When the four members of the Lightning Class returned to the academy, they were surprised to find the campus eerily silent. Only the chirping of summer birds and insects echoed through the trees.
The four wandered along the shaded paths for a while but didn't spot a single soul.
"Where is everyone?" Maria frowned. "When I came back yesterday, most of the students had already returned."
"I sense killing intent!" Eric suddenly shouted dramatically, raising his arms in a defensive stance as his eyes darted around. "This is the calm before the storm! The enemy is lurking nearby, watching us!"
Before he could finish, Sisi flicked his forehead with a crisp *thwack*.
Thunder shook his head, convinced the boy was beyond saving. During their training sessions at home, Sisi often stuck with Tifa, while Eric had taken to reading knightly novels Tifa had dug up from who-knows-where.
Clearly, those books had rotted his brain.
After getting smacked by his sister, Eric wisely shut up.
Just as the group was puzzling over the situation, a teacher came running toward them. Thunder recognized him—Luke, a water magic instructor. His face was flushed with anger, as if someone had just insulted him.
"Professor Luke!" Maria called out.
The water mage turned, his furious expression melting into a warm smile at the sight of Maria. "Professor Maria, you're here?"
No man could resist smiling when faced with the goddess of spring.
"Yes, we just got back." Maria nodded. "Where is everyone?"
Luke's face darkened again, as if slapped. "Come with me. You've returned just in time. I was actually on my way to your house to find you." He glanced at Thunder before adding, "Let's walk and talk."
Luke led them at a brisk pace.
It wasn't that the students hadn't returned—it was that nearly the entire academy had gathered at the training grounds, leaving the rest of the campus deserted.
The trouble had started with students—but not from Faelor Magic and Martial Academy.
A group from Austin City's Magic and Martial Academy, a second-tier city near Faelor, had arrived the previous afternoon with their instructors.
In the Kingdom of Sylvan, most academies sent their students out around this time for real-world experience, as both magical beasts and other resources were at their peak.
But unlike Faelor, which assigned mercenary missions, Austin Academy encouraged its students to travel and challenge other schools.
Their headmaster famously declared, *"Magical beasts can't compare to humans. True experience comes from fighting people."*
That philosophy had become Austin Academy's creed. As a result, its students were fiercely competitive, constantly dueling and sparring.
The results spoke for themselves—Austin Academy ranked first among all second-tier city academies in Sylvan. Not only did it produce formidable graduates, but it also supplied the kingdom with exceptional military talent.
Faelor's Magic and Martial Academy, on the other hand, barely registered in the rankings.
Apart from Thunder, who was clueless, the rest of the Lightning Class had heard of Austin Academy's reputation. Their expressions turned grim as Luke explained the situation.
"How did it go?" Maria asked softly.
This wasn't an internal Faelor competition—it was an invasion. Every student carried a fierce pride for their academy, and the instructors were no exception. That's why everyone had rushed to the training grounds.
"Don't ask." Luke sighed. "You know how warriors and mages are about honor. Since they came to challenge us, Headmaster Laurent naturally accepted. This morning, their warriors fought ours. The result? A complete disaster. A single opponent took down our top three fighters." His face twisted into a bitter smile.
"What?!" Thunder was stunned. "What about the top-ranked warrior? That girl!"
"Aegis's class hasn't returned yet." Luke's expression darkened again. "If she were here, things would've been different. The combat department head said Aegis is a once-in-a-decade genius for Faelor. If she'd been present, Austin wouldn't have stood a chance. But since we lost, we can't exactly tell them our best fighter wasn't here. We had to accept defeat."
"What about now?" Sisi pressed anxiously.
"Now it's the mages' turn." Luke glanced at Thunder. "Headmaster Laurent sent me to fetch you. Thunder, Faelor's honor rests on your shoulders."
Thunder suddenly felt the weight of the world pressing down on him.
"Couldn't even Franks hold his own?" Sisi had once lost to Franks and had grudgingly respected his skill.
"Their mages are brutal. Franks was struggling when I left." Luke sighed.
Sisi and Thunder exchanged a glance. Franks was among the top-tier junior mages—if even he was losing, their opponents must be terrifying.
When they finally reached the training grounds, the massive square was packed with people. The central dueling arena was surrounded by a dense crowd, but the atmosphere was thick with tension and frustration.
"Is Faelor Magic and Martial Academy out of fighters? First, you claim your top warrior wasn't here yesterday. What's your excuse today? Are your mages really this weak? We're all junior-ranked—how is the gap this huge?" A mocking voice rang out just as the Lightning Class arrived. The speaker sounded like a teenager, his voice cracking with arrogance.
"Ha! Looks like that fire mage was your best. Pathetic." The voice dripped with scorn. "Faelor Magic and Martial Academy? More like Faelor *Lack* of Magic and Martial Academy! You've got ten breaths to send someone up. If no one dares, I'm stepping down—and I'll tell everyone I single-handedly crushed your entire mage division!"
The students seethed with rage, their humiliation boiling over.
Just as the crowd was about to erupt, a calm voice cut through the noise from below the stage:
**"I'll give it a try."**
*Will Thunder be Faelor's savior—or will he fall like the rest?*