Yelena leaned against one of the stone pillars as her eyes followed the duel unfolding in the center of the training grounds.
Silver Ryker.
Samuel Crimson.
Steel clashed repeatedly as the two exchanged blows.
Yelena frowned.
"Shouldn't Samuel be training with Vice Headmaster Mitch?"
Darius Whitemere stood nearby with his arms crossed.
Those sharp blue eyes never left the arena.
"Those two have improved way too quickly."
Yelena nodded.
"I expected it from Samuel."
Her eyes shifted toward Silver.
"But Silver reaching A-Rank this quickly..."
Even she found it surprising.
Darius remained silent for a moment.
Then he suddenly spoke.
"I wonder how strong he'd be now."
Yelena smirked.
"You mean Noctis?"
Darius nodded.
"Yeah."
"That guy disappeared right before second year started."
A small frown appeared on his face.
"I tried contacting the Saviant Guild."
"They never gave me a proper answer."
"Just kept saying he wasn't interested in the academy anymore."
Before anyone could continue—
the doors to the training grounds slowly opened.
CREAK.
Every student instinctively glanced toward the entrance.
A lone figure stepped inside.
Black coat.
White mask.
Calm footsteps.
The entire training ground fell silent for a brief moment.
Yelena blinked.
"...Who's that?"
The masked man walked directly toward Instructor Ron.
The two exchanged a few words.
Ron took a piece of paper from him.
Then—
his expression changed.
Confusion.
Shock.
Disbelief.
Irritation.
All within a few seconds.
Darius narrowed his eyes.
"What's with that face?"
Something clearly wasn't normal.
The masked student stood there quietly.
Almost as though he was enjoying Ron's reaction.
...
I glanced around the training grounds.
Familiar faces.
Students I hadn't seen in over a year.
A small smile appeared beneath my mask.
Then I casually raised a hand.
And waved.
The entire class stared at me strangely.
"..."
"..."
Yelena frowned.
"Why does he feel familiar?"
Before anyone could think further—
I walked toward the weapon rack.
Grabbing a simple metal training sword.
CLANG.
The blade rested against my shoulder.
Then—
I slowly raised it.
And pointed it directly at Samuel Crimson.
The entire training ground fell silent.
Samuel's crimson eyes narrowed immediately.
The atmosphere around him shifted.
Not because he felt threatened.
But because of the sheer audacity.
A transfer student.
On his first day.
Challenging the Apex.
Ron coughed into his fist.
Barely hiding the smirk on his face.
"Samuel."
"It seems the newcomer is interested in fighting the Apex."
Several students immediately began whispering.
"That guy is insane."
"Does he know who Samuel is?"
"He's going to get destroyed."
Samuel remained seated for a moment.
Then he sighed.
Before slowly standing up.
"Instructor."
"You already know what the result will be."
His voice remained calm.
Almost bored.
"But fine."
He grabbed his spear.
The familiar crimson spear resting comfortably in his hand.
Then walked toward the arena.
Meanwhile—
my smile widened beneath the mask.
Samuel stepped onto the platform.
I did the same.
The two of us stood opposite each other.
...
In my mind, I couldn't help but think—
This really brings back memories.
The Nexus Festival.
The semifinals.
The day I clashed against Samuel Crimson.
And now—
after everything that had happened—
I was once again standing before him.
Across the arena, Samuel lazily twirled his spear.
His expression looked almost bored.
He still wasn't taking me seriously.
A transfer student.
A nobody.
Someone he could defeat whenever he wanted.
Instructor Ron glanced between us before raising his hand.
"Begin."
The moment the match started—
Samuel casually walked forward.
No stance.
No caution.
No pressure.
Just confidence.
The confidence of the current Apex.
A small smile appeared beneath my mask.
Samuel noticed it.
And frowned.
Then—
I vanished.
Samuel's eyes widened.
FAST.
CLANG!
His spear instinctively shot forward.
Steel collided with steel.
Shockwaves burst across the arena.
Gasps erupted from the surrounding students.
One moment Rio had been standing several meters away.
The next—
he was directly in front of Samuel.
Silver's blue eyes sharpened instantly.
That movement...
Before Samuel could react—
Another strike came.
CLANG!
Then another.
CLANG!
CLANG!
CLANG!
The metal sword danced through the air relentlessly.
Samuel clicked his tongue.
His spear blurred as he blocked every attack.
The sound of metal echoed throughout the training grounds.
Neither side gave ground.
Yet—
as the battle continued—
Samuel's eyes slowly widened.
I'm getting pushed back?
His feet slid across the arena floor.
A step.
Then another.
For the first time since the duel began—
Samuel was being forced on the defensive.
The spectators noticed it too.
Yelena's eyes widened.
"No way..."
Darius narrowed his eyes.
Even Instructor Ron's expression became serious.
CLANG!
The two fighters separated.
Both landing several meters apart.
Dust rose between them.
Samuel slowly lifted his head.
His crimson eyes locked onto the masked student.
Even with the mask—
he could feel it.
That grin.
That infuriating confidence.
That familiar feeling.
The same feeling he had experienced during the Nexus Festival.
The same feeling he hated.
And respected.
His grip tightened around the spear.
The boredom vanished.
The casual attitude disappeared.
For the first time—
Samuel Crimson became serious.
A surge of fire and wind erupted around him.
His crimson eyes glowed.
Then—
he shot forward.
This time—
not as the Apex testing a newcomer.
But as Samuel Crimson.
A man finally acknowledging his opponent.
...
Ron frowned the moment he felt mana erupt across the arena.
"Hey! I said no mana!"
But it was already too late.
Neither Samuel nor Rio heard him anymore.
The duel had already gone beyond a simple spar.
Fire and wind exploded around Samuel's spear.
The arena floor cracked beneath his feet as he lunged forward.
BOOM!
His spear tore through the air like a crimson comet.
The students gasped.
Samuel wasn't holding back anymore.
Meanwhile—
Rio's eyes gleamed behind the mask.
A small smile appeared.
Perfect.
Let's see what this Arcane Core can do.
Light gathered around his right hand.
Darkness gathered around his left.
The two elements trembled violently as if rejecting one another's existence.
Yet the Arcane Core within his chest rotated calmly.
Suppressing.
Guiding.
Forcing balance upon chaos itself.
Rio slowly brought both hands together.
Everyone's eyes widened.
"Double affinity?"
"N-No... what is he doing?"
Even Ron's eyes widened.
The professors watching from afar had already risen from their seats.
Something about the mana gathering around Rio felt wrong.
Dangerous.
Samuel, on the other hand—
laughed.
A wide grin spread across his face.
Excitement echoed through his heart.
As he stared at the black and white energies colliding within Rio's hands—
his body felt only one thing.
Fear.
The System flooded his vision.
[WARNING]
[WARNING]
[UNKNOWN PHENOMENON DETECTED]
[THREAT LEVEL: EXTREME]
[RECOMMENDATION: EVASION]
[RECOMMENDATION: EVASION]
[RECOMMENDATION: EVASION]
Samuel's grin only widened.
Fear?
No.
This was exactly why he fought.
This was why he sought strength.
Light erupted from his body.
Golden mana flooded the arena.
His crimson eyes became radiant gold.
His reddish-orange hair shimmered beneath the blessing of light.
Meanwhile—
Rio stared at the black-and-white mass forming between his hands.
A small smile appeared.
Ah...
So this is how I created Twilight before?
The black and white energies continued merging.
Twisting.
Compressing.
Evolving.
The moment the fusion stabilized—
everyone felt it.
Their souls trembled.
Even Rio himself seemed surprised.
I still don't fully understand how I did it before...
The black-and-white sphere pulsed.
Alive.
Samuel's smile slowly faded.
His mind blanked.
The sight before him awakened memories he would never forget.
The Nexus Festival.
The semifinals.
The battle that had changed everything.
The attack that had nearly cut through his victory itself.
A small whisper escaped his lips.
"...Noctis."
Rio laughed behind the mask.
Samuel laughed too.
For the first time since the duel began—
the two understood exactly who stood before them.
Not a transfer student.
Not some mysterious masked swordsman.
But the rival who had once pushed him to his absolute limits.
Rio slowly coated his sword with the black-and-white mass.
The blade screamed.
Cracks spread across the metal.
The weapon itself was unable to withstand the pressure.
The students who had witnessed the Nexus Festival immediately recognized it.
Darius' eyes widened.
Silver's cold expression shattered completely.
Even Yelena froze.
"No way..."
Samuel raised his spear toward the heavens.
Still laughing.
Still wiping away tears from his eyes.
The excitement was simply too much.
Fire.
Wind.
Light.
All three affinities exploded simultaneously.
The skies above the academy darkened.
Clouds parted.
A second sun appeared.
Its pressure alone forced weaker students to their knees.
Samuel spoke.
"Infernal Cataclysm."
The golden sun expanded.
Its size dwarfed the entire arena.
"Spear of Sunfall."
Unlike the Sunfall Rio had witnessed during the Nexus Festival—
this one was stronger.
Far stronger.
This was Samuel Crimson after a year of growth.
The current Apex.
The protagonist of the novel
The strongest student within the academy.
The sun itself descended.
But would it be enough?
Would it be enough—
to stop what was coming?
Rio slowly raised his sword.
The weapon shattered.
Unable to endure the pressure.
Metal fragments scattered across the arena.
Yet Rio continued raising the broken blade.
The black-and-white energy swallowed everything.
The sky.
The arena.
Even light itself seemed distorted.
Then—
he spoke.
His voice calm.
Almost gentle.
"Chaos Severance"