"I heard Lady Helvar reached five stars when she was only fourteen. They say she's already at seven stars now."
Lyra stepped forward, her sharp gaze sweeping across the nobleman in red, then Mira, Soren, and finally resting on Kyran. Her brows furrowed.
"You there. What did you just do?"
The red-clad noble stammered: "I... I just—"
Before he could finish, a sudden gust of wind howled from nowhere, slamming into him like an invisible whip.
He was hurled off his horse, rolling across the ground, his face bruised and dusty.
Laughter erupted from the crowd. Lyra crossed her arms, expression calm, as if she'd merely brushed away a speck of dust.
"Touching a woman without permission…" she said coolly: "… is disgraceful. Do it again, and I'll report you directly to the Council."
The noble froze, his face red with fury but unable to retort.
He barked at his attendants and stormed off in humiliation.
The square slowly quieted.
Lyra turned to Kyran's group. Her eyes met his for a brief moment, then a faint, knowing smile curved her lips.
"You're here for the entrance trials as well?"
Soren replied before Kyran could speak: "That's right. The three of us."
Lyra nodded lightly: "Then how about we go together? Forming a team will make combat far easier. Trust me, this capital isn't as peaceful as it looks."
Kyran stayed silent. He wasn't used to others taking the initiative but something about the clarity in her eyes made it impossible to refuse.
Mira smiled gently, while Soren shrugged, pretending not to care.
And so, from a single clash at the city gate, four youths of different origins, powers, and goals stood side by side.
Their group now had one more member, Lyra Helvar, sixteen years old, wielder of Storm-type Holy Energy, her medium a necklace, her weapon a staff.
None of them knew that this small encounter would mark the beginning of their fateful bond and a series of trials that would decide their lives.
Far away, a pair of unseen eyes watched them. The corners of those lips lifted slightly in amusement.
"So, I've finally found you. My efforts weren't in vain after all."
When the four of them entered the testing grounds, they were met with a vast plaza surrounded by monumental stone walls.
Intricate carvings told stories of ancient wars and heroes.
Above, giant mana crystals shone like blue suns, casting their glow over thousands of eager faces.
The atmosphere wasn't just that of an exam, it was the festival of martial glory for the entire Empire.
Hundreds had gathered, each with their own colors, tempers, and dreams. Excitement thrummed in the air like electricity.
Groups formed everywhere by fives because the rules had already been announced: "Only teams of five are qualified to participate in the Trials."
At the center of the grandstand stood seven black thrones, gleaming beneath the mana light.
Seated upon them were the Seven Holy Knights of the Empire legendary heroes who now served as the supreme judges of the entrance trials.
Each had a distinct presence.
One wore armor as heavy as a mountain. Another, a white coat like a scholar.
There was a silver-haired swordmaster whose gaze alone made young men tremble.
A priest with kind, wise eyes.
Asultry woman whose mere presence stirred the crowd.
A red-haired warrior radiating violence and, in the middle, their leader, the commander of the Seven, who silently observed everything with a gaze like a blade.
They sat unmoving, but their presence alone felt like a pressure crushing down on every candidate.
Kyran swallowed nervously.
Soren nudged him: "Relax, bro, worrying won't help."
Kyran gave a small nod, and Lyra spoke softly beside them: "Those are the Seven Holy Knights of Lumerious, the greatest heroes of our Empire. Anyone chosen as one of them receives not only unimaginable power, but also a divine skill personally granted by the Guardian Deity they serve."
Soren tilted his head: "You mean the Twelve Guardian Gods?"
Lyra nodded: "Exactly! To wield either Mana or Holy Energy, you must first pledge yourself to one of the Twelve Guardians. Through that faith, your power flows into your medium like your ring, necklace, or bracelet and becomes something you can control. That's basic knowledge, isn't it?"
Soren scratched the back of his neck, sweating a little.
"Uh, of course I know that. I was just… testing your knowledge, that's all! I serve Kael, the Flame Guardian. Ha ha ha…"
Kyran listened quietly, his mind racing.
So that's it… I've been channeling my power without any medium. Maybe… it's because my faith reached directly to the divine.
He remembered the prayers he'd made all his life not to a Guardian, but to the Creator Goddess Valtherion, the one who shaped the world itself.
Could it be… that's why I don't need a medium like everyone else?
Beside them, Mira had been staring blankly at the Seven Knights, her eyes wide in awe.
Lyra lightly tapped her shoulder. "You okay? You look pale."
"Ah—y-yeah, I'm fine! Just… everything's so big here, I got a little overwhelmed, hahaha…"
The three of them stared at her blankly, making Mira blush and scratch her head awkwardly.
Then the announcer a well-dressed man in his forties stepped into the arena. His voice boomed through magical amplification.
"Welcome, future heroes! Today marks the beginning of your first trial, the Survival Round! Last till the end against monsters or whatever comes your way. Those who endure will advance to the next stage!"
The crowd roared.
"However!" He continued: "Each team must have five members. Teams with fewer will be immediately disqualified. You have five minutes to complete your party!"
At once, chaos erupted.
Candidates shouted, searched, and scrambled to fill empty slots.
Kyran's team had four but they still needed one more.
Mira suddenly pointed: "Hey, over there! Someone's standing alone in the corner! Maybe she can join us!"
With no better option, Kyran approached the lone figure. The girl stood quietly, half-hidden in shadow.
After a brief exchange, Kyran invited her to join their team and introduced everyone.
The girl smirked slightly.
"Your team doesn't look too bad… but that four-star girl, can she even fight?"
Mira flinched, her shoulders trembling as if struck.
Kyran stepped forward calmly: "Don't underestimate her. You'll see her strength for yourself soon enough. And we're out of time, unless you plan on being picky until you're disqualified?"
The girl raised an eyebrow, clearly taking the hint. Then she sighed and introduced herself.
"My name's Aria Lumeri… uh, no, just Aria Lume. A normal human being…"
Soren cut in with a grin: "Well, you're human, of course you're normal. Unless you're not?"
Aria's face flushed crimson: "W-what nonsense are you spouting?! I-I'm six stars, Water-type Holy Energy user, thank you very much!"
Everyone nodded though they could tell right away she wasn't as simple as she appeared.
The dragon-scale whip at her waist and the rare ring on her hand said enough.
The countdown ended.
A thunderous drumbeat echoed across the arena.
The gates of the trial ground opened wide.
Teams of five stood ready to enter.
Kyran's group including Kyran, Soren, Lyra, Aria, and Mira stood among them as an official unit.
Kyran, seven stars, Lightning-type Mana user, hand gripping the iron sword at his side.
Soren, seven stars, Flame-type Holy user, his necklace gleaming.
Lyra, seven stars, Storm-type Holy user, staff in hand.
Aria, six stars, Water-type Holy user, with calm yet melancholic eyes.
And finally Mira, four stars, Illusion-type Magic user, trembling slightly as she clutched her folded fan.
Under the blazing sun, five figures stood each different, yet united by the same resolve.
The massive gate shuddered open.
From within, a flood of beasts poured out Ice Wolves, Thunder Tigers, Red-Eyed Fiends, each carrying star ranks from ★ to ★★★★.
Roars and explosions filled the air, a deafening symphony of chaos.
As the teams charged in, a strange light enveloped the plaza.
Space distorted turning into a boundless multi-dimensional battlefield filled with monsters thirsting for blood.
They lunged, howling, and thus…
The first trial began.