The beam of pure mana slams into the drake, consuming its body in an eruption of radiant energy. It lets out one last, agonized cry before its form is reduced to dust, vanishing into the air. Silence follows.
Lelovia gasps for breath, then throws her hands up. "We… we did it !" she yells triumphantly.
Lara drops to her knees, exhausted. "I can't believe that actually worked, I was fully expecting it to just take it head on or something"
"Brother…" Pailo stumbles forward, grabbing malcolms shoulders as tears well up in his eyes.
"We did it" Hale whispers, trembling
But Kessia doesn't celebrate. She grips her staff tightly, her eyes locked onto Lelovia. "You know what this means, Lelovia." She tries to hide it but her exhaustion is all to real
Lelovia groans, waving a hand dismissively. "Not now. Just let me have this moment of victory."
Kessia huffs. "Fine, whatever."
Then—
A sickening crack.
The air grows heavy. The scattered ashes of the drake shift unnaturally, twisting and coiling together. From the center of the devastation, something begins to move. The ground trembles.
Lara's breath catches in her throat. "No… no way, this fucking thing is way too strong"
The remaining ashes of the drake swirl, pulse, and reform. Muscles knit themselves together with horrifying speed. Scales harden. A deep, guttural growl rumbles from its throat.
Kessia's blood runs cold. "Ah, shit… that thing was supposed to be dead."
Lelovia stares in horror. "How do they expect us to beat this thing… There's no way it should still be alive." Her knees buckle, and she collapses, numb with disbelief.
"We're doomed," Hale whispers, looking down at her trembling hands. "None of us have any mana left. We can't fight anymore."
The drake's floating eyes glow like molten gold as it glares down at them, mouth opening to unleash their demise—
—But elsewhere, in a dimly lit chamber, a man sits at a round table, yawning.
"Edric, wake the hell up! You've got a lot to explain!"
Miseria's sharp voice jolts him upright.
"What the fuck was that for, you bastard?!" Edric snaps, rubbing his eyes.
"Watch your tone with me, boy." Miseria glares.
Edric exhales, holding up his hands in surrender. "Firstly we're the same age and secondly, What's so urgent?"
Miseria crosses her arms. "That drake you brought into the event zone is an anomaly—super adaptive, ridiculously strong. No normal adventurer can handle it, let alone a bunch of students!"
Edric shrugs. "You just told me to bring in a strong beast. I saw it fighting a wyvern, killed the wyvern, and took the drake. My bad."
Miseria's eye twitches. "Fix it. Now. Before it slaughters my apprentice."
"Why don't you do it if you're so fired up" edric yawns
A quick glare from miseria kills the attitude
Edric sighs dramatically. "Fine, fine. Just drop me there, I'll handle it."
The moment the words leave his mouth, his world distorts—
WHOOSH
Suddenly, Edric is plummeting through the sky.
"Ah, goddamnit, you witch" he whispers under his breath as he hurtles toward the ground.
Back at the battlefield, Lelovia and the others stand frozen as the drake roars and charges.
Lara forces a laugh
Lelovia snickers weakly
Then—
BOOM.
A massive shockwave erupts as a figure slams into the ground like a meteor, sending the drake flying into a sheer rock wall. Dust and debris explode outward
The students recoil, eyes wide.
"What the hell was that?!" Kessia shouts.
Lelovia blinks in disbelief. "I… I don't know."
Amidst the settling dust, a man cracks his back and groans.
"Damn, I messed up the landing."
As the dust clears, his figure becomes visible—casual stance, arms stretching, an almost lazy expression.
Hale gasps. "Edric !"
He gives a lazy grin. "Oh, hale, you good ?"
Hale manages a shaky smile. "Yeah, I'm fine."
Kessia stares at him, her excitement growing. "No way. You're Edric Vaelthorn, aren't you ?"
Edric raises an eyebrow. "Yeah, why do you ask?"
Kessia practically vibrates with energy. "You inspired me to become strong when I was a kid!"
Edric just shrugs. "That's nice. Anyways…" He turns, his expression sharpening. "Time to clean up this mess"
The drake roars and lunges.
Edric doesn't even flinch. He turns, raises a hand, and—
MutualFury
He moves. Fast.
A blur of motion—strikes too quick to follow. Each impact detonates against the drake, tearing into it with devastating force. The ground shakes. The air distorts. The very landscape behind the drake crumbles as its body is reduced to dust.
Silence.
Edric exhales, rolling his shoulders. "Shit, that thing really was tough" He cracks a smirk "But no match for me"
The students stare, still trying to process what just happened.
Lelovia sighs. "Thank the heavens"
Edric lightens his posture, turning to face the students.
"Alright, I know you all have plenty of questions, and I'm here to answer them," he says.
"Why are you here?" Lelovia asks, tilting her head.
"Well, turns out the drake I captured was an anomaly, yet you all managed to keep up with it. Nonetheless, I was sent to kill it," Edric explains.
"What's next?" Lara asks.
"If you mean the next stage, it'll be a bracket-style tournament," he says, fixing his hair. "Before that, each of you will have the chance to train with one of the available Grand Holy Knights, including me. After the tournament, the top ten students will get to choose a knight to accompany on a mission."
"And who are the present Grand Holy Knights?" Palio asks.
"Miseria, Lilith, me, and Charles," Edric lists off.
At that moment, a great magical sound erupts above them, followed by a voice echoing through the air.
"And the time is now!"
"Let us commence the third section of the placement event!" Miseria shouts in excitement just before the rest of the group is suddenly teleported.
"Ugh—" Mathew grunts, disoriented.
"Compile!" Miseria exclaims as a flash of magenta and gold engulfs them.
The scene shifts to a grand hall. Sunlight streams through colored glass windows, casting vibrant hues across the polished floors. The air carries the scent of ivory wood. At the far end stands a small yet regal chamber adorned with intricate décor. Two figures await them:
One is clad in cold silver full-plate armor, its sharp edges worn from countless battles. The other wears a great emerald coat, his presence exuding quiet confidence.
"I assume this is the hall you were talking about?" Lelovia mutters toward Edric.
"Yeah," Edric replies before walking off without another word.
"That's actually quite disorienting" Benjamin snarls, clutching his head.
"Wait what are you talking about" Benjamin asks Lelovia
Miseria steps forward, smiling. "Proceed down the halls. The event draws to a close, and in a twist of fate, your time at Grelaville is about to begin." She turns on her heel and strides away.
"Whatever that means," Malcolm scoffs.
The Grand Holy Knights
A woman steps forward, her presence as sharp as the massive sword resting on her back. Her navy-blue eyes are cold and indifferent, her dark silver hair unmoving. A faint white glow radiates from her weapon.
"I am Lilith of the Rune-Sword. I accept both mages and swordsmen alike," she says, her voice void of emotion.
Beside her, a man with an easy smile and emerald-green eyes steps forward, his blonde hair catching the light. His staff pulses with restrained energy.
"I am Charles of Woe," he announces. "Likewise, I have no preference. I hope my tutelage will serve you all well."
Edric, uninterested in formalities, slowly makes his way toward the duo.
"I'm Edric Vaelthorn, the Bear. I'm only taking physical fighters. I don't like magic," he states lazily, ruffling his short brown hair, his deep hazel eyes half-lidded with boredom.
Finally, miseria steps foward, her starry eyes and long, flowing black hair emit a light glow, her presence charged with mana. Her hair lifts slightly, stirred by her raw energy.
"I'm Miseria Pixith, the Mother of Magic," she declares, barely able to contain her excitement. "I'm only accepting mages—sorry to the swordsmen who were planning to join me." She smirks playfully.
"Also on a side note, all those who refused to participate in the fight against the drake have been disqualified and sent back to the campus, such as Helga and marcia" miseria explains in a tangent
"This'll be interesting," Davil laughs under his breath.