For several seconds, neither of them moved.
Hale simply watched.
Not the way a combat instructor studied an opponent, but the way a researcher examined an unfamiliar phenomenon.
Rei felt it immediately.
There was no killing intent.
No gathering of elemental mana.
Just attention.
That made it worse.
Rei exhaled slowly and stepped forward.
His body moved first.
He closed the distance quickly, feet striking the stone with controlled precision. His physical conditioning had revealed something the other students had not expected.
Rei Takeda was fast.
Not magically fast.
Just… well trained.
Hale watched the approach without moving.
Rei's arm shot forward.
A direct strike aimed at Hale's chest.
It never landed.
Hale shifted half a step to the side.
The movement was effortless.
Rei's strike passed through empty air.
"Again," Hale said calmly.
Rei reset his stance.
No irritation.
No surprise.
Just adjustment.
He moved again, faster this time.
Hale evaded just as easily.
Behind the barrier, Valen frowned.
"He's not using magic."
Cassian crossed his arms.
"He doesn't have any."
Shin narrowed his eyes.
"That's not what's happening."
Inside the arena, Hale spoke again.
"You rely primarily on physical movement."
Rei nodded once.
"Yes."
Hale studied him briefly.
Then he lifted his hand.
A small flame appeared in the air between them.
No chant.
No visible effort.
Just a controlled manifestation of fire.
The flame drifted toward Rei.
Slow.
Rei stepped sideways.
The flame curved with him.
Rei frowned slightly.
Then he pushed outward.
Not a spell.
Not an element.
Just a short, crude burst of raw mana from his core.
The effect was immediate.
The flame flickered violently—
—and collapsed.
Hale stopped moving.
That was the first real reaction he had shown.
Behind the barrier, Mira leaned forward slightly.
She had seen the same thing happen with the sphere earlier.
It wasn't that Rei was extinguishing the spell.
He was breaking its structure.
Inside the arena, Hale's gaze sharpened.
"Interesting."
He lifted his hand again.
Three thin blades of wind formed beside him.
They shot forward.
Rei moved immediately, stepping between them rather than away.
The wind blades curved.
But before they could strike, the mana pattern destabilized again.
The blades unraveled into harmless currents.
Hale lowered his hand slowly.
The watching students had fallen completely silent.
Even Shin wasn't speaking now.
Hale stepped closer to Rei.
"Your control is poor," he said.
Rei nodded.
"Yes."
"But that is not the problem."
Hale extended his hand.
A sphere of condensed mana appeared above his palm.
Not fire.
Not wind.
Pure mana.
The same type used earlier during the stabilization exercise.
Except this sphere was far denser.
Far more stable.
Hale released it.
The sphere floated toward Rei.
Rei didn't touch it.
He simply stood there.
The sphere entered the space around him.
And then—
It fractured.
Not violently.
No explosion.
The surface cracked like thin glass.
Then the entire structure collapsed into drifting strands of loose mana.
Exactly the same way the earlier sphere had.
Hale watched the collapse carefully.
Then he looked back at Rei.
For the first time since the exercise began, his expression changed.
Not anger.
Not surprise.
Recognition.
"Enough."
The word carried quietly across the arena.
The barriers flickered as the surrounding mana settled.
Rei lowered his hands.
"Was that sufficient?"
Hale studied him a moment longer.
"You may return to your seat."
Rei nodded once and stepped away from the center of the arena.
As he passed the others, several students moved aside instinctively.
Not out of fear.
But uncertainty.
Rei sat down beside Shin.
Shin leaned closer.
"So… what exactly did you do?"
Rei thought about it for a moment.
"I'm not entirely sure."
Across the arena, Hale turned toward the instructors.
One of them spoke quietly.
"What was that?"
Hale's gaze remained on Rei.
"Interference."
The instructor frowned.
"From atmospheric flow?"
Hale shook his head once.
"No."
His voice lowered slightly.
"From him."
Silence settled briefly among the instructors.
Then Hale straightened.
"Next match."
His eyes moved toward the remaining students.
"Mira Solenn."
Mira blinked once before standing.
"Elira Voss."
Elira rose from her seat with the same quiet composure she had shown earlier.
Both stepped toward the arena.
Behind them, Rei remained seated.
But Hale watched him for another few seconds before finally turning away.
Because the result of the observation was clear.
Rei Takeda did not simply lack a Divine Mark.
His mana did not behave like any system Hale had studied before.
And that was far more interesting than a simple anomaly.
Professor Hale stepped aside as the next two students approached.
"Mira Solenn. Elira Voss."
Mira rose immediately, stretching her shoulders once before stepping into the arena.
Elira followed more slowly.
She stopped near the edge of the platform, adjusting the sleeve of her uniform unnecessarily before finally walking to the center.
Across from her, Mira smiled.
"Try not to hold back, okay?"
Elira opened her mouth slightly.
"…I'll try."
The instructor overseeing the arena lifted one hand.
"Begin."
For a brief moment neither of them moved.
Then Elira acted first.
A gust of wind formed around her arm as she pushed mana outward, shaping the air into several thin blades. The currents shot forward quickly—
—but their trajectory wavered.
Mira stepped aside easily.
One blade cut past her shoulder.
Another struck the stone floor several meters away.
The third dissolved before reaching her at all.
Mira tilted her head slightly.
"That's your opening move?"
Elira's shoulders tightened.
She gathered more wind, trying to stabilize the flow. The pressure built again around her hands, but the moment she released the attack the same problem appeared.
The wind scattered.
Mira slipped between the currents with almost casual movement.
Within seconds she had closed the distance.
Her hand lifted.
A sphere of water condensed above her palm, swirling tightly under controlled pressure.
Not large.
Just dense.
She released it with a forward motion.
The water sphere struck Elira directly in the torso.
The impact forced the air from her lungs as she stumbled backward and fell onto the stone floor.
For a moment she remained there, breathing sharply through clenched teeth.
Elira squeezed her eyes shut briefly.
She refused to cry out.
Slowly she pushed herself upright again.
Her eyes moved instinctively toward the instructor standing near the barrier.
Was that… enough?
The instructor said nothing.
The match continued.
Across from her, Mira folded her arms.
"You're looking at him already?" she said lightly. "We just started."
Elira's face reddened slightly.
"I wasn't—"
"Relax," Mira said. "Fight."
Another sphere of water formed in Mira's hand.
Then another.
She launched both.
This time Elira moved.
The first sphere struck the ground where she had been standing a moment earlier. The second splashed harmlessly against the barrier as she stepped sideways.
Her breathing slowed.
The wind around her arms began to stabilize.
Small currents spiraled together as she focused more carefully on the structure of the mana.
Mira noticed the change.
"Oh. There it is."
The air around Elira sharpened.
Instead of multiple scattered blades, the wind gathered into a single compressed arc forming along her forearm.
For someone at her level, the output was impressive.
The blade stretched nearly two meters in length.
Several students leaned forward.
Shin's eyes narrowed slightly.
"That's actually pretty good."
Elira stepped forward and released the attack.
The wind blade cut across the arena.
Fast.
Sharp.
And dangerous.
Mira's expression changed immediately.
That strike had not been intended as a simple test.
It had real force behind it.
But before the blade could reach her—
the structure collapsed.
The compressed wind unraveled into loose currents halfway across the arena, scattering harmlessly into the air.
Silence followed.
Elira froze.
"…What?"
Professor Hale lifted his hand.
"Enough."
The wind in the arena settled instantly.
Mira relaxed her stance, the tension leaving her shoulders.
Elira stared at the empty space where her attack had been moments earlier.
Hale stepped forward slightly, addressing both students.
"Mira Solenn."
Mira straightened.
"Your control is stable. You demonstrate good awareness of your opponent and appropriate restraint for a training match."
Mira smiled faintly.
"Glad to hear it."
Hale then turned his attention to Elira.
"Elira Voss."
Elira stiffened.
"Your precision is excellent. The structural integrity of your wind formation was correct."
She blinked slightly, surprised by the praise.
Then Hale continued.
"But your output fluctuates when your focus shifts."
Elira lowered her eyes slightly.
Hale's voice remained calm.
"Your attention repeatedly left the fight. Anxiety disrupted your mana stability. If you intend to function in combat environments, that habit must change."
Elira nodded quietly.
"…Understood."
Hale gestured toward the seating area.
"Return to your places."
Both students stepped away from the arena.
As Mira passed Rei, she nudged his shoulder lightly.
"Your turn was weird, by the way."
Rei glanced at her.
"I noticed."
Behind them, the instructors were already preparing the arena for the next match.
The arena cleared once more.
Professor Hale's voice carried across the platform.
"Cassian Virel. Valen Drayke."
Both stood at the same time.
Neither looked at the other as they walked toward the center.
They already knew who their opponent was.
Cassian stopped first, dust lightly shifting beneath his boots as a faint brown glow gathered around the Mark along his arm.
Valen rolled his shoulders once, flames flickering briefly across his palm before fading.
Hale watched them both carefully.
"This is a practice match," he said calmly.
"Control your output."
Neither of them responded.
Hale sighed quietly.
"Begin."
The moment the word left his mouth, both moved.
Cassian stepped forward as the stone beneath the arena floor cracked slightly under his command. Shards of rock lifted and shot toward Valen in a wide arc.
Valen responded instantly.
Flames ignited around his hands, several narrow streaks of fire launching outward to intercept the incoming projectiles.
Stone shattered.
Fire scattered.
Fragments struck the arena barriers where instructors immediately dispersed the stray mana before it could rebound toward the spectators.
Within seconds the entire platform was alive with motion.
Cassian attacked relentlessly, shaping chunks of stone and launching them forward in controlled bursts.
Valen answered with streams of fire that curved and twisted through the air, melting or deflecting the incoming attacks before they reached him.
Neither of them slowed.
Students watching from the side began murmuring.
"That's Stage One?"
Shin narrowed his eyes.
"They've trained before coming here."
Inside the arena the battle escalated quickly.
Cassian slammed his foot down.
Stone rose around his arm, compressing into a dense structure that lengthened outward.
Within seconds a blade of hardened earth formed in his grip.
The weapon was crude compared to the refined constructs used by advanced mages, but the structure held.
A solid earth sword.
Several instructors exchanged brief glances.
For a Stage One initiate, it was impressive.
Cassian lifted the blade slightly, clearly pleased with the reaction.
"You see?" he said coldly. "You were never in my league, Drayke."
Valen's expression didn't change.
Cassian smirked.
"This ends now."
He surged forward.
The earth sword cut through the air in a heavy downward arc.
Valen slipped sideways at the last moment.
The blade struck stone and sent cracks racing across the arena floor.
Cassian pressed the attack immediately.
Another strike.
Then another.
Valen retreated carefully, weaving between the swings while keeping his distance.
Flames gathered along his arms again.
Instead of attacking directly, he released bursts of fire into the air between them.
The flames spread into brief walls of heat.
Not powerful enough to burn through Cassian's defenses, but enough to obscure vision.
Cassian pushed through the fire screen without hesitation.
Valen moved again.
This time several sharp streaks of compressed flame shot forward from his palm.
Not spears.
More like narrow blades of fire.
Cassian reacted instantly.
A thick slab of earth rose from the arena floor and intercepted the attack, the flames splashing against the barrier before dissolving into smoke.
He shattered the wall with a swing of his sword and rushed forward again.
The exchange continued rapidly.
Cassian dominating the close range with heavy earth strikes.
Valen controlling distance through fire bursts, using the flames both as shield and distraction.
Neither gave ground.
The watching students had gone completely silent now.
Even Mira leaned forward slightly.
"These two…"
Shin nodded once.
"They're serious."
Inside the arena, Cassian saw an opening.
Valen had just released another burst of flame to force distance.
Cassian stepped through the attack instead of retreating.
The earth sword rose.
Valen's footing shifted.
For a split second his defense opened.
Cassian's blade descended.
Before it could land—
the sword dissolved.
The hardened stone collapsed into loose fragments mid-swing.
Cassian froze.
Professor Hale stood between them.
No one had seen him move.
The earth fragments fell harmlessly to the arena floor.
"Enough."
His voice was quiet.
But absolute.
Cassian clenched his jaw, irritation flashing across his face.
"That strike would have ended it."
Hale looked at him calmly.
"Yes."
Cassian said nothing further.
Even he understood the difference between arguing with another student and challenging a Stage Four mage.
Hale turned slightly, addressing both combatants.
"Your performance exceeded typical Stage One standards."
Valen relaxed his stance slightly.
Cassian crossed his arms but remained silent.
Hale continued.
"Cassian Virel. Your earth manipulation is advanced for your level. The weapon formation demonstrates early structural control."
Cassian's expression eased slightly.
Then Hale turned to Valen.
"Valen Drayke. Your combat awareness and spacing are excellent. Your use of fire for both offense and battlefield control shows strong instinct."
Valen gave a small nod.
Hale gestured toward the seating area.
"You may return to your places."
Both stepped away from the arena.
As they passed the other students, the tension among the group was obvious.
This match had been far more intense than the earlier ones.
And the instructors had clearly noticed.
Behind them, Hale watched the two returning students carefully.
Because for Stage One initiates, that level of combat coordination was… unusual.
Promising.
Cassian and Valen returned to their seats on opposite sides of the viewing area.
The tension between them hadn't disappeared.
If anything, it had only sharpened.
But neither of them spoke.
The instructors moved briefly through the arena, smoothing the cracked sections of stone where Cassian's attacks had damaged the floor. Loose mana from the previous battle dispersed slowly into the surrounding air.
Within moments, the arena looked untouched again.
Professor Hale stepped forward once more.
"Final match."
Several students straightened immediately.
Hale's gaze moved across the group before settling on two individuals.
"Shin Raiga."
Shin stood.
Unlike the previous matches, there was no playful remark from him this time.
Just quiet focus.
Hale then turned slightly toward one of the instructors standing near the barrier.
"Professor Lethran."
The man stepped forward and entered the arena with calm confidence.
The difference in presence was obvious.
Unlike the students, his mana flowed steadily and without fluctuation. The Mark along his forearm glowed faintly as he took position across from Shin.
A Stage Two mage.
Shin stepped onto the platform opposite him.
Behind the barrier, Mira leaned slightly toward Rei.
"This one might actually be dangerous."
Rei watched silently.
Across the arena, Lethran studied Shin carefully.
"Lightning," he said.
Shin nodded.
"Lightning."
Lethran gave a small approving smile.
"That explains why Professor Hale paired you with me."
A faint spark flickered across Shin's fingers.
Barely visible.
But the air around him crackled quietly.
Several of the watching students instinctively leaned back.
Lightning mana was unpredictable even under experienced control.
Hale's voice carried across the arena once more.
"Control your output."
For a moment neither Shin nor Lethran moved.
Then Shin rolled his shoulders once.
The sparks along his hands grew brighter.
The air trembled faintly as electricity began gathering around him.
Lethran's stance lowered slightly.
Ready.
Hale raised his hand.
"Begin."
Lightning flashed.