The air shifted.
The golden leaves above trembled as a chilling wind swept through the forest. The once playful fog turned heavy, rippling with mana — as if the forest itself had come alive.
> [Warning: Mana density rising.]
[Unknown anomaly detected ahead.]
Sho's eyes narrowed. "This pressure… it's no ordinary spell."
Beside him, Liyana's silver hair swayed gently. She smiled faintly, crimson eyes glimmering. "Something ancient's waking up. It's… interesting."
She sounded excited.
He, however, felt the exact opposite.
If even she's intrigued, this might be bad news.
They stepped forward, branches crunching underfoot, until the mist parted—
and a massive golden obelisk stood before them, its surface engraved with runes glowing faintly.
Five teams surrounded it already.
Students in enchanted armor, spell circles ready, blades drawn.
One boy with silver-blue hair — tall and confident — turned as Sho and Liyana appeared.
"Oh? The Duke's son finally decided to join the party."
Sho recognized him.
Reinhardt Alveris, top-ranked combatant from Class S, and heir to House Alveris, known for their sword mastery.
"And you brought a girl?" Reinhardt added, glancing at Liyana. "Cute. Try not to get in the way."
Liyana blinked slowly, smiling sweetly.
"Say that again."
Before Reinhardt could blink, she flicked her finger — and his sword flew from his hand, embedding itself in a distant tree.
Everyone froze.
"I don't like arrogance," she said softly.
Her tone was calm — yet the pressure around her felt suffocating, enough to make nearby students sweat.
Sho coughed awkwardly. "Alright, alright, that's enough, both of you."
But Reinhardt was already fuming. "You—!"
"Save it," Sho said flatly. "We're here for the golden sticks, not a brawl."
The obelisk pulsed again, interrupting them.
A wave of mana surged outward — the ground cracked, and from beneath the soil, spectral beasts began to rise.
Translucent wolves, armored spirits, even humanoid figures cloaked in dark mist.
Their hollow eyes locked onto the students.
> [Objective Updated: Survive the Guardian Spirits. Last team standing earns bonus sticks.]
"Guardians, huh," Sho muttered, summoning his mana. "Fine by me."
Liyana cracked her neck. "Finally, something worth stretching for."
The battle erupted.
---
Sho's side
Sho dashed forward, sword in hand — the weapon gleamed faintly with bluish mana. His body moved instinctively, slashing through a spectral wolf that lunged at him. The creature dissolved into light, but more poured from the trees.
He activated his mana sense. The battlefield was chaos — magic flares, explosions, wind barriers, fireballs.
He parried a spectral knight's halberd and countered with a burst of Arc Flare, detonating a small shockwave.
> [Mana: 67%]
"Too many of them," he muttered, panting. "They just keep spawning."
Liyana's voice echoed behind him. "Then maybe it's time to clear the field."
Sho turned — and his breath hitched.
Liyana stood in the middle of the chaos, her silver hair glowing faintly. The air distorted around her, rippling with power.
With a snap of her fingers, a crimson magic circle appeared beneath her feet — massive, ancient, and far too complex for a human spell.
The ground itself began to melt under the pressure.
"Liyana!" Sho shouted. "You'll collapse the entire—"
"Relax," she said, smiling faintly. "This is just a breeze."
Her voice carried softly, almost like a whisper — and then the circle flared.
BOOOOOOOM!!!
A torrent of scarlet flames roared outward like a dragon's breath.
Spectral beasts evaporated instantly.
Trees turned to ash.
A shockwave blasted through the clearing, forcing everyone to shield themselves.
When the light faded, silence followed.
Only Sho and Liyana remained standing in the center, surrounded by faint golden motes of light drifting like fireflies.
Reinhardt and his team were staring, mouths open.
"…That was tier… what, seven?" one muttered.
Liyana smiled innocently. "Tier two. Maybe."
Sho pinched the bridge of his nose. "Remind me to never spar with you again."
But the forest wasn't done.
---
The obelisk shuddered, its runes darkening to crimson.
Then, the ground split apart, and from the fissure rose a towering figure — a spirit knight, twice the size of a man, carrying a massive spectral sword that burned with blue flame.
Its hollow eyes turned toward Sho and Liyana.
> "Intruders… unworthy…"
Liyana raised a brow. "You talk too much."
"Wait—" Sho stepped forward. "That one's different. The system just—"
> [Hidden Boss Detected: Spirit Guardian — Rank A+]
[Bonus Reward: ???]
Sho grinned. "Now we're talking."
He dashed in, blade glowing — Liyana followed from behind, her magic pulsing like a heartbeat.
The spirit swung its sword, a wave of blue fire cutting through trees like butter. Sho rolled under, the heat singing his hair.
He countered with Arc Burst, striking the spirit's knee. It staggered — but didn't fall.
"Liyana!"
"I got it!"
She raised her hand, conjuring a spiral of crimson energy — pure mana compressed into a sphere.
Sho leapt backward as she threw it.
The explosion tore through the guardian, engulfing it in light.
Yet even as it crumbled, a final burst of blue flame lashed out, striking Sho square in the chest.
He crashed against the ground, coughing. His vision blurred.
> [Warning: Critical damage detected.]
Through the haze, he saw Liyana land beside him.
Her usual smirk was gone — replaced by something softer. "Idiot. You should've dodged."
Sho smiled weakly. "If I did… you would've taken the hit."
She blinked, staring at him for a second too long.
Then, with a sigh, she whispered something under her breath — ancient words lost to humans — and a faint light surrounded his wounds.
They closed instantly.
"…You really are a mystery," he murmured.
She looked away. "And you talk too much."
---
The spirit crumbled into dust. The obelisk split open, revealing a golden light within.
Sho reached forward and caught what floated out — a glowing stick pulsing faintly.
> [Golden Stick Acquired ×10]
[Hidden Objective Complete.]
[Reward: Skill — Domination Pulse (Permanent Unlock)]
The world froze for a heartbeat as his system updated.
> [Domination Pulse]
A manifestation of supreme will. Within a 5-meter radius, all lesser beings' mana will freeze. Cannot be resisted by lower-ranked entities.
Sho exhaled slowly as the energy surged through him — powerful, suffocating, alive.
He clenched his fists, feeling the pulse in his veins. So this is the true power…
Liyana watched him quietly, eyes glowing faintly crimson. "You're growing fast. Maybe too fast."
"Worried?"
She smiled faintly. "Amused."
---
As the forest's light faded, the system's voice echoed across the entire arena:
> [Team #12 — Sho Ardenthal & Liyana — Rank 1]
[All objectives complete.]
[End of Phase Two.]
The forest shimmered — and suddenly, everything faded to white.
---
Sho opened his eyes to see the academy arena once again, the audience roaring in disbelief.
Professors stood frozen; even the princess and saint were silent for a moment.
Then Arisa smiled faintly, whispering, "He really is something else…"
While Alisa — the saint — tilted her head, intrigued. "And that girl beside him… she's no ordinary human."
Liyana stretched her arms. "That was fun."
Sho groaned. "Fun? I nearly died."
She grinned, tugging lightly on his sleeve. "You're still alive though. That counts."
He sighed but couldn't help smiling. "You're impossible."
"And you love it," she teased.
He didn't answer — but his faint smirk said enough.
---