Silas led them through the gleaming halls of the Spire of Ascension. The air hummed with energy, and the sound of clashing practice weapons echoed around them. They entered a vast training arena where dozens of students in pristine white and gold uniforms were honing their light-based skills.
Their entrance did not go unnoticed. The unfamiliar, travel-worn trio stood out starkly against the polished perfection of the Velmora students. Whispers followed them.
Silas paused, turning to his charges. "This is where our intermediate students train. Observe their control. Light is a precise element; it requires—"
He was interrupted by a voice dripping with condescension.
"Sir Silas. We heard you were on a scouting mission. I didn't realize you'd started a collection of stray kittens."
Three students approached. They moved with a confident swagger that immediately set Brad's teeth on edge. They were clearly top of their class.
The speaker was a lean, sharp-faced boy with an arrogant tilt to his chin. "My name is Leo," he said, his eyes scanning Kael, Brad, and Maria with open disdain. "And these are my teammates, Finn and Maya." Finn was broad-shouldered and quiet, his arms crossed. Maya had calculating eyes that missed nothing.
"These are guests from a allied kingdom," Silas said, his tone neutral, though a warning glint was in his eye. "They are Marions, like you. They just completed a successful mission against a Manio-tier threat."
Leo's eyebrows shot up in mock surprise. "A Manio-tier? Them? Forgive me, Sir Silas, but they look like they got lost on their way to a Barwo-level pest control detail." His friends snickered.
Brad took a step forward, his fists clenching. "You got a problem? We can solve it right now."
Leo ignored Brad, his gaze locking onto Kael, who stood silently. He could sense something different about him. "Is that so? The quiet one must be the leader. He doesn't look like much. What's your power, outsider? Can you make a decent light spark?"
"His power is none of your concern, Leo," Silas interjected, but his words had the opposite effect.
"Ah, so it's a secret," Maya chimed in, a sly smile on her face. "Sir Silas must have brought you here because you're special. He thinks you need our help to learn control." She made "special" sound like an insult.
Finn finally spoke, his voice a low rumble. "We don't train weaklings. This isn't a charity. If you can't keep up, you'll just be a burden."
The accusation—that they were charity cases, weaklings needing handouts—was the final spark. It wasn't just an insult to their strength; it was an insult to their pride and the brutal trial they had just survived.
Kael's calm expression finally cracked, his eyes narrowing. But it was Brad who exploded.
"YOU THINK WE'RE WEAK?!" Brad roared, purple energy erupting around him in a violent aura. "We just killed a Bore that would make you three piss your shiny white pants! Let's go! Right here, right now! I'll take on all three of you!"
"Brad, don't!" Maria urged, but the tension had snapped.
Leo's hands began to glow with intense, solid light, shaping into razor-sharp gauntlets. "Light Fists. Gladly. We'll show you what real power looks like."
Finn didn't speak. Two vicious, shimmering daggers of condensed light—Light Daggers—appeared in his hands, and he dropped into a combat stance.
Maya gestured, and a wide, brilliantly glowing disc of hard light—a Solid Light Shield—materialized in front of her. "Try and get through this."
The Velmora students weren't just rude; they felt their territory and their teacher's attention were being invaded by unworthy outsiders. Their challenge was a direct, logical result of perceived threat and arrogance.
Silas let out a sigh. He saw the conflict was inevitable. "Very well," he said, his voice cutting through the rising energy. "A controlled spar. One round. But you will not hold back, Leo. Let's see if your assessment is accurate."
He looked at Kael, a silent command in his eyes. Show me. Show them.
Kael met his gaze and gave a single, sharp nod. He stepped in front of the still-fuming Brad. "I'll handle this."
He faced the three Velmora students, his posture relaxed but his eyes burning with cold fire. The black flame sword didn't ignite. Instead, the air around him grew cold and heavy.
"Alright," Kael said, his voice low. "Let's see what light can do against the dark."
(Chapter 22 Fin)