Black snow. Apocalypse

The next morning, Josh and Kaen prepared for school with a single goal in mind—reaching the orb.

"We'll use a silencing spell to bypass the magical alarms," Kaen whispered.

Josh nodded. "And I'll use Phantom Slash to cut through the first barrier."

After morning classes, they slipped out unnoticed and ventured into the underground passage.

Kaen cast the silence spell, surrounding them in an invisible aura. Josh summoned Blightfall, its purple glow dimmed by focus. With one clean motion, he activated Phantom Slash.

The first barrier shattered silently—its magical backlash muted by the spell.

Josh exhaled in relief. "That actually worked."

They moved forward cautiously… only to find themselves face-to-face with a massive dragon.

Its crimson eyes gleamed with ancient fury. The dragon roared, sending them flying. The silence spell shattered—its echo ringing through the school like a warning bell.

"Run!" Josh shouted.

They bolted up the tunnel just moments before the principal arrived at the scene.

Breathing heavily in a hidden corridor, Josh muttered, "That… was close."

Later that day, the school gathered in an emergency meeting. The principal summoned the council of great mages, panic etched into his face.

But Josh and Kaen managed to blend back into class like nothing happened.

---

That afternoon, a school-wide announcement buzzed over the crystal speakers.

"Attention students: The Annual Trial of Ascendancy will commence in three days. Selection trials begin tomorrow. Prepare accordingly."

Josh turned to Kaen. "What's the Trial of Ascendancy?"

Kaen smirked. "It's the biggest event of the year. Top students from the strongest schools compete. The winner gets a dragon core—one of the rarest power boosters in the world."

"Whoa. Are we participating?"

"Of course." Kaen's eyes gleamed. "The first round happens here, in our school. Only the best get chosen to represent us in the finals."

Josh tilted his head. "Clever move by the school… shifting focus from the seal breach to something exciting."

"Exactly," Kaen said. "Replace fear with competition. Classic."

After classes, the entire academy gathered at the colossal combat arena.

It was time for the first stage of the Trial of Ascendancy—the selection round.

Only S-Rank students were eligible to participate, and every single one of them stood tall in the center of the arena—forty in total. All other students sat in the grandstands, buzzing with excitement, as if they were attending a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle.

Josh glanced around. "So these are the best of the best…"

Kaen nodded beside him. "And we need to beat them to prove we belong."

Josh's system chimed:

[Assignment: Participant Number 10]

[Kaen: Participant Number 11]

Suddenly, a formless figure, cloaked in flickering energy, appeared above the center stage. Its voice boomed across the stadium:

"Welcome, students and staff. Please be seated. The selection trial is about to begin."

"You, the forty competitors, will battle until only three remain standing."

"Rules of Engagement:

Victory is earned by incapacitating your opponent to the point they can no longer continue.

Killing or causing near-death injury will result in immediate disqualification and arrest.

If you lose a match, you will be placed in the Redemption Bracket, where you may fight other losers to return.

This continues until only six remain, from which the top three will be selected to represent our school."

The crowd roared in anticipation.

The figure raised a hand.

"Now, for our first match…"

"Saka vs Aaron."

A cheer erupted from the spectators.

Saka, a tall, sharp-eyed boy with dark hair and lean muscle, stepped onto the platform. Whispers followed him.

"That's Saka… his basic power is ice formation."

On the opposite side, Aaron, broad-shouldered with short brown hair and intense blue eyes, cracked his knuckles as he approached.

"Aaron's no joke either—his spell layering is insane."

"Let the battle begin."

Saka wasted no time. He spun his wand, and floating ice spikes crystallized mid-air, shimmering in the sunlight. With a flick of his wrist, he launched them at Aaron in rapid succession.

The battle had begun.