Kyren's mind flashed back to the time Hiro had cursed under his breath when they got robbed by Carlos. They had promised not to let that happen again.

"Yeah," Kyren growled, tightening his grip on his sword, his muscles tense with anticipation.

"Come get us!" Hiro's voice rang out with defiance as he pointed his blade at the ambushers, his grin fierce despite the odds. His eyes flickered with the spark of a fight he was eager for.

One of the ambushers sneered, his voice dripping with menace. "So, you won't hand over your gear willingly? Looks like we’ll have to take it by force."

Without warning, the three ambushers lunged forward, their weapons gleaming under the fading light. Hiro darted to the front, his blade clashing against theirs in a wild flurry of sparks. The sharp ring of metal on metal filled the air, and Kyren hung back, his eyes calculating, searching for a weakness in their attackers’ defense.

Hiro, with each parry, moved with speed and fluidity. His earlier frustration vanished, replaced by pure instinct as their training surfaced. His sword met each strike with a clang, holding the enemies at bay, while Kyren waited for that perfect moment to strike. Every move Hiro made was deliberate, creating small windows for Kyren, just as they had practiced countless times.

A wild shout broke the rhythm of the fight. One of the ambushers, his patience snapping, lunged wildly at Hiro, leaving his side exposed. It was the moment Kyren had been waiting for. With deadly precision, Kyren stepped in and, with a swift thrust, pierced the man's leg. The ambusher howled in pain and collapsed to the ground, clutching his bleeding wound.

But there was no time to celebrate. The two remaining attackers hesitated only for a moment before one roared in fury, charging at Hiro with a renewed savagery. Hiro spun, his sword moving like a blur, and with a brutal swing, smashed the back of his blade into the man’s skull. The ambusher’s eyes rolled back as he crumpled to the dirt.

The last attacker, seeing his comrades fallen, dropped his sword and raised his hands in surrender, his face pale with fear. "Don’t kill me! Please!"

Kyren was about to reply when he felt a tremor beneath his feet. Before he could react, the ground beneath them cracked open, and thick roots of earth shot up, twisting around their legs like iron shackles. They were trapped.

"What the—?" Hiro gasped, struggling to free himself, but the roots only tightened their grip, locking them in place.

From the shadows, a figure emerged, cloaked in a dark robe, his hand raised, controlling the earth with a wave of his fingers. His eyes gleamed with malice. "You managed to defeat them, but you won’t defeat me," he hissed, his voice low and deadly.

Kyren’s pulse quickened. This wasn’t just some common ambusher—they were dealing with someone far more dangerous. "Hiro, this one is on a different level," Kyren warned, his voice grim.

Hiro gritted his teeth, yanking at the roots, but they only constricted further, threatening to crush their bones. Panic flashed across his face. "Why are you doing this? What do you want from us?" he shouted, his frustration spilling over.

The earth-wielder's smirk grew darker, but before he could answer, a thunderous roar echoed through the trees.

"HORYAAAAA!"

Patricia came barreling out of nowhere, her shoulder slamming into the earth-wielder like a battering ram. The impact sent him crashing to the ground with a sickening crack, blood spraying from his mouth. His grip on the spell faltered, and the roots around Kyren and Hiro disintegrated into dust.

"Patricia!" Hiro shouted in relief, his body trembling from the adrenaline.

The earth-wielder groaned on the ground, clutching his chest, his breathing ragged. Patricia towered over him, a wicked grin on her face. "Oh, you thought you could play tricks on us, huh?" She raised her boot and slammed it into his ribs for good measure. The man coughed violently, barely conscious.

With their enemies defeated, Kyren and Hiro quickly tied them up against a tree. Patricia dusted off her hands and smirked. "Let them rot here as a reminder not to mess with us."

As they turned to leave, Hiro glanced at Patricia, his confusion breaking through the tension. "You got hit by that needle, but you're okay?"

Patricia flashed him a smug smile. "Needle? Please. It didn’t affect me at all. I just acted like it did so you two could get a little practice in."

"What?!" Hiro gaped at her, still catching his breath.

Patricia chuckled. "I knew these guys were on your level. I wanted to see how you'd handle them. Gotta say, I’m impressed."

Kyren blinked, staring at his hands, still trembling from the fight. "We’re getting stronger," he murmured, realization dawning on him.

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Patricia clapped them both on the back. "Consider that your final test before the academy. Now let’s move before more show up."

Hiro’s eyes lit up with renewed determination. "Kyren, we're ready! Let’s do this!" He raised his fist, and Kyren met it with his own, their bond solidified by the battle they had just survived.

As they finally arrived in Arramaya City, Patricia took care of arranging their accommodation before bidding them farewell.

"Alright, boys, it's all on you from here. I'll catch up with y’all in three months," Patricia said, passing them some silver coins for their meals.

"Thanks a lot, Pat. And make sure to tell Alaine that once I graduate from this academy, I’m going to confess my feelings to her," Hiro declared with a foolish smile.

Patricia’s expression darkened slightly as she fixed her gaze on Hiro. "You better not say that if you don’t mean it, or I might just have to knock some sense into you," she warned, her tone sharp yet tinged with concern.

Hiro laughed nervously, raising his hands in a placating gesture. "I’m just kidding, Pat. No need to get so serious."

Kyren, noticing the shift in mood, chimed in with a quiet, "Thank you, Patricia," hoping to ease the tension.

Patricia responded by giving Kyren a light shoulder bump. "Just remember what you promised... All those favors from Alaine," she whispered cryptically before turning to leave.

"Wait, Patricia, where's my bump? Are you still mad?" Hiro called after her, his playful demeanor faltering as he realized he might have crossed a line. "I didn’t mean it like that... I mean, I did, but not in the way you’re thinking… Wait, what am I even saying?"

Patricia, already walking away, dismissed him with a wave. "Whatever, boy," she muttered, leaving Hiro to stand there, mouth slightly agape, pondering the implications of his words.

Kyren gave him a reassuring pat on the back. "It’s okay, Hiro. I’m sure Patricia understands."

Hiro sighed, his previous bravado melting away. "I mean, Kyren, I really meant it."

Kyren looked at him, curious. "What do you mean?"

Hiro’s voice dropped, his usual carefree attitude replaced with sincerity. "After seeing Alaine again after all this time, my feelings for her haven’t changed. I used to think maybe it was just because we were close when we were younger, but… I think I might be in love with her." He looked away, the weight of his confession heavy in the air.

Kyren regarded him thoughtfully for a moment. "Then maybe we really need to succeed at this Academy. We have a lot riding on it, don’t we?"

Hiro nodded slowly. "Definitely. I don’t want to let anyone down, especially not Alaine. I never mentioned this before, but I regret not acting sooner on our dreams. Alaine has always been so far ahead of me…" His voice trailed off, a hint of regret coloring his words.

Kyren didn’t push further, sensing the depth of Hiro’s feelings. Instead, he offered a small smile. "We’ll catch up, Hiro. One step at a time."

As the evening meal concluded, the two retired early to ensure they were fully rested and prepared for the upcoming events.

The opening ceremony for Batch 4 of the Sky Academy began with the rising sun casting a golden glow across the academy grounds. Kyren donned his usual attire—a black cloak paired with long rubber pants, his Gladius lightly resting in his hand. Beside him, Hiro stood in light bronze-colored armor, his trusty Claymore slung across his back. The anticipation between them was palpable as they made their way to the registration area.

When they reached the desk, they were greeted by a familiar face—the girl in charge from their previous encounter.

"Welcome, aspiring protectors of our realms. May I have your names, please, so we can verify your enrollment information?" she asked politely, a hint of recognition in her eyes.

Kyren and Hiro introduced themselves, and after a brief moment, the girl confirmed their details. "Alright, everything seems to be in order. Follow me, please."

She led them through the bustling corridors of the Sky Academy towards the main event hall. As they entered, Kyren and Hiro were taken aback by the sheer size of the hall. It was filled with aspiring warriors and sorcerers of all ages, ranging from young children to seasoned veterans. The atmosphere crackled with tension and anticipation, the weight of the moment pressing down on everyone present.

The two exchanged glances with some of the other participants, noting the intensity in their gazes. Despite the growing pressure, Kyren and Hiro remained composed, ready for whatever challenges lay ahead.

As the minutes ticked by, the empty stage began to fill with hundreds of sorcerers, all clad in the official white uniforms of the Sky Academy, trimmed with gold. Their faces were obscured by masks, and the badges on their chests displayed their ranks—ranging from two-starred to three-starred sorcerers.

Suddenly, a figure with fiery red hair stepped forward onto the stage.

"Hello, everyone. I am the Vice Leader of the AL Guild, known as the Handsome Prodigy," he announced, his voice echoing through the vast hall.

Kyren, positioned towards the back, squinted to make out the figure’s face but couldn't get a clear view. Still, he recognized the name as someone to avoid—a reputation preceded by tales of arrogance and unpredictability.

"Today, we will proceed with the qualification exam," the Vice Leader continued. "But first, let me provide you with some information. There are exactly 10,300 of you gathered here, all aspiring to become warriors or sorcerers. The Sky Academy is just the first step on your journey. But do you think it’s easy to become one of us?" he questioned, his voice growing colder, prompting murmurs among the crowd.

The Vice Leader’s eyes narrowed as he silenced the hall with a glare. "We’ve designed this qualification exam to weed out those who lack the commitment. Your mission for this exam is simple—find your way back to the academy without pressing that button," he said, holding up a small protective device. "Press it, and you’ll be teleported back to the statue in Arramaya City. This means you’ve failed, and you’re out. Don’t complain that you accidentally pressed it—that’s on you. Those are the rules. Now…"

He paused dramatically as a murmur ran through the participants. "We will begin the qualification exam," he declared, as the masked sorcerers on stage cast a powerful spell, instantly teleporting all the participants to a faraway, isolated, and unknown forest.

Kyren and Hiro found themselves disoriented, suddenly surrounded by towering trees that stretched endlessly into the misty sky. The air was thick with the scent of pine and damp earth, and the rustling of leaves was the only sound to break the heavy silence. There was no sign of the other participants; the dense forest seemed to swallow them whole.

Kyren scanned their surroundings, his eyes narrowing. "It seems like we’re completely on our own."

Hiro tightened his grip on his Claymore, the weight of the challenge settling over them. "Then we’d better find our way out—fast."