Chapter 6: Astrid Neraiya
The first battle began with Elena showcasing her water magic abilities. Water bubbles floated in the air before shooting toward Marcus at high speed. The sturdy young man retaliated with earth magic, creating stone walls that emerged from the arena floor to protect himself.
The battle raged fiercely for fifteen minutes before Elena managed to defeat Marcus by creating a water vortex that made him lose his balance.
"Winner of the first battle, Elena!" August's voice echoed throughout the arena.
The second battle was equally captivating. Two young men with fire magic abilities faced each other, creating a mesmerizing fire display. Red and blue flames danced in the air, clashing against each other and creating small explosions.
Finally, the black-haired youth named Dante managed to defeat his opponent by creating an unavoidable fire spiral.
"Not bad," Aeris commented while clapping. "But it seems they're still holding back."
Sirius nodded in agreement. "That's understandable. This is still an entrance exam, not a fight to the death."
"Third battle!" August raised his staff again. "Astrid versus Ryan!"
The arena's atmosphere changed drastically when a girl climbed the stairs to the main arena. Her footsteps sounded heavy and rhythmic, like a predator approaching its prey.
Her outfit immediately caught everyone's attention—a combination of blood red and black that looked specifically designed for combat. The top was a tight red vest, while the bottom consisted of black pants with a red belt wrapped around her waist.
What stood out most was the weapon she carried—a spear with a glowing red tip, exactly matching the color of her long, flowing hair. Her red eyes gleamed with an strange light, as if there were flames burning within them.
"Astrid..." Aeris murmured softly. "I've heard that name before. The Neraiya family, right?"
Sirius didn't answer. His eyes were fixed on the way the girl moved. There was something different about her aura—not just confidence, but something darker and more dangerous.
On the other side of the arena, a green-haired young man named Ryan climbed up with hesitant steps. His yellow eyes looked restless, as if he could already sense danger before the battle began. Several times he glanced toward where Kael was sitting, as if seeking moral support.
"That's your opponent?" Aeris turned toward Kael, who was sitting several rows in front of them.
"Yes," Sirius answered briefly, his eyes still not leaving Astrid. "But they seem to be close."
August raised his staff. "The third battle begins!"
What happened next wasn't a battle—it was a massacre.
Astrid moved with speed that was almost invisible to the eye. In an instant, her red spear was already thrusting toward Ryan. The young man barely had time to react, only managing to dodge by throwing his body to the side.
But Astrid didn't stop. Her spear spun in her grip like a propeller, creating a circle of red light in the air. Every movement she made was filled with deadly force—there were no wasted motions, no gaps to breathe.
Ryan tried to retaliate with his wind magic, creating wind vortexes to keep Astrid at bay. But the girl just smiled—a smile that made the spectators' blood run cold.
"Weak," her voice was clearly heard throughout the arena even though she wasn't shouting. "So very weak."
Astrid slammed her spear into the arena floor with force. Red cracks appeared in the stone and spread toward Ryan. The young man jumped to the side, but the cracks followed his movements like a snake chasing prey.
"What is that?" Aeris murmured with a slightly trembling voice.
Sirius observed carefully. "Blood magic combined with fire magic. She's channeling her magic through the spear and creating heated paths she can control."
The battle—if it could still be called a battle—continued in an increasingly brutal manner. Astrid gave Ryan no opportunity to counterattack. Every time the young man tried to create distance, Astrid's spear was already in front of him. Every time he tried to use magic, Astrid's attacks had already broken his concentration.
What made everyone shudder was Astrid's expression. She didn't look angry or stressed—she looked like she was enjoying every second of her dominance. A thin smile never left her lips, and her red eyes gleamed with terrifying joy.
Ryan began to look desperate. His clothes were torn in several places, and there were small wound marks on his arms and cheek. He kept backing up until his back touched the arena wall—there was nowhere left to run.
"I surrender," Ryan shouted with a hoarse voice. "I surrender!"
But Astrid didn't stop. Her spear continued to shoot toward Ryan, this time aimed at his chest. Her red eyes glowed even brighter, as if the word 'surrender' had only made her more excited.
"ASTRID!" August's voice thundered throughout the arena.
The academy headmaster, who was usually calm, was suddenly in the middle of the arena, his wooden staff raised and emitting golden light that formed a shield in front of Ryan. Astrid's spear struck the shield with a resounding crash.
"The battle is over," August said in a firm but still controlled tone. "Ryan has surrendered."
Astrid stared at August with eyes that still blazed. For several seconds, it seemed like she still wanted to continue the fight. But then that strange smile appeared on her lips again.
"Of course, Headmaster," she said while pulling back her spear. "Sorry, I got too carried away."
But there was no remorse whatsoever in her voice. Instead, it sounded like she found the situation amusing.
"Winner of the third battle, Astrid!" August announced, but his tone wasn't as enthusiastic as when announcing the previous winners.
Astrid walked down from the arena with casual steps, as if nothing had happened. Several prospective students automatically moved away from her path, creating an empty corridor for her to walk through.
"Damn it!" a loud voice was heard from the spectator area.
Kael stood with a flushed red face, both hands clenched into fists. He stepped down from the spectator seats with large strides, clearly heading toward Astrid.
"Hey, crazy girl!" Kael shouted while pointing at Astrid. "What did you do to Ryan? He already surrendered!"
Astrid stopped and slowly turned toward Kael. The smile on her lips widened, showing a row of white teeth that contrasted with her red eyes.
"Oh? And who are you?" her voice sounded like a child asking innocently, but there was something horrifying in that tone.
"I'm Ryan's friend!" Kael approached with threatening steps. "And I won't let someone like you wander around this academy!"
Astrid tilted her head slightly, like a bird observing a worm. "Someone like me? What do you mean by that?"
"A sadistic killer!" Kael was now within two meters of Astrid. "Someone who enjoys hurting others!"
"Sadistic killer..." Astrid repeated those words while putting on an expression as if she were contemplating something. Then she laughed—a clear laugh that made anyone who heard it shudder.
"Funny," she said while raising her spear slightly. "I don't remember killing anyone today. Besides, this was just an entrance exam battle. If your friend is too weak to handle a little pressure, maybe he's really not suited for this academy."
"You—"
"And you," Astrid interrupted Kael's words while stepping closer. "Do you think by yelling like that, you look scary? Or do you think I'll be afraid of those little muscles of yours?"
Kael looked shocked. In his entire life, no one had ever directly belittled his physical strength like this.
"Little muscles?" he repeated in disbelief. "I can lift a two-hundred-kilogram stone with my bare hands!"
"Wow, how amazing," Astrid clapped slowly with a very mocking expression. "So you're proud you can lift stones? Like a pack horse, huh?"
Several prospective students who heard that comment couldn't hold back small laughs. Kael, who was usually feared for his physical strength, suddenly looked ridiculous with the pack horse comparison.
"Besides," Astrid continued while examining the tip of her spear that still gleamed red, "I think you're more suited to be a cargo carrier than a mage. At least there, your big muscles would be useful."
Kael's face grew redder. "You—"
"Or maybe you want to try challenging me?" Astrid looked at Kael with eyes that suddenly became very serious. "I'm sure the headmaster wouldn't mind if we had an additional battle."
For a moment, Kael looked like he wanted to accept that challenge. But then he saw Ryan still being treated in the medical room, and Astrid's brutal expression during the earlier fight. Something rational within him said this wasn't a battle he could win.
"I'll remember this," Kael said with a voice trembling between anger and fear. "You won't be able to act however you want forever."
"Of course," Astrid smiled sweetly, which didn't match her red eyes at all. "I'll be waiting. But don't take too long—I get bored easily."
Kael turned and left with quick steps, clearly wanting to get away from Astrid as fast as possible.
In the spectator seats, Sirius observed the entire interaction with unblinking eyes. There was something about that girl that made him... interested. Not because of her beauty, not because of her strength, but because of something more complex.
"A dangerous girl," Aeris commented in a low voice.
"Yes," Sirius answered, but there was a strange tone in his voice. "Very dangerous."
The white fox in his lap raised its head and looked toward Astrid with wary golden eyes. Then it turned to Sirius and made a small sound, as if asking something.
"I don't know either," Sirius murmured while stroking its fur. "But I want to know more about her."
Astrid, who was walking back to the spectator seats, suddenly turned toward Sirius. Their red eyes met with Sirius's ice-blue eyes for a moment. Then she smiled—a smile different from what she had shown Kael. This smile was more... curious.
Sirius responded with a thin smile, then turned back to the arena where August was preparing to announce the fourth battle.
But his mind was no longer focused on the next battle. His thoughts were filled with one question: who exactly was Astrid?