"Aaaah!"
Screams echoed across the training field as students dropped one after another, a mix of sweat, panic, and near-tears filling the air.
The rules were brutal: if Selviane struck you with her wooden sword, you were out. No second chances. The last one standing would win.
But hiding was nearly impossible.
The moment the game started, Selviane didn't give anyone time to breathe, let alone vanish. She moved like wind—quick, precise, and merciless.
Daranth glared at the nearby nobles. "Don't just stand there—do something! She's coming!"
They flinched, looking at one another, all silently thinking the same thing: Who the hell wants to take a hit for the prince right now?
Selviane had already broken one wooden sword and picked up another like nothing had happened. The pain looked real—and nobody wanted to be next.
"Thaleon, go!" someone shouted, shoving him forward.
"What?!" Thaleon turned on them, furious, then looked toward Daranth. "Your Highness, I—"
"Shut up and do something!" Daranth snapped.
"Y-yes…" Thaleon muttered. His hands trembled. The instructor was blindfolded and still tracking students by sensing their aether. It was terrifying.
Even more shocking—some elite house students were actually dodging her.
Lucian. Lyssandra. Ryven.
They stood their ground, moving with fluid grace, barely avoiding her strikes.
Damn it… how do I even survive this?! Thaleon panicked.
Kael sprinted past him just as Selviane stepped forward. With a single motion, she extended her wooden sword, slicing through the air.
She wasn't guessing. She felt the presence of aether—Kael's aether.
She swung.
He narrowly dodged, the tip grazing the space near his face as he jumped back, landing with a sharp exhale.
"Damn it, she nearly hit me," he muttered under his breath. He was still leaking aether. Not enough control. He'd have to improve—and fast.
Selviane smirked.
"Oh? I still sense a few of you breathing out here…"
She tilted her head, pointing her sword toward a clustered group.
"Wonder what kind of idiots are standing over there."
Her sword aimed directly at Daranth's team.
Daranth's eyes widened. He could suppress his presence—but the others couldn't. Their sloppy energy made them an easy target.
Tch. Useless.
"You!" he barked. "Attack Kael!"
The nobles turned toward him, confused.
"But Your Highness…"
"If you do it, I'll make sure my sister lets you into the Noble Faction!"
That got their attention.
Kael, still crouched in silence, narrowed his eyes.
Across the field, the nobles turned—eyes locked on him.
They were coming.
And Kael could only hope Selviane walked away before things got worse.
Emilio glared across the field at Daranth, standing off to the side with Selina and Neira.
"You bastard! That doesn't count!"
Daranth chuckled, arms crossed. "Who says it doesn't? Instructor Selviane never mentioned any rules."
Selviane didn't respond. She paused mid-step, letting the breeze carry traces of aether to her senses. A small smile tugged at her lips.
Let's see what the boy does. Will he give up?
Kael gritted his teeth. The odds weren't just bad—they were absurd. Selviane, a powerful instructor, was roaming the field blindfolded, and now a swarm of nobles were gunning for him.
There's no way out… right?
[Listen to me. This is the perfect opportunity.]
Ash Crow's voice was calm but urgent.
[You've got eight students coming for you—and a skilled woman who could drop you at any second. This is exactly what battlefields are like. Or high-class monster hunts. Tight. Unforgiving.]
So what's the move? Kael thought, heart pounding.
[Breathe. Like she told you. In and out. Let your mind become like a river—no resistance, no chaos. The woman? She's the real threat. Not them.]
Kael steadied his breath. He hadn't been in a real fight yet, not like this. But now… maybe this was his first real step.
[Imagine this training field as your domain. You are the center. Don't run. Own the space. Sense every flicker of energy. Track them. Wait. Then strike.]
Complicated? Definitely.
But Kael closed his eyes, focused, and felt it—faint pulses of energy around him, like footsteps in water. He exhaled slowly.
Then—sting.
A sensation at his back, like a predator closing in. His body reacted before his mind did. He spun.
Thaleon. Smiling like a snake. Trying to shove him toward Selviane.
Wrong move.
Kael sidestepped at the last second, grabbing Thaleon by the back of the neck.
"Next time," he growled, "don't try to sneak me."
Before Thaleon could answer, Kael threw him straight toward Selviane.
Her blindfolded head tilted slightly—just enough to sense him midair.
WHAM!
She spun with surgical grace and cracked Thaleon square on the forehead. A blast of wind erupted from the impact. Dust flew. Gasps filled the air.
Kael didn't wait.
While the attention shifted, he lunged toward the group of nobles now frozen in hesitation. His body low, his energy hidden.
Now it was his turn to hunt.