The second day of training began under a merciless sky. The sun barely peeked through thick clouds, casting an ominous glow over the University of Higher Magic's training grounds. Aiden, Leon, and Xaleth stood before Takeda Renzou, their bodies still sore from yesterday's relentless beatdown.
Elara, Elysia, and Lyra, meanwhile, stood across the field under Seraphina Astrid's watchful gaze. Their training had been equally grueling, and the fatigue was starting to show.
Takeda let his sharp eyes roam over his three students. "You lot survived yesterday. Barely." His arms were crossed, his towering frame radiating dominance. "But today, we're pushing your limits even further. Aiden—step forward."
Aiden flinched but did as instructed, stepping onto the stone training platform. He felt the eyes of his teammates—and even Seraphina's group—on him.
Takeda reached into his coat and pulled out a wooden training sword. He tossed it at Aiden's feet.
"Pick it up."
Aiden hesitated but complied, gripping the weapon tightly.
"Your awakening gave you power," Takeda said. "But power without control is meaningless. Yesterday, you relied on brute strength, letting your survival instincts guide your attacks. That won't work in a real fight." He cracked his knuckles. "To properly wield the elements, you need a conduit—a weapon to channel your mana."
Aiden's brows furrowed. "A sword…?"
"Not just any sword. Your own sword," Takeda clarified. "A proper mage doesn't let magic run wild. They focus it, refine it, and command it."
Leon smirked. "So, we're getting Aiden to fight properly instead of flailing around like an idiot?"
Aiden shot him a glare, but Takeda ignored the comment.
"Until you get your actual weapon forged, you'll practice with this one." His voice became sharper. "I want you to channel your mana through the blade. No wild bursts of power, no uncontrolled explosions—precision."
Aiden tightened his grip on the sword, his mind racing. Channel my mana?
Takeda suddenly lunged at him.
Aiden barely had time to react before a devastating fist flew towards his gut. His instincts screamed at him to dodge, but—
No!
Instead of moving, Aiden focused inward, reaching for the strange energy that had surfaced during his awakening. He felt it—a spark, a pulse, something deep within him.
In that instant—a thin layer of wind wrapped around his sword.
Takeda's punch connected—but instead of taking the full impact, Aiden used the wind's momentum to twist his body, reducing the force. He skidded back, barely keeping his balance.
Takeda's lips curled slightly. "Not bad. Again."
Across the field, Seraphina observed her students carefully.
"You three failed yesterday," she said bluntly. "But failure is a necessary step. Today, you will learn to properly synchronize your abilities."
Elara, Elysia, and Lyra stood ready, determination burning in their eyes.
"Today's challenge is simple," Seraphina continued. She raised her hand—and a massive silver dome of energy formed around them. The air inside crackled with raw magical power.
"You are all attuned to different elements and abilities. Alone, you are strong. But together?" She gestured to the shimmering barrier. "I want you to break through this. As a team."
Elysia smirked. "Alright, let's do this."
Elara nodded, her hands already glowing with dark pulses of shadow mana. "We need a coordinated strike."
Lyra clenched her fists, wind swirling around her. "I'll enhance our attacks."
The three sprang into action.
Elysia warped across the field, her spatial magic distorting the space around the barrier. She reached out—creating a tear in reality—but the moment her fingers touched the dome, a violent shockwave blasted her back.
"Argh—!" She crashed into the ground, groaning.
"Too reckless," Seraphina murmured.
Elara and Lyra quickly moved to attack next.
Lyra enhanced Elara's magic, amplifying the darkness into a sharp and fast draggers, but with better precision than yesterday. The two combined their power, releasing an overwhelming wave of freezing wind and sharpened dark draggers toward the dome.
The moment the attack made contact—the barrier absorbed it entirely. Not a single crack appeared.
Seraphina sighed. "Power is meaningless without understanding. Again."
Elara gritted her teeth. "Damn it…!"
By the time training paused for lunch, the two teams collapsed onto their seats in the cafeteria.
Aiden groaned, resting his head on the table. "Takeda's trying to kill me."
Leon chuckled. "You looked like a scared rabbit trying to use wind magic."
"Shut up."
Across from them, Elara sighed, slumping into her seat. "Seraphina's making us try the same thing over and over, but we're not making any progress…"
Elysia poked her food with a fork. "It's frustrating, but she's right. We're not syncing properly."
Lyra, ever the calm one, smiled slightly. "We'll get there. We just need time."
As they talked, Aiden glanced at Elara. He could see the frustration in her eyes, but also something else—a determination he hadn't seen before.
She caught his gaze.
"What?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
Aiden smirked. "Nothing. Just thinking how I'm gonna wipe the floor with you during the trial."
Elara scoffed, smirking back. "Dream on, loser."
As night fell, Takeda and Seraphina gathered their students one last time.
"Tomorrow," Takeda announced, "we'll begin live combat exercises. You will fight against each other in real battles. No more training dummies."
Seraphina nodded. "Your enemies won't hold back. Neither should you."
Just as she finished speaking—
BOOM!
The air shook violently as an explosion erupted from the academy gates.
The students spun around, alarmed.
Takeda's and Seraphina's expressions darkened.
A group of armored figures emerged from the smoke, their auras deadly and oppressive.
Aiden's breath hitched. Who the hell…?
Then he saw them—three individuals leading the charge.
The same three killers from before.
Elara stiffened beside him. "No way…"
Takeda's fists clenched. "Tch. Damn it."
One of the masked figures grinned.
"Found you, kid."
Aiden felt a chill run down his spine.
They had come for him.
The night sky burned crimson. Explosions rumbled through the academy grounds, sending shockwaves across the field. The students staggered back as smoke and debris filled the air.
From the dust emerged a horde of intruders—over 250 armed mercenaries, assassins, and rogue mages—each radiating dangerous auras. At the front, the three killers who had nearly wiped out Aiden's group last time smirked, their bloodlust palpable.
Elara, Elysia, and Lyra tensed. Leon and Xaleth clenched their fists, their eyes flicking between the overwhelming number of enemies.
Aiden's heart pounded. This was too much.
Then—a single figure stepped forward.
Takeda Renzou.
He cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders. His face bore no trace of concern—only mild irritation.
"Tch." He shoved his hands into his pockets. "I was gonna end training early tonight. And now this?"
One of the killers sneered. "Move aside, old man. We're here for the brat."
Takeda sighed. "You morons don't get it, do you?" His voice remained calm, but an undercurrent of absolute confidence hummed beneath it. "You're not leaving here alive."
The leader of the mercenaries barked a laugh. "Big words. You're outnumbered 250 to one, dumbass."
Takeda lifted his gaze, his piercing golden eyes locking onto them.
"You say that like it matters."
The moment those words left his mouth—
Takeda vanished.
In a fraction of a second, he appeared behind the first wave of enemies.
BOOM!
Five men crumpled instantly, their weapons shattered, their bodies folding like paper.
The killers barely had time to react before Takeda moved again.
He didn't use spells. He didn't summon weapons.
He didn't need to.
His fists alone were death incarnate.
A mercenary wielding twin daggers lunged at him—Takeda effortlessly sidestepped, grabbing the man's wrist. Before the mercenary could react, Takeda slammed him into the ground with bone-crushing force.
CRACK! The ground shattered beneath them.
Another assassin appeared behind him, blade flashing toward his throat.
Without turning around, Takeda leaned forward a mere inch—dodging the blade by a hair's breadth. Before the attacker could react—Takeda's elbow snapped back, crushing their ribs.
Blood spewed from the assassin's mouth as they were sent flying.
A rogue mage attempted to cast a high-tier spell—Takeda closed the distance before the incantation even finished.
A single punch to the gut.
BOOM!
The sheer force sent the mage crashing into a dozen of his allies, knocking them all out instantly.
The mercenaries and assassins hesitated.
They had outnumbered him 250 to 1.
Now?
Over 60 men were already unconscious.
In less than a minute.
"What the fuck—?!" one of them shouted, stumbling back.
Takeda yawned. "Is that it?" He raised a single hand, beckoning them forward.
"I thought you were supposed to be professionals."
The leader of the mercenaries growled. "Everyone! Attack at once!"
A massive surge of fighters rushed him from all directions.
Swords, spears, magic—everything flew toward Takeda at once.
For a normal mage, this would be certain death.
For Takeda Renzou?
It was nothing.
Takeda moved through the attacks like water.
A blade slashed toward his throat—he tilted his head a fraction, letting the steel pass harmlessly by.
A spear shot toward his chest—he twisted, grabbing the shaft mid-air, and snapped it like a twig.
Fireballs and lightning spells rained from the sky—Takeda flicked his wrist, deflecting the energy with nothing but the sheer force of his punches.
Then, he went on the offensive.
His leg snapped out—a single low kick against the ground.
The shockwave from the impact sent an entire row of enemies flying.
He grabbed an attacker by the collar and used him as a human shield, blocking an incoming barrage of ice magic. Without hesitation, he threw the man at another group, knocking them down like bowling pins.
A high-ranked swordsman tried to land a lethal thrust—Takeda caught the blade between two fingers.
His golden eyes flickered.
"Pathetic."
With a simple squeeze—the sword shattered.
He smashed his fist into the man's gut, sending him crashing into a wall 50 meters away.
The remaining mercenaries stopped in their tracks. Their morale had shattered.
Some dropped their weapons. Others began backing away in terror.
The leader of the group was shaking. "What the hell… what kind of monster—?"
Takeda exhaled. The fight was already over.
250 elite killers.
All crushed by a single man.
Without breaking a sweat.
Takeda dusted off his coat. "Anyone else?"
No one moved.
He snorted. "Thought so."
Then, his eyes locked onto the three killers who had targeted Aiden.
"Now," he said, cracking his knuckles. "Let's deal with the actual trash."
The three assassins froze.
For the first time, they felt real fear.
The battlefield lay in ruins. The once-proud mercenary force—reduced to nothing but broken bodies and shattered spirits.
The night wind howled, carrying the scent of sweat, blood, and burning magic. No one spoke.
Aiden stood among his teammates, his mind reeling from what he had just witnessed.
Takeda Renzou—a single man—had erased 250 elite killers like they were insects.
Not just defeated them.
Humiliated them.
And now, Takeda turned toward the three assassins who had nearly killed Aiden, Elara, and the others before.
His golden eyes glowed with an intensity that made even the most hardened warriors tremble.
"You three," he said, his tone flat, almost bored. "You're still standing?"
The leader of the three, a tall man with a scar running down his cheek, gritted his teeth. "You think we're just gonna wait for you to kill us?"
He vanished, appearing several meters away. "We're getting out of here."
The other two assassins followed, their bodies already flickering with teleportation magic.
Takeda sighed. "You lot really think you can run?"
He took a single step forward.
And in that instant—the world blurred.
The three assassins were fast. Years of experience, countless battles—they knew how to escape.
But.
Takeda was faster.
Before their teleportation could complete—he was already there.
A single chop to the neck—one assassin collapsed instantly.
A palm strike to the ribs—the second man was launched back, crashing into a rock.
The leader, still conscious, barely managed to twist his body mid-air, drawing his blade.
He slashed toward Takeda's throat—a fatal strike.
But it never landed.
Takeda caught the blade between his fingers.
With the simplest movement—he snapped it in half.
The assassin's eyes widened in horror.
"Pathetic," Takeda muttered. His fist blurred—
CRACK!
The assassin's body was sent flying, crashing through three trees before rolling across the dirt, completely motionless.
Silence.
Not a single enemy remained standing.
The fight was over.
Aiden watched it all.
His fists clenched. His heart pounded in his chest.
For so long, he had struggled, clawed his way forward, barely keeping up. And yet, Takeda made it look effortless.
This is what true strength looked like.
This is the power of the top 1200 in the world.
Aiden exhaled, his breath shaky.
All his life, he had told himself he wanted to survive. That he wanted to protect himself and those he cared about.
But deep down—
That wasn't the real reason he kept moving forward.
As he stood there, watching Takeda—it hit him.
For the first time, Aiden admitted it to himself.
I don't just want to survive.
I want to be #1.
Stronger than the nobles.
Stronger than the academy's elites.
Stronger than the entire damn world.
Not for revenge. Not for some noble cause.
But because he wanted to.
Because the idea of standing at the top sent chills through his body.
Because the moment he saw Takeda dominate 250 enemies with his bare hands—he felt something in his blood stir.
This was what he had been searching for.
This was his path.
A slow smirk spread across Aiden's lips.
"Good," he muttered under his breath.
Leon glanced at him. "Huh? What's good?"
Aiden turned to him, eyes burning with newfound determination.
"I finally know why I can't give up."
Leon and Xaleth exchanged looks, surprised by the sheer intensity in his voice.
"I thought I just wanted to get stronger to protect myself," Aiden continued, his voice steady. "But that's not it."
He exhaled, his fingers curling into a tight fist.
"I want to be at the top."
Xaleth arched an eyebrow. "You mean…?"
Aiden grinned. "I want to be the strongest in the world."
For a moment, Leon and Xaleth just stared at him.
Then, Leon laughed. "Damn. That's some hard new year resolution type shit huh."
Xaleth smirked. "Took you long enough."
Aiden chuckled, rolling his shoulders. His body was exhausted from the previous battle, but his spirit had never felt more alive.
As the reinforcements from the capital finally arrived, surrounding the battlefield, Aiden made a silent vow to himself.
No matter what it took—he would reach the top.
No matter how long it took—he would surpass them all.
The road ahead was brutal.
But he wasn't afraid anymore.
This was just the beginning.