It was the day the qualifying rounds would finally begin.
Virelle was walking through the corridors of Astrong Academy to gather the five best students and take them to the designated competition venue. She had intended to start with Enrico, but the previous day, he had explained that he needed to complete a special training session that she herself had recommended. He had also asked to be the last one called.
'If he manages to finish this training, he'll be able to put up a good fight against Victoria.'
With that thought in mind, Virelle changed direction and headed toward a secret training room used by the academy's director himself.
Upon entering, she found Hao sitting calmly, reading a newspaper. In front of him was a spherical barrier with someone trapped inside. Although the structure appeared stable, small cracks were beginning to form across its surface as powerful magical impacts repeatedly struck it from within.
Virelle immediately recognized the origin of the barrier. It was a Circle Two spell created by Hao, and its durability was close to that circle's limit.
'Even though it's a Circle Two barrier created by the director, it's at the very peak of that circle. And yet...'
The person trapped inside continued striking the structure with surprising force. Each impact caused the cracks to spread a little further, demonstrating that the magic being used was extraordinarily powerful for someone at that level.
"Professor Virelle, is it time already?"
"Professor Virelle, is it time already?"
Hao raised his eyes from the newspaper, and Virelle nodded.
"Yes, Director. From what I can see, you're training her very well."
"Of course! Now that the person I wanted to train already has a teacher, I want to show her what she's missing out on."
Virelle snorted when she realized Hao was talking about his own disciple. Then, she turned her attention back to the barrier, pretending not to care about his provocation.
That training wasn't simply about breaking a magical structure. Inside it, Hao had created constant magical pressure that forced the person within to use their own magic to protect their body. The longer they remained inside, the more effort they would need to withstand the pressure and continue attacking.
"She's very powerful, but she still doesn't have anything that can help her withstand stronger attacks. That's why I prepared this training."
Hao's words made Virelle look curious.
"Perhaps it's because her body has been at the peak of human capabilities since birth. You know, I'm curious to see her reaction when she discovers that Enrico has the same type of body."
"I hope so too. Maybe then she'll finally abandon this idea that nothing at her own level can hurt her."
Both shared the same desire: they wanted that girl to take her training as a mage seriously.
Astrong had received countless prodigies throughout its history, and many had ended up wasting their potential because they believed natural talent would be enough. Victoria, however, was a particularly frustrating case. Everyone knew she possessed extraordinary abilities, but few could make her understand the importance of training seriously.
"That girl always tries to reject my training and then claims she was already strong even without it. I wish she were more like Enrico. Despite being a prodigy, he trains a lot."
'He's not exactly a prodigy.'
Virelle discreetly looked away from Hao.
Most people still believed Enrico was simply an exceptional talent, someone born with abilities far beyond those of the other students. From a distance, it was genuinely easy to reach that conclusion.
However, Virelle knew there was something different behind his growth. Hao and Alaric, on the other hand, had interpreted Enrico's words about the future differently. Both believed the boy had wasted his talent in his first life and, after regretting it, had received a second opportunity to make the most of his potential.
'It seems only Angela and I know... Having a secret with my pupil is a pleasant feeling.'
An arrogant smile appeared on her face, and she secretly felt proud to believe she was one of the few people capable of understanding Enrico's true nature.
'I still have doubts about how he increased his mana so much, but perhaps it was something related to the future. I hope that someday he'll share that secret with his teacher.'
"It looks like she's about to get out."
The sound of something breaking interrupted Virelle's thoughts.
She turned her attention back to the barrier just as a final explosion of energy struck its surface. The cracks spread throughout the entire structure until the magical sphere finally shattered, freeing the person trapped inside.
The power demonstrated in that final impact was impressive. For someone in Circle Two, that amount of mana was the greatest the academy had ever recorded in its entire history.
'I can't wait to see how far you'll go.'
"You damn old bastard! Why did you put me inside that sphere, you bastard?!"
The first thing Virelle and Hao saw was Victoria's purple hair.
The girl was visibly irritated. Sweat ran down her forehead, and her eyes revealed all the indignation she felt at having been forced to exert herself so much over something that, according to her own assessment, was completely useless.
"Miss Victoria, it's time for us to head to the qualifying rounds. You should rest a little before we leave."
Upon hearing Virelle's words, Victoria pointed toward Hao.
"That's exactly what I wanted to do if it weren't for this old man!"
Hao simply let out a disapproving sigh.
"That brat is really annoying. That's why I prefer Enrico."
Upon hearing that name, Victoria turned toward the director.
"Enrico? You never stop talking about him, but I don't think he's all that impressive compared to me."
Her expression remained neutral, as though she were simply stating an indisputable fact.
And, in a way, it was understandable that she thought so. Throughout her life, Victoria had been accustomed to being superior to the people around her. Even when she was wrong, her talent and abilities often allowed her to maintain her arrogance without suffering any consequences.
"I don't want to hear that name right now. Let's go, Professor."
Without waiting for a response, Victoria walked past them and left the room.
Hao and Virelle exchanged glances before shaking their heads.
The girl knew her own potential, but that same confidence made her act as though she were the only important person in the world. That was precisely why, despite her extraordinary abilities, she remained so difficult to teach.
'That's exactly why I lost some of my interest in training her, despite all the potential she possesses.'
Virelle sighed and followed Victoria out of the room.
The group headed toward another area of the academy, where one of the training fields used by students after classes was located.
Upon arriving, they found several magical dummies scattered around the area. They were pieces of equipment created by the academy to help students improve their combat skills, allowing them to train against artificial opponents whenever they wished.
In the center of the field, a girl was fighting several of them at once.
'Students can come here whenever they want, but as far as I remember, Enrico hasn't spent much time in this place.'
While Virelle observed the scene, Hao approached the girl.
"Miss Xuefeng, it's time for us to leave."
Lira Xuefeng, the academy's second-ranked student, stopped training and turned toward them.
Her expression was completely cold. Her long black hair fell to her waist, contrasting with her dark green eyes, which examined the newcomers without showing any emotion.
Everyone had the impression that Lira was hiding her true personality behind that cold demeanor. Even so, for some reason, few people felt inclined to discover what was really going on in her mind.
"Yes. Please accompany us, Miss Xuefeng."
"I'll be right behind you, Professor."
After gathering her belongings, Lira joined the group.
Their next stop was the place where Elaris was handling some matters related to the Student Council. As president, she had to deal with various responsibilities, but as soon as she noticed the teachers arriving, she quickly finished what she was doing and approached them.
Without wasting any time, she also joined the group without saying a word to her companions.
'Those three haven't said a word throughout the entire journey. Sometimes, I wonder if they're really classmates... Although the next one isn't much different.'
Hao shook his head resignedly and headed toward the library on the academy's second level.
In the center of the place, a boy with green hair was sitting, completely absorbed in the book he was holding. His black glasses accentuated his studious expression, and the way he turned the pages showed that he was deeply engrossed in his reading.
"Mr. Roberto, it's time for us to leave."
The boy immediately raised his head.
"Already? Damn it, I got too absorbed in reading about the new magic! Just wait a second while I pack my things."
Roberto Vioren, the fourth-ranked student, hurriedly stood up and began organizing his belongings.
Previously, he had held ninth place, but he had quickly climbed the rankings after witnessing Enrico defeat Danyana. That confrontation seemed to awaken something within him, inspiring him to train with even greater determination to reach higher positions.
After putting away the book, Roberto joined the others.
"It looks like only our companion Enrico is left, right, Director?"
"Exactly. As far as I know, he's training on the training field to the left of the academy."
Roberto adjusted his glasses, and a glimmer of anticipation appeared in the lenses.
"Well, I wouldn't expect anything less from that training maniac."
With everyone gathered, the group headed toward their final destination.
However, as they approached the training field, they began to notice something strange in the surroundings. A considerable amount of mana still lingered in the air, and the ground looked as though it had been subjected to an extraordinary force.
When they finally entered the area, they understood the source of that sensation.
The field had been completely destroyed.
Parts of the ground had been torn away, craters were scattered throughout the area, and some structures had been reduced to rubble. Amid all that destruction, Enrico was lying on the ground, breathing with difficulty.
Despite his condition, he still managed to raise his head when he noticed the group arriving.
"Good morning. I think I overdid it a little during training. Could you help me recover faster?"
Virelle sighed and approached him to begin healing his injuries.
"You really don't know when to stop, do you?"
While the professor began treating his wounds, the other four students observed the destruction around them.
Victoria maintained her neutral expression, but her eyes scanned the field with interest. Lira remained silent, analyzing the damage without revealing what she was thinking. Elaris watched Enrico attentively, while Roberto seemed fascinated by the amount of mana still permeating the surroundings.
Finally, the five best students of Astrong Academy had gathered, and the qualifying rounds were about to begin.