"Stalemate," Professor Gareth muttered. "Though it looks awful for one side."

 Zone 4: Ironhold Fortress

Cassius moved through the undead horde systematically, his white spear—Ivory Piercer—gleaming. Battlekeep Slayers, Throne Wreckers, Stoneguard Abominations—they crumbled one after another.

His point total was climbing at an absolutely insane rate.

1,000 points...

2,000 points...

3,000 points...

3,783 points!!

 "The professors stared as Cassius systematically slaughtered every revived monster, his Sovereign's Acceleration Field making each kill effortless."

Then the camera panned down to the throne room's lower level.

Below, Aria stood against Whisper Jr., her left eye sealed shut with dried blood, body covered in cuts. She looked ready to collapse.

"How long do you intend to stall me?" the vampire necromancer asked, genuine curiosity in his voice rather than anger.

His eyes narrowed. Vassal Reconditioning. I thought that practice was discouraged after the LifeLaw Reforms...

"Is it really necessary to farm points like this?"

Aria grinned despite her injuries, blood staining her teeth. She smiled softly—genuinely. "So continue being a convenient point farm for my master. That's all you need to do.."

Whisper Jr. nodded slowly, understanding dawning. "Is that so, Cassius?"

His voice carried upward through the fortress halls. "So you intend to do it this way, huh? Honestly, this is so... efficient. Almost insulting in its simplicity."

Professor Whisper felt her mind slowly going blank as she watched her son being used as a glorified experience farm. The other professors very carefully avoided looking directly at her, sensing the dangerous emotional undercurrent.

On screen, Cassius tore the head clean off a Stoneguard Abomination, adding another 37.5 points to his already astronomical total.

"Just hold on a little longer for me, Aria," Cassius called down calmly, not even breathing hard despite the extended combat. "I'll be down there shortly to finish that mosquito off properly."

The control room went deathly silent.

All the professors simultaneously glanced at Professor Whisper's expressionless face at the "mosquito" remark, then immediately looked away, suddenly finding other displays fascinating.

"This is the highest point total recorded in years," Professor Marcus said diplomatically. "He might beat Aurora's freshman record."

He pulled up his enchanted tablet, checking the updated leaderboard:

CURRENT RANKINGS:

1. Student Cassius - 3,783 points

2. Student Ignatia Vermillion - 1,344 points

3. Student Elarin Windwhisper - 1,238 points

Professor Sylvia sighed, her elf ears twitching with concern. "Elarin is doing quite well for herself. But shouldn't she join forces with Draekon and Lyralei? That young woman is still actively avoiding direct conflict whenever possible."

Professor Lydia sighed heavily, her expression troubled. "Well, it doesn't suit her position as a princess from one of the three founding royal bloodlines. Nor does it meet the academy's expectations of royalty—to lead from the front, to inspire through action."

"But after Aurora is finished with Draekon and Lyralei, won't Elarin be her next target?" Professor Sylvia asked with genuine worry.

The words were spoken as if the other outcome was impossible to come.

Professor Marcus agreed grimly. "Almost certainly. Student Ignatia, on the other hand, is textbook dominance through superior power."

He looked regretful. "Sadly, we won't observe much more of her capabilities. Raul, Whisper Jr., and Aurora are all deployed elsewhere, and no other senior seems interested in challenging her.

Loren sweated nervously. "Come on, Professors! The others didn't want to fight after getting outclassed by the Big Three. Everyone else wanted to recruit promising freshmen, not break their bones for personal entertainment."

The professors nodded slowly. "Indeed, that is the primary purpose."

Ignatia walked with perfect stoic composure, each step turning sand beneath her feet into smooth, glittering glass from pure residual heat. Monsters emerged writhing in agony from the overwhelming temperature surrounding her like an invisible furnace.

Blazeking Serpents, Sandsoul Annihilators, Sunfang Riders—they simply turned to ash before getting within twenty feet, their bodies spontaneously combusting from proximity to her aura alone.

Behind Ignatia, Michael followed in his Argent Sovereign Armor, his expression exceptionally pleased—more than pleased. His smile was too wide, his golden eyes staring at Ignatia's back with intensity that bordered on obsessive.

"Is this acceptable for evaluation?" Professor Kazuki asked uncomfortably.

"The examination format needs reform," Professor Helena stated firmly. "These shortcuts won't help them grow stronger."

The camera shifted to Zone 1: The Verdant Meadows, zooming in on Draekon's face.

His expression was grim, jaw clenched tight.

Draekon's expression was grim. Aurora Drakonis instead of Whisper Jr. Catastrophically bad matchup.

A translucent status window materialized:

═══════════════════════════════ 

STATUS WINDOW

 ═══════════════════════════════

 Name: Aurora Drakonis 

Race: Pure-Blooded Dragon 

Rank: SSR 

Level: 79/100 

Mana Circuits: Level 7/9

 ─────────────────────────────── 

CORE ATTRIBUTES

 ─────────────────────────────── 

Physical Power: 89/100 

Agility: 92/100 

Intelligence: 95/100 

Endurance: 94/100 

Mana Capacity: 9/9 

Healing Factor: 7/9

 ─────────────────────────────── 

SKILLS & ABILITIES

 ───────────────────────────────

 ⚔ Absolute Compression [Rank: SSR] [Lv 8/9] 

⚔ Dragon's Regeneration [Rank: SSR] [Lv 9/9] 

⚔ Elemental Sovereignty [Rank: SR] [Lv 7/9] 

⚔ Draconic Transformation [Rank: SSR] [Lv 8/9] (RESTRICTED) 

⚔ Pressure Dominance [Rank: SSR] [Lv 7/9] 

⚔ Glacial Breath [Rank: SSR] [Lv 8/9]

Draekon's hands clenched into fists. Level 79. Peak Level 7 Mana Circuits. Every single one of her skills is SR-Rank or higher. This is insane.

He pulled up comparison data:

═══════════════════════════════ 

STATUS WINDOW

 ═══════════════════════════════ 

Name: Lyralei Valen 

Race: Human 

Rank: SSR 

Level: 39/100 

Mana Circuits: Level 5/9

 ─────────────────────────────── 

CORE ATTRIBUTES

 ─────────────────────────────── 

Physical Power: 87/100 

Agility: 91/100 

Intelligence: 78/100 

Endurance: 85/100 

Mana Capacity: 5/9 

Healing Factor: 4/9 

─────────────────────────────── 

SKILLS & ABILITIES

 ───────────────────────────────

 ⚔ Black Lightning Core [Rank: SSR] [Lv 6/9] 

⚔ The Valen Lightning Style [Rank: SSR] [Lv 7/9] 

⚔ Lightning Absorption [Rank: SSR] [Lv 6/9]

═══════════════════════════════ 

STATUS WINDOW

 ═══════════════════════════════

 Name: Draekon Ardent 

Race: Human 

Rank: SSR 

Level: 33/100 

Mana Circuits: Level 5/9 

─────────────────────────────── 

CORE ATTRIBUTES

 ─────────────────────────────── 

Physical Power: 72/100

 Agility: 78/100 

Intelligence: 94/100

 Endurance: 75/100 

Mana Capacity: 6/9 

Healing Factor: 5/9 

───────────────────────────────

 SKILLS & ABILITIES

 ───────────────────────────────

 ⚔ Stormflame Breath [Rank: S] [Lv 5/9]

 ⚔ Infinite Arsenal [Rank: SSR] [Lv 6/9] 

⚔ Dragon's Bracelet [Rank: SSR] [Lv 7/9] 

⚔ Hero's Charisma [Rank: SSR] [Lv 8/9] 

⚔ Tactical Analysis [Rank: SR] [Lv 7/9] 

⚔ Dragon Valley Fieldcraft [Rank: A] [Lv 5/9]

Level difference: 46 levels. That's not a gap you can bridge with tactics alone.

But his tactical mind kicked in. The academy has strict rules for the Big Three senior eliminators: three named spells maximum, non-dominant hand only, cannot actively hunt targets, cannot lie when questioned.

That's the weakness. That's the exploit.

"Lyralei picks up lethal intent with ease. Sneaking up should be impossible."

The stronger the opponent, the more Aurora gets genuinely excited, even as she pretends to stay calm and controlled. She's absolutely insane when it comes to combat—a battle junkie hiding behind a sophisticated mask.

Yet here we are in this situation. And the most important restriction: she cannot lie to direct questions.

Draekon's mind raced. That's the weakness. That's the exploit.

The grass of The Verdant Meadows rolled gently in a peaceful breeze.

"The ancient forest felt tranquil."

Then in the next heartbeat, everything exploded into violence.

"Alright! Let's go!" Draekon shouted.

His Dragon's Bracelet flared, and his weapon transformed into an elegant longbow made of crystalline dragon bone. He drew back the string, multiple arrows of pure mana materializing simultaneously.

"Bow Arts: Hawk Eye Archery—Phantom Arrow!"

The arrows fired with absolutely no sound, becoming completely invisible mid-flight. They struck toward Aurora from three different angles.

Aurora dodged with minimal movement, her body shifting just enough—but the arrows exploded mid-air into sticky webbing that sprayed across her white dress and sun-kissed skin like adhesive nets.

"Disgusting," she muttered, raising her hand to burn it off.

Before she could finish the motion, Lyralei appeared directly in front of her, moving so fast she seemed to teleport.

"Fifth Form: Phantom Edge Dance!"

Lyralei's fists became a blur—seven strikes, then thirteen, then twenty-one in rapid succession. Each blow connected with Aurora's body at vital points: liver, kidneys, solar plexus, throat, temples. Her face remained eerily unchanged despite the assault, but where each strike landed, Lyralei's black lightning began tearing through Aurora's skin like acid, spreading in branching patterns.

Aurora fired multiple compressed air lances in retaliation—

But before they could close the distance, Draekon already appeared directly above her.

His weapon transformed mid-air from bow to massive battleaxe.

"Axe Arts: Mountain Cleaver Style—Splitting Mountain!"

The vertical cleave came down with earth-shattering force, cutting clean through Aurora's right arm. The severed limb fell, still twitching.

Lyralei planted her feet firmly, black lightning coiling around her.

"Seventh Form: Dragon's Fang Ascension!"

A massive serpentine construct of pure black lightning coiled upward—

Aurora's arm regenerated completely in less than a second.

"Compression Zone: Vortex Blade Storm."

Hundreds of wind cutters erupted in all directions.

But most were absorbed by the shield Draekon formed at the last possible instant, his Dragon's Bracelet transforming his weapon into the Aegis of the Valley. The attacks slammed into the barrier with sounds like machine-gun fire.

Yep, that's one named spell down. Two more to go, he calculated grimly.

But that brief defensive moment was a major opening for Lyralei. He looked back to see her panting heavily, her right hand missing three fingers. Blood dripped steadily onto the grass.

"She missed the full dodge, huh?" Draekon hummed.

Lyralei thought frantically... "Damn it... if he hadn't blocked most of that, I would have lost the entire arm. My healing speed is dropping drastically."

Aurora hummed with genuine curiosity behind her mask. "So, Draekon—are you the one troubling young Lyralei's heart? The source of her romantic distress?"

She tilted her head. "As far as I know from your reputation, you're quite popular back in Dragon Valley. Women speak fondly of you. You're not typically one of those types who cause emotional damage."

Lyralei's face flushed red despite her pain. "Not him! Not this one!" she barked defensively.

"Then why team up?" Aurora asked, sounding genuinely puzzled. "I thought this was a
free-for-all.”

Draekon chuckled, positioning himself protectively in front of Lyralei. "When did I ever say it was every student for themselves?"

Then he muttered something under his breath—

".siht ekil pot eht hcaer t'nac uoy .llud nworg evah uoy ,emoC"

Lyralei's eyes went wide. She recognized it immediately—True Speech, the ancient language. She knew it existed, had learned basic phrases, but such perfect fluency from a human struck her speechless.

Aurora started chuckling, the sound warm and delighted. "See? I told you so, darling. He is special."

Multiple massive fireballs materialized around her, compressed to incredible density. They burst outward simultaneously, targeting both students with explosive force.

Draekon rushed forward, splitting them apart mid-flight with rapid weapon transformations.

"Scythe Arts: Reaper's Harvest—Phantom Reaper!"

Shadow clones burst from his body. Three Draekons attacked from different angles.

Aurora fired compressed mana bullets, piercing the fakes. They dissolved.

The real one changed weapons instantly.

"Hammer Arts: Thunder God's Anvil—Shatter Blow!"

The massive warhammer crashed into Aurora's right arm with devastating force. She actually winced, grabbing the injured limb.

But the ground beneath Draekon's feet suddenly froze solid, encasing his legs in compressed ice.

"Gotcha," Aurora said.

An air lance materialized, aimed directly at his exposed throat—

Draekon flipped backward impossibly, tearing his own foot free from the frozen earth rather than letting the ice trap him. Blood sprayed from the self-inflicted injury.

Mid-flip, his weapon transformed again.

"Sword Arts: Blade Sovereign Style—Crimson Arc!"

The vertical slash left a brilliant red mana trail that cut through Aurora's wrist, severing her hand completely. The detached appendage fell, still clutching empty air.

Aurora's eyes gleamed with genuine excitement behind the mask. "At least you're making excellent use of my family's relic. The Dragon's Bracelet suits you."

Lyralei seized the opening.

"Third Form: Storm Thrust!"

Her extended fingers concentrated black lightning into a needle-point thrust forward like a rapier, aimed directly at Aurora's face.

Aurora dodged by a hair's breadth—literally, the attack singed strands of her white hair. "Nope, can't afford to let you hit that spot."

She fired water lances toward Lyralei in retaliation—

Draekon deflected them with another shield transformation, but the split-second distraction allowed Lyralei to graze Aurora's left eye with a lightning-charged finger strike.

They all created distance simultaneously, landing twenty feet apart in a triangle formation.

Aurora hummed thoughtfully, her left eye bleeding but already regenerating. "Is that so? Ah, I see now."

The black lightning from Lyralei's earlier attacks was still seeping into her skin, spreading like a virus despite her regeneration. She deliberately destroyed the affected tissue with compressed fire, burning away entire patches of her own flesh to stop the spread.

Lyralei is a serious problem. Her strikes accumulate damage. But more than that... it's Draekon who's truly annoying me. He predicts both my attacks and Lyralei's positioning with frightening accuracy, as if he's seen these exact patterns thousands of times before.

"You've got yourself a fine knight in shining armor, darling," Aurora said to Lyralei, genuine appreciation in her voice.

She started laughing—genuinely, joyfully.

"Such a delicious thrill! This is exactly what I wanted!"

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself," Draekon laughed, breathing hard but grinning. "But we'll be the ones laughing last here. That's a promise."