Morning light spilled over the training field, cutting through the faint mist that clung to the academy grounds.
The Combat Division stood in formation, rows of gray-and-silver uniforms gleaming under the rising sun. The air hummed faintly — the sound of mana channels beneath the field, alive and restless.
Instructor Baek Gunho paced in front of them, hands behind his back, eyes sharp as blades.
"Formation drills. Three rounds," he said. "Keep your core steady — no one leaves until I say so."
A whistle cut through the air.
Wooden swords clashed. Students grunted, stumbled, and swung.
Among them, Han Jiwoo moved with quiet precision — not the strongest, not the fastest, but unyielding.
His strikes were clean, his stance unbroken. The memory of Baek's spar still lingered in his body, the rhythm of each swing carved into muscle.
Baek watched from the side, arms folded. His gaze flicked to Jiwoo once — unreadable — then back to the rest.
"Discipline first. Power comes later," he barked. "You can't swing a blade worth anything if your stance falls apart."
When the whistle finally blew again, the students collapsed to catch their breath.
Baek waited until the murmurs died down before speaking.
"All right, listen up."
The chatter stilled. Even the air seemed to pause.
"As of today," Baek said, "the Academy Leaderboard reopens."
Whispers rippled through the line.
"The leaderboard?"
"Already? It's only the first week!"
"The annual Academy Leaderboard has reopened," Baek said. "It ranks students across all divisions — not by their awakening rank, but by performance scores. Combat efficiency, mana control, class tests, and faculty evaluations. There's also a way to improve your rank by duel but it only applies when both sides have agreed."
He raised a finger as he listed them.
"Access to the Skill Archives. Time in the mana chambers. Monthly allowance and points for equipment. And, for the top ten — early entry into inter-academy tournaments."
A low whistle came from somewhere in the back.
"So, basically, if you're on top, you live easy," Minjae muttered under his breath. "If you're not—"
"You suffer," Jiwoo finished, wiping sweat from his jaw.
Baek glanced their way — just long enough for both boys to straighten.
"The current board will be posted later this afternoon," he said. "Until then, do yourselves a favor — train like you belong there."
"Dismissed!"
He turned away, adding as he walked off, "Remember, the leaderboard isn't just numbers. It's reputation. A name carries weight here. Make sure yours is worth remembering."
***
By late afternoon, the Academy's main hall was chaos.
By late afternoon the main hall thrummed with noise. Sunlight slanted through the dome, and students clustered around the Academy's large display board where the reference rankings were posted. The list didn't show first-year placements — it was the Academy's top performers reputation, performance, and influence, all in one place.
Minjae squeezed through the crowd with Jiwoo trailing behind.
"Man, this is nuts. Half the school's here."
Minjae shoved through the crowd, dragging Jiwoo by the sleeve. "Come on! Time to confirm who's the greatest!"
"Move, move—I can't see!"
"Who's number one in this academy?"
He stopped dead when the top names came into focus.
ECLIPSE ACADEMY – REFERENCE BOARD (TOP 20 STUDENTS)
1. Kang Hyunwoo — Combat Class (Swordsmanship) — Rank S
2. Han Jiwon — Combat Class (Swordsmanship) — Rank S
3. Kim Haerin — Support / Recovery Class — Rank A
4. Kang Taemin — Combat Class (Fire) — Rank A
5. Park Daehun — Mage Class (Earth) — Rank A
...
Minjae pauses.
"…Han Jiwon?"
He blinks, glances at Jiwoo standing beside him. "Wait. Han Jiwon? As in—"
He looks back and forth between the board and Jiwoo.
"You've gotta be kidding me. That's your sister, isn't it?"
His voice isn't loud — but the hallway's quiet enough that a few nearby students turn. Then more.
"Han Jiwon? Like his sister?"
"No way—the top two of the entire Academy?"
"Her brother's here? The E-rank boy?"
The hall folded into a buzz of gossip. Jiwoo felt the air around him thicken with looks — curiosity, disbelief, the polite cruelty of rumor.
Jiwoo stands still, expression unreadable.
Minjae winces. "Uh… I might've said that too loud."
Rina spots the growing commotion from the stairs. She makes her way over, her auburn hair catching the glow of the leaderboard.
"What's going on here?" she asks, squeezing between two students.
Minjae scratches the back of his neck. "Leaderboard's out. Turns out Jiwoo's sister is Han Jiwon — the second highest in the entire academy."
Rina blinks. "Wait. That Han Jiwon?
"She glances at Jiwoo, remembering his offhand comment from lunch:[1]
"She's scarier than you."
Her eyes widen slightly. "Oh."
Someone from the crowd laughs, half-joking, half-mocking.
"Guess the academy's got a real 'Han Dynasty,' huh?"
"E-rank brother, S-rank sister. Must be genetics skipping a generation."
Rina glares at the guy, shutting him up.
Then she turns to Jiwoo. "You okay?"
Jiwoo gives a small nod. "Doesn't matter."
But the truth shows in his eyes — a faint flicker of irritation, not at his sister, but at the weight of her name.
Rina folds her arms. "Still, that's pretty wild. Your family's full of surprises."
Minjae nudges him. "Hey, at least your sister's famous. Maybe she'll give us free training tips."
"Or kill you trying," Rina adds.
Jiwoo almost smiles. "No, if she know you're connected to me she'll accept it without a second thought"
The tension lightens slightly, though the whispers don't fade.
The laughter in the main hall grew louder by the minute.
Rumors spread faster than mana fire.
"An E-rank and he's her brother?"
"No way he's even close to her level."
"Must be tough living in that shadow."
"Bet he only got in because of her name."
Jiwoo didn't react. He simply adjusted his bag strap and turned toward the exit.
Minjae frowned. "Ignore them, man. They'll shut up after seeing you fight."
"I already am," Jiwoo said, voice flat but calm.
Rina folded her arms, glaring at the group of whispering students. "People love running their mouths when they've never been hit before."
Minjae snorted. "You planning to test that theory?"
She smirked. "Tempted."
Jiwoo sighed quietly. "Don't. It's not worth it."
Rina studied him for a moment, then smiled faintly. "You really don't care, huh?"
"I just don't see the point," he replied, walking off as the crowd parted again, still buzzing with gossip.
Across the hall , Instructor Baek stood silently with Chang Soomin beside him, watching the chaos unfold below.
"So the rumors were true," Soomin said, glancing at the board. "He's her brother."
"Yeah"
"So," she said, tone casual, "you really think he's that strong?"
Baek didn't look away from the crowd below. "I've tested him myself, Soomin. You've seen the reports."
"Maybe you just let your guard down," she said with a teasing grin. "It's not every day an E-rank gets under your defense."
Baek chuckled, touching the faint scar still healing on his cheek. "Let my guard down, sure — but not enough for someone to draw blood."
Soomin leaned on the railing, her silver hair catching the light. "Fair point " Then her tone shifted, curious. "So… between him and his sister, who do you think will win?"
"In his current state?" Baek said, folding his arms. "He wouldn't stand a chance. Not yet." He paused, eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "But once he learns to use whatever's inside him — that'll change."
Soomin hummed, amused. "You sound almost confident."
Baek finally turned toward her. "You saw the readings yourself. That wasn't normal mana. I've seen prodigies burn out and geniuses lose control — but that kid? He's not either."
Soomin's expression softened, though her tone carried a hint of intrigue. "And what about the top one? Kang Hyunwoo's not exactly someone to overlook."
A grin tugged at Baek's mouth. "Exactly. That's why this year's going to be interesting."
Soomin laughed under her breath. "You always say that when something chaotic is about to happen."
"Because it always does," Baek replied, gaze drifting back to Jiwoo's retreating figure below. He muttered quietly, almost to himself, "Let them laugh while they can. The academy hasn't seen what real power looks like in a long time."
Soomin crossed her arms, watching Jiwoo disappear from sight below. "Strong sister, strange power, unknown family background…"She gave a small, knowing smile. "Makes me think who's their parents to raise a two potential monsters."
Baek's eyes flickered briefly — just a shadow of recognition.
"Yeah," he said quietly. "I'm curious too."
From below, Jiwoo glanced once more at the leaderboard glowing in gold — his sister's name shining second from the top. The voices behind him blurred into static.
He didn't care about their rankings. He didn't even care about their laughter.
But for some reason, the scar on Baek's cheek — the proof of that one strike — echoed louder in his mind than any name on the list.
And for the first time, a quiet thought crossed his mind:
Maybe I'll find out where I really stand.
*** Han Jiwon POV ***
Inside the Eclipse Academy, in a private training room, Han Jiwon lowered her sword, breath steady but sharp.Her practice dummy stood sliced clean through — another perfect hit.
Her phone buzzed on the bench nearby. She reached for it absently, expecting another message from her division instructor — but froze when she saw the notification.
Eclipse Leaderboard Posted – New Discussions Trending.
She tapped it open.A headline flashed across the academy feed — one sentence that made her brow twitch.
"Han Jiwoo — the E-rank brother of Han Jiwon?"
Below it were snippets from the student chat logs:
"Maybe he only got in because of her."
"An E-rank from that family? What a joke."
"If he's anything like her, he'll crash trying to keep up."
Jiwon's hand tightened around the phone. A faint spark of mana pulsed across her knuckles before she caught herself and exhaled slowly.
"…They're already talking, huh," she murmured, tone flat but edged. Then a faint, wry smile tugged at her lips. "Figures."
She placed the phone down gently and stared at her reflection in the mirrored wall — the faint gleam of her sword resting against her shoulder.
"You never did like attention, Jiwoo," she said quietly. "But looks like you're getting it anyway."
Her eyes softened — a flicker of warmth breaking through the steel in her expression.
"Don't let them break you, little brother." She turned, walking back toward the sparring platform.
"And if they push you too far… then show them what a Han really is."
[1] The scene where they're eating at the cafeteria in chapter 7