Both warriors charged forward at the same time.
"Lightning Magic — Dragon Light Blade!"
"Demon Art — Demon Blade!"
Their ultimate attacks collided head-on.
A deafening explosion shook the arena.
Thick smoke covered the battlefield.
Gasps filled the stadium.
When the smoke slowly cleared—
Linksan's sword shattered into pieces.
He fell to one knee, staring in disbelief.
Before anyone could fully understand what happened, the faint dark aura around Horobi vanished.
"This must be an illusion…" Linksan muttered.
The instructor raised his hand.
"The winner is — Horobi Enma."
Whispers spread everywhere.
Horobi quietly turned to leave.
"Don't lose to him," Linksan said behind him.
"If someone who defeated me falls to another… that would be disappointing."
Horobi nodded slightly.
"I won't."
Final Match
"In the final match — Tua Enma versus Horobi Enma!"
The arena became tense.
The two cousins stepped forward.
"Begin!"
Tua attacked first, aiming directly for Horobi's chest.
Horobi dodged and countered with a strike to his stomach.
Tua staggered back but immediately activated his magic.
Wind blades tore through the arena.
Horobi was forced into defense.
Their swords clashed repeatedly.
"Demon Art — Demon Blade!"
Both activated it at the same time.
Their swords shattered from the impact.
Now it was pure hand-to-hand combat.
Punches. Kicks. Elbows.
Neither gave ground.
Suddenly—
The temperature dropped sharply.
"Ice Magic."
Frost spread across the arena floor.
Massive ice spikes rose upward.
A giant blade of ice formed above Tua's hand.
He hurled it forward.
Horobi tried to move—
But more ice blades formed around him.
His legs froze.
The instructor shouted, "Stop this immediately!"
Tua ignored him.
The blades shot forward.
From the stands—
"Master…" Mio's voice trembled.
The ice blades pierced through the space where Horobi stood.
For a single heartbeat—
It looked like everything was over.
A sharp cracking sound echoed.
Then,
Another.
The ice blades stopped mid-air.
Thin black fractures spread across their surface.
Tua's eyes widened.
"What…?"
The cracks deepened.
And in the next instant—
Every blade shattered into fine particles.
Not melted.
Not burned.
They simply disintegrated.
The air grew heavy.
Breathing became difficult.
Even the instructor stiffened slightly.
Horobi stood in the center of the arena.
Head lowered.
His frozen legs were free.
A faint black aura rose from his body — quiet and subtle, like drifting ash.
There was no explosion.
No wild energy.
Just silence.
A suffocating silence.
The ground beneath his feet began to crack slowly.
Not from impact—
But from decay.
Linksan gripped the railing tightly.
"That presence… it isn't elemental magic."
Tua growled and summoned more ice blades.
They never reached Horobi.
The moment they entered the space around him—
They crumbled.
Like fragile glass touching something absolute.
Horobi took one step forward.
The sound echoed unnaturally loud.
Second step.
Tua instinctively stepped back.
For the first time—
Fear appeared in his eyes.
Horobi lifted his head.
His expression was calm.
Too calm.
He moved.
In an instant, he stood before Tua.
No chant.
No flashy technique.
Just a simple punch.
When it connected—
The air compressed inward before bursting outward in a deep shockwave.
Tua was launched across the arena, crashing hard against the barrier before collapsing.
Silence filled the stadium.
The dark aura slowly faded.
The cracks stopped spreading.
Horobi swayed slightly and stared at his own hand.
"…What was that?"
No one answered.
Because everyone understood—
That wasn't fire magic.
And it definitely wasn't demon art.
It was something else entirely.
"The winner… is Horobi Enma."
Aftermath
Mio ran into the arena and hugged him tightly.
"I was scared…" she whispered.
Mio slowly stepped back after hugging him, still looking worried.
"Master… are you really okay?" she asked again.
"Horobi said I'm fine."
She narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"You're not secretly dying, right?"
Horobi blinked.
"…What?"
"I've seen this in stories!" Mio said
seriously.
"The hero wins the battle, smiles calmly, and then suddenly collapses three minutes later."
"I'm not a story character."
Mio leaned closer and poked his arm.
"Hmm… still warm."
"That's because I'm alive."
"Good," she nodded in relief.
Then she crossed her arms proudly.
"Of course, even if you collapsed, I would carry you to the infirmary."
Horobi looked at her small frame.
You can barely carry your own bag.
"That's different!"
She puffed her cheeks.
I would drag you if necessary.
…That sounds painful.
Mio grinned.
"See? So don't collapse."
Horobi sighed quietly.
"…I'll try."
She suddenly froze.
"Wait What?"
"If you ranked first… does that mean we get better cafeteria food?"
Horobi stared at her.
"…That's what you're thinking about?"
Mio nodded seriously.
"Fighting is important, Master."
She raised a finger dramatically.
"But good food is also very important."
For the first time since the battle, Horobi let out a small laugh.
Horobi froze for a moment.
And whispered
…I'm fine,
"O-Of course you are, Master!"
Rankings
1st — Horobi Enma
2nd — Tua Enma
3rd — Linksan
4th — Mio Haizaki
5th — Mikasa
Murmurs filled the hall.
"The weakest magic control student ranked first?"
"Unbelievable…"
The Next Day
Class assignments were posted.
Class 1-A
Horobi Enma
Mio Haizaki
Mare
Loki
Erish
Danzo
Hozu
Jimmi
Liora
Kaame
Linksan was placed in Class 1-B.
"Different classes, huh?" Horobi said.
"Don't fall behind," Linksan replied.
First Day of Class
Their teacher entered.
"Good morning. I am Raii Heedo. From today onward, I am responsible for you."
He paused.
"We have a transfer student."
The door opened.
A quiet girl stepped inside.
Long hair.
Calm eyes.
A small white snake rested around her wrist.
The class went silent.
She smiled gently.
"Hello. I'm Liora. Don't worry… she only bites rude people."
Soft laughter spread.
Her gaze shifted directly to Horobi.
"You're Horobi, right?"
He nodded.
"May I sit beside you?"
Before he could answer—
"No!" Mio protested.
Horobi sighed. "It's fine."
Liora sat down gracefully.
The small snake lifted its head slightly, its tongue flickering for a moment… as if sensing something unusual.
Mio leaned closer and whispered,
"Master… I have a bad feeling about her."
Liora smiled faintly.
"I prefer the word… interesting."
Horobi closed his eyes briefly.
The academy life had just begun.