«I'm not going to waste your time with theoretical nonsense,» Professor Tendo begins.
Chris and his class stand in a circle around him, gathered inside the training arena—the same place where he had fought Shin just the day before.
«During this term, we'll focus only on practical lessons involving the Sacred Flame and improving your combat skills.»
«And first of all, I want to assess the level of this class by watching the academy's top students in action. Zayn Bekan. Kellen Wynne. Step forward.»
The moment he says their names, the two students walk into the center.
Zayn Bekan is incredibly tall—at least six-foot-three—with jet-black hair and piercing ice-blue eyes that send chills.
Despite his height, Zayn's body is lean—less muscular compared to Kellen.
Shin then gestures toward the front row of the bleachers, inviting the rest of the class to take their seats. Only he, Zayn, and Kellen remain standing on the hardened dirt battlefield.
«As per the rules, you're not required to use any abilities unrelated to the Sacred Flame,» Shin says. «It's obvious, but better to say it anyway.»
~Why did Professor Tendo feel the need to clarify that…? Could one of them have a crystal like mine, or some other kind of ability? But Sis didn't mention anything about that...~
At Shin's signal, Zayn and Kellen launch at each other at lightning speed.
Their bodies ignite with white flames.
In their hands, a solid, flaming sword takes shape.
A violent shockwave spreads through the entire arena as they collide—their flaming blades clashing at insane speed.
The impact of their strikes shakes the air. The ground cracks beneath them, even forming small craters.
~Those two are… they're seriously incredible!~
Chris watches, breathless, trying to follow their rapid movements.
Or at least, he tries.
He can only catch a glimpse when they slow down—just at the moment their blades collide.
Every time his eyes fix on one spot, they're already somewhere else.
The only clues are the marks left on the ground.
He looks around, confused, and quickly realizes he's not the only one who can't keep up with Zayn and Kellen.
The other students wear the same lost expressions.
Only Professor Tendo and Alexia seem able to follow their movements.
«Alexia… what's going on… why do you look so worried…?» Jasmine asks, sitting to Chris's right.
Alexia is on his left.
~Jasmine's right. Sis looks… scared!~
«Zayn Bekan…» Alexia mutters through clenched teeth. «The last fight between him and Kellen wasn't this one-sided...»
«One-sided…?» Chris repeats.
~But… from what little I can see, they look perfectly matched…~
«Focus and observe,» she replies flatly.
«Zayn… what the hell did you eat during summer break…? A Sacred Flame Burger…?» Kellen mutters with a nervous smile—his blade blocked yet again, effortlessly.
The flames bursting from their bodies are so intense that the heat makes the air around them tremble.
«You were the only one here who could keep up with me, but now you're just another loser,» Zayn replies coldly.
His blade moves fast and knocks away Kellen's attack. Kellen barely dodges a horizontal slash aimed straight at his chest.
It's clearly a blow meant to injure, not to kill—lethal strikes within these walls are strictly punished.
Kellen flips backward to evade, but before he can land properly...
—BAM!
Zayn's kick slams into his stomach.
A spray of blood bursts from Kellen's mouth, staining Zayn's pants.
Kellen is thrown several meters, hitting the ground hard and bouncing until he crashes against the thick walls beneath the stands.
He gets back on his feet—barely—wincing in pain.
But before he can do anything else, Professor Tendo declares the match over.
Shin applauds, followed by the rest of the students—even if most of them only understood part of what just happened.
~So… this is the level of the academy's two strongest students…?! It's incredible! I can't wait for the semester tournament. I want to face them in a real battle! I'm so excited!~