The academy's Grand Arena buzzed with an energy unlike anything Lee Shin had felt before.
Thousands of students filled the stands, banners waving in a sea of color. Mana lights shimmered overhead, casting golden hues across the circular battleground below.
The Final Ascension Exam — the last trial before students were promoted or cast back into mediocrity.
For most, this was a test of skill.
For Lee Shin, it was the battlefield where he would rewrite his fate.
He stood in the locker area, tightening his gloves. The faint hum of the ring pulsed through his veins — quiet, steady, alive. His mind was calm, but his heart thrummed like distant thunder.
Names flashed across the arena's crystal display:
"Match One: Class D vs Class C – Preliminary Round."
He exhaled slowly. This is it.
Around him, his classmates fidgeted nervously.
Min-Jae, the heavyset boy who'd once mocked him, now looked to Shin for reassurance.
"You think… we really have a chance?"
Shin adjusted his sword and glanced at him. "If we fight like we trained, we don't just have a chance. We win."
That confidence — calm, unshakable — rippled through them. Even Instructor Rho, standing near the entry gate, smirked faintly.
"You've changed, Shin," Rho said. "You're starting to sound like a leader."
"Not yet," Shin replied. "But I will."
The gates rumbled open.
The arena roared as the students from Class D stepped into the sunlight.
Opposite them stood Class C — confident, well-equipped, their armor gleaming with enchantments.
The referee's voice boomed through the speakers.
"Teams, prepare for engagement! Combatants may use weapons, basic artifacts, and Class-specified mana techniques. The match ends when all members of one team are incapacitated or yield."
Shin drew his sword and took point.
The whistle shrieked — and the battlefield exploded into motion.
Mana blasts streaked through the air as Class C's mages unleashed suppression fire. Their front line charged with heavy shields.
But Shin had seen this formation before — in the dungeons, in real combat, in death.
He didn't hesitate. "Formation Delta! Flank right, break their channelers first!"
His team moved like clockwork.
Two students from Class D surged right under his command, disrupting the enemy casters. The moment the spells broke, Shin darted forward, blade glinting with azure mana.
He sidestepped a spear thrust, struck low, and disarmed the opponent in one clean motion.
A flash of light erupted behind him — his teammate's barrier shattering under a blast. Without thinking, Shin turned and extended his palm.
The ring pulsed.
Time slowed. Mana bent.
A glowing barrier of golden energy expanded outward, deflecting the incoming strike — something beyond his normal ability. The ring's ancient essence had reacted instinctively.
When the light faded, every student in the arena stared.
"What was that—?"
"Was that… divine-class mana?"
Even the referees hesitated, eyes widening.
But Shin didn't answer. He lunged forward again, his blade like lightning — swift, precise, merciless.
One by one, Class C's formation collapsed. Within minutes, the whistle blew.
"Victory – Class D!"
The stands erupted into stunned silence. Then, cheers.
Class D — the lowest-ranked, weakest group in the academy — had just destroyed a superior class.
Shin sheathed his sword, heart pounding. The ring was warm, but calm now. It felt as though it approved.
From the observation deck above, Nonna watched quietly, a small smile tugging at her lips. But beside her, Hyun's expression darkened.
"That bastard," Hyun muttered. "He's using something unnatural."
Nonna gave him a sharp look. "Or maybe he's just better than you think."
Hyun's jaw tightened. "We'll see in the next round."
Hours later, Shin sat in the resting zone, drinking water as the next match was announced.
He could still feel dozens of eyes on him — admiration, envy, curiosity.
A soft voice broke through his thoughts. "You fight differently from everyone else."
He turned. A girl stood near the doorway — tall, elegant, with crimson eyes that gleamed like embers. Her Class A insignia shone on her uniform.
"I saw your duel," she said, stepping closer. "You don't fight like a student."
"I'm not," Shin replied calmly.
That caught her off guard. "Then what are you?"
He met her gaze evenly. "Someone who's already died once."
She blinked, unsure if he was joking. But before she could speak, her communicator pinged.
"I'm Arin," she said quickly, regaining her composure. "Class A representative. I'll see you in the finals, Lee Shin."
As she walked away, Shin felt the faint stir of interest in his chest — not attraction, but recognition. There was something strange about her mana — refined, ancient, almost royal.
The ring pulsed faintly in response, as though reacting to her presence.
He frowned. Who exactly is she?
Two days passed in a blur of matches.
Class D tore through Class C and B, advancing faster than anyone expected. Each battle honed Shin's control over his mana — the ring teaching him, shaping him, guiding him.
But the real storm came when the board announced the final match:
"Final Duel – Class D's Lee Shin vs Class A's Lee Hyun."
The crowd erupted. The long-awaited confrontation between brothers.
Blood versus blood.
Talent versus will.
Back in the locker room, Shin stared at his reflection in the mirror. His eyes were calm, but the fire behind them burned brighter than ever.
This wasn't just an exam anymore.
It was the reckoning.
He closed his hand around the hilt of his sword.
No more running. No more shame. This ends now.
Outside, the Grand Arena thundered with anticipation.
Nonna sat in the stands, hands clasped tightly, her heart torn between love and fear.
When the gates opened and the brothers stepped into the arena, the crowd rose as one.
Lee Hyun smirked. "You think one lucky streak makes you my equal?"
Shin met his gaze without flinching. "No. I'm not your equal."
Hyun laughed. "Good. At least you know your place—"
Shin's aura flared, cutting him off. "Because I'm better."
Gasps rippled through the stands.
And then the whistle blew — and steel met steel in a storm of mana and fury.