The forest trembled with the aftermath of their furious exchanges. Each strike had shattered branches, churned the earth, and left the air thick with residual mana.

Sylvain and Alric circled each other, breaths steady, eyes locked. Their previous blows had been precise, lethal, and filled with raw skill. Both knew that a single misstep could decide the outcome.

Alric struck first, a spinning punch reinforced with hardened earth, followed immediately by a series of rapid kicks that summoned miniature spikes from the ground. Sylvain countered with a gust of wind, redirecting the spikes while signaling the silver wolf and griffon to flank.

For a few moments, the duel seemed evenly matched — Sylvain’s summons coordinating perfectly with his movements, Alric blending martial prowess with devastating earth magic. But inside, Sylvain was already feeling the toll.

Maintaining both his high-ranking summons — the silver wolf and the winged griffon — consumed a tremendous amount of mana. From the very start of the test, he had summoned and maintained them, using them to gain an edge against other opponents. Every dodge, every parry, every attack they assisted with drained more mana than Sylvain realized.

Alric noticed the subtle lag in Sylvain’s coordination — a slight hesitation, a barely perceptible stumble. Smiling faintly, he pressed the advantage, unleashing a flurry of earth-augmented martial strikes. The wolf tried to intercept, but Sylvain’s mana was running thin. Its movements became slightly sluggish, the timing just off.

Sylvain gritted his teeth, calling a wind shield to parry a particularly powerful strike, but his reserves were nearly depleted. He could feel his mana flickering — unstable, unable to sustain both summons at their full strength.

Alric’s eyes gleamed. With a final surge, he leapt forward, combining a spinning kick with a concentrated earth strike directly at Sylvain. The wolf and griffon attempted to intercept, but Sylvain could no longer control them with precision. The wind gust he tried to summon was weak, barely enough to reduce the impact.

The strike landed. Sylvain stumbled, hitting the ground hard, gasping as his summons dissipated around him, returning to the virtual ether. His body was uninjured, but the defeat was clear.

Alric stood a few paces away, breathing evenly but smiling faintly with respect. “Your coordination was incredible, Sylvain. But high-ranking summons take a heavy toll. You were fighting at the edge of your limits.”

Sylvain nodded, brushing dirt from his cloak. Though disappointed, he acknowledged Alric’s victory. “You’re right… I pushed too far. Your martial technique… combined with magic, is incredible.”

Alric inclined his head. “Likewise. You’ve got skill, foresight, and control. Next time, maybe we’ll see this match again under different circumstances.”

Sylvain exhaled, recovering his breath, his mind already analyzing the fight — not with regret, but with determination. He knew that in this Battle Royale, understanding the limits of one’s own mana and capabilities was just as important as raw power.

Sylvain took a deep breath, raising his hand slightly. “I… surrender.”

The moment he spoke, Sylvain’s virtual body shimmered, breaking apart into countless particles of light. They scattered softly in the air, drifting like glowing motes, until he completely disappeared from the arena.

A floating window appeared in front of where he had stood:

[Sylvain Arcrest: DEFEATED]

Alric lowered his fists, a faint smile of respect crossing his face. “You fought brilliantly… but even the strongest have limits.”

The forest returned to an eerie calm, the echoes of their clash fading, leaving only the memory of the two elite students testing the very edge of their strength.