The days before the first bout of the Ring of Fire snuck away far quicker than anyone could have expected. Over those days, the Ville college became the center of attention of the entire Academy as the various student newspapers sent their interning reporters over to interview the now head of the college, Ita Leodora of the Kingdom of Talonia, about what Wu has done.

Like a wildfire burning through the forests of the High Human society, the mere thought of a nobody breaking one of the most sacred laws in the entire world was already crazy enough. And now, the day of retribution has arrived at last.

The arena that Wu and Lera landed in on the first day at the Academy was fully packed with excited students and other special guests from the outside. It felt like the world cup finals that Wu has watched on TVs, as he and Fatera emerged from the tunnels with Casts lighting their path, the crowd roared and offered them a ground-breaking boo.

"And now...introducing the sides of the rulebreakers, the law-ignorers, the rebels, the scoundrel, the scums...Wu, and Fatera!" The voice of Principal Khan boomed out from the Casts hovering over the top of the arena and echoed within the arena as the crowd exploded.

"Oh...This adversity...such low odds...everyone looking down on me..." Fatera said, her breathe rapid and face red. Then, she turned around and pointed a finger at Wu as he looked back at her awkwardly, "ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS! I AM EXPECTING SOME GREAT FIGHTS TODAY!"

"Yeah..." Wu sighed and looked at the various upgrades he had patched into the side of his gauntlet over the last few days and stretched his arms slightly, "This is even worse than playing a game at Cambridge...."

"SCREW YOU!"

"You scoundrel!"

"ALL BASICS ARE DAMNED!"

Oh boy. So this is how it is. Wu rolled his eyes and tried to filter out the shouts of the crowds as Principal Khan let the attention of the entire High Human linger on the one that will eventually come to threaten the entire foundation of the world. Then, it's finally time to introduce the champions of justice and the keepers of the system.

"And now...For the first pair of defenders of justice and the law! They are the only pair we need! A twin from the Kingdom of Talonia, a pair of Valkyrie candidates, the Twins of Valerie and Val! The rising stars in the second year, and the ones that will become the Boarded by the time of the next Winter Wars!" Principal Khan declared excitedly as the crowd roared and cheered for the two absolute beauties.

Wu glanced in their direction, and it was almost like someone took a copy of one of the twins and flipped it over through a mirror. The taller older sister has her hair twisted to the left, while the younger sister has it done to the right. Their long white hair was tied into a single braid which rests on opposite shoulders for each of the sisters.

They wore light armor with distinct Talonia carving as Ita quickly realized, though they also imprinted the symbols of their college over their chest. However, neither Wu nor anyone from his side knew enough about the Academy system to tell which college they were actually from.

"The rules of the Ring of Fire are simple! You will achieve complete victory by pushing your opponents out from the Circle of Combat or knocking them out!" Principal Khan said, his eyes cutting through the massive distance between the stand that he sits on and Wu all the way in one corner of the massive opening at the bottom of the arena, "Try not to break this rule, Wu."

The crowd laughed, and Wu shrugged and made a face back towards Principal Khan which earned him even more insults.

"No, seriously." Fatera said as she cracked her knuckles and stepped over the circle that went all around the outer edge of the arena, "Don't ya ruin my fun."

"I get it I get it..." Wu said, throwing his hands up with an innocent smile, "We already went over this."

"Sheesh. Look at you." Fatera spun around roughly and took in a lungful of the smell of the battleground. She dropped down into a low crouch before bouncing out of it three meters up into the air, showing off her insane athleticism and agility.

Those crazy Channelers....No wonder Lera's always so annoyed by them...Wu thought when he did some stationary skips and hops to warm up. He highly doubt that his basketball warm up is going to help him in these stupid magic fights, but the last thing he wanted is to pull a muscle while defending himself.

"Val, ready for the spotlight?" The older sister asked, stepping into the circle with her hips shifting side to side, a fabulous walk deserving of a fabulous woman.

"Always, Valerie." Val replied, tightening her hair before reaching behind her and pulling a set of twin blades.

Then, as she stepped forward, all four combatants entering the battlefield at last. Principal Khan raised a hand to the side, and the sound of chatter within the arena slowly lowered until even the sound of a pin drop sounded like a crack of thunder.

"BEGIN!" He declared, slamming his hand down onto a Cast in front of him as a construct of a bell was stuck, and the battle for Wu's future began.

"Try not to lose, will ya?!" Fatera said, throwing her hands out and running towards the twins of Valerie and Val like a drunk coming out of a bar, "ENTERETAIN ME! TWINS!"

"That idiot!" Ita cursed as Lera looked over at her, "Valkyrie candidates are no joke!"

"Ita, you know about them?" Lera asked as Fatera already covered half of the distance from the ends of the arena.

"I am from Talonia..." Ita said, locking her eyes on Wu as he activated his gauntlet and followed closley after Fatera, "The Valkyrie's are our elite forces. They serve directly under our generals, and..."

Val stepped forward, the twin blades in either of her hands as she unleashed a series of elegant dance moves, the tip of the blade dragging through the dirt and leaving behind complex patterns on the ground.

Then, as she finishes her series, Valerie followed suit and stomped her foot down on the ground before unleashing a massive surge of Wave through her feet. The Cast array lit up in a bright white glow as Lera watched them closley. Then, from within, a great white bear with dark lines of writing as tattoos all over its body emerged from the Cast circle.

Did she just construct a Cast with the tip of her blades...? Lera wondered about the inner workings of the exotic Cast as Fatera leapt up into the air, leaving behind a crater on the ground due to the sheer amount of force she put out.

"GO! My Guardian!" Valerie, the older sister leaping forward and hopping onto the back of the bear before she placed her hands around the nodes of the Cast over the great white bear's body.

The girl and the bear glowed simultaneously before their Wave was synchronized in an instant, and the strength of the summoned great white bear became the strength of Valerie's, and Valerie's speed and agility became its. As Fatera planned to slam Val's body into the dirt, Valerie rode the great white bear as it surged forward and sent its massive claws towards Fatera's transparent Wave-gloves around her hands.

"Just what in the fuck..." Before Wu can finish, Fatera's body was sent flying backward to him like a cannonball. She landed hard on the ground and her momentum kept her rolling past Wu, "Was that a summoning Cast..."

"FIGHT! YOU COWARD!"

"GET MOVING ALREADY! GO DIE!"

The words of encouragement from the ground was what motivated Wu to move forward, and he raised his hand when suddenly, he saw the younger sister of the two being thrown by the great white bear, her body flying towards him like a bullet. Wu cursed under his breath, activating the strengthening and lightening Casts immediately and jabbing his feet out to the side.

Even as Wu avoided colliding with her body, the tip of her blades still found their way along Wu's shoulders before they bounced off Bubble Bubble.

"ARGHHH!" Fatera roared besides Wu before she sprung back up onto her feet and started running towards Valerie and the bear, "YOU TAKE CARE OF THE LITTLE ONE! I GOT HER!"

"Got it." Wu said, turning around as the beautiful Val smiled at him with blades drawn at her side. There were lines of glowing patterns over her body and the blades themselves. She moved like a Channeler...but she isn't one, is it?

It's something different. Wu lowered into a quarter squat stance and prepared to react and counterattack as Val pointed the blade at him.

"This isn't personal, Rulebreaker." Val said, "You are simply a means to our end."

"Yeah whatever." Wu unleashed a series of blasts towards Val as she dashed forward, moving side to side rapidly as the lines of Cast over her body pulsated with energy, matching the rhythm of her steps.

"If you don't want to die, the outer circle is always there." Val said, stabbing the blades into the ground and catapulting herself towards Wu as he blasted a massive orb of the Wave right in her face. As her body became enveloped by the Wave, Wu quickly repositioned himself.

A reflection of her blade briefly blinded Wu. Then, as she sliced through one of Wu's stronger attacks and carried the momentum onto the ground in front of her, Wu had already moved behind her. She spun around rapidly when Wu unleashed a flash bang right in front of her face.

"Puny tricks, characteristic of a Basic." Val commented, closing her eyes fully as a pair of dark lines extended up from her chin and covered her entire face, "But it is all but useless in front of my Tattoo and Weapon Casting."

When channeling the Wave through the lines of Cast all over her body, Val is not only able to strengthen her body directly physically, but also improve the range and accuracy of her senses. Now, even if Wu could hide in plain sight, there is no way he can hide in the local Wave field from her.

Val opened her mind up to her Wave sensing capabilities, and...she saw nothing.

There was the familiar feeling of Valerie and the great white bear fighting in the distance, alongside the strong presence of Fatera, but...Wu's nowhere to be found.

"Well, unlucky for you." Wu said, his voice coming from all around her as Val swung her blades in a frenzy, "I am far worse than a Basic. I am powerless."

"Tsk! What is she doing?!" Valerie glanced quickly at Val before Fatera jumped right in front of her and kicked the great white bear right in the face. The shock wave of the hit sent Valerie and the bear flying back as Fatera landed hard on her side before rolling back up.

"Don't ya get distracted!" She demanded, her crimson eyes lit with burning passion, "I haven't had enough fun yet!"

"Don't you worry~" Valerie said, stilling herself before the great white bear stood on its feet, "You shall see the true strength of a Valkyrie's candidate!"