After Derek and Yuna's fight, the rest of the battles blazed through, giving me the chance to observe summons and catalog abilities. Of all of them, four demanded my attention: Maxwell's Silent Guardian, Elena's Storm Queen, Kai's Golden Emperor, and a C-rank girl named Priscillia—who'd somehow managed to summon a Hero-tier Heroic Spirit despite her rank limiting her to Champion tier.
As for Maxwell, Elena, and Kai, judging whether Kassie could defeat their summons proved impossible. They were monsters. And Kassie, by my judgment thus far, was a Commander/Striker Hybrid—though she leaned heavily toward Commander and only qualified as a Striker because of her devastating combat prowess.
That's all I'd seen her do, actually. Only my attributes convinced me she had to be Commander class.
"Cade Marlowe!"
My heart thumped powerfully as the instructor called my name. As I stepped out of the row, mutters and murmurs rippled through the crowd, but I shoved them aside and waited for the next name.
It didn't come.
I stood in the center of the field, staring at the instructor. The man returned my gaze with indifference, his face carved from square stone—strong, intimidating, utterly unreadable. Impossible to tell what thoughts lurked behind those downturned eyes.
He closed the book in his hands with a loud clap. Around him, sparks shimmered to life.
"I'm the one you'll be facing."
My heart plummeted into my stomach.
"What is your summon's tier?"
My hand found the back of my neck, pressing slightly. "Mortal tier, sir."
A massive rhino-looking creature materialized beside him—though nothing like any rhino I'd seen on TV. Its body appeared carved from thick metal plates, eyes blazing with inner fire.
"This is an Elite-tier Spirit. That's right—I'm D-rank. A regular summoner. Your types are icing on the cake. Defeating me should be a walk in the park for you."
A chuckle escaped my lips.
'This guy…'
My hand remained pressed against my neck as I forced a polite, awkward smile. "I don't think so, sir. You're more experienced. Besides, this isn't supposed to be a win-or-lose battle, remember? So please, sir—let's not stray from the principles you set."
The man looked like he wanted to use me to prove a point. At the same time, he was saving my ass by doing so.
Better to lose to an instructor than a classmate. Not that I thought many of them could beat Tyrant Empress.
"Enough stalling. Summon your spirit!" he barked.
I exhaled. Red sparks erupted around me, coalescing into the Tyrant Empress. She stood beside me, impossibly tall and graceful. I felt like a shadow next to her—her elegant curves, her malevolent helmet, everything about her both imposing and terrifying.
Murmurs swelled as soon as she appeared.
She turned her head toward me. Somehow, through that covered helmet, I felt disgust and disapproval radiating from her gaze.
I exhaled, refocusing on the instructor—
He'd vanished.
My eyes widened.
'He moved—'
"You left yourself wide open."
The voice came from my side. The man had closed the distance in a blur, his hand cocked back, fist hurtling toward me. I was too slow—far too slow to react. But as his knuckles neared, a hand seized my collar and yanked me clear, the other catching his fist mid-strike.
Shock flickered across the instructor's face. Then it melted into a grin.
"Oh? Smart move—commanding your summon to compensate for your weakness and lack of speed."
Except I hadn't commanded anything. This was all Kassie!
His grin widened. "But don't tell me you forgot about my summon."
Right at where Kassie yanked me towards, the metal rhino like a rolling mass of rock. Suddenly, Kassie tore an impossible twirl, smashing her leg against the rhino's charging bulk.
The impact rang out like a thunderclap.
The creature—easily three tons of animated metal and fury—stopped. Its front legs buckled, and for a surreal moment, the massive spirit teetered, suspended in the physics-defying aftermath of Kassie's strike.
Then it toppled sideways with an earth-shaking crash.
Immediately silence poured onto the training ground.
I hung there in her grip, collar bunched in her fist, boots barely scraping ground. My brain struggled to process what I'd just witnessed. That thing had been a charging Elite-tier spirit, and she'd stopped it with a kick. She didn't even have to use a sword! Others were doing so!
"Impossible," someone breathed from the crowd.
The instructor's grin had vanished. His eyes narrowed, flicking between his downed summon and Kassie. "Mortal tier, you said?"
I swallowed. "Yes, sir."
Kassie released my collar. I stumbled forward a step, catching my balance while she remained perfectly still—a statue of contempt carved from malice and grace. She hadn't even looked at me when she'd saved my ass. All her attention was fixed on the instructor.
The rhino lumbered back to its feet, huffing. Embers dripped from its nostrils. Its master cracked his knuckles, rolling his shoulders.
"Interesting." His stance shifted, weight dropping lower. "Very interesting. That strength... those reflexes... Either you're lying about her tier, or you're just a really good summoner. I'm guessing the later, since you are F rank."
He blurred again.
This time he wasn't targeting me. He went straight for Kassie, closing the distance in a blink, fist already in motion. A feint—his body twisted mid-strike, leg sweeping low instead.
Kassie didn't move.
The kick connected with her shin. I heard the impact, saw the instructor's face contort—not in satisfaction, but in pain.
"What—"
Kassie's hand shot out, fingers closing around his throat. She lifted him off the ground one-handed, her movements economical, almost bored. The instructor clawed at her grip, eyes bulging, but she held him like he weighed nothing.
"Kassie!" I barked. "Don't kill him!"
For a heartbeat, she didn't respond. Then, with what felt like deliberate insolence, she tossed him aside. He hit the ground hard, rolled, and came up gasping.
The rhino charged again—straight at her this time. Flames wreathed its horn, metal plates glowing cherry-red. A proper Elite-tier attack, the kind that could punch through reinforced walls.
Kassie still hadn't moved from her spot.
"Kassie—"
She pivoted on one heel. The movement was minimal, precise. Her fist met the rhino's horn.
The shockwave knocked me backward. I threw up an arm to shield my face as debris and sparks exploded outward. When I looked again, the rhino was skidding across the field, gouging deep furrows in the packed earth. Its horn—that massive, superheated lance—had a visible dent where Kassie's knuckles had connected.
My mouth went dry.
Around us, the arena had gone deathly quiet. Even the whispers had stopped.
'Damnit dammit dammit dammit, we are supposed to be Mortal‐tier Kassie!!!'