ANNA

Anna was moving through the woodland quadrant of the Nautilus when she suddenly felt the ambient temperature surge.

Alarmed, she quickly jumped back on instinct. A maelstrom of fires showered on her original position a second later, igniting the area in an ardent blaze. The fiery aftermath cackled menacingly as the firestorm left a trail of scorched earth upon the formerly grassy fields.

Finally, an opponent!

Deprived of action and tired of meandering through the dense woods, Anna’s eyes gleamed at the chance encounter. Her opponent was a male student standing about fifty meters away out in the open. He wore a cocky grin. Large orbs of flame danced in his proximity, circling his body as they flickered intently in rapid pulses.

Anna snorted. A pathetic trick. It was nothing more than a blatant attempt to intimidate her.

Sorry, but I’ve already seen flames far more threatening than that!

She bent her knees. Sparks buzzed from her thigh, running down the length of her leg with a cacophonous shriek. Once she felt the sharp tingle reach her ankles, Anna lunged. Her movements were a blur as she charged ahead with an inhuman speed. A trail of electricity hissed with every step.

Using Volt, she stimulated her nerves and muscles with electric pulses to enhance her speed beyond Ordinary limits.

Her foe reacted immediately. The orbs of flame barreled at her like missiles. Unfazed, Anna continued her reckless charge. As she felt the temperatures climb, she leaned back and threw her body into a slide. Skidding across the grassy field, the scalding projectiles singed the air over her head as she ducked beneath the flame orbs’ trajectory.

The male student had a dumbfounded look on his face when Anna came to a stop beside him.

“Shock!”

A field of electricity snapped into existence in a short radius around her body. Like branches of a spider web, they spread with lightning spontaneity. The shrill wails of energy screamed with a haunting cry of a banshee.

Her opponent was helpless. Electricity ravaged his body as he was caught directly in the midst of the paralyzing web.

The attack lasted for just a few seconds. The male student’s eyes rolled backwards, seemingly lost consciousness while on his feet as he fell onto the grassy field. Foam churned at the side of his mouth while his body convulsed from the residual shocks.

That’s one.

Anna gave a small fist pump to celebrate her easy victory. She let the male student be. An Academy staff member monitoring the battle was already on their way to retrieve his body. Any eliminated students were immediately pulled off the field once the battle finished.

What now?

A part of her was disappointed that her first encounter ended so soon. She barely got to show off her skills. The lack of attention from the commentator about her fight spoke volumes about the audience’s current interest in her. On the other hand—

“He’s done it! Emil Milligan successful hunts down Castric! What a stunning performance! Against all odds, Emil manages to overcome a 1-against-3 encounter! Just who is this mysterious student?! Emil now tops the scoreboard with three eliminations!”

Melody’s commentary was accompanied by an eruption of cheers from the crowd. Emil’s name was suddenly being chanted amongst the audience. Anna scoffed with envy as the announcer continued to rave about his scintillating performance.

Look at you, stealing the spotlight again.

“I have Professor Harold, a lecturer at the Academy, with me today as a guest! Professor, could you explain exactly what happened between Emil and Celestine? In my eyes, it looked as if Emil had suddenly found a surge of hidden power to free himself from Celestine’s chokehold!”

Professor Harold’s low voice echoed from the stands, “I’m quite surprised myself. What Emil demonstrated was an Exalted technique called Mana Arts. As you probably know, Exalted weave mana into phenomenon. The form and characteristics of this phenomenon is what we define as an Exalted’s Gift. However, mana could actually be used as is without any weaving and processing.”

“Oh? Sounds intriguing! Can you please explain more about Mana Arts to the audience?” Melody asked, feigning ignorance to give the professor an opportunity to speak.

“Haha, of course. Mana is just ethereal energy. In its natural form, it actually has an enhancing effect on the physique of living beings. By channeling pure, unprocessed mana directly through their limbs, an Exalted can temporarily enhance their physical abilities beyond Ordinary limits. That’s exactly what Emil just did. There are obviously other ways to use pure mana, but that’s another discussion,” Professor Harold explained, “What I want to caution instead is the trade-offs that Emil is making. Using mana this way is extremely inefficient and overexposes the body to its toxic effects. As a result, using Mana Art excessively puts an Exalted at increased risk of Overclock. It also rapidly depletes the mana available in their Azurite accessories. Therefore, it is a technique that shouldn’t be used without careful consideration and training.”

A wave of shocked gasps rippled through the crowd.

“There you have it, ladies and gentlemen! Mana Arts! A double-edged sword! Will Emil be able to sustain his warpath with this risky technique? Or will he succumb to the grueling encounters of this battle royale? Let’s keep watching! Contestants near the desert quadrant keep your eyes peeled for the man of the hour!”

Thunderous applause followed Melody’s commentary. Anna frowned at the startling revelation.

The commentator has a significant influence on this preliminary.

The contestants of this preliminary had a severe information gap. Students had no easy way of discerning the locations of other contestants unless they possessed a Gift that allowed them to scout. There was also no way of knowing exactly how much points they had since the number of points earned from eliminating an opponent was obfuscated. And if you weren’t amongst the top eight, you had no idea of knowing where you were currently ranked.

There were two implications of this—one, it heavily incentivized continuous fighting until you seize a top eight placement. Two, the announcer was a vital source of information. The latter also implied that the announcer had immense power in controlling the flow of the preliminaries.

More students will probably flock towards the desert quadrant now.

After all, Melody had just revealed that there was an exhausted contestant with three eliminations to his name. Despite his celebrity status on campus, Emil was still an unknown commodity. He didn’t possess the same notoriety as someone like the Ice Maiden or the Second Prince, Rory von Astrea. As a result, most contestants likely perceived his name as a delicious prize waiting to claimed.

What a nasty system. Anna grimaced as she walked along the grassy field. A forest of trees towered to her right, hiding her in the shadows of the dense canopy.

Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

Should I head to the desert quadrant too?

The desert area was south from here. From the commentator’s prodding, it seemed like it was about to become a hot bed of activity.

Or should I wait until later?

More eliminated contestants were starting to be announced. Anna listened closely for any names that she recognized.

In the midst of her concentration, she suddenly heard a sharp hum growing louder to her left. She instinctively tossed her head back. An invisible blade of air shot past her face—taking away strands of her red hair and slicing off a nearby branch.

She immediately dove into cover behind a nearby tree trunk. Her heart raced to her ears. She got lucky. If the attack had been more precise, she would have likely been bleeding from her shoulders.

Where did that come from?

Her eyes darted about, scanning the area. She found nothing in her immediate proximity. All she could see were trees and undergrowth.

The wind blade suddenly came again. She ducked—just as the attack cleaved into the trunk above her. A deep gash was etched into the ancient bark. Anna changed positions while glancing at the characteristics of the incision. A vertical slash. It was noticeably deeper and wider at the top than the bottom.

Somewhere above me?

She glanced up. The dense foliage of the canopy prevented any light from leaking through. The dark undergrowth was difficult to read. Anna bit into her lips, cursing her weak mana perception.

I have to take a risk.

If she couldn’t find them, she’ll force them to reveal themselves.

She dove into the open and sprinted across the field. The attacks immediately rained down after her. The invisible blades slashed into the earth near her with a resounding thud. She winced. Dirt and debris were flung into her face from the explosive bursts. Cuts grazed parts of her body from shrapnel, drawing blood onto her uniform. She was reminded of their encounter against Professor Callum.

How helpless she was at the professor’s attacks. How she was told that she was a burden. The wretched memory invoked a bitter indignation.

I’ll prove that I’m not the same as back then!

She clenched her teeth as another blade cleaved into the space beside her. She watched the trajectory of the dirt as it flew, tracing back the direction to a tree twenty meters away. She raised her head. Underneath the glare of the sun, she caught a silhouette hiding amongst the foliage.

Found you!

Anna activated Volt. Sparks danced around her limbs. Empowered by her Gift, she dashed towards the tree at a lightning speed. Her opponent was perched atop of a large branch. Within seconds, Anna was at the foot of the tree. She jumped—her foot latched onto the crevices of the trunk as she rapidly ascended.

Once she got closer, she saw her opponent. A slim girl with a plain face was staring at her with her mouth agape. Anna caught her hands move.

Another attack is coming.

She pushed off against the side of the tree and lunged. The wind blade sliced the space beneath her as it blasted into the trunk. The entire tree rattled precariously. Anna soared. With an outstretched arm, she grabbed onto the branch where her opponent stood.

Finally, she was in range.

“Shock!”

Electricity ruptured from her body. But her opponent was already on the move. The girl had immediately leaped off the branch without hesitation. Anna’s attack razed the empty airspace—narrowly missing the girl. Her opponent fell, until she suddenly propelled herself upwards with a blast of air to escape to an adjacent tree.

Anna clicked her tongue.

I didn’t want to use this yet.

Still dangling from the branch, she reached inside her pockets and retrieved a copper coin. She carried a handful of them with her by chance, but the rules of the preliminary didn’t explicitly forbid her from using it. She channeled electricity after resting the coin between her thumb and index finger. She took aim. Her opponent was still in the midst of retreat, oblivious of what’s to come.

Anna flicked. Electric discharge followed, amplifying her move. The electromagnetic force of Volt propelled the coin in a straight line at a breathtaking speed. Like an arrow, it flew, landing directly on the back of her opponent’s head.

Instantly, the girl went limp.

Strengthening her body, Anna immediately pushed off against the tree towards her falling foe. She managed to grab the girl in mid-air before landing onto the ground with a solid thud.

Whew. She placed the unconscious girl down and let out a breath of relief. The encounter was over. Anna stared at her hands, admiring the effectiveness of her new attack.

It worked!

The ranged attack that she had been experimenting with worked better than she expected. She surprised herself with how powerful it was. Knocking out an Exalted with a solid blow at range wasn’t an easy feat. If she could reduce the wind-up time required to charge the coin—

Then I’ll finally have a formidable ranged weapon!

Her heart pounded with anticipation.

Melody’s voice suddenly echoed over the Nautilus again. Anna listened closely, expecting to hear praises showered in her name. But instead—

“He’s insane! Emil does it again! The enigmatic first-year is unstoppable as he takes down another contestant aiming for his points!”

The mention of Emil instantly doused her excitement. Suddenly furious, Anna glared towards the desert quadrant.

Damn you Emil, you really have a talent for monopolizing attention, don’t you?

Her elated expression had instantly twisted in a vicious snarl, miffed by the lack of attention on her feats. Her entire reason for attending the Academy was to build up her reputation amongst the elites. The Clash of Dawn was supposed to be her moment to demonstrate her talents to the world. And yet instead, all the eyes on the stadium were focused on her rival. The nauseating thought drove her insane.

Anna rose to her feet and sprinted towards the desert quadrant.

Fine, you bastard. Looks like I’ll just have to pay you a visit then!

***

LIESEL

Liesel stared keenly at the male student floundering amidst the muddy waters of the wetland quadrant. Tension and fear smeared his face. He tried to put himself up from the quagmire, but the dense bog made it difficult to move.

“Are you’re running away?” she asked in haughty tone. A tinge of disappointment accompanied every word. “Even though you haven’t shown me what you’re capable of yet?”

She brushed aside the strands of her ebon hair blocking her view as she calmly approached the fumbling male student. With every step she took, a thin, fleeting layer of ice emerged between her soles and the bog. Despite having started in the wetland quadrant, her uniform somehow remained unsullied from the muck and sludge.

The male student finally managed to regain his balance inside the quagmire. Without hesitation, he spun around and tried to make a swift getaway. His legs, however, suddenly refused to budge. Confused, he glanced back. A shackle of ice clung onto his ankles, preventing his escape.

Liesel continued her slow approach, unbothered by the student’s desperate attempts to free himself. Like a predator stalking its prey, she advanced—a sadistic smile crept onto her ferocious face. All around her were the immobile bodies of other students. Each of their fates were similar.

Encased in frost and ice. Horror engraved on their frozen, unconscious expressions.

“Seriously, why did you even join this competition if you were just going to run? The whole point of this event was to show off our skills and talents to our beloved audience,” she said, tilting her head in disbelief, “Don’t you hear their cheers and thunderous applause? They’re waiting to be entertained.”

Suddenly, her eyes grew intense.

“So, come on! Show me what you can do! Fight! Struggle! Prove your worth before the Ice Maiden of Belle!”

Her passionate speech was met with a mere whimper. The male student fell backwards. His entire body was in disarray. His eyes trembled, lacking composure and clarity—clouded with fear.

Liesel clicked her tongue. Her face dropped with disappointment.

“Freeze,” she said dismissively, losing all interest.

A wave of frost washed over the student’s body. The frigid air clung onto his uniform and skin. The frost expanded until the entirety of his body was encased in a sheet of ice.

Liesel let out a long sigh. She quickly scanned the area. Seven eliminations. She narrowed her eyes, not bothering to hide her disappointment. She faced seven contestants so far, and yet none managed to stir her appetite for battle. Most of them couldn’t even muster the courage to put up a valiant effort. Just the mere sight of her presence vanquished their will to fight.

This is seriously disappointing. Is this supposed to be level of the most prestigious institution for Exalted?

“Ladies and gentlemen! It’s been ten minutes since the start of the Clash of Dawn!” Melody’s voice rang over the Nautilus, “Here’s the first update of your current top eight scorers!”

Liesel listened as Melody began with number eight. The names were all familiar to her. None of the students mentioned came as a surprise.

“And in second place—oh? What a surprise! It’s Liesel von Belle, the Ice Maiden and the current Prodigy of Ardair!”

I’m in second…?! The shock of not being first place made her glance up towards the direction of the commentator booth.

“And finally, in first place—perhaps, not a surprise if you’ve been listening closely, it’s Emil Milligan! With nine eliminations to his name!”

It’s that student at the training field. Liesel recalled his undaunted expression in the face of her majestic display. Out of everyone there that day, he was the only one who wasn’t intimidated nor dazzled by her declaration of war.

Now I’m curious.

Her eyes gleamed with excitement. She gradually sped up, soon breaking into a brisk run. There was a skip in her steps as she sprinted towards the desert quadrant.

Will you disappoint me like the rest?

Her heart raced with anticipation.

Or, are you the real deal, Emil?