The arena still trembled from the aftermath of Lumiel's overwhelming display. Murmurs rippled through the crowd of examinees, his name whispered with awe, curiosity, and confusion. Among the hundreds of hopefuls, three names had now emerged at the top: Lumiel, whose strike cleaved both dummy and wall like butter; Lady Nishia, the regal Sword Prodigy with crimson eyes and noble grace; and Mister Claud, a bright, joyful youth whose gift, Tech Sentry, allowed him to construct advanced sentries on par with elite engineers.
Lumiel stood quietly, eyes wandering across the crowd. He heard the distant buzz of gossip and couldn't help but reflect. "Did I mess up in the last test? I hope the instructors aren't mad about the dummy... or the wall," he thought, his nervousness creeping up despite his calm expression.
Meanwhile, the second stage of the examination began: one-on-one duels. The purpose was to evaluate not just raw power, but adaptability and technique. The first few matches flew by, until the announcer's voice rang through the arena:
"For the next duel! We have Lady Nishia, the Sword Prodigy, versus Cliffhard, the Shadow Assassin!"
Gasps erupted. Cliffhard, a dark figure with lank black hair and weary, unsettling eyes, was not to be underestimated. Ranked 5th in the combat trial, his shadow-based techniques made him a slippery and unpredictable foe. Lumiel leaned in slightly, recalling his file. "Oh yeah... Cliffhard. His techniques are kinda wicked."
The duel began.
Lady Nishia moved like flowing silk—precise, elegant, and devastatingly fast. Her swordplay grew more refined with each passing second, reading Cliffhard's movements like an open book. The crowd erupted in admiration.
Cliffhard grinned darkly. With a flash, he unleashed his trump card: a dome of darkness engulfed the entire platform, swallowing Lady Nishia in a void of pitch black. The crowd held their breath.
Inside the dome, silence and shadow reigned. Without her sight, Lady Nishia faltered, her strikes missing their mark, her focus strained. Cliffhard circled like a predator, landing subtle strikes and weakening her bit by bit.
Then, it happened.
A radiant burst surged within the darkness. With a swift, graceful movement, Lady Nishia mimicked the very technique Lumiel had used earlier: a weaker, yet still formidable, version of the Heaven and Earth Sword Style. The darkness tore apart, the dome shattered, and Cliffhard was flung to the edge of the arena.
Silence, then roaring applause.
Lumiel stared wide-eyed. "That... that was my slash. She saw it once and already performed it?" A smile curled at the edge of his lips, equal parts admiration and disbelief. "She really is a prodigy..."
But as the cheers died down, Lumiel's gaze fell. "I wanted to be friends with her," he murmured under his breath, "but someone like her... she's too gifted."
Unseen to him, Lady Nishia glanced his way, a curious glint in her eyes.