Garran Holt led his volunteers onto the joint training ground expecting a comedy show.
The Knight instructor crossed the boundary line, followed by a dozen heavily armored first-year students carrying padded practice weapons. Kaelen Thorne walked near the front, a smirk firmly planted on his face despite the medical brace strapped beneath his tunic. They expected to find the Magic Department scattered, panicking, or hiding behind massive, stationary barriers.
Instead, the mages were already positioned in a staggered line across the sand. Nobody was talking. Emma Arlon stood to the side, holding a heavy wooden clipboard and an alchemical timing crystal, her eyes following the Knights with a cold, judging stare.
"Alright, Cassandra," Holt called out, his deep voice carrying across the morning air. "Let's see if your students learned how to stand still before they get run over."
Cassandra didn't raise her voice. She simply nodded to the first mage in line. "Engage."
