It had been about two weeks since school had started. By now, groups had already formed. Élio spent most of his time with Arthur. They weren't necessarily the best of friends, but they always teamed up to annoy their professor, Clarck. They had also started talking to a girl named Léana, who sat next to them.
Léana was a tall, pale-skinned blonde with striking black eyes. At 1.84 meters, she stood out. She came from a wealthy family, yet she distanced herself from the other rich students in the class. Her family belonged to the poorest among the rich, which meant she wasn't fully accepted by the aristocracy.
Meanwhile, Clara usually stayed with Jason. In truth, she didn't talk to anyone outside of class, but next to the chatterbox that was Jason, she felt obligated to at least exchange a few words.
The rest of the class revolved around Darian. He was the undeniable center of their group—wealthy students in awe of his unreal talent. Their parents had instilled in them the importance of connections, so each one tried to establish a relationship with him. Darian, for his part, enjoyed the attention, but even for a 15-year-old, he could tell how shallow these relationships were.
Everyone had slightly improved in the art of weapon materialization. Even Arthur, who still couldn't manifest a weapon, spent all his time training his body instead. Weapon materialization sessions were considered crucial, often lasting up to four hours.
Since he couldn't participate, Arthur dedicated those hours to one-handed push-ups, pull-ups, and running. His efforts amused the class, drawing a few laughs. He wasn't immune to their ridicule, but what else could he do?
Clarck would give general advice before stepping back, allowing the students to exchange tips among themselves. Surprisingly, his method was effective. At first, everyone sought guidance from Darian, but he quickly grew tired of it. With so many students asking for help, he could barely focus on his own training. Eventually, he redirected them to Clara, who was the closest to fully materializing her weapon without assistance.
Phénix was just as advanced, but his arrogance and lack of cooperation made people avoid him.
Darian, ahead of his peers, was already training in swordsmanship, while Élio spent his time repeatedly materializing and dematerializing his weapon. It was exhausting, especially for a beginner. Clarck didn't understand his approach, but Élio was a mystery—always seeming to have his own plan.
Like Arthur, Élio was marginalized, though for different reasons. Arthur was seen as incompetent, a boy with no future. Élio, on the other hand, was regarded as an asocial fool who never seemed to listen to others.
Léana, unwilling to be cast aside like them, remained with the wealthier group, careful not to become an outcast herself.
Today, Clarck and Frank had organized a physical competition between their two classes to stimulate their students and awaken the competitive spirit within them. After all, constant competition was the hallmark of the school.
That morning, Clarck stood before Class 1 and explained the rules:
"There will be three different events. First, a race—whoever comes in last will cost their team the victory. Second, a tug-of-war between the two entire classes. And finally, the most important event: a martial arts tournament. The six best-performing students from each class will face off. The winner will earn the right to a private lesson with Director Light himself. I'll let Professor Frank oversee that final event."
Arthur leaned toward Élio, smirking."Look at him, happy to have the afternoon off."
Élio chuckled. "Not like that's any different from usual."
Arthur and Léana quickly covered their mouths to hide their smiles from Clarck.
The reward didn't interest Darian—after all, a private lesson with his father held little value for him. Arthur, on the other hand, saw this as his chance to stand out. As for Élio, a slight smile played on his lips—not because of the tournament itself, but because he would finally get to interact with Professor Frank.
Meanwhile, in Class 2, Frank was giving the same explanation.
Louis was thrilled. This was his chance to get revenge on Élio.
"We're gonna put those two paupers (Élio and Arthur) and their whole class in their place! Right, Azel?"
Azel shrugged. "I don't care about those two. I just want to fight the director's son."
Louis sighed. "Too bad they're not letting us use our abilities. I would've destroyed those idiots with my water katana."
"I heard Élio also has a katana. And he has wind as his element, like me," Azel mused.
Louis smirked. "Then we'll get a real chance to test our skills in the next tournament."
As the class ended, every student left with the same thought in mind: to prove themselves in the upcoming tournament.
For some, it was about living up to their family's expectations.For others, it was the competitive atmosphere of the school pushing them forward.Some were driven by pure ambition, resentment, duty, or the desire to rise socially.And for a select few, this tournament was just the first step toward something far greater.