BAM!!!
BAM!!!
BAM!!!
My fists collided with the clone in rapid succession.
Each strike carried weight.
Precision.
Intent.
A smile spread across my face.
Finally—
Something worth fighting.
BOOOOM!!!
The clone retaliated instantly.
A low kick swept toward my legs.
I shifted my weight and dodged—
—but it chained the movement seamlessly into an upward strike.
I raised my arms.
BAM!!!
The impact vibrated through my bones.
Strong.
Very strong.
But not enough.
I pushed forward immediately.
No hesitation.
No pause.
A barrage of punches exploded from my fists.
Fast.
Relentless.
Each strike aimed at a vital point—
Neck.
Chest.
Ribs.
Jaw.
The clone dodged.
Minimal movement.
Efficient.
Then—
It countered.
BAM!!!
Our fists collided mid-air.
The shockwave rippled outward, distorting the heavy gravity around us.
Across the chamber—
The fights had already ended.
Some stood victorious.
Most were on the ground.
Breathing heavily.
Defeated.
The goal had been achieved.
Reaction.
Adaptation.
Survival.
Only a few of us remained standing.
Still fighting.
Still pushing.
---
BAM!!!
I pivoted and launched a kick.
It met the clone's guard directly.
Force against force.
No advantage gained.
SWISH!!!
The clone vanished.
A blur.
Fast.
Too fast.
Then—
BAM!!!!!
A fist slammed into my stomach.
The impact sent me sliding backward.
My feet scraped across the floor under the crushing gravity.
I didn't fall.
But I was pushed.
All the way—
Until my back hit the wall.
BOOM!!!
The air rippled violently.
It was already coming again.
No delay.
No hesitation.
A perfect follow-up.
Good.
That's how it should be.
---
BAM!!!
I caught its wrist.
Mid-strike.
My grip tightened instantly.
At the same time—
SLASH!!!
An energy blade formed in my other hand.
Sharp.
Condensed.
Lethal.
I swung for its neck.
The clone twisted.
Dodged.
And countered—
An elbow shot toward my face.
I caught that too.
Both of its arms locked in my grip.
But—
SWISH!!!
The air screamed.
My instincts flared violently.
Its tail whipped toward my lower body.
Fast.
Precise.
Deadly.
---
SWISH!!!
I vanished.
Reappearing behind it instantly.
The wall where I had been standing—
Now bore a deep, clean slash.
No wasted motion.
No hesitation.
---
BAM!!!
My palm drove straight through its chest from behind.
A clean strike.
A decisive blow.
Or it should have been.
The clone didn't react like a normal opponent.
Instead—
It grabbed my arm.
Firm.
Unshaken.
Like the damage didn't matter.
My instincts exploded.
Danger!!!
Danger!!!
Danger!!!
Too late.
---
BOOOOOOM!!!!!!
The clone's body collapsed inward—
Then detonated.
A concentrated sphere of energy erupted from its core.
Controlled.
Precise.
Deadly.
Not wild.
Not chaotic.
Designed.
---
SWISH!!!
I disappeared just before the explosion fully expanded.
Reappearing several meters away.
The shockwave still reached me.
My arm burned slightly.
A shallow scratch marked my skin.
The first real damage.
I lowered my hand slowly.
Then turned.
---
My gaze locked onto Caelion.
Cold.
Sharp.
Predatory.
Lightning flickered faintly around my body.
My pupils glowed blue.
Not fully.
But enough.
I stepped forward slightly.
My voice rang out across the chamber.
Clear.
Unrestrained.
"Are you trying to kill me?"
Silence fell instantly.
Every student turned toward us.
No one spoke.
No one moved.
The air itself felt heavier.
---
Caelion didn't answer immediately.
He remained seated.
Calm.
Unmoved.
Then—
He stood.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
The moment he rose—
The pressure in the room changed.
Not from gravity.
From presence.
True presence.
The kind that didn't need to be forced.
It simply existed.
And everything else adjusted around it.
---
He took a single step forward.
The sound echoed.
Soft.
But absolute.
Then he spoke.
"If that attack had killed you…"
He paused.
His eyes locked onto mine.
"…you would not belong here."
The words landed without emotion.
Without hesitation.
Without apology.
---
A faint murmur spread across the room.
Some students looked shocked.
Others uneasy.
But none dared interrupt.
---
Caelion continued walking forward.
Each step measured.
Controlled.
"You dodged the explosion."
"You adapted to increasing speed."
"You countered efficiently."
He stopped a few meters away from me.
Close enough.
Not too close.
"Yet…"
His gaze sharpened slightly.
"You assumed victory."
Silence.
His words cut deeper than the fight.
---
"The moment you struck through its core…"
"…you stopped thinking."
My jaw tightened slightly.
He wasn't wrong.
---
"In real combat…"
"There is no such thing as a harmless opponent."
His voice dropped slightly.
Colder.
"Healing. Regeneration. Self-destruction."
"Abilities you have not seen…"
"…are the ones that will kill you."
---
He raised his hand slightly.
The remnants of the clone's energy gathered and dissipated.
Gone completely.
---
"That was your lesson."
His eyes remained on mine.
Unwavering.
"Do not assume."
"Do not relax."
"Do not believe the fight is over…"
"…until nothing remains."
---
The gravity in the room suddenly intensified.
Just slightly.
But enough for everyone to feel it.
---
"And above all…"
His presence surged faintly.
"…never let your instincts dull."
For a brief second—
His gaze shifted.
Just slightly.
Not to my face.
But to my eyes.
The blue glow.
The lightning.
He saw it.
He understood something.
But he said nothing.
---
The pressure eased.
The moment passed.
But I knew.
He had noticed.
---
I straightened slowly.
The anger faded.
Replaced with clarity.
Calculation.
He wasn't trying to kill me.
He was forcing me to survive.
At a higher level.
---
A slow breath escaped my lips.
Then a faint smile appeared.
"Understood," I said calmly.
But inside—
Something stirred.
Excitement.
Challenge.
Growth.
---
Across from me—
Caelion returned to his elevated position.
But his gaze lingered just a second longer than before.
---
The lesson had ended.
But something else had begun.