The evening settled over the academy once more, but this time the air carried a different weight, the kind that lingered after a test and before something more uncertain, and inside a quiet corner of the dorm, Raiden had already gathered the group, their expressions more focused than before.
Raiden stood in front of them, arms crossed, eyes steady.
Raiden: "Tomorrow won't be like today."
Maya leaned forward slightly.
Maya: "Yeah, no paper this time…"
Clare nodded.
Clare: "We face actual opponents."
Alwin stayed quiet, listening closely.
Isolde stood near the side, her posture calm but attentive.
Taika looked at Raiden.
Taika: "We don't know who we're up against."
Raiden gave a small nod.
Raiden: "Exactly."
A brief silence followed.
Raiden: "So we don't rely on prediction."
Clare added.
Clare: "We rely on adaptability."
Raiden continued.
Raiden: "Assume every opponent is strong."
Maya sighed softly but smiled.
Maya: "That's a lot of pressure…"
Raiden: "Good."
His voice remained calm.
Raiden: "Pressure sharpens you."
Alwin finally spoke.
Alwin: "What's the plan?"
Raiden looked at each of them.
Raiden: "We don't fight alone."
He gestured slightly.
Raiden: "We move as a team when possible."
Isolde spoke without hesitation.
Isolde: "And if we are separated."
Raiden answered immediately.
Raiden: "Then you trust your own strength."
Taika lowered her gaze for a moment, then lifted it again with resolve.
Taika: "No holding back."
Clare nodded.
Clare: "No hesitation."
Maya raised her hand slightly.
Maya: "And no losing."
Alwin gave a small smile.
Alwin: "We'll do our best."
Raiden looked at them one last time.
Raiden: "Rest well tonight."
A pause.
Raiden: "Tomorrow decides more than rankings."
The room fell quiet again.
No fear.
Just focus.
Because tomorrow…
They would step into a battlefield where strength alone would not be enough.
The morning was still quiet when Taika began her jog around the academy grounds, the air cool and fresh, her steps steady against the path as the sun slowly rose over the horizon, casting a soft light across the campus.
Most students were still inside.
Resting.
Preparing.
But the training field was already awake.
As she passed by, she noticed movement.
Cleaning staff moved across the wide stone floor, sweeping away dust and debris, their motions practiced and efficient, while others worked with tools and brushes, carefully repainting sections of the ground, restoring the worn surface into something clean and precise.
The faint scent of stone dust and fresh coating lingered in the air.
Taika slowed slightly, glancing toward the field.
It looked different.
Prepared.
Not just maintained.
A few staff members knelt at certain points, their hands moving in controlled patterns along the ground.
From where Taika was, it looked like they were simply marking or measuring areas.
Careful.
Deliberate.
She could not see the details.
Only the motion.
Only the intent behind it.
Taika tilted her head slightly.
Taika: "They're really setting it up…"
She watched for a moment longer.
Then continued jogging.
Her pace steady again.
Unaware of what exactly was being drawn beneath her sight.
Behind her, the training field slowly took shape.
Quietly.
Precisely.
Ready for what was about to happen.
As Taika continued her jog, her eyes drifted back to the training field for a brief moment, just enough to catch something slightly off.
One of the staff members stood apart from the others.
Not cleaning.
Not repainting.
His movements were slower.
More careful.
He held a small container, dipping a brush into it before applying something onto the stone floor.
The color was darker than the rest.
Thicker.
Almost unnatural against the clean surface.
Taika's steps slowed.
Her gaze lingered.
The man paused for a second, glancing around briefly before continuing his work, his motions more controlled, almost secretive.
Taika narrowed her eyes slightly.
Taika: "…That's odd."
But the distance was too far.
And the moment passed quickly.
Other staff moved around him, the activity blending together again, nothing standing out if one did not look closely.
Taika exhaled softly and straightened her posture.
Taika: "Probably just part of the setup…"
She resumed her pace.
Her footsteps steady once more as she continued around the grounds.
Behind her, the man dipped his brush again.
And continued.
Quietly.
Unnoticed.
The cafeteria was louder than usual, filled with overlapping voices, trays clattering, and the steady movement of students finding their seats, yet among the crowd, one table felt different, not because it was quiet, but because it was rare.
For the first time, all of them were sitting together.
Taika sat between Maya and Raiden, her tray untouched for a moment as she looked around, almost amused by the situation.
Taika: "This is new."
Maya smiled brightly, already eating.
Maya: "Right? We always eat separately."
Clare sat across from them, posture straight even while eating.
Clare: "It's more efficient that way."
Alwin gave a small smile.
Alwin: "But this is better."
Isolde sat at the end of the table, calm as always, her movements precise.
Isolde: "It does not change the outcome."
Maya laughed lightly.
Maya: "You really had to say that."
Raiden leaned back slightly, observing them all.
Raiden: "Eat properly. You'll need the energy."
Taika picked up her utensils, finally starting her meal.
Taika: "You sound like a coach."
Raiden: "I'm serious."
A brief silence followed as they ate, but it was not uncomfortable.
It was natural.
Around them, other students glanced occasionally, some recognizing them, especially after the recent events and their growing reputation.
Maya leaned closer to Taika slightly.
Maya: "Everyone's watching again."
Taika sighed softly.
Taika: "Let them."
Clare glanced around once, then back to her food.
Clare: "They'll be competitors soon."
Alwin nodded.
Alwin: "Especially today."
Isolde placed her cup down gently.
Isolde: "Focus on yourselves."
Raiden looked at Taika for a brief second.
Raiden: "And be ready."
Taika met his gaze, then gave a small nod.
Taika: "I am."
The noise of the cafeteria continued around them, unchanged, but at that table, something had shifted.
Not just a group of students.
A team.
And in a few hours…
They would step into the field where that bond would be tested.
The entrance to the training field was sealed off, large gates standing shut as students gathered outside, forming groups, whispering, speculating, their eyes fixed on the barrier that hid what awaited them inside, because for the first time, they were not allowed to see the battlefield beforehand.
That alone made it different.
That alone made it dangerous.
Sky Tudor stood before them once again, elevated slightly so all could see and hear him clearly.
The noise gradually faded.
Silence returned.
Sky: "Listen carefully."
His voice carried weight.
Sky: "The practical exam will begin shortly."
Students straightened, attention fully locked.
Sky: "You are not allowed to see the field until the exam begins."
A pause.
Murmurs tried to rise, but were quickly suppressed.
Sky continued.
Sky: "This examination is not a simple duel."
That alone shifted the mood.
Sky: "It is an assessment of awareness, judgment, and decision making."
Taika exchanged a glance with Raiden.
Something was different.
Sky: "Among the participants…"
A brief silence.
Sky: "…there is an imposter."
The word spread like a shockwave.
Maya blinked.
Maya: "Imposter?"
Clare's eyes narrowed immediately.
Clare: "So it's not just combat."
Sky: "Your objective is simple."
His gaze swept across all students.
Sky: "Find the imposter."
Another pause.
Sky: "You may work alone."
Sky: "Or form temporary alliances."
Raiden crossed his arms slightly.
Raiden: "So trust becomes a risk."
Sky: "Anyone can be the target."
His tone remained calm.
Sky: "Anyone can be the threat."
Isolde's expression remained unchanged, but her eyes sharpened.
Isolde: "This is a test of perception."
Alwin spoke quietly.
Alwin: "And deception."
Taika looked toward the sealed gates.
Taika: "…We were expecting a fight."
Raiden answered.
Raiden: "This is worse."
A final silence settled.
Because now they understood.
This was not just about strength.
It was about reading people.
About making the right choice.
Or the wrong one.
Sky raised his hand slightly.
Sky: "Prepare yourselves."
The gates remained closed.
But behind them…
The real test was already waiting.
The moment the gates opened, the crowd surged forward, boots striking stone as students rushed into the battlefield, only to slow down almost immediately, their momentum breaking as the sight before them sank in, not because it was chaotic, but because it was too precise, the entire field crafted with deliberate intent, terrain shaped by refined earth magic, flowing water paths cutting through it, and scattered across the ground were carefully placed magic sigils, glowing faintly beneath the surface like a hidden system waiting to activate.
Maya: "Are those…"
Taika: "They are magic circles, also known as sigils. The ones drawn on the floor are teleportation circles, used as emergency escape systems. They usually have the earth symbol in the center, surrounded by cross signs."
She continued without hesitation.
Taika: "The ones with fire symbols and arrows pointing inward are trap circles. If you step on them, you need to move immediately."
She exhaled, her expression softening back into a small smile.
Maya just stared.
Maya: "…"
Raiden: "Impressive, Taika. Good explanation. I guess someone's having trouble keeping up."
He glanced at Maya.
Isolde let out a quiet laugh.
Isolde: "We're wasting time. Let's move."
Alwin: "Agreed. We should form a plan while moving."
They advanced together, stepping past the outer field.
The space shifted.
The environment changed.
The moment they crossed the boundary, the open field was gone.
Replaced.
A dense forest surrounded them, tall trees blocking light, the air cooler, quieter, heavier.
Location:
[The Forest Dimension]
Maya: "No way… they prepared this much?"
Clare: "Obviously."
Raiden scanned the area carefully.
Raiden: "So that outer field was just a display."
Isolde: "Correct. I thought you studied magic circles. I guess strength is all you rely on."
Raiden: "And now you decide to say that?"
Taika chuckled softly behind them.
Raiden: "Not you too?"
They moved deeper into the forest.
The further they went, the quieter it became.
Even the wind seemed to fade.
Raiden: "Stay alert. Expect anything."
Maya stepped forward slightly.
Maya: "I'll track."
She closed her eyes, lifting her hand.
A faint red trail appeared in her perception, branching out in multiple directions, each one representing a different scent, different student, different presence.
Many trails.
All similar.
Except one.
Lighter.
Different.
Maya: "Found it."
They moved immediately, following her lead through the forest, their pace quick but controlled.
Isolde: "You're sure?"
Taika: "I can feel it too. The mana is off."
Alwin: "Nice work."
Maya: "Don't talk, it's close!"
Clare suddenly stopped.
Clare: "There!"
She crossed her arms.
Threads shot out instantly, slicing through the air and wrapping around the target hidden between the trees, tightening in place and locking it down.
The group approached carefully.
Raiden stepped forward first.
Raiden: "…Got you."
But the moment they saw it, something felt wrong.
It did not move.
It did not react.
It did not breathe.
Taika's expression shifted.
Taika: "…Wait."
Clare tightened her grip slightly.
Clare: "What is this…"
The figure cracked slightly.
Wood.
Hollow.
Coated with a thin layer of mana.
Alwin frowned.
Alwin: "A decoy…"
Maya blinked.
Maya: "But the scent…"
Raiden's eyes narrowed.
Raiden: "…It's bait."
The forest around them felt quieter than before.
Too quiet.
Because if that was not the imposter…
Then the real one…
Was still watching.
Location:
[West forest]
Far away from all students, he was watching, calm, he flipped the pages of the book with gentle touch.
He stopped reading, he looked up and said, "They found my Decoy.."
They found more decoys everywhere, hiding above trees with far distance to each other.
Taika: "I can't believe it, we've fall from the same trick, five times.."
Raiden: "Whoever that person is, he's me off."
Isolde: "I wonder what happened to the other students.."
Clare: "Someone's here.."
A man and a woman, walked towards them.
Elzard: "What an unexpected encounter."
Astoria: "Hey, Clare."
Clare looked at her.
Taika: "You know them, Clare?"
Clare: "Astoria Reign and her big brother Elzard Vanzard... They're my friends."
Elzard: "You guys found the imposter?"
Raiden: "As you can see...we don't."
Astoria: "Well, we found something that might help."
Earlier, Astoria and Elzard is on their way to Clare and the others, while walking, they found two papers with a note laying on the soil.
Raiden: "What's the note says?"
Astoria looked at the note and read it loud.
Astoria: "Ehem... Greetings, if you or your group manage to find this letter, decoys are the points and scores that will add up to your written exams scores, if you manage to catch at least three decoys, that is equivalent to ninety-five points which is a passing score."
Raiden: "We've found five already."
Alwin: "So that means we passed?"
Elzard: "That's where the second note comes in. --- "If you did found more than three decoys, you still have to continue the rest of the practical exams."
Maya: "That's just....if we passed then why we still have to continue?"
Isolde: "Have you guys forgotten?, the practical rules was to find the imposter, Sky didn't say we should pass."
Taika: "that's where the leaderboard system comes in..The better you perform, the higher your ranking, so all we have to do is find the imposter and let the teachers rank us after."
Alwin: "..And also, if we make wrong discussions, it will reflect on us, that we have to be better."
Raiden: "But we don't have any clues of where is the imposter hiding."
Astoria: "Maya, I know you have scent magic so why not use it?"
Maya: "How'd you know my name?, I tried earlier but we ended up with our first decoy."
Maya looked at Taika.
Taika: "No clue either.."
Taika looked at each direction, left---right----up and down, she was analysing the area, her vision completely changed, everything her eyes layed upon has a description written like as if it was on a video game.
She sees every possibility they can do to find the imposter's location, her vision shifted,her vision shifted like a bird's eye, seeing everything from above, trees, pathways and even other student's location.
Raiden: "A-are you... Okay, Taika?"
In Taika's field of vision, she sees from miles away, but nothing, she looked at every direction from left to right, up to down, but never found anyone.
Ever since the practical exams began, no one ever saw the imposter's looks, no one knows what it looked like.
Taika opened her eyes.
Raiden and the others looked at her confused.
Raiden: "Any clues?"
Taika shake her head left and right, everything she saw was only the vast forest of the [Evergreen pocket dimension].
Isolde: "It's okay, maybe we should let her w-whatever she's doing."
Taika closed her eyes again, this time seeing possible areas that is wide enough for a human to wait for it's prey.
She saw someone, casually reading a book in the middle of nowhere, the man's appearance are blurred out by her vision.
Taika opened her eyes, immediately then said.
Taika: "Quick!, lets head South west!"
She sprinted towards South west.
Raiden: "Hey wait up!"
Raiden followed behind her.
Everyone else followed behind Raiden's back, following the same person who finally found the imposter's location.
Raiden catch up to Taika's speed.
Raiden: "Are you sure about this?, and why are we even running?"
Taika: "I found him, please trust me!"
They went passed trees and stones, bushes and other student who was also taking the test.
Elzard: "I guess we should trust her."
Astoria: "She's cute and smart, I believe her."
Alwin: "Being 'cute' doesn't do anything..."
Clare: "but it's true."
Taika: "Now it's not the timeee!"
Maya: "Cute, I like the sound of that!"
She sprinted, faster than anyone.
Raiden and the others managed to catch up, Taika stopped at the location.
Location:
[West forest]
??? : "Ahh---,at last."
Taika and everyone else was shocked, their eyes widened as they looked at him, familiar face, familiar voice, familiar hair color.
Raiden: "So it's you?... "
??? : "----------"
Isolde was as shocked as everyone else.
Isolde: "You kidding.. Right?"
Alwin: "President..."
Elzard smirked.
Elzard: "Its you."
Taika: "Sky...we've found you....surrender."
Sky: "Surrender?"
Sky Tudor, also known as, [Light speed echo] was the imposter behind the examination.
Clare: "why?"
Sky: "It's a long story, but I'll make it short."
His voice was calm, sounded like no intention of making someone mad.
Sky: "i volunteer as an imposter because I wanted to see for myself on who will become the top students, I wanna write the rankings myself so I have to know who will find me first."
He looked at Taika.
Taika: "It was me"
Sky: "Congratulations....you've found me using your own knowledge and intelligence... You've passed."
Sky continued.
Sky: *As for you ,Raiden, you've proven yourself just by being present in my domain...you've passed."
Sky continued.
Sky: "As for Clare, you also proved yourself to me just by being here... You've passed."
Raiden: "Hold up... Is it that simple, because I'm not buying it."
Raiden wasn't satisfied from the result that's given.
Sky: "You see... We've already made the leaderboard five days aago. This whole practical examination is basically pointless now. I'm worry for wasting everyone's time, we just really needed to use this dimension or else it will get old."
Taika: "Great... I accepted your apology, but...i have another question... If you know it will waste our time, then why make us do the practical exam?"
Sky: "To test your field of knowledge, in a real battle, athe area of the battlefield is important to be memorise as an advantage."
Sky: "Will you please...keep this to yourself... Everyone?"
Sky's final request.
Raiden: "Alright, we will, but..don't do that again or your school reputation will 'crumble'"
Sky: "Uh.. Okay?"
And with that, the practical exam ended with a rush, students are back from their dormitories, everyone was sleeping soundly in their bedrooms, they know they did their best.