Finally, they arrived at the training grounds.
It was a massive stone arena divided into four combat platforms, separated by wide corridors. Different groups of students trained on each one.
The sound of clashing steel echoed throughout the entire area.
Spells of fire, water, and wind illuminated the air as instructors corrected every movement with absolute severity.
Lusian observed the uniforms.
Everyone wore the same academy emblem, but a small insignia appeared on their chest.
3A.
3B.
3C.
3D.
Carla noticed the curiosity among several students.
—The number represents the year they belong to.
She pointed toward one of the platforms.
—They are third-year students.
Then she pointed toward another.
—The letter indicates their ranking within that year. Course A gathers the best students, while Course D is for those who still have more room to grow.
Naomi slowly nodded.
—So... we are the best group among first-year students.
—For now.
Carla's response was immediate.
—No one keeps their position forever here.
She continued walking until she stopped in front of an empty platform.
—This will be your training arena.
The students looked up.
It was the same size as the others.
—Here, you will conduct your practices, exams, and ranking battles.
Carla turned toward them.
—And sooner or later... every one of you will fight in this arena.
The moment she finished speaking, a voice came from the neighboring platform.
—So these are the new students.
Everyone turned their heads.
A young woman calmly descended from the third-year arena.
She carried a sword over her shoulder and walked with the confidence of someone accustomed to winning.
Kara Bourlance.
Behind her, several students watched the scene with obvious curiosity.
Kara stopped in front of the group.
Her eyes moved across the new students one by one until they stopped on Lusian.
A smile slowly appeared on her face.
It was not friendly.
It was the smile of someone who had just found a target.
—Welcome to the academy.
Her voice sounded relaxed.
—If you need guidance, you can ask me.
She paused briefly.
—Although I prefer teaching through combat.
Kasper stepped forward.
—Kara.
She did not even look at him.
—What?
—It's the first day.
—And?
Kasper let out a sigh.
—Don't start.
Kara smiled slightly.
—Who said I was going to start anything?
Her eyes returned to Lusian.
—Although...
She pointed directly at the young Douglas.
—You interest me.
Lusian blinked.
—Me?
"What did I do now?" he thought.
Kara crossed her arms.
—They say the Douglas family is extraordinary.
Her smile widened.
—I want to see if that's true.
Lusian slightly opened his mouth.
—I...
—I challenge you.
Silence fell over the platform.
Lusian took a second to process the words.
—A challenge?
Kara tilted her head slightly.
—A ranking battle.
Lusian frowned.
Those words meant absolutely nothing to him.
—...What is a ranking battle?
Lusian looked at Carla with obvious confusion.
—What is a ranking battle?
The instructor answered calmly.
—It is the system the academy uses to measure the level of all students.
She pointed toward the training platforms.
—Every victory and defeat affects your position in the overall rankings. Students can challenge others to rise... or lose their place if they are defeated.
Kara smiled confidently.
—In other words...
She planted the tip of her sword into the ground.
—If I defeat you, I will prove that you do not deserve to be in Course 1A.
Carla nodded.
—That is correct.
She paused briefly before adding:
—The system was originally created for upper-year students, but any student may accept a challenge. Even first-years.
Lusian placed a hand on his forehead.
"How did I end up involved in this?"
He had not even been at the academy for half an hour.
And he was already about to fight.
He let out a small sigh.
—Fine.
He looked at Kara.
—I accept.
A faint smile appeared on the young woman's face.
At that moment, a tall man with a sturdy build approached the platform.
His uniform carried instructor insignias.
—I am Enzo Kesller.
His gaze moved between Kara and Lusian.
—I will be the referee.
He waited until both students were paying attention before continuing.
—The rules are simple.
He raised one finger.
—No magical artifacts are allowed.
A second finger.
—You may only use weapons provided by the academy.
A third.
—Your uniforms are equipped with a fifth-level defensive spell. The match ends when one of you is unable to continue.
Finally, he looked at Lusian.
—And your magical beast will remain outside the match.
Umber let out a snort from the side of the arena.
Kara smiled sarcastically.
—You are not planning to back out just because your pet cannot help you, are you?
Lusian shook his head.
—No.
His answer was calm.
—I can fight on my own.
The moment those words left his mouth, students from nearby classrooms began leaving their rooms.
The news of the challenge spread through the building with surprising speed.
Within minutes, the balconies surrounding the arena were filled with students watching the platform.
Among them were Andrew and Alejandro.
Both looked toward Kara.
They remembered the strength of the young Bourlance perfectly.
And they knew this battle would not be a simple welcome.
Carla checked the defensive spells on both uniforms one last time.
When she finished, she stepped back.
Lusian and Kara moved toward the center of the platform.
The murmurs from the spectators slowly disappeared.
Enzo raised his hand.
—Begin!
Kara moved first.
There was no warning.
No preparation.
She simply vanished from her position.
Lusian barely had time to raise his sword.
The impact made his entire arm tremble.
For a moment, it felt as if he had blocked the strike of a beast rather than a person.
The force pushed him several steps backward.
The audience fell silent.
Lusian lowered his gaze toward his hand.
His fingers were trembling.
Too much power.
If he took another blow like that directly, even with the academy's magical uniform protecting him, his bones would break.
A smile appeared on Kara's face.
—Is that all?
She did not wait for an answer.
She advanced again.
Every strike was direct.
Brutal.
Yet surprisingly precise.
There were no unnecessary movements.
She wasted no strength.
It was like fighting a giant sword that knew exactly where to cut.
Lusian blocked, retreated, and redirected each attack by mere centimeters.
He was not winning.
He was surviving.
From the stands, several students began whispering.
—He cannot keep doing this.
—Kara is forcing him to stay on defense.
—It is the same style she used against everyone else.
Lusian listened to the sound of his own breathing.
Then he remembered Albert's words.
"Never try to stop a storm with your hands."
"Find where it begins."
His eyes followed every movement Kara made.
Her strength was absurd.
Her speed was superior.
But something was strange.
Every time she attacked with all her power...
Her body became completely exposed for an instant.
It was not a weakness.
It was the price of using that strength.
Lusian stepped back again.
Kara smiled.
—Have you already given up?
Lusian did not answer.
For the first time since the battle began, he stopped trying to block.
He advanced.
Several students were shocked.
—Is he crazy?
Kara threw a direct strike toward his head.
Lusian waited until the last possible moment.
He did not block.
He moved aside.
The punch passed inches from his face.
And at that moment, a small sphere of dark mana appeared between them.
Kara's eyes widened slightly.
The explosion did not have enough power to hurt her.
That was not the purpose.
It only needed to buy him a second.
A second of lost vision.
A second of imbalance.
Lusian was already inside her guard.
He remembered every training session with Albert.
Do not win through strength.
Do not win through speed.
Win in the only moment when the enemy cannot respond.
Their swords clashed.
Kara's strength was superior.
Lusian knew that.
That was why he did not try to stop her.
He changed the angle.
He used her own momentum against her.
The sound of breaking metal echoed throughout the arena.
Kara's training sword flew from her hand.
For a fraction of a second, nobody moved.
Not even Lusian.
Because he knew he had not won yet.
In a game, that was the most dangerous moment.
Kara never backed down.
She always responded with a desperate attack.
Exactly as he expected, Kara stepped forward, ignoring that she had lost her weapon.
Lusian turned the sword around.
The pommel traced a short arc.
It struck directly beneath her chin.
Kara's head snapped backward.
Her eyes lost focus.
Her body remained frozen for an instant.
Then her legs gave out.
She collapsed heavily onto the platform.
She did not get back up.
Silence spread throughout the arena.
No one had expected that result.
Enzo watched the scene for a few seconds before raising his hand.
—Victory goes to Lusian Douglas!
Caleb remained silent in the stands.
He could not take his eyes off the platform.
He could not fully accept what he had just witnessed.
He had fought Kara as well.
He remembered that battle far too clearly.
Three broken ribs.
A fractured arm.
And three days unable to get out of bed.
Kara had not changed.
She still possessed that monstrous strength.
So then...
Why had Lusian won?
He was not stronger.
He was not faster.
He had not even seemed to control the battle.
He had simply found the one moment where Kara could be defeated.
And that conclusion was far more uncomfortable.
Because it meant the difference between them was not strength.
It was experience.
Caleb slowly clenched his fists.
For the first time since arriving at the academy, he felt a doubt he did not want to admit.
Was he really the one destined to stand above Lusian?
Jean The Mondring watched the arena with a different expression.
She was not surprised by the victory.
She was surprised by the way it happened.
Every movement.
Every deflection.
Every slight change in posture.
They were not ordinary techniques.
They were Albert's teachings.
Jean had spent years trying to understand that style.
She had taken countless hits.
Failed hundreds of times.
She had been forced to rebuild her own movements until her body could react before her mind.
And Lusian...
Lusian had only just begun.
A smile appeared on her face.
—That old monster...
She muttered to herself.
She did not know whether to feel sorry for Lusian.
Or admire him.
Because if Albert had trained him that way...
Then the young Douglas was still far from showing everything he was capable of.
From the third-floor balcony, Elizabeth watched the arena.
But she was not looking at Kara's broken sword.
Nor at the result of the match.
She was looking at Lusian.
Elizabeth smiled faintly.
Magnus remained with his arms crossed as he watched Kara receive medical attention.
There was no anger in his expression.
Only contemplation.
His niece had lost.
But she had learned something that many warriors discovered too late.
Strength without control could win many battles.
But not all of them.
A defeat within the academy was a lesson.
A defeat on the battlefield could become a grave.
Lusian stepped down from the platform.
His right hand was still numb.
Every time he tried to move his fingers, a sharp pain traveled through his arm.
The final clash had been too powerful.
If he had tried to stop it directly...
He would not have remained standing.
Emily quickly approached him.
—Are you injured?
Lusian shook his head.
—Nothing serious.
He paused.
Then looked at his hand.
—Although I admit I thought I was going to lose.
Emily slightly widened her eyes.
—Really?
Lusian let out a small laugh.
—Kara is terrifying.
He looked back toward the platform.
—If I had reacted one second later, I would be the one lying there right now.
Emily smiled.
It was strange.
She had seen many people defeat powerful opponents.
But few acknowledged someone's strength after defeating them.
After a few seconds, she lowered her voice.
—I think I know why she challenged you.
Lusian looked at her.
—Why?
Emily hesitated.
She did not want to say it.
But she knew that sooner or later, he would have to hear it.
—The hunting tournament.
Lusian fell silent.
—The Bourlance family has been trying to win it for years.
She paused.
—And you arrived accompanied by two Magical Beasts.
Her eyes lowered slightly.
—To many nobles... you did not win because you were better.
—You won because...
Lusian understood before she finished.
—My mother.
Emily nodded.
—Exactly.
The young Douglas remained silent for a few seconds.
Finally, he looked toward Kara.
To him, it had only been a tournament.
Why did everyone insist on making things so complicated?
Lusian remained silent for a few more seconds.
Carla continued the tour without paying much attention to the confrontation.
The academy was used to conflicts between nobles.
To her, that duel had simply been the first of many.
Although, deep down, she had to admit that the year promised to be interesting.
After passing through another corridor, the group arrived in front of a massive wall made of dark stone.
Dozens of names were engraved upon it.
Some were accompanied by graduation dates.
Others by titles now held by some of the kingdom's greatest figures.
—This is Faldmord's Ranking Mural —Carla explained—. It displays the fifteen greatest warriors and the fifteen greatest mages in the entire academy.
The students watched in silence.
Those names represented more than strength.
They represented reputation.
Entire families had built their prestige thanks to students whose names had once been written there.
—Holding a place on this mural means the entire academy recognizes your ability —Carla continued—. But it also means something else.
She pointed toward the golden plaques.
—Everyone here will be watched.
—By nobles.
—By instructors.
—And by those searching for talent for the future.
Lusian slowly scanned the names.
Then he stopped.
Third place.
His expression changed slightly.
That name had once belonged to Kara.
Now it was his.
Carla continued:
—Ranked students have additional responsibilities. They cannot refuse official challenges and must defend their position whenever they are challenged.
Lusian looked at the list again.
—So anyone can try to take this position from me?
—Exactly.
Carla smiled.
—Welcome to the difficult part of being among the best.
Lusian sighed.
For some reason, he was beginning to think entering the academy would be much more peaceful.
He had been wrong.
A few meters away, Caleb remained silent.
He looked at Lusian's name.
Then he looked at his own.
For years, he had believed the difference between them was enormous.
He was the heir.
The son prepared to lead the duchy.
Lusian was the younger brother who had to find his own path.
But now they stood in the same place.
No.
Worse.
Lusian was one step ahead.
And for the first time, Caleb understood something he did not want to accept:
It was not that his younger brother was catching up to him.
It was that perhaps...
He had never been ahead of him at all.