The seventh day had finally arrived.
The capital’s sky was clear and cloudless.
However, inside the Zenithar Coliseum Arena, the air felt infinitely heavier than usual.
The colossal, circular structure stood majestically at the heart of the academy, surrounded by tens of thousands of spectator seats now brimming with roaring cheers.
The thundering roar of the crowd shook the stone walls.
High nobles.
Royal envoys.
Academy instructors.
And the entire student body of Zenithar.
Everyone was present.
Today was not merely an exam.
It was the grand stage where aspiring mages and knights proved their worth.
The place where reputations were forged.
And where pride could be shattered in a single battle.
In the dimly lit corridor leading to the VIP preparation area, the slow sound of footsteps echoed.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
Ethan Valen walked unhurriedly.
Gone was the tattered uniform.
Gone were the condescending glares.
Today, he wore the dark silver uniform exclusive to VIP candidates, proudly displaying his newfound status in the academy.
On his right index finger, the Ice Rose Ring gleamed with a faint blue light.
The artifact had fully synchronized with his mana flow.
The System chimed.
Ding!
[Host Status Stable]
[Rank: Peak-Stage D]
[Ice Rose Artifact Connection: 100%]
[Ice Mana Synchronization Successful]
Ethan read the translucent panel.
A thin smile graced his face.
His preparations were complete.
Today was the day the entire academy would witness the rebirth of Ethan Valen.
In the VIP Stands, the atmosphere was far more subdued.
There were no cheers.
There was no laughter.
Only nobles sitting with utterly serious expressions.
In the grand seat of honor, Isolde von Rosenberg sat with flawless posture.
Her platinum blonde hair was perfectly styled.
A dark blue formal gown elegantly draped her figure.
In the eyes of everyone else, she was still the Vice Principal of Zenithar Academy.
An immovable, unshakable Archmage.
But deep inside...
Isolde was anything but calm.
Her hands gripped the armrests of her chair tightly.
Her eyes continuously darted toward the competitors’ gates.
Ethan.
The young man’s very existence was now both a lethal threat and a constant reminder of the secret no one could ever know.
"Just what are you planning to do today..."
she whispered faintly.
Up on the Student Council balcony, someone observed the arena with intense interest.
Her fiery red hair fluttered in the wind.
Her golden eyes glared sharply downward.
Kaelia von Ashford.
The Student Council President.
The daughter of Duke Ashford.
She rested her chin on her hand.
A faint smile played on her lips.
"Alright then, Ethan Valen."
"I want to see."
"Are you truly someone capable of shaking the very foundations of this academy..."
"...or just a fleeting fluke."
Her gaze never left the arena floor.
But deep beneath the arena...
Someone had completely lost control.
The competitors’ waiting room was suffocating from an abnormally searing heat.
A tournament official stood there, pale as a ghost.
In front of him...
Kurt von Rosenberg.
Yet the figure standing there barely resembled the Kurt of the past.
His Fire Aura had mutated.
It was no longer pure.
It was no longer stable.
The signature orange hue of the Rosenberg family was now tainted with a horrifying, dark crimson.
The mana veins on his arms were bulging grotesquely.
His breathing was ragged and heavy.
Every exhale carried a crushing pressure that made it hard for anyone nearby to breathe.
"Young Master Kurt..."
The official gulped.
"The side effects of that elixir are extremely dangerous."
"If you keep pushing yourself..."
"You talk too much."
Kurt’s voice was dangerously low.
And dripping with malice.
He clenched his fist.
Dark flames erupted in his palm.
"I only need one thing."
"The very first match."
"Put me up against Ethan Valen."
The official froze.
"But the official schedule—"
Kurt’s flames violently flared.
Not as an attack.
Just a warning.
The room was instantly crushed by the oppressive heat.
"Change it."
Kurt’s voice grew even colder.
"I don’t give a damn about the rules."
"I don’t give a damn about the risks."
"He must fall right in front of me."
The official nodded frantically.
"Y-yes, Young Master."
His hands trembled as he altered the match brackets on the magical parchment.
Meanwhile, Kurt stared down at his own hands.
The agonizing pain from the elixir continued to spread.
But he didn’t care.
The only thing left inside of him was one singular emotion.
Hatred.
"Ethan Valen..."
he muttered.
"Just you wait."
DONG!
DONG!
DONG!
The colossal arena bell tolled.
The entire stadium fell dead silent.
A senior instructor strode toward the center of the obsidian arena.
His magic staff broadcasted his voice in powerful waves throughout the coliseum.
"The Zenithar Academy Annual Magic Evaluation Exam..."
He raised his staff high.
"OFFICIALLY BEGINS!"
Cheers erupted like an explosion.
The entire arena shook.
"And for our opening match..."
The instructor’s voice echoed loudly.
"We have an incredibly fascinating duel!"
"On the left side of the arena..."
"The contestant from Class F who recently earned VIP status!"
"Ethan Valen!"
The left gates swung open.
Ethan walked out.
Casual.
Relaxed.
Without leaking even a single ounce of mana pressure.
His hands remained casually tucked in his pockets.
Seeing this, several noble students immediately burst into laughter.
"He’s still acting so arrogant."
"Against Kurt?"
"He’s going to be obliterated."
And then—
"And on the right side of the arena..."
"The Class S Bronze Knight!"
"The heir to the Duke Rosenberg family!"
"Kurt von Rosenberg!"
BOOM!
The right gates exploded open.
Flames spewed out.
Kurt’s figure marched out.
Every single step he took made the arena floor tremble.
A dark crimson aura scorched the very air.
The entire audience instantly fell silent.
Even a few instructors shot up from their seats.
"That aura..."
"Something has changed."
Up in the VIP stands, Isolde’s face instantly went rigid.
She recognized that energy.
And she knew.
Kurt had made a terribly dangerous decision.
In the center of the arena, Kurt glared at Ethan.
His smile was brimming with absolute madness.
"It’s time, Valen."
"I’m going to wipe away every single humiliation you’ve ever handed me."
Yet Ethan remained silent.
He didn’t step back.
He showed no fear.
Instead, he simply lifted his chin.
His gaze drifted first toward Isolde.
Then shifted to Kaelia up on the Student Council balcony.
A faint smirk appeared.
As if to say—
Watch closely.
This is only the beginning.
The instructor raised his hand.
Mana flooded the arena.
Ethan slowly drew a breath.
"System."
His voice echoed only in his mind.
"Let the show begin."
The Ice Rose Ring glowed brilliantly.
SWOOOSH!
The arena’s temperature plummeted drastically.
A thin blue mist began to spread from beneath Ethan’s feet.
Frost Pheromone began to flood the battlefield.
The entire audience felt the shift.
The air that had just been scorching hot...
Now turned bone-piercingly cold.
The instructor slashed his hand downward.
"THE MATCH..."
"BEGINS!"
DONG!