The academy felt different.
Not visibly—no change in walls, no announcement from teachers—but in the air itself. Like something was preparing to crack open beneath their feet.
Kain stood at the edge of the training field, watching the clouds roll like slow waves above. Horizon Cutter hadn't appeared last night. That absence said more than his presence ever did.
But the silence didn't last long.
As if waiting for stillness, the voice returned—not Horizon Cutter's.
Inventor.
> "If you become able to cut—"
A sharp static buzz ripped through Kain's skull.
"—then you might meet me."
A chuckle, distant.
"Oops. I think you're still not in a place to learn about this."
Kain gritted his teeth. Every word from Inventor was like a hand opening one finger at a time… never fully revealing the fist.
---
Earlier That Day
The results of the mock test had already caused waves.
Whispers among students. Shifts in rankings. But the most talked about was Kain.
Not because he ranked first—he didn't.
He ranked third.
Above students blessed by noble lineages. Above many top ten.
Only Kai and Elmore stood above him. And Kain had fought them both.
His duel against Anna had ended quicker than expected. Her ice magic painted the field in shimmering white, freezing grass and air alike. But Kain's blade cut through cold.
Aura wrapped around him—not the normal kind, but the unstable version of the Horizon Sword's first form.
The Sword That Cuts Nothing.
Flashbacks hit between each swing. Horizon Cutter's voice ringing in his mind like a bell struck in an empty hall.
> "To cut anything, first learn to cut nothing."
"Touch without harming. Swing without breaking. Strike… only what you intend."
"A blade that can slice through steel but leave a flower untouched. That is the true sword."
Kain had swung—and his blade phased through Anna's frost. It struck only her aura core, nullifying her defense, while leaving her untouched.
Victory.
But his fight against Kai was different.
It was like fighting a mirror of pressure. Two close-combat warriors. No spells. No tricks. Only grit, aura, instinct, and timing.
They traded dozens of blows in seconds.
Even Horizon Cutter had muttered in admiration.
> "He's sharp. That Kai boy. His aura walks like a blade that already knows its target."
In the end, Kain stood bruised and breathless—defeated, but not by much. Kai had extended a hand afterward with a grin.
"Didn't expect that. You're terrifying when you move."
---
The Final Match: Elmore vs. Kain
Kain walked onto the field again. Aura flickered around him like heat haze. He was worn, tired—but sharper than ever.
Elmore stood calmly, radiating controlled pressure. His blessing, shielded by secrecy, hummed like compressed lightning.
The clash was fierce.
Kain pushed further than ever before. He tapped into the unstable Horizon Sword. He focused—cutting only what he intended.
He left Elmore's armor intact but targeted pressure points. He cut aura, not flesh.
It wasn't enough.
Elmore unleashed power. Controlled. Reluctant—but full strength. A golden light surged from his core, throwing Kain off balance just long enough to deliver a clean strike.
Kain collapsed, defeated.
But Elmore didn't gloat.
He knelt beside Kain, offering his hand. His face showed no arrogance—only curiosity.
"You're hiding something," he said. "And I don't think even you know what it is."
---
Later That Night
Kain sat alone. The stars above were silent.
And then… the world tilted.
A flicker in the air. A surge of mana—wrong, twisted. Heavy.
He heard a whisper—not from a divine being. From someone else.
> "The storm begins now... Andras sees your academy as the first piece."
Kain's eyes widened.
Andras.
A name. A divine being. And from the taste of that whisper—corruption.
He stood slowly, breath steady.
He could feel it. The ambush was coming. The organization hadn't forgotten.
And something told him… the next time, they wouldn't just come to capture students.
They would come to kill.
---
Teacher Vairon, in his private chamber, lit a candle.
He marked the name "Andras" onto a scroll with tight lips.
> "So they've revealed themselves at last," he muttered.
Then he looked out his window toward the training field, where Kain stood alone again, swinging his blade into the empty night.
> "Boy… your sword might be the key to more than just survival."