That afternoon, the Zephyrus training field was filled with students from several classes. Their footsteps were clearly audible until they finally stopped in the center of the arena. All eyes were on Instructor Van, who stood tall in front of a large blackboard.
"Today, you will be undergoing joint training with other classes," he said flatly. "The goal is simple: to test teamwork in a real-life combat situation."
He pointed to the blackboard behind him. The names of the participants were clearly written on it. "Damian, Nero, Elric, Kaien, Liam, Rin, Tessa… and Lucien."
The atmosphere immediately changed. The other students began whispering.
"Lucien? Isn't he from another class?"
Instructor Van closed his book. "Before you ask, this group was formed at the direct request of Principal Limbert. He wants to test the students with the highest potential on a single team. The other students will have their turn to train after this. For now, you just watch from the stands and learn."
Lucien advanced with a steady stride. The large shield on his back swayed as he stopped in front of them. His face was calm, devoid of any hesitation. "If we want to win, at least follow the formation. No one should act so great."
Elric pointed to himself with a loud laugh. "Hey! I'm clearly the captain of this team. I'm the strongest!"
Liam, standing next to Damian, took a deep breath. "Please don't cause any more trouble, Elric."
Damian glanced around. All the other students' eyes in the stands were on his group. He smiled awkwardly, trying to defuse the tension.
"Y-yeah… let's focus first, Elric," Damian said.
Behind him, Kaien stood with his arms folded, a faint smile on his face. He seemed more to be enjoying the commotion than interfering. Meanwhile, Nero remained silent. His gaze was cold, completely unaffected by the voices around him.
Instructor Van looked at them one by one. "Your opponents will be several golems. The goal is simple: survive fifteen minutes, or defeat them all. Training starts in five minutes. Use your time to prepare."
The tension immediately rose. The other students whispered in the stands, wondering if this team could work together. To most, this was just training. But to Damian and his friends, this was clearly more than that, a test that would determine whether they were worthy of being called the strongest students at Zephyrus Academy.
The battle began.
The gate to the training arena slowly opened. From there, two giant stone golems emerged. Their bodies moved with a heavy cracking sound, each step making the arena floor tremble. Not far away, numerous packs of red-eyed magical wolves emerged one by one, their roars filling the air.
Damian drew Setsu'ryū from its sheath. A chill immediately enveloped the arena. "Everyone, be careful!" he shouted.
Lucien stepped quickly forward, raised his shield high. "Damian, guard the left flank! Rin, push back the wolves with the wind! Liam, cover from afar! Elric—"
Before his instructions could finish, Elric dashed forward with a loud shout. "LEAVE IT TO ME!"
His massive fist slammed into the golem's chest, sending the stone body briefly flying backward. But only for a moment. The golem's arm swung forward and slammed into Elric hard. Elric's massive body was sent flying violently against the arena wall.
"ELRIC!" Rin screamed in panic. Both hands were imbued with wind magic, ready to be unleashed.
Lucien hissed. "I told you not to go alone!"
But Elric quickly got back to his feet. Dust clung to his face and torn clothes, but his wide smile remained. "Aaaawwwww, that hurts," he said, holding the back of his neck.
Damian covered his face with one hand. "Elric, focus…"
On the other side, the wolf pack began to spread out, surrounding them. Tessa raised her hand, a thread of fire wrapped around one wolf's neck, and knocked it aside. Rin sent a sharp gust of wind, sending the rest of the pack back several steps.
Liam stood behind, his magic revolver already raised. A single shot was fired, and the fiery bullet struck one of the wolves in the head, sending it collapsing on the spot.
Lucien blocked the golem's blow with his shield. The loud bang silenced the spectators in the stands. "We need help here!" he shouted.
Damian charged forward. His sword glowed a pale blue, and with a single slash, he froze the golem's swinging arm. Cracks of ice spread out, shattering it into pieces.
A small cheer erupted from the stands. Some students looked impressed, but the fight was clearly not over. One golem remained standing, and the pack of wolves continued to circle around them, ready to pounce at any moment.
The training had just begun.
The battle intensified. Magic wolves rushed from all directions, while the two giant golems continued to advance with heavy steps. Damian tried to block the attack with a towering wall of ice in front of him, but the pressure was too much. Cracks were already beginning to appear, and his breathing was growing labored.
Rin advanced with both hands raised. A strong wind pushed the wolf pack back, giving Damian a small space to breathe. Although his face looked focused, he was in a deep panic.
From behind, Liam raised his magic revolver. A popping sound rang out, a flaming bullet flying straight into the head of a wolf. The monster instantly collapsed, its body ablaze. Liam quickly replaced the bullet, his eyes vigilantly searching for another opening.
On the other side, Tessa threw a fireball. It formed, soaring into the air, but it was uncontrolled. A massive explosion erupted right in front of Elric. The sound shook the arena, causing some of the students in the stands to cover their ears.
Lucien immediately advanced, his shield wide open to block the blast wave. His face was tense, his shout clearly audible. "You want to kill your teammates?!"
Tessa fell silent, her face flushed with a mix of panic and embarrassment. Before he could respond, another wolf howl echoed, bringing everyone's attention back to the center of the arena.
Meanwhile, Nero moved almost silently. His body blended into the shadows, appearing suddenly behind a wolf and slashing with precision. The monster fell without a chance to fight back. One by one, the wolves fell, Nero's movements so swift and efficient they were almost invisible to the naked eye.
Behind the formation, Kaien simply strolled leisurely. He showed no intention of helping, merely observing the battle. Occasionally, a faint smile appeared on his face, as if he was enjoying his teammates' panic.
Instructor Van stood at the edge of the arena. From afar, he didn't give any orders or intervene. His hand simply scribbled something in a notebook, his expression impassive even though it was clear the team was beginning to fall apart.
The battle was far from over. But this teamwork was already looking fragile. If this continued, not only would the training fail, but trust between them could crumble at any moment.
The Zephyrus training ground shook violently as one of the golems raised its arms high. The shadow of its gigantic body enveloped the entire team. Everyone knew that once that attack landed, they would be destroyed instantly.
Damian immediately conjured a thick wall in front of him. But a cracking sound rang out only seconds later. The cracks spread across his defense, clearly not holding for long.
"Not strong enough!" Damian shouted, his voice filled with panic.
Lucien stepped forward. His shield was pressed against the ice wall, and mana flowed so rapidly that a faint glow appeared on its surface. Lucien's massive body trembled, his feet pressing against the ground to withstand the pressure of the golem's attack. "At this rate… we're all doomed!"
Around them, the magic wolves were still roaring, circling the formation, waiting for an opening to strike. The other students in the stands held their breath, some standing up, unable to believe what they were seeing.
Damian glanced back, his eyes fixed on the only person who hadn't moved. "Hey! If you can do something, do it now!"
All heads turned. Kaien remained standing, relaxed with his arms folded across his chest. A faint smile appeared on his face. He slowly stepped forward.
"Very well," he said calmly, as if unaffected at all. "It seems you need my help."
As soon as those words were out, a large red magic circle lit up beneath his feet.
Damian, watching, gripped his sword even tighter.
The arena suddenly fell silent. Even the normally aggressive magic wolves stopped moving, intimidated by the aura radiating from Kaien.
Damian could sense something different was about to emerge. And whatever it was, the outcome could completely change the course of this battle.