Training Ground Three was packed.
Word of the challenge had spread, and students filled the observation stands, eager to see if the demon summoner would be crushed by a veteran student. Rin spotted Adrian in the front row, smirking confidently. Elena sat further back, her expression neutral but attentive.
Kira squeezed Rin's shoulder. "Remember what we discussed. Golems are slow but durable. Speed is your advantage."
"I remember." Rin's stomach was in knots, but his mind felt clearer than it had in days. The training with Malachar had left him exhausted but focused
.
Marcus Ironheart stood across the arena, a stocky boy with arms like tree trunks and a square jaw. His summoning mark, a brown sigil on his forearm, already glowed with power.
Professor Graves stepped into the center. "Official ranking challenge. Marcus Ironheart, Silver Rank 47, versus Rin Eldraven, unranked. Standard rules apply. Match continues until surrender, incapacitation, or three solid hits. Lethal force is prohibited." He looked at both students. "Summon when ready."
Marcus activated his mark immediately. The ground rumbled and split open, stone and earth flowing upward like water in reverse. The material compressed and shaped itself into a massive humanoid figure, easily twelve feet tall, with boulder fists and a body that looked carved from mountain stone.
The Earth Golem slammed its fists together, the sound like thunder. Its eyes, chunks of glowing amber, fixed on Rin with mechanical focus.
Rin touched his mark. "Malachar."
His shadow erupted, crimson mist coalescing into the demon lord's form. Malachar stretched languidly, his armor gleaming in the morning sun.
"An earth construct," he observed. "How boring."
"Boring?" Marcus's face reddened. "We'll see how boring it is when it crushes your demon into paste! Golem, attack!"
The Earth Golem charged with surprising speed for something so massive. Each footstep cratered the ground, building momentum like an avalanche.
Rin didn't shout commands. Instead, he focused his thoughts clearly, the way Malachar had taught him. Dodge left. Strike the joints. Mobility over power.
Malachar moved before the thought finished forming. He sidestepped the golem's devastating punch, the stone fist passing through the space where he'd been a heartbeat before. His sword flashed, striking the golem's elbow joint.
Chips of stone flew. The golem stumbled but didn't fall.
"Clever!" Marcus called. "But earth regenerates. Golem, earth spike!"
The ground beneath Malachar erupted, stone pillars thrusting upward like spears. The demon lord leaped backward, but one spike grazed his leg, drawing a thin line of dark blood.
"First hit," Professor Graves announced.
Rin felt the impact through their bond, a flash of pain that wasn't his own. But Malachar just grinned.
"Finally, something with teeth." He planted his sword in the ground. "Let's see how your construct handles this."
Crimson energy poured from the blade into the earth. The ground around the golem turned dark, stone cracking and crumbling as demonic power corrupted the material.
The golem's movements became sluggish, its feet sinking into the weakened earth.
"What?" Marcus's eyes widened. "That's not possible! Golems are immune to terrain effects!"
"Your golem is made of earth," Malachar explained almost conversationally. "My power corrupts and weakens. Your construct is literally standing in poison." He yanked his sword free. "Now, let's finish this."
Go for the core, Rin thought. The amber in its chest.
Malachar charged. The golem swung both fists down in a hammer blow that would have flattened a horse. The demon lord slid beneath the attack, coming up inside the golem's reach. His sword thrust forward with surgical precision, piercing the amber core embedded in the construct's chest.
Light burst from the wound. The golem froze, then began crumbling from the inside out.
"Second hit," Professor Graves called.
Marcus was sweating now. "Golem, reform! Defensive configuration!"
The remaining earth pulled together, forming a dome around the core. Smart strategy, Rin had to admit. If the golem couldn't attack, it also couldn't be easily defeated.
But Malachar laughed. "You think hiding will save you?"
He drove his sword into the dome repeatedly, each strike creating deep cracks. The amber core inside pulsed frantically, trying to maintain the structure.
Rin felt the strain through their bond. Malachar was using a lot of power. They couldn't maintain this for much longer.
One big strike, Rin thought. Put everything into breaking through.
Malachar nodded imperceptibly. He stepped back, his sword beginning to glow with accumulated energy. Crimson fire crawled up the blade, growing hotter and brighter.
"Abyssal Strike," he intoned.
The sword came down, and reality seemed to tear along its path. The energy beam that followed was pure destruction, slamming into the earth dome with apocalyptic force.
The dome shattered. The amber core cracked. The golem exploded into rubble.
Marcus fell to his knees as the backlash hit him, the bond breaking violently.
"Third hit. Match concluded. Winner: Rin Eldraven."
The crowd was silent for three seconds.
Then chaos erupted. Half the students cheered while the other half shouted in disbelief. Rin heard fragments over the noise.
"...demolished a Silver rank..."
"...that demon is at least Gold tier..."
"...how is an unranked student this strong..."
Malachar dissolved back into shadow, but his satisfaction radiated through their bond. Rin's legs nearly gave out from sudden exhaustion. The mental strain of directing Malachar, combined with the power drain of maintaining the manifestation, left him dizzy.
Kira caught his arm. "That was amazing! Did you see Marcus's face? He couldn't believe it!"
"Is Marcus okay?" Rin asked, concerned despite everything.
Professor Graves was checking on the other student, who looked shaken but uninjured. "He'll be fine. Bond backlash hurts, but it's not permanent. He learned a valuable lesson about underestimating opponents."
Adrian had disappeared from the stands. But Elena remained, her gaze fixed on Rin with an expression he couldn't read.
"Mr. Eldraven," Professor Graves called. "That was impressive combat coordination. Your bond communication has improved dramatically since yesterday."
"Thank you, sir."
"However, don't let this victory make you overconfident. Marcus was mid tier Silver. You'll face stronger opponents." He paused. "Still, you've proven you can handle yourself. I'll recommend to the headmaster that your rank be evaluated early."
That night, alone in his room, Rin felt the weight of what had happened. He'd won his first official challenge. Proven he belonged at the academy, at least for now.
"Not bad, boy," Malachar's voice echoed from the shadows. "You're learning."
"We're learning," Rin corrected. "This is a partnership, remember?"
A pause. Then, surprisingly: "Yes. I suppose it is."
Rin smiled and closed his eyes, letting exhaustion claim him.
He didn't see the figure watching from outside his window, or notice the purple crystal in his chest beginning to glow faintly.
Somewhere in the academy, wheels were turning.
And Rin Eldraven was at the center of them all.