Chapter 32: Reunion Beneath the Roar
The roar of the crowd thundered like a wave across the coliseum.
Peasants stood shoulder to shoulder with nobles, some cheering, others murmuring about their favorite students. Children waved small flags with the academy emblem, and food stalls sold skewers, buns, and crystal candy.
The jungle-themed battlefield stretched out before them—lush with man-made trees, illusion mist, cliffs, and hidden traps, all created by the academy's terrain mages. The final exam would not only test power… but instinct, strategy, and will.
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Behind the trees near the entry point, Synoh adjusted the black strap around his gloves and smirked as two familiar voices approached.
"Finally… we meet again." Synoh stepped forward, a calm grin on his face.
Lux casually slung his sword over his shoulder, eyes bright. "You sound like a long-lost lover."
Yuta laughed. "You must've been really lonely without us, huh?"
Synoh rolled his eyes, then chuckled.
Yuta leaned in closer, eyes glinting mischievously. "I've got a surprise for you."
He gave Lux a sharp glance. "Don't you dare spoil it."
Lux raised both hands, smiling. "Alright, alright. I won't say a word."
Synoh nodded, then his voice turned quieter. "Fel and I… did you two tell anyone?"
Yuta and Lux exchanged looks, then answered in unison, "Nope. Your secret's safe."
Synoh looked slightly relieved, but then his gaze lowered. A brief silence hung before his mind drifted—
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[Flashback - One week earlier, in the moonlit ruins behind the academy]
Sweat dripped from Synoh's chin as he swung his sword, black lightning dancing off the edge.
"Again," Fel's voice echoed in his mind, calm but firm.
Dark magic lashed wildly from the blade, but Synoh gritted his teeth and forced it to spiral inward, absorbing it.
He suddenly paused, breathing heavily. A chill ran up his spine.
"Someone's watching."
He turned sharply toward the shadows between trees—but saw nothing. Just a faint flicker. A whisper of presence.
Was it a student? A spy? Or something else?
---
[Back to present]
Synoh blinked the memory away and smirked. "Let's save the mystery for later," he said. "Right now, let's enjoy the fight."
A loud bell rang.
The battlefield shimmered under a magical dome as the exam proctor's voice boomed:
"—Welcome to the final exam! An all-out jungle battle! Only four shall remain standing to advance to the semi-finals!"
A brief pause. The wind stilled.
"May the best… survive."
---
Lux cracked his neck.
Yuta rolled his shoulders.
Synoh tightened his grip.
They stepped forward into the jungle.
Let the chaos begin.