I Received System to Become Dragonborn-Chapter 1258: On Par

The drill continued without pause.

Roland and Darius were carried from the arena on stretchers, both were still conscious, and both laughing through bruises and fractured bones as medics guided them toward the infirmary.

Roland lifted one arm weakly in victory even as he was hauled away.

"Don't forget," he called hoarsely, "I still won more than I lost."

Darius chuckled from his own stretcher. "Yes. I want a fucking rematch."

The arena sealed again, the next group leader stepped forward.

Mira Kel moved with a light bounce in her step, her shoulders loose, and her eyes were bright. She rolled her neck once and exhaled slowly, a grin spreading across her face as she took her place at the center.

"Alright," she thought, excitement buzzing through her veins. "Let's show them how fast is fast! Hehehe!"

She pointed casually toward the waiting candidates.

"Now come on," she said with a teasing grin. "Big sister's waiting for you here."

A few snorts answered her. Four candidates stepped forward, familiar faces, familiar rivals. None of them underestimated her.

The first to move was a woman taller than Mira, long dark hair tied back tightly, her stance grounded and confident. She cracked her knuckles once and smiled.

"She's faster than me," the woman admitted silently, eyes never leaving Mira. "So I need to hit harder."

They exchanged a brief look, friendship and challenge wrapped together in that moment.

"Start," Adrien said from above.

Mira disappeared.

The taller woman's eyes widened just a fraction as Mira reappeared at her side, a sharp strike snapping into her ribs before she could fully turn.

She reacted instantly, Magic surging through her limbs reinforcing her muscle and bone as she swung back with raw power.

But it was too late.

Mira slipped past the attack like it never existed, her movement became a blur of precise bursts rather than wasted speed.

She hit again, tapping nerves, cutting angles, never lingering long enough to be caught.

"She's fucking everywhere!" the woman thought, teeth clenched as she pivoted. "Focus. Predict her movements!."

She stomped hard, releasing a shock through the floor to disrupt Mira's footing. For a moment, Mira felt the vibration reach her.

"Nice try," Mira thought, smiling wider. "But you're thinking too straight."

She vanished upward, landed behind her opponent, and swept her legs out with a clean motion.

The taller woman hit the ground and laughed breathlessly, raising a hand.

"Yeah," she said, grinning. "I know. I lost."

Mira offered her a hand and pulled her up. "You're getting better."

Above them, Erend watched closely, eyes narrowing slightly as he followed Mira's movement.

"She's not just fast. She's conserving energy. No wasted steps," he said quietly.

Adrien nodded. "Burst acceleration with perfect control. She's choosing when to be untouchable. This one has become much better than the last time."

Billy leaned forward. "And she's now able to read her opponent. Every reaction."

Jessica's gaze remained steady and tapping her tablet computer.

The second candidate stepped into the arena.

This one was a man with compact muscle and sharp posture, his Magic already humming faintly around him.

It manifested as localized gravity control, allowing him to increase weight on his limbs and strikes.

He flexed his fingers once.

"If I pin her," he thought, "she can't run…. Right?"

Mira tilted her head slightly as she felt the pressure shift in the air and smirked.

"He immediately used his Gravity Magic," she noted. "Okay. Fun."

"Ready?" he asked.

Mira grinned. "Always."

"Start." Adrien said.

He slammed his foot down, gravity spiking outward in a focused pulse meant to drag Mira into his range. The air felt heavier instantly.

Mira staggered half a step, boots scraping.

"Got her," he thought, lunging forward with a reinforced punch.

Mira vanished.

The gravity pulse struck empty air as she reappeared behind him, tapping his shoulder lightly.

"This is still too slow," she whispered.

He spun, increasing the gravity around his arms, swinging wide to create a crushing zone.

Mira darted in and out of the pressure field, each movement timed between pulses, her speed compensating for the weight pressing against her body.

"Don't rush," Mira reminded herself, breath steady. "Find the rhythm."

She waited for the moment he overcommitted, then accelerated sharply, slipping inside his guard and striking his knee before he could adjust the gravity field.

He fell to one knee with a grunt, pressure collapsing as his focus broke.

Mira stopped inches from his face and raised her hand, but didn't do anything else.

He exhaled and laughed. "Yeah. That's enough."

Mira stepped back, offering him a hand as well.

From above, Erend smiled faintly.

"She is able to adapt fast already," he said. "She had experience before coming here."

Adrien crossed his arms. "And she's not even pushing yet."

The drill pressed on. Mira stood ready with her bright eyes.

The third candidate stepped into the arena without ceremony.

He was short, pale, with a closely cropped head and sharp, focused eyes that never wavered.

There was no tension in his posture, but there was no ease either. He stood like someone already deep in thought.

Mira recognized him immediately and smiled.

"Evan," she said lightly. "Don't worry, I won't go hard on you."

"All right," he replied, his voice flat, eyes never leaving her.

Mira sighed inwardly.

"He still doesn't talk much." Her smile softened for a moment. "Or… maybe he's even more nervous now?"

Then her stance shifted, weight settling lower.

"No. His power is on par with mine. If I underestimate him, I lose."

Above them, Erend's expression sharpened.

"This one's different, right?" he said quietly.

Adrien nodded. "Time-based Magic."

"Local slowdown," Billy added. "Dangerous."

"Start," Adrien said.

Mira vanished just like before.

The arena floor cracked lightly where she had stood as she burst forward at full speed, only to find Evan moving with her.

To the watching candidates, both of them blurred into streaks of motion, colliding and separating in the span of heartbeats.

Mira's strike cut through the air, but Evan shifted just enough, his movement unnaturally smooth.

She felt it then.

"The world feels heavy," she realized.

Evan's pupils were wide, his focus absolute.

"I just need to keep it narrow," he thought. "Slow everything else. Just enough."

Time bent around him. Not frozen or broken, but stretched.

Mira was still fast, terrifyingly so, but Evan had space to react.

From above, none of the observers looked surprised. They already know what the candidates were able to do.

Mira grinned as their fists met, shock rippling outward.

"Oh," she laughed. "You can really keep up."

She changed tactics instantly, feinting, forcing him to activate again and again.

Evan's breathing tightened.

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