A second before the fire sphere exploded in Theo's hand, he searched for a way to get rid of it. Realizing that the resonance between the two elements was collapsing, he created an air current along the path between himself and Jackl and, at last, hurled the fire sphere at the ground.
The flames spread across the floor, engulfing the space between the two combatants and forming a true wall of fire.
'That's still far too much energy for a simple hybrid… Maybe it's because of the resonance with wind, but the destructive power of that attack cost me two velcro tags…' Jackl pondered as he retreated from the wall of flames.
The two velcro tags on his left arm had been incinerated.
Brushing off the embers, Jackl returned to the fight.
'Three blue tags and one red left for him to win…' Looking toward the stands, Jackl noticed the scouts' restlessness. 'You've seen enough already, haven't you?'
An examiner's job was to remain on the defensive until the challenger demonstrated a desired level of ability. That way, even if the challenger had already been enrolled in another academy, rival scouts could still present scholarship offers.
"So then, kid…"
Theo was rising amid the smoke of his own attack, coughing as he expelled the impurities from his lungs.
"Shall we finish this?"
Jackl suddenly appeared in front of Theo, startling him. That movement speed was surreal. Reacting instantly, Theo slashed through the air with a clean strike.
However, the examiner reappeared behind Theo, ready to counterattack the red velcro. Sensing the risky move, Theo formed a wind vortex in his right hand and, bending his arm over the elbow, fired it at Jackl.
An explosion at Theo's back launched the boy forward while pushing Jackl away. Sliding and bracing himself against the ground, Theo turned to face his examiner once more.
Jackl recovered faster.
"Examination concluded," Etrbak announced. "Theo Caesar, please proceed to the exit."
Frozen, trying to understand, Theo looked at the examiner, who had already torn the velcro from the boy's chest.
'When did he…?' Theo analyzed, struggling to grasp his opponent's speed.
"It was a good performance," Jackl said, extending a hand for a handshake. "Come find me when you're up for a reevaluation. We'll have a rematch!"
Theo shook Jackl's hand.
"Alright! I'm looking forward to it!"
After greeting his examiner, Theo walked toward a barred gate. He knew Jackl offered rematches to all his challengers, so nothing about that surprised him. Except for…
'How did he… hit me?' Theo wondered as he tossed his bracers into a box beside him.
Removing the rest of his armor, Theo kept replaying how the fight had escalated.
"Hm…"
Sitting on a wooden bench, Theo began removing the lower pieces of his armor.
"Ah… I see."
It took him six minutes to understand what had happened.
While Theo was still sliding and worrying about how to gain the upper hand—thinking of ways to attack and defend—Jackl had already acted and ended the match.
'You think too much before acting, son. That'll become a headache someday…' That was Ethan's most common remark during those ten years of training.
Leaning his head against the wall, Theo sighed as he stared at the ceiling. Only his right boot had been removed.
'Well, it doesn't really matter now… What matters is that I probably did well in the practical exam too. And even if I didn't, my theoretical scores will be enough to place me in at least one of Wispells' top classes…'
Resuming the removal of his armor, Theo focused only on waiting for the results and boarding the carriage that would take him straight to the Order of Vagus.
☽✪☾
In an office outside the coliseum, the examiners gathered to evaluate the challengers. Etrbak, seated at the main desk, picked up the day's folders to deliver the final verdicts.
"Jason… an attributor from Wispells Academy… Not great in the theoretical exam, but a genius in combat. Nearly defeated the examiner…" Etrbak read aloud. "What grade do you give him?"
"Grade One, and more," replied Jamir, the attributor examiner.
Etrbak signed Jason's sheet.
"Theo Augustus De Lawrence… I see. He used the surname Caesar to get priority in the queue…"
"Yeah. Augustus is just an alternative surname for the Emperor's collateral family, right? They can use Caesar whenever they want…" Jackl commented.
"Yes. Well; a hybrid, already called by Wispells Academy… He performed well in both exams…"
"Grade One as well," Jackl said, crossing his arms as he leaned back into an armchair.
"Actually…"
Etrbak paused, analyzing Theo's conditions, letting a small moment of tension linger in the room.
"Emperor Caesar sent a letter recommending the boy as Grade Two," he informed them.
"Ah… Yes, he deserves it."
Grade Two was a classification that could only be achieved in two ways: being recommended by an academy tutor, or by the head of a noble or royal family.
Since it was a rank attainable only through recommendation, the examiners didn't mind when it happened during the first selection.
'The son of Duke Lawrence, huh? Am I witnessing the birth of a new calamity?' Etrbak wetted the tip of his pen. 'Of course. All royalty has the perfect genetics for that…'
At last, he signed the bottom of the page: Approved. Designation: Grade Two.
☽✪☾
Resting on a bench in the plaza outside the coliseum, Theo waited for his carriage at the departure point. Other challengers celebrated in groups across the area, gathering to display their achievements, while many others mourned their failures.
Theo interlaced his fingers and rested his arms on his legs, gazing at the groups in the distance.
He reflected on his own state…
Being alone at that moment felt… depressing. He wished Agnes and Thays were there, but both had been accepted into the Order of Fulmenbour before him. Agnes had been approved just a few months earlier.
'She must have felt like this too… Or maybe she managed to socialize?'
Theo's thoughts were interrupted by the neighing of a horse. Looking toward the street, he saw a white carriage stop in front of him.
Instantly, all eyes turned to him. White carriages symbolized only one academy: Wispells, the most renowned of them all.
"Greetings, Young Master Lawrence. My name is Rikard, one of Wispells' administrators. I'm here to escort you," he introduced himself after stepping down from the carriage.
Theo stood and met Rikard's gaze. Bowing slightly, he entered the carriage.
The interior was luxurious. Wine-colored cushions with white and gold details formed delicate vines along the walls, serving as the base for the chandelier on the ceiling.
Seating himself, Theo watched as Rikard instructed the coachman to depart.
"Very well…" Rikard said, crossing his legs as he looked at Theo. "You've been assigned to Wispells' northern wing. I'll let you know in advance that you'll be sharing a room with another student evaluated in this same session…"
"Uh-huh. I don't really mind who it is. Junior or Veteran…" Theo interrupted. "I'm entitled to my adaptation period, right?"
Rikard adjusted his dark glasses, respecting Theo's urgency.
"Yes… You'll have one week of preparation. You'll remain in the lower classes for a week before practical lessons with Professor Beatrice. Until then, you'll have only one free day, during which you may leave the academy without a superior…"
'Beatrice? She managed to graduate to basic and intermediate teaching at Wispells?'
Theo's former teacher had been transferred and recognized within the Order of Vagus only six years earlier. Knowing he would see a familiar face eased his anxiety.
A smile spread across his face.
"If you don't mind me asking… How do you plan to spend your adaptation week?" Rikard asked.
"If possible, I'd like to challenge other agents to gain some experience…"
"Won't you want to make use of our resources to study?" Rikard frowned.
With arms crossed, Theo sought the celestial blue of the sky.
"No…" he replied calmly. "I've already studied too much, and I'll study even more in the coming years. I intend to heat things up a little…"
Theo wished, at last, to understand what his father meant when he said that only the academies could make him truly evolve. For that, he cast himself at the mercy of destiny…