The cheers that had erupted after Chloe’s unbelievable victory had yet to fade when the floating bracket above the arena dissolved into countless shimmering runes.

The second match

Lina Woods— Class A

Versus

Gideon Stoneheart —Class C

A wave of murmuring rolled through the students

"So it’s finally the commoner from class A"

"She somehow passed the assessment and thinks she is one of us"

"Her opponent is Gideon, she’s finished"

The whispers grew louder.

"His contracted beast is an obsidian bear, and I heard he specializes in coordinated combat"

"No first year can knock him down"

Standing outside the preparation area, Lina slowly tightened her grip around the worn leather handle of her heavy steel sword.

The familiar weight grounded her racing thoughts. Three weeks ago, the weapon had felt awkward in her hands. Now it almost felt like an extension of her arm.

She drew a slow breath, and the roar of the arena seemed distant. Every merciless correction Qhuin gave echoed through her memory

"Your shoulders are too stiff."

"Again."

"Wrong."

"Again."

"Your feet moved before your eyes."

"Again."

A faint smile almost formed before she suppressed it. ’That infuriating rabbit..’.

He had never once praised her during training.

"Lina"

From behind Chloe’s voice pulled her back. The newly awakened Dhampir stood behind her wearing the same gentle smile she always showed others.

"You’ll be okay" Chloe shouted and Lina nodded." I know".

Inside the carry bag, qhuin’s crimson eyes stayed closed.

Then the referee’s voice echoed across the arena."Contestants, enter the battlefield."

Lina stepped through the massive stone gates, as the deafening cheers crashed into her like a tidal wave.

The great colosseum stretched endlessly beneath the brilliant afternoon sun. Towering obsidian walls surrounded the battlefield, ancient runes glowing faintly across their surfaces.

High above, the royal viewing platform overlooked the arena like a throne placed among the clouds.

Lina forced herself not to look upward, she already knew who sat there. The emperor, Principal Alistair, Valerius, and Elizabeth along with every noble house.

Every movement she made would be watched and every mistake remembered. Across the arena, the gate burst open and heavy footsteps shook the ground.

Gideon Stoneheart emerged. He stood nearly two meters tall, broad-shouldered and muscular, dressed in thick earth colored armor that made him resemble a moving fortress.

Resting across one shoulder was an enormous stone war hammer nearly as tall as Lina herself.

Walking into the arena he looked at her before laughing." So you’re my opponent"

His booming voice thundered throughout the stadium. "I really was expecting someone stronger, can’t say I’m not disappointed"

Gideon rested the hammer against the ground and his expression became serious." I’ll make this quick"

A bronze summoning circle expanded beneath his feet as mana erupted, the earth trembled, and a thunderous roar shook the arena.

From the glowing formation emerged an enormous Obsidian Bear nearly three meters tall. Its body was covered in thick black stone plates layered over dense muscles. Every breath released clouds of dust as heavy claws gouged trenches into the arena floor.

The spectators want wild.

"He summoned his obsidian bear"

"She’s finished"

Even though some class A students frowned, Marcus still wrapped in bandages, watched with burning resentment. "Crush her"

The referee raised his hand." Begin"

The instant the signal fell, the Bear exploded forward. Its massive body accelerated with a terrifying speed, charging across the arena like a mountain.

Each step shattered the stone beneath its feet, Lina didn’t move, only gripping her sword. The distance closed in, thirty meters.

The moment the bear reached five meters from her she stepped sideways. Its gigantic claws ripped through the empty air before smashing not the Arena floor where she’d stood.

The impact shattered the stone into dozens of flying fragments, before Lina could recover a shadow descended above her.

Gideon had used the bear’s charge as cover, his enormous hammer crashed downward from above.

With her speed, Lina twisted and the hammer slammed into the ground beside her.

Stone exploded in every direction and the shock wave lifted dust high into the air.

The audience gasped.

"She can’t survive there"

"So much for a special student"

Moments later the dust cleared, revealing a perfectly fine Lina and Gideon hammer beside her.

"How... how did she dodge that"

Gideon lifted the hammer and retreated, his eyes studying Lina.

Inside the bag, Qhuin finally spoke, his voice calm. "Do not watch his hammer, watch his feet"

Lina nodded and her eyes shifted, the instant his front foot planted forward for a strike, she moved.

The second hammer strike missed her shoulder by an inch, from behind the Obsidian Bear tired and its massive tail swung towards her.

Lina bent forward and the tail passed overhead with enough force to whistle through the air.

She rolled and recovered then retreated backwards to catch her breath

Gideon and his bear charged toward her, the two flowed together leaving almost no opening.

"Run little rabbit" Gideon teased as Lina dodged his attack.

Lina’s sword finally moved.

Clang

Steel met stone. The vibration surged through both arms, nearly numbing her fingers, and she redirected the attack as the hammer slid past her blade instead of colliding head-on.

The bear immediately followed with another claw swipe. Sparks burst into the air as Lina’s sword scraped across thick obsidian armor, but the blade failed to penetrate.

Lina retreated back, her chest rose steadily. On the royal platform, the emperor watched with mild interest. "Interesting"

Beside him, Duke Kenneth dismissed the exchange with a scoff. "She is simply delaying defeat"

Only Principal Alistair remained completely expressionless, his gaze never leaving Lina’s feet.

Below, Gideon’s confidence continued growing, he laughed loudly between attacks. "Running already? I thought class A had standards!"

Lina said nothing as the other student laughed at his remark. Only Chloe watched calmly, because she knew Lina wasn’t running, she was waiting.

Inside the carry bag, Qhuin’s crimson eyes watched the fight, his gaze followed neither Gideon nor his bear. Instead, he watches the dust beneath their feet