The training hall was thunderous with the sounds of clashing steel, bursts of mana, and the heavy breathing of exhausted students. The instructors stood to the side, letting the students test themselves in friendly spars, yet closely monitoring for anything too dangerous.
Almost everyone was engaged in battle.
But four fights stood above the rest drawing every eye, every breath, every held whisper.
---
Jin Eldraven vs Elira Morvayne.
An intense display of refined technique and calculated spells. Jin, precise and calm. Elira, elegant yet fierce. Their swords danced with the rhythm of masters both undefeated until now. When it ended, it was not with one above the other but with blades locked, breath even, mana nearly drained.
A draw.
---
Matthew Glacern vs Samuel Solaris.
A clash of power and endurance. Samuel's strength was undeniable, his spearsmanship grand and heavy. But Matthew, the icy genius of the North, fought with cold precision. Frost coated the ground where he stepped. He redirected each strike, sapped Samuel's momentum, and finally froze his opponent's spear mid-swing, tapping Samuel's chest with the pommel of his blade.
Matthew won.
---
Jace Pyrenhart vs Cynthia Elarquist.
A storm of chaotic aggression versus seductive skill. Jace, the flame wielder, fought wildly raw and heated. Cynthia, dancing between his attacks like a serpent, took her time, her debuffs slowly draining his energy. And then, like lightning, her blade slipped past his defense.
Cynthia won.
---
But none of those battles compared to the last one still going.
Kael Vernier vs Samantha Solaris.
---
By now, everyone had stopped.
The training hall quieted.
All attention turned to the two who still stood in the center, still exchanging blow after blow.
Kael had held back not because he couldn't finish the fight earlier, but because he wanted this.
A spotlight.
He wanted every single pair of eyes in the room focused on him. To feel his presence. To remember the name: Kael Vernier.
He adjusted his footing.
Samantha stood opposite him, panting softly, but her grip remained strong.
Kael's lips curled into a faint smile.
Then, as though reading each other's minds, they both took a step back.
---
Samantha lowered her stance. Mana flared around her like a sunrise.
"Solaris Sword Art: Fifth Form—Luminous Severance."
Her blade began to glow golden, blazing brighter with every heartbeat. The ground beneath her cracked, the air warping from the sheer heat and pressure of her aura.
People stepped back.
It wasn't just light it was radiance, refined and weaponized.
---
Kael exhaled slowly, closing his eyes.
He whispered.
"Shadow Arts: Form Three—The Monarch's Slash."
The shadows rippled around him like waves. Unlike before, this wasn't the casual cloak of shadows he used to mask his core. This was real. It swirled around his blade controlled, regal, suffocating.
The difference in weight was almost spiritual.
---
Their auras clashed before their blades did.
Then both moved.
Time slowed.
Two masterful strikes. One of light. One of darkness.
BOOOOOOM!
The ground shattered. A wave of light and shadow exploded across the room, knocking some students off their feet. Even Instructor Caelis took a step forward, raising a barrier to protect the watching students from the blast.
Cracks tore through the training floor.
Dust and smoke blanketed the space.
For a moment… silence.
Then...
As the dust cleared, two figures stood.
Samantha on one knee, breathing heavily, one hand supporting herself with the remnants of her broken S-rank sword.
Kael standing tall, his blade resting by his side, his expression calm but unreadable.
---
The hall was stunned.
He had cut through Solaris Sword Art: Fifth Form.
He had broken a sword forged by the imperial blacksmiths.
And he hadn't even looked tired.
Samantha looked up at him, her eyes wide not with fear, but admiration.
"You really are… strong," she whispered.
Kael offered her a nod.
But nothing more.
He turned his back and began walking to the edge of the training floor.
The room remained frozen until someone whispered:
"...That guy isn't just strong. He's something else."
And suddenly, the name Kael Vernier echoed in every corner of the hall.