The students scrambled to the sides, forming a rough ring around Hiro and Calir as they squared off. The tension in the room was palpable, and Kyren’s mind raced, piecing together what Hiro had hinted at him earlier.

Calir wasted no time, unleashing a barrage of fire blasts aimed directly at Hiro. Hiro nimbly dodged the blasts, each movement smooth and calculated, causing the flames to hit the walls and narrowly miss the students huddled along the edges of the room.

Kyren observed the scene closely, his eyes darting between Hiro’s movements and Calir’s attacks. “I see,” he murmured to himself, finally grasping Hiro’s plan. Hiro was using Calir’s fire blasts to wear him down, hoping the residual force would blast open the door and create a chance for their escape. Acting quickly, Kyren warned the nearby students to move away from the door to avoid being caught in the crossfire.

As Hiro attempted to close the distance between himself and Calir, he was met with an intense aura of fire that shielded Calir like a blazing wall. The sheer heat forced Hiro back, preventing him from getting too close. Kyren’s gaze sharpened, noticing the beads of sweat on Calir’s forehead and the slight unsteadiness in his stance.

“Keep pushing, Hiro!” Kyren called out, sensing that Calir was nearing his limit. Realizing they might not need an escape after all, he saw an opportunity—Calir’s energy reserves were depleting fast, giving Hiro a fighting chance.

With renewed determination, Hiro charged forward, braving the fiery aura enveloping Calir. The flames licked at his skin, leaving minor burns, but Hiro pressed on, teeth clenched against the searing pain. He broke through the last barrier of heat, landing a solid punch squarely on Calir’s face. The impact was enough to send Calir sprawling to the ground, unconscious. A shocked silence settled over the room, students frozen in disbelief at Hiro’s unexpected victory.

Hiro, chest heaving but triumphant, stood over Calir. “Don’t underestimate the power of the Human Race,” he declared, his voice echoing through the stunned room.

But before the triumph could settle, one of Calir’s allies seized the moment to retaliate. With a flick of his wrist, he sent an Air Strike crashing into Hiro, causing him to stumble back, clutching his side as a fresh wound opened.

“Hiro!” Kyren shouted, rushing to his friend’s side. He scanned the room, eyes narrowing as he searched for the culprit, but the assailant remained hidden among the crowd.

Just then, Sparoo stepped forward, his expression calm as he assessed the scene. Placing his hands over Hiro and Calir, Sparoo activated his healing powers, mending their wounds. He then approached the stone wall blocking the door, raised his hand, and with a swift gesture, shattered it into pieces.

“Enough of this nonsense. We’re here to study and train, not tear each other apart,” Sparoo said, his voice firm. Without another word, he turned and left, leaving the room in stunned silence.

Kyren placed a hand on Hiro’s shoulder. “Let’s get out of here too.”

“Yeah,” Hiro replied, wincing but determined. They began to head out, but as they reached the doorway, Calir, still seething from his defeat, launched a fire blast at their backs. Kyren and Hiro dodged just in time, but the reprieve was short-lived as three of Calir’s followers combined their elemental attacks, hurling a blast of fire, air, and lightning at the two friends.

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The combined force of the attack hit them hard, sending them hurtling through the air and crashing through a wall. They tumbled into another section, rolling to a painful stop amidst the debris. They barely avoided serious injury, though the impact left them bruised and shaken.

“Cough… Cough… Damn, Kyren,” Hiro groaned, struggling to catch his breath. “I almost died.”

“Yeah, me too,” Kyren replied, attempting to sit up despite the pain. They exchanged a weary laugh, their relief overshadowing the bruises from their ordeal.

As they looked around, they realized they had landed right in the center of Section 1’s classroom. All eyes were on them, the students staring in astonishment.

The proctor of Section 1 interrupted her discussion, eyes narrowing. “What’s going on here?”

Hiro and Kyren turned to face her, recognizing her immediately. “Sorry, Proctor ARC,” Kyren said with a sheepish smile. “We’ve been having a rough time with our section.”

Proctor ARC’s expression softened slightly, her gaze moving over their injuries. “You two are in bad shape,” she noted, then turned to Rayn at the front of the room. “Ms. 1st, can you heal them so they can get on their way?”

Rayn nodded, her fingers snapping as a wave of energy enveloped Kyren and Hiro, fully healing them. Hiro stretched his arms, visibly relieved. “Thank you, Proctor ARC,” he said gratefully.

“Thank you, Rayn…” Kyren began, catching the glint in her eye, then quickly corrected himself. “I mean, thank you, Ms. 1st,” understanding her need for acknowledgment.

After they left the bustling Section 1 classroom, Hiro grinned with satisfaction, glancing over at Kyren. "Kyren, did you catch on to what I hinted at during my fight with Calir?" he asked, his tone brimming with pride.

Kyren gave a small nod. "Yeah, you wanted Calir to blast open the door, right?"

Hiro’s face lit up. "Yes! That’s right, Kyren! Am I smart, like you?" he joked, attempting to mimic Kyren’s typically calm demeanor. But after a moment, he turned serious. "Honestly, though, when you told me to keep attacking, I started to feel like I could actually beat him."

"Well, Hiro, Calir wanted to impress the whole section with his power. That made him reckless, and he ended up exhausting himself pretty fast," Kyren replied thoughtfully.

"Ah, I get it." Hiro nodded. "So he’s about on our level, just with powers. I think we could step up in our section, Kyren," he added, sounding hopeful.

Kyren shook his head. "Maybe. But let’s keep an eye on Sparoo too."

Hiro’s brows knitted in confusion. "But he seems kind," he countered.

Kyren paused, considering Hiro’s perspective. "He might seem that way, but he’s likely pretty strategic. I think he’s analyzing everyone in the section, just waiting for the right moment instead of making reckless moves."

"Is that what you think?" Hiro asked, intrigued by Kyren’s insight.

As they continued walking, the buildings and noise from their section faded into the background.

"Kyren, where are we even going?" Hiro asked as they walked further away.

Kyren glanced ahead. "The library. We’ll study there as much as we can. The academy library has knowledge on pretty much anything you can imagine."

Hiro pulled a face. "Man, that sounds boring."

Kyren chuckled, shaking his head. "Hiro, remember, our strength lies in our minds. We need to build that first—learn as much as we can."

"Yeah, yeah, I guess you’re right," Hiro conceded, though he looked slightly deflated. "But can we throw in some physical training too?"

"Sure." Kyren shrugged. "But aren’t you impressed by how much there is to learn at the library?"

Hiro scratched his head. "Yeah, kind of… but I’m not spending all my time in there. We’re in Sky Academy! Feels wrong if we don’t do more hands-on stuff."

Kyren offered a grin, sensing a compromise. "Alright, here’s the plan: each morning, we’ll do the drills Patricia taught us. After that, I’ll handle studying in the library, and you can train your fighting techniques. Then, we’ll meet in the cafeteria late in the afternoon and compare our progress back at our ‘hut.’ Deal?"

Hiro’s eyes sparkled with excitement. "That’s perfect, Kyren!"

Kyren extended a fist. "But promise me, Hiro, no wandering off to any weird places. Stick to the Training Hall, alright?"

Hiro bumped his fist against Kyren’s. "You got it, Kyren. Let’s do it!"