"Damn… that fight lasted longer than I've ever lasted against her," Quinn muttered under his breath.
The rest of the matches were much shorter and far less exciting.
The next bout that caught Leo's attention was Layla's.
Even without her telekinesis, she wielded her bow with precision. Her arrows flew ahead of her opponent's movements, predicting every turn and forcing him into corners. She gave him several chances to yield, her voice calm but firm.
Her opponent—a level 3 power user—refused. Pride wouldn't let him lose to a level 2, even without using abilities.
That pride cost him. Charging recklessly, he found himself stopped cold by a flurry of arrows pinning into his legs. Leo stepped in and called the match before more damage was done.
The next names called made Quinn's stomach tighten.
"Quinn Talen and Brandon Richardson to the arena."
As Quinn stepped up, his eyes flicked to the display above Brandon's head. Power level: 3. In the outside world, where abilities were fair game, Quinn wouldn't have bet on himself. But here no abilities were allowed, and things were different.
Thanks to a month of brutal training under Vicky, his body was harder, faster, stronger. Constant fights followed by healing had pushed his limits, though he was still far off from Blade kids' caliber. But even then, they used to spar with no weapons so. He needed to be careful.
Brandon gripped a long spear with a curved blade at its tip, its reach a clear advantage.
"Begin!" Leo barked.
Brandon wasted no time, charging forward with an aggressive thrust. The spear sliced the air toward Quinn—fast enough to draw murmurs from the crowd—but Quinn slipped to the side, ducking low. Before Brandon could pull the weapon back, Quinn's hands clamped around the shaft.
"What the hell?!" Brandon shouted, tugging hard. "Let go!"
While Brandon's focus stayed on the spear, Quinn used the opening—an elbow smashed into Brandon's jaw, snapping his head sideways, followed immediately by a sharp knee straight to the groin.
The crowd roared as if feeling his pain.
Brandon's breath left him in a choked gasp. His grip slackened and the spear clattered to the ground. Quinn didn't hesitate—using the heavy gauntlets, he swung a brutal punch into Brandon's nose. The crack of impact made a few spectators wince.
"Winner—Quinn Talen," Leo announced.
Two military medics appeared almost instantly, hauling Brandon off to the infirmary.
After few more fights, the day has come to an end and Quin returned the gauntlets back to the weapons hall, after all they didn't belong to him.
Once Quin went on his portal outing, then he would be able to hunt for a suitable beast to make a weapon of his own, at that time he would also be allowed to borrow the equipment.
Leo had seen many fights that day, but only three students had truly stood out to him. The first two were obvious—Vicky Blade and Erin Heley. The third, however, was Quinn Talen.
There was something they all shared. Leo could sense it—raw Qi, flowing through their bodies. It was part of his ability, the power to see a person's aura. Normally, Qi remained dormant, stored in the lower dantian, but in these three, it wasn't stagnant. It moved, coursing naturally, even without their awareness.
Leo smiled at the thought of their potential… but his expression darkened when his gaze lingered on Quinn.
Vicky and Erin's Qi reserves were almost full and there was a balance even in a way that didn't harm the body.
Quinn's, however, was different. His Qi was weak, the reserves barely there. And yet, he was using it—draining himself without realizing. If he kept doing that… he might not just cripple his chances of ever mastering Qi. He could very well die.
"Pull up the file on Quinn Talen," Leo ordered.
"File located," his watch responded in a crisp, mechanical voice.
"Ability?"
"No registered ability. Power level: 1.5," the device replied.
A pause. Then, almost as an afterthought—
"Additional note: possible affiliation with Pure."
Leo's brows furrowed, his gaze narrowing on the holographic display."Hmph… interesting, just what are you hiding, Quinn?"
----
Meanwhile, in the medical ward, Brandon had just been released after treatment. His body was healed, but his pride… far from it.
Anger simmered in him, the memory of his humiliating defeat playing over and over in his mind.
Quinn… you weak, pathetic level one… you'll pay for this.