Challenger Number 911

Years had passed since Theo began his training with Ethan. After years of conditioning and teaching combat techniques to his potential successor, the time for testing had finally arrived. 

Theo was now fifteen years old and fully aware of all his goals. 

Capital of the Order, Gran-Empire, Greater Coliseum. 

Sitting in the waiting corridor, he anxiously awaited his name to be called. Wearing a typical test protection suit, a weak and lightweight plate armor, his anxiety was still noticeable. His amber eyes were the only exposed part through the helmet visor. 

"Inside here, I can use my elements, attributes, and conjuration..." Theo pondered, recalling the rules explained to him. 

Being a test, participants had complete freedom to demonstrate their techniques and potential without worrying about the examiner, as they were a higher-ranking agent. 

"However, I can only use one of the elements, since they don't guarantee the participant's well-being in case of loss of control... It makes sense, since manipulating and controlling two elements requires a lot of experience. I'll need to choose." 

Partially, he had already made that choice. Theo had developed his proficiency in two elements, the first being fire. However, he dismissed it immediately. 

The excessive control required to maintain a small flame demands perfect self-awareness of one's energy. Since parts of the knowledge are monopolized by the Great Orders, Theo still doesn't know his energy type or the color of his core. 

However, during the ten years with Ethan, he developed the ability to control the elemental attribute (quantum). Thanks to this, he managed to control two distinct elemental attributes. 

"The battle is ending..." Theo thought. "I better convert part of my energy into an elemental attribute to avoid struggling..." 

Like any deviant, Theo had more than one core. Of course, there's the main core determined by the color and type of energy, but there's also an internal system called chakras. 

A common deviant, without any training, has seven of these chakras; by sending energy from the main core to the secondary cores through the chakra channels, the energy is automatically converted into an elemental attribute. 

Emptying part of his core, Theo acquired enough for a prolonged battle. 

"I hope I learn how to increase my reserves quickly within the academy. And I hope even more that it's not an external energy..." 

For Theo, energies like ether and mana would be problematic, as they would depend on some artifact or external generation to increase his reserves. 

Meditating for five minutes, he managed to convert the values and generate enough elemental attribute, and moreover, condensed the energy so it wouldn't run out easily. 

"Theo Caesar," called Etrbak, a man with a clipboard at the end of the corridor, at the entrance to the coliseum. "Please, get ready." 

Walking to Etrbak and looking at the coliseum arena, Theo saw the other participant being led to one of the gates. 

He feared the gravity of that confrontation... 

"Great grades in the written tests, huh... Hybrid deviant, two elemental attributes... Alright. Chask, call Jackl," he asked another examiner, dressed in a suit and tie like Etrbak. 

For each classification of a deviant, there was a specific examiner: conjurer, attributer, and hybrid. Jackl was the hybrid examiner... 

Theo was aware that he would face a high-ranking deviant. 

"Alright... The rules are simple, challenger number 911. These velcros on your armor determine if you're participating or if you've been defeated." 

Another examiner placed velcros on Theo's armor; small circles varying in colors like blue (for safe regions) and red (for critical regions). 

"If the examiner hits a red velcro or five blue ones, you're out. However, if you hit all the examiner's velcros, you're classified with 100% efficiency and may receive a class promotion. Additionally, he won't use elemental powers unless you put your life at risk. Any questions?" 

"Can I use both my attributes?" Theo asked. 

"Yes, you can. However, if you don't have control over one in particular, we recommend you don't risk it. As you may already know, he can intervene, but your nuclear health is not our responsibility." 

"Understanding your own limit is the first lesson of Vagus... And they're demanding it from here..." Theo analyzed, looking at the coliseum. 

"Being aware of that, you may proceed to the arena," said Etrbak. 

A steel gate rose, opening the way for Theo. Taking a deep breath and preparing his mind, he took the first step. 

His grades in the theoretical test were perfect, so he was already guaranteed a spot in some mid-tier academy. However, he aimed for the big names... If possible, the biggest name. 

"This way," called Chask, pointing to a weapon rack beside the gate. 

Arriving in front of the rack, the man entered the corridors before the gate closed. 

Swords, bows, spears, axes... All kinds of wooden weapons were on the rack. Without hesitation, Theo wielded a long wooden sword. 

"Ready?" Etrbak asked over the loudspeaker. 

Both nodded yes. 

"Begin!" 

Theo waited five seconds for his opponent's movement. However, there were no signs of attack or hostility. Therefore, Theo decided to act. 

Charging a vortex of wind in his hands, he launched it towards Jackl, causing the spell to collide with the ground and raise the sand. 

"Yeah... Fire and wind. But I imagined you'd use the wind attribute," pondered Jackl, standing still and analyzing Theo's movements. 

He waited to see where Theo would emerge. However, appearing faster than Jackl predicted, Theo appeared to his left wielding the wooden sword and ready to attack horizontally. 

Jackl raised his arm in front of his body, increasing his guard and showing a defensive posture. Theo couldn't find any openings... 

"You only have one way out!" he thought, predicting that Theo would continue and hit his forearm. 

But Theo was greater than that thought. 

Retracting his sword, Theo used his right heel to rotate the axis and change the direction of his body. Spinning behind the examiner, he grabbed the sword hilt with both hands and prepared another strike, this time on the side where Jackl's posture was open. 

The examiner acted quickly, jumping back before the sword could hit him. But it was an even more advantageous move... 

Grazing the chest plate, the blade simulated the sound of a vacuum. 

Attributing wind to the sword and his feet, Theo created a wind impulse and charged at the red velcro on Jackl's heart. Analyzing the speed and intensity of Theo's attack, the examiner had no choice but to throw himself to the side. 

Theo slid a few centimeters past Jackl and, turning to look at the examiner, he returned with a diagonal slash. Leaning his spine back slightly, Jackl easily dodged. 

Continuing with the series of attacks, Theo didn't allow the examiner any rest. 

"Not going to let me breathe?" Jackl joked, seeing that Theo wouldn't let him counterattack easily. 

The challenger's response was silence, and more attacks. 

However, from his perspective, Theo was completely nervous... He was thinking about his next moves as he attacked, and that was a mistake... At any moment, a conflict between thinking and acting would determine his defeat. 

Still, his fighting style of pressuring the enemy was coming in handy. 

"Pressuring the enemy with clean and objective attacks..." commented Mosper, the scout from the fifth-largest Vagus academy; Viet. "It's a good mindset for an aspirant." 

"It can still be better," said Holper, the scout from the seventh-largest Vagus academy; Honskner. 

"Not expecting too much from a challenger, even if from a noble family?" 

"Not at all. Expectations should be even higher. Right, Rikard?" 

The scout from the Wispells academy, the largest in Vagus, remained silent as he watched the practical test. 

Tripping the examiner, Theo created a small wind implosion and pulled Jackl towards him. 

"Oh... He's pulling me with the force of the wind?" Jackl analyzed, trying to resist. A smile formed on his face. "Too bad your control is inferior..." 

Just by planting his foot on the ground, Jackl managed to resist the wind's force. Closing his left hand, which was creating the gust, Theo attacked the examiner again. 

However, before each strike, each slash, and direct movement, Jackl dodged, boasting his speed. He could see Theo's movements, almost as if the boy wasn't moving. 

Without the wind attribute, Theo was slow for that deviant's level. 

Realizing that attacking so many times was the same as wasting energy, Theo distanced himself and adopted a defensive stance, protecting his left hand as he conjured a small fireball. 

"Energy is the fuel, the wind would be the reaction..." he thought as he prepared. 

"Is he really going to try?" thought Jackl. "If he showed so much affinity with wind, it means he hasn't trained fire precisely. At this rate..." 

The small fireball created a flaming mist around Theo, casually reacting with the wind attribute the boy was using. 

"Two attributes at the same time?!" Rikard, among all the scouts, was the only one to realize what Theo was doing. "Damn... He's losing control..." 

Sparks of energy surrounded Theo's palm. Uncontrollably, the entire energy sphere collapsed. An explosion of light engulfed the center of the arena.