The Silverstaff Institute Arc
Episode 5: Entrance Exams
February 15th, NE 567
Morning light slipped through the curtains of the Midnight Cat Inn.
Amani Roya opened her eyes and immediately turned toward the clock beside her bed.
Forty minutes remained before the entrance exams began.
"Perfect."
She climbed out of bed without hesitation.
Unlike Yin, who treated mornings as a personal attack, Amani could prepare quickly when something important was waiting. She changed into a beige jacket, white blouse, red skirt, dark tights, and comfortable shoes suited for both studying and combat.
Her repaired scythe rested against the wall.
The weapon looked completely different after Wander rebuilt it. Silver channels covered its dark handle and blade, responding faintly whenever her magic moved through the air.
Amani lifted it, examined the edge, and nodded.
"At least one of us is ready."
She left her room and knocked on Yin's door.
"Wake up. Forty minutes."
A muffled voice answered from inside.
"I need a few minutes!"
"That usually means fifteen!"
"It means five!"
"It has never meant five!"
Amani moved toward Wander's room and knocked again.
There was no answer.
She knocked harder.
"Wander."
Silence.
Amani opened the door.
Wander was asleep beside an empty wooden box that had previously been filled with food. Several wrappers surrounded him while Build-A-Weapon rested on his stomach, its multiple eyes closed.
Amani stared.
"Of course."
Wander suddenly yawned and sat upright.
His black hair looked even more chaotic than usual.
"Man, I'm hungry."
"You ate everything in that box."
"That was last night."
"It was three hours ago."
"That still counts as last night."
Amani closed the door before the conversation could damage her patience.
She thanked the innkeeper, returned the room key, and stepped outside to wait.
A few minutes later, Yin came down the stairs.
He had tied his long red-and-black hair into a loose ponytail, though several strands still fell around his face and covered part of his left eye.
His outfit was far more combat-oriented than the clothing he wore during the journey.
Black pants were secured with a thick belt and silver buckle. Two holsters rested against his sides, though they were currently empty. A fitted black shirt sat beneath a long black coat with gray lining across the sleeves. Silver plates protected his shins and the left side of his coat, while black fingerless gloves covered his hands.
A diagonal strap crossed his torso, securing his sword against his back.
Yin hurried toward Amani.
"I'm here, Roya."
"You took nine minutes."
"That is close to five."
"It is nearly double."
"Time is subjective."
"No, it is not."
Wander emerged last.
He wore almost exactly the same clothes as the previous day.
Amani looked him up and down.
"Did you change?"
"Yes."
"You're wearing the same shirt."
"I own more than one."
"There's a burn mark in the same place."
Wander looked down.
"Oh."
Yin gave him a deadpan stare.
Amani clapped her hands once.
"Everyone ready?"
Neither boy answered.
"Good. We're going."
Wander raised one finger.
"Breakfast?"
"After the exams."
His expression became horrified.
"You expect me to use magic without food?"
"I expect you to survive several hours."
"That is a dangerous expectation."
Amani began walking.
Yin moved beside her while Wander followed behind them, whispering something about cruel academic systems.
Silverstaff Institute
The Institute grounds were already crowded by the time they arrived.
Hundreds of applicants gathered in front of the main hall.
Some wore noble uniforms decorated with family crests. Others carried weapons, magical staffs, mechanical devices, or enchanted books.
Many had traveled from distant nations.
Humans stood beside elves, beastfolk, dragons, spirits, constructs, demons, and races Yin could not recognize.
The amount of magical energy in one place made the air feel heavy.
Yin slowed.
His fingers began trembling.
He placed one hand inside his coat so nobody would notice.
Amani noticed anyway.
"Are you alright?"
Yin glanced toward the gathering students.
"Let's just get this over with."
He kept his tone calm, but his mind was already moving through every possible failure.
The first exam could expose his lack of magic.
The second could prove his swordsmanship was not enough.
The third could place him against someone far stronger.
His name might also draw attention if the alias failed.
Wander leaned toward him.
"You look like you're about to throw up."
"I'm fine."
"You said that before the nightmare."
Yin's eye sharpened.
"Not now."
Wander raised both hands.
"Fine."
Before anything else could be said, an adult stepped onto a raised platform at the front of the courtyard.
He wore the long silver-lined coat of a Silverstaff instructor.
The man clapped his hands in front of a magical microphone.
The sound echoed through the entire plaza.
"Good morning, applicants."
The crowd gradually became silent.
"Welcome to the entrance examinations for the Silverstaff Institute's NE 567 academic year."
Yin looked toward the platform.
The instructor continued.
"The entrance exam contains three stages."
Three glowing symbols appeared in the air above him.
"The first stage measures your magical capacity."
A crystal appeared within the first symbol.
"Magical capacity is the amount of mana your body can store and use at one time. A capacity of two thousand is considered extremely low. Fifty thousand is considered high-class."
Several students whispered among themselves.
"The average instructor at this Institute possesses a capacity near forty thousand, although capacity does not automatically determine combat strength."
A second symbol showed a training dummy.
"The second stage measures the force, destructive potency, and speed of one attack. Each applicant will strike a reinforced measurement construct."
The image of the dummy absorbed an explosion.
"The constructs are designed to withstand attacks from some of the strongest students and teachers at Silverstaff. Do not restrain yourselves because you fear damaging them."
The third symbol showed two figures fighting.
"The final stage is practical combat."
The crowd became louder.
"Applicants will fight opponents selected by the examination staff. We will evaluate skill, control, adaptability, judgment, and cooperation."
The instructor lowered his hand.
"Failure in one category does not automatically mean failure in the entire examination."
Yin focused on that sentence.
It offered a little hope.
"Follow Instructor Hilda for the capacity test. Good luck."
A woman stepped forward from beside the platform.
She wore a fitted instructor's uniform and carried herself with far too much confidence.
"Come along, sweeties."
Her playful tone made Yin shiver.
Amani looked toward him.
"What?"
"I don't trust anyone who speaks like that before an examination."
First Examination: Magical Capacity
The applicants entered an enormous testing hall.
At its center stood a clear crystal mounted on a black platform. Above it floated a magical counter large enough for everyone in the room to see.
Instructor Hilda approached the crystal.
"The procedure is simple."
She placed one hand above it.
"Place your palm against the surface. You may feel a mild tingling sensation while the crystal examines what is inside you."
Her smile widened.
"Try not to scream."
Several younger applicants looked alarmed.
Hilda laughed.
"I'm joking."
Yin leaned toward Amani.
"I hate her."
"You don't know her."
"That has never stopped an opinion before."
Hilda placed her palm against the crystal.
It began glowing.
The number above it rose rapidly.
10,000
25,000
40,000
It finally stopped.
48,233
The students gasped.
Hilda removed her hand with a proud smile.
"Nothing complicated."
Yin stared at the number.
Her magical capacity surpassed most of the high-ranking battle servants in the Pendragon castle.
Wander whistled.
"She's strong."
His eyes shifted toward the crystal.
"I wonder what alloy the frame uses."
Amani looked at him.
"You are more interested in the stand than the score?"
"I can understand numbers later. That metal is interesting now."
One applicant after another stepped forward.
Most results remained between seven and eleven thousand.
A few stood out.
A ragged-looking boy reached twenty-two thousand.
A girl dressed almost entirely in black reached nineteen thousand.
A boy in a blue shirt reached fifteen thousand.
Then Wander's name was called.
Wander walked toward the crystal.
He placed one hand against it.
"So I just grab it?"
Hilda nodded.
"Gently."
The crystal glowed.
The counter rose.
10,000
30,000
45,000
It continued.
50,000
Then higher.
53,716
The hall became silent.
Wander stared at the number.
"Oh. Neat."
He looked toward Amani and Yin.
"Is that good?"
Nobody immediately answered.
Even Hilda's playful expression disappeared for a moment.
One of the instructors standing near the wall adjusted his glasses and began writing rapidly in a notebook.
Amani finally spoke.
"Wander, that isn't merely good."
He tilted his head.
"That is completely absurd."
Whispers spread through the students.
Some stared at Wander with admiration.
Others looked jealous.
A few approached to congratulate him as he returned.
Wander had no idea how to react.
He scratched the side of his face.
"I didn't do anything."
"You possess more mana than the instructor," one student said.
"I didn't make it today."
"That isn't the point."
Wander slipped away from the crowd and returned to Yin.
Then he noticed his friend gripping his left forearm.
"You alright?"
Yin's fingers dug into his skin.
A burning pain was spreading through the arm.
It did not feel like strained muscle or an old injury.
It felt as though something inside his body was pressing against the bones, trying to force its way out.
"I'm fine."
"That looks like pain."
"I just need to stretch."
Wander glanced toward the crystal.
"It's your turn."
Yin stood slowly.
Every student who had laughed at his height, clothes, or lack of visible magical aura suddenly seemed louder inside his head.
He approached the platform.
Hilda looked down at him.
"Place your hand on the crystal."
Yin raised his left hand.
The pain worsened.
Something deep within his body reacted to the crystal.
For a fraction of a second, he felt a pulse.
Then he touched it.
The crystal remained dark.
The counter flickered.
0
Silence lasted one heartbeat.
Then laughter spread through the hall.
"No magic?"
"He came to Silverstaff with nothing?"
"That has to be a mistake."
"The person before him broke fifty thousand, and this one got zero?"
Several comments struck harder than Yin expected.
He already knew the result.
He had lived with it for fifteen years.
Yet seeing the number displayed before hundreds of applicants made the emptiness feel official.
Hilda's expression changed from amusement to disappointment.
The instructor near the wall stopped writing in one notebook.
Then he opened another.
Yin pulled his hand away.
The burning inside his arm remained.
He returned to the edge of the room without looking at anyone.
Amani watched him sit alone.
Hatred began leaking from his aura.
It was faint, but sharp enough for her senses to catch.
It did not feel like ordinary embarrassment.
It felt predatory.
A whisper inside Yin's mind urged him to respond.
To silence them.
To make every person laughing understand what fear felt like.
He clenched his jaw.
No.
Amani's name was called.
She stepped toward the crystal.
Before touching it, she closed her left eye.
Her hand tightened around the crystal.
The counter began climbing.
It stopped at:
13,000
Amani released it immediately.
When she reopened her left eye, faint red veins surrounded the cross-shaped symbol within her iris.
Most people failed to notice.
Yin did.
But before he could approach her, the instructor announced the end of the first test.
Wander looked toward Yin.
An idea formed.
"Wait!"
The instructors turned.
Wander pointed toward Yin.
"I need him angry."
The room became silent again.
Yin slowly lifted his head.
Amani stared at Wander.
"What?"
"His power changes when he gets angry."
The serious instructor near the wall closed his notebook.
"We will not delay the examination because one applicant performed poorly."
Wander's markings glowed slightly.
"He didn't perform poorly. The crystal just didn't read whatever he has."
"You have no authority to alter the test."
The instructor's gaze moved toward Yin.
"If your friend deserves admission, he may demonstrate it during the remaining examinations."
Wander wanted to argue.
Then he felt Yin's killing intent.
His body stiffened.
For the first time since arriving at the Institute, Wander felt genuine fear from his friend's presence.
"Oi, Yin…"
Yin did not answer.
He stood and followed the group outside.
Second Examination: Destructive Output
Several reinforced dummies stood in the center of a massive testing field.
Each construct was covered in runes and connected to a floating measurement device.
Instructor Hilda stood beside the first one.
"This test calculates the strength, speed, and intensity of one attack."
She removed a small switchblade.
"I'll demonstrate."
Hilda poured mana into her hand and threw the blade.
The weapon accelerated fast enough to distort the air.
It struck the dummy.
The construct absorbed the impact.
Numbers appeared above it.
Force: 24,860,000,000,000 newtons
Speed: 850 meters per second
Classification: High A-Rank
Several applicants stared in awe.
Yin barely reacted.
His attention remained fixed on his notebook.
He did not know which technique to use.
Most of the Flame Dragon Arts damaged his lungs and muscles.
His strongest attacks also risked destroying the sword.
One applicant after another attacked.
The ragged boy from the previous test produced an attack measured at nearly twenty trillion joules and a speed of one thousand meters per second.
Even the instructors looked impressed.
Yin stood behind the other applicants.
A voice inside him continued whispering hateful thoughts.
Every celebration reminded him of the laughter surrounding the zero.
He placed a hand against the hilt of his katana.
Something felt wrong.
The weapon had been damaged.
A small crack ran near the guard, hidden beneath the wrapping.
Yin frowned.
Someone had tampered with it.
"Amani."
She looked toward him.
"Should I use my strongest technique?"
Amani lowered her voice.
"The attack you used during our spar reached approximately thirteen hundred and forty meters per second."
Yin blinked.
"You calculated that?"
"I calculate most things."
"That's terrifying."
"Your strongest attack should be enough, but do not let your anger control the output."
She pointed toward the dummy.
"Several students failed to reach their full potential because their energy was uncontrolled. Calm your mind. Calm your movement. Then strike."
Wander listened from nearby.
His eyes moved toward Yin's katana.
He noticed the damaged section immediately.
Without speaking, Wander placed two fingers against the blade while Yin was focused on Amani.
Creation Magic moved through the metal.
The crack sealed.
Small dents vanished.
The weapon became balanced again.
Wander withdrew his hand before Yin noticed.
Yin's name was called.
He stepped toward the dummy.
His aura remained violent, but he forced himself to breathe.
"Calm my mind."
Fire gathered around him.
"Calm my movement."
He drew the katana.
Solar-colored flames covered the blade.
Flame Dragon Art: Vesta Geisha!
Yin disappeared.
A continuous storm of sword strikes erupted around the dummy.
The flames formed the shape of a long eastern dragon, spiraling through the air before crashing into the target.
A huge explosion swallowed the testing ground.
The reinforced dummy attempted to absorb the force.
It failed.
Shockwaves shook the courtyard and rattled the windows of the main hall.
When the dust cleared, the construct remained standing, though several runes had burned out.
Its display activated.
Force: Equivalent to 15.95 megatons of TNT
Speed: 1,569 meters per second
Classification: S-Rank
The crowd stared.
The magicless boy had just outperformed nearly every applicant.
Yin lowered his sword.
His lungs burned, but he remained standing.
For one brief moment, he expected people to acknowledge what he had done.
Instead, Hilda called Wander's name.
Most of the attention immediately shifted.
Yin's smile faded.
Wander approached the dummy.
"That attack name was cool."
He raised one arm.
"I want one."
Heat covered his fist.
His skin darkened like forged metal while magma glowed between the cracks.
Metal Knight Art: Jigoku Buster!
Wander spun his arm backward.
He accidentally struck two nearby dummies before extending his fist into the air.
Then he slammed it into the ground.
Magma and force exploded outward.
Several constructs shook violently.
The primary dummy displayed the result.
Force: Equivalent to 5.7 megatons of TNT
Speed: 1,865 meters per second
Classification: S-Rank
The crowd erupted.
Students began chanting Wander's name.
The instructors smiled.
He had broken the speed record established minutes earlier.
Yin looked away.
His result had produced greater destructive force.
Yet he had already become invisible again.
"I'm not surprised."
Wander returned with a huge smile.
"That was incredible!"
Yin looked toward him.
"What?"
"Your technique. Did someone teach you that?"
Yin's mood softened.
"No. I created it."
Wander's eyes widened.
"You built an entire sword technique yourself?"
"Yes."
"That's amazing."
Yin smiled slightly.
At least his friends noticed.
Amani stepped toward the testing line.
"Great job, both of you."
She positioned herself ten meters from the dummy.
Then she closed both eyes.
When she opened them again, the sigils inside her irises burned brightly.
The air around the dummy distorted.
Space suddenly compressed.
Students nearby stumbled as they were pulled toward the construct.
Several weaker applicants collapsed immediately.
The dummy groaned under pressure.
Its display flickered.
Energy: 2.$ megatons
Speed: @$::
Classification: ()$&
The readings broke apart.
Amani stumbled.
Blood ran from her eyes.
She dropped to one knee.
Most instructors were distracted by the students who had fallen unconscious.
Yin noticed immediately.
He crossed the field before anyone else reacted.
"Amani!"
He caught her before she fell completely.
Blood continued dripping down her cheeks.
"We're going to the infirmary."
Amani gripped his sleeve.
"Wait. The third test."
"Your eyes are bleeding."
"I noticed."
"You need a healer."
"I'm fine."
"You cannot see."
"That is slightly inconvenient."
Yin lifted her.
"I'll drag you there myself."
"Put me down."
Wander approached, looking unusually pale.
"That was terrifying."
Amani rubbed one eye.
"It happens sometimes."
"That sentence does not make it better."
"The output was stronger than expected."
Instructor Hilda called everyone's attention.
"The final examination will begin immediately. Follow Instructor Sakto."
Yin looked toward Amani.
She forced herself upright.
"I'm continuing."
He wanted to argue.
Then he saw the determination in her expression.
"Fine."
His voice became hard.
"But if it gets worse, I'm stopping you."
Third Examination: Practical Combat
Instructor Sakto led the remaining applicants to a traditional training courtyard.
Weapon racks surrounded the field.
Several magical barriers separated different sections of the arena.
Sakto stood before the applicants with his notebook in one hand.
"The rules are simple."
He pointed toward the arena.
"If your weapon breaks, you lose."
"If your weapon is taken, you lose."
"If you become unconscious, you lose."
"If you surrender, you lose."
Several students tightened their grips.
"I have observed every applicant throughout the previous stages. Matches have been selected to reveal what those tests did not."
Wander raised one hand.
"Are these one-on-one fights?"
"Mostly."
"What about support fighters?"
"Applicants may form temporary groups if their abilities require cooperation."
Wander smiled.
"So teams are allowed?"
"Within reason. A free-for-all is not."
Sakto glanced toward Wander.
"However, exceptionally dangerous applicants may face multiple opponents."
Wander grinned wider.
"Good."
"Losing does not automatically mean failure," Sakto added. "We are measuring ability, not merely victory."
Yin moved toward the weapon racks.
His katana had survived the previous test, but the strain had weakened it.
He selected a huge claymore.
The blade was nearly as long as his entire body.
Several applicants laughed when he lifted it.
Yin rested the weapon against his shoulder.
"I need experience with every weapon."
Wander watched him.
"You look ridiculous."
"You're jealous."
"I don't even have a weapon."
"You're the blacksmith."
"I left Build-A-Weapon at the inn."
Amani stared.
"You brought a living weapon across the continent and left it asleep?"
"It gets grumpy in the morning."
Wander raised his fists.
"I'll punch people."
He leaned toward Yin.
"How about a competition?"
"No."
"Whoever defeats more opponents wins."
"I don't fight my friends."
Wander frowned.
"That doesn't stop the competition."
Yin walked away with a grin.
"I barely know you."
"That's rude!"
A claymore suddenly descended behind Yin.
He stepped sideways.
The blade struck the ground.
A massive student stood before him.
The boy appeared far too broad and muscular to be fifteen. He wielded a claymore in one hand.
"So you're the magicless freak."
Yin swallowed.
The situation had changed very quickly.
"Yes."
The large student smiled.
"I wanted to meet you."
He attacked.
Yin angled his claymore forty-five degrees and blocked.
The impact cracked the ground beneath him.
Amani and Sabito
Amani remained near the edge of the arena.
Her eyesight had not fully recovered.
The left side of her vision was dark and distorted.
She needed a fighter who could handle direct confrontation while she provided support.
She noticed the boy in the blue shirt from the earlier tests.
Amani grabbed his arm.
He flinched.
"What?"
"Pair with me."
The boy pulled slightly away.
"Sabito Tanaka."
"Amani."
"I know. You're the one who knocked out thirty percent of the applicants."
Amani tightened her grip.
"If you don't want to join them, cooperate."
Sabito stared.
"That sounded like a threat."
"It was practical advice."
He sighed.
"Fine."
"Good. You fight directly. I'll cover you."
Sabito rushed toward the nearest group.
Amani followed at a safer distance.
Anyone who attempted to flank him met her scythe.
Täuschung did not cut flesh.
It consumed active thought.
One touch could place a weak-minded opponent into a coma-like state.
A swordsman charged from Sabito's left.
Amani swept the scythe across his shoulder.
His eyes went blank.
He collapsed.
Another attacker approached from behind.
Amani reduced the friction beneath the student's feet.
They slipped directly toward her.
She pressed two fingers against their forehead.
Their consciousness disappeared.
The strain inside her mind increased.
Every stolen thought became information she had to contain.
Memories.
Fear.
Pain.
Names.
Fragments of entire lives piled inside her skull.
Her left eye began burning again.
Wander's Battle
Wander ducked beneath a sword.
He struck the attacker in the stomach with a steel-covered fist.
The student folded around the blow.
Wander smiled.
"So it's three against one?"
A blue sphere struck him from the side.
Ice spread across his body.
Within seconds, Wander was trapped inside a huge block.
The ice user laughed.
"Not so tough now!"
Cracks appeared.
The orange markings across Wander's body glowed.
"Oh shi—"
The ice exploded.
Lava Plume!
Magma erupted around Wander.
The ice user was thrown backward.
Wander stepped through the steam.
His childish expression had vanished.
His eyes moved across all three opponents.
He identified their positions, breathing rhythms, magical affinities, and damaged equipment within seconds.
"Now I understand."
Metal formed around his arms.
"You rely too much on distance."
Yin's Battle
The large swordsman continued attacking.
Each swing carried enough force to shake the courtyard.
Yin blocked again and again.
His arms became numb.
The claymore felt heavier with every impact.
The larger boy grinned.
"Not bad."
Yin slid backward.
"You're the first small opponent who survived this long."
Yin did not know whether to feel proud or insulted.
"I'm honored."
He adjusted his stance.
"But I think it's time to—"
Pain exploded through his stomach.
Yin's eyes widened.
The opponent had struck him before he finished speaking.
He dropped to one knee and coughed blood.
The large student smiled sadistically.
"You're still standing."
He grabbed Yin by the hair.
"Guess I didn't hit hard enough."
He threw him into the ground.
A crater formed beneath Yin.
Yin's dragon scales protected him from the worst of the attack, but a deep cut crossed his stomach.
Blood soaked through his clothing.
The larger student stepped closer.
Yin swung the claymore.
The air pressure alone threw several nearby students from the arena.
The large boy blocked, but his smile vanished.
Amani's Limit
Sabito became locked in combat with the black-clothed girl.
Amani was surrounded.
Several students had noticed her injuries.
They understood that her eyes were failing.
One attacked first.
Amani lowered the friction beneath him.
The student lost control and slid directly toward her.
She held out two fingers.
His forehead struck them.
His mind shut down.
Another attacker came from behind.
Without looking, Amani drove Täuschung backward.
The scythe touched their chest.
They collapsed.
The stored thoughts inside her mind became heavier.
Her left eye closed from pain.
A third student rushed forward and stabbed her arm.
Amani gasped.
She swung Täuschung through him.
He fell unconscious.
The action pushed her closer to overload.
Two final attackers approached from opposite directions.
Amani could barely see them.
Fear, memories, and foreign voices screamed inside her skull.
She opened her mouth.
The sound that escaped was not loud in the physical world.
Inside the attackers' minds, it was deafening.
A purple sphere exploded around Amani.
Space pushed outward in every direction like a reversed singularity.
Both attackers were thrown away.
The symbols inside Amani's eyes burned deeper.
Her vision disappeared completely.
She maintained the field through instinct alone.
The Courtyard Freezes
Yin struggled to stand.
His wound had not healed.
More applicants moved toward him, believing the magicless student was finally vulnerable.
"I need a break."
None of them cared.
Yin tightened both hands around the claymore.
Cold mist began flowing from the blade.
He had no magical affinity.
But the weapon carried traces of elemental energy from previous wielders.
Yin forced that energy into his sword style.
Ice Dragon Art: Freezing Moonlight!
He rotated his entire body.
The claymore released a complete circular slash.
A wave of freezing energy spread across the courtyard.
The ground turned white.
Students became trapped in ice.
Walls froze.
Part of the main hall was coated in frost.
Even Yin stared at the result.
"That was more than I expected."
Wander prepared another attack.
The markings across his body burned brighter.
"Time to end this!"
He began rotating one arm.
Then he noticed Amani's condition.
"Yin! Grab Amani!"
Yin was still surrounded.
"I'm busy!"
"Amani's power is hurting her!"
Yin looked toward her.
The purple sphere continued expanding.
Blood ran from beneath her closed eyes.
Wander stopped his attack before it struck her.
"What the hell?"
He turned toward Yin.
"Forget the fight!"
Before the situation worsened, Instructor Sakto raised one hand.
"Enough!"
Every barrier surrounding the arena activated.
The applicants were separated by walls of light.
"All combat ends now."
The courtyard fell silent.
Sakto closed his notebook.
"I have gathered the information required."
He looked across the injured students.
"The acceptance list will be released in seven hours."
The barriers disappeared.
"Return at that time."
Amani heard the announcement.
Her purple field collapsed.
She attempted to stand.
Her legs failed.
Yin dropped the claymore and fell onto his back.
"Finally."
His arms felt as though they had been removed and reattached incorrectly.
Wander walked toward them.
Despite being covered in burns, cuts, and frost, he remained the least injured of the three.
He lifted Yin with one arm and Amani with the other.
"Let's get you both to the infirmary."
His stomach growled loudly.
Wander sighed.
"Then we eat."
The Infirmary
An hour later, Amani emerged from the medical wing.
A bandage covered her left eye.
Over it, she wore a pair of completely black glasses.
She moved with enough confidence that several injured applicants assumed the look was intentional.
Yin waited outside.
His stomach had been bandaged, though his regeneration had already begun closing the wound.
He jumped lightly in place.
"I think we passed."
Amani raised one finger.
"Not yet."
Yin stopped.
"The results are announced later."
"I know."
"Only one hundred of three hundred applicants will be accepted."
"I know."
"We need to eat first."
Yin nodded.
"Where's Wander?"
They looked around.
Wander was asleep beside the infirmary entrance.
He sat against the wall with his mouth open, drooling slightly.
Yin picked up a small stone.
Amani looked toward him.
"Don't."
Yin threw it.
The rock struck Wander's shin.
He woke instantly.
"What attacked me?"
Yin pointed toward Amani.
"She did."
Amani stared at him.
Wander looked between them.
Then toward the stone.
"You're a bad liar."
He stood and stretched.
"You two alive?"
Yin flexed one arm.
"I feel stronger."
"That isn't how injuries work."
Amani pointed toward her bandage.
"I'm emotionally functional."
"Physically?" Wander asked.
"Debatable."
Yin frowned.
"What exactly happened to your eyes?"
Amani adjusted the glasses.
"My mind abilities require me to store information from every consciousness I suppress."
She tapped the side of her head.
"When I placed nearly thirty percent of the applicants to sleep, their memories and mental patterns occupied part of my own cognitive capacity."
Wander's expression became serious.
"That sounds dangerous."
"It is manageable."
"You went blind."
"Temporarily."
Amani continued.
"When the information exceeds what I can safely hold, the sigils inside my eyes burn more intensely to compensate."
She smiled awkwardly.
"A little more and I might have lost my sight permanently."
Yin flicked her forehead.
"Ow."
"You should have told me."
"What would you have done?"
"I would've helped."
"Instructor Sakto was watching for applicants depending entirely on others."
Yin lowered his hand.
Amani looked toward the Institute.
"He documented everything. Positioning, hesitation, breathing, weapon damage, emotional reactions."
Wander shuddered.
"It felt like a hawk staring through my skull."
Yin tilted his head.
"What are you talking about?"
Amani looked toward him.
"He recorded everything you did."
"Everything?"
"Your sword form. Your output. Your behavior before the tests. He even noticed that your katana had been damaged."
Yin raised both hands.
"I think I know what's happening."
Amani looked surprised.
"How?"
Yin glanced toward the city.
"Think about the cut in your hoodie."
Amani's expression changed.
The cloaked figure.
The impossible footprints.
The instructor's unusual observation.
Yin did not explain further.
He entered the nearest restaurant.
Wander followed Amani inside.
Something Watching
The restaurant was moderately crowded.
Amani ordered a caffeinated drink and roasted chicken.
Wander selected enough food for several people.
Yin remained near the door.
He scanned the room.
"Yin's planning something," Wander said.
Amani looked toward him.
Yin walked outside before either could stop him.
Wander sighed.
"Get my food packed."
He stood.
"I'm making sure he doesn't fight someone."
"You say that as if you are responsible."
"I'm improving."
Wander left.
Yin sat on a rooftop overlooking the city.
His wound still ached.
When he pressed one hand against his stomach, pain shot through his body.
"That attack wasn't normal."
The large swordsman had been powerful.
Yet the injury felt different.
Something inside the strike had interfered with his regeneration.
Yin studied the streets below.
He was searching for the cloaked figure.
Or Instructor Sakto.
Or anything that might connect the two.
"Oi!"
Yin turned.
Wander climbed onto the roof.
"What are you doing here?"
"I could ask you the same thing."
Wander sat nearby.
"Who are you looking for?"
"Nobody."
"You left a restaurant before eating."
"I'm enjoying the view."
Wander glanced toward the crowded streets.
"Don't lie."
Yin looked toward the sun.
"It has nothing to do with Amani's hoodie."
"I didn't say it did."
Yin went silent.
Wander smirked.
"Got you."
He lightly struck Yin on the head.
Yin rubbed the spot.
"Stop hitting me."
"Stop thinking like the world is ending."
"Who said I was?"
"You have that look."
"What look?"
"The one where you're imagining every terrible possibility at once."
Yin's expression darkened.
Wander became serious.
"You think something bad is going to happen."
"That's only half of it."
"Then stop feeding it."
Yin looked toward him.
Wander rested his arms across his knees.
"Bad things happen constantly."
"That is terrible reassurance."
"I'm not done."
Wander looked across the city.
"If you spend every day waiting for them, fear becomes the only thing you trust."
Yin said nothing.
"Then fear becomes anger," Wander continued. "And anger starts making every decision for you."
"Easy for you to say."
Wander's smile became smaller.
"No. It isn't."
Yin stood.
He jumped from the rooftop and landed in the street below.
Wander followed.
"Besides," Wander said, "what would your girlfriend think?"
Yin froze.
His face turned bright red.
"She's not my girlfriend!"
Wander grinned.
"Could've fooled me."
"She is my best friend."
"The blushing says otherwise."
"I'm not blushing."
"You're nearly the same color as your hair."
Yin's left eye twitched.
He punched Wander across the face.
Wander spun once before catching himself.
"I said she isn't my girlfriend!"
Yin walked away, pouting.
Wander laughed and followed.
"At least you're not brooding anymore."
"Keep talking and I'll break every bone in your body."
"I'd like to see you try."
Yin rolled his eyes.
Then he took another step.
Death surrounded him.
The city vanished.
Mountains of bodies replaced the buildings.
Blood covered the earth.
Yin stood at the center of it all.
Older.
Taller.
A strange weapon rested in his hand.
Its surface was completely covered in blood.
A terrible grin stretched across his face.
Amani lay injured nearby.
Wander was collapsed beneath broken armor.
Other figures Yin did not recognize were scattered around them.
Something enormous moved beyond the corpse-filled horizon.
"Yin?"
The vision continued.
The older Yin turned toward him.
Their eyes met.
"Yin!"
Wander grabbed his shoulders.
Yin did not respond.
Wander slapped him.
Yin returned to reality.
He gasped violently.
His stomach twisted.
He covered his mouth.
"Did you see it?"
Wander held him upright.
"See what?"
Yin looked around.
The street was normal.
No blood.
No bodies.
No future version of himself.
He shook his head.
"Nothing."
"That was not nothing."
"Let's go back."
Wander helped him walk.
"Maybe you're hungry."
"I'm not."
"After we eat, tell me what happened."
"I need rest."
"You need both."
Acceptance Results
Three hours later, the applicants gathered again before the Silverstaff Institute.
Yin stood behind Amani.
His attention remained fixed on his left forearm.
How could I become that?
The vision felt like a future.
But futures could change.
At least, he desperately wanted to believe that.
Wander stood behind him.
His expression made it obvious he was considering another head strike.
Yin looked back.
"Leave me alone."
"As your friend, I'm making a promise."
"That already sounds horrible."
"Every time you panic over a future that hasn't happened, I'm hitting you."
Wander tapped his head several times.
Yin shoved his hand away.
"You don't understand what I saw."
"You're right."
Wander's voice became serious.
"I don't understand because you're too afraid to explain it."
Yin's anger rose again.
Then Amani spoke.
"Both of you, be quiet."
The headmaster had stepped onto the platform.
The courtyard became silent.
A tall woman with long purple hair stood before them, carrying an authority far greater than the other instructors.
"Three hundred applicants participated in today's examinations."
Her voice traveled clearly across the plaza.
"Only one hundred have been accepted."
An assistant stepped beside her with a list.
"We will announce the names now."
The first name called was:
"Wander Nozu."
Wander blinked.
"Someone call me?"
Amani pointed toward the platform.
"That was the acceptance list."
"Oh."
He grinned.
"Nice."
The assistant continued.
Several names passed.
Then:
"Amani Roya."
Amani's eyes widened behind her black glasses.
She had registered beneath an alias, yet her true name was announced.
Someone had discovered her identity.
She stored that concern for later.
More names were called.
Ninety.
Ninety-one.
Ninety-five.
Yin's name had not appeared.
His hands slowly curled.
He had achieved an S-Rank result during the output test.
He had survived multiple opponents during combat.
Yet the zero remained.
Ninety-nine names had been called.
Yin looked toward the exit.
His chest felt hollow.
He began walking away.
The assistant read the final name.
"Yin Pendragon."
Yin stopped.
The entire courtyard seemed to become silent around him.
He slowly turned.
A smile spread across his face.
"I did it."
He wanted to jump into the air.
He barely stopped himself.
Wander shouted loudly enough for everyone nearby to hear.
"CONGRATULATIONS!"
Several students turned.
Yin's dark mood disappeared completely.
Wander wrapped one arm around him.
"I was about to punch the teachers."
"That would have gotten you expelled."
"It would have felt good."
Yin looked toward Amani.
"Amani! Did you hear?"
She grabbed both of his hands.
"You did it!"
They jumped once in excitement.
Yin laughed.
"I passed!"
"For now," Amani teased.
"Don't ruin it."
Wander lifted both of them from the ground.
"Let's celebrate!"
Yin struggled.
"Put me down!"
"New school! New lives! New disasters!"
Amani adjusted her glasses.
"That last one is guaranteed with both of you here."
Wander began walking while carrying them.
"We should drink."
"We're fifteen!" Yin shouted.
"And?"
"We cannot drink!"
"Rules are suggestions."
"No, they aren't!"
Yin escaped from Wander's grip.
He adjusted his coat.
"I need to speak with the headmaster."
Wander waved.
"Fine. I'll find you later."
"Do not get arrested."
"No promises."
The Headmaster's Office
The door to the headmaster's office was enormous.
Yin stared at it.
It seemed designed for a giant rather than a person.
He took a breath and pushed it open.
A woman sat behind a desk covered in paperwork.
Her long purple hair fell around her shoulders while calm violet eyes examined several documents.
She looked up.
Yin felt her aura.
For one moment, he forgot how to breathe.
It seemed endless.
Not simply large.
Deep.
Like an entire sky hidden inside one person.
The woman set down her pen.
"Yin Pendragon."
Yin stepped inside cautiously.
"I was looking for the headmaster."
"You found her."
She smiled.
"I am Raiden Mei, headmaster of the Silverstaff Institute."
Yin approached the desk.
"I can address you as Lord Yin, if you prefer."
He shook his head.
"No."
Mei raised an eyebrow.
"I want you to treat me like every other student."
"That may prove difficult."
"Why?"
"You are not like every other student."
Yin sat in the chair before her desk.
"That is what I wanted to ask about."
Mei folded her hands.
"How did I pass?"
"Your examination results were evaluated."
"I got zero in magical capacity."
"You received an S-Rank output score."
"I still don't have magic."
"You also demonstrated weapon mastery, physical power, adaptability, elemental application, and the ability to fight through serious injury."
Yin leaned forward.
"Then why was I called last?"
Mei's expression became unreadable.
"I cannot answer everything yet."
"Why not?"
"Because some answers become dangerous when given too early."
Yin frowned.
"That sounds suspicious."
"It should."
She glanced toward one of the documents.
"Several teachers opposed your admission."
Yin's hand tightened.
Mei continued before he could speak.
"I overruled them."
"Why?"
"Because magic does not define the strength or value of a living being."
Her violet eyes locked onto his.
"You proved that today."
Yin remained silent.
"You may face discrimination here," Mei continued. "Students will underestimate you. Some instructors may judge you more harshly."
"Then why accept me?"
"Because Silverstaff is meant to discover potential, not worship numbers displayed by crystals."
Mei leaned back.
"And because something inside you frightened that crystal."
Yin's eyes widened.
"What?"
"That is all I will say."
He stood slowly.
"Thank you, Ms. Mei."
Mei smiled.
"Prepare for the Institute tour."
Yin bowed lightly.
Then he left.
The moment the door closed, Mei looked toward the report from the capacity examination.
The result still read zero.
Beneath it, another line had appeared.
A line no ordinary applicant could see.
MEASUREMENT REFUSED.
Deep Within Yin's Consciousness
An endless darkness existed within Yin Pendragon.
There was no ground.
No sky.
No direction.
A woman walked through the void.
Her long hair flowed behind her in deep purple waves. Her hollow violet eyes remained fixed upon an enormous shape hidden in the darkness.
She was known as Will Breaker.
As light slowly entered the void, the shape became clearer.
A horn larger than mountain ranges rested before her.
Beyond it slept a dragon.
Its body extended so far through Yin's consciousness that its full shape could not be understood.
Even Will Breaker, who stood nearly ninety thousand kilometers away from its head, appeared smaller than dust beside it.
The Dragon of Judgment remained asleep.
Chains covered parts of its body.
Ancient symbols burned across its scales.
Each breath caused the surrounding void to tremble.
Will Breaker lowered herself to one knee.
"It has been a long time, my lord."
The dragon did not move.
She looked toward one of its closed eyes.
"Leviathan has sensed the awakening of seven heroes."
A faint pulse traveled through the darkness.
"He has not sensed you."
Will Breaker smiled.
"Only a fragment of your awakening has begun."
She stood and approached the massive horn.
"Your power is nowhere near returning."
Her hand rested against its surface.
"But that has never stopped you before."
Memories shifted through the darkness.
Worlds burning.
Twelve shadows.
A blood-covered warrior refusing to fall.
"Time after time, you found a way to reactivate what was sealed."
Will Breaker sat beside the sleeping dragon.
Her expression softened.
"Thank you for creating me."
The Dragon of Judgment continued sleeping.
Far above, within the conscious world, Yin Pendragon walked through the halls of Silverstaff Institute without knowing what rested inside him.
Then one of the dragon's enormous claws moved.
Only slightly.
But within the sealed universe, Leviathan suddenly opened his eyes.
To Be Continued ➡️