"Against who?"
Hale's gaze moved slowly across the six exhausted students.
"Each other."
For the first time since the endurance run began, Shin actually smiled.
Valen cracked his neck with a sharp pop.
Mira groaned loudly.
"You're kidding."
Elira looked genuinely terrified.
Cassian glanced sideways at Rei.
Rei stood quietly beside him, still breathing heavily. Sweat darkened the collar of his uniform, and his shoulders rose and fell with steady effort.
But his posture had already stabilized.
Balanced.
Composed.
Cassian noticed.
Of course he did.
And somehow that made the exhaustion clawing through his muscles even more irritating.
Hale continued as if none of them had spoken.
"Combat between mages rarely occurs under ideal conditions."
The professor walked slowly across the arena floor.
"You will fight while tired. While distracted. While frustrated."
He stopped.
"If your control collapses under fatigue, then your magic was never truly under control to begin with."
Cassian exhaled sharply.
"Convenient lesson."
Hale ignored him.
"The objective is not victory."
He raised one finger.
"Control."
"Your bodies are tired."
Another finger lifted.
"Your mana flow is unstable."
A third.
"And your judgment is currently compromised by pride."
Valen smirked.
"Sounds like the perfect time for a fight."
"Exactly," Hale replied.
He turned.
"Mira Solenn."
Mira dragged a hand down her face.
"Yes, Professor."
"You will face Cassian Virel."
Cassian straightened immediately.
Despite the exhaustion, confidence returned to his posture.
"Finally."
Mira muttered under her breath.
"Fantastic."
Hale continued.
"Elira Voss."
Elira flinched slightly.
"Yes…?"
"You will face Valen Drayke."
Valen nodded respectfully toward her.
"We'll keep it controlled."
Elira tried to nod back.
Her legs wobbled slightly.
She hated that Valen probably noticed.
Hale's gaze moved again.
"Shin Raiga."
Lightning flickered weakly along Shin's neck.
"Yes."
"You will face Rei Takeda."
For a moment the arena went silent.
Cassian laughed immediately.
"That's not even—"
Hale raised a hand.
The laugh stopped.
"Begin."
Cassian attacked first.
Or tried to.
Earth mana surged beneath his feet—
Then stuttered.
The spike of stone he tried to form rose halfway from the ground before cracking apart.
Cassian swore under his breath.
Mana instability.
Damn fatigue.
Mira didn't waste the moment.
Water spiraled from her palm, though the stream wavered slightly before stabilizing. The exhaustion in her arms made the flow uneven.
Still, the attack forced Cassian to step back.
"Sloppy," he muttered.
"Look who's talking," Mira shot back.
Cassian tried again.
This time the stone formed properly.
A jagged pillar launched toward her.
Mira redirected it with a rotating current of water—
But the movement came half a second too late.
The pillar clipped her shoulder and shattered against the arena floor.
She stumbled.
Not hurt.
Just tired.
Cassian lunged forward to press the advantage—
And his foot slipped on wet stone.
For a split second both of them froze.
Then Mira laughed.
"Elegant."
Cassian's expression darkened.
He slammed his palm into the ground.
Three stone spikes erupted toward her.
Two formed properly.
The third collapsed instantly.
Mira deflected the first two with a spinning wave.
Then Hale's voice cut through the arena.
"Enough."
The mana structures collapsed.
Both students immediately bent forward slightly, breathing harder than either wanted to show.
Hale observed them calmly.
"Fatigue reduces precision."
He looked at Cassian.
"You overextended your mana."
Then Mira.
"And you delayed your response."
Mira wiped sweat from her chin.
"Noted."
Elira stepped forward carefully.
Her legs still trembled slightly from the run.
Valen noticed.
He did not comment.
Fire gathered in his palm.
It flickered unevenly.
Even his control was affected.
"Ready?" he asked.
Elira nodded.
Wind formed around her hands.
The current shook slightly before stabilizing.
Valen moved first.
A burst of flame shot forward.
Elira redirected it—
But the wind current broke apart halfway through the motion.
The fire scattered across the arena floor.
Valen stopped immediately.
"Sorry."
Elira shook her head quickly.
"N-no, it's fine."
She tried again.
Wind gathered once more.
This time she launched a thin blade of compressed air.
The attack was precise.
But weaker than usual.
Valen stepped aside easily.
Then responded with a controlled stream of fire.
Elira deflected it.
Barely.
The effort made her arms shake.
She attempted a second wind blade—
The spell collapsed before forming.
Her mana flow had broken.
Valen extinguished his flames instantly.
"I think that's enough."
Hale nodded.
"Correct."
He turned to Elira.
"Your control remains excellent."
She blinked.
"…Thank you?"
"But your stamina does not."
Her shoulders slumped.
Shin stepped forward.
Lightning crawled along the mark on his neck, weaker than before but still dangerous.
Across from him, Rei rolled his shoulders once.
Still tired.
Still breathing heavier than usual.
But steady.
Shin studied him.
"You look better than you should after that run."
Rei shrugged.
"You shocked me three times this morning."
A faint spark jumped between Shin's fingers.
"Still complaining about that?"
"Not complaining."
Rei's voice remained calm.
"Remembering."
Cassian snorted from the sidelines.
"Are you two done talking?"
Shin ignored him.
Lightning gathered around his arm.
Unstable.
The exhaustion in his muscles made the mana harder to control. The arcs flickered unevenly along his forearm.
"Ready?"
Rei nodded once.
Shin moved.
Lightning burst across the arena floor as he accelerated forward.
Fast.
But sloppy.
His first strike came a fraction too wide.
Rei stepped aside.
The bolt slammed into the stone wall behind him.
Shin pivoted instantly and attacked again.
Lightning spread across the ground in branching arcs, crawling outward to trap Rei's movement.
Several bolts cracked across the arena floor.
The students watching stepped back instinctively.
Shin frowned.
His control was slipping.
Too much mana.
Too little precision.
One arc jumped sideways unexpectedly.
Another surged too far forward.
For a moment the arena floor was alive with erratic lightning.
Cassian grinned.
"Now that's more like it."
Rei looked down at the lightning spreading toward him.
Then he stepped forward.
Straight into it.
The first arc struck his leg—
And fractured.
Not deflected.
Not absorbed.
It simply broke apart.
Like glass hitting stone.
Several more bolts snapped toward him.
Each one collapsed the moment it reached his body.
The structured mana unraveled instantly, dispersing into loose sparks that vanished into the air.
The arena went silent.
Rei kept walking.
Through the lightning.
Calm.
Unhurried.
Each step shattered another arc of electricity.
Shin's eyes widened.
"That's—"
He didn't finish.
Rei was already in front of him.
Shin tried to raise another strike—
Too slow.
Rei's hand snapped forward.
A clean chop to Shin's shoulder.
Not brutal.
Just precise.
But Shin's exhausted legs were already unstable.
He lost his balance immediately.
And dropped hard onto the arena floor.
The remaining lightning faded around them.
For a moment no one spoke.
Rei looked down at him.
Shin blinked up from the ground.
Then Rei's mouth curved slightly.
The first real smile anyone had seen from him all day.
"A little payback," Rei said quietly.
"For this morning."
Shin stared at him for a second.
Then laughed once.
"…Fair."
Across the arena, Cassian's smile had disappeared.
Professor Hale watched the scene with narrowed eyes.
Structured lightning spells had collapsed the moment they touched Rei.
Not weakened.
Not redirected.
Broken.
Just like the wind spell yesterday.
Just like the mana sphere during the examination.
Hale folded his arms slowly.
"Yes…"
Now that was interesting.
Shin pushed himself up slowly, rubbing his shoulder. Rei stepped back and returned to the line with the others.
Hale looked across the six students.
"Settle down."
That sounded simple.
It was not.
The moment the tension of the fight faded, the full weight of exhaustion came crashing back.
Cassian staggered toward the benches and dropped into a seat with a heavy exhale.
Valen collapsed beside him.
Mira slid into a chair and leaned forward with her elbows on her knees, breathing like someone who had just escaped drowning.
Elira barely made it to the bench before slumping sideways.
Only Rei sat down normally.
No dramatic collapse.
Just a quiet seat, back straight, breathing steady.
Hale noticed.
Of course he did.
The professor folded his arms and looked directly at Rei.
"Your observation during the previous lessons appears to have paid off."
students glanced at Rei weakly.
Cassian frowned slightly.
Hale continued.
"Walking through unstable lightning was an effective application of what you learned about structured atmospheric mana."
Rei gave a small nod.
Hale raised one finger.
"However."
The word landed with quiet weight.
"Do not allow that trick to reach your head."
Rei said nothing.
"Low-level structured mana destabilizes around you," Hale continued. "But stronger mages will produce far denser spell structures. When you eventually face those attacks, walking through them will not be so convenient."
Rei considered that.
Then nodded once.
"Understood."
Hale seemed satisfied with the answer.
He turned toward the rest of the group.
"From tomorrow onward, your training schedule will follow a consistent structure."
He began pacing slowly.
"Mornings will focus on physical conditioning and mana stability."
No response.
"Midday sessions will emphasize theory and structural analysis of magic."
Still nothing.
"Afternoons will consist of combat drills and sparring exercises."
Hale paused.
Something felt… wrong.
He turned.
Valen was asleep.
Completely asleep.
Head tilted back, breathing slow.
Next to him, Shin had also fallen asleep, one arm hanging loosely off the bench.
Elira had slumped sideways and was quietly drooling onto her sleeve.
Mira was still technically awake.
Barely.
Her head kept dipping forward before jerking back upright again.
Hale stared at them.
Rei sat quietly, still listening.
Hale's eye twitched.
He began walking toward the benches.
Rei watched him approach.
Then calmly stood up and stepped aside.
A wise decision.
Hale stopped beside the table in front of the exhausted students.
For one moment the arena was completely silent.
Then—
BANG.
His fist slammed onto the table.
All five students jumped violently.
Valen nearly fell out of his chair.
Shin jerked upright.
Elira made a startled squeak.
Mira almost fell backward.
Hale stared at them with complete disbelief.
"I was giving a lecture."
The twitch in his eyebrow became more pronounced.
"A lecture," he repeated slowly, "which was intended to be listened to."
No one spoke.
Cassian straightened awkwardly.
"…Apologies, Professor."
Shin rubbed his face.
Mira tried to sit up straighter.
Elira wiped her sleeve in embarrassment.
Hale exhaled slowly.
"Very well."
His tone became calm again.
That was somehow worse.
"You five appear to require assistance remaining awake."
Rei stood quietly beside him.
Observing.
Hale gestured toward the arena floor.
"Twenty laps."
The five students froze.
"Immediately."
Cassian looked horrified.
"Professor—"
"Thirty laps," Hale corrected.
Cassian shut his mouth.
The five students slowly dragged themselves toward the track around the arena.
Valen groaned.
Mira muttered something about injustice.
Elira looked ready to cry.
Shin simply accepted his fate.
Rei stood beside Hale as the exhausted group began running.
Hale watched them for a moment.
Then glanced sideways at Rei.
"You moved out of the way rather quickly."
Rei considered the comment.
"I have good observational skills."
Hale stared at him.
Then, despite himself, allowed the faintest hint of a smile.
"Clearly."
Across the arena, the five miserable students continued their punishment laps while the professor and the only student who had stayed awake watched in silence.
Calling it running would have been generous.
Cassian led the miserable procession, though his pace was barely faster than walking. Valen followed a few steps behind, his normally confident stride reduced to a heavy shuffle.
Shin ran with stubborn determination, but his breathing was rough.
Mira looked like she regretted every life decision that had brought her here.
Elira's steps were small and uneven, like she was trying not to collapse.
After half a lap, Mira groaned.
"This… is abuse."
Cassian didn't even bother responding.
On the sidelines, Professor Hale watched them for another moment.
Then he turned to Rei.
"Takeda."
"Yes, Professor."
"It is already evening."
Rei nodded slightly.
The orange light from the lowering sun was visible through the high arena windows.
Hale continued.
"I have other duties to attend to."
Rei waited.
Hale gestured toward the five exhausted students dragging themselves across the track.
"Ensure they complete their punishment."
Rei glanced at the group.
Valen had slowed even further.
Shin was still trying to maintain a steady rhythm.
Mira had begun muttering threats toward the academy.
"Understood."
Hale gave a small nod.
"Afterward, ensure they eat properly and rest."
His voice remained calm.
"The coming days will only become more difficult."
At that sentence—
Rei flinched slightly.
Barely noticeable.
But Hale saw it.
The professor allowed himself a faint, amused look.
"Yes," Hale added. "You should be concerned."
Then he turned and began walking toward the exit.
"Good night, Takeda."
"Good night, Professor."
The arena doors closed behind him with a heavy thud.
For one full second the arena was silent.
Then—
Five bodies collapsed onto the arena floor.
Valen dropped first.
Shin followed immediately.
Mira rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling.
Elira simply folded where she stood.
Cassian lasted two seconds longer than the rest before falling forward onto the track.
None of them moved.
Rei stood quietly beside the arena wall.
Watching.
He did not tell them to get up.
After several long seconds, Cassian groaned and pushed himself onto his elbows.
"That man is insane."
Mira lifted one arm weakly.
"I think I died somewhere around lap three."
Shin lay on his back, breathing slowly.
"We're on lap two."
"…That explains a lot," Mira muttered.
Cassian finally forced himself to his feet.
"I'm leaving."
He turned toward the exit.
Rei spoke.
"I will have to inform Professor Hale."
Cassian stopped mid-step.
Slowly, he turned back.
"…You wouldn't."
Rei looked at him calmly.
"That is my responsibility."
Cassian stared at him for several seconds.
His jaw tightened.
Everyone in the room knew exactly what would happen if Hale found out.
Thirty laps would become forty.
Or worse.
Cassian exhaled sharply through his nose.
"…Fine."
He turned back toward the track.
"Happy?"
Rei didn't answer.
The miserable running resumed.
If the first laps had been slow, the remaining ones were a disaster.
The students ran a few steps.
Stopped.
Collapsed.
Stood up again.
Walked half a lap.
Argued.
Collapsed again.
At one point Mira lay face-down on the track for nearly a full minute before Shin dragged her back to her feet.
Elira kept apologizing every time she stopped.
Valen tried to maintain dignity for the first ten laps.
Then abandoned the effort entirely.
Cassian complained the entire time.
Rei watched silently.
Occasionally he counted the laps.
Occasionally he corrected someone who tried to skip part of the track.
No one attempted to cheat again after that.
Nearly an hour later—
Cassian crossed the final line and immediately dropped onto the floor again.
"…Thirty."
Mira collapsed beside him.
"I hate this academy."
Valen sat heavily against the wall.
Elira simply laid flat on the ground, staring at the ceiling.
Shin leaned forward with his hands on his knees, breathing deeply.
Rei looked at the group.
"Punishment completed."
No one responded.
They were too tired.
The arena was quiet except for the sound of five exhausted students trying to recover from the longest thirty laps of their lives.
Rei watched them for another moment.
Then said calmly,
"Professor Hale also instructed you to eat."
Five groans echoed through the arena.
Another hour passed.
Or at least something close to it.
The arena had long since fallen quiet.
At some point during the miserable recovery from their punishment laps, the six students had migrated into one of the nearby classrooms.
Not intentionally.
More like gravity had pulled them there.
And then sleep had claimed them.
Even Rei.
Though he would never admit to needing it, the exhaustion from the day had finally caught up to him.
So he allowed himself a short rest.
A short one.
Rei opened his eyes slowly.
Darkness filled the quiet classroom.
For a moment he stayed perfectly still,
letting his mind catch up with his body.
Then he slowly sat upright.
The classroom remained dim and silent,
lit only by faint moonlight through
the tall academy windows.
Rei glanced toward the clock above the door.
12:30.
Midnight had already passed.
He slowly looked around the room.
The scene in front of him
would have been impressive
if it were not so ridiculous.
Rei had slept sitting upright
on one of the wooden benches.
Mira was stretched across two benches nearby,
completely unconscious, her head resting
comfortably on Elira's lap.
Elira leaned against the backrest,
still asleep as well, her head
tilted awkwardly to one side.
Shin had fallen asleep bent forward
over the classroom table, arms folded
beneath his head like a pillow.
Valen looked far more comfortable.
He had claimed an entire table
and was sleeping across it
like someone who had done
this exact thing many times before.
Cassian…
Cassian was on the floor.
Apparently he had fallen off the table
at some point during the night.
He hadn't bothered correcting it.
His legs were still awkwardly resting
against the table while the rest
of his body lay flat on the floor,
head tilted sideways.
Rei watched the group silently.
Then he slowly stood up.
"Wake up."
No response at all.
Shin did not move.
Valen did not move either.
Cassian snored loudly.
Rei tried again.
"Wake up."
Still absolutely nothing.
Mira made a small sleepy noise
but did not open her eyes.
Rei waited a few seconds longer.
Then he tried shaking Shin's shoulder.
Nothing happened.
Valen was even worse.
Cassian might as well
have been completely dead.
Rei looked at them carefully.
Then looked toward the table.
Then back at them again.
A decision was made.
Rei walked toward one side
of the table where Shin
and Valen were sleeping.
He grabbed the wooden edge.
And lifted.
The table tilted sharply upward.
Shin slid off first.
Valen followed immediately after.
Both of them dropped off the table
and landed directly on top of Cassian.
"—WHAT—"
Cassian's shout came muffled
from beneath the sudden pile.
Shin jerked awake immediately.
Valen rolled sideways in confusion.
At the same exact moment—
Elira woke up.
Her eyes snapped open just as Mira
began sliding off the bench.
Elira reacted instantly and grabbed her
before she could hit the floor.
"Ah—!"
Mira blinked slowly.
"What happened…?"
Shin pushed himself upright.
Cassian struggled underneath the pile.
"Get. Off."
Valen rolled away from him.
Cassian slowly sat upright, glaring.
"You did that on purpose."
Rei looked at him calmly.
"You were not waking up."
Cassian rubbed his face tiredly.
"Because we were asleep."
Shin looked around the dark classroom.
"…Why is it dark?"
Rei walked toward the window
and glanced outside briefly.
The academy courtyard was completely dark.
Even the courtyard lamps
had already been extinguished.
Night patrols must have already passed.
He checked the clock again.
"12:30."
Mira blinked slowly again.
"…Midnight?"
Elira looked immediately horrified.
"We missed dinner."
Cassian groaned loudly.
Valen rubbed the back of his neck.
"That explains why I feel terrible."
After several seconds of sleepy arguing,
the group slowly gathered themselves together.
No one had the energy left for pride.
They shuffled through the quiet academy halls
toward the large dining building.
When they finally arrived,
the heavy doors were already closing.
The head chef was locking the entrance.
Rei stepped forward slightly.
"Excuse me."
The man turned around.
Looked at the six half-dead students.
Then sighed immediately.
"You're late."
Mira weakly raised one hand.
"Training…"
The chef crossed his arms.
"Dining hours ended an hour ago."
Cassian groaned again.
Rei spoke calmly.
"They ran thirty punishment laps."
The chef raised one eyebrow.
"…At night?"
"Yes."
The man looked again
at the exhausted group.
Half-lidded eyes.
Drooping posture.
Mira nearly falling asleep standing.
Then he sighed once more.
"Fine."
He unlocked the door again.
"But only because you look dead."
The students shuffled inside quietly.
The chef complained the entire time
while preparing simple late meals.
Rei quietly helped him carry
a few trays to the tables.
Soon the six students were sitting
around a long dining table.
Half-closed eyes.
Drooling mouths.
Every muscle painfully aching.
Valen stared at the food
like it was a miracle.
Mira rested her forehead on the table.
Elira tried not to fall asleep again.
Cassian rubbed both temples slowly.
Shin simply grabbed the nearest plate.
Rei placed the final tray down.
Then finally sat.
The group began eating slowly.
Too tired to talk.
Too hungry to care.
Somewhere far in the distance,
the academy bells quietly marked
the passing of midnight.
Tomorrow would come soon.
And Professor Hale had already warned them.
Training would only become worse.