The holiday ended. The crisp morning air over New Era Academy carried the weight of new challenges, and whispers of rumors about Shin's unusual strength still lingered in the halls. Students gathered in the Great Training Grounds, an open arena surrounded by towering stone walls, where ancient artifacts and testing devices were stored.
At the center stood Professor Raiden, his silver hair gleaming under the sun, his sharp eyes scanning the crowd. Beside him lay a massive, jagged block of metal—dark, almost black, with streaks of gold running through it. It radiated a strange energy.
> "This," Raiden announced, "is the Stone of a Thousand Years. Formed from pure iron fused with ancient gold, tempered in dragonfire for centuries. Not even the strongest weapons can pierce it. Today, you will try to break it."
Gasps filled the air. Some students exchanged nervous looks, while others smirked with overconfidence.
> "Why are we breaking it, Professor?" a student asked.
"Because," Raiden's voice grew deeper, "if you can harm it, you prove that your magic has reached the level of a true combat mage."
The challenge began. One by one, students stepped forward.
Kurota, a muscular fire mage, roared and launched a blazing punch—BOOM!—but the stone didn't even scratch.
Lian, the top-ranked earth mage, slammed her magic-infused hammer—THUD!—but only sparks flew.
Even Aojin Hogosura, with his clan's lightning techniques, barely made a dent, a faint burn mark the only evidence of his effort.
Snickers and whispers followed each failure.
Finally, Professor Raiden's eyes turned toward Shin.
> "Shinra… your turn."
The crowd leaned in. Shin walked forward slowly, hands in his pockets, his face unreadable. Inside, he felt a flicker of hesitation—he knew he had to hide his true strength, but something about this stone… it called to him.
He placed one hand on the cold, rough surface. For a brief moment, a vision flashed in his mind—a strange crest glowing faintly, the same symbol he had seen in his earlier investigation. His heart skipped.
Then, he clenched his fist.
With a single, calm motion, Shin struck the stone.
CRAAAAAACK!
The entire block shattered instantly, exploding into shards and dust that scattered across the arena floor. The sound echoed like thunder. The gold veins inside glowed briefly before fading into nothingness.
Silence.
Everyone stared—mouths open, eyes wide. Even Aojin's usual smirk faltered.
> "What… what was that…?" someone whispered.
Professor Raiden narrowed his eyes, hiding a flicker of surprise.
> "Impressive. Too impressive," he thought.
He stepped closer to inspect the remains, but Shin had already stepped back, expression blank as if nothing extraordinary had happened.
But deep inside, Shin felt unease. The crest he saw before breaking the stone—it was the exact same as the one tied to the hidden faction he'd been investigating. This was no ordinary test… someone had placed that stone here on purpose.
And now, they would know exactly who could destroy it.