The training ground hadn't recovered.
Students still lay scattered across the stone, some groaning, some unconscious, others forcing themselves to stand despite trembling legs.
At the center of it all—
Silence.
Then footsteps.
Slow. Casual.
Sael Ardyn walked back onto the field, hands in his pockets, eyes half-lidded as if he'd just returned from a nap instead of leaving chaos behind him.
He glanced around once.
Took in the damage.
The students.
Lisa.
Then he sighed.
"…Pathetic."
A few students stiffened.
Kaien grinned faintly.
Nav said nothing.
Sael stepped forward, stopping at the center.
He rolled his neck once.
Then looked at them.
"Let me show you, brats…"
A pause.
"…how we actually fight."
A low ripple passed through the field.
Across from him, Lisa stretched her shoulders, purple hair shifting slightly as a grin spread across her face.
"Finally."
The air changed.
Not violently.
Not dramatically.
Just… subtly.
Lisa moved first.
Her aura ignited—fire and lightning weaving around her body like a storm barely held together. The ground beneath her feet cracked slightly as energy surged upward.
Then—
She vanished.
A distortion.
A strike.
Invisible.
Sael didn't move.
The space in front of him shifted.
Not a wall.
Not a barrier.
Just—
thickened.
The impact landed—
And lost itself.
Like something hitting resistance that didn't exist.
Lisa appeared mid-motion, already adjusting.
Another strike.
Faster.
Sharper.
Again—
It didn't land cleanly.
Sael raised his hand slightly.
Faint mist drifted outward.
At first, it looked harmless.
Cold vapor slipping into the air, dissolving as it spread.
Lisa's eyes narrowed.
She moved again.
Closing distance.
Invisible strikes layered in rapid succession.
The air around Sael responded—not blocking, not deflecting—
But slowing.
Disrupting.
Each attack losing just enough force to become irrelevant.
Meanwhile—
The mist spread.
Thin.
Unnoticeable.
Everywhere.
At the edge of the field—
Nav frowned.
What… is he doing?
He could track Lisa.
Barely.
Her speed was insane—but readable.
Sael wasn't.
No—
It's not that he's slow…
I just… can't see what he's doing.
A flicker of unease settled in his chest.
Nearby—
Kaien tilted his head slightly.
His eyes followed the field.
Not Lisa.
The mist.
A faint smirk touched his lips.
Ah… so that's how you're playing it.
Across the field—
Lisa stopped.
Just for a fraction of a second.
Her instincts flared.
Something felt off.
Her movements were still sharp.
Her speed intact.
But—
The space around her felt… crowded.
Her gaze shifted slightly.
The mist wasn't dispersing.
It was lingering.
Positioning.
Her grin widened.
"Oh…"
She stepped forward again—
Faster.
Closing in on Sael directly.
If the field was compromised—
Then end it up close.
She appeared in front of him.
Arm drawn back.
Invisible force gathering.
She struck.
And stopped.
Her body froze mid-motion.
Not by force.
Not by restraint.
By realization.
The mist around her condensed.
Silently.
Dozens of small ice daggers formed—
Not flying.
Not attacking.
Just—
there.
Floating.
Perfectly positioned.
Every angle covered.
Every movement predicted.
Her strike hadn't been avoided.
It had been allowed.
Sael finally spoke.
"…Took you long enough."
Lisa's grin didn't fade.
It sharpened.
"Yeah…"
Lightning surged along her arm.
"…but you're getting predictable."
The air cracked.
Not outward—
Inward.
A single point in the formation destabilized.
Just one.
The structure shifted.
That was enough.
She moved.
Not breaking the trap—
Slipping through it.
Her leg snapped forward—
A kick aimed straight at Sael.
---
The ground trembled.
The temperature dropped.
The air tightened.
Something—
shifted.
Both of them felt it.
At the same time.
Lisa stopped.
Sael lowered his hand.
The mist dissolved instantly.
The pressure vanished.
The field stilled.
Footsteps echoed softly across the stone.
No one had seen her arrive.
But she was already there.
Standing between them.
Still.
Composed.
Absolute.
Serathine Lunet.
The academy's principal.
For a moment—
No one spoke.
Lisa clicked her tongue.
"…Tch."
Sael exhaled quietly.
"You're late."
Serathine's gaze didn't shift.
Didn't react.
Didn't acknowledge the tone.
She simply spoke.
"This is still an academy."
Silence followed.
Heavy.
Final.
Lisa rolled her shoulders once.
"Fine. I was just getting warmed up anyway."
Sael turned away casually.
"Liar."
Neither of them continued.
At the edge of the field—
Nav exhaled slowly.
He hadn't even realized he'd been holding his breath.
…What the hell was that?
That wasn't speed.
That wasn't strength.
That was something else entirely.
Something he couldn't read.
Yet.
Kaien chuckled under his breath.
"…Yeah."
His eyes lingered on the dissipating mist.
"Interesting."