Raze's sharp eyes caught a figure moving through the sidelines—Lara, her expression unreadable, walking away quietly after Mia's match. He watched her go, noting the subtle tension in her stride,
Tamao stepped forward.
The moment she left the line, something in the arena subtly shifted.
It wasn't pressure.
It wasn't killing intent.
It was attention.
Behind her, murmurs began to rise—low at first, then slowly spreading through the stands.
"Wait… her class—" "I didn't recognize it when Elden announced it." "Did you hear? It's not a standard illusion class."
A boy from another class leaned forward, eyes narrowed.
"Illusionist… Chains."
The name alone caused a stir.
"Illusions usually don't manifest physically." "So how do chains even—" "That class is supposed to be extremely rare."
Expectations quietly piled onto her back.
Some students straightened in their seats.
Others watched with thinly veiled curiosity.
Raze noticed it all.
He stood still, hands in his pockets, eyes following Tamao as she stopped a few steps from the golem.
Illusionist Chains…
That's not a normal specialization.
Illusions were meant to deceive the senses.
Chains were meant to restrain the body.
Combining the two meant one thing—
Control.
Raze's gaze sharpened slightly.
"I'm interested," he thought.
"What will you do?"
Leon, standing a short distance away, clicked his tongue quietly.
"Figures," he muttered. "Another freak class."
But unlike his earlier confidence, his eyes stayed locked on Tamao.
He had fought the golem.
He knew how heavy it was.
How strong.
If her chains were only illusions—
"They won't hold," Leon thought.
Ahead of them, the golem stood motionless.
Its stone body was still marked from previous battles, cracks repaired by faintly glowing runes.
Its level indicator hovered steadily.
Level Two.
Elden watched silently from the side, arms crossed, expression unreadable.
"Begin," he said.
The golem moved.
Stone legs thundered forward, each step shaking the ground as it closed the distance with terrifying speed.
Tamao didn't draw a weapon.
She didn't chant.
She didn't move at all.
Then—
Something shimmered.
Thin lines of light unraveled from the air itself, twisting, overlapping—
Chains.
They didn't glow brightly.
They didn't look solid.
Yet when they snapped around the golem's legs—
—CLANG—
The sound was unmistakably real.
The golem stumbled.
Its massive body lurched forward as one knee slammed into the stone arena, cracks spiderwebbing outward from the impact.
A collective gasp swept through the stands.
"She stopped it—" "Those chains are physical!?" "That thing weighs tons!"
Leon's eyes widened despite himself.
"…She actually restrained it."
Raze didn't blink.
But something felt off.
Tamao's expression hadn't changed.
Not satisfaction.
Not focus.
Confusion.
The chains trembled.
A sharp, unnatural sound followed—
—CRACK—
One chain snapped.
Then another.
The illusion fractured—not fading, but breaking, like glass under pressure.
"What—?"
The golem's runes flared violently.
It surged upward, stone limbs tearing free as shattered chain fragments dissolved into light.
The distance between it and Tamao vanished in an instant.
Too fast.
Too close.
Tamao stood frozen.
Not in fear.
In disbelief.
Her eyes widened slightly as she stared at her empty hands.
"…That shouldn't have—"
"STOP."
Elden's voice cut through the arena like a blade.
The golem halted mid-motion, fist inches from Tamao's head.
Silence crashed down.
For a heartbeat, no one spoke.
Then—
"What just happened?" "Did her technique fail?" "Those chains—weren't they strong enough?"
Leon took a step forward, shock clear in his voice.
"That's impossible," he said.
"I saw those chains hold a greater demon before. Something bigger than that golem."
Whispers turned frantic.
"She had perfect mana." "How does someone like that fail?" "Was the golem upgraded again?"
Tamao didn't move.
She stared at the space where her chains had been, brows drawn together.
"…It didn't resist," she murmured quietly.
"It broke through."
Raze exhaled slowly.
So it was clearly her mistake.
He sighed, disappointment flickering briefly in his eyes.
"What a wasted potential."
The golem's runes flickered.
Its level dropped.
Level One.
Rina stepped forward and chose her weapons—two simple daggers.
"Begin," Elden said.
The golem advanced.
Rina disappeared.
Not vanished—moved.
A flash of steel struck the golem's leg joint.
Another cut grazed its side.
The golem swung.
She wasn't there.
What followed wasn't a single exchange—but a sequence.
Rina weaved through the arena, her movements blurring together as she slipped past heavy strikes, reappearing only long enough to land precise, shallow blows before vanishing again.
Minutes passed.
The golem failed to touch her even once.
It turned.
Adjusted.
Struck faster.
Still, she overwhelmed it—not with strength, but with speed.
Then—
The runes on the golem flared.
The level indicator began to rise.
Before it could complete—
"Stop."
Elden's voice cut through the arena.
Rina froze mid-step, daggers lowering.
The golem halted, runes dimming.
Elden looked at her for a moment.
"This is enough," he said calmly.
"For a Rogue."
Elden stepped forward.
The arena fell silent.
"The Ranking Test is concluded," he said.
"Understand this first," Elden continued calmly. "These ranks do not measure how strong you will be in the future."
His gaze swept over the students.
"They measure your current evaluation—your combat sense, mana control, adaptability, and overall battlefield value."
He raised a finger.
"These rankings will change. Rise—or fall—based on your actions."
A pause.
Then—
"Before I will announce the results."
He raised a hand, commanding attention.
"Listen carefully," he said, voice calm but carrying the weight of authority that made even the older spectators lean in slightly. "You've just experienced your first real evaluation. What you faced wasn't just a golem—it was a mirror of your potential, your strengths, and your weaknesses."
The students shifted, some straightening nervously, others stealing glances at their classmates.
You may have noticed," Elden continued, eyes narrowing slightly as he scanned the group, "that when you were in danger… when you faced the golem's attacks… your mana responded automatically. Your abilities, your class powers—they surfaced without conscious thought. That is not coincidence. It is instinct, honed by your innate connection to your class and your magical essence."
He paused, letting the words sink in. "Some of you used that instinct successfully, turning it into action and control. Others… struggled, faltering under pressure. A few failed entirely, unable to adapt in time."
A few students nodded solemnly, recognizing their own shortcomings. Some lowered their heads, disappointed in themselves.
Elden's gaze lingered on Tamao, still frozen in shock, hands clenching tightly at her sides.
"Your ranks," Elden said, raising a hand to silence the murmurs, "will be determined today, based on your performance in this test. Not on your potential. Not on what you could do under ideal circumstances—but on what you demonstrated under pressure, against an opponent that adapts and grows with you."
The students exchanged glances, their expressions a mixture of anticipation and anxiety.
"But," he added, letting the words hang with careful emphasis, "this is only the beginning. In one month, you will face the real Ranking Match. That match… will not be a simulation. It will be your chance to prove your worth against one another under conditions far more extreme. Survival, strategy, and adaptability will be tested to their limits. Every decision, every use of your power, every hesitation or misstep will matter.
"Elden's gaze swept over Raze's group. "Remember this: strength alone is meaningless without control. Strategy without foresight is wasted. Those who failed to manage their mana or harness their abilities… you have time, but not much. The real test will expose every weakness, every flaw.
"Tamao exhaled slowly, a spark of resolve in her eyes. She clenched her fists again, murmuring under her breath, "Next time… I won't fail."
"I will now announce the results."
Tension coiled in the air.
Some students clenched their fists. Others swallowed.
Raze remained still.
So this is how they draw the line…
Elden's voice echoed clearly across the arena.
"Your ranks… are as follows."