Theo's POV
Class B didn't wait.
It moved.
Immediately.
The instructor didn't waste time.
"Pair up."
No explanation.
No delay.
Just—
Action.
The room shifted.
Chairs scraped.
Students stood.
Pressure rose.
Kairo stretched behind me.
"…Finally," he said.
"…This place was getting boring."
"…It's been five minutes," I replied.
"…Exactly."
Selene didn't move yet.
She watched.
Waiting.
Analyzing.
Of course.
I stood.
Slow.
Measured.
Because this wasn't random.
Nothing here was.
Pairs were forming quickly.
Some already decided.
Others—
Carefully choosing.
Or avoiding.
Riven stepped forward.
Direct.
Eyes locked—
On me.
"…Now?" he asked.
"…Not yet."
A pause.
He frowned slightly.
"…You're avoiding it."
"…No."
"…Then what?"
"…Timing."
Silence.
Then—
A different presence stepped forward.
Closer.
Calm.
Controlled.
"…Then I'll take this one."
Arielle Virel.
The room shifted.
Subtle.
But noticeable.
Attention—
Focused.
Not curiosity.
Interest.
Riven stepped back.
Not arguing.
Just watching.
Kairo leaned forward behind me.
"…Oh this is good," he said quietly.
"…Don't interfere."
"…I wasn't planning to."
Lie.
Selene finally moved.
Positioning herself—
At the edge.
Where she could see everything.
Of course.
The instructor raised a hand.
"Space."
The desks shifted.
Pulled back by mana.
The center cleared instantly.
Clean.
Open.
A controlled arena.
Perfect.
Arielle stepped in.
No hesitation.
No wasted movement.
I followed.
Stopping a few steps away.
Distance—
Optimal.
She watched me.
Not aggressively.
Not passively.
Just—
Focused.
"…No signals this time," she said.
"…No crowd."
"…Just control."
"…That's enough."
A slight smile.
"…Good."
Silence settled.
But it wasn't empty.
It was—
Tight.
Compressed.
Waiting.
The instructor lowered his hand.
"Begin."
No countdown.
No warning.
Just—
Start.
Arielle moved first.
Fast.
Not explosive.
Efficient.
Closing distance instantly.
I didn't step back.
Water formed.
Around my hand.
Condensed.
Compressed.
A Water Bomb—
Already stable.
Already complete.
I released it.
Direct.
Fast.
She didn't dodge.
She adjusted.
A slight shift of her body—
Minimal.
The water struck—
And froze.
Ice spread—
Sharp.
Instant.
But—
Cracked.
Before it could expand.
Her mana disrupted it.
Precise.
Targeted.
She was already moving again.
Closer.
Too close for distance attacks.
Good.
I shifted.
Water split—
Two forms.
Water Daggers.
Thin.
Pressurized.
Spinning edges humming quietly.
She stopped.
Just outside range.
Watching.
"…High pressure," she said.
"…Rotational edge."
"…Cuts through resistance."
A pause.
"…Efficient."
"…Yes."
She stepped forward again.
This time—
Faster.
I moved.
Not back.
Forward.
Clash.
Her hand intercepted mine.
Not blocking—
Redirecting.
My dagger slid past her shoulder—
Missing by inches.
Her counter came instantly.
Palm strike—
Aimed at center mass.
I twisted.
Minimal movement.
The strike grazed.
But didn't land fully.
Good.
Too clean.
Too precise.
She wasn't testing strength.
She was testing control.
Same as me.
Water shifted again.
Behind her.
Three spheres formed.
Condensed.
Heating.
Pressure rising.
Steam Cloud.
I released them.
They burst—
Instantly.
Steam filled the space.
Visibility—
Gone.
The room reacted.
Murmurs.
Tension.
But I could see.
Not with eyes.
With water.
Every movement—
Distorted.
But readable.
She moved left.
Then stopped.
Then—
Didn't move.
A trap.
Good.
I stepped forward.
Slow.
Controlled.
Then—
Shift.
Five circles formed mid-air.
Simultaneously.
Wide.
Thin.
Perfect alignment.
Water: Boost.
All five activated—
At once.
I moved.
Explosive.
Dropkick form.
Acceleration—
Instant.
The air cracked.
Pressure surged.
I broke through all five circles—
At the same time.
Water boots formed—
Impact reinforced.
Target—
Locked.
But—
She moved.
Not away.
Into it.
Her hand rose.
Mana condensed.
Not visible.
But dense.
She caught the impact.
Not fully.
Impossible.
But enough—
To redirect it.
The force exploded sideways.
The ground cracked.
Water scattered.
My momentum broke.
Landing—
Clean.
But incomplete.
She stepped back.
One step.
Only one.
Steam began to fade.
Slowly.
Silence followed.
Heavy.
Measured.
Kairo laughed.
"…Yeah, this class is insane."
Selene didn't speak.
But her eyes—
Sharp.
Focused.
The instructor raised a hand.
"Enough."
The fight stopped.
Immediately.
No complaints.
No resistance.
Arielle looked at me.
Breathing steady.
Unshaken.
"…You adjusted mid-move," she said.
"…You redirected force after impact."
"…You read the trap."
"…Yes."
A pause.
Then—
"…You're not done yet."
"…Neither are you."
A small smile.
"…Good."
She turned.
Walking away.
Like the fight wasn't over—
Just paused.
Riven stepped forward again.
Eyes sharp.
"…Now?"
I looked at him.
Calm.
Controlled.
"…Now."
The pressure returned.
Stronger this time.
Because this—
Wasn't a test anymore.
It was escalation.
And Class B—
Was just getting started.