All the students from Class A had finally gathered at the training center, standing in a large group while waiting for instructions. Instructor Andriel was standing together with a woman who had silver hair styled with bangs and striking pink eyes. Her face was quite serious, and there was not a single ounce of happiness visible in her expression.
She was the combat instructor, Nova Jane, a skilled sword mage who oversaw all physical training and battle exercises at the academy.
"Seriously, Mr. Vance, what is the actual point of organizing this duel between the students?" Nova asked while crossing her arms.
"It is simply out of curiosity about their current abilities. You do not have to glare at me like that, you know," Andriel responded while waving his hand dismissively.
"Grrr, of course I will glare at you for this. We are supposed to guide these students and help them learn, not start a little war between them for our entertainment."
Andriel looked ahead at the gathered students while speaking.
"I want to analyze their skills properly and see who among them is truly the strongest this year."
"What an absurd idea for an exercise. We both already know who the strongest students are in this class. Is it not Azai, followed by Edwin, Osias, Fiora, and Penelope in that order?"
"That was based on their performance from last year. I want to know if the other students have caught up to them during the break. There could be hidden talents that we have not discovered yet."
Nova glanced at the few faces among the crowd and almost felt sorry for them. After all, Penelope was joining the competition, and she could already tell who would win this match without much difficulty.
Edwin, on the other hand, was not pleased with this situation at all. He watched as Penelope prepared herself for the battle.
"I think that fighting like this among ourselves might stir up unnecessary problems between students in our class," Edwin said quietly.
Cecilia nodded in agreement beside him. "You are right about that. I do not feel good about this either."
Osias, standing nearby, stared at Edsel, who seemed completely unbothered by everything happening around him. The skill that Edsel had used earlier when he beat him up was still fresh in his mind. He was curious about whether Edsel would even win this match against multiple opponents.
He thought deeply about the possibilities and then smiled to himself. No, Penelope would definitely beat him up this time. He would make sure to laugh loudly when it happened.
Instructor Andriel stepped forward and raised his hand to address all the students gathered in the training center.
"Let us begin the match now. Remember that it is not allowed to use any magical skills or aura techniques during this fight. Only pure physical strength and natural combat ability are permitted," he announced loudly.
Everyone nodded in understanding, though some felt disappointed about not being able to use their special skills. Either way, several boys were already gathering around Edsel, preparing to strike their first move against him.
Edsel stared at them and laughed quietly to himself. 'What a bunch of fools,' he thought while studying their eager faces.
"Okay, let the match begin now!" Andriel yelled while raising his arm high. The moment he dropped it down, the battle erupted across the entire training ground.
Multiple students immediately started throwing blows at each other. Punches flew through the air, bodies collided, and some screamed while others dodged and fought back desperately.
The training center became a chaotic battlefield within seconds.
Penelope stood in her spot calmly while waiting for anyone to challenge her. Several boys and girls glanced in her direction, considered their options, and then quickly looked away.
"Should we try to fight her together?" one student whispered.
"Are you completely stupid? She will beat us up easily without even trying. Let us stay far away from her path," another responded.
"Right, that is the smart choice here."
On the other side of the training ground, Edsel stood surrounded by a group of eager boys who were all smiling at their perceived easy target.
"This is going to be the easiest fight of my life," one of them said while cracking his knuckles.
"Right? Do not blame us for what is about to happen, Edsel. You should just kneel down and beg for mercy now before we hurt you badly."
Edsel looked at them with boredom in his eyes. "I do not have a long time to waste on all of you, so come at me at the same time and get it over with." He gestured with his finger for them to approach.
Everyone stared at each other in disbelief for a moment, and then they burst out laughing together.
"Pfft, what is he even saying right now? Does he want to get beaten up that badly?"
"Now, now, let me fight him first and show everyone how weak he really is," a boy said while stepping forward.
He was slightly taller than Edsel and had a confident smirk on his face. He reached out and tapped Edsel on the head condescendingly.
"Oi, look at me when I am talking to you, loser."
Edsel did not respond with words. Instead, his fist shot forward like a cannonball and slammed into the boy's stomach with incredible force.
The impact was so powerful that the boy's entire body twisted in midair before he flew backwards and crashed onto the ground completely unconscious.
Everyone around the training ground stopped fighting immediately and turned to stare at the scene. Even Instructor Andriel's eyes widened in shock at what he had just witnessed.
Edwin's eyes went wide with disbelief. 'That Edsel, who was only a one circle mage last semester, just landed such a heavy punch?'
The other students who had been surrounding Edsel glared at him with renewed intensity.
"Let us attack him together right now! He cannot handle all of us at once!"
"Yeah, come at me all at once. I was already getting tired of waiting for you to make a move anyway. Just do not back down like cowards when things get rough," Edsel responded while flexing his fingers.
The moment they all jumped at him simultaneously, Edsel moved like a predator among prey. His leg shot up and connected with the first attacker's chin, sending him spinning through the air.
He spun around and kicked another student directly in the chest, launching him into two others behind him.
One boy managed to grab Edsel from behind, but Edsel reached back, grabbed him by the hair, and threw him over his shoulder like a ragdoll. The boy crashed onto the ground and did not move again.
Another student swung a wild punch at Edsel's face, but he caught the fist mid-swing, twisted it sharply until the bones cracked
"AAAAH MY ARM !"
He used the screaming boy as a shield against the next wave of attackers.
He swung the body like a weapon and sent three more students flying backwards.
He dropped the injured boy and moved forward relentlessly. A student tried to run away, but Edsel grabbed him by the collar and yanked him back.
At the same time, he stomped repeatedly on another student who was already on the ground begging for mercy. Each stomp landed with brutal force, and the cracking sounds of bones echoed through the training center.
Cecilia covered her mouth with both hands while watching in disbelief. "How did he become this strong in such a short time?" She noticed something trembling beside her and turned to look.
Osias was covering his head with his arms and trembling uncontrollably while watching Edsel's rampage. The fight had triggered flashbacks of their earlier encounter, and fear was consuming him completely.