The moment Lukas dropped his hand—
The arena erupted.
BOOM!
A wave of mana exploded outward as dozens of students activated their abilities at once. The air twisted, pressure rising as raw energy flooded the battlefield.
"COME ON!"
"TRY ME!"
"DON'T HOLD BACK!"
The calm training ground from moments ago turned into a warzone.
Some students raised their hands, condensing mana into tangible constructs for battle. A feat only a 10 of a 100 ember-level sorcerers could do. Blades of fire.
Spears of ice.
Shimmering shields.
Others didn't bother with spells.
Their bodies surged with energy instead.
Their muscles tightened, veins glowing as mana currents flowed through it.
They moved like beasts unleashed.
A boy lunged forward, fist glowing, smashing into his opponent's face with his open palm
CRACK!
The impact sent the other sliding across the stone floor.
Nearby, a girl spun mid-step, releasing a crescent of wind that tore through the air like a blade, forcing her opponent to dive aside.
Everywhere.....
Clashes.
Explosions.
Shouts.
Pain.
It was said that Arlon Academy had the toughest training regimen for its young sorcerers compared to to other academies in the country
Students were made to feel the thrill of battle before they even learnt how to properly use magic
At the center, Raven stood still.
Hands in his pockets.
Unmoving.
Mana surged around him like a storm.
A fireball tore past his shoulder....
FWOOSH!
A shard of ice shot toward his chest
CRACK!
It shattered.
A faint golden barrier shimmered around him, bending slightly before returning to form.
Raven didn't even blink.
His eyes were half-lidded, almost bored, as he watched the chaos unfold around him.
Like a man standing in the middle of rain.
Up above, Lukas folded his arms, staring down at the battle below
But he wasn't looking at the entire field
He looked at just one person
Raven.
The boy hadn't moved.
Hadn't attacked.
Hadn't even shifted his stance.
Just standing there…
Letting attacks hit him.
And yet nothing was getting through.
Lukas narrowed his eyes slightly.
"still just his barrier hmm?"
Lukas rubbed his chin slowly.
This boy had stopped his punch earlier.
Although the punch was never meant to kill, it still carried enough force to shatter a brick wall.
Normal barrier magic, especially one cast by an ember-level mage would never stop such an attack.
.....
"HAHA!"
A loud laugh cut through the chaos.
"IS THAT ALL YOU'VE GOT?!"
The red-haired boy from earlier grinned wildly as he ducked under a swing, his body glowing faintly with mana.
His opponent—a broad-shouldered student, snarled and threw another punch.
Too slow.
The red-haired boy stepped in sharply
His fist drove forward
BOOM!
The impact slammed into the student's stomach, folding him in half before sending him skidding backward across the arena.
The boy straightened, rolling his shoulder.
"That it?" he said, smirking. "Motherfluffer got those broad muscles for nothing"
A few nearby students glanced his way
"Don't get cocky."
A voice cut in.
The red-haired boy turned.
And his grin widened.
"Well, well…"
Standing a few meters away was the student with the long scar across his face.
His eyes were steady.
Unshaken.
Unlike the others, he hadn't rushed into the chaos.
He had been watching.
Waiting.
"Scarface, huh?" the red-haired boy chuckled. "You finally decided to join?
He looked at Allie, the noble girl
You not planning to embarrass me in front of her hmm?"
The scarred student didn't respond.
He stepped forward slowly
Then his figure blurred
The red-haired boy's eyes widened slightly.
Fast!
He twisted his body—
Just in time.
A fist brushed past his cheek, the force behind it splitting the air with a sharp crack.
The red-haired boy slid back, boots scraping against stone.
His grin sharpened.
"C'mon.... don't be so jealous of my scarless face?"
They clashed again.
And this time—
The arena around them seemed to fade.
Fist met fist.
BOOM!
Shockwaves rippled outward.
The red haired twisted under a strike, spun, and drove his elbow toward the scarred student's ribs—
Blocked.
The counter came instantly.
A knee aimed at his chest.
He barely dodged.
Their movements blurred.
To others, it looked like flashes of motion.
To Lukas—
It was clear.
Both of them were good.
But in different ways.
He quickly penned down both students' names
Magnus, the red-haired and Bran Clayman, the scar-face.
Both were from noble families, hence their terrifying strength, incomparable to others at their rank
Magnus laughed again, breathing heavier now.
"Man… you're actually fun!"
Bran's expression didn't change.
He stepped forward again.
Faster this time.
Meanwhile
At the center—
Raven still hadn't moved.
A blast of wind slammed into his barrier.
It rippled.
Another strike.
Then another.
Golden light flickered softly around him, absorbing, deflecting, and redirecting attacks.
Students fighting nearby slowly began to notice.
"…Is he even fighting?"
"He's just standing there…"
"What kind of barrier is that?"
No one approached him directly.
Instinct.
Something about him felt…
Wrong.
.....
Magnus stepped in again, this time faster than before.
Mana surged through his legs.
He vanished—
Then reappeared to the side.
His fist slammed toward Bran's jaw
CRACK!
A direct hit.
Bran staggered backwards
But didn't fall.
Instead
His hand shot out.
Grabbing the red-haired boy's wrist mid-motion.
The grin froze for a split second.
Then—
BOOM!
The counterattack landed.
A heavy punch to the ribs.
Magnus was launched backward, skidding across the ground.
He coughed once.
Then—
He laughed.
Louder than before.
"Damn…!"
He wiped the corner of his mouth.
"That actually hurt."
He pushed himself up.
Cracked his neck.
And grinned again.
"Alright… let's stop playing."
Bran shifted his stance.
For the first time
His aura flared sharply
The air between them tightened.
At the center
Raven's eyes were still half-closed.
Calm and detached.
Like none of this mattered.
Then...
Something changed!
Raven's eyes snapped open.
Golden pupils flashed!
For a split second—
They gleamed.
His body didn't move.
But the barrier around him did.
It thickened.
Reinforced.
Layered.
Like instinct had taken over.
And then
It came.
Two streaks of darkness.
Silent, fast and deadly
They slipped through the chaos unnoticed.
Through fire.
Through wind.
Through the noise of battle.
Straight toward him.
Before anyone could react
SHINK!
Two shadow-forged daggers pierced forward.
One shattered against the outer barrier.
Exploding into fragments of darkness.
The second pushed through.
Cracked the inner layer and drove forward.
For the first time—
Raven moved