The crowds quickly dispersed after the event, allowing Oscar and Emily to move freely through the city. There were still small pockets of people discussing the match between Aurora and Orion with excitement.

"Alchemy is quite interesting to watch. It was akin to a battle where they constantly tried to get ahead of the other." Emily leaned her head back on her hands and waltzed carefreely.

"They were skilled in controlling their Ein; you should learn some from them. You would be far stronger if your Ein control were better." Oscar said.

Emily was the power type that preferred to overwhelm her opponents. She knew how to concentrate and utilize her Ein, but she was below Oscar in that field.

"I'm trying to learn the 'Ein Awaken', but it's incredibly hard. I can understand why the Warden told you it was more appropriate for Knight Exalts with their level of Ein control."

"Learning 'Reis Awaken' helped me gain some understanding of it, but it was fighting for my life against the Rock Ankylon that helped me achieve it."

"Maybe I need to do that as well." Emily was completely serious about putting herself at risk to learn it.

"Let's not focus on life or death here. We're entering the Free Duels soon."

In a short moment, they arrived at a large coliseum, much smaller than the stadium they were in for the Grand Gathering but still quite sizeable.

The city's coliseum was typically used for great duels between students who wished to settle something or showcase their prowess outside of the Grand Gathering.

Oscar and Emily did not enter the high stands of seats or the stage in the middle. They took a turn and entered a stairway that led below the coliseum into a large room that reminded Oscar of the main hall of the Abyss Prison.

Inside were many other students who were relaxing in some free chairs or meditating. They were all wearing a badge on their chest with a number.

"Take a good look, Oscar. Some of these people will be our opponents." Emily eyed some of them with scrutiny.

Noticing Emily's gaze, some turned back to stare with provocation, while others merely furrowed their brows and paid no attention.

"Provoking them won't do any good for you or me. Let's hurry up and register." Oscar sighed on his way to register.

The registration process was not long. Oscar and Emily had to show their Pavilion badges to the elders and receive a pin with a number. When the matches start, their numbers will be called.

"I'm number 227." Oscar held his pin with interest. It was in a hexagon shape with a white surface and blue outline. His number was embedded in black carving.

"Number 228." Emily stuck the pin on her uniform by the left chest, humming. Evidently, she was in a cheerful mood.

Oscar smiled and looked at Emily with a relieved expression. He was worried for her but seeing her now compared to her worrying and crying display last week assured him that she was recovering.

He scolded himself inside that he needed to be more mindful of others' feelings. He troubled his parents a lot in the past because of that.

"Welcome, everyone. The Free Duels are starting. Remember that it's one match per day. When I call your numbers, please step forward." An elder stepped forward to greet the eager students.

"....227."

After giving Emily a thumbs up, Oscar stepped forward with the group of people. He and the others, who were called, were sent off down a wide hallway lined with doors.

One by one, an elder designated them to each of the doors. Oscar entered his room to find a small room with a mat on the floor for him to sit on. On the other end was another locked door.

"So this is the waiting room." Oscar sat down in anticipation.

Each room led to a battle room. No one knew who their opponent was until the doors opened.

As Oscar was waiting, the doors suddenly flung open. He stood up with a fierce expression and walked into the battle room. However, it wasn't a student waiting for him.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

He stopped moving, dumbfounded at the unexpected figure.

A woman stood in the middle of the large battle room with sturdy walls and floors of stone. She had grey eyes that seemed to pierce right through his soul, purple hair flowing down to her hips, and a youthful face of a mature woman.

She was dressed like a general with a white ceremonial uniform with straight pants that reached down to her feet. She wore a blue cloak held onto her shoulders by a golden ornament latch.

The presence around her was suffocating and made Oscar feel like he was a mere ant before her.

"Grand Commander?" Oscar bowed while trying to breathe normally.

Margaret Ward. Oscar only saw her from afar during the Grand Gathering, but why was she here?

"Oscar Terr." Margaret spoke like a general talking to a soldier. "You are Draven's disciple, are you not?"

Oscar did not lift his face to look at her. "Only a temporary disciple. I had the fortune of learning from the Warden for a week."

Margaret tensed up. "Fortune? Do you even realize the risks of what you've learned?"

"I am aware. Reis takes time to master and risks my body, particularly the heart."

"The 'Awaken' is split into Ein and Reis, but 'Ein Awaken' is a natural progression as you become a higher Exalt; furthermore, it merely hurts your mind and core but doesn't destroy them. However, it can take a while to recover from the damages."

"'Reis Awaken' is different. It will always carry the risk of bursting your heart and leading to death. You can train to be in the state longer, but every ounce of Reis you use carries the risk. Are you sure about this?"

Her grey eyes locked onto Oscar, leaving him frozen.

However, he had to respond, no matter what. He thought of Emily's crying face, Frederick's detached and vengeful look, Celestina's furious eyes, and Gilbert's power.

"Right now, I need to be stronger. I promised someone I would hold my loved ones close. How can I do that if I'm weak? I told this to master. I won't die." Oscar stared up at Margaret with resolution.

Margaret gazed at the kneeling child before sighing in resignation. There was no convincing this child. It was just as Draven said. It was distasteful to continue trying to stop him.

She reached into her coat and took out a book, tossing it in front of Oscar.

"For certain reasons, Draven can't come here himself. However, he told me to pass this on to you personally without anyone knowing. He seems to understand you well; he said this place would be where you would come. I've waited for three months now."

"This is?" Oscar picked up the book.

"It's a manual for the next part of your Reis training. There is much more to Reis than you know. The reason that so many do not pursue it is because of the dangers and what is required. Do not open it or show it to anyone until you've returned to your dorm."

Oscar held the book in his hands with great care. His eyes filled with gratitude as he bowed down. "Thank you, Grand Commander. But why couldn't Master give it to me himself?"

"Don't worry about it." Margaret floated up as the ceiling opened up to reveal a corridor. "Your opponent should be coming here soon. I opened your door early to talk. Train hard." She disappeared in an instant. Her flight speed was fast.

Oscar quickly put away the small book in his pocket and meditated to calm himself down. He could only put away the thoughts of Draven's book. For now, he had to focus on the battle.

The room buzzed with an alarm, signaling the opening of the doors. Oscar opened his eyes and got up to see his opponent.

A short and slightly plump man stepped into the room. His hair was curly and blond, and his eyes held a gentle gleam as they scanned Oscar.

Oscar scrutinized his opponent, and his first thought was, 'How short!'

The person was around a foot shorter than Oscar. His height and his slight plumpness gave the impression of a cute baby bear.

"Yo."

"Hello." Oscar greeted back. "My name is Oscar Terr, Second year. What's yours."

"Erik Miller. I'm a second-year like you." Erik introduced himself.

Just because they were in the same year didn't mean they knew each other. Oscar was only aware of the famous ones like Phillip.

"You may not know of me, but I know you…." Erik grimly stated.

"You know me?" Oscar felt Erik was acting strange.

"You and that green-haired asshole are the ones who keep bothering my goddess!" Erik roared with rage.

"........what?" Oscar was taken aback.

"Emily is my goddess. Her orange hair and eyes, her strong presence, and her sharp words make her the best. Yet the two of you bug her, making her cut her hair short. I'm jealous!"

"You gave off your true thoughts at the end there." Oscar shook his head in disbelief. "Do you want to teach me a lesson? Go ahead and give it a try."

Erik pumped up his fist and declared, "If I win, you will stay away from Emily!"

"Hell no." Oscar flatly refused, but there was a hint of hostility. Emily needed friends more than ever right now, so there was no way he would betray her. "Shouldn't you be taking Emily's feelings into account? We're friends, and I'm by her side. You have no right to say such things."

"Muh!" Erik could not respond and looked embarrassed. But he soon bared his teeth and exploded his Ein outward.

The power of a Middle Apprentice Exalt exploded out, but Oscar did not feel pressured. Instead, he retaliated in kind as his blue Ein flickered against Erik's.

"ROUND WILL START IN TEN SECONDS."

"10"

Erik wore a pair of blue metal gauntlets that he slammed together with his fists. On his side, his Ein formed into his Anima, another pair of gauntlets that floated near his shoulders.

"9"

"I'll slam you down with all four of my fists." Erik declared.

Oscar observed the gauntlet anima along with Erik's armament. From his movements, Erik was certainly well-trained in remote controlling his Anima.

"8"

"Give it a try!" Oscar summoned his deer anima. It stared at Erik with a powerful gaze. In his left hand was his obsidian buckler, newly upgraded by the Rainbow Didus's beak.

"7"

"6"

As the timer ticked, the two stared at each other intently.

"5"

"4"

"3"

Erik seemed particularly pumped. This was his chance to free Emily from the two bothersome fools.

"2"

Oscar was also excited, but not for the same reason. This was his chance to see how much stronger he became after the elixirs and test out the upgraded buckler.

"1"

"Begin!"