The rest of the class went smoothly. He had no longer wore his hood and was able to keep his head up for five-minute stretches without his eyelids collapsing to darkness.

"It's time for lunch. You have an hour before you're expected to go onto the field. You're dismissed."

Mathias stretched his taut back, looking around dimly as he recollected the second lecture. It was essentially a recap of the day before, in simpler terms, with only a few examples brought to the class' attention, paired with practical demonstrations.

Erik and several guys were already crowding around one-another, each laughing and chatting, occasionally whispering and offering pointed glances to the female student body.

The girls, noticing their sights, grouped up and left for the dining hall, with only Ayla and a trio of unfamiliar faces at her side.

Rather, as the haze dispersed, they were three of the four were rejected after having their attacks being too weak. Two girls and one boy.

Mathias was indifferent to the occasional mention of his name in the beginning, but he became suspect when the three girls each took turns staring at him in rapid succession.

"Let's go," Lisanna said, pulling him away.

"Eh? Where?"

"To eat? Where else?"

"... I'm not hungry-"

"Too bad."

He was dragged out of the classroom anyways. Ayla, seeing this, grinned and ran to meet them with her hands clasped behind her back.

"Fancy meeting you here! Do you mind if I join you?"

"... Do what you'd like," Lisanna said automatically, not trusting the impish gaze Ayla offered.

It was too similar to Jasmine's, but there did not seem to be malice behind it.

"Hey, how'd you get so strong?" Ayla started, looking at Lisanna expectantly. "Tell me! I want to keep my title so I don't want to be losing if I face strong contenders for my throne!"

"I trained with my teachers and some tutors?"

"And you, Mathias?!"

"... I worked hard." He yawned.

"Boring! I need more details - more! I'm guessing they're letting us bet because it helps us practise reading opponents or some such nonsense, but more importantly, I don't want to fall behind!"

"But you're already ahead, aren't you?" Lisanna said.

"Yeah, yeah. But if don't fight stronger people then what's the point? I plan to take the top spot for combatants like Elise! She's amazing! We use the same attribute, but she's just leagues ahead of me!"

"She's that strong?"

Lisanna began to be pulled into a discussion with Ayla, while still keeping a firm grasp on Mathias' forearm. It was liable to cause misunderstandings, but since she preferred not to be hit on in the first place, it was easier to reject the assumptions of the girls than have to deal with more lingering gazes. Being as he wasn't alert right now, he didn't seem to even register her touch in the slightest.

Their conversation, two parties only, continued until Mathias found himself looking at a cook. Lisanna and Ayla had seemingly already ordered so he just said, "... something light, please," only because he registered a sudden awkward silence. One that continued for a few moments of his recollection - and he didn't even know for how long before.

"Understood." The chef seemed aware of the peculiarities associated with water-mages once he noticed the blue-threads.

He was given the same pan-fried vegetables as he was given the day before. It was a serving only about half the size of his fist, but it was more than enough. The fork was even wavering before he pierced the first piece of cauliflower.

"... And, see, see! Since our class is set for the next three years, we have to get on good terms with everyone. Even the seniors I talked to said it was arguably more important than just mindlessly studying or training. That's why we're going to start strong! And then we can have lots of fun. If you're into the politics - I'm not! - it'll also help build ties with other people that might be important someday!"

Mathias looked up, trying to fight back the urge to shove his plate away by distracting himself. Ayla seemed way too energetic, but aside from that her shoulder-length brown hair, brown eyes, and clear skin did not really leave much of an impact. Even her body was unassuming and on the smaller side of average, with her trained physique being hidden under her thin clothes.

"Hey! Sorry, we're stealing him!"

"...?!"

Mathias was dragged back by the scruff of his neck. More accurately, the back of his shirt, but his automatic flailing did nothing to save him.

Well, they did save him from forcing himself to eat his vegetables.

Thomas grabbed Mathias' shoulder, pushing him forward and whispered, "you promised! Deal with that room! I've already been getting weird sniffs from people who are too polite to say anything about it!"

"... Then bathe properly?"

"I do! Hurry up! I'll return the favour afterwards, okay?!"

The captive sighed, tiredly nodding. If the day was more interesting, he would likely have been alert by now, but it was rather mundane. As such, he left the dining hall, attracting no few stares due to his predicament, and begrudgingly got to work on the other room.

Jebb quietly whispered, "thanks, man. Seriously," as he opened the door.

Their room was rather plain. Looking identical in shape and function as his own, with beds on either side of the wall, a closet on the one side, and desks on the other. It was just smaller.

The wall, however, was covered in dark grey powder. It was not burnt black like his own room was, but the powder stood out even on the stone walls. And it smelled of sulphur. It was comparatively minor, but it did likely grow trying when one wanted to sleep.

As such, he quickly cleaned the wall, the two beds (though not as thorough as he did with his own), and the exposed furniture.

It took twenty minutes and he had to constantly resupply the water as he discarded the debris towards the trees.

He called it done.

"It's probably fine. But I have to leave now."

"Yeah, we have to at the field or else the instructor will kill us!" Thomas shouted fearfully.

Jebb nodded solemnly.

"... Okay, see you later."

He went back to change only after he ensured he was not tracking in the scent. After setting down his bag, putting away his textbook and stationery, he got up to redress.

He was topless when he saw Lisanna appear.

"Idiot! Lock the door!" She cried and retreated.

He blinked. Then shrugged. After putting on a shirt, he shouted. "It's fine now."

Lisanna grumbled as she walked in, head still turned to look at a wall instead of him. "Now please leave."

"We really need a divider, don't we?" He sighed and turned to leave. He had no reason to spite her request, but did not expect such a strong reaction.

"Right! The storage room! We're going there tonight to find one - there has to be one!"

'Is it that big of a deal though...?' He was confused at the emphatic agreement. Even if he thought easier for him so as to not be kicked out. "Uh, sure?"

Even lost in thought, she was still impatiently tapping her feet, glancing at the door, before the closet, and back again. Lisanna's eyes swam with the possible locations, size and dimensions, and seemed to settle into a harder glare at the boy still meandering in the room.

"Get out!"

"Hmph."

He grumbled and left, not wanting to endanger his own clean record of being unpunished (aside from pointed questions in class) just to ensure bother her.

"Hey, you're back early," Erik said with a grin, coming up the stairwell. "Come with me. Let's go together, okay? Don't worry, we still have plenty of time."

'If this is another plan... well, I can always leave if it gets ridiculous,' Mathias thought with a shrug. He put his boots back onto the rack and said, "sure. Except I'm not getting involved in that, okay?"

Erik looked around nervously, seeing no soul within earshot, before finally sighing. "That's secret! Don't just expose it just yet. We're still building in a lot of defence mechanisms, fronts, and the like, so it shouldn't really unravel if we build it up properly."

"... We?"

"Me and him, and the others, I guess. Gotta couple of guys on the inside of Centaur and Satyr now, too."

"Okay, that's fine," Mathias said, stretching his arms and back as they came to Erik's door. "This it?"

"Yeah. It's on the smaller side and my roommate is probably with his classmates right now, but feel free to take a look around. I'll be done in a sec."

Erik's room was extraordinarily neat. Even though his own side seemed to be well-and-above the other half, the more dishevelled side was prim and proper. They even seemed to have added ornate headboards to the beds, an armoire for Erik; adding, too, to get rid of the two normal desks to smaller builds to facilitate a central area with a table and numerous weights between the two beds to work out.

The weights were just shaped stone, but even they were neatly organized in descending order from size.

It seemed that they were much more inclined towards the practical aspects than the theoretical ones of magic. However, the walls were not devoid of all unpragmatic things; there were a few paintings of famous battle scenes, with each side clashing steel, flesh, and elements with none advancing further in the portrayals. There even were several engraved blades mounted on wooden plaques on the walls.

One stood out to him.

It was a crescent-moon shaped blade. The true-edge was near-white steel, the fuller darkened to a metallic grey, and the outside edge was dark-grey; paired with a two-horned pommel and an angled grip, the sickle blade was strange in its conception. At least in terms of a weapon of war.

"Ah, good eye!" Erik said happily and gripped the blade. There seemed to a fair amount of weight to it as his arms flexed as he brought it forward. "It's a training sword crafted for those that pass the first stage of the Fellstone Arms Training - I got it last year!"

"I see," Mathias said, duly nodding.

"So far, there has only been five-hundred graduates of that level! After polishing my skills, I plan to go into training so I can eventually try to beat Erin Fellstone - a Master of the Fellstone Way of the Sword!" Erik coughed and turned his head. "Though... that's a few years - and a few more levels - off still."

"... I see," Mathias turned away, response a bit slower.

"Did you know?!" Erik said excitedly, pointing to all the blades around the room. "My roommate, Garth, actually beat me to it last year by a month, but I caught up pretty quick! It's said to be the strongest style since it emphasizes balance and technique and so many families around here fight to get spots in his sessions - I don't know if I believe it, but apparently my dad had an in so I got lucky after I begged him to ask!"

"... I see. Well, it's impressive you can wield that anyways."

"Nah, not well right now, anyways. I've been practising, but it is said that the Great Claude Fellstone is able to even prune an entire forest into an orchard worthy of a king into a single day!"

'He did do that, didn't he?' Mathias thought, remembering his home back out in the country. 'Was that why when they sold it, money wasn't an issue?'

He shrugged and said, "well, we should be going. I don't want to be late."

"We still have plenty of time. Hey, since you seem to use a spear, did you want to spar sometime - no magic, just weapons?"

"... I don't have a spear though..."

Erik blinked and then crawled under his bed. He pulled out a large wooden box, perfectly hidden underneath the bed, and pulled out a six-foot long spear.

"Here. You can have this. I have extras, plus I was meaning to go to the weapon-smith to help sharpen the Training Sword. If nothing else, I don't think that woman'll care since she was talking about you needing to fix your footwork."

In the box, there were several other weapons like flails, maces, morningstars, daggers, knives, and other blades he opted against showcasing, it seemed. As much as he might be a collector, he still certainly had his favourites.

And swords were clearly his focus.

"I'll take this too and see if it is okay with her!" Erik pushed the box back under the bed; however, he was dissatisfied with the first position and corrected it. And corrected it again. And then finally once more.

"Let's go!"

In the country, the naming rules were much less strict, as succession and other issues were nearly non-existent. Most people knew each other and their lineages already, too. As such, most parents of equal standing just opted to give them their last names once characteristics appeared pointing out to stronger relations with that side of their family tree. Consequently, Vandiese was Mathias' mother's name, whereas Fellstone was his father's.

As Mathias inherited the water attribute, and his mother's disposition, neither parent had an issue with him taking the Vandiese. In their trades, and their preference towards working with every-day, common people, given names were more important anyways.

Claude's disposition was clearly seen in Erin: she, like her father, did nothing half-way. Always full-throttle. So much so, that despite entering into the mercenary life completely when she was thirteen, she exhausted much of the resources to her growth by the time she was fifteen. This prompted Claude to expand his duties and renown - if only to bring new opponents and experiences for Erin to grow as a swordswoman. Granted, it wasn't hard for him with his older achievements backing him.

Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

Mathias, on the other hand, was also trained to a lesser degree - but even that was a bit much for his disposition. He did not care about being the best in his field; only the exploration into more novel experiences and understandings were interesting enough to keep his attention. Which worked well with unreasonable demands of middle-aged women and their pursuit of the newest trends of health, beauty, and feminine prestige, at least in how said applications worked with his own attribute.

Thinking all this, Mathias finally realized that Erik was talking to him.

"Hey, man. What do you think of that girl? She was one of the ones who failed that woman's test, but isn't she cute?"

Mathias looked to see that they were the last ones on the field. It did not seem like was time yet, as neither Jenna nor Mr. Shields were there yet, but he answered honestly, if suspiciously due to the sheer ridiculousness of the potential punishment, "she's okay, I guess? Her control is pretty much non-existent though."

"I wasn't talking about that!" He whispered hoarsely.

"I know. I answered that part already, didn't I?"

"Ugh, fine, whatever. Looks like we'll have to talk about it another time. I'm-"

"Erik!" A boy shouted. "Ayla and the girls have already started organizing the tournament! Hurry up!"

"Damn! Ayla! I know what you're thinking - so don't even!"

Erik ran off towards the crowd of girls, intermixed with a few boys who seemed to be arguing with the apparent leader.

Mathias also just registered he was still walking with a spear. It wasn't even his. Sighing, he felt much less compelled to learn martial styles than the magic styles. However, since the spear was already in his hands, he attracted attention, much like Erik who had his crescent-moon blade strapped to his waist.

"What's that for?" Lisanna asked. "And why are you so late if you left earlier than me!"

"... I don't know why you're angry, but I'm not late, am I?"

"You're the last one here. Even if the instructors aren't here, that means you're still late compared to the rest of us."

"What twisted logic," he complained. "Erik wanted to go here together for some reason. He gave me this, but-"

"Ho," a resounding, heavy voice murmured behind him. "Interesting. Some initiative. This would be more interesting considering your style though."

Jenna appeared in front of him, grabbed the spear from his hands, and knocked two fingers at the center while she grabbed the spearhead.

It split into two half staves and she threw the iron tip so powerfully that it left a foot-deep hole.

"The training uniforms are not designed for non-mana induced physical attacks. Piercing ones are especially problematic since we can deal with blunt weapons - and the uniforms have some slash resistance. I'll have to dull that child's blade too."

Jenna walked away.

"Uh... so are we supposed to bringing weapons now?" Mathias asked dully, only belatedly looking at Lisanna for confirmation - or a response in general.

"... You're the one who did it. Why should I know?"

"But-"

"Listen up!" Jenna said with a stolen crescent blade in her hands pointing to the sky. "We'll officially be allowing - and recommending, I dare add - weapons in your training. Weapons are available in the storage building at the edge of the training field. Grab whatever interests you. However, be aware that you may not take them from school. They must be returned at the end of the term. Well, if you take it, I'll just charge you for their costs, but whatever. Go."

"... Go?" Lisanna murmured.

To which Mathias whispered, "I think she means get something from inside?"

"Okay? Hey, come with me."

"Why should I have to?"

"Just do it!"

Mathias was dragged forwards and they met up with the group who belatedly realized what Jenna was referring to. They ran forward into the storage building, seeing discarded dummies, target discs, obstacles, and weapons chaotically scattered about.

Since his spear was rendered into two short staves, and that necessitated his carrying of them in both hands, he coaxed the ever-present, cooling ice on his body to rejoin them temporarily.

He now had a hand free to pry off Lisanna's grasp.

"I don't see why I need to be here," he complained.

She shrugged. "It's too late now. Help me find a good sword."

"Eh? Why do I-"

"Just look on that side, okay?"

Mathias dragged his feet, trying to avoid the first-round of other students who were sifting through what could only be described as trash. At least, that is how the Academy treated it. From the corner of his eye, he saw Erik's eye twitch at the sight of the disorder and he said, turning from the entrance to another, "just grab something. I'll be out here."

"Don't you know weapons?" James asked politely. "I'd prefer to get an opinion on what I should carry from someone who knows about them."

"If you must, just bring it out and then we'll talk. For your build, a broadsword would work. It is also normal for people with the earth attribute to use heavier, shorter weapons that they can reinforce with the earth around them, like maces and flails."

"I see. I'll do that then."

Mathias just grabbed the first sword he saw, admittedly still buried in the chest of a target dummy. The dummy itself seemed to be made of sand wrapped in cloth; yet, even with the wound cutting open its surface, no grains of sand fell. Even as he pulled the blade out.

The cloth folded over the wound and the scar disappeared. He even found the sheath for it just beside the dummy.

"Find anything yet?" Lisanna asked, holding an assortment of knives before tossing them to the side.

"Yeah. How's this?"

"It looks weak."

"It's a duelling sabre," Mathias said, seeing Lisanna struggle to push through the crowd that found a hidden weapon rack. "It'll be weak if you don't reinforce it."

"And how is someone like me going to reinforce a steel blade that thin? The heat would warp it too."

He re-evaluated the blade. It had runic engravings on it so it would likely be resistant to damage, be it physical or otherwise. However, it was a fair point. "I doubt it is as bad as it looks."

An excitedly squeal came from the side. "That's perfect! I want it!"

Mathias saw Jasmine staring at the blade, but before he could react, it was stolen from his grasp. "It's mine."

"It isn't nice to just take things without asking first, is it, Lisanna O'Clair?"

"He was grabbing it for me, Jasmine Thatcher."

"Is that so? I do believe I heard you questioning his choice."

"There was no such thing. Mathias, let's go."

"... Stop dragging me already."

"Hmph." Both girls ignored his pleas and snorted at the same time, with Lisanna's being far more obvious and Jasmine's covered with a strained smile.

However, thankfully, he was taken from the stuffy room.

"God, I hate her..." Lisanna huffed a withheld breath the moment they were exposed to clean air.

"Really? I didn't notice."

"Oh, be quiet. Now is this does seem a little too light. Are you sure it'll be okay?"

"... You are the one who was training with swords, right?"

"Yeah, but not these ones. They're not all that useful on a battlefield."

"Most things are more flexible than you'd expect. As for the battlefield, don't expect any sword to be the deciding factor anyway," he said tiredly. "Just try it out - though it was just the first one I saw."

"That's the only reason?!"

"It'll be fine - probably."

"Probably?!"

Jenna cleared her throat. "Those of you finished with your selections: we're starting the warm-up. You'll do two laps around the field, climbing the outcroppings of the rocks as you go. You can use whatever technique you'd like to aid you. Go."

"... Really?" One said with a groan. "Again...?"

It seemed like he was one who was 'punished' to climb the mountains already. Having learned his lesson, he quickly picked an iron rod that was probably ill-suited for a proper weapon. More specifically, it was a pipe.

However, despite his reluctance, he was quick to move.

Mathias reached for more water to coil around his arms and legs, splitting the ice holding the staves together, and bound both halves on his back. Luckily, it seemed that the higher quality weapons, like the sabre, came with a sheath that was relatively easy to attach to their weapon belts that came standard with their training uniform.

For other people.

He wasn't that lucky.

He was by no means the first to move, but those that did hardly secured their weapons before setting off to run.

Ayla smiled as she saw James, Eldrich, Erik, Lisanna, and Mathias securing their weapons first even as those that heard the announcement ran from the storage room. Even the four who wanted to redeem themselves were still there as if waiting for the six to move.

"Shall we then? Follow me!" Ayla said brightly as she dramatically pointed her rapier forward before sheathing it just as quickly and moving her legs.

Considering that the ten were ones who, whether they opted to focus on it or not, were conditioned in training and hierarchical orders to some extent, each moved with Ayla's decree. Erik informally gave a nod of consent to others when the boys looked to him for guidance, but both Lisanna and Mathias were moving already.

It is a coincidence since they were both finished with what they needed to do, but their actions informally gave weight to Ayla's status as a leader. She even seemed to restrain her speed to allow for the other girls to keep pace with her as Erik did the same for the boys.

Lisanna and Mathias paced themselves, too. Climbing two meter-tall, miniature, jagged mountains were likely to require some endurance in the long-haul.

He wasn't particularly averse to working with her, since he wanted to ensure a decent relationship with his roommate - if only to secure the safety of his fur. Consequently, he gave her more slack in her outbursts of questionable behaviour. He would be the first to reject something that he disliked strongly though.

There was not that great of a distance, physically speaking, between the four rock formations.

Each was twenty meters in diameter and in height, in general; except, there were outcroppings of features that extended far beyond the rocky surface itself. The first was erratically placed jagged spears of stone peaking all the way up to a bladed plateau; the second, a wide desert of sand; the third, blackened soil; and the fourth, a watery moat.

Many ascended to a central, five-meter wide point on the first formation, but with the jagged spikes, it was hard to find room to move. As such, a few that were descending were struggling to find clear space to get solid footholds as others used those sections to climb upwards.

And then he heard a grunt, "ha-ha! Air Step! I win!"

Ayla jumped on a two-meter tall rock, pounced on a nearby ledge, and cleared five meters in a single leap, crowning herself at the top of the hill - narrowly managing to avoid knocking off the two that were waiting for a path. Her short hair was blowing wildly as others tried to avoid the sheer gusts that seemed to surround the top section of the formation.

"No you don't! Air Step! Air Step!"

Erik created footholds in the air, leaped from one to the next, before tapping his foot on the top and jumped behind it. He was fighting the air currents as he moved.

"Gust!"

He softened his landing by slowing his descent with a mass of wind pounding against the ground and turned to run to the next.

"Earth Pillar!" James launched himself ten meters in the air, grabbing hold of a jagged ledge, and nimbly climbed his way to the top. "Flatten! Reform!"

He turned the jagged rock into a slide and cast a spell behind him to return it to its previous state, except another, "Flatten!" was heard behind him as Eldrich closed the distance quickly using the wavering slide.

Whether it was cast in that manner, or if was interfered with too strongly by James' original spell, only the sections within a two-meter radius of him flattened before returning to spikes.

Mathias and Lisanna climbed up the tall structure by hand, allowing many others to pass them as they, too, brought out their spells early.

Wind and Earth were far superior in this environment, but it was not impossible for other elements to aid them. Explosive bursts of scorching air slowed the descent of a few and ice was formed to create footholds and clear paths for another.

Of course, with all the spells being cast in the same location, their effects did not last long, being consistently undermined by the forces of the others. However, it was enough for fifteen people to run towards the next formation with only a little spacing between them all.

It took Mathias and Lisanna five minutes until they properly cleared the first 'air' formation. This one was marked with extreme spikes and few footholds, but the next was Earth, a wider, gentler incline - that was covered in sand.

Ayla, Erik, James and Eldrich finished it without issue, but others struggled as the sand captured their legs.

"... Stand back," Lisanna said quietly towards Mathias who was at her side.

Once he felt heat come to his surroundings, before even the words, "Fire Lance," could be spoken, he slowed himself.

She targeted a desert dune at the corner of the rocky formation and released the cylindrical cone of flames.

The sand, once impossible to step foot in, lest they want to be trapped, glassed over just enough for her foot to take the first step, and then his own, before collapsing. It was a ten-meter long path that reached just towards a particularly easy incline that the two had no issue with traversing.

"Fire Lance!"

Despite kicking up sand as the glass ground fractured a little, Lisanna's attack landed and a new path was forged.

There were only ten in front of her now.

The next formation was a blackened hill. He did not notice it before, but as they closed in, there was a distinct rise in ambient temperature, and Mathias yelped once his hands touched the sooty ledge.

He touched it, despite his suspicions; after all, she did. And she didn't even blink.

"What? It isn't that hot! Hurry up!"

"Don't lie to me!" Mathias shouted back, blowing on his hands with a wounded expression. "And don't trick me into touching it!"

Lisanna climbed up the ledge nimbly, but Mathias had to coat his hand with slush to cool his hands growing burns.

Evidently, this, too, seemed easily bypassed by those with the earth and air attributes, but there was a look of exhaustion on some people's faces already. They abused some of their more generally-applicable spells. Once he crested over the ledge, reaching the top, he saw Ayla and Erik powerfully jump over the moat that surrounded the fourth formation.

They each stopped for a moment and looked behind them.

An earthen pillar rose from the waterbed and James and Eldrich stumbled over them as the sediment began to collapse. It seemed like there was some mechanism that prevented the water from being displaced - or their spells were simply too weak to support themselves for long.

Mathias was panting atop the peak as he felt his leather boots smoulder. He wasted no time on redoubling the revolving ice to cool his body, even trying to save his boots from imminent disintegration.

However, the fire formation was more akin to two-meter tall ledges, consistently spaced apart, to form a pyramid at the top. As such, the descent was just a matter of cushioning his landing with each jump down, several times over, before he finally left the stifling air.

Physically speaking, it wasn't hard - he just didn't like the heat he couldn't quite seem to displace.

Unlike the other external features, the watery moat seemed to more of a challenge to others. It was only ten meters wide, but it was a consistent five meters in depth. There was no shore so many mistakenly ran inside and were forced to swim with heavy training clothes and new weapons.

The peak was also a tiered waterfall, starting from a central pool on the peak before fracturing into various pools and peaks.

Much like the scorched hill, it was at most two-meters tall with each main tier, so it was possible to physically climb it. However, as Mathias and Lisanna made their way to the outer moat, it seemed to be already an informal spot to take a breather.

For the others.

Mathias kept going since he remembered what Lisanna did with the sand.

He ran, jumped, and angled his legs properly to catch the wave - holding himself up just long enough to form an icy bridge underneath him.

"I-Is that safe?!" Lisanna shouted when he pushed himself forward - onto a patch of ice he had just created a moment before.

Mathias shrugged and shifted his balance lower to slide on the thin ice he created. It creaked dangerously, but once he hopped to the shallow pool at the foot of a waterfall and turned back, it seemed Lisanna steeled herself to use the path.

Since he did not break his run, he kept enough momentum to carry himself all the way. Lisanna, however, stopped, bit her lip, and copied his stance once her feet hit the ice with a small running start.

"G-gah?! No-!?"

She yelped once she lost her balance, falling on her rear and spinning around on the narrow path.

She managed to keep her legs up from colliding into the water, but still, she slid right into the pool Mathias was standing in.

The water splashed everywhere as he didn't stop her. He just jumped out of the way. Letting her find her own body stop rolling, back perched up, but wrist and knees holding her out of the shallow pool. Underneath one such waterfall.

She was soaked.

He did not think much of it, but he was not the other four staring at the scene to his side.

"... Quite an entrance," Ayla snickered. "Well, whatever. Onwards!"

Lisanna glowered at Mathias as she brought herself up. "Next time you're dealing with the sand yourself. And... Erik-"

Lisanna didn't even need to see the gaze - she long since sensed well-hidden lecherous gazes her way from the boy. The boys. Yet, Erik was the closest - and she didn't even speak to the other two enough to recall their names.

"Ah! It's time to go! Onwards!" Erik dutifully looked away - and ran away.

James and Eldrich looked away with tinted cheeks, but Erik hid his expression without issue. Ayla hopped from ledge to ledge, not once grabbing the rock itself, and stood at the top with a cheeky grin.

"Again, you lose, Erik! Now - wha-?!"

A surge of water burst from under her, knocking her down, as the water was shot ten meters in the air. Erik, who just landed to the top, was sent spiralling back, and James and Eldrich clung to the ledges as Mathias felt the cool water descend on him.

It was very pleasant.

"We won't make it as simple as it was yesterday," a voice came from the side. It was Mr. Shields. "I simplified these formations to make it easier yesterday. Now, this is the first one that active. How will you respond to the rest?"

"... I guess you're not alone," Mathias commented contently as the water continued to wash over him, only offering Lisanna the barest of glances.

Lisanna was hiding from the water, shivering, under a protruding ledge. "C-cold...! A-and... b-be quiet!"

"Wha-?!" A student cried behind them.

Since they were still on the lowest level, they turned to lock eyes with a student who struggled to keep both hands on the ledge. A whirlpool was dragging him back after trying to swim across. There were at least four that were in the moat.

Lisanna ran forward to help the nearest girl, whereas two others that already swam across helped the others.

Mathias, all the while, enjoyed the spray of water.

He could tell that the water currents would pull them towards the pools, shifting them ever closer to the outer edge. There was no threat of drowning if one did not fight too hard. In fact, one who just entered the water at the time was knocked onto (semi) dry land by a jet of water.

Since there did not seem to be anyone in ostensible danger, he looked to see the others glaring at him.

"It wouldn't hurt to help, you know? They could have drowned!" Lisanna accused at first.

"Eh? Look."

He pointed to one brave soul who shouted Air Step, jumped forward, and did it again. However, she failed to materialize a proper second step and fell just outside of the reach of those that stood at the edge. She was sucked away several meters away before they could act and launched towards the muddy earth. Twitching and groaning, the soaked, mud-covered girl belatedly moved after three unresponsive seconds.

"See? It's fine, probably."

"Don't say that with a straight face!"

There was an intense outburst from the top, attracting all their attention. "Are you kidding me?!"

"I-I'll leave this one to you, Erik! Onwards! Go ahead! For glory and mostly redemption!"

"Hell no! Look at that!"

They could see that both abandoned the top-most section for the slightly more bearable, second-highest tier. Each was staring at their particular attribute hill - the one where they would likely claim an advantage.

The jagged rocks were floating and even several sections of the hill were levitating as the wind spun them around; violently, chaotically, and dangerously.

It would no longer be an individual race but a test of survivability.

The earth formation was surrounded in a furious, snapping sandstorm that seemed contained to just the rocky-outcropping at the immediate exterior sections.

And as the last few people left the fire formation's territory, plumes of fire burst from the blackened stone and soil erratically, in concentrated jets.

At least Jenna was fair and only exposed the true effects of the attribute formations once everyone cleared the 'easy' portions. Technically speaking, the others had already climbed this one.

Well, for the most part. He questioned whether or not the ice would hold up for two if the water currents were as strong as they were. Maybe himself, if barely, but another? Likely not.

"Hah, well, I guess we should just this over with," he said with a wry smile.

At least this was interesting.