He gave a sharp nod to the waiting proctors. "Take your positions."
Around the arena, the twelve proctors began walking toward their designated platforms. Some floated gracefully using magic, others simply strode across the ground with purpose.
Count Hall called out, "Teams One through Twenty-Four, step onto the platforms!"
Maya straightened beside me, brushing imaginary dust off her jacket. "That's us," she said, flashing me a quick grin.
"Right," I said, standing up and rolling my shoulders. "Let's try not to lose."
Ray gave me a deadpan look. "That's the plan."
We joined the flow of other teams moving toward the raised stone platforms. Dust swirled lightly under our boots as the sunlight caught the freshly shaped arena floor.
Our platform was number seven — appropriate, considering our team number.
Waiting for us there was a middle-aged woman with sharp features and dark brown hair tied into a no-nonsense bun. Her eyes were calm but assessing, scanning us like she'd already sized up everything we could do before we even spoke.
"Team Seven," she said, confirming our mark numbers with a glance. "You'll be facing Team Eight. Take your positions and ready your weapons. You have three minutes to discuss your strategy."
"Yes, ma'am," Maya said politely.
The woman nodded and stepped back to stand near the edge of the platform, her arms crossed as she watched.
Our opponents — three young men around our age — climbed up onto the opposite side. One had a greatsword, one a spear, and one a staff. They looked confident. Overconfident, actually. The one with the staff even winked at Maya, which made me instantly dislike him.
I turned back to my teammates. "Alright," I said, clapping my hands together. "Three minutes, so let's make this quick."
Ray nodded, crossing his arms. Maya tilted her head, waiting for me to continue.
"I'll start. I'm primarily a healer."
That earned me two raised eyebrows.
"…but," I added quickly, "I also have a basic sword art skill and a movement ability."
Maya blinked. "Wait—you're a healer who uses a sword?"
Ray frowned. "That's… unusual."
"Yeah," I said with a shrug. "I like to keep things interesting." Healers were rare enough, healers who could use sword kills? Almost unheard of, almost. I would Expect only the very best healers could bypass the restrictions a class placed on you.
[Ding. Correction, there are currently no court healers who are also capable sword masters.]
'Huh, where do you even get this information.'
[...]
I look back at my partners. Honestly, I could tell they were curious, but now wasn't the time for a deep Q&A about my weird build.
Maya nodded, setting her hands on her hips. "Alright. I'm a mage — ranged type. My main attack spells are Fireball and Water Jet, with a defensive spell called Stone Wall. I've also got a short-range movement spell, and…"
She flicked her hand, and with a soft flash of light, a slender bow materialized in her grip. "…I can use basic bow skills too."
I whistled softly. "A mage with a bow. Guess I'm not the only hybrid around here."
She grinned a little, clearly pleased.
We both turned to Ray, who was still standing there like a statue.
He gave a small grunt. "Swordsman."
We waited for more.
"…and?" I prompted.
He sighed. "I can use a dash spell to close distances quickly. Other than that, I just augment my body with mana."
"Ah," I said, nodding thoughtfully. "So a close-range powerhouse. Good."
Ray gave me a blank look, but Maya smiled faintly.
"Well," I said, clapping my hands once. "That's a pretty balanced team we've got here — vanguard, midline/ healer, and ranged support."
"Coincidence?" Maya asked, amused.
I smiled lightly. "Maybe. Or maybe I just happen to have good instincts."
Of course, I didn't bother mentioning that I'd known their classes beforehand, thanks to Perception. I hadn't just chosen Ray because he was strong — his class fit perfectly with Maya's range and my support. But, you know, small details.
The proctor's voice cut through our planning. "Time's up. Take your positions."
We nodded and moved into place.
Ray took the vanguard, drawing his broad longsword in one smooth motion. The weapon gleamed under the sunlight, heavy and sharp. He stood firm, feet set apart, expression unreadable.
I positioned myself a few steps behind him, unsheathing my own blade — a thinner, slightly curved longsword that felt perfectly balanced in my hand. The silver edge caught the light like liquid.
Maya stood further back, pulling an arrow from her quiver and nocking it with practiced ease. Her bow gleamed faintly as she murmured a small enchantment under her breath.
Across the platform, Team Eight was doing the same. Their leader— a young man in a white coat with rolled sleeves — raised his hand to signal readiness.
I decided to take a peek. Activating Perception, I scanned the three opponents.
[Level 21]
[Level 16]
[Level 19]
I felt a grin tug at my lips.
This is going to be easy.
I almost felt sorry for them. Almost.
They never stood a chance.
Our proctor raised her hand. "Begin."
The sound barely left her mouth before Ray moved — a blur of motion as his dash skill activated. He shot forward like a cannonball, closing the distance between himself and the spear-wielder in an instant.
The two clashed with a loud clang! The force of the impact sent a shockwave rippling through the air.
The spear user staggered back, caught off guard by Ray's raw speed.
At the same moment, the mage on their side started chanting, flames beginning to swirl at the tip of his staff.
"Fireball!" Maya's voice rang out behind me, almost overlapping his.
Her spell hit first.
A ball of bright orange flame streaked across the air, slamming into the opposing mage's chest with a satisfying BOOM! The impact knocked him flat on his back, his spell fizzling mid-formation.
"Nice shot!" I called, genuinely impressed.
Maya flashed a quick grin, already preparing her next spell.
The last opponent — the greatsword user — charged forward, roaring as he swung his blade horizontally in a wide arc.
Ray ducked under the swing, twisting his body smoothly, but I could see the next attack coming — the spear user was lining up a thrust aimed straight for his exposed flank.
I dashed forward, activating my movement skill. The world blurred for an instant as I slid between them, intercepting the thrust with my own sword. Metal screeched against metal as I parried it to the side.
"Thanks," Ray grunted.
"Don't mention it," I said, grinning.
The greatsword came swinging back toward me, and I barely managed to block it with my blade, the impact vibrating up my arm.
Okay, so they weren't completely useless. But still, compared to Ray's monstrous strength and Maya's accurate spellcasting, they were outclassed.
Maya's voice echoed again. "Water Jet!"
A stream of high-pressure water sliced across the platform, catching the spear user in the side and sending him tumbling off his feet.
Ray took advantage of the opening, slamming his shoulder into the greatsword user's chest and following up with a heavy strike that knocked the guy's weapon clean out of his hands.
He hit the ground hard, groaning.
I moved quickly, pressing my blade lightly against his throat — not cutting, just enough to signal that it was over.
The glowing mark on his hand flashed bright red, and then dimmed.
"Out," the proctor called.
The remaining mage, who had just managed to get back to his feet, took one look at the scene — both of his teammates down — and froze.
Ray stepped forward, expression still calm, blade resting casually on his shoulder.
"Want to keep going?" he asked.
The mage hesitated, then wisely shook his head.
The proctor nodded. "Team Seven, victory."
The stands erupted with mild cheers and applause.
Maya exhaled, lowering her bow. "Well, that was fast."
I sheathed my sword, rolling my shoulder. "Yeah, kind of feel bad for them."
Ray simply wiped his blade clean with a piece of cloth, as calm as ever. "They should've been stronger."
"Remind me never to get on your bad side," I muttered.
He gave me a look that might have been amusement. Hard to tell.
The proctor stepped forward, jotting something down on a glowing notepad. "Efficient work," she said. "But remember, you have four more battles ahead. Don't get overconfident."
"Yes, ma'am," we chorused.
As we walked off the platform, Maya nudged me lightly with her elbow. "You didn't heal anyone."
"Didn't need to," I said with a shrug. "Ray's basically built out of stone."
She laughed softly. "Still, that was impressive coordination. Especially for a team that just met Today."
"Yeah," I said, smiling a little. "Not bad for round one."
We reached the waiting area where the next teams were preparing to step up. Across the arena, the other platforms were still alive with battle — flashes of magic, the clang of steel, bursts of energy lighting up the air.
Count Hall stood on the raised platform at the center, watching it all unfold with that same faint smile, hands clasped behind his back like he was observing a class project rather than twelve chaotic brawls.
I caught his gaze for half a second and quickly looked away. Nope. Not doing that again.
Maya followed my glance and chuckled. "Still scared of him?"
"Hmmm. What do you mean?"
"Well, I don't think a lot of people saw, but he did glance at you for a second there, you know when you had a terrified look on your face for a split second."
"Oh, you saw that? Let's just say," I said quietly, "I have a healthy respect for terrifying old men."
She laughed again, and for the first time that morning, I felt a bit of the tension ease.
One match down. Four to go.
And somehow, I couldn't wait for the next one.