Kethan barely slipped past the punch aimed at his jaw. He stepped in immediately, driving his fist toward his opponent's liver, only for it to be caught and blocked by a pale forearm at the last second.
He exhaled sharply and stepped back, hands still raised, and eyes focused.
They had been fighting for nearly half an hour now. Both of them were breathing heavily, sweat clinging to their skin, movements slower than when they had first stepped onto the mat. Every movement now took effort. Neither of them was willing to stop first.
"Come on," Armodius said, rolling his shoulders as he waited for the next attack. He had grown even taller since the day they first met, his presence filling the space effortlessly. "Had enough already? It's our last day at the academy. You could at least try to enjoy it."
"I'm fairly certain we're both at the top of the class," Kethan replied, stepping back in without hesitation. "Which means I'll be dealing with you for another three years at the military university. I don't see what there is to enjoy about that."
He threw two sharp punches toward Armodius's head. Both were dodged with ease. Kethan followed with a low kick aimed at the thigh.
Armodius tensed for a moment as the kick connected, discomfort flashing across his face, but he didn't falter. He countered instantly with a punch toward Kethan's ribs: blocked. Another aimed at his head missed as well, but Kethan raised his guard instinctively.
Yet Kethan was still too late.
Armodius drove a kick into his liver.
The kick wasn't delivered with full power, but pain still exploded through Kethan's side. He sucked in a sharp breath, staggering back a step, teeth clenched. His vision blurred for just a second.
Stupid, he thought. You saw it coming.
Anger flared at Armodius, at himself, at the fact that he couldn't afford mistakes.
He forced himself forward again.
They continued striking, blocking, and countering for another fifteen minutes, both of them pushing past exhaustion, until their bodies finally gave in. They collapsed onto the sparring mat, drenched in sweat, chests rising and falling heavily.
"Be honest with me," Armodius said between breaths. "If we're both in the top twenty, you'll choose swordsmanship, won't you?"
"I will," Kethan answered without hesitation. "And so will you. Which means we'll keep doing this until we're twenty."
Armodius turned his head slightly, surprised. "How did you know? You've talked about becoming an imperial knight, sure, but I never told you what I planned to study."
Kethan stared at the ceiling, refusing to yield to sleep.
"You didn't have to. You don't want to follow your family's path," he said. "So strategy and officer training are out. That leaves assassination, marksmanship, and swordsmanship."
Armodius remained silent.
"You're a better shot than I am," Kethan continued. "But you've said guns are cowardly. Beneath a noble."
Armodius let out a faint chuckle.
"And assassination," Kethan added, disgust creeping into his voice, "you once said getting your hands dirty without glory was a commoner's job."
That left only one path.
"Swordsmanship," Kethan finished. "The one field you'll never surpass me in."
Armodius laughed openly this time, the sound sharp enough to send a chill through Kethan's spine.
Nobles really are disgusting, Kethan thought.
"You know me better than I expected," Armodius said. "Don't you think this finally makes us friends?"
"I wouldn't call it that," Kethan replied, biting back the harsher response forming in his mind. No matter how much he wanted to say it, Armodius was still a high noble, likely a future Marquis. There were limits to what he could afford.
"I'm going to get ready for the graduation ceremony," Kethan said as he stood. "You should do the same."
Armodius smirked. "I'll miss this place. I've made many fond memories here. Mostly of beating the hell out of you."
Kethan returned the smirk and left the training hall, the place where he had pushed himself harder than anywhere else over the past year.
As he walked back toward the barracks, his thoughts drifted.
He had been either first or second in every subject, except mathematics. He had always been terrible at it, even back in the orphanage. He never understood why soldiers needed math, but the nobles noticed his weakness quickly.
And nobles never forget a weakness like that.
Most of them hated him for beating them as a commoner. Only a few didn't: Elio, Armodius, and a handful of others who merely tolerated him. He kept his distance regardless.
Even the instructors were divided. Some openly despised him. Others treated him fairly, but none truly wanted him to succeed. No matter what he achieved, he would always be a slum-born commoner in their eyes.
When he had entered the academy, it wasn't to win. Anyone could enter. The trials only existed to determine who stood at the top.
Kethan had wanted to prove something.
When he reached the barracks, two familiar faces greeted him.
"Kethan!" Elio said brightly. "Aren't you excited for graduation? You're definitely going to be top of the class. That means the military university."
Raijin, standing beside him, leaned forward slightly. "I'm just hoping to make the top twenty. Even that would be an honor." He paused, then smiled. "And you'll be only the second commoner in history to graduate first. Congratulations."
"Thanks," Kethan said. "What time is it?"
"Half past one," Raijin replied. "You should hurry. The ceremony starts in thirty minutes."
Kethan rushed to the showers. He couldn't show up smelling like sweat or worse like the slums he grew up in, even if they were all he had ever known.
As the water ran over him, Raijin's words echoed in his mind.
Second commoner in history.
Other commoners who had risen through the ranks had done so as soldiers, climbing slowly over years. Barely any had become knights.
His work would pay off, he told himself.
And yet, he would become a knight for the empire he despised.
The thought refused to leave him.
He dried off quickly and went to the lockers. His ceremonial uniform waited inside: black dress pants, a crisp white dress shirt, and a crimson military tunic bearing the imperial emblem.
For a moment, he wondered if his parents would have been proud.
He dressed and left quickly. He didn't have the luxury of wasting time at the moment.
As he walked through the halls, memories of the past year surfaced: painful ones, exhausting ones, but also moments that weren't entirely miserable. For the first time in his life, he had spent a year that wasn't completely unbearable, which was unexpected.
"Mr. Ardane," a familiar android voice said as he nearly collided with it. "I would advise you to hurry. You are likely to be the last to arrive."
"I'll be on time, K2," Kethan replied.
One thing he liked about androids was that they didn't judge him. They weren't programmed to care about birth or bloodlines. Sometimes he wondered if humans needed the same treatment. Reprogramming.
"Please hurry," K2 added. "You wouldn't want to be late, especially as the star of the ceremony."
Kethan grinned faintly.
"Even the androids know. I really did it," he thought to himself, while feeling something unfamiliar ... was it pride?
He entered the ceremonial hall, the same one where the year had begun. But now, a massive stage stood at the front.
He walked toward the back row, the section reserved for commoners, and took his place there. He stood straight, shoulders squared, exuding confidence. Even though he felt like he didn't deserve to stand in the back after all his hard work. Still, he knew that in only a few moments, he would be called forward. For once, he wouldn't be looking up at the nobles from below, he would stand among them. He would shine among these so-called stars.
Shortly after, Academy Master Peragelus entered the hall. Kethan had made it just in time.
"Listen up, cadets," Peragelus said, his voice carrying easily through the vast hall. "You have finished this year and become better than you ever were before. I, along with the other masters, am proud to say that every single one of you is now eligible to be a soldier of the Empire." He paused, letting the words sink in. "That being said, only twenty of you will be allowed to join the military university and reach the true summit of our armed forces. This year's top twenty has been… unusual, but every position was earned and fought for."
Kethan grinned faintly at that. Peragelus clearly didn't like the fact that a slum-born commoner had outperformed generations of trained nobles.
"Now," Peragelus continued, "for our top twenty. In the twentieth spot: Isavelia of House Augesius. Step forward."
Cheers and applause broke out immediately. Isavelia was one of the few girls to reach the top twenty, and many cadets clearly admired her for it.
"Nineteenth spot: Auro of House Silvestra. Eighteenth spot: Raijin Yamochia…"
The list went on, names echoing through the hall as one cadet after another stepped onto the prestigious stage, and applause echoed through the hall. Kethan barely registered most of them. His focus narrowed. He was waiting for the top three.
"At third place," Peragelus announced, "and top of the class in strategy: Elio of House Capesios. You may stand on the elevated stage."
The applause was loud and sincere. Kethan allowed himself a brief glance at Elio, who looked both proud and slightly overwhelmed.
"At second place," Peragelus continued, his voice rising, "coming from one of the Empire's most prestigious houses: Armodius of House Luxaeten."
The cheering grew even louder, bordering on desperate. Many of the cadets clapped as if their lives depended on it, eager to be noticed by nobility.
"And finally," Peragelus said, his tone tightening slightly, "at first place, and this year's greatest surprise, Kethan Ardane. Step forward."
The applause was noticeably thinner this time. Only a few clapped with genuine enthusiasm, those who didn't despise him.
Kethan stepped onto the stage regardless.
On the outside, his expression remained neutral and disciplined, his posture flawless. On the inside, something burned fiercely in his chest. For the first time in his life, he felt something close to triumph.
When all twenty stood together, Master Peragelus and the other instructors saluted them. The top twenty returned the salute in unison.
"You twenty are the best of this class," Peragelus declared. "You will be allowed to join the university and help forge the future of our military. Congratulations."
Then he turned to face the remaining cadets, his voice hardening.
"As for the rest of you, you did not perform at the level required for the military university. That does not mean you will never attend the university. If you complete two years of service, those of noble lineage may apply to join afterward." His gaze swept coldly across the commoners. "The rest of you will have to accept your bloodlines and serve as soldiers."
There was no sympathy in his voice. None at all.
"Now," he finished, "you are dismissed to prepare for tonight's banquet. After that, you will all receive two weeks of leave before beginning either your university studies or your service."
Later, as Kethan packed his belongings alongside the others, Elio approached him.
"So," Elio asked, "what will you study at the university? Swordsmanship or assassin training?"
"How do you know I won't choose something else?" Kethan replied.
Elio smiled. "Come on. We both know it'll be one of those two. They're the only programs you ever showed interest in."
"Swordsmanship," Kethan said quietly. "And you?"
"Strategy," Elio answered without hesitation. "I'll probably end up with a comfortable post, dealing with rebels or logistics. Fighting really isn't my strong suit."
Kethan couldn't help but think that Elio's physique, well-built and capable, was being completely wasted.
"I'm all packed," Elio added. "I'm going to get my suit for tonight. I can't show up dressed like this, and I really want to get out of this damn building and see the city again or just the outside world in general."
"I'll join you later," Kethan said. "See you tonight, my Lord."
The sarcasm was obvious, but Elio didn't take offense. He never did. He wasn't like other nobles, he didn't look down on commoners. That was the only reason Kethan tolerated him. Not as a friend, but as an acquaintance. Someone who might be useful one day. He still wasn't ready for a true friendship with anyone.
Kethan finished packing his bag. It was noticeably smaller than those of the nobles he had lived with all year. Afterward, he picked up his entrance card for the upper districts. It would be his first time entering the city beyond the slums. He felt a faint smile tug at his lips. It was small, but real.
Before leaving the barracks, he looked back one last time. Memories of the past year flooded his mind. For the first time, he realized something strange.
It hadn't been that bad, maybe even ... good.
It was better than every year he had spent in the orphanage.
He stepped out of the colossal academy building, its white stone and steel towering behind him, and showed his entrance card to the Military Police. They let him through without question. At last, he entered the place he had dreamed of for years.
He had climbed the ladder. His inner light was growing, but he knew he still had a long way to go.
He boarded a train toward the shopping district, intent on buying his first suit for tonight's banquet. Even the thought of owning one felt unreal. But just as he stepped inside, a sudden thought stopped him.
He exited the train.
There was something he had to do first.
He boarded another line and took a seat near the front. Moments later, an android voice echoed through the carriage.
"Next stop: Western Area of the Lower Zone."
Kethan leaned back slightly.
Before stepping into his future, he needed closure with his past.