Arlan couldn’t stop thinking about Iris throughout his days. It had been a couple of days since the Autumn Ball and the first trial was coming up. The trials were combat-related and evaluated students on multiple different variables.
Arlan was in his final class with the Headmistress. Lady Dafni was a strict and intense instructor. Her gaze was acute to the centimeter. The young lion flourished in this environment as his soldier training was quite harsh.
Lady Dafni monitored Arlan as he channeled mana into his arm. Arlan was intently focused on following his instructor’s guidance about mana control. It was slightly different from how essence was controlled but control over mana meant being in tune with your mind than your core.
Arlan held his arm straight out per instructions by Lady Dafni. The Headmistress paced around her pupil as traces of blue particles dissipated from Arlan’s arm. It was the excess mana being let out as part of an exercise. Releasing mana slowly through the lanes allows one’s mana capacity to strengthen.
The Headmistress broke the silence, “Your growth with mana has advanced considerably. This kind of growth normally takes a whole year. I was expecting you to cast first-tier spells at the end of this curriculum. Not on the third week.”
“It’s due to your lectures and training, Headmistress.”
“Don’t be modest. Even the most talented mages wouldn’t see this kind of improvement. You’re quite the strange boy. Tell me, Arlan, where do you think you come from?”
I’m going to have to lie extremely well while being somewhat honest.
“None of my memories have returned from before I was twelve. So I have no idea or theories.”
“You’ve advanced your core to the fifth-tier and your mana lanes are equal to that of a second-tier. Once your mana lanes have fully developed with your core, you’ll be even more powerful than me.”
How did she know?
“Headmistress, how did you know that I advanced to a fifth-tier?”
“I have been born with a unique enchantment on my eyes. I can see into your mana lanes, essence lanes, and core quite easily. I can even see your heart beating. This power is called [Heavensight].”
“So you can tell when people tell the truth or prepare a spell through their mana lanes?”
“Yes, I know of your lies. You’re an intelligent young man, so I didn’t pry. You likely have your reasons.”
Maybe I should ask her about Soketh or the Ashra?
“Headmistress, may I ask you something and keep it between us?”
Lady Dafni stopped in front of Arlan. Her face didn’t change expressions but you could feel her presence relax.
“Stop channeling mana,” ordered Lady Dafni as Arlan obeyed, “Arlan, you may tell me anything and I promise it stays between us, granted no one’s life is in danger. Take your seat.”
Arlan did as he was told and sat down in front of the classroom desk. The Headmistress took the chair on the opposite side. She used a wind spell to carry over two ceramic teacups. The Headmistress pointed her daintily fingers above her cup and chanted a spell. Heatwaves poured out from her fingertips into the tea. She did the same for Arlan’s teacup.
“Now, my pupil, what matter do you want to inquire about?”
“Headmistress, have you heard of the title, ‘The Ashra’?”
A slight pause took Lady Dafni as she contemplated Arlan’s question. The Headmistress prepared herself and answered, “Yes, I have heard of such a title. How do you know about the Ashra?”
“It was when Count Emile sent me to Galdera Village, based on monster sightings. I deemed it a subjugation mission and prevented an attack. At the finale of the mission, a demon named Izradon called me that name.”
The Headmistress’ eyes widened as she heard Arlan’s last sentence. Lady Dafni realized that this explained her pupil’s unnatural talent at mana manipulation and powerful essence control.
After connecting the dots, she finally replied, “If a demon has recognized you as such. Then you are no doubt, the Ashra. Demons have knowledge that predates the cataclysm. They wouldn’t make such a simple mistake.”
“How would they know it’s me?”
“From our limited knowledge of the Ashra, inside you is an untapped power that demons can likely see. Even my [Heavensight] hasn’t revealed anything to me, at least not yet. You haven’t awakened such an extraordinary power yet.”
“I also recently encountered someone from the Dark Void. A Naraka Lord named Soketh. He said something similar about awakening.”
“Soketh has returned to Althea, demons are enacting schemes, and the Ashra shows up at my doorstep as a student. These are dangerous phenomena. I will tell you all I know but you must continue our lessons at an accelerated rate. You are the catalyst for peace across Althea.”
“Soketh said I’d either destroy the world or usher in peace. Headmistress, I do not wish to destroy the world. I deeply care about everyone I’ve met. How do I avoid such a catastrophe?”
“I’m afraid I cannot provide the answers right away. I will need to tap into Oreta’s Grand Archives. I can say this, Arlan, your power will be unrivaled.”
The Lancel High Academy’s courtyard was filled with students of all three years. They were socializing, studying, or simply enjoying the campus atmosphere. Arlan strolled across the quad wondering what his untapped power was.
Tebald was conversing with a few students when he noticed his roommate. He caught up to Arlan and strolled alongside him.
“Hey Arlan,” said Tebald, “Is something wrong? You look tired.”
“Mana manipulation was intense. I’m alright though, how are you holding up?”
“Classes have been a breeze! After the Autumn Ball, I’ve made more friends with the other students as well. Thanks to you for letting me use the expensive clothing!”
“It’s yours, it wasn’t just for a loan.”
“Arlan, I can’t accept something like that.”
“Don’t even sweat it. I have much more clothes like that back at the manor.”
The two friends enjoyed catching up as they made their way toward the training hall. Arlan was to meet Iris there. They’ve been sparring at least once a day.
A small crowd gathered the first time they dueled. Every time after, more spectators would show up. Eventually, it became a popular spectacle for students of all years.
Arlan and Tebald entered through the hall and saw the same crowd had gathered but this time Iris had already begun dueling another student. Her opponent also had white hair and was at least six inches taller than Arlan. It was Hector Hawkwell.
The atmosphere was tense and Hector’s aura put everyone on edge. Arlan knew Hector was no ordinary student like him. The first time he felt the gaze after his duel with Godbert, Arlan deduced Hector had killed before.
Iris dashed from side to side with her blinding speed to force Hector on the defensive. Hector played his hand well and he faked his defensive posture. Only Arlan saw through this movement.
Everyone else in the training hall had glimmers of hope that Iris was going to finally win. Her speed was extraordinary as she was almost as fast as Arlan due to her smaller physique and lighter weight.
Hector held a defensive posture and enhanced himself into a lowered position. His younger sister thrust her blade straight into his opening. Sparks flew as their training blades made contact and Hector simply parried her attack. This parry left her lower stomach open, allowing the older brother to kick her back a few meters.
Iris recovered from the kick and continued her relentless assault. She ignored the pain and was able to still move efficiently. Each time she came close to striking her brother, she was thrown back by another attack.
Arlan watched the duel and felt conflicted. On one side of his heart, he loved the passion Iris held in her eyes. The other opposite emotion angered him. Iris was taking hits from her brother and he wasn’t holding back.
Iris was finally slowing down and she showed signs of pain. But she didn’t want to give up. Hector took the offensive and struck Iris when she was recovering from being deflected. His blade struck her from the side and sent her flying.
Before Iris could hit the ground, Arlan caught her with his arms. She was still conscious and smiled at Arlan. A slight pain struck her expression. Tebald noticed it was Arlan that had caught Iris and didn’t even notice how fast the young lion rushed to Iris.
Arlan’s emotions rose intently and his logic was overrun. His original murderous intent flourished across the room and the only unaffected person was Hector. The older brother made his way toward Arlan. Iris got up and noticed the tension between the two. She knew she had to do something before the two forces would collide.
“Arlan,” uttered Iris, “I was dueling with my brother before you got here. I’m sure you’ve heard of him. He’s a third-year’s rank one student.”
Hector introduced himself, “You must be Arlan of House Reeve. I’m Hector of House Hawkwell.”
Arlan knew Hector was testing Arlan. The young lion responded easily, “A pleasure. I’ve finally got the chance to meet you. Iris speaks highly of you.”
“I’m sure she does. Say, you wouldn’t mind a quick spar?” asked Hector.
Iris interrupted, “He’s my dueling partner today. You said you had to do something important after our match.”
“You’re right, Iris,” answered Hector.
“I look forward to our possible match in the future,” stated Arlan as he bowed. Hector and Arlan exchanged glances. Only those two knew the secret message sent back and forth. It was a threat to Arlan. The “I’ll kill you if you hurt my sister.” type of threat.
Arlan regained control over his emotions and realized what made Iris strong was how she’s been trained properly by Hector. Arlan realized a modicum of respect for Hector.
Maybe he’s not that bad.
The young lion retracted his killing intent and the atmosphere returned to its normal self. After Hector left the training hall, Iris smiled adoringly at Arlan.
“Most guys can barely speak around my brother. You’re the first guy who can handle his presence. I’m impressed.” stated Iris dearly.
“He’s quite the presence,” replied Arlan.
“Yes, he is! But someone else I know is also like that.” disclosed Iris as she winked at Arlan. The young lion frowned at Iris poking fun. Iris knew she could get away with poking fun at Arlan. “Come on Arlan, let’s dance,” demanded Iris.
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The two took their positions and readied themselves for the bout. Arlan was the first to act by sprinting straight into Iris at breakneck speeds. This caught Iris off guard but she managed to parry his attack. But this made her unable to recover properly and Arlan was able to capitalize on her sloppy defense.
The young lion unleashed a flurry of strikes on her from different angles. The playful Iris was replaced by a dangerous woman. A woman whose only thoughts were calculating the variables of battle. Her ruby eyes conveyed pure focus and hyper fixation.
Arlan’s elated emotions would climax at the sight of Iris’ undivided cynosure. Tebald marveled at the way they moved. Other students were envious of the abilities and skills displayed by the two.
While Iris could never match up to Arlan’s difference in strength and experience, she held her own quite well. She proved to be an admirable fighter, even at this age.
The training session lasted for an hour before the two decided it was enough for the day. Arlan loved every second of how graceful Iris was. She reciprocated the affection every time they crossed blades.
Iris said her goodbyes since it was time for her study session with Katalina and Marie. Tebald and Arlan decided it was a good time to get an early dinner. They entered the dining hall to see Nicolas and a few upperclassmen were having a rambunctious time amongst themselves.
Nicolas was never hostile but was usually quite helpful toward the first-years, despite being noble. His cliches were quite loyal since Nicolas held respectable qualities as a friend.
The young lion saw Nicolas give them a friendly wave and Arlan responded with his own warm smile. The atmosphere in the dining hall was much different than it was a few weeks ago on the first day.
So this is what feeling welcomed at school is like?
It was time for the Trials to begin after a few uneventful days had passed. Arlan was growing bit by bit and developed a good rapport with his peers. A few messages had also arrived for the young lion regarding the Banner of the Claw’s progress, JD’s progress, and the success of the Eastvale Trade Company.
The other more serious matters weren’t included but Arlan knew he would have to put those priorities aside until later. The first Trial was finally disclosed that day, it was a fight against a mana-infused golem. They were tuned to different levels of strength based on the student’s original evaluation.
This meant the top ten ranked students would have to fight the highest difficulty while other students in different rankings. This test would be administered on the field at different times for different years. The third-years were first followed by the second and finally the first.
Some students started to cave to the stress and pressure but the young lion knew this wasn’t anything he had to worry about. On the day of the Trials, classes were canceled due to scheduling conflicts and the number of instructors required to proctor the Trials.
Arlan spent most of his time in the courtyard reading a few newsletters regarding the current events in Auron City and Midland. The young lion didn’t find anything noteworthy regarding the upcoming rebellion.
As he read on, he was joined by Katalina, Marie, Tebald, and Iris. They were preparing themselves for the Trial by going over a few notes regarding the mana-infused golems.
The golems were made of a special rock that the Headmistress herself infused with her mana. The rocks acted as a catalyst while a monster core served as the nucleus. This gave the eight-foot golems the ability to comprehend battle while being able to withstand attacks. While they were useful for training purposes, the golems were too expensive and too logistically inept for war purposes.
As the autumn afternoon cast itself over the school, sounds of battle originated from the school’s training field. The Trials were already underway. The third-years had all finished and the second-years were almost done.
A bell rang across the campus announcing that it was time for the first-years to make their way to the training field. The second-year trials were nearing their end as the first-years filed through. Arlan and his group were among them.
second-years were filing back toward their dorms. While most were unharmed, some were slightly bruised. It was rare for a student to be badly injured during the Trials. Instructors with healing spells were ready on hand. No student has ever died during the Trial either. There were too many safety precautions in place to prevent such a fatal injury.
The first-years arrived in different areas based on their evaluations. There were four different levels. Arlan, Katalina, Iris, Marie, and the other six students in the top ten were assigned to level four. The rest of the students were divided into the other three levels below four.
Arlan saw Instructor Dink, the Headmistress, and five other instructors he hadn’t met yet. They were all almost as strong as Instructor Dink. A group of second and third-years had gathered on the far end to watch the level four Trials.
A golem stood still before them as if it was a statue. The other nine students gathered before Instructor Dink as he was the main proctor for the Trial.
“Listen up,” exclaimed Instructor Dink, “I’m the level four proctor for this trial. You are to engage the golem to the best of your ability and based on your performance, you will be given a score. You are not required to defeat the golem to score highly. Instructor Willem is on standby if you are injured and the golems all have to have fail-safes that they will not mortally injure you.”
The ten students steeled themselves and knew what to expect. The tenth-ranked student was an elven boy. He was up first and he was third-tier orange core. The elven boy mustered his courage and wielded a training spear.
The elf made his way before the golem and confidently stood before it. The golem was the first to act while the elf enhanced himself with his essence. The elf dodged an overhead smash by the golem’s left hand while landing on his feet. The agility displayed by this first-year was quite impressive.
The tip of the spear glowed yellow as the elf activated [Rapid Strikes]. The Mar-Tech produced three instantaneous thrusts that were amplified by essence. This was incredibly useful with spear-type weapons.
An attack of this caliber could easily kill a person but the golem received the strikes easily. While the attack left marks, the golem’s movements were unaffected. The elf was hit by the other arm but recovered properly. The elf used his essence to form a barrier that absorbed the attack.
The elf used another Mar-Tech called [Aerial Dive] and was launched twenty feet into the air. He dove with his spear first straight into the golem’s head. The tip of the spear shattered the rock with a destructive force.
The other nine students cheered their fellow student on as he landed on his feet without his spear smiling. He thought he’d ace the test but the headless golem was unaffected and smashed into the elf. He was sent flying ten meters and landed on his feet unarmed. The spear was still in the golem’s body from the top of where the head used to be.
The headless golem before the elf grabbed the spear out of its own body and threw it back to the elf as if it was taunting its opponent. A new set of rocks rose from its own body and reformed its head.
The elf realized what he was up against and wiped a small droplet of blood from his mouth. If it weren’t for the essence barrier, the elf would’ve failed the test and the golem would’ve powered down.
The two fought for another few minutes before the elf finally lost his endurance and was almost struck by a fatal attack. The golem was powered down right as its left hand almost struck the elf’s skull.
“That was superb,” said Instructor Dink, “You’ve finished your Trial. You scored fifty and that’s ten points over the level four minimum. You may stay or return to your dorm.”
The other five students ranked under Arlan, Iris, Katalina, and Marie all scored between fifty and fifty-five points respectively. They were eventually overpowered by the durability of the golems.
Marie and Katalina were able to use third-tier magic spells to deal more damage than the others but the golems were a different story as they eventually succumbed to the same endurance issues that the other students did. They both scored even sixty points. Tebald and a group of first-years who completed their Trials arrived to watch Marie and Katalina finish their Trials.
When Iris stepped up to be the second to last test, a second golem rose from the ground before them. This shocked everyone except Arlan due to his [Battle Trance]. The younger sister of Hector Hawkwell had expectations to fill. Her brother attempted the same test two years prior.
Iris was unphased as she leaned forward and became a blur. Her speed was greatly enhanced by her essence control. Her mana lanes were in full use as runes appeared throughout her training sword. These rune enchantments increased the weapon’s strength and speed for every attack she landed.
The golems swung their fist horizontally as Iris unleashed her fury on them. Arlan felt his emotions rise again seeing Iris in her cold, calculated state. He enjoyed her playful and confident personality while adoring her abilities and strengths. She was a force to be reckoned with.
No one had ever connected to Iris or Arlan the way they did for each other. They spoke to each other on a deeper level by sharing this bond and principle. Arlan’s heart fluttered as he saw her hair flow behind her deafening speed and the passion behind her ruby eyes.
The golems were on the defensive as they couldn’t manage to get even close to hitting Iris. She showed no signs of losing her endurance as she channeled her essence to enhance her strength and speed. She had fought both Hector and Arlan in recent months. This exponentially grew her abilities.
Strike after strike landed on each golem as the other students before her watched in awe. She was beautifully chipping away the golems at breakneck speeds. Her graceful movements dodged every attack as if she knew where the attacks would be seconds ahead.
As the battle raged on for a few minutes, the golems were barely standing while Iris finally broke a sweat. She knew she had to push herself just a little more beyond her limits. Before she could act, the Headmistress raised her hand and yelled, “That’s enough.”
“Iris Hawkwell,” barked Instructor Dink, “There are no words to describe how well you’ve performed. Your score is seventy-two points. The highest for a first-year to ever achieve. Your brother scored seventy even.”
Iris was overcome by her achievements and sheathed her training sword. She ran to Marie and Katalina to celebrate her accomplishment. Iris gave a wink to Arlan as he prepared himself.
The rank one first-year stood before the two golems who had already reformed back to their original state. As the other students finished, they all turned their attention to Arlan. Another crowd of other students gathered to witness the first-year prodigy attempt the Trial.
Arlan stood before the two golems and smiled. Two more golems rose from the ground behind the first two. Arlan’s Trial was against four golems. All of whom were level four. The rank-ten elf from before yelled, “Wait! There’s no way he’d be able to handle that many! Right, Iris?”
Iris smiled and replied, “Just believe in him. I know he’s been holding back in our sparring matches.”
Katalina also agreed, “His strength is almost on par with Duke Louis. I’m not surprised.”
Marie simply smiled and nodded in agreement with Katalina. The rest of the students who gathered weren’t sure how to react. They’ve seen Arlan fight but not to this extent.
The young lion’s Trial had finally started. He readied his training sword. Everyone in the area immediately felt Arlan’s killing intent flourish. Even Instructor Dink reached for his sword instinctively. The rank one student enhanced his body with essence. Ever since he became a fifth-tier core. Arlan has finally had access to half the capacity from before.
The other improvement was his physical state. He had been training with Instructor Dink and Iris day in and day out while using weekends to hunt down bounties. This meant he was at a peak physical state for his age. His body could withstand the essence. Finally, he had developed mana lanes allowing him to increase his versatility by using second-tier magic spells.
Arlan started the battle by turning into a blurred image moving at insane speeds. He reached the first golem in a matter of two hundred milliseconds. His first act was using an overhead swing to cleave the front right golem in two. The monster core residing inside dropped to the ground.
This inhuman attack ripped fear and awe into everyone around Arlan. Using a blunted sword, he cleaved the golem straight down the middle. The young lion’s sheer willpower directed his movements to the other golem on the left.
The next moment, Arlan threw his training sword into his next target. The training sword penetrated most of its blade into the chest cavity. A few runes can be seen on the training sword as they glowed bright red. Arlan had used rune enchantments. The runes ruptured the golem’s insides and it crumbled into small pieces with the monster core dropping immediately.
In a matter of ten seconds, Arlan had destroyed two of the four golems. The other two finally reacted with overhead smashes into the young lion with both their arms.
Arlan didn’t move from his position and was hit by the attack. Dust erupted from the epicenter and after the dust settled. The student took on the hit directly using his essence barrier. While the barrier used a bit of essence to absorb the kinetic energy. Arlan wasn’t in any real danger.
The young lion recalled the sword into his hands by activating a rune he had placed. Arlan activated [Titan Strike] and swung overhead with all his essence and a massive explosion erupted forth from Arlan. The yellow glowing kinetic attack sprayed out like a cone in front of Arlan.
The attack obliterated both golems in one attack. After seventeen seconds, Arlan had finished his Trial. Even though Arlan destroyed all four golems, he expended most of his essence in the test. He barely had five percent of his fifty left. Many were speechless at what they witnessed.
“Arlan,” said Instructor Dink, “I’ve never seen anything like that, in this world. Your score is a perfect one hundred. The first-ever in Lancel High Academy. No one has ever scored perfectly. Your Trial is over, you may return to your dorm. This concludes the level four Trials.”
Arlan was immediately embraced by Iris from behind and she whispered into his right ear, “You were so cool just now.”
The young lion flustered over the comment. He had no words to respond. She left him a kiss on the cheek and the rest of his friends surrounded him to congratulate him on the first-ever perfect score.
The Headmistress was the only instructor who wasn’t surprised at the results. She knew of Arlan’s secret. It was natural that his abilities were astronomical. For the rest of the day, all anyone could talk about was the perfect score that Arlan achieved.
As the Trials concluded, all the students returned to their dorms or hung out with friends all over campus. Arlan and Iris decided to spend some time alone together. They were both overjoyed at their Trial results. A stone bench in front of the school’s garden was where they chose to retreat.
They weren’t alone but not many other students were in the garden. It was about the time the autumn sun was setting. An amber wave painted itself across the lightly clouded sky.
Iris was sitting on the bench with Arlan’s head on her lap. She admired the sight above as he read the book about the Ashra. Both of them wished for the moment not to end. Even though Arlan preoccupied himself with reading, the soft lap pillow was bewitching. He could feel her dainty fingers combing through his brown hazel hair. Her touch was enough to ease his defenses.
A small wind blew across the garden ushering Iris to push the book away from Arlan’s face. She closed her eyes and slowly leaned in. Arlan’s heart raced all over and he did the same. Their lips gracefully met for a few seconds.
Both of them smiled at each other as they followed the flow of the moment. It just felt natural that they didn’t have to speak any words. Just like the way they would silently cross blades, their hearts were intertwined.