"This is unlike anything we've seen before, Noah. I've been watching you fight since we entered this monolith."
"At the beginning, you were not that much faster than the average academy third year, but as we go deeper, you keep changing."
"Your movements, your strength… it's like you're evolving as we go."
Noah tilted his head, pretending to consider it. "Maybe I am."
"What's more," Cecilia continued, her eyes glinting with curiosity, "it's your spells."
She paused.
"They're too strong and refined for a first-year mage. I could swear one of your spells was S-rank, but that shouldn't have been possible."
"But the truth is undeniable. If it was anyone else, they'd be dead. But you... you're not surviving because of brute strength. You're surviving because your spellwork is perfect."
She folded her arms, studying him. "You've got S-rank mana capacity and control, don't you?"
Noah hesitated, then gave a small nod. "Yeah. I do."
"I thought so."
