"Have you heard?"
"The Twilight Tournament might be reinstated this year."
"No way! That's only for inner circle classes."
Whispers spread like wildfire across the academy grounds, brushing past garden paths and echoing through training halls. The students of Class D, still outsiders to the inner elite, felt the shift in atmosphere.
In their classroom, Lei Jin was the first to bring it up. "Teacher Han, is it true? There's going to be a tournament?"
Han Li sipped his tea lazily. "Mhm."
Silence.
Shen Yu narrowed her eyes. "Are we… allowed to participate?"
Han Li placed his cup down with a soft clink. "Not yet."
Groans erupted. Su Ling slammed her brush on the desk. "So we're still nothing more than fillers to them."
"No," Han Li stood slowly, his voice calm but heavy, "You're not fillers. You're my blade—just not sharp enough yet."
His words struck something in each of them. Even Xuan Mu, usually aloof, sat up straighter.
He moved to the board and drew a large circle, inside it marking several dots.
"This is the arena," Han Li said. "This year, nobles and commoners will be paired across all divisions. It's the first time in decades the academy dares such equality."
"Why?" whispered Bai Wei.
"Because someone forced their hand," Han Li smirked. "You."
Gasps.
Han Li turned, eyes gleaming with challenge. "You've grown enough to threaten the order. So they want to test you… publicly. They expect you to fail."
Lei Jin clenched his fists. "Then we'll prove them wrong."
Han Li nodded. "Good. From tomorrow, the real training begins. I'll break your bodies, temper your minds, and forge your souls."
None dared respond.
Because for the first time, Class D understood:
This wasn't training.
This was war.