"Winner—Second Year Student Khyaal!" The referee announced, as Leo’s body finally went limp.
The arena erupted.
A deafening, rapturous cheer tore through the air as the victorious fighter, bloodied and barely standing Khyaal, struggled to lift his fist in triumph.
However, before he could gloat, his knees buckled beneath him. His body swayed, and he collapsed onto one knee, panting heavily.
Khyaal had won.
But just barely.
His entire body screamed in agony, and his vision swam, the sheer blood loss making even breathing feel like a herculean task.
He had scraped by with this victory by the thinnest of margins, and the unconscious first-year junior lying beneath him had nearly taken him down.
A first-year.
A monarch-level talent, yes—but an untrained first-year.
*SIGHHH–*
Khyaal let out a slow, ragged breath, his massive frame trembling under the strain of his wounds.
That kid.
That damn kid.
Leo Skyshard.
He had fought like a monster.
Khyaal had faced countless opponents since joining Rodova—swordsmen, mages, assassins—but this? This was the fight that was undoubtedly the hardest, most grueling battle of his life.
A fight where he had thrown everything he had. A fight where his strength alone had not been enough. A fight where he had to dig deeper than ever before, relying not just on his brute force, but on sheer willpower, on the unwavering desire to not fall to finally scrape by a win.
Khyaal had no delusions.
Leo was not at his full potential yet.
But once he awakened fully—once the academy administered the Genetic Awakening Serum to him, once he trained properly—
That monster under his feet would become a true nightmare.
And that thought… terrified him.
"Damn…" Khyaal muttered under his breath, still struggling to breathe. "How strong are you going to be a year from now?"
He had no answer.
But he knew that this was only the beginning.
Today’s victory belonged to him.
But a year from now? Two years from now?
Would it still be the same?
Could he really hold on to the circuits team spot before the interschool’s when the final selections began 8 months from now?
Hold on against a monster like Leo Skyshard?
’I—’ Khyaal doubted, as he clenched his fists, determined not to let himself be left behind.
For himself.
For Yu Shen and for the entire team that had survived the Summer Camp of Hell together, he promised to train just as hard as Leo Skyshard for the next 8 months, so that even if they met again in battle, the outcome would be the same.
—-------
Yu Shen leaned forward in his seat, exhaling softly as he watched Khyaal on the battlefield.
He was proud.
Proud of Khyaal.
Proud of how, despite losing his weapon, despite losing an arm, despite being pushed to his absolute limit, his teammate never crumbled.
Khyaal had earned this win and in the process showed the entire academy that the circuit team this year had more heart in them than any team before today.
But he wasn’t the only one who impressed the crowd today, as Leo’s fighting also sent a goosebump down Yu Shen’s spine.
That brat’s limp body, even in unconsciousness and covered in blood, demanded respect, as even though he had lost, his unconscious body laid on the ground with a presence to it that made a grown man hesitant to approach for the kill.
"You really are something else, aren’t you?" Yu Shen smirked, as he clapped for Leo as well.
Leo had fought like a warrior, like a true member of Rodova’s elite.
And while Yu Shen would never admit it out loud—he knew, deep down, that if given enough time…
Leo Skyshard would absolutely be circuits material.
Not now.
Not yet.
But soon.
Too soon.
For a first-year to be this good already?
It was only a matter of time before he picked up a spot on this year’s team and there was nothing that Yu Shen or anyone in his team could do about it.
And even though Yu Shen had no intention of allowing Leo to join the Circuits Team until he earned his place, from today onwards, he was going to pay special attention to Leo’s growth, helping him in any way he could, for it was undeniable that the brat would be his team member soon.
If Leo was this strong without the academy’s training and without the genetic awakening serum administered, Yu Shen could not even fathom how much stronger he would grow in the coming months, as that thought itself excited him.
"I’m looking forward to it, Skyshard." he mumbled finally, before turning to leave the arena.
—------
"MEDICS! GET IN THERE, NOW!"
Principal Alric’s voice boomed across the battlefield, a rare panic lacing his tone as he jumped to his feet, waving frantically for the medical team to move.
His face was contorted in a mixture of urgency and frustration, as his normally composed demeanor completely shattered.
Two students.
Two star students.
Both of them lay on the battlefield, broken and bleeding, and Alric hated every second of it.
"Check Skyshard first!" he barked, his sharp eyes locked onto Leo’s unmoving form, while another team rushed to stabilize Khyaal.
His heart pounded furiously in his chest, but not because he was disappointed.
No.
This fight had proved everything he needed it to.
Everything.
Everyone in this arena had seen it. Every teacher. Every student. Every instructor.
They had all witnessed it with their own eyes.
The raw, terrifying potential of an untrained first-year monarch talent.
Nobody could question Leo Skyshard’s future anymore.
Nobody could doubt why Alric prioritized his and Su Yang’s growth.
Even if Yu Shen wouldn’t allow them to train with the Circuits Team in the coming months, Alric didn’t care.
He would find another way.
He would bring in senior adventurers.
He would hire past circuit champions.
He would create an entirely new training regimen just for Leo and Su Yang.
And no one would dare call it favoritism anymore.
Because today?
Leo had shown the difference between monarch level talents and the others.
—------
The entire practical combat arena was alive with electrified voices, as students burst into heated discussions, replaying the battle in their minds.
"Holy shit, that was insane—" Your journey continues on .Côm
"I still can’t believe it! Leo actually pushed Khyaal that far! If this had been a regular spar, he would have already won when Khyaal lost his sword!"
"He was a single move away from victory… a single moment. That’s terrifying!"
"Do you think he’ll be strong enough to join the Circuits Team by next year?"
"Next year? Try next semester! If he gets the right training, that guy could be a monster within months!"
"Yeah, but… damn. Khyaal’s endurance was inhuman. I thought he was going to collapse, but he kept going even after losing an arm!"
"Respect to both of them, honestly."
The audience was split between celebrating Khyaal’s incredible victory and acknowledging Leo’s sheer insanity.
What they had witnessed today was not just a fight.
It was the beginning of something much, much bigger.
And nobody was going to forget it.
Not today. Not ever.
As this was simply a fight for the ages that students were going to talk about even years from now.