Next morning, Ashan and Zevi headed toward the training ground as they usually did, walking side by side through the academy courtyard while the early sunlight stretched long shadows across the stone paths.
However, something was different today.
As they passed through the academy, Ashan began to notice the subtle shifts in the atmosphere around them. Students standing in small groups would suddenly fall silent the moment the two of them walked by, only to start whispering again the second they passed. Some openly stared, while others tried to pretend they weren't looking at all.
The news of yesterday's duel had clearly spread through the entire academy.
Zevi noticed it too.
With a crooked grin, he nudged Ashan's arm with his elbow.
"See that?" he muttered, tilting his head toward a group of students who immediately looked away the moment Zevi glanced at them. "The whole academy already knows about us."
He chuckled.
"Well, I don't know about me, but you're definitely about to become popular with the girls. Who wouldn't like a good-looking dragon like you?"
Zevi gave him an exaggerated once-over.
"Seriously, you already built yourself a reputation that's way above B-rank."
Ashan smiled awkwardly but didn't respond immediately.
Inside his mind, however, his thoughts were far more serious.
'He's not wrong. But what they saw yesterday… was barely anything.'
A quiet sigh escaped him internally.
'I don't even want to imagine what would happen if I revealed my real power.'
'This much is more than enough for now.'
His gaze drifted forward as the training ground came into view.
'When the time comes… I'll reveal everything.'
'And when that moment arrives… those bastards of the hidden society will finally learn who they're dealing with.'
By the time the two of them arrived at the training field, most of their group had already gathered.
Their teammates were standing around in small clusters, stretching or chatting casually, while Lunara stood near the center of the field with her arms folded.
The moment she spotted them approaching, her lips curled into an amused smile.
"Good morning, my very popular juniors," she greeted, her tone dripping with playful sarcasm. "I was half expecting the two of you to take a day off after yesterday's duel."
Her eyes glimmered teasingly.
"It looked rather… intense."
Zevi smirked.
"How could we possibly skip training, Instructor?" he said dramatically, placing a hand on his chest. "Even if I broke a leg, I'd still come to learn from you."
He raised one finger.
"After all, I'd still have the other leg and both arms left."
The absurd seriousness in his tone made several students burst out laughing.
Even Lunara covered her mouth briefly, trying not to laugh too openly.
But the laughter didn't last long.
From the side of the field, one of the A-rank students stepped forward with a mocking smile.
"Hey, Starwell," he called lazily, looking directly at Zevi. "I heard you and your little friend got banned from participating in duels for a few months."
A few students snickered.
The guy beside him leaned in with a grin.
"You know what the funniest part is?" he added loudly. "The whole academy started calling him Nutcracker after yesterday."
He pointed at Zevi.
"So congratulations. Looks like you've got two nicknames now."
The laughter this time was much louder.
Zevi stared at them for a moment, then scratched his chin thoughtfully.
"Huh," he said slowly.
"I kinda like that one."
That answer only made the students laugh harder.
Lunara finally raised her hand, signaling for everyone to calm down.
"Alright, that's enough," she said, still smiling faintly. "Before we begin training, there's something important I need to inform all of you about."
The laughter gradually faded as everyone turned their attention toward her.
Lunara's expression became more serious.
"Next week," she began, "our group will participate in our first official group assignment."
A wave of excitement immediately spread among the students.
"All of the newly formed teams in the academy will be participating in a raid," she continued. "The target is a massive goblin dungeon that appeared recently."
She paused briefly to let that sink in.
"During the raid, you'll earn points by killing monsters inside the dungeon. Those points will determine both your individual ranking and your team ranking."
Her eyes swept across the group.
"The higher your points, the better your overall standing in the academy."
One student raised his hand.
"Isn't that the newly discovered C-rank dungeon?" he asked cautiously. "I heard it's huge… like an entire city."
He frowned.
"Will it actually be safe for students?"
Lunara nodded calmly.
"Don't worry. The entire dungeon has already been scanned using high-tech drones."
She continued explaining.
"It's essentially an entire goblin civilization. According to the latest analysis, several types of monsters inhabit the dungeon."
She began counting them off.
"E-rank Blood Flies."
"E-rank normal goblins."
"D-rank Hobgoblins."
"D-rank reptile-type monsters."
"And higher-level D-rank goblin mages."
A few students swallowed nervously.
"The boss of the dungeon," Lunara added, "a Goblin Monarch, is estimated to be C-rank."
A murmur spread through the group.
"Other than the Blood Flies," she continued calmly, "the total goblin population inside the dungeon is estimated to be 2,575."
"Whoa…" Zevi muttered under his breath, his expression unusually serious now. "That's a ridiculous number."
He crossed his arms thoughtfully.
"That's three times more monsters than the number of students participating."
He glanced toward the others.
"If that entire army attacked at once, things would get messy pretty fast."
Lunara shook her head.
"That won't happen."
She pointed toward the map tablet in her hand.
"The dungeon structure resembles a mix between an ant colony and a maze. Their main base is located in the center, while the dungeon entrance sits at the far corner."
She smiled slightly.
"The entrance area is abandoned territory for the monsters, so it's essentially safe."
Then she added,
"And most of the pathways are extremely narrow. Large-scale attacks simply aren't possible."
A female student raised her hand.
"Do we have an attack strategy yet?"
"Yes," Lunara replied with a nod. "But before we finalize it, we'll need the complete dungeon map."
"The academy leadership will release it soon, and once I receive it, I'll send it to all of you."
She then unsheathed her sword with a smooth metallic sound.
"But that's a problem for the future."
Her smile turned sharp.
"Today's training, however… will be long."
A collective groan echoed across the field.
"For the first half," she continued mercilessly, "we'll focus on physical and weapon training."
She pointed her sword toward the training area.
"And the second half will be dedicated to learning new spells and improving your abilities."
Her eyes gleamed.
"So warm up properly."
"Because today… you're all going to suffer."
…
By the time the day's training finally ended, the sun had already begun sinking toward the horizon, painting the sky with shades of gold and orange.
Exhausted students slowly began leaving the training ground, heading toward the academy dining hall.
A few of Ashan and Zevi's teammates approached them.
"Hey Ashan," one of them said, smiling. "We're all going for dinner together. Want to join us?"
Ashan returned the smile politely.
"Thanks for the invitation," he said. "But we'll have to decline today."
He gestured toward Zevi, who was currently sitting a short distance away, sharpening his sword with disturbing enthusiasm.
"We already have plans."
The student followed his gaze and sighed.
"Let me guess."
"You two are going to duel again."
He shook his head helplessly.
"Give it a rest for one day, man. Zevi's already insane, but at this rate you're going to turn into a second version of him."
Ashan glanced toward Zevi.
The man was chuckling quietly to himself while dragging the sharpening stone across his blade.
Ashan couldn't help making an awkward face.
"Thanks for worrying," he said with a faint smile. "But he's actually a very good sparring partner."
He shrugged.
"And since he seems to be in a good mood today, it's the perfect time for a match."
The student laughed.
"Alright then. See you tomorrow."
One by one, the team members left the field, eventually leaving only Ashan and Zevi behind.
Zevi suddenly clicked his tongue in irritation.
"Tch."
He stared down at the sword in his hand.
Ashan walked toward him.
"What's wrong?"
"This stupid blade isn't sharpening properly," Zevi grumbled, tapping the edge with his finger. "The sharpening block is completely worn out."
Ashan shrugged.
"Then go get another one."
"I'll wait here."
Zevi slid the sword back into its sheath.
"Alright," he said. "Give me a minute."
Then,
He disappeared in a blink, sprinting away across the field.
Ashan remained behind.
The sky above him had turned a deep mix of yellow and orange as the sun slowly dipped below the horizon.
His gaze lowered toward the sword resting at his waist.
The Kusanagi.
'I can't keep relying only on my powers.'
His fingers wrapped around the hilt.
'My physical abilities still need improvement.'
Memories resurfaced in his mind.
'Back then, I copied Arakwaru's sword style… but I never actually used it.'
During the past months, he had focused almost entirely on the new techniques Lunara taught them.
But compared to Arakwaru's style, those techniques felt almost… incomplete.
'That demon's swordsmanship was something else entirely.'
Ashan slowly stepped toward the center of the training field.
'Maybe it's time to try it.'
He lowered his stance, gripping the sword firmly.
Twin Fang Art.
Closing his eyes, he began recalling every movement he had observed; the angles, the footwork, the rhythm of the strikes.
Then he inhaled deeply.
And moved.
His body surged forward.
The blade cut through the air with explosive force as Ashan unleashed a powerful strike, his body rotating fluidly into the next motion as if he were fighting an invisible enemy.
He jumped.
Spun.
Dashed forward.
The sword never stopped moving.
Each swing sliced through the air with sharp, whistling sounds that echoed across the empty field.
His powerful footwork cracked the sandy ground beneath him, sending small clouds of dust into the air.
But suddenly,
Ashan stopped.
Something felt… wrong.
He stood still for a moment before slowly exhaling.
Then he smirked.
'As expected. This technique doesn't match my body.'
Arakwaru had not been human.
That demon's body had been far larger, far stronger, with completely different proportions and instincts.
Trying to replicate that style perfectly was like forcing his foot into a shoe that simply didn't fit.
'If I want to use this technique…'
His grip tightened.
'I'll need to rebuild it from the beginning.'
He would have to reshape the fundamentals so the style matched his own body and movements.
Only then would it become truly his.
"Wow…"
The sudden voice made Ashan spin around instantly.
Standing near the edge of the training field was Lunara.
Her cheeks were slightly flushed, and her eyes were shining with unmistakable excitement.
"What was that sword technique?" she asked, stepping closer.
Her voice carried genuine amazement.
"That was incredible."