The reaction from the crowd was instant, and impressed.
For days now, guests and competitors alike had been wondering where the Wilton Academy students had been hiding themselves. Some had even speculated they were simply sitting out the preliminary events, lying low in their dorms until the real competition began.
Now those theories vanished in a heartbeat.
The crowd could see them clearly, all of them wearing identical, ornate masks, items that concealed their identities completely. The surface of each mask shimmered faintly, the runes carved into them pulsing with a subtle magical rhythm.
"Oh, thatās quite the enchanted item theyāve got," one voice murmured. "I wonder if they prepared those in advance."
"It has to be," another replied. "You think you can just
find
an enchanter who can work like that? Even at the Central Academy, theyād struggle."
Now that the Wilton students had revealed themselves, Raze had expected the staff to take it as a sign of good faith, to recognize who they were and grant them entry to the other side of the barrier. But instead, the staff members merely smiled in that practiced, dismissive way.
"We have orders not to let anyone through," one said flatly. "You must understand, itās quite useless for you to try. Youāll only get in the way."
The manās tone was patronizing, his gaze sweeping over the Wilton students as though they were children playing dress-up.
"We already have the best healers in the Central Academy working on it," he continued. "Do you really think a
student
could do anything about the situation?"
The choice of words made the surrounding guests stiffen. Up until now, most had only assumed there might be someone injured on the other side of the barrier. The staff member had just confirmed it.
For Raze, that was all he needed to hear.
If Redrick is hurt, thereās a chance itās because of me,
he thought grimly.
Maybe something I did when I met Ibarin earlier annoyed him. If Redrick is badly injured, if his life is at risk, and the Central Academy healers are anything like the ones who couldnāt treat Piba and Moze... then I doubt theyāll be able to do much for him. Thatās assuming theyāre even trying.
His decision was instant.
"Iām telling you now, weāre going to see our teacher," Raze said, his voice carrying across the space as he stepped forward.
The nearest staff member moved to block him, but Raze didnāt slow. He pushed past, his shoulder brushing the man aside.
"Hey! What do you think youāre doing? I already warned you!" the staff member barked. Flames flickered to life in his hand, growing into a concentrated sphere of heat. He brought his arm back, preparing to launch it directly at Raze.
But before the spell could fire, Raze turned on his heel. His hand shot out, seizing the mageās wrist in an iron grip. In one smooth motion, he forced the arm upward, the fireball shot harmlessly into the air, bursting into embers against the open sky.
The move didnāt end there. Razeās boot slammed into the ground, and ice magic rippled outward from the point of impact. Frost raced over the ground beneath the mageās feet, snaring his legs. With a sharp pull, the manās balance broke and he crashed onto his back. The ice climbed higher in an instant, sealing around his lower body and locking his arms against the frozen surface. He struggled, but the bindings held firm.
The other three staff members reacted fast, moving in to surround Raze.
They didnāt make it.
Beatrix spun on her heel, slamming her shoulder into the first one and driving him to the ground with enough force to leave him dazed.
Liamās sword materialized in his hand in a blink. He sliced through the glowing threads of a spell mid-cast, the magical energy unraveling like severed silk. In the same motion, he angled his blade so its edge hovered at another manās neck, forcing him to freeze in place.
Dame met the third head-on. He hooked the manās arm, yanked him forward, and drove a brutal headbutt into the back of his skull. The staff member crumpled instantly, groaning before going still.
It all happened in seconds. Three moves. Four opponents down.
The crowd erupted into murmurs, the sound tinged with disbelief.
"They just... took out all of the teachers," Nannan breathed. "Teachers from the
Central Academy
."
"Not just that," George added, eyes wide. "Apart from that Raze guy, Iām not even sure any of them used magic."
While most onlookers were stunned by the display, Kayzel was watching something else. He noticed that when the teachers had gone for Raze, the young mage hadnāt even glanced back. It was as though heād been certain the others would cover him, completely confident no harm would come his way.
"Are these people crazy?" Lee Roy said, folding his arms. "Maybe they got the jump on them because no one expected anyone to attack Academy staff... but they
just
assaulted members of the Central Academy. I doubt the Academyās going to let that slide."
The question was, who was going to punish them?
The Central Academy teachers standing with their own students made no move to intervene. Some of them shifted uncomfortably, as though weighing the risk. In the back of their minds, they couldnāt help but imagine the embarrassment of trying to stop the Wilton group... and failing in front of everyone.
Raze didnāt slow. With Safa at his side, he reached the barrier. Placing his hand against its swirling surface, he pushed. Magic flared in response, parting just enough to create a narrow opening. He and Safa stepped through, and in the next heartbeat, the breach sealed behind them, cutting off the view from the outside.
****
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