Ron and Dion became completely hyped after watching Arman enter the training grounds.
Their eyes lit up.
Dion: "Are you serious?!"
Ron clenched his fists with excitement.
Ron: "Now this is getting exciting!"
Arman looked toward the twins.
A small smile appeared on his face.
Arman: "Hey, twins. Are you ready for the test?"
Ron had a huge smile on his face, while Dion looked tense and focused.
Ron: "Bring it on!"
Dion looked at Arman.
Dion: "Wait... you're going to duel with us?"
Arman chuckled.
Arman: "You're both a hundred years too early to face me."
Ron frowned.
Ron: "A hundred years?!"
Arman walked to the center of the training ground.
He lowered his hand and used his finger to draw a large circle around himself.
Arman: "It's simple."
He stepped inside the circle.
Arman: "All you have to do is push me out of this circle."
The twins looked at each other.
Arman continued.
Arman: "If you manage to scratch me, I'll give you both the rank of Intermediate Knight."
He raised one hand.
Arman: "And I won't use my Berserker Aura."
Ron stared at him in disbelief.
Ron: "Are you serious?"
Arman: "Yes."
Dion narrowed his eyes.
Dion: "Hey... are you going to use your Zero Star Sword?"
Arman shook his head.
Arman: "Nah. I'll just use the basics."
Dion's expression became serious.
Dion: "I see."
Commander Richard stepped forward.
Commander Richard: "Then let's begin the ranking test."
Arman nodded.
Arman: "Yeah. Let's not delay it any further."
Commander Richard raised his hand.
Commander Richard: "If both parties are ready..."
He paused.
Commander Richard: "Let the test commence!"
The moment the words left his mouth—
Ron immediately rushed toward Arman.
Ron: "Here I come!"
Lightning began crackling around his body.
ZZZZT!
Ron released a burst of lightning toward Arman, attempting to stun him.
Arman casually raised one hand.
CRACK!
He parried the lightning away with his palm.
Ron froze.
Ron: "What?!"
But before he could react—
Arman sensed Dion approaching from behind.
He turned around and grabbed Dion by the collar.
Dion: "Damn!"
Arman effortlessly lifted him.
Arman: "Too predictable."
WHOOSH!
He threw Dion directly toward Ron.
BOOM!
The two brothers crashed into several barrels at the side of the training ground.
CRASH!
Ron immediately pushed Dion away.
Ron: "Hey! What are you doing coming at him from behind?!"
Dion glared at him.
Dion: "It's your fault for rushing him head-on!"
Ron: "Just don't get in my way!"
Ron jumped to his feet and charged toward Arman again.
Lightning surrounded his body.
Ron: "Take this!"
He thrust his hand forward.
Ron: "THUNDER DRAGON!"
BOOOOOOM!
A massive lightning strike erupted from Ron's body.
The lightning twisted into the shape of a gigantic dragon and roared toward Arman.
KRAAAAAK!
The attack struck Arman directly.
A huge explosion covered the area.
Ron stared at the smoke.
Then his expression slowly changed.
The smoke disappeared.
Arman was still standing there.
Not a single scratch was visible on his body.
Ron stared in disbelief.
Ron: "What?! He just ate it?!"
Dion immediately moved.
He raised both hands.
Dion: "My turn."
The ground beneath him began shaking.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Several massive earthen spears erupted from the ground and flew toward Arman.
Dion's Mana Affinity was Earth.
It was an unusual affinity within the Alan Family.
Arman moved both hands.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
He destroyed the incoming spears one after another.
However, he deliberately left one intact.
He grabbed it.
Then—
WHOOSH!
Arman threw the spear toward Ron.
Ron froze.
Ron: "What?!"
The spear flew directly toward him.
Just before it could touch him—
Dion: "Got it!"
Dion clenched his fist.
The spear suddenly crumbled into dust.
WHOOSH!
Ron and Dion both sighed in relief.
Ron: "That was close."
Dion looked toward Arman.
His expression became serious.
Dion: "Our Mana attacks aren't working."
Ron nodded.
He reached for his sword.
Ron: "Then we'll use our swords."
Ron drew his sword.
Lightning immediately began flowing through the blade.
He took a stance.
Ron: "Five Star Sword..."
His eyes sharpened.
Ron: "Third Technique—BURNING STAR!"
WHOOSH!
Dion followed immediately.
The ground beneath his feet cracked as he prepared his own technique.
Dion: "Five Star Sword..."
He swung his weapon forward.
Dion: "First Technique—FALLING COMET!"
The two brothers charged toward Arman from opposite directions.
Arman smiled.
Arman: "Not bad."
He summoned his sword.
SHING!
Arman: "Night Slayer."
The black blade appeared in his hand.
Arman calmly raised it.
Arman: "Five Star Sword..."
His eyes sharpened.
Arman: "Fifth Technique—STAR BREAKER!"
BOOOOOOM!
The three swords collided.
A powerful shockwave spread throughout the training grounds.
Dust rose into the air.
The soldiers watching from the surrounding area stared in amazement.
Soldier: "Woah... the twins are getting overwhelmed so easily!"
Soldier: "And he hasn't even used his Berserker power!"
Another soldier whispered.
Soldier: "Maybe those rumors aren't true."
He looked at Arman.
Soldier: "If he's this powerful, what could he possibly be afraid of?"
Meanwhile, Ron and Dion continued attacking.
But every strike was effortlessly blocked.
CLANG!
CLANG!
CLANG!
No matter what they tried, they couldn't land a single attack.
Ron jumped backward, breathing heavily.
Ron: "Hey, Dion..."
Dion was also breathing heavily.
Ron: "Even our sword strikes aren't working."
He looked at Arman.
Ron: "He really does live up to his title."
Dion nodded.
Dion: "You're right."
He stared at Arman carefully.
Then a small smile appeared on his face.
Dion: "But I still have a trick."
Ron looked at him.
Dion: "Can you create an opening for me?"
Arman suddenly spoke.
Arman: "You two can never beat me if you don't work together."
Ron grinned.
Ron: "That's exactly what we're planning."
Ron and Dion looked at each other.
They nodded.
This time, they moved together.
Dion slammed his hands against the ground.
BOOOOOOM!
The earth began rising.
One...
Two...
Five...
A dozen massive golems emerged from the ground.
Dion: "GO!"
The golems charged toward Arman.
Arman immediately moved.
BAM!
He punched one apart.
BOOM!
He kicked another into the ground.
CRASH!
Another golem was destroyed by a single swing of Night Slayer.
One after another...
Arman crushed every golem that came toward him.
But while he was dealing with them—
Ron threw his sword.
WHOOSH!
Arman tilted his head slightly as the sword flew past him.
Arman: "Hm?"
Suddenly—
Dion emerged from behind one of the remaining golems.
He slammed his hand against the ground.
Dion: "Now!"
Hands made of earth erupted from the ground and grabbed Arman's legs.
CRACK!
Arman's movement was restricted.
Ron quickly grabbed some earth from the remains of a destroyed golem.
Dion understood immediately.
He manipulated the earth in Ron's hand.
The earth transformed into a sword.
Ron grabbed the newly formed weapon.
Lightning began flowing through it.
ZZZZT!
Two golems suddenly appeared behind Arman and grabbed both of his arms.
Arman looked at the twins.
A genuine smirk appeared on his face.
Arman: "Well played."
Ron jumped toward him.
Dion concentrated all his remaining Mana.
Just before Ron's attack could land—
Arman closed his right eye.
Arman: "ONE EYE."
BOOOOOOOOOOM!
A massive wave of energy erupted throughout the entire training ground.
A huge cloud of dust covered everything.
The soldiers shielded their eyes.
Soldier: "What the hell?!"
The entire training ground disappeared behind the dust.
For several seconds...
Nobody could see anything.
Then the dust slowly began to settle.
Everyone's eyes widened.
Dion was down on one knee, breathing heavily.
Ron was standing nearby—
But Arman was holding him by the collar.
The earth golems that had grabbed Arman's arms had been completely destroyed.
The hands holding his legs had crumbled into pieces.
And Arman...
Didn't have a single scratch on him.
However—
He was standing at the very edge of the circle.
The twins had managed to push him almost all the way out.
Arman looked at them with a proud smile.
Arman: "You both did well."
He released Ron.
Arman: "You should try again after six months."
Ron immediately shook his head.
Ron: "I refuse!"
Arman raised an eyebrow.
Arman: "Don't be a kid."
Dion slowly stood up.
His breathing was heavy.
But his eyes were still filled with determination.
Dion: "We still have some fight left in us."
He clenched his teeth.
Then he looked at Ron.
Ron was still holding the sword Dion had created.
But the blade was already cracked.
CRACK...
Ron raised the broken sword toward Arman.
Ron: "Don't underestimate us."
Dion's eyes widened slightly.
He understood what Ron was planning.
Ron let go of the broken sword.
The broken sword suddenly transformed.
The earth surrounding the blade expanded, reshaping it into a massive earthen stick.
Dion grabbed it in midair.
He swung it with all his remaining strength.
Ron: "NOW!"
The massive stick struck Arman.
BOOM!
Arman was pushed backward.
Arman: "Is this what you—"
Before he could finish—
Ron grabbed Arman's hand.
Ron used every last drop of his remaining Mana.
Lightning began gathering around his arm.
ZZZZZZZT!
A powerful electric current surged through Arman's body.
For less than a second—
Arman's body became paralyzed.
But that fraction of a second was all the twins needed.
Dion pushed with everything he had.
Ron pushed alongside him.
Together—
BOOOOOOM!
They finally forced Arman out of the circle.
The next second...
Arman found himself lying on the training ground.
Silence.
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
Then—
"THEY DID IT!"
"THEY ACTUALLY DID IT!"
"THEY WON AGAINST THE DRAGON BERSERKER!"
The entire training ground erupted.
The troops rushed toward Ron and Dion.
They lifted the twins into the air.
Ron: "Whoa! Hey!"
Dion: "Put me down!"
The soldiers laughed and threw them into the air again.
Ron and Dion looked at each other.
Both of them were exhausted.
But they were smiling.
Ron: "We did it."
Dion smiled.
Dion: "Yeah, Ron..."
They fist-bumped.
Dion: "We did it."
The soldiers continued celebrating around them.
Nearby, Martha covered her mouth.
Tears began flowing down her cheeks.
She looked at her sons with overwhelming pride.
Martha: "My boys..."
She smiled through her tears.
They had finally achieved what they had worked toward their entire lives.
Lisa also wiped a tear from her eye.
Reina noticed.
Reina: "Why are you crying?"
Lisa quickly wiped her face.
Lisa: "I don't know."
She laughed awkwardly.
Lisa: "I just love seeing him get humbled."
Then she looked toward Ron and Dion.
Her smile became genuine.
Lisa: "And I'm happy for my cousins. They worked for this their whole lives, didn't they?"
Reina looked proudly at her brothers.
Reina: "Yes..."
Her eyes softened.
Reina: "They did."
Herald looked toward Audrey.
Herald: "Don't you have something to say to them?"
Audrey smiled.
Audrey: "Not now, Father."
He looked toward his sons.
They were still being celebrated by the troops.
Audrey: "Let them enjoy their moment."
A proud smile appeared on his face.
Audrey: "But that doesn't change the fact that I'm proud of them."
Meanwhile, Arman was still lying on the training ground.
He stared silently at the sky.
Then a familiar voice blocked his view.
Herald stood above him.
Herald: "Look at what the mighty Dragon Berserker has become."
He smirked.
Herald: "Beaten by two novices."
Arman slowly looked at his grandfather.
Then he stood up.
He opened his fist.
A few strands of hair were resting in his palm.
Arman held them up for Herald to see.
Herald's eyes widened.
Herald: "Don't tell me..."
He stared at the strands.
Herald: "The twins actually did that?"
Arman smiled.
He looked toward Ron and Dion.
Arman: "Yeah."
His expression became warm.
Arman: "They're more than ready to stand beside us."
Herald looked at the twins.
For a moment, he remained silent.
Arman continued smiling.
Arman: "It's just their beginning."
He looked proudly at his cousins.