On the ground, Edwin lay barely conscious.

(Two against one)... he thought bitterly.

"Was it worth it?"

He could still feel the dirt beneath his fingertips, still taste the iron of blood in his mouth.

"I’ll come back... stronger..."

His vision faded completely as the world around him dimmed into silence.

The crowd had barely settled when new footsteps echoed across the broken training field.

The dust hadn’t even cleared from the fight between Edwin, Lucas, and Lena when two more figures arrived — Elysia and Jin.

Elysia’s eyes widened at the sight before her — Edwin lying on the ground, bruised and bloodied.

Jin clenched his fists instantly, his anger simmering beneath the surface.

"What... happened here?" Elysia whispered.

Nearby, Nathan stood beside the fallen body.

"Another victim came," Nathan said, shaking his head.

His tone was almost tired — as if this kind of thing had become too common lately.

Jin stepped forward, glaring at Lucas and Lena who were already turning away.

"What have you done?" Jin shouted.

Lucas turned slowly, meeting Jin’s gaze with a smug smile.

"Watch your tone," he said coldly. "You’re talking to your seniors."

"Respect how to talk to seniors," Lucas repeated, his tone filled with arrogance.

Elysia said, "Seniors? Is this what you call respect — beating someone who can’t even stand?"

Lucas let out a low chuckle. "You’re still as naive as ever, Elysia."

He took a step forward. "You want to have another beating? Before midterm wasn’t enough for you, right?"

That struck a nerve. Jin’s eyes flared with anger. "You think I’m the same as before?" he said, stepping closer.

Some students backed away immediately, others stayed — curious, fearful, and excited all at once.

"Jin," Elysia warned quietly, "don’t—"

But it was too late. Jin had already drawn his twin swords.

"You crossed the line, Lucas," he said. "You think this academy belongs to you?"

Lucas smirked. "If you’re so eager to lose again, I’ll grant your wish."

Beside him, Lena sighed, rubbing her face.

She had already started walking away, uninterested in another fight.

"Tch... another hothead," she muttered under her breath. "Anyway, I need to head towards where Ethan went."

But as she turned to leave, Elysia blocked her path.

"You’re not going anywhere," Elysia said. "You’re part of this."

Lena looked at her blankly for a moment, then smiled faintly.

"Fine. If you want to get hurt too, I’ll play along for a minute."

Jin’s foot shifted slightly, his stance lowering.

Lucas raised his sword.

Then—

BOOM!

The ground cracked beneath their feet as Jin dashed forward first, his twin swords slicing through the air with blinding speed.

Lucas met him halfway, their blades clashing with a thunderous impact that sent ripples through the ground.

Sparks flew.

Elysia drew her sword in one smooth motion as she faced Lena.

Lena smirked. "So, you’re finally stepping in too, huh?"

Elysia’s gaze didn’t waver. "If you’re looking for another victim, you’ll have to go through me first."

Without warning, Elysia dashed forward, her blade slicing through the air with a gust of wind.

Lena twisted aside, her reflexes cat-like, flipping backward as the blade grazed her arm.

A thin line of blood appeared, but Lena only smiled wider.

"You’re fast," Elysia said, gripping her sword tighter.

"And you’re too polite," Lena taunted, launching herself forward.

Her foot lashed out in a high kick that Elysia barely blocked with her sword.

The impact sent a jolt through her wrist, forcing her a step back.

Clang!

Elysia countered immediately, slashing upward in a diagonal arc.

Lena dodged again, flipping over her opponent and landing lightly behind her. "You’ll have to do better than that!"

Elysia spun, bringing her sword low and then upward in a sweeping cut.

The steel sang as it met Lena’s arm guard, sparks flying on impact.

Elysia used the recoil to leap back, her eyes never leaving Lena’s stance.

"You’re quick with your hands," Elysia said, breathing hard.

"But you can’t dodge forever."

Lena chuckled, brushing the dirt off her shoulder. "And you’re good with that sword — but you rely too much on precision."

"I rely on control," Elysia shot back.

"Something you clearly lack."

Lena’s grin widened. "Maybe. But chaos wins fights."

With a burst of speed, Lena dashed forward, her knee striking toward Elysia’s ribs.

Elysia parried with the flat of her blade, twisting to deflect the blow, then countered with a swift kick to Lena’s thigh.

The sound of impact echoed sharply.

The two moved like blurs — strike, counter, dodge, sweep — each testing the other’s limits.

Meanwhile, a few meters away, Jin and Lucas’s battle was escalating into a storm of sparks and metal.

Lucas’s swordsmanship was very precise.

He didn’t aim to kill; he aimed to break Jin’s rhythm, his pride, and his spirit.

Jin, however, fought like a storm unchained.

His twin swords crossed in a whirlwind of offense and defense, each strike accompanied by a flicker of blue and red light.

Clang!

Slash!

Spark!

Their blades met in a furious exchange.

"Not bad," Lucas said mockingly, deflecting a horizontal slash before kicking Jin square in the stomach.

"But you’re still predictable."

Jin staggered back, breath hissing between his teeth.

A thin trail of blood ran down his lip. He wiped it away with his thumb, eyes flashing.

"Predictable? You’ll regret saying that."

He rushed in again — twin swords flashing like lightning, one glowing faint blue, the other crimson red. The air vibrated from the clash of dual mana.

Lucas blocked the strike with one arm, the force cracking the ground beneath his boots.

"Impressive," he muttered.

"Let’s see if you can handle this," Jin said through gritted teeth.

Their weapons locked again, mana sparking violently between them.

Elysia and Lena’s battle continued nearby — one of skill versus instinct, sword versus fist.

Elysia lunged forward, blade glowing faintly with blue energy.

Lena dodged to the side, but not fast enough — the edge grazed her shoulder, tearing her sleeve.

"Tch," Lena hissed, clutching the wound.

"Still think chaos wins?" Elysia taunted.

Lena smirked. "Always."

In a blur, she dashed forward again. Her elbow connected with Elysia’s guard, pushing her back several steps.

Before Elysia could recover, Lena twisted mid-air and kicked — the blow landing on Elysia’s side.

"Ugh—"

Elysia stumbled but didn’t fall. Her grip tightened on her sword.

"I’m done holding back."

She surged forward, slashing three times in quick succession.

Lena blocked the first two with her arm guards, but the third strike grazed her cheek.

Lena’s grin returned, even as blood trickled down. "That’s more like it."

Their exchange was fierce — fists and steel colliding, the sound echoing through the field.

Each hit left ripples of dust and energy in its wake.

Then — a sudden BOOM!

The ground trembled as Jin and Lucas’s clash reached its peak.

The shockwave swept across Ground Two, making both Elysia and Lena pause mid-fight.

Jin roared, pushing forward with both blades glowing fiercely.

Lucas parried, his sword shimmering with golden light.

The collision of red, blue, and gold mana erupted like an explosion.

BOOMMM!

Debris flew everywhere. Students nearby screamed and shielded their faces as a massive gust tore across the training field.

Jin spun his blades defensively, crossing them to deflect the blast.

Lucas held his stance, teeth gritted, his coat fluttering violently in the mana storm.

"You’re done!" Lucas shouted, thrusting forward with all his strength.

"Not yet!" Jin countered, his aura flaring in defiance.

Their blades met — the sound thunderous. The ground cracked beneath them, energy bursting out in waves.

Elysia and Lena both stopped, shielding their eyes from the blast.

"What the hell—" Lena muttered, stepping back, hair whipping wildly in the wind.

The next instant — another thunderous explosion ripped through the air.

BOOOOMMM!