Chapter 12: The First Trial

The Magic Academy was a place dedicated to nurturing human guardians against the Corrosives.

Every new student, after absorbing a vast amount of theoretical knowledge, would face a practical combat assessment. This assessment served as a crucial turning point.

Those who earned their instructors’ approval would advance to the second phase of training. Conversely, those who failed remained stagnant, continuing their studies within the crowded classrooms.

Such was the law of the jungle.

***

“Next, Akuma.”

Called by the sudden voice, Akuma let out a faint sigh and walked towards the stage.

‘Well, you laggard, enjoy my performance.’

As Akuma stepped onto the stage, a wave of gasps swept through the venue.

She didn’t need to listen closely to what they were saying; it was merely a mixture of awe and envy regarding her second-place ranking in the entrance exam. She now stood ready, her gaze fixed on the instructor already positioned before her.

Unlike the previous Instructor Wu Ke, this man wore old-fashioned black-rimmed glasses and sported a neatly combed middle-parted hairstyle.

His black suit fit snugly, making him appear every inch a well-trained butler.

“Isn’t that Instructor Xiluo Ya?”

“It really is!”

Another chorus of exclamations rose from the hall, the entire audience buzzing with excitement over this particular trial.

‘Xiluo Ya, huh…’

Akuma swallowed, her heart beginning to pound faster.

“No need to be nervous. Simply attack with all your might.”

“As you wish, then.”

With these words, Akuma made a grasping motion with her right hand, and the surrounding air began to stir restlessly.

“This is…”

Instructor Xiluo Ya looked at Akuma’s right hand, a hint of surprise in his eyes.

A short blade abruptly materialized in Akuma’s hand. Yet, calling it a short blade felt inaccurate, for it had no hilt, nor even a true edge—it was merely an aggregation of energy, shaped into a blade.

“Interesting. Is your ability the materialization of magic?”

Akuma offered no rebuttal, merely smiling faintly.

“Who knows?”

Almost the instant she finished speaking, Akuma launched the ‘blade’ from her hand. The blade tore through the air, propelled by a powerful gust, charging towards Instructor Xiluo Ya with the unstoppable force of a fierce tiger.

Instructor Xiluo Ya did not dodge. He simply raised his palm gently, condensing a magical shield before him.

“I forgot to tell you, our magic seems to be quite similar.”

The blade struck the shield head-on, producing a metallic clang. It was a sound that made one feel as if they were truly on a battlefield, with two great generals clashing in a life-or-death struggle.

The entire hall fell silent, all attention fixed on the two figures on the stage.

“Your power is commendable; you certainly possess the strength of a second-ranker. But your combat style is still too naive.”

With a sweep of his right arm, Xiluo Ya caused the energy wall that had been blocking the blade to strangely shift to the right side of the stage, carrying the blade along with it. In an instant, no obstacle remained between Xiluo Ya and Akuma.

Yet, Xiluo Ya seemed unsatisfied with the current situation. He began to vibrate his raised right arm. With this action, the energy wall on the right side of the stage visibly swelled, then exploded.

The sound of the explosion instantly engulfed the ears of everyone in the venue. A deluge of dust followed, sweeping across the stage.

Akuma’s vision was quickly obscured; she could see nothing clearly.

But she did not panic. This was undoubtedly Instructor Xiluo Ya’s strategy, an attempt to make her lose her bearings in the cloud of dust and fall into disarray.

Upon realizing this, a smile played on Akuma’s lips.

“Even if you intend to unsettle me, this setup is far too cliché.”

The clang of metal resounded once more, though this time the roles of offense and defense had switched.

Akuma swiftly condensed an energy wall behind her, blocking a rapidly approaching blade.

“Unwavering in crisis—your combat instincts are excellent. Could it be that you’ve served in the military before?”

“No, I am merely an ordinary student.”

Within the swirling dust, flashes of light continuously erupted due to the collision of energy.

Apart from this, the students in the hall remained oblivious to the unfolding situation. However, exceptions always existed, and Mo Ya’s brows were tightly furrowed.

He had clearly witnessed the offense and defense of the two on stage, and Akuma’s movements once again left him perplexed.

‘Is this person truly a new student?’

‘If she is, then the first-ranked student must be even more formidable.’

As Mo Ya pondered this, the long-dormant fervor within him was reawakened.

Great power, and a worthy opponent to match it. These were the things he had always sought.

For in this world, only power was absolute, only power would never betray him.

And most importantly, power was essential to break the chains of fate.

“Hey, is your magic reserve really so meager? The formation speed of your magic shield is considerably slower than before. Can you still be considered second-ranked like this?”

“Who knows?”

Maintaining her disguise required magic, consuming nearly half of Akuma’s reserve. Yet, Akuma still did not wish to drop it, for the disguise was necessary for her.

Although the magic shield’s formation was slower than before, this did not mean Akuma had lost her combat capability.

Rather, her fighting consciousness was further stimulated. Intense mental focus could lead to unexpected results.

She could now sense it clearly—the direction of the man’s movement.

In that case…

The blade arrived as expected, piercing through the dust with formidable momentum. Normally, Akuma would have chosen to defend.

But now, she had no spare magic to do so. Therefore—

She dispelled the magic shield.

Quickly lowering her center of gravity, she condensed magic in both hands.

Unimpeded by the magic shield, the blade’s speed did not diminish in the slightest, rushing directly towards Akuma.

There was only one chance. If she missed it… it would be her defeat.

‘I cannot fail…’

Akuma murmured to herself, the light in her eyes growing even more dazzling.

Now, it was time to hunt.

By lowering her body, Akuma’s momentum became even greater.

She charged directly towards the direction from which the blade had flown.

The magic in her hands rapidly condensed, forming a colossal energy light blade.

She swung the light blade with all her might, deflecting all the incoming blades.

Emerging from the smoke, her powerful strike dispersed all the dust shrouding the stage. She pointed her blade at Xiluo Ya’s neck.

“You lose.”

Akuma declared.

“It seems so… You’ve passed.”

“Is that so? Then, I look forward to your guidance, Instructor.”