged the wooden doll's attacks and took cover behind Damian's ice wall. He raised his pistol and aimed it at the wooden doll. He then began loading the bullet with a faintly vibrating stream of mana. As he pulled the trigger, a short, loud bang rang out, and the mana bullet shot toward its target.
Some of the watching students whistled in amazement, realizing that the two of them were already moving in unison.
"I'll increase the power," Liam called out without lowering his gun. He channeled more mana into the next bullet, causing a faint green glow to radiate from the barrel.
The doll managed to dodge several of Liam's bullets and advance toward him.
"Master Damian, it's time…" Liam shouted.
Damian nodded, then lowered his hand to the ground. Instantly, the doll's feet froze, sticking to the now icy surface below. The doll struggled to free itself, as Damian held it steady with his ice powers.
"Now, Liam!" Damian shouted.
Within seconds, Liam's bullet hit its target.
A loud explosion rang out. Green light from the mana mixed with the cracking ice. The doll shattered into fragments, leaving a thin layer of smoke that slowly dissipated into the air.
It was Kaien and Rin's turn.
Rin stepped forward to the center of the field, her magic wand spinning lightly in her hand. A stream of wind immediately gathered, forming a swirling vortex in the air around her. The gusts of wind ruffled her hair.
Beside her, Kaien nodded slightly without saying much. He raised his hand, summoning his magic wolf again. This time, the creature appeared larger than before. Its gray fur was the same, but it glowed faintly, indicating a stronger power was being exerted.
"Attack together," the teacher's instructions rang out clearly.
The training wooden doll sped toward them.
Rin immediately swung her wand, transforming the vortex into a sharp blade that shot toward the target. At the same time, Kaien's magic wolf leaped, its body darting with the wind current. The gust accelerated the magic creature's movement, causing it to strike the target with increased force.
A loud crash ensued. The target wooden doll was sent flying backward, shattering into pieces, scattering wood fragments into the air. The previously noisy field fell silent for a moment before erupting again with the cheers of admiration from the other students.
"That was so cool!" Tessa exclaimed from behind, her eyes sparkling.
Elric merely raised an eyebrow, his wide smile returning. "Okay, I'm officially jealous," he commented, making several students chuckle.
Damian stared at the resulting combination without blinking.
A Short Break
The students sat resting on the sidelines after the training session. Some were busy sipping water, others chatting while catching their breath.
Elric, as usual, full of curiosity, immediately approached Kaien with a water bottle. He handed it to him with a broad smile.
"Hey, that was really cool. You look like you're used to advanced combat. And how long have you been studying your summoning magic? It looks like you've mastered it," Elric said.
Kaien accepted the bottle and took a small sip. His expression remained calm.
"I trained… for quite a while, before I came to this school," he replied curtly.
Elric raised an eyebrow. "Is that all? If I had that confident fighting style and your summoning powers, I'd probably show off every day."
Kaien simply smiled faintly without adding anything.
Meanwhile, Damian sat with Liam, Tessa, and Rin not far away. Tessa leaned forward, her eyes still fixed on the field.
"Did you see that? The way he fought the wooden doll… it wasn't like he was a new student. He didn't panic at all when attacked."
Damian nodded slowly, remembering the moment when Kaien nearly got slashed by the training wooden doll, but instead remained calm, waiting for his moment to counter. "Yes. His reflexes were too calm. That's not a normal person's instinct."
Rin raised her head. "I thought so too. It was like he'd faced something like this many times."
Liam leaned in, his tone more serious than usual. "He didn't seem nervous at all, even against a fairly strong target. That's how a trained person moves."
A brief silence fell between them, filled only by the voices of other students in the background.
"Why did he come to this school when so many students were leaving?" Damian wondered as he looked at Kaien, who was still talking with Elric.
His premonition was becoming clearer; Kaien's arrival was no coincidence.
The teacher instructed the next exercise: group defense. Six students were called to the center of the field—Damian, Liam, Kaien, Elric, Rin, and Tessa. Their task was simple: work together to protect a flag from the numerous magic puppets that would be attacking relentlessly.
As soon as the signal sounded, Damian moved swiftly. He thrust his hand into the ground, forming a semicircular ice wall in front of the flag. The layer glistened and solid, providing the ultimate barrier against a frontal assault.
Beside him, Rin raised her magic staff. Wind swirled around her, forming small vortices in the air. Any puppets that stepped too close, she blocked with sharp gusts or whirlwinds that slowed their progress.
Tessa supported from the rear. Fire ignited in her hand before she unleashed a small blast. The blast struck the ranged puppets, sending them flying before they could penetrate the front line.
On the right flank, Elric defended with full force. The ground trembled as he raised a massive stone wall as an additional barrier. The stones continuously shifted with the enemy's movements, closing any gaps that opened.
On the left, Kaien stood calmly. He didn't need to say much; His magic wolf was already in full swing, slashing through the puppets that tried to break through. The creatures' movements were synchronized, as if reading his mind directly, not simply following orders. Every puppet that approached was instantly knocked down before it could even touch the defense line.
Meanwhile, Liam took up a position slightly behind Damian. His black revolver was raised, and mana bullets were fired with precision. Every time a puppet managed to squeeze through a small gap, Liam's bullets accurately struck its joints, knocking it down before it could advance any further.
Wave after wave of attacks came, but their formation held. Damian's ice wall cushioned the blows, Rin's whirlwind slowed them down, Tessa's fire blasts knocked them away from afar, Elric guarded the flanks with stone walls, and Kaien, with his wolf, moved nimbly to close the gaps. From behind, Liam's precision fire ensured that not a single puppet could escape.
When the time expired, their flag still stood tall. Not a single puppet had managed to breach the defense.
The teacher nodded in satisfaction. "Good," he commented curtly. "You've worked quite well together for a newly formed team."
A small cheer erupted from the few students watching as the six breathed a sigh of relief. Damian glanced at Kaien, who remained standing calmly, expressionless.
In his heart, a feeling grew stronger: this was just the beginning.
The training session was finally over. The students scattered from the field, some still chatting about the session.
Elric walked beside Kaien, his smile as wide as ever. "You're lucky I wasn't serious during the duel," he said with a chuckle.
Kaien glanced over with a blank expression. "You're lucky too."
Tessa immediately giggled at that response, while Rin covered her mouth tightly to hold back her laughter. Liam just shook his head slowly, already used to Elric's antics.
Damian walked a little behind them, watching from afar. His gaze fell once again on Kaien Draymoor. There was something he couldn't ignore: the way Kaien summoned his magical creature so steadily, the smooth control he had as if the wolf were one with him, even his demeanor during the joint training session.
All of it was different from a typical freshman. It wasn't just his strength, but his fighting instincts. Kaien never panicked; there were no wasted movements, and every step felt calculated. It was a pattern that reminded Damian of himself and his other friends who had been transported to this world.
He clenched his fists at his sides, his mind thinking rapidly. Maybe I should find a time to talk to him in person, Damian thought.
While the others continued to joke around, Damian remained silent. The feeling wouldn't go away. Kaien Draymoor's arrival wasn't just another new student. There was something bigger behind it.