The classroom was empty, save for Seig, Athuria, and Miki. The rest of the academy's teams had already left with their Rank 1 Magic Knights.
But their teacher had yet to show.
Seig slammed his fist on the desk.
"Ugh! What's taking him so long?! He's late!"
Athuria remained seated, her posture cool and composed. She glanced at Seig with an uninterested look.
"Sit still and shut up, loser."
Seig gritted his teeth.
"But everyone else has already left, why is ours so late?" he muttered.
Miki shifted nervously. "I'm sure he'll be here soon, Seig."
Seig didn't listen. A mischievous grin spread across his face as he grabbed a bucket of water and quietly set it above the door.
Miki's eyes widened. "Seig… What are you doing?"
"His punishment for being late," Seig said with a smug grin. "It's gonna be great."
Athuria rolled her eyes. "You're an idiot. There's no way a Rank 1 Magic Knight would fall for something so childish."
Seig chuckled. "We'll see."
The door creaked open.
SPLASH!
Water drenched the man standing in the doorway.
He was tall and muscular, his black hair wild and unkempt. He wore a simple white singlet, black trousers, and brown boots. A katana was strapped to his hip, and a cross tattoo decorated the right side of his chest.
He stood there for a moment, motionless.
Then, slowly, he took a long swig from the bottle in his hand.
"Hmm…"
Baka Sensei, the newly drenched Rank 1 Magic Knight, turned his attention to the trio.
"I hate all of you," he muttered, his voice low and gruff. "But we're here now."
He sighed, glancing at the three of them in turn.
"Introduce yourselves."
Miki blinked. "Introduce ourselves?"
Baka shrugged nonchalantly, still holding his beer. "Tell me about yourselves. Likes. Dislikes. Hobbies. Dreams."
Seig frowned. "Before that… tell us about you."
Baka's eyes narrowed, a slight smirk tugging at his lips. "I'm Baka. I drink. That's about it."
Seig groaned. "So all we know is your name?"
Baka raised his bottle and took another swig. "Pretty much."
He pointed to Seig. "Your turn, you meat-obsessed maniac."
Seig grinned. "My name's Seig Pendragon. I love meat, especially sausages. My big sis Lily's cooking is the best, though."
He leaned forward, eyes burning with determination.
"My dream is to become the King of Knights so that everyone in Camelot knows my name!"
Baka let out a long, bored sigh. "Thanks for the details, you lunatic."
He pointed to Miki next.
"My name is Miki Senji," she said softly, her hands clasped in front of her. "I like reading, gardening, and medicine research. My dream is to become the greatest doctor in Camelot, to help people with my healing magic."
She hesitated, looking down for a moment before continuing.
"I dislike letting people down… being too timid… and I hate hurting others. But I want to be brave, to help others… without being afraid to express myself."
Baka didn't respond immediately, his eyes flicking over to Athuria.
She stood up slowly, the room's atmosphere shifting with her every movement.
"My name is Athuria Silva," she said calmly, but there was an edge to her voice. "I have many dislikes. No likes."
She paused, glancing out the window, the icy blue of her eyes catching the light.
"I'm here to become stronger. I have no intention of failing."
Seig raised an eyebrow. "That's it?"
Athuria turned her gaze to him, her cold eyes piercing through him.
"I don't have to explain myself to you," she said sharply. "But don't get in my way."
There was a long silence.
Baka took another swig of his beer and nodded. "Interesting."
"You three are weird. But I like that."
He sighed.
"We have a mission tomorrow."
Seig leaned forward, eyes wide with excitement. "What kind of mission?"
Baka smiled grimly. "A test."
Seig's excitement wavered. "A test? What kind of test?"
"A test with a 75% failure rate," Baka replied coolly, "if you can't pass, you don't eat."
Seig's eyes widened. "WHAT?! Then what was the academy graduation test for?!"
Baka chuckled darkly. "It was to see who has the potential to become Rank 3 Knights. This test is to see if you've got the guts to survive."
He turned to leave, his voice cold as he spoke. "Five in the morning tomorrow. Don't eat breakfast. If you do, you'll throw up."
And with that, he walked out, the door swinging shut behind him.
The next morning, Seig, Miki, and Athuria arrived at the training ground at 5:00 AM, their stomachs already growling from hunger.
But their sensei… still hadn't arrived.
They waited. And waited.
Finally, at 11:00 AM, Baka strolled in, looking completely unfazed.
"You're late!" Seig yelled, his patience wearing thin.
Baka shrugged. "I'm here now. Let's get started."
He reached into his bag and pulled out two metal keys.
"Here's the deal," Baka said. "Your mission is simple: take these keys from me before noon. If you fail to get one of the keys, you don't eat today."
Seig's stomach growled loudly. He could already feel his frustration growing.
"That's why you told us not to eat!" he grumbled.
Baka nodded, looking entirely unconcerned. "Exactly. Now, there are only two keys."
The three of them exchanged confused glances.
Baka continued, "Which means… one of you will fail. If you don't get a key, you starve."
Seig's eyes narrowed. "Wait, why are there only two keys?"
Baka smirked. "Because the last person who fails to grab a key will have to forfeit their badge and lose their status as a magic knight in other words they'll be expelled
Seig frowned, nervously glancing at the keys. "But… why?"
"Because in the magic world," Baka said, his voice dark, "there's no mercy. If you don't come with the intent to kill, you'll be left behind." You three would have to show me your resolve and will to convince me that you're ready to be magic knights.
Seig looked taken aback.
"Exactly," Baka continued. "Weaklings get in the way. Those who don't want to fight for their lives have no place here."
He smirked. "You can use weapons or your magic element. Your choice."
Seig clenched his fists, flames beginning to flicker along his hands. "I'll take that key now!
But before he could move—
In a blur, Baka grabbed Seig's arm, twisted it behind his back, and pinned him to the ground, a dagger pressed to his throat.
"Don't rush," Baka growled. "I didn't say start yet."
Seig's eyes widened, completely frozen in place.
"I… didn't even see him move," Miki whispered.
Athuria stood, her face cold as ice. "This… this is the power of a Rank 1 Magic Knight."
Baka released Seig and stepped back, his face a mask of amusement.
"But at least you came with the intent to kill," Baka said with a grin. "That's something."
The tension in the air became thick. Seig's flames flared again as he stood, staring down Baka.
"Alright," Baka said, cracking his knuckles. "Let's begin."
"Kill me…"
"…or starve trying and get expelled from being a magic knight.