During class that afternoon, Lily had only just begun noting down the properties of a particularly irritating herb when a knock echoed against the classroom door.
It was sharp—authoritative.
The herbology professor paused mid-explanation, his brows knitting together in clear annoyance. "Come in."
The door creaked open, and a staff member stepped inside. His eyes swept the room once before settling.
"Lily Aedile. You're required at the arena for the interschool tournament tryouts."
The room shifted.
Whispers stirred. A few students turned fully in their seats. Others tried to act indifferent but failed to hide their curiosity.
Lily blinked.
Then, slowly, a grin tugged at her lips.
She stood up without hesitation.
"Understood."
The professor gave her a long look—half irritation, half resignation—before waving her off. "Go, then. And don't fall behind on your studies."
Lily nodded politely, though the faint amusement in her eyes said enough.
As she stepped out into the hallway, the door closing behind her, the grin she had been suppressing finally surfaced fully.
Skipping herbology… for something like this?
Worth it.
The academy grounds were lively even in the afternoon, but the energy shifted the closer Lily got to the training arenas.
Students moved with purpose. Groups gathered in hushed discussion. Some carried staves or wands openly, others adjusting gear as they walked.
Anticipation hung thick in the air.
The smaller arena used for tryouts stood slightly apart from the main combat grounds, enclosed by reinforced stone and layered barrier formations. Even before entering, Lily could feel the subtle hum of mana woven into its structure—a precaution against stray spells.
She stepped inside.
And immediately paused.
"…That many?"
Students filled the arena floor in loose clusters. Some stood alone, others gathered with friends or classmates. There were easily forty, maybe fifty participants.
Her eyes narrowed slightly as she took it in.
Too many for a simple selection.
Which meant—
A quick scan confirmed it.
First-years like her stood near the edges, some visibly tense. Second-years carried more confidence, their posture steadier. And then there were the third-years…
Quiet.
Observant.
Dangerous.
Lily exhaled slowly, letting her senses stretch.
Mana signatures flickered into clarity around her. Some were shallow—uneven, unstable. Others were controlled, dense, refined.
Her lips curved faintly.
Not bad.
Her gaze paused briefly.
Corey stood off to the side, arms crossed, expression unreadable as always.
Of course he's here.
Nearby, another presence caught her attention—but before she could focus on it—
A councilor stepped forward.
The murmurs died almost instantly.
"The tryouts will proceed as a mini tournament," he announced, his voice steady and clear. "Due to the number of participants, you will be divided into three brackets."
A board materialized beside him with a flick of mana.
"Elemental. Non-elemental. Unique magic."
That drew reactions.
Lily tilted her head slightly.
Makes sense.
"Each bracket will produce three winners. Those nine will represent the academy in the interschool tournament."
Nine.
Out of fifty.
The pressure sharpened instantly.
"Find your names."
The crowd shifted.
Lily stepped forward, scanning the board quickly.
Names lined each bracket in neat columns.
Her eyes moved down—
…there.
Second bracket.
Her name sat comfortably among a mix of unfamiliar and vaguely recognized names.
Good.
She didn't feel like waiting through too many rounds.
She made her way toward the assigned arena section. A professor stood nearby, overseeing the matches, his presence calm but firm.
Lily took a position off to the side, arms loosely at her sides, and began watching.
The first match began.
A boy with long hair tied loosely behind him stepped onto the stage. His movements were relaxed, but not careless.
Across from him, a short-haired girl adjusted her grip on her wand. Her stance was tighter, more rigid—but her eyes were focused.
They shook hands.
Stepped back.
"The match ends upon surrender," the professor stated. "Or when one participant is unable to continue."
A pause.
"Ready… go."
The girl moved first.
Her wand flickered—then again—and again.
Water surged forward in a sharp arc, followed immediately by a gust of wind that twisted it, sharpening its trajectory. A burst of flame followed, layered into the attack with surprising speed.
Lily raised an eyebrow slightly.
Fast.
Not just fast—chained casting.
The boy reacted calmly.
A wind barrier formed around him, not fully solid but layered—redirecting rather than blocking. The water split. The flames dispersed.
He stepped forward.
Once.
Twice.
Each step measured.
The girl didn't stop. If anything, she accelerated, spells firing in quicker succession. Her breathing shortened slightly, but she maintained control.
Lily watched closely.
Too aggressive.
She's trying to overwhelm him.
But the boy wasn't being overwhelmed.
He was reading.
Waiting.
The moment came quickly.
The girl overextended—just slightly. Her casting rhythm faltered for half a second.
That was enough.
The boy surged forward.
The ground beneath her cracked—
An earth spike shot upward—
And stopped inches from her torso.
Perfect control.
The girl froze.
"…I surrender."
The match ended.
Lily exhaled softly through her nose.
Not bad at all.
Several matches followed.
Some ended quickly—too quickly. First-years who panicked under pressure. Spells misfiring, barriers breaking too easily.
Others dragged longer, filled with hesitation.
But occasionally—
Something interesting appeared.
A third-year manipulating lightning with precise control. A second-year using illusion magic to distort positioning. A quiet student who barely moved but dismantled their opponent's spells with unnerving efficiency.
Lily absorbed it all.
Patterns.
Mistakes.
Techniques.
Even when she didn't need to.
"Lily Aedile."
Her name.
She stepped forward.
The arena floor felt steady beneath her feet, the barrier hum faint but present.
Her opponent was already there.
Second-year.
Short hair tied back. No wasted movement.
Their eyes met briefly.
Calm.
Focused.
No arrogance.
Good.
They stepped closer.
A brief handshake.
Warm.
Steady.
Lily noted the grip strength, the lack of tremor.
She's confident.
They stepped back into position.
Lily inhaled once, slow and controlled.
Her thoughts sharpened.
No need to hold back too much… but don't end it sloppily.
"Ready…"
The air stilled.
"…go."
"Wind Boost."
Mana surged through her legs, compressing the air beneath her feet—
She moved.
Not a step—
A burst.
The distance vanished in an instant.
Her opponent's reaction was immediate.
"Earth Wall!"
Stone erupted upward—
But Lily had already adjusted.
Mid-charge, her body shifted. The wind around her twisted, altering her trajectory unnaturally as she veered to the side.
The wall rose—
Missed.
The girl's eyes widened—just slightly.
Lily closed the gap.
Too fast.
The girl pivoted, already forming another spell—
Lily jumped.
Wind coiled beneath her feet, lifting her just enough to gain elevation.
From above—
"Flame Bullets."
Mana condensed rapidly.
Dozens of small fire orbs formed, each one dense, controlled—
Then released.
They fell like rain.
The girl raised another barrier, thicker this time—but the angle was wrong.
The first impacts struck.
Then more.
Explosions layered over each other, heat and force breaking through the defense.
Cracks spread across the stone—
Then shattered.
Smoke surged upward.
Silence followed.
When it cleared—
The girl lay on the ground, breathing, her uniform scorched but intact.
Lily landed lightly.
The professor stepped forward, examining briefly before raising his hand.
"Winner. Lily Aedile."
A few murmurs spread.
Lily turned without reacting, stepping off the stage.
Too easy.
The following matches passed in a blur.
Some opponents tried to keep distance—Lily closed it.
Others rushed her—she redirected and countered.
A few attempted trickier magic—illusions, feints—but none held long enough to matter.
She adjusted only as much as necessary.
Never fully serious.
But never careless.
By the time the bracket neared its end—
There was no doubt.
All participants were gathered once more.
The councilor stepped forward again.
"The selected participants are as follows—"
Names were called.
"Lily Aedile. Terry Wiles. Piper Liek. Leon Green. Issac Blues. Corey Key. Olivia Holder. Elizabeth Troth. Kyle Toyne."
Lily barely reacted—
Until one name registered.
Olivia Holder.
Her gaze shifted immediately.
And found her.
Standing not far away.
Calm.
Composed.
Unsurprised.
…So she made it too.
Lily's lips curved slightly.
Good.