The next morning, the pair woke up as usual and followed their morning routine before heading downstairs for breakfast. When they finished, they leaned back with their coffee, admiring the Academy grounds in the morning light.
They were visibly excited; breakfast passed without a hint of chaos, as if they were saving their energy for what was to come. Today, they would restart their combat training, having mastered their Mana control the previous day.
No longer held back by lack of skill or incomplete Knowledge—and no longer limited by training facilities—they were finally allowed to unleash their full abilities. The anticipation was obvious; they practically vibrated with energy, eager for what awaited. The unbridled, chaotic joy on their faces was both unnerving and comedically clear to anyone watching.
—
Lily (age 13): Did everyone notice how much Chaos and Bane were holding themselves back at breakfast? I could basically see the excitement bouncing off them!
Max (age 16): Yeah, it was almost funny how tense they were! I bet it took every ounce of willpower not to start play-fighting right at the table. Must have been tough waiting this long to let loose.
Jess (age 21): Imagine finally getting to use all your skills and not being limited by anything. If I were them, I'd be ready to tear up the training grounds, too! Does anyone else think today's just going to be complete mayhem?
Farah (age 18): I wonder if they've been secretly practising or making plans for what they'll do first. With how excited they look, this might be the wildest training session the Academy's seen in ages.
Eli (age 10): I'm just hoping nobody gets squished in all the excitement, lol! I bet their first move is going to shock everyone.
—
They arrived at the Teaching building's reception area with twenty minutes to spare and sat, drinking coffee, waiting for Teachers Azazel and Seraphina to pick them up.
"Good morning! Looks like you're ready to go. Follow me to where you'll be blowing off steam today," Teacher Azazel greeted, leading them to the combat training building.
Inside, they followed him to an indoor colosseum. With a grand gesture, he introduced it: "This is where you'll get to cut loose. It's designed to withstand a sixteenth-level Twin Demon and Slayer pair going wild, keeping everyone outside completely safe. It's practically indestructible!"
Bane and Chaos, now separated, grinned ferociously. "Challenge accepted!"
"HAHAHAHA!" Seraphina burst out laughing at the theatrics, as Teachers Beelzebub, Zera, Belial, and Selene trailed behind, shaking their heads.
"Seriously, though, you don't have to hold anything back. This arena can handle anything you throw at it. I expect all three of you to go all out today. Understood?" said Teacher Azazel solemnly.
They nodded.
"Now, here's the plan. First, you'll complete your free-form styles until I'm satisfied. Then you'll do a combat simulation I designed for you. After that, if you're still standing, we'll work on aerial combat forms. Maybe, just maybe, you'll get to do a combined land and air sim." He explained, half-joking, half-serious.
Yi, Er, and Bane's grins grew even wilder.
"Now, get in there and have fun!" Azazel sent them into the colosseum. The doors shut behind them as the Teachers moved to the control room to monitor the spectacle.
Just as they settled into their seats, Headmistress Lilith joined them.
"Couldn't stay away?" Azazel quipped.
"A livestream doesn't cut it for me. And if they overperform, I can block most of the spillover effects," Lilith replied calmly.
"It seems like they've been holding back a lot, so I'm expecting a real can of worms to open today. That's why I started them off slow with the drills," Azazel admitted as Seraphina, Belial, and Selene shook their heads.
Beelzebub and Zera looked horrified.
"Okay, Yi, Er, Bane. START!" Azazel called into the comms.
The trio spread out for maximum movement, then started their free-form drills, letting their bodies guide them through the motions, Mana ebbing, flowing, and flaring.
"Whoa, these forms look impressive!" Azazel whistled in amazement.
"This really does come naturally to them," Belial muttered.
"This is going to be EPIC!" Lilith exclaimed.
"Is it going to hold?" Beelzebub asked, worried.
—
Ava (age 13): Is anyone else getting chills? That arena looks INSANE!
Jacob (age 17): Right? And did you see Bane and Chaos's faces when Azazel said "cut loose"? I swear, chaos is going to happen—pun intended.
Mina (age 12): The Teachers look worried, lol. Except Lilith and Azazel—they're excited! I want Lilith's confidence.
Lucas (age 15): If that place can survive a sixteenth-level pair, will it survive THESE three? Place your bets!
Priya (age 19): My money's on at least one wall getting cracked. Remember the last avalanche incident?
Noah (age 9): I wanna do drills like that when I'm older! Their Mana is so cool!!
Riley (age 22): The Teachers in the control room look like they're prepping for a category-five storm... Can't blame them.
Leah (age 16): Beelzebub's face, though—someone screenshot it! Pure horror!
Alex (age 20): This session is making highlight reels for years!
Tommy (age 11): I bet they'll do something no one's done before. I can feel it!
Ella (age 18): Lilith didn't even need the livestream—she came prepared! This is going to be epic!
—
The trio moved faster and faster through their drills, Mana growing wilder until explosions, shields, stealth, and even what seemed like spells accompanied each move.
Teachers and Lilith watched on in a mix of awe and horror as chaotic Mana swirled, and the true extent of the trio's skill became clear.
"They're going to be nightmares on the battlefield. That Mana is WILD!" Azazel exclaimed, leaning forward with glee.
"Elementary and Junior can't handle them," Beelzebub muttered.
"I knew this would be epic!" Lilith squealed.
After an hour of sheer Mana-fueled mayhem, a beep signalled the trio had mastered their drills.
"Well done, you've mastered your free-form drills. Ready to blow off some steam?" Azazel announced proudly through the comms.
The trio gave a thumbs-up.
"You have ten minutes to rest, hydrate, and recover your Mana. Then the combat sim will begin," Azazel instructed.
—
Online Student Chat (Live Thread)
Ella (age 18): Can we talk about how chaotic that training was? You could FEEL the energy through the screen!
Noah (age 9): I wanna learn to move like that! Their Mana was everywhere—so cool!
Leah (age 16): Did anyone else think the Teachers looked more scared than impressed? Beelzebub's face = meme material.
Lucas (age 15): Still not convinced the arena is really indestructible. I'm betting something cracks before the end of the year!
Jacob (age 17): When Azazel said "cut loose," I lost it! I swear the Teachers were praying in there.
Priya (age 19): This is highlight reel stuff. Nobody's gone this wild in ages.
Ava (age 13): Spells, explosions, shields—it looked like a real battle! Is this what pro Mana combat looks like?
Mina (age 12): I want Lilith's confidence. She didn't even flinch when spells went wild.
Riley (age 22): My last group skirmish wasn't anything like that. I'd still be in the nurse's office. Mayhem!
Tommy (age 11): Do we get to try drills like these? Or do we need special permission?
Jess (age 21): Azazel hyped everyone up, then looked shocked at what he created!
Farah (age 18): If this is just a warm-up, what's the sim gonna be like? Will anyone even break a sweat?
Max (age 16): The whole Academy must be watching. Absolute legends in the making.
Moderator note: Keep it respectful and no spoilers if you're not caught up on the replay!
—
When the ten minutes were up, the trio was eager to go. Teacher Azazel counted them in: "Sim loading, gravity fields activating, sim bots generating, START!"
And then all hell broke loose—in every possible (and impossible) way.
Er charged from the trio's end to the centre, then launched himself into the air for a slam that would put a mecha to shame.
When he landed in front of the sim bots, a shockwave tore through half the arena—trees ripped up, ground caved in. Some sim bots were obliterated, and the rest were launched into the air, where Bane darted among them, picking them off one by one.
Meanwhile, Yi had landed atop the highest mountain, coolly analysing the terrain, enemies, and possible traps while casually dispatching any foe that approached.
The Teachers stared, transfixed, at the spectacle. Headmistress Lilith squealed with childish joy.
Everyone watched in disbelief as the trio tore through every challenge the sim offered; chaos truly had been unleashed. Teacher Beelzebub could be heard praying for the arena's shields to hold, and the sim wasn't even halfway done.
Teacher Azazel received a holo-call. Teacher Moros appeared as a holo-image.
"Good morning. Looks like I'll have my hands full with these three. I watched the live stream—a smart move letting them blow off steam. But I'm curious if the arena will survive this festival of carnage."
Headmistress Lilith replied, "So far, so good. Better than expected, honestly."
"That's good. I'm disappointed I couldn't be there, but there's always next time," Moros sighed.
"Was there a reason for your call?" Azazel asked.
"Ah, yes. Next time, let me set up the sim. This is good for venting, but it's predictable and flawed. Frankly, it's boring." Moros replied, then hung up.
"Why that…" Azazel grumbled as explosions rumbled from the arena.
—
Online Student Chat (Live Thread)
Poppy (age 10): Did anyone else nearly fall off their chair when Er cracked the arena? That SLAM! I want to try that—maybe with pillows...
Yara (age 13): Bane just zooming around in the air using bots as stepping stones? That's superhero energy! The bots didn't stand a chance!
Finn (age 15): Yi up on the mountain giving out chill sniper energy. I wish I were that cool during tests.
Asha (age 17): The Teachers' faces were classic—Lilith looked like she won the lottery, Beelzebub is definitely stress-eating.
Nick (age 22): Someone record Azazel's reaction! Proud, terrified, and ready for a vacation. I'd watch a whole reel of his face.
Mia (age 11): Can we talk about the flying trees? That shockwave bounced my toast!
Kiran (age 18): Moros basically told Azazel his sim was boring while chaos reigned. That's a power move.
Sophie (age 14): This is only halfway?! The finale's going to be even wilder. Bets on if the arena survives?
Dani (age 19): Bane's air-fighting is parkour-level style. That's meme board material.
Ty (age 9): If I were a sim bot, I'd have rage-quit. Or hidden behind something—too scary!
Sam (age 21): Are chaos drills a graduation requirement? My nerves couldn't take this daily.
Ali (age 16): Hands down, best live stream of the term. Pure chaos, Teachers losing their minds, A+.
Elena (age 24): Can we get "Pray for the Arena" tees? They'll outlast everything else!
Moderator note: Please stay respectful. No spoilers for the next sim round!
—
Beelzebub went pale. "You didn't!" he hissed at Azazel, who only grinned back at him.
The sim environment shifted dramatically—from a regular training field to a mountainous glacier. The trio paused, then identical, ferocious grins spread across their faces. "Challenge accepted, Teacher Azazel!"
They launched into the air, Chaos merging into one as they hovered above the tallest peak. Chaos inhaled deeply, unleashing a silent, Mana-charged roar directly at the mountain. As expected, an avalanche thundered down—not just matching, but utterly surpassing last time. With practised ease, they executed their now-signature move: avalanche surfing, picking off sim bots along the way. Instead of real shields, this time they conjured skis from pure Mana.
Pandemonium erupted in both the arena and the control room. Beelzebub and Zera clung to each other in horror as they watched the weaponised disaster unfold.
Meanwhile, Lilith calmly checked the control panels. "The shields aren't struggling at all. Same for the arena itself," she remarked casually.
—
Online Student Chat (Live Thread)
Eva (age 13): Did anyone else just see that avalanche?! Chaos literally surfed down the mountain! This is the craziest sim yet!
Josh (age 17): They made MANA SKIS??? Last time was wild, but this is next-level. Arena shields better hold!
Milo (age 11): Beelzebub and Zera looked SO scared, hugging like that. Best Teacher reactions ever.
Priya (age 18): Why do I feel like this will be a safety video for future classes? "Don't try this on real mountains, kids!"
Nina (age 16): The last drill disaster was nothing—this makes it look tame. Avalanche surfing is officially my new Mana goal!
Lucas (age 21): Lilith just calmly checking her panels while everyone else panics. #Iconic
Sophie (age 12): The sim bots didn't even stand a chance... This is what happens when you let kids go wild with Mana!
Alex (age 24): Anyone want to bet if the arena keeps power till the end?
Riya (age 15): "Weaponised disaster" is the only way to describe this. I need a highlight reel of just the Teacher reactions!
Mark (age 10): Avalanche surfing looked FUN! (But I definitely don't want Chaos after me!)
Sam (age 19): If the arena survives, it deserves its own badge. That was epic. Hats off to Bane, Er, and Yi!
Moderator note: Please, no recreating simulated avalanches on campus. Safety first!