Chapter 95: The Strongest of Eldoria
Six years had passed since the Vanguard first set foot in Eldoria Academy.
Six years of blood, battle, and war.
They were no longer just students.
They were warriors.
Kael stood at the center of the training coliseum, stretching his arms as the morning sun cast long shadows across the polished stone floor. Around him, the Vanguard—the strongest warriors of their generation—gathered, their auras pulsing with raw power.
It had been two years since the last Xelthar incident. Since then, they had only grown stronger.
Lucian Eldoria cracked his neck, his golden draconic aura flaring slightly. "Feels like forever since we all fought together."
Mira Valcroft, now standing tall with an air of unshakable confidence, smirked. "You mean it's been forever since you got to show off."
Cassian twirled his rapier lazily. "Oh? So we're sparring today? I thought we left brawling to the commoners."
Selene Duskbane scoffed, tying her silver hair back. "Yet you're still here."
Darius Zephyrion, lightning crackling at his fingertips, grinned. "We should do this properly, then. A free-for-all?"
Evelyne Grimthorne rolled her shoulders, her Titan's Resilience radiating from her very presence. "Winner gets free drinks."
Rael Varros adjusted his gloves. "Winner doesn't die."
Kael exhaled, a smirk playing on his lips. "Fine. Let's settle this."
The Vanguard, the strongest students of their generation, stepped into the ring—
And the battle began.
The moment the match started, the battlefield erupted.
Lucian vanished in a golden blur, his sword cutting through the air like a streak of light. Mira met him mid-dash, their swords clashing with a shockwave that cracked the stone beneath them.
Kael activated Gravity Sigil, forcing the battlefield into his control, slowing everyone except himself.
Darius responded instantly, summoning a storm of mana-charged lightning, countering Kael's domain with sheer brute force.
Cassian and Rael moved like ghosts, their blades flickering through the slowed battlefield, weaving between massive attacks while launching precise strikes.
Selene, ever the strategist, moved in bursts—Eclipse Sight allowing her to read every movement before it happened.
Evelyne, unlike the others, stood still. She simply waited.
And when Mira's blade came crashing down on her—
She caught it barehanded.
The ground shattered beneath her.
Mira's eyes widened. "Tch—still a monster."
Evelyne smirked. "Takes one to know one."
Lucian forced Kael back, his draconic aura flaring to full strength as he rained down relentless sword strikes.
Kael met every blow, his Crimson Sigils bursting to life, his Arcane Echo creating phantom slashes that struck alongside him.
Their battle shook the entire coliseum.
And then—
A new presence entered the battlefield.
The air shifted.
A pressure unlike anything before settled over the coliseum, forcing even the Vanguard to pause.
Kael turned his head, spotting a towering man with steel-gray hair and piercing emerald eyes. His presence alone made the mana around them feel heavier.
Grandmaster Reynard Faelthorne.
The instructor of the final year.
A war veteran. A legend.
And he was watching them.
"You lot are wasting your time." His voice was gravel and steel, each word carrying weight. "Play-fighting in an arena like this?" His gaze swept over them. "Is that how you plan to survive in real war?"
The Vanguard straightened.
Selene's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"
Reynard stepped forward. "The Headmaster has summoned you. The entire Vanguard."
Cassian raised an eyebrow. "That's rare."
Reynard's expression didn't change. "You've been chosen for a classified mission. Your time at the Academy is nearly over."
Kael's grip tightened.
They all knew what that meant.
Eldoria Academy had trained them.
Forged them.
And now—
It was time to use them.
"Gather your weapons," Reynard ordered.
"You leave at dawn."