The arena fell utterly silent as Raze Arcwell stepped onto the platform.
No aura. No Nexas. No supernatural presence.
Just calm eyes…and two short swords at his waist.
Whispers swirled instantly.
"He's really going last?" "He'll get crushed. Those robots fight like mid-rank heroes." "What is he planning with just knives?"
But when Raze drew the blades—
The atmosphere shifted.
The metal shimmered with a dark, star-like glow. Smooth, reflective, unnaturally dense.
Gasps spread through the students.
"T–That shine—!""Is that… Abyss Alloy!?""No way! A fragment of the Fallen Star!?"
Even the teachers reacted.
Instructor Vale stood up sharply. "Principal—did the Arcwell family approve this!?"
Celeste Ardyn narrowed her eyes, voice calm but tense. "Abyss Alloy is rare enough that nations go to war over it. What is such a metal doing in a first-year exam…?"
Raze didn't answer. He simply raised his blades.
These were not ordinary weapons.
They were Astral Edges—crafted from a portion of the Abyss Alloy meteor shard the Arcwell family obtained years ago.
Only a portion.
Enough to forge twin blades—but with plenty still preserved for future use.
The remainder was locked safely away, meant for something greater later…
…something Raze had yet to realize he would soon need.
The countdown began.
3…2…1…
START!
◆ ◆ ◆
The Robots Awaken
The two 5-meter combat units activated instantly.
WHRRRR—!
Their eyes glowed red as they charged, the floor shaking under their feet.
These were elite academy units—capable of tracking speed-types, overwhelming strength-types, and adapting on the fly.
For Raze—
High-Threat Mode Activated.
The first robot swung a fist the size of a boulder.
Raze barely sidestepped—
BOOOOM!!
The floor exploded where he had stood.
The second robot attacked immediately from behind.
Raze crossed his blades and blocked—
CLANG—!!!
Metal screamed.Pain shot down his arms.
One direct block like that again… and my bones will crack.
He rolled aside and counter-slashed one robot's knee joint—
SHNK!
The blade bit deep—
—but not enough.
He hadn't committed fully to the strike.
"Tch…"
He moved again, but—
WHAM—!!
The second robot clipped his ribs.
Raze stumbled, breath tight.
The audience panicked.
"He got hit!" "Is he okay!?"
Roger shot halfway out of his seat .Bam clenched his fists. Astra watched silently… but with sharpened eyes.
Raze steadied himself.
He exhaled slowly.
"…No more holding back."
His thumb flicked a hidden switch on the hilt.
click—
A faint white vibration buzzed through the blade. The edge glowed faintly.
The room froze.
Weapon Ability Activates — Vibration Edge
The instructors reacted instantly.
"A Vibration Core…!?""In a student's weapon!?"
Celeste's voice dropped."…Only one blacksmith fits this craftsmanship."
Forged by Kael Forgebound
A memory flashed.
A hidden forge. A hammer striking metal like thunder.
Kael Forgebound. The greatest blacksmith alive.
He refused kings. Rejected nations. Denied S-rank heroes.
But when he saw Raze's determination—
Kael sighed and said:
"You have no Nexas…but you have the heart of a warrior."
The Arcwell family entrusted him with a portion of the Abyss Alloy shard.
From that piece—Kael forged the twin Astral Edges.
Lightweight. Balanced. Microscopic vibration cores woven into the alloy.
Deadly—if handled by anyone less skilled.
Kael's warning echoed:
"These blades amplify your mistakes as much as your strength. Lose focus, and your own weapon will kill you."
Raze trained every day with that in mind.
The Turning Point
The robots charged again.
Raze sprinted forward—sliding under the first robot—
and activated the full vibration mode.
WHRRRR—SHAAAAK!
His blade carved upward—
—and the robot's entire leg severed cleanly.
KRAK—!!
The machine toppled.
The arena ERUPTED.
"He cut through academy steel like paper!!""No way—NO WAY!!""Is that the power of Abyss Alloy!?"
The second robot attacked aggressively, switching to pressure assault mode.
Raze parried—
CLANG—!!
His arm shook violently. The vibration nearly numbed his fingers.
He gritted his teeth, twisted his body—
click—!
The second blade activated.
WHRRRR—
Raze launched into a spinning triple-slash.
SHNK! SHNK! SHNK!
Each slice cut through armored joints with surgical precision.
He ran up the robot's arm—jumped—
and unleashed a vertical decapitation strike.
KRAAANG!!
The robot's head hit the floor. Its body collapsed seconds later.
Silence.
Then—
VICTORY
The stadium EXPLODED with cheers.
"He did it!!""He beat BOTH robots!!""And he's POWERLESS!?""That sword mastery is insane!"
Bam pumped his fist. Roger screamed in joy. Astra… smiled gently for the first time.
The teachers exchanged glances—not disappointment, but awe.
Celeste whispered softly:
"A powerless boy…wielding Abyss Alloy with perfect control…Raze Arcwell may become the most dangerous student we've ever admitted."
Raze sheathed his blades, breathing hard.
His ribs ached. His arms trembled. Sweat dripped down his jaw.
But he stood tall.
He looked at the defeated robots and whispered:
"This is just the beginning."