Elira and Mia stepped down from the stage, walking slowly toward where Zara stood waiting.
As they reached her, Mia immediately collapsed onto the ground with a groan, flopping onto her back like a starfish.
"Ahhh... I need to rest. My mana's all over the place..." she muttered, her voice tired and wobbly.
Elira, walking just behind her, was also panting lightly. Though her breath was uneven, she kept her expression composed, barely showing any sign of exhaustion.
Zara looked at both of them with an amused smile. "You two really went all out. huh"
Mia made a proud face and huffed, puffing out her chest despite lying flat on the floor.
"I was totally going easy on Elira. Tch."
Hearing that, Elira raised an eyebrow and looked down at her with a smug grin. "Oh really? Then why are you the one collapsed on the ground, looking like you just ran ten marathons? Look at me—barely even tired. I went easy on you."
"Huh?! What did you just say?!" Mia shot up halfway, glaring in mock outrage.
The two continued bickering playfully, their energy still lively despite the match.
Zara chuckled quietly, shaking her head. Selena, standing nearby, gave a small smile, her tension from the earlier match easing.
But then—suddenly—the mood shifted.
On the platform, the principal's face darkened. His gaze turned sharply toward the academy's grand main hall—an enormous structure so majestic it rivaled royal palaces.
At the same moment, Ishara, who had been watching Selena fondly with a gentle smile, murmuring to herself, "My daughter finally made friends, huh...", froze mid-sentence.
Her expression changed instantly, eyes narrowing as she turned toward the same direction.
Without hesitation, both the principal and Ishara vanished in a blink, teleporting with high-tier space magic—an ability only those of Deity-class magicians could perform.
Inside the main hall's basement, Principal Elric and Ishara stood before a massive, ancient magic circle etched deep into the stone floor. The glowing runes pulsated weakly—and a faint, spiderweb-like crack had begun to spread across the seal's surface.
Elric's expression hardened. "It's worse than before," he said, voice low. "Abyrion's seal has weakened significantly."
Beside him, Ishara silently studied the circle with her uncovered violet eyes. Her blindfold, usually never removed, hung loosely around her neck. After a long moment, she covered her eyes again and tied the cloth back into place.
"We only have three more years," she said, her tone calm yet grave. "The seal will naturally break if left alone. The Saints haven't provided any mana to it for nearly a decade. And worse—none of the current candidates are prepared to step in."
Elric crossed his arms tightly. "Yeah... we'll need to accelerate their training. No more holding back."
Ishara turned to him, her expression unreadable. "What about the negotiations with the Elf Empire? Regarding the saint candidate?"
A small smile tugged at Elric's lips. "They finally agreed. Once I told them the seal on Abyrion was failing, they understood the urgency. So from now on, this academy will also accept elves alongside human students."
Ishara gave a slow nod. "And the fifth candidate? Have you found them yet?"
Elric's smile faded. His jaw tightened. "No… not a single clue. It's like he doesn't exist."
Ishara's expression sharpened. She slowly removed her blindfold again.
Elric stepped forward quickly. "Wait—this is your second time using the Eye of Revelation today. Are you sure you're okay?"
Her eyes glowed softly in the dim room, a faint aura wrapping around her figure. "I'll be fine," she said calmly.
A heavy silence stretched as Ishara searched the threads of fate only she could see. Then she spoke, her voice distant.
"The fifth one… I can't see much. But there are two things I'm sure of."
Elric listened closely.
"He's a boy. Black hair, black eyes. And…"
She paused, uncertain.
"…He will invent something called 'juice' that becomes wildly popular."
Elric blinked.
"…Juice?"
"I don't know what it is either," Ishara said, finally covering her eyes again. "That's all I could find."
Inside the training hall, Instructor Jason stood at the platform, glancing toward the principal's seat—now empty.
He furrowed his brow slightly and turned his gaze to Natalia, silently asking with a subtle eye gesture.
Natalia met his look, shrugged casually, and shook her head as if to say, No idea.
Jason gave a short nod in acknowledgment, then leapt gracefully onto the stage.
With a clear, commanding voice, he announced,"Next students: Zara Caeser versus Alex Kubult! Get on stage!"