Chapter 15: Trial by Ascension – Part III
Joran Frek towered over most cadets. His arms were thick as steel beams, his glaive almost as tall as Kai himself. A warrior bred for endurance and brute-force combat.
But Kai saw it immediately.
Slow stance transitions.
Heavy wind-ups.
Tough? Yes. Dangerous? Definitely. But fast?
Not even close.
Joran cracked his neck and removed the glaive from his back, letting its massive blade rest on one shoulder.
"You dropped two already," he said, voice gravel-thick. "But I don't fold easy."
Kai offered a respectful nod. "Then give me your best."
The bell rang.
Joran exploded forward—not with speed, but with sheer momentum. His glaive swung in a wide horizontal arc, meant to cleave the arena's center.
But Kai was already gone.
"Veilstep."
In a flash, he vanished from sight.
To the crowd, it looked as though he blurred, then disappeared altogether. But Joran saw it—or thought he did—just a shimmer of movement in the corner of his vision.
He spun around—too slow.
Kai reappeared at his left flank, driving a palm into his ribs. Joran grunted, wheeled with his glaive—but again, Kai faded.
Another shimmer. Another strike.
This time, to the back of the knee.
Then the shoulder.
Then the gut.
Four hits in three seconds.
Joran roared and slammed the butt of his weapon into the ground, sending a shockwave of ki outward to force space between them.
Kai reappeared a few meters back, unfazed, breathing steady.
Joran staggered slightly. "What the hell kind of movement is that?"
Kai's voice was calm, almost indifferent. "Veilstep. You lost the fight the moment I used it."
Joran grit his teeth and rushed forward, this time feinting the glaive and twisting into a punch. Smart—he'd realized the glaive was too slow.
But Kai wasn't interested in dragging it out.
He slipped under the punch and whispered:
"Balance Reaper."
His palm struck upward into the center of Joran's spine—just below the shoulder blades, right where the muscular tension anchored his movement.
The shift was instant.
Joran's eyes widened as his whole stance collapsed beneath him. He dropped to one knee, weapon falling from his hand.
Kai stepped back.
The bell rang.
🟩 Combat Assessment Recorded – Match 3: Victory
Gasps rippled through the arena. Not even a minute had passed.
Three fights. Three victories. All decisive.
Kai exhaled slowly, eyes lifting to the judges' panel where Instructor Vale stood with arms crossed. Her expression was unreadable.
At her side, the Head Instructor remained still.
Then the announcer's voice rang again.
"Match Four: Kai versus Rhess Dagen."
A low rumble spread across the stands.
Rhess.
The last two-time trial finalist still in training.
A spear-user with a terrifying record—and the only one in the entire academy whose movement was considered unreadable.
Kai didn't blink.
He stepped forward again.
The real challenge was about to begin.