CHAPTER 57: GENIUSES IN MOTION

The forest clearing trembled beneath their feet.

Ron’s red-orange aura blazed like a living inferno, heat rippling the air around him, while across from him, Arin Blake’s body crackled with yellow sparks that danced wildly along the shaft of his spear.

The two locked eyes—neither willing to be the first to blink.

All around them, chaos erupted. The barrier’s relentless inward creep forced students into desperate skirmishes. Explosions of magic lit the air, blades rang, and the shouts of combatants mixed with the rumbling sound of the shifting walls. Yet here, in this pocket of tension, the world seemed narrowed to two warriors.

Ron tightened his grip on his weapon, the metal warm from his mana surging through it.

Arin tilted his head slightly, wearing that same infuriating grin.

"This is going to be fun," Arin said, sparks flaring brighter.

Ron smirked. "You won’t be smiling for long."

And then—without warning—they moved.

The first clash sent sparks and embers scattering through the air. Ron’s flaming spear met Arin’s crackling lightning in a deafening clang, the shockwave shoving leaves and dust away from their feet.

Arin stepped back, lightning curling up his arms.

"Let’s see if you can keep up, first boss."

His stance shifted.

Arclance Tempestra — First Bolt: Boltpiercer Drive!

With a thunderclap, Arin lunged forward. The thrust came so fast it seemed to split the air, the spear’s tip wrapped in spiraling lightning. It extended mid-lunge, blurring forward like a lightning bolt aimed straight for Ron’s chest.

Ron’s instincts flared—he twisted to the side just in time, the spear grazing past his ribs with a sharp hiss. The thunderclap rang in his ears.

"He’s fast," Ron muttered under his breath.

Instead of chasing the dodge with a counter-swing, Ron stabbed his spear into the dirt, using it as a pivot. Flames burst from his boots, propelling him like a rocket.

Arin’s eyes widened—he barely brought his spear up in time to block.

BOOM!

Ron’s flaming kick slammed into the spear’s shaft, driving Arin back several meters. The dwarf boy Torren, still locked in battle nearby, glanced over at the sound.

Arin slid to a stop, his boots carving grooves into the dirt. His arms tingled from the impact.

"His hits... they’re heavy as hell." Arin mutters.

Meanwhile...

The clash between Ron and Arin raged in the distance, but elsewhere in the shrinking battlefield, Lia and Lirael were locked in their own brutal duel.

Lirael’s eyes narrowed as a sharp whoosh cut through the air — a streak of green wind-aura closing in at blistering speed. Lia was already mid-strike, her blade glowing faintly with razor-sharp wind mana.

Lirael’s lips curved into a cold smirk. She began to churn her mana, her aura flaring.

"Third Circle — Blinding Flash!"

A burst of searing white light erupted in all directions.

"—Tch!"

Lia tried to shield her eyes, but it was too late. The flash burned into her vision, her left eye slamming shut involuntarily. She staggered back, blinking rapidly. Her right eye barely kept her aware of the blur in front of her.

In that same heartbeat, Lirael was already weaving her next spell.

"Luminous Lance!"

A spear of pure radiant energy formed in her hands and shot forward, streaking toward Lia like a sunbeam turned deadly.

Lia’s field of vision was now narrower, making every dodge harder. She slipped past the first strike, barely sidestepped the second — but the third grazed her cheek. A thin line of blood traced down her skin.

Her jaw tightened.

Wind mana surged around her, swirling in a greenish hue as she launched forward in a blur.

Her sword came down in a vicious overhead slash — faster than Lirael expected. Eyes widening, the elf hastily invoked another technique.

"Fourth Circle — Flash Step!"

She vanished in a burst of light, reappearing three meters away.

Lia’s blade sliced cleanly through where she had stood... yet Lirael hissed in pain, clutching her left arm. A shallow cut had appeared.

She hit me... even before I teleported?! How—?!

Without wasting a moment, Lirael’s voice hardened.

"Third Circle — Healing Glow."

Radiant warmth wrapped around her arm, the wound closing in seconds. But she could feel her mana pool dwindling.

I can’t let this drag on. If her vision recovers fully, I’ll lose.

She inhaled sharply, gathering power for a decisive move. The air began to shimmer with heat.

"Fourth Circle — Solar Burst!"

The forest lit up like a second sun had descended. A blinding wave of radiant energy exploded outward, igniting dry leaves and scorching the air.

Lia squeezed her eyes shut entirely, relying on her wind sense to read the mana disturbances around her. She sidestepped the main blast — but a smaller shockwave still caught her, singeing her clothes and leaving her shoulder aching.

When she opened her good eye again, the battlefield had shifted — dozens of small, glowing orbs now floated around her, each pulsing with deadly intent.

Lirael’s voice rang out over the crackle of burning leaves.

"Fourth Circle — Celestial Barrage!"

The orbs shot forward, homing in from all sides.

Lia clicked her tongue. "Shit...!"

At the last possible second, her aura flared violently.

A flash of bright pink tore through the light — leaving behind a trail of luminous butterflies dancing in the air.

Wind screamed.

"Wind Butterfly: Bladewing Flurry!"

Dark pink wind blades erupted in every direction, each strike moving too fast for the eye to follow. Lirael’s defensive barrier activated instinctively, flaring bright gold before shattering under the relentless assault.

The exam’s protective magic caught her before she could hit the ground — her body vanishing in a flash of white light as she was forcibly eliminated.

(What... the hell was that...?) was her last thought before disappearing.

As the dust settled, Lia stood in the center of the clearing, her body wrapped in a razor-sharp storm of pink-tinged wind. Dozens of small, glowing butterflies drifted lazily in her aura — each one a shard of lethal mana.

Around her, students froze, eyes wide. Even without moving, she radiated the kind of pressure that made them hesitate to breathe.

Ron and Arin stood across from each other, both panting, both bleeding.

Ron’s left shoulder dripped crimson, each movement sending a jolt of pain through him.

Arin’s right shoulder was much the same — his spear arm sluggish but still deadly.

They tightened their grips. Sparks of lightning danced on Arin’s weapon, while faint embers curled off Ron’s spear.

Ron’s gaze flicked past Arin, and he caught it — a sudden spike of mana in the distance. His lips curled.

She used it.

Then his eyes dropped to the ground near Arin’s feet — the barrier was closer now. Shrinking fast.

An idea sparked.

Arin tilted his head, catching the shift in Ron’s expression. "What’s that power? It appeared suddenly..."

He turned slightly, trying to gauge the direction — and that was when Ron moved.

A blur.

A burst of searing blue flames exploded behind Arin, the heat licking the air. Before he could react, something slammed into his back — Ron’s leg, wreathed in roaring azure fire.

The force sent Arin staggering. His foot crossed the line.

"What—?!" His eyes widened, bloodshot and furious. "You... you cheated! I wasn’t paying attention, you bastard!"

He spun and ran for the barrier, every muscle burning with effort — but the shimmering wall closed in before he could reach it.

In the next instant, his body dissolved in white light. Eliminated.

Ron lowered his leg and exhaled through a grin. "Idiot."

---

Back in the observation chamber, Zane leaned forward in his chair, unimpressed.

"Well... that was anticlimactic. Lia’s handling that state a bit better than I expected, though."

---

Ron jogged toward the center of the battlefield — and stopped.

There she was.

Lia stood in the clearing, pink wind aura swirling violently around her, the air thick with mana pressure. Dozens of glowing butterflies danced lazily in the storm.

Around her, the remaining students had frozen. Even Aurelian and Torren had paused their duel, their eyes locked on the scene.

Lia’s gaze found Ron. "Let’s clean them all up," she said, voice calm but edged with challenge. "Then you and I can fight for the win."

Ron’s grin returned. "As you say."

Then he stepped forward — and the air warped. His orange-red aura deepened, the flames shifting hue until they burned an intense dark blue. The heat rolled outward in waves, making the air shimmer.

The pressure in the clearing doubled. His power now matched — maybe even edged past — Lia’s.

One of the students swallowed hard. "...Not him too..."

Ron and Lia stepped forward in unison, shoulder to shoulder. Their voices came as one:

"Let’s begin the cleanup."

.

.

.

Back in the observation chamber, Zane leaned back with a low chuckle.

"Hm. They’re teaming up against everyone. They really know how to keep things fun."

He glanced sideways — the other teachers had crowded around the viewing screens, their eyes fixed on the two young combatants.

Mira’s voice was soft but tinged with awe. "They’re so young... yet so strong."

Aldren, unable to hide the grin spreading across his face, leaned forward. "They’re clearly geniuses."

Zane smirked. "Impressed by this much only?" he muttered, voice almost lost under the hum of the monitors.

Then his expression sharpened. He pushed up his lenses, the reflection of the battlefield burning in them.

"Alright..." His lips curved into a dangerous smile. "Let’s go, guys."