Raivharyx.
Thundraryx.
Lunaryth.
Zephyrax.
Caelvhar.
They stepped forward together.
Then more followed.
Raivharyx and Vaelura.
Velzahar and Seravyn.
Caelvhar and Azharael.
Their movements were unhurried—but precise.
A loose ring formed around me, spacing measured, angles calculated.
Not an ambush.
An assessment.
Zephyrax broke the silence.
He placed a firm hand on my brother’s shoulder, grounding the tension before it could erupt again.
“That’s enough,” he said.
The words were calm.
Final.
“This isn’t what we agreed on,” Zephyrax continued, eyes never leaving me.
“If you wanted to test him alone, you should’ve waited. For now—we follow the plan.”
The pressure in the chamber shifted.
Not lighter.
Controlled.
I watched closely.
Plan?
Frustration flashed—sharp, restrained—but he exhaled slowly.
“…Fine.”
His aura withdrew, layer by layer.
The inferno dimmed.
His pupils faded back to black.
The sudden stillness unsettled me more than the fight had.
Lunaryth stepped forward next, hands open, posture relaxed—but his eyes missed nothing.
“Sorry about the interruption earlier,” he said mildly.
“But this was always meant to be a group trial.”
He turned toward me.
“Velzahar,” he said, voice smooth, predatory beneath the courtesy, “your progress has… exceeded expectations.”
A pause.
“Your brother believes you’re ready.”
Ready—for this.
“To face ten opponents at once.”
Silence crashed down.
I felt it then.
Not killing intent.
Judgment.
One by one, their pupils ignited—flickers of blue cutting through the dim chamber light.
Their auras pressed outward, overlapping, testing my reactions.
Ten predators.
One center.
I closed my eyes.
When I opened them again, my pupils burned blue in answer.
Equal.
A grin slipped free before I could stop it.
“Guess it’s my turn,” I said quietly, rolling my shoulders, “to see how strong you all really are.”
The circle tightened.
The gravity engine’s hum deepened.
Then—
BOOM—!!!
I moved.
No warning.
No signal.
I struck the nearest presence, slipping inside their range with a sharp pivot, palm driving forward—then twisted away as attacks came from every direction.
The chamber erupted.
Ten auras surged at once.
Claws.
Fists.
Wind pressure.
Killing angles layered over killing angles.
No one held back.
This wasn’t training anymore.
It was survival under scrutiny.
Ten against one.
And I welcomed it.