The match was over.
Although Yolden wasnāt badly hurt, the teachers, including Panla, had seen enough.
Yolden was already an
impressive
Wind Mage; her position in the rankings was secure. She had demonstrated skills far beyond what most students could produce.
And then there was Safa. Even now, as she stood on the field, there wasnāt a single mark on her body, and it was all thanks to her Light Magic.
Watching the match, the others couldnāt shake the feeling that even if the two had fought until one of them ran out of mana... Safa would still be standing there without a scratch.
The teachers had been waiting to see if Safa could do more than just heal, and she had delivered.
After an attack as powerful and mysterious as the one she had just performed, an attack that even Yolden herself didnāt fully understand, this felt like the perfect moment to call the match.
"You did well, Yolden," Panla told her warmly. "But each of these transfer students... theyāre monsters in their own right."
Yolden got back on her feet, though she was clearly unsatisfied with the result. Without a word, she began making her way back.
Meanwhile, Safa wore a bright smile.
She now
knew
she had secured a seat by Razeās side for the Academy, and on top of that, she had discovered new ways to help him as well.
Iāve grown stronger,
she thought proudly.
As Safa made her way off the field, she found herself walking nearly side by side with Yolden.
Without warning, a warm glow began to rise from Safa, radiating outward. Yolden immediately felt her aches and pains begin to fade from her body.
"Why do you have to be so nice too?" Yolden asked with a sigh, pausing to glance at Safa. "Alright... I lose. You can have Raze all to yourself."
"To myself?" Safa blinked, her face turning red. "I think... you might be misunderstanding. Raze is my brother."
For some reason, the moment Yolden heard those words, the sadness she had felt from losing began to ease, just a little.
"Ah, so thatās the relationship between you two," Yolden said, smiling now. "Well, alright, little sister. Itās a shame I lost to you... but I guess thatās just how life goes, right,
sister
?"
She gave Safa a playful wink before heading off.
From the sidelines, Chiba watched her dear friend curiously, wondering how someone could look
so happy
after experiencing a loss.
Since the top five students and the transfer students had been seated close together, and the match-ups required them to regularly cross paths on the way back, it wasnāt long before the group was all gathered once again.
That didnāt stop Liam from cheering loudly for his teammate.
"Haha! Look at that, thatās great, right?" Liam grinned. "With two of us beating the top students, weāre
definitely
going to be part of the Magical Exchange!"
"All we need to do is keep beating the top students," he added confidently.
"Hey!" Chiba shouted from behind. "Some of us donāt plan on losing to you guys, you know! Raze was a given if he went up against anyone but Piba... but remember, you still have to go through
me
. And
Piba
!"
Chiba was ranked second, and Piba ranked first. Even though neither of them had shown much of their abilities in the combat classes yet, they hadnāt
needed
to. And there was still one more name to consider.
"What are you all talking about so energetically?" Yolden asked, rejoining the group. "Are you talking about my loss?"
Chiba folded her arms.
"For someone who lost, you sure do look happy," she remarked. "But I guess itās guaranteed youāre going to the Magical Exchange anyway, at least for the next assessment. No reason to be sad."
"Everyone was just talking about how weak we are compared to the transfer students," Piba said from behind, chuckling.
It was an odd thing for Piba to say, and the way he said it almost made it sound as if he was siding with the transfer students.
"We keep getting matched up with them," he added. "Itās almost like the teachers created a separate lot and tournament just for us."
Safa didnāt say anything, but with her God Eyes, she could
see
that this was exactly the case.
Though the match-ups had appeared random, there was a subtle spell in place, one that ensured the top five students and the five transfer students would be pitted against one another.
Clearly, the teachers wanted to
see something
, and they were forcing the draw to make that happen.
"I think youāre all forgetting someone," Chiba spoke up. "Thereās
Londo
!"
"Oh, right! Thereās him as well," one of the students said. "Londo... I think whoever ends up going against him is going to have a
really
difficult time."
"Londo? Whoās Londo?" Beatrix asked.
"Heās the current fourth-ranked student," Piba explained. "But his position is... a little strange."
"Heās never shown more than he needs to. Every assessment, he passes with ease. Every written or practical exam, same story. Even in sparring assessments, he always chooses the safest option. But hereās the thing: heās never lost. And heās never failed."
Pibaās gaze swept over the group.
"So if he does go up against you transfer students, no matter how special you are, I donāt think heāll fail either. Not even against
you
, Raze," Piba said with a knowing smile.
For the top-ranked student to admit that... it was certainly
something
.
But they would all just have to wait and see.
More matches continued to take place in between, and now the tournament was winding down. There werenāt many match-ups left.
Finally, a name was called from the group.
"Liam... will be going up against...
Londo!
"
*****
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