Morning light spilled across the coliseum, warm and golden. The crowd was louder than ever — banners fluttered, voices rising in excitement.Every student was asking the same thing: Who will make it to the final four?
Jiwoo stood near the waiting area, sword hanging at his side. His eyes followed the sunlight filtering through the glass ceiling. Calm. Focused.
Beside him, Minjae leaned against the wall, chewing an energy bar like it was his last meal.
"Still can't believe we've got class after this," he muttered.
Jiwoo smirked faintly. "Then tell Instructor Baek you're dropping out. I'm sure he'll give you a warm farewell."
"Ha-ha. Hilarious." Minjae rolled his eyes. "You better win, because if you don't, I'm blaming this conversation."
Rina sat on the bench nearby, arms crossed. "Park Doyun's not just a tank, Jiwoo. His mana armor's dense enough to block mid-tier spells. Aim for his weak spots."
"Noted," Jiwoo replied simply.
"Noted, he says," Minjae grumbled. "If I were you, I'd be drafting my will."
The loudspeaker crackled. "Next match — Upper Bracket: Han Jiwoo versus Park Doyun!"
The entire coliseum came alive. Cheers rippled through the stands, a wave of excitement shaking the ground. Jiwoo exhaled once and began walking toward the arena.
Jiwoo stepped onto the arena floor, feeling the faint tremor under his boots. Across from him stood Park Doyun — tall, broad, his arms lined with faint silver scars. His expression was calm, almost bored.
"So you're the one who beat the Rank 6 mage," Doyun said. "Guess I'll have to test that luck."
Jiwoo drew his sword, stance low and balanced. "You can try."
The referee raised his hand.
"Begin!"
***
Minjae and Rina were barely seated when a sudden hush fell over the crowd around them.
Rina followed the shift in attention — and her eyes widened.
"Oh no way," she whispered.
"What?" Minjae asked, leaning forward. "Oh look who's here."
Han Jiwon — the Dancing Blade of Eclipse — was walking up their section, hands in her pockets, a slight bounce in her step. The crowd practically parted for her.
When she reached their row, she stopped right beside them and sat down like it was the most normal thing in the world.
Minjae blinked rapidly. "Uh—hold on. Is the academy's sword goddess sitting with us?"
Jiwon tilted her head. "You make it sound like I asked for a throne. Relax, I just wanted to sit where my brother's friends are sitting."
Rina smirked. "Did you come to cheer for your brother?"
Jiwon grinned. "Cheer? Nah. I came to make sure he doesn't trip again like he did last winter."
"Hey!" Jiwoo called from below, glancing up briefly.
"Oh, he heard that," Minjae said, grinning.
Jiwon waved innocently. "Just motivating him!"
Jiwoo sighed and turned back toward the arena, mumbling something about family betrayal.
Minjae leaned toward Rina, whispering, "I feel like I just witnessed sibling warfare disguised as affection."
Rina chuckled. "That's what peak talent looks like — confident and slightly terrifying."
Jiwon popped a candy in her mouth. "I heard that," she said sweetly.
Minjae froze. "...You have super-hearing too?"
"Only when people talk about me," she said with a wink.
***
Baek Gunho leaned against the instructor's booth railing. "Here we go. Let's see how the kid handles a wall."
Soomin folded her arms beside him. "Doyun's not just a wall. He's a fortress."
"Exactly." Baek grinned. "Perfect for breaking expectations."
Kain stood a few steps behind them, silent, his sharp gaze fixed on the field.
***
Park Doyun stood at the center of the arena, a tower of muscle clad in reinforced armor. His great sword rested against his shoulder, thick and heavy enough to crush stone.
"Han Jiwoo," he said, voice deep. "I've been waiting for this one."
Jiwoo adjusted his grip. "Same."
Doyun moved first—faster than anyone expected for his size. The great sword came down in a wide arc, smashing into the floor with a sound like thunder. Jiwoo sidestepped, dust scattering.
The ground cracked where he'd been standing.
He's strong, Jiwoo thought, tightening his stance.
Doyun charged again, swings heavy, deliberate. Jiwoo met him head-on, blades clashing with a metallic crack that rattled the seats.
Each hit pushed him back a step, his boots scraping the floor. He ducked under the next swing, darted to the side, and countered—his sword scraping sparks off Doyun's armor.
The crowd gasped as the two clashed again and again—precision versus power, speed against endurance.
Up in the stands, Minjae leaned forward, sweating just from watching.
Minjae gripped the railing. "Is that guy trying to cleave the planet in half?!"Rina nodded grimly. "If Jiwoo mistimes one dodge, he's going to become a crater."
Jiwon leaned forward, elbow on her knee, smiling faintly. "He won't."
Rina glanced at her. "You sound confident."
"Because I've seen him lose worse," Jiwon said cheerfully. "And somehow, he still gets up."
Minjae blinked. "That's… oddly comforting. And terrifying."
Back below, Doyun's strikes grew heavier, his aura swelling with dense earth mana. Each step shook the ground. Jiwoo's arms ached from blocking, his breathing sharp.
"You're holding back," Doyun said mid-swing.
Jiwoo met his eyes. "You too."
Doyun grinned. "Fair."
Their blades met again — this time with such force that the air rippled.
Then, as Jiwoo pushed back, something flickered. A faint black shimmer — like a void curling from his sword's edge — blinked into existence for a heartbeat.
Gasps broke out from the crowd.
"Hey… what was that?"
"Was that his mana?"
"Is that the power of that E Rank?!"
Jiwon's eyes widened. "That wasn't… normal."
Baek leaned forward, a grin spreading. "Now that's new."
Soomin frowned. "That color… that's not a mana attribute."
Kain didn't speak, only watched—expression unreadable.
Down in the ring, Jiwoo didn't notice. His focus narrowed.
He stepped in, blade flashing low, fast. Doyun barely blocked in time, the impact sending cracks spidering through his mana barrier.
Too sharp… too heavy for standard flow, Doyun realized, sweat running down his temple.
Jiwoo's next strike came faster — an upward slash that grazed Doyun's chest plate, splitting the outer layer cleanly.
The crowd was on its feet.
Doyun roared, summoning earthen spikes from the ground, but Jiwoo pivoted, slipped through the narrow gap, and struck again.
Steel met steel. Sparks flew. Dust swirled around them.
Then the light dimmed for just a second — the faint black shimmer flared again — and Jiwoo's final blow landed squarely across Doyun's chest plate, knocking the tank off his feet.
He hit the ground hard, armor cracking down the center.
Silence.
The referee raised his hand. "Winner—Han Jiwoo!"
The audience erupted.
"Another upset!"
"He beat the Tank!"
"What was that dark aura?!"
Jiwoo stood still, chest rising and falling, the faint shimmer fading completely. He bowed slightly, then helped Doyun up.
"Good fight," he said.
Doyun grunted, half-smiling. "You're stronger than you look, kid."
From the stands, Jiwon exhaled softly. "He's… grown a lot."
Rina nodded. "I think everyone felt that."
Minjae whistled low. "That wasn't normal mana, right?"
Jiwon shook her head. "No. But whatever it was—it's his."
***
Baek chuckled from the booth. "Did you see that look in his eyes? That's not training. That's instinct."
Soomin crossed her arms, still watching. "Or something deeper."
Kain didn't answer. His gaze stayed fixed on Jiwoo, thoughtful.
Down on the field, Jiwoo looked up toward the crowd. Hyunwoo was standing near the edge of the waiting area, arms crossed, faint smirk on his lips.
He mouthed, Interesting.
Jiwoo met his gaze briefly, then turned toward the exit.
The announcer's voice echoed again.
"Next match—Kang Jisoo versus Han Jiwon!"
The crowd's excitement surged once more.
Jiwoo glanced toward the stands where his sister was already rising, her sword at her side.
"Guess it's your turn now," he muttered.
Then he walked off the field, the cheers chasing him all the way into the tunnel.