The exam day arrived with the entire academy gathered around the arena, the air thick with tension and expectation as one match after another unfolded under the watchful eyes of instructors, guild representatives and visiting nobles.
Lily and Ken were paired early, and their clash was sharp and brilliant, fire and flowers colliding in a dazzling storm of petals and flame until Lily's control and precision finally overwhelmed Ken's raw aggression, earning her the win even as the judges selected them both for their exceptional performance.
Jack dominated his match with crushing gravity magic that bent the arena floor beneath his opponent's feet, forcing a surrender through sheer pressure alone, while Neo's calm, fluid control carried her cleanly through her fight with a quiet strength that left the crowd murmuring in admiration. Lara's victory was harder-won, her focus trembling at first before steadying as she pushed through and claimed her place with determination that silenced even her critics, and Ryn surprised many by using clever devices and tactical foresight rather than brute force, proving that ingenuity could stand beside magic and muscle.
When Eira stepped into the arena, he faced a formidable opponent wielding A-rank stone creation magic, the battlefield rising and reshaping itself with every gesture of his opponent's hand, yet Eira moved through it with unsettling calm, slipping between shifting walls, redirecting strikes, and dismantling the spellwork with minimal force until the match ended decisively in his favor.
He never revealed the full depth of his strength, never pushed himself beyond what was necessary, but even so, the silence that followed his victory carried a different weight, one filled with awe rather than celebration. Several other students claimed their places that day, including one whose mana signature made the royal knights exchange subtle glances, a presence they had been quietly watching for reasons no one else yet understood, and as the final names were announced, it was clear that something far larger than an academic competition was beginning to take shape beneath the surface of the academy.