The arena floor was massive. A circular battlefield built with stone sat in the middle of the room. Old impact marks scarred the surface, evidence of countless battles fought within these walls. Platforms lined the upper edges where instructors and observers could watch training sessions.

This wasn’t an arena for demonstrations. It was meant for sparring matches. Real ones.

Clarence stepped into the middle of the arena.

“The eight of you that have already demonstrated your control,” he said, gesturing toward the stands. “Go sit over there.”

Yudo and the others walked to the designated seating area. From the stands, they had a perfect view of the battlefield below.

Yudo leaned forward slightly. Now I can see how others fight… If he could compare their styles to Shujiro’s training, he could gain even more experience. 

The remaining eight students stepped forward slowly, spreading across the center of the arena.

Clarence stood with his arms folded behind his back. “You’ve shown me your Traits from the entrance exam,” he said calmly.

His gaze swept across the students. “Now it is time to show me how you fight.”

Several of them straightened immediately.

“Guardians rarely fight alone.” He paused. “On real missions, you will rely on your allies as much as your own strength.”

He pointed toward the arena floor.

“So today, you’ll fight in teams.”

Some students exchanged glances.

“Two versus two.”

Kakeru shouted from the stands.

“I want to fight too!”

Clarence ignored him completely.

Ryukai looked over at Kakeru. “Worth a try.”

“Shut it, kid.”

Ryukai sighed.

Clarence pointed toward four of the students standing below. “I’ll pair you up so things don’t get awkward.”

“Charlotte Kumojo and Tokiya Tachibana,” Clarence said.

He then pointed to the other side.

“Against Kageka Kurotani and Peter Terraeus.”

The four nodded and stepped into their positions.

Charlotte tied her black and red hair back, thin strands forming a web-like pattern between her fingers.

Beside her stood Tokiya, calm and focused.

Across from them stood Kageka, a dark-haired girl with a quiet, ninja-like presence.

Next to her stood Peter, a tall, muscular man whose broad shoulders looked capable of crushing stone.

Clarence stepped back.

“The rules of this spar are simple,” he said. “Pin your opponents down or make them surrender. How you do that is up to you.”

He raised his hand.

“Begin.”

Tokiya turned toward Charlotte. “Fire a long-range attack.”

“Why?”

“Trust me.” 

Charlotte nodded.

“Spider Trait: Eightfold Web.”

Thin strands of web shot from her fingers toward their opponents. The threads glistened under the arena lights as they cut through the air. At that same moment, Tokiya moved.

“Velocity Trait: Momentum Shift.”

The webs suddenly accelerated, blasting forward at an abnormal speed. Several students in the stands leaned forward.

Kageka took a quick breath. 

“Ninja Trait: Silent Slash.”

Her blade flashed. The web strands were sliced apart instantly. Yet it looked like she hadn’t moved at all.

Charlotte blinked. “What the hell happened?”

Tokiya frowned slightly. Before he could respond.

“Shadow Step.”

Kageka suddenly appeared behind Tokiya. A shuriken flew toward him. But Tokiya reacted instantly.

“Velocity Trait: Velocity Lock.”

The spinning weapon slowed to a halt in midair. It hung motionless between them. He stopped the velocity of the throw.

Kageka’s expression tightened.

“Velocity Trait: Velocity Strike.”

Tokiya moved.

The sudden burst of speed trapped Kageka in place before she could react. She had never been stopped so effortlessly during training.

Across the battlefield, Peter frowned. He clearly didn’t like being left out of the exchange.

“Stone Trait: Earth Wall.”

A thick stone barrier erupted from the ground. Chunks of stone rumbled upward as the wall formed. Tokiya punched the wall with kinetic energy gathered in his fist.

THUD!

The wall didn’t move.

Tokiya recoiled immediately. “THAT REALLY, REALLY HURT!”

Peter laughed. “It takes more than a punch to break my wall.”

Laughter spread through the stands. Kageka retreated beside Peter.

“We should coordinate our attacks this time.”

Peter crossed his arms. “You’re the one who left me.”

“I apologize.” She bowed slightly. 

Her eyes shifted toward Tokiya.

“We should take out the orange-haired one first.”

Peter nodded. “They have a bad matchup against us.”

From the stands, Ryukai leaned toward Yudo.

“Who do you think wins this?”

Yudo’s eyes sharpened as he watched the battlefield.

“Hard to say.”

Renki spoke confidently beside them. “Tokiya and Charlotte.”

Ryukai glanced at him. “You really think so?”

Renki nodded slightly. “I’ve known about Tokiya for a while. His Velocity Trait is powerful. People underestimate how much speed he can manipulate.”

Below, Tokiya leaned closer to Charlotte. “They’ll come after me.”

He briefly touched her hand. “When they attack, I’ll launch a counter.”

“I’ll activate my Inertia Grip.”

Charlotte blinked. “No idea what that means, but sure.”

Peter and Kageka rushed forward. 

“Ninja Trait: Nightfall Cut!”

“Stone Trait: Tectonic Slam!”

Tokiya smiled faintly. “Too predictable.”

“Velocity Trait: Inertia Grip.”

The battlefield froze. Everyone within a small radius suddenly stopped moving. Even Tokiya himself stood frozen. Only Charlotte remained unaffected.

From the stands, Yudo noticed immediately.

The range must be limited.

Charlotte had jumped high into the air before the ability activated.

Peter’s eyes widened. “We forgot about her!”

Tokiya’s ability could only freeze movement within a one-meter radius. 

Charlotte was still outside it.

“Spider Trait: Widow’s Binding Web!”

The webs shot downward. At the perfect moment, Tokiya released his Inertia Grip. Movement returned instantly, but it was too late. The webs wrapped tightly around Peter, Kageka, and even Tokiya, pinning them to the ground.

Clarence clapped once. “You two demonstrated excellent coordination.”

He turned toward Peter and Kageka. “You lost because you underestimated your opponents.”

He sighed. “Let this be a reminder. Never underestimate someone simply because they appear weaker.”

The two lowered their heads.

“Yes, sir.”

Clarence turned toward Tokiya.

“You were impressive.” He paused. “But are you really winning if you sacrifice yourself?”

Tokiya sighed. “I thought it gave us the best chance to win.”

Clarence nodded. “Your bravery is commendable.”

“But I don’t want my students sacrificing themselves when there are better options.”

In the stands, Lillie looked toward Renki. “Nice call.”

Renki smiled. “It was so obvious.”

Lillie laughed. “Take the compliment.”

The four students left the arena and joined the others in the stands.

Lillie stood up. “Great job!”

Tokiya and Charlotte smiled. “Thanks.”

Clarence turned toward the remaining four.

“Aurelia Mamori and Archer Kazehaya.” He pointed to the opposite side. “Against Tsukiko Umbra and Kaori Sayaka.”

The four stepped forward.

Clarence stepped back.

“Same rules.”

“Begin.”

Archer immediately drew his bow. The bowstring tightened with a sharp snap.

“Line Manipulation Trait: Trajectory Bend.”

The arrow shot forward.

“Shadow Trait: Midnight Abyss.”

Tsukiko slipped into Kaori’s shadow, disappearing instantly.

Kaori extended her arm.

“Fragrance Trait: Black Lotus Aroma.”

A dark mist spread toward their opponents. The scent drifted through the arena.

“Barrier Trait: Silent Dome.”

Aurelia raised a barrier around herself and Archer, sealing the mist outside.

The transparent dome shimmered faintly under the arena lights.

Archer smiled calmly.

“It’s over.”

The arrow he had fired suddenly curved back across the battlefield. It struck Kaori’s shadow before grazing her leg. Both girls collapsed instantly. 

The arena fell silent.

Archer lowered his bow. “I coat my arrows with specialized mixtures.”

“These were tranquilizers.”

Clarence waved the students from the stands back toward the arena. “It’s clear that most of you lack experience,” he said.

“You rely too heavily on your Traits.”

“You don’t yet have full control.” He looked across the entire class. 

“I will put you through intense training.”

His gaze sharpened.

“You will train together.”

“You will fight together.”

“And by the end of this year…” He paused. “You will understand the first steps of what it truly means to be a Guardian.”

The class nodded.

Clarence turned toward the exit.

“Class dismissed, we will meet in class 1-A on the first floor of the academy tomorrow.”

Ryukai looked toward Yudo. “Looks like we’ve got some rivals.”

Yudo grinned slightly. “Good.”

Because Aegis Academy had just become far more interesting.

If Yudo could push himself against others…

He could get to Two faster.