Test

A black sky stretched over the battlefield, rain hammering down like war drums, soaking the earth into a thick, treacherous sludge. The illusionary training field was chaos—students dashed between trenches, arrows whistled through the air, and the sharp clang of steel meeting steel rang across the space.

And then there was Bruce.

A human wrecking ball, shirtless under his sleeveless academy uniform, muscles rippling with every reckless swing of his greatsword. The ground trembled under his feet as he carved through the training dummies like they were made of wet paper. He moved with no finesse, no precision—just brute force, the kind that made everyone give him a wide berth.

A fresh bandage stretched across his broken nose, a reminder of his last duel. And judging by the way he swung his blade, he hadn't forgotten who was responsible for it.

Nearby, a blond-haired student leapt onto a fallen dummy, flipping effortlessly mid-air and loosing an arrow straight through another's head before landing lightly. He barely looked impressed.

"Man, this is dull," he muttered, already scanning for his next target. "Hey, Bruce! How's your end?"

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Bruce answered the only way he knew how—by obliterating another dummy in a single, earth-shaking swing.

The archer sighed, rubbing his temples. "That idiot's gonna take someone's head off at this rate."

Everyone moved with energy and purpose—well, almost everyone.

One student stuck out like a sore thumb. Not because he was particularly strong, or fast, or even doing anything impressive. No, Yulli stood frozen in the middle of the chaos, hugging his sword like a lifeline. His white hair clung to his forehead, one crimson eye darting nervously around.

He looked like a lost lamb in a den of wolves.

Then, movement. A dummy lunged at him from behind.

His breath hitched. His fingers tightened around his hilt—this was it.

But instead of swinging, instead of reacting like any normal student, Yulli panicked. He flinched, squeezed his eyes shut, and braced for the inevitable pain.

…Nothing.

No impact. No sharp jolt of wood colliding with his body. Just silence.

He cracked one eye open.

Someone stood between him and the dummy—golden hair streaked with crimson, a single braid resting over his shoulder, and a jagged scar across his cheek. The man didn't just stand there; he exuded confidence like he belonged in this moment.

"Are you okay, Yulli?"

"I…" Yulli blinked, suddenly realizing he was on the ground. "Wait… when did I fall?"

"You were probably too terrified to notice," Eliches said with an amused chuckle.

Yulli groaned, rubbing the back of his neck. Embarrassing. Really Embarrassing. But there was no time to dwell on that—because now, the dummies had them surrounded.

"This is bad," Yulli muttered, finally gripping his sword properly. "There's too many of them—"

Eliches didn't even blink.

"Don't worry, Yulli," he said smoothly, flicking his sword free. "I got this."

No hesitation. No arrogance. Just certainty.

Yulli took a step back.

Then—

A single blur of movement.

Eliches struck once. Just once.

And in the blink of an eye, every single dummy around them collapsed, slashed apart before they could even react.

Yulli's jaw nearly hit the ground. His eyes darted between the fallen dummies and Eliches, trying—and failing—to comprehend what just happened.

Eliches calmly sheathed his blade and offered a hand. Yulli hesitated before taking it, letting himself be pulled to his feet.

And then—

"TIME'S UP! TEST OVER!"

A booming voice rang out, commanding and absolute.

The battlefield shimmered. The rain, the trenches, the carnage—it all dissolved, revealing the real training hall beneath. Rows of weapon racks lined the walls, gleaming armor stood at attention, and at the far end of the room, a massive glowing crystal pulsed with energy, casting eerie light across the floor.

The illusion was gone. The test had ended.

But Yulli's heart still pounded. His hands still felt the weight of his fear.

As the rest of the students laughed, stretched, or started sheathing their weapons.

Yulli let out a deep, shaky breath. Finally, it's over.

His muscles ached, his brain was fried, and all he wanted to do was collapse onto the floor and never get up. But before he could even breathe, a voice sliced through his moment of peace like a dagger.

"YULLI."

He stiffened. That tone—sharp, commanding, and so done—was one he knew all too well.

"Your performance today was poor…" A pause, as if the man was savouring his disappointment. "Again."

Yulli winced. He didn't even have the energy to argue. Think, Yulli. Quick excuse, something convincing, just—

"Well?" The instructor crossed his arms, tapping his foot impatiently. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

Yulli opened his mouth. Nothing. His brain was soup. All he could do was stand there, clutching his belt like it might somehow shield him from this verbal execution.

"Now, now, sir," a smooth voice cut in before he could self-destruct further. "Let's not be too hard on him, yeah? Maybe he just had an off day. You know how hard he works."

Elchies.

Golden-haired, confident as hell, and standing there with the kind of effortless charm that made people believe him even when they really shouldn't.

The instructor, unfortunately, wasn't buying it. His gaze narrowed. "You, Elchies, are a Lionheart. Your ability and expectations are on an entirely different level." Then, his eyes flicked back down to Yulli. "Yulli, on the other hand…"

Oh boy, here we go—

"But sir," Elchies cut him off again, completely unfazed, "being a Lionheart doesn't mean I'm flawless. I screw up, too. We all do."

Yulli blinked. Did he just—

The instructor sighed, rubbing his temple like he was getting a migraine. "Hmph. Fine. Whatever." He turned back to Yulli with one last, withering stare. "Next week is the practical exam. The commander himself will be evaluating students. This is your last chance, Yulli. Keep that in mind."

And with that, he turned on his heel and walked off.

Silence.

Yulli let out the longest, most exhausted sigh of his life. "Thanks for having my back. Again. I owe you one."

Elchies just grinned. "Please. Friends don't owe each other. However… your mother's signature tea would be a very acceptable form of gratitude."

Yulli gave him a flat look. "Of course you'd say that."

"You know me."

"Yeah, yeah. Fine. I'll bring some tomorrow."

"Splendid!" Elchies clapped his hands together like everything had just gone perfectly according to plan. "Now, let's change and eat. Coconut rice awaits."