Arca Academy Battle Dome
The Arca Academy Battle Dome loomed before me, silent and waiting.
Its outer shell was a massive curve of reinforced alloy and layered energy plating—pale steel traced with faint blue lines that pulsed slowly beneath the surface, like a restrained heartbeat. From a distance, it looked smooth. Controlled. Almost calm.
But the closer I walked, the more its sheer scale pressed down on me.
The dome swallowed sound. It swallowed space. Everything around it felt smaller, quieter—insignificant.
Students and civilians moved along the wide ramps, some carrying food, others filing inside to take their seats. The pathways were broad enough for crowds, but no one lingered. Everyone kept moving.
At each entrance stood statues—War Maidens and Valkyries frozen mid-battle. Some were chipped. Others cracked. None of them looked victorious.
Above the main entrance, the academy crest was etched deep into the stone.
It wasn't decorative.
It was carved like a warning.
This wasn't a stadium built for cheers.
It was a place meant to test limits, break hesitation, and decide who was worthy of surviving their own power.
I spotted Mira near the entrance.
She wore a long, flower-printed spaghetti-strap dress, the fabric swaying lightly in the breeze. Against the cold steel of the dome, she looked almost out of place—soft where everything else was brutal.
Beautiful.
"Good morning, Mira," I said as I walked up.
"Morning, Kairos," she replied, smiling easily.
"The evaluation's about to start. You ready?"
She nodded, her expression steady. "I'm ready."
"Well, if it isn't our school's legendary double SSS prodigy."
I turned.
Asa was approaching, flanked by a man I didn't recognize.
He was tall—at least six-three—with short, rough green hair and sharp, steady eyes beneath a heavy brow. He wore dark, practical clothing: thick trousers, reinforced boots, and a fitted jacket built for impact rather than style. The fabric was worn in the right places—broken in, not damaged.
Nothing about him was flashy.
But the way he stood—balanced, grounded—told me everything.
This was a man who fought more than he talked.
Someone shaped by cold places and harder battles.
"Asa," Mira said flatly, irritation clear in her voice. "What do you want now?"
"Oh, look," Asa sneered. "A trash War Maiden. You really should learn your place. I don't talk to garbage like you."
"Mira, ignore her," I said calmly. "She's trying to provoke you. Let's go."
I turned—
"Stop right there."
The big man's voice was deep and heavy, carrying authority as he looked down at us. "How dare you walk away from your betters?"
I stopped and looked at him properly.
"And you are…?"
Asa smiled thinly. "This is my Core Pilot—Orn Grisson. One of the few S-tier geniuses our school has."
Orn's lips curled into a smug grin.
"Oh," I said lightly. "Orn Grisson."
I tilted my head. "Right. The guy you chased after once I told you no."
I shrugged. "I guess even an S-tier can look impressive when he's the second choice."
Asa's face flushed red with rage.
Orn's jaw clenched, teeth grinding.
"Kairos… you—" Asa snapped, pointing at me.
"Mira," I said, already turning away. "The evaluation's about to start. Let's head inside."
"Okay," she replied, walking with me.
"Hmph!" Orn shouted after us. "That idiot bonded with a garbage War Maiden and still acts cocky!"
I waved lazily over my shoulder.
"He's asking to get himself killed," Orn growled.
"Don't worry," Asa said, her grin returning. "Once the assessment starts, he won't be smiling anymore."
We took our place on the open field as the stands filled.
A low hum ran through the dome.
Then the atmosphere shifted.
Dean Shin entered, followed closely by Defense Commander Woods. Their presence alone silenced the crowd as they took their seats at the command platform overlooking the field.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Dean Shin announced, his voice amplified across the dome, "I hereby declare the official start of the Arca Academy Ascension Trials."
The field lights brightened.
"The rules are simple," he continued. "Defeat one Level-Two Chthari to pass."
"Level two?" a black-haired boy muttered to his partner.
"Same difficulty as previous years."
"Even so," the red-haired girl replied tensely,
"A Level-Two Chthari isn't a joke. Depending on the type… I'm not even sure I'll make it.
"When your name is called, step forward," Dean Shin said.
"First—Asa Woods and Orn Grisson."
"Here!"
"Here!"
They strode to the center of the field.
"The trial begins!"
A massive door at the far end of the arena groaned open.
Something burst through.
A Night Ravager.
A four-legged predator was built for terror.
Nearly thirty meters tall, its massive frame moved with unnatural silence. Jagged black chitin drank in the light, blurring its outline. From its shoulders hung two enormous forward claws—curved, venom-dripping, each capable of tearing through armor or crushing vehicles.
It didn't charge.
It stalked.
Slow. Deliberate.
When it struck, it would be sudden and final.
Seeing one meant the hunt had already begun.
"Asa," Orn commanded. "Initiate neutral link."
"Okay."
Orn touched Asa.
Light erupted.
A high-output Valkyrie replaced them—white armor edged with sharp crimson highlights, radiating raw aggression. A flat red visor glowed where its face should be, cold and predatory.
Devil-like horns rose from its head—reinforced sensor spines meant as much for intimidation as function.
Twin shoulder cannons locked into place.
The Valkyrie fired.
A single devastating volley tore through the Night Ravager.
The Chthari didn't even scream.
"…One hit," the black-haired boy whispered.
"With two S-tiers working together," the red-haired girl said quietly,
"A Level-Two never stood a chance."
"Asa Woods and Orn Grisson," Dean Shin announced, "Pass."
A brief pause.
Then—
"Next. Kairos Walker and Mira Hart."