CHAPTER 53: WELL.

While the forest around them roared with the noise of battle, two figures stood apart from the chaos. Raymond and Samuel faced each other in the middle of a clearing, calm yet alert, their focus locked only on one another.

Both had already earned more than enough points to qualify. But this wasn’t about the exam anymore. It was personal. They wanted to see who was stronger.

Their weapons were drawn—Raymond’s daggers shimmered with golden light, while Samuel’s spear was wrapped in deep shadows, glowing faintly with a dark purple hue.

Their mana pulsed in the air, thick and steady, each waiting for the other to make the first move.

The rules of the entrance exam didn’t allow the use of bloodlines, advanced techniques, or special weapon arts.

It was meant to keep things fair—to test only raw talent, combat sense, and elemental control.

Which was fine by them.

Raymond’s eyes narrowed slightly, his grip firm.

"You’re not planning to come up with excuses when I win, are you?" Samuel asked, his voice calm, almost playful.

Raymond gave a small smile. "Wouldn’t even think of it."

Then the ground trembled.

Both of them moved at the same time.

A blast of mana burst from beneath their feet, kicking up dust and shaking the air. Their weapons clashed in a blur.

The sharp sound of metal echoed.

Dagger met spear.

Light met dark.

The clash was beautiful—brilliant sunlight against deep shadows. Sparks flew where their weapons collided.

Raymond moved fast, his twin daggers slicing through the air in precise arcs, each strike aiming for a weak point.

But Samuel was just as quick, his spear spinning like a storm, blocking every move and countering with heavy, sweeping thrusts.

They danced across the field, neither backing down.

Raymond ducked low, one dagger aiming for Samuel’s ribs. Samuel twisted his body just in time, deflecting with the shaft of his spear before pushing Raymond back with a surge of dark mana.

But Raymond didn’t fall. He flipped midair and landed smoothly, skidding back only slightly.

Samuel didn’t give him a moment to breathe. He charged forward, spear tip glowing, the shadows trailing behind him like smoke.

Raymond blocked with both daggers. The impact sent a shock up his arms.

They separated again, breathing calmly.

And smiling.

Neither had landed a decisive blow, but neither had taken a real hit either.

Then they moved again.

Samuel spun his spear low, aiming to sweep Raymond’s legs. Raymond jumped over it, his foot pressing against the spear mid-spin to launch himself forward. In a flash, he was behind Samuel.

He slashed.

Samuel spun around just in time to block with the handle, but one of Raymond’s daggers grazed his shoulder.

A thin line of light burst there—slightly painful, and a hit.

Samuel grinned.

"Not bad," he muttered.

His mana flared again. Shadows rose from the ground, wrapping around his arms. With a loud step, he lunged forward.

Raymond deflected the first few blows, but the pressure increased. Samuel’s attacks were getting faster, his strikes stronger, sharper.

Raymond tried to keep up, but he was being pushed back.

Until—

A burst of golden light exploded from his daggers. He crossed them in front of his chest, forcing Samuel to pause as the light blinded him for a moment.

Raymond used that second to counter.

His dagger swept up—Samuel ducked.

The second one came from the side—Samuel blocked.

But the third—thrown from behind his back—spun through the air and sliced across Samuel’s thigh.

Another hit.

They backed away again, both panting now.

Sweat dripped down their faces. Their clothes were dirty, their arms bruised, but their eyes still burned.

Raymond wiped the slight bit of blood from his lip.

Samuel adjusted his grip on the spear.

It wasn’t over yet.

Their chests rose and fell with heavy breaths. The wind had stilled. Even the forest around them seemed to hold its breath.

Raymond twirled his remaining dagger in hand while the other floated back to him, summoned by a quick flash of golden light.

Samuel tightened his grip on the spear, his knuckles whitening as tendrils of darkness coiled at his feet, ready to burst at a moment’s notice.

They knew each other’s rhythm now. Knew each other’s strengths.

This was no longer a clash of rookies.

It was a duel between equals.

Raymond dashed in, golden light trailing behind him. Samuel charged forward to meet him, spear aimed straight for the center of his chest.

At the last second, Raymond ducked low and spun under the spear. His blade carved upward toward Samuel’s side.

But Samuel shifted just in time, twisting his body mid-step and sweeping the spear around. It crashed into Raymond’s side with a deep thud, sending him flying back into a tree.

Bark cracked and leaves scattered as Raymond slumped for a moment, the wind knocked out of him.

He groaned, then stood up slowly. Blood dripped from his lip, but his eyes burned brighter than ever.

"Nice hit," he muttered, brushing his coat.

Samuel smirked. "Don’t slow down on me now."

With a sudden stomp, Samuel thrust his spear into the ground. Darkness erupted from the point of impact, spreading like vines across the field, forcing Raymond to jump back.

But the dark vines weren’t just spreading—they were reaching for him.

Raymond weaved between them, his body moving like a shadow under moonlight. He dodged, ducked, flipped over one that nearly caught his leg, and landed on a branch of a nearby tree. Light gathered at his feet as he launched off it again, soaring toward Samuel.

He came in high, his daggers glowing so brightly it looked like two stars were descending from the sky.

Samuel raised his spear to block—just in time.

The impact echoed.

Boom.

They both shot back from the blast, landing far apart, skidding through dirt and grass, kicking up dust. Both groaned, slowly pushing themselves up.

Raymond’s shirt was torn across his side. Samuel’s left sleeve was gone entirely, burned away from the light explosion.

Neither could move with the same speed anymore. Mana reserves were thinning, movements slowing.

But still—they fought.

Raymond vanished in a flash of light—appearing to Samuel’s left. His dagger came fast, stabbing low. Samuel deflected. The second dagger came in high. Blocked again.

Their feet moved, silent but sharp. Dust rose with each step.

Samuel finally caught Raymond’s wrist and twisted it, forcing him to drop one of the daggers. He swung the spear upward, aiming to finish it—

But Raymond caught the shaft with his bare hand, light bursting from his palm. The weapon trembled.

They both locked eyes. Inches apart.

Both shouted—mana erupting from their cores.

Light and dark exploded between them, throwing both backward into the air.

They hit the ground hard, rolling several feet before coming to a stop.

Silence returned.

The dust settled.

Raymond groaned. He tried to lift himself but collapsed again.

Samuel wasn’t moving either.

A soft ding echoed in the air as the system registered something.

[Both combatants eliminated due to mana exhaustion, internal and external injuries.]

Up above, the floating panel confirmed it. Their scores locked in. Their exam complete.

Neither had won. But neither had lost.

Raymond stared up at the sky, chest heaving. The clouds floated peacefully above, unaware of the storm that had passed below them.

He chuckled weakly.

"Tied, huh?" he muttered to no one.

From across the field, Samuel let out a tired laugh.

"Guess we’re even."

They lay there, side by side in the dirt and grass, too exhausted to move, yet content in the only way warriors could be—when they’d given everything and held nothing back.

Even in a draw, it was a fight worth remembering. And they knew in the future it will be even more amazing.

Their badges flashed red.

******

The cheers in the arena were deafening. The match between Raymond and Samuel had left everyone stunned—it had been nothing short of incredible.

High up in the stands, Solas turned his eyes away from the battlefield. His gaze shifted toward the two men standing beside him—one with golden hair, the other with jet black.

Duke Dawnlight and Duke Umbravane.

Both Archons stood tall, calm, and powerful. Their presence alone demanded respect.

"I’ll admit it," Solas said with a small smile, "you both trained your sons well."

"Thank you," Duke Dawnlight replied politely, nodding.

Umbravane, as usual, stayed silent. He simply nodded once, his eyes focused on the arena.

Then, after a long pause, he finally spoke.

"Sir Solas. I have a question."

Solas turned toward him. "Go ahead."

"That boy," Umbravane said, his voice low and steady, "white hair, sapphire eyes. He blocked a strike by stabbing his own hand. That’s your student, isn’t he?"

Though he asked, it didn’t sound like a question. He was almost sure.

Solas gave a light chuckle. "That obvious?"

Before anyone else could say something, another voice joined in.

"He’s not ordinary," Yedrilla said from behind them, arms crossed. "No normal person would injure themselves like that to land a blow. Only someone trained by an eccentric teacher would even think of doing it."

Solas grinned, clearly amused. "Well, at least my eccentric student is still in the game. Yours was eliminated early, wasn’t she?"

Yedrilla gave him a flat look but said nothing.

Duke Dawnlight cleared his throat to hide his smile, while Umbravane stayed quiet, his gaze never leaving the crystal screen that still showed the final moments of the recent battle.

The boy with white hair stood tall in the replay, frost gathering around him, blood dripping from his wounded hand. His sapphire eyes burned with cold determination.

Umbravane watched closely.

"He fights like someone with nothing left to lose," he murmured.

Solas didn’t respond this time. He simply looked on, quiet and thoughtful.

[A/n]- Hello guys Cryptic here, you see don’t buy the next Chapter like skip it and buy the next one cuz you see, even after rewriting it again for two times, it just get back to the repeated state. So skip that one and buy the next. Bye happy reading.