After a while of waiting and watching the matches, my patience was running thin. Man, this is taking forever. Each fight dragged on, and with every passing moment, my eagerness only grew. I had been itching for my turn, but at this rate, I felt like I’d be here all day.

Finally, as another match wrapped up, the tester took a step forward, his voice echoing through the hall. 
"The next match will begin now."

Hearing that, I straightened in my seat, gripping the edge slightly. Alright, this is it. My turn, right? 
"Please, please let it be me," I muttered under my breath, bracing myself.

The tester continued, "The following individuals will now face each other: Ero Aurelian and Aerin Laiora."

I stiffened. Wait… that’s me. I finally got called.

But before I could even celebrate, confusion hit me. Aerin Laiora? Who’s that?

I glanced around, searching for my opponent, until I noticed the girl beside me standing up—the same girl. This can't be a coincidence, right?

I sighed, really wishing I hadn’t ended up facing her, but it was too late now.

As we made our way to the combat area, I stole a glance at her. Aerin walked at a slow, measured pace, each step light and almost carefree. She seemed completely unbothered by the whole situation. Maybe I’m just overthinking this.

Now standing across from her, I felt a strange mix of emotions. Facing her like this was… awkward. Too awkward. I didn’t want to lose, but winning meant she’d get kicked out of the school. I must be the only one overthinking all of this.

Aerin met my gaze, but didn’t react—her expression was soft, blank, almost neutral.

I brushed it off and shook my head. I should just focus on the test right now.

She then rubbed her eyes and let out a yawn, looking completely sleepy and nonchalant about the whole situation.

The tester beside us handed each of us a steel rapier. I took mine, feeling the cold weight settle in my grip as I shifted into position. Aerin did the same, her stance sharp and unwavering.

Then, the tester’s voice rang out. "One of you will be rejected, and one of you will claim victory! The match begins now!" The crowd erupted into cheers.

Aerin wasted no time. With calm precision, she lunged straight at me, her rapier thrusting forward with incredible speed. I barely managed to dodge, leaping back to put some space between us. She’s way too light-footed—couldn’t even hear her footsteps.

I didn’t have time to think. This wasn’t just a match. This was my future. I couldn’t afford to hold back.

She charged again, her body moving fast but eerily quiet. I could see her grip on the rapier was firm, and for a moment, it almost looked like she was dancing—fluid, graceful. An opening.

The moment she got too close, I swept my leg under hers, tripping her off balance. "Bwaahh!" She let out a small, almost cute sound as she barely hit the ground. Before she could recover, I jabbed with my free arm, pushing her backward.

Not letting up, I rushed forward. Aerin scrambled to her feet just in time to intercept my strike. Our blades clashed, but I feinted at the last second, twisting my wrist to redirect my attack—

She fell for it.

Before she could react, my blade stopped just short of her throat. The room went quiet.

She froze, her grip tightening around her rapier, but her eyes widened slightly, and she stayed completely still, her face betraying a mix of surprise and—was that… embarrassment?

I almost couldn’t believe it. She looked like she was about to say something, but she didn’t move, not even an inch. I could tell she wasn’t the type to show her emotions openly, but right now, I was starting to get the feeling that this was a lot more than just a test for her.

The tester stepped forward. "The match is over! Winner: Ero Aurelian! As such, you are now officially certified as a student of Æon Institute and will receive the Rapier Emblem."

With that, he pinned the emblem onto my vest. The moment should have felt like a victory, but…

Aerin stepped closer, her shoulders trembling slightly. She looked down, then reached out to grip my school vest. A small, quiet noise escaped her lips—"mmm.."—and when she looked up at me, I caught a glimpse of her watery eyes, like a child about to cry. Is she one of those pampered types...?

For a moment, I just stood there, unsure of what to do. And somehow, winning didn’t feel as good as I thought it would.