Students screamed as they were blown backward, clutching to railings for support.

Nathan shielded his face with his arm, gritting. "This... this is too much for a first-year!"

Lena’s instincts screamed danger.

she crossed her arms, shouting, "Flame Wall!"

A dome of crimson fire erupted around her, burning intensely as she tried to block the incoming blast.

But the spiral was too powerful.

The storm collided with her shield—and tore through it like paper.

"Ahh!" she screamed as the overwhelming energy consumed the area around her.

For a brief moment, everything went white.

Then came the explosion.

WHOOOOOOOM!

A wave of air erupted outward, scattering the dust across the entire campus.

The topsoil peeled away, trees near the fence bent backward, and every student in the area fell silent in awe and fear.

When the dust finally began to clear, Lena was nowhere to be seen.

"W-where... where did she go?" someone stammered.

"Did he... did he kill her?" another whispered.

Nathan jumped over the broken fence and sprinted forward, scanning the horizon.

His sharp eyes caught a faint red figure crashing through the air—across the far end of the academy wall—before disappearing into the distant forest.

He exhaled sharply. "She’s alive... but she’s out of the campus."

The students around the arena could only stare at the destruction.

The once-smooth training ground was now a massive crater, smoke rising from the cracks.

Edwin stood at the center of it still with his sword.

He looked down at his hands, then at the sword. "I... lost control," he said to himself.

Nathan walked across sideways carefully, his boots crunching over the shattered stone.

"That was one hell of a ’lesson,’ kid."

Edwin sheathed his sword slowly.

"I didn’t mean to send her flying. I just wanted to stop her."

"Yeah, well," Nathan said, glancing toward the direction Lena had disappeared, "you did that—and a little more."

The other students began whispering again, fear and awe mixing in their voices.

"Did you see that?"

"He used a ruin form... how does a first-year even have that?"

"Blazing Spiral... I thought that was just a small skill!"

Edwin ignored them.

He turned his gaze toward the horizon where Lena had vanished.

He didn’t know why her words about his mother had struck so deep—or why his body had reacted before his mind could stop it.

And as the wind blew past the ruined field, Nathan looked at him quietly and said, "Kid, whatever that was... you better learn to control it. Because next time, you might not have anyone left standing to stop you."

Edwin didn’t answer.

He only looked at the smoking crater beneath his feet—then toward the academy tower where the emergency bells had begun to ring again.

This time, louder.

Three deep chimes.

BONG... BONG... BONG.

His eyes had returned to calmness, though his body still radiated faint traces of energy.

He turned his head slightly toward the direction Lena had been flung.

"She’ll survive," he muttered. "She’s strong."

Then, brushing some dirt off his sleeve, Edwin prepared to leave.

"Anyway," he said, looking around at the stunned students, "the emergency bell rang. I gotta go. Some of the third years didn’t turn up to the emergency gathering because they were watching your match." Nathan said.

He began to walk away casually, his boots crunching against the cracked tiles of Ground Two.

The watching crowd slowly began to whisper, their earlier mockery replaced by disbelief.

"Did you see that?" one of the third-year boys said, voice trembling.

"He... he sent Lena flying—she’s Rank Nine!"

"Was that a first-year’s strength? That wasn’t normal," another added.

Edwin ignored the murmurs and he continued to walk toward the exit.

But just as he reached the edge of the training field, something sharp—like the edge of a sword—brushed across his shoulder.

Then a strong hand tapped his right shoulder.

Tap.

Before Edwin could react, a crushing force pushed him downward. The ground beneath him exploded as if struck by a meteor.

BOOMMMM!

The soil caved in several feet deep, creating a crater.

Edwin’s knees hit the bottom with a dull thud.

"Do you think you outrank us?" a cold voice asked from behind the rising dust.

Edwin lifted his gaze slowly. Standing before him was Lucas, Rank 4 among the third years—a name known throughout the academy.

He was a swordsman, famous for his terrifying precision and overwhelming strength.

Edwin’s jaw tightened. "Lucas, huh..."

Lucas cracked his neck, resting his sword on his shoulder. "You’ve made quite the show, first-year. You beat Rank Nine without even trying." He leaned forward slightly.

"But you should know your place."

Edwin rose to his feet, dust falling from his uniform. His eyes were steady.

"I didn’t come here to prove anything," he replied. "She attacked me first."

Lucas gave a half-smile. "And I’m attacking you now."

Without another word, Lucas blurred.

His movement was so fast that his form vanished, leaving behind only a streak of silver light.

Edwin’s instincts screamed. He twisted his body to the right, drawing his sword in the same motion.

CLANG!

"You have caused problems with Jin before midterm. So was it you who beat Jin?" Edwin asked.

"I don’t have any idea what you are talking about but.... Let me teach you some lesson" he replied.

Sparks flew as steel met steel.

The shockwave blasted outward, shaking the nearby fences. Edwin skidded back several feet, his boots carving lines into the ground.

Lucas grinned. "Good reflexes."

Edwin said nothing, but his aura began to flare.

The faint glow around him intensified. "Ruin Form: Valor Burst!"

A surge of energy exploded from Edwin’s body, forming a pulse that shattered nearby stones.

His speed doubled instantly, his body glowing faintly with blue light.

Lucas raised an eyebrow. "So you can use Ruin Forms too? Interesting."

The two vanished from sight.

BOOM—CLANG—SWISH!

They reappeared only in flashes—each clash faster than the eye could follow.

Steel met steel again and again, their strikes sending bursts of light into the air.

From the side, some students gasped.

"Is he... going head to head with Lucas?"

"That’s impossible! He’s a first-year!"

"His movements—he’s matching Lucas’s tempo!"

"What;s with juniors today?"

Nathan, who had returned after the chaos, watched silently.

"He’s strong," he murmured. "Too strong for a first-year."

Meanwhile, Lucas stepped back after a series of rapid clashes.

"Not bad," he admitted, spinning his sword once before pointing it forward. "Let’s see how long that valor lasts."

Edwin’s grip tightened. His eyes sharpened, and his aura pulsed once more.

"Flash Fang!"

The moment the words left his mouth, Edwin disappeared.

A brilliant streak of light cut through the air, appearing directly behind Lucas in a blink.

SHIIIING—!

Lucas barely parried, spinning around with a spark-filled slash.

"Fast!" he muttered, his wrist tingling from the impact.

Edwin’s voice came from behind the dust. "That’s not all."

He lunged forward again, his sword slashing upward, downward, and across in a series of seamless strikes.

The speed was relentless—each swing carrying the precision of a killing blow.

Lucas blocked each one, but the pressure pushed him back. The ground cracked beneath his boots.

"You’re holding back, aren’t you?" Edwin said quietly.

Lucas grinned faintly. "You noticed?"

Suddenly, his sword glowed crimson. "I don’t fight for free lessons, boy. But since you insist—"

He vanished.

BOOMM!

The next instant, Edwin was flung backward through a fence, tumbling into the dust.

Lucas had appeared behind him, the tip of his blade faintly smoking.

"You’re fast," Lucas said, lowering his sword, "but your form lacks weight."

Edwin pushed himself up, wiping the blood from his lip. His eyes burned with quiet intensity.

"Weight, huh?"

He raised his sword. "Then how about this?"

His aura flared again—gold and blue intertwining.

"Ruin Form: Lionheart Cleave!"

A massive wave of energy burst from his sword as he charged. The ground exploded beneath his steps. Lucas met him head-on, crossing blades.

BOOMMMM!

A blinding shockwave tore through Ground Two, scattering debris and throwing nearby students to the ground.

When the light faded, both stood several meters apart.

Edwin was panting heavily, his uniform torn at the shoulder. Lucas’s cheek had a shallow cut—a rare sight for someone of his rank.

Lucas wiped the blood with his thumb, smiling faintly. "You got me."

Edwin’s eyes were still locked on him, unwavering. "You’re fast, but predictable."

Lucas chuckled. "Predictable, am I?" He took a deep breath and suddenly his aura burst forth—flames and wind merging into one.

"Then let’s see you handle this."

The third years watching from the boundary gasped as Lucas’s pressure exploded outward, bending the air.

"Lucas is serious now!"

"That first-year won’t survive this—"

But before the sentence could finish, Edwin moved again, this time faster than before.

His body blurred into streaks of blue light, appearing in front of Lucas.

The two clashed—again, and again, and again.

Each strike was faster.

Each step shattered the ground beneath them.

Sparks illuminated their figures like two dancing flames.

Finally, Lucas swung his blade horizontally, unleashing a crescent arc of energy that smashed into Edwin’s guard and sent him crashing into a nearby wall.

BOOOM!

Edwin’s sword cracked slightly. He coughed, blood staining his lip.

Lucas approached slowly, resting the flat of his blade on his shoulder. "You’ve got talent, kid. But in a real fight, power isn’t everything. Experience—"

Edwin cut him off by slamming his sword into the ground, forcing himself to stand. "Save your lecture."