Ric, Yota, Ren, and Jim set off for Kyrus Academy, a prestigious institution founded by the four nations to train and nurture the next generation of warriors, mages, and scholars. The Academy had been established in response to the devastating casualties suffered during the human-demon war—a result of a dire shortage of well-trained troops. Recognizing the need for unity and strength, the nations each contributed a portion of their land, creating a shared centre where their borders converged. Thus, Kyrus Academy stood as a symbol of cooperation and hope, dedicated to forging a future where humanity could stand united against any threat.

  "Hey, Ric! When will we get to the Academy?" Yota asked, his excitement bubbling over.

  Ric sighed, already exasperated. "This is the tenth time you’ve asked, Yota, and the tenth time I’m answering," he replied. "We left at sunrise. After about three hours of walking, we’ll reach the teleportation gate. That’ll take us straight to the front of Kyrus Academy. Once there, we’ll show the books Chiron gave us as ID, get our room assignments, rest for a few hours, have lunch, and then—finally—the entrance exam. Got it now?"

  Yota nodded enthusiastically, his energy undimmed. "Got it! I just can’t wait to see the Academy!"

  Ric rolled his eyes but smirked slightly. "Yeah, yeah. Just don’t wear yourself out before we even get there."

  Out of nowhere, Yota suddenly yelled, "Hey, Ric! Let’s spar!"

  Ric raised an eyebrow, an amused smile tugging at his lips. "What? I just said not to tire yourself and you already lost yesterday!" he teased.

  "Why you!" Yota grumbled, puffing out his cheeks in frustration.

  Jim, ever dramatic, chimed in with a flourish. "Let us fight to our hearts' desire! A glorious victory we shall acquire!"

  "Yeah! If you have the guts, fight!" Ren challenged, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.

  Ric paused, thinking. "I need to test my limits to see how much I can do... but Yota alone isn’t strong enough for that." His smirk turned mischievous as a plan formed in his head.

  With an exaggerated laugh, "Pftt~You alone? Nah~" he taunted, "Come at me~ all of you~ if you’re not c.o.w.a.r.d.s!"

  Yota’s temper flared, and he fell right into Ric’s trap. "You asked for it!" he shouted, activating his fire suit. Flames danced around him as he charged headfirst at Ric.

  "Take this!" Yota screamed, launching a punch toward Ric, determined to land a hit. But Ric was already moving. With a swift flip in midair, he evaded Yota’s attack, his body twisting gracefully. As he sailed over Yota, Ric placed a hand on Yota’s head and grinned. "Nice try, buddy."

  Before Yota could react, Ric summoned a barrier from his hand. With a crackling surge of mana, the barrier smashed down onto Yota’s head, ignoring the fire suit’s defence. The impact was like a piston, slamming Yota into the ground with brutal force.

  The moment Ric’s foot hit the earth, Ren, seizing the opening, attacked from the side. Ric barely had time to react as Ren’s fiery fists closed in on him. The heat was intense, but Ric quickly conjured a barrier at the point of contact, blocking the strike just in time. His body was pushed back slightly from the force, but he stood his ground.

  Ren, hands and feet alight with fire, stood proudly before Ric. "You see this? This is my magic—Firefly!" he said, his voice full of confidence.

  Ric smirked, brushing off the impact. "Not bad~ A magic that boosts offence and mobility. Perfect for a hothead like you."

  But just as Ric was about to comment further, Jim took his chance. From beneath Ric’s feet, the earth surged upward, aiming to trap him. But Ric was faster. He leapt just in time, dodging Jim's earth magic with ease.

  Jim, grinning wildly, quoted, “You’re fast! That is true! But we will beat you up so much, that you won’t have a clue!”

  Before Ric could respond, Yota—having been knocked down earlier—scrambled to his feet, flames crackling around him as he lunged back into the fray. Not to be outdone, Ren followed suit, unleashing a torrent of fiery blows aimed directly at Ric. Together, they became a whirlwind of fiery attacks, pushing Ric back with their relentless assault.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Ric’s movements were fluid, a blur of dodges and barriers, narrowly avoiding their strikes like a trained fighter. Yet beneath the precision, there was a growing tension in the air—the attacks were becoming faster, more desperate. As the group fought on, they unknowingly drifted farther from where they began, their fury fueling each strike. Ric, however, didn’t appear to tire. Instead, he only seemed to be testing his limits, blocking and evading with an unsettling ease.

  For what felt like an eternity, the battle raged on. Ric continued to taunt and dodge, but the trio's frustration grew with each failed attempt to land a solid hit. After thirty minutes of exhausting combat, Ric finally tried to call it off.

  "Hey! Guys, stop—" Ric shouted, hoping to end the madness before it went too far.

  But Yota, his face flushed with determination and anger, interrupted Ric by unleashing a fiery punch, a burst of flames that shot toward Ric's face. Ric sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the scorching blast, but before he could finish his sentence, Ren struck from the side, his fiery hands blazing with ferocity.

  "Hey! Listen to me—" Ric tried again, but Jim roared over him, his voice dripping with frustration.

  "We shall not hear what you say! Until we win and you're in dismay!" Jim declared, his eyes wild with anger.

  The trio pressed forward with renewed intensity. Yota’s fiery aura flared, Ren’s feet became encased in flames, and Jim’s magic crackled with earth energy. Their attacks now were no longer just a display of power—they were a storm, driven by the boiling frustration of being unable to land a single blow on Ric.

  Ric's smirk faded as he began to realize the depths of their frustration. They had been holding nothing back. And yet, despite their efforts, Ric remained the calm centre of the storm—evasive, taunting, just out of reach.

  For the first time, the cracks in his composure began to show. "If you guys don’t stop right now, I will—"

  But Yota, wild-eyed and furious, cut him off with a bellow that seemed to shake the ground itself.

  "Enough, Ric!" Yota shouted, the fury in his voice making the air itself feel thick with heat.

  Ric’s eyes flashed. The playful taunts, the dodging, the evading—it all came to a sudden halt. This time, it wasn’t just about testing his limits. The intensity of their attacks wasn’t something he could ignore anymore.

  The battle wasn’t just about skill anymore. It was a clash of wills, and Ric could see it in their eyes—they weren’t going to stop until they had proved themselves.

  In the blink of an eye, Ric vanished from Yota's line of sight, the barriers beneath his feet propelling him into a blur of motion.

  Yota’s eyes widened in shock. "What the—where is he?" he stammered, spinning around, looking for Ric. But before he could even react, Ric’s voice cut through the air.

  "Behind you."

  Ric appeared behind Yota, his body a blur as he moved with insane speed. Before Yota could even blink, Ric’s fist slammed into his stomach, the force of the punch sending him crashing to the ground. Yota gasped, curling in pain from the blow, his fire aura flickering and sputtering in his defeat.

  Ren, not willing to let Ric get away so easily, charged at him, fury in his eyes. "Fight me if you got the guts!" Ren roared, flames burning in his fists as he closed the distance.

  Ric sighed, as though he’d had enough of the theatrics. With a casual flick of his finger, he summoned a tiny cube-shaped barrier, no bigger than a marble, and launched it at Ren. It struck Ren square in the leg with a sharp thud, and the impact sent him tumbling to the ground in a painful roll. Ren groaned, his fiery momentum broken as he clutched his leg.

  Before Ric could take a breath, Jim’s voice echoed with an earth-shaking chant.

  "By the power of ancient land, let the earth tremble by my command. With words of might, I call upon the mightiest quake—Terra Tremere!"

  The ground shook violently, cracks splitting the earth beneath them. Dust and debris filled the air as Jim’s magic unleashed a devastating shockwave. Ric’s feet were unsteady, he grabbed Yota and Ren and leapt into the air, narrowly dodging the collapsing earth beneath him. His barriers flared as he stabilized himself mid-air, using the barriers as a foothold to jump off the debris, narrowly avoiding the massive earthquake that threatened to swallow the entire hill.

  When the dust finally cleared, Ric was nowhere to be seen. Jim stood, chest heaving,"Huff! Huff!" his hands still glowing with residual earth magic, sweat dripping down his forehead.

  “Did I get him?” Jim muttered to himself, exhaustion sinking in.

  But then a light breeze swept through the clearing, sending the dust scattering. A sharp, confident voice rang out from the shifting fog.

  "Phew~ that was quite the amazing spell, Jim!" Ric’s voice was almost lighthearted as he casually appeared with Yota and Ren, each of them still stunned and gasping for air. “If not for my speed, I’d have been seriously injured.”

  Yota and Ren were still reeling from the blows they’d taken, their frustration bubbling over. Jim, meanwhile, stood there, fists clenched in helpless anger. “Don’t think you’ve won yet! We will—”

  Ric’s calm voice cut through Jim’s tirade like a blade. “Can you just shut up and listen to what I’m saying?”

  Jim blinked, momentarily confused. “W-what?”

  Ric’s eyes softened just a touch as he pointed toward the horizon. “Look over there,” he said, his voice suddenly full of nonchalance. “We’ve arrived at Rode, the capital city of the kingdom.”

  The trio followed Ric’s gaze, turning just in time to see the sprawling city of Rode spread out below them, its high walls and gleaming towers visible even from the hilltop. The battle-hardened ground they stood on now seemed like a distant memory as they gazed down at the city ahead.

  Ric’s lips curled into a small, victorious smile. “Well, looks like we’ve made it. And that was one heck of a warm-up.”