The dim gray of an unused storage room ceiling became visible when Kairo opened his eyes. A chill breeze carrying dust and oil scents filled the air.
The pain from his back due to sleeping on the stone floor was dull yet he understood it was not severe as the deep satisfying soreness spread through all muscle fibers.
The intense training at the Titan Chamber left him feeling crushed by an enormous weight although he would never want anything different. He sensed his personal evolution.
He used his arms to push himself up and let his joints crack as he rose from the floor. A low conversation echoed through the corridor beyond the door as he entered the main hallway.
"…that's the one," someone whispered. A slumborn student who relies solely on his muscles for survival at the Academy.
Kairo smirked faintly. Let them talk. The absence of weight made words useless to him because they could not slow his progress.
The Academy's noise level grew stronger when he entered the main hallway. The hallway contained groups of students who wore their uniforms with precision while their weapons shone with cleanliness and their gaze revealed ambition or arrogance.
Most students passed him without acknowledgement while some displayed contempt and others displayed interest.
The environment he grew up in had shown him how to traverse dangerous areas without spending time on unimportant individuals.
The open training yard was alive when he arrived. A large sand-covered area received sunlight as students practiced their weapons and abilities while the free dueling ring stood at the center.
The free dueling ring located at the center of the training yard hosted students who sparred under instructor supervision while others performed for spectators.
The nobles who wore polished uniforms controlled the central area of the ground but commoners and unaffiliateds had to stay at the outer edges.
The air contained a mix of human sweat and metallic scents along with burnt mana.
The audience watched steel collisions with short glances yet the loudest applause focused on the central location. Kairo understood the social structure right away since the middle ring functioned as a performance area which required both status and fighting prowess.
Those who remained at the periphery tried to get noticed.
Kairo scanned the yard. He noticed Mira practicing quickstep footwork with another student at the far end of the yard. She glanced at him before returning to her training session with her partner.
The warning was direct; remain concentrated.
In that instant, whispers spread through the area with the speed of a wildfire.
"That's Darius. From House Fenric".
"What's he doing? His educational path leads toward the F-rank according to all indications."
"Careful. The whole House becomes embarrassed when a person from Fenric makes a mistake.
The Fenric family representative emerged from the group which included Darius Fenric who displayed both the physical stature of a noble and the elegant bearing of one born into wealth.
A silver family crest adorned his training equipment breastplate as he walked under the pale sunlight.
The look Darius directed at him combined both disinterest and a bold competitive spirit. He delivered his statement about being the slumborn muscle freak with the same casual tone as reporting weather conditions.
Kairo didn't rise to the bait.
An instructor stepped between them.
"Yard rules," the man said flatly. "No active abilities. Only basic mana reinforcement and weapon use. Save the flashy tricks for sanctioned trials".
Darius smirked, turning back to Kairo. "I won't need more than the basics to deal with you".
Kairo didn't duck or reject the challenge. Growing up in the slums, he knew that showing weakness was fuel for bullies. Besides, he also wanted to test his limits in a real fight against the prodigies of Nexus Academy.
He stepped forward without a word, crossing the sand until he faced his challenger. They squared off.
"First to three clean strikes or incapacitation wins. No lethal force". The instructor added.
Darius smirked, confident he wouldn't need anything more than the basics to handle Kairo.
He pulled a mana-imbued staff from a rack, the weapon humming faintly with restrained energy. "Better stand back," he told Kairo mockingly. "Wouldn't want to break you before class".
Someone in the crowd muttered. "Idiot's going barehanded against a Fenric? This'll be over in ten seconds".
Another voice countered, "Maybe he's too poor to afford one".
Laughter followed, but Kairo didn't react. He'd fought with nothing but his fists plenty of times, and won.
The instructor's hand came down. "Begin!"
The duel opened with Darius moving in fluid bursts; every strike measured, every dodge economical.
"That's House Fenric swordwork. Even their cadets move like that".
"If Darius takes this seriously, that slumborn's done".
Kairo blocked the first flurry, feeling the weight of disciplined training in each blow. He respected skill, but still…
His jaw tightened. This wasn't just Darius; this was every sneer, every door slammed in his face by people who believed a noble name made them untouchable.
All of a sudden, a fire lit up within him. He now wanted to win.
The fight built into a brutal rhythm. Darius's strikes carried speed and precision; Kairo's blocks grew heavier, sharper. Then he saw his chance.
Kairo quickly stepped in, locked his muscles, and countered with raw force.
BAM!
The impact rattled Darius back three steps, surprise flashing in his eyes.
For a moment, there was silence in the arena, then…
"He knocked a Fenric back?!"
"That's… not possible without an ability".
"Does this boy really have no background?"
Darius recovered quickly. But now, there was no smirk, only focus. He finally acknowledged Kairo as a real challenge.
If abilities were allowed, maybe Kairo wouldn't have stood a chance against this prodigy from a famous House. But in a battle of fists and weapons, with no abilities, Kairo was exactly the worst type of opponent to face.
The duel ended with Kairo planting a clean hit to the chest, sending Darius skidding across the yard. The instructor called it.
The crowd erupted in shock.
"He actually beat Darius Fenric".
"No… he humiliated House Fenric".
Darius rose, expression carved from stone. Kairo could tell that he was clearly rattled by his display but the noble didn't let it show.
"This isn't over". He muttered coldly.
Kairo didn't bother replying, but in his mind, he filed the name away.
Darius Fenric.
A noble. A rival. He respected Darius' skill.
But he also saw him for what he was… someone who would come back harder. And next time, maybe, rules won't protect him.
As Darius left, a ripple of whispers moved through the crowd. The slumborn had won, and not by luck.
Kairo also left.
At the edge of the yard, Mira watched him pass, a faint smirk on her lips. "That's more like it," she murmured.
Kairo didn't stop. The fight was already fading in his mind. One duel meant nothing. The Academy would test him again tomorrow, and the day after that.
As far as he was concerned, this was just a warm up.