The opening day of the Evaluation Matches had finally arrived.
An unusual tension hung over the academy grounds from early morning.
Students stood around in small clusters, whispering back and forth.
A thick crowd pressed around the main ranking board.
Even the academy instructors appeared far more alert than usual.
Sera felt the weight of everyone’s eyes on her much more than before.
A few spectators were openly taking bets that she would get eliminated in the first round.
Others kept staring at Theron, wondering why he was standing so close to her.
Sera was placed in the second group.
Her opponent was an experienced senior who had secured a strong rank during the previous evaluation.
He specialized in fire magic and exuded absolute confidence.
Whispers broke out across the crowd the moment Sera entered the arena.
”Here comes the Zero’s match.” ”Her opponent is way too strong for her.” ”Let’s see how many minutes she actually lasts.” Sera wore her basic training outfit, her hair tied back tightly.
Her face revealed nothing of what was going on inside.
Theron stood silently near the edge of the ring, watching closely.
Up in the higher gallery, the other male leads had taken their respective seats.
Livia sat in the front row, her fingers gripping the edge of her seat.
The referee raised a hand and called the match.
”Begin!” Without wasting a single breath, the senior unleashed a sharp fire lance.
It was a fast, controlled strike meant to test Sera’s reaction time.
Sera took a simple side step and dodged the attack effortlessly.
She showed no rush to counterattack.
She simply kept dodging.
A second fire strike came, then a third.
The senior began ramping up his speed and pressure to make Sera panic.
The crowd fully expected her to break stance any moment.
Instead, Sera quietly studied the rhythm of his attacks.
Her footwork stayed fluid, conserving her energy with every move.
On the fourth attack, Sera cut the distance short to break his footing.
It wasn’t a heavy blow, just a quick tap to disrupt his balance.
Surprise registered on the senior’s face he had expected the Zero to just run and defend.
He immediately charged up a larger spell to regain control of the arena.
A ring of fire began spreading across the ground.
Inside Sera, her magic stirred in response.
First came a sudden wave of golden heat in her palms.
Right behind it, the cool silver dragon magic emerged to balance it out.
Both forces became active at the same time.
Sera didn’t fight the surge; she simply let it flow.
A faint aura of mixed gold and silver flashed around her body.
A few spectators in the front row caught sight of the light.
Up in the higher seats, Riven sat straight up.
Caelum’s eyes narrowed instantly.
Kairos nearly stood up from his seat.
Lucien muttered under his breath, “There…
a reaction happened.” The senior felt the sudden shift as well and broke off his spell mid-cast.
“What was that?” Sera offered no response.
She shifted her entire focus back to her footwork.
Inside her, both powers were still struggling to find a stable balance.
She didn’t suppress them completely, holding just enough control to prevent an overflow.
The senior abandoned his casual approach and started fighting seriously, attempting a double cast.
A wall of flame rose on one side while a direct fire lance shot from the other.
Sera slipped past the edge of the fire wall.
The lance grazed past her shoulder the intense heat singed her uniform slightly, but her skin remained untouched.
She closed in fast and landed an accurate strike on his knee.
His leg buckled, shattering his next spell charge.
The chatter in the stands began to change tone.
”She isn’t moving like a Zero.” ”Those moves are way too clean.” ”Did anyone else catch that strange light?” Livia dug her nails into her seat in frustration she hadn’t expected Sera to last even a minute.
Losing his patience, the senior pulled together his remaining energy for a big burst of flame.
The referee was about to step in when Sera executed a low slide at the last second, striking from his blind spot.
It was clean and controlled.
The senior lost his balance completely, dropping hard onto one knee.
The referee raised a hand.
”Point — Seraphina Voss!” A second of complete silence fell over the arena before the crowd erupted.
Some students were stunned, while others simply couldn’t believe what they saw.
The senior stood up angrily and reset his stance.
The match wasn’t over yet; it operated on a points system.
The second round kicked off without any warning.
This time, the senior skipped the warm-up spells and threw heavy attacks right away.
Sera defended steadily, though one stray strike clipped her arm.
A sharp pain shot through her muscle, but she didn’t lose her composure.
Her inner magic reacted once more the golden heat flared up stronger than before, while the silver magic fought to keep it contained.
The dual aura remained visible for a moment longer this time.
Riven noted softly from above, “That’s not full control…
she’s struggling.
But it’s much better than before.” ”People are taking notice,” Caelum added.
Kairos watched the light fade.
“If this continues, the Temple will start raising questions.” Lucien clenched his jaw.
“Just don’t let her fall right now.” Down by the sidelines, Theron stood with his hands balled into tight fists.
Yet he stayed back, honoring Sera’s request to fight on her own.
Sera maintained the same strategy throughout the second round.
She skipped raw power completely focusing on tracking his steps, breaking his spells mid-cast, and keeping the pressure up.
The senior managed to connect a solid hit that sent her skidding backward.
A sharp breath escaped her lips, making the crowd think she was finally reaching her limit.
Sera pushed off the ground and reset her stance without hesitation.
Her eyes showed no anger, only sharp focus.
She timed his next spell charge, closed the gap before the fire could form, and locked his arm temporarily.
The senior forced his way out of the grip, but his momentum was completely shattered.
Sera landed one last clean hit to finish it.
The senior lost his footing entirely and fell to the ground.
The referee called the match.
”Match point — Seraphina Voss!
Winner — Seraphina Voss!” The arena erupted into clear noise a mix of disbelief and shock.
Numerous students stood up to check the board as Sera’s name shifted upward.
Even the instructors exchanged quiet looks of surprise.
Sera took a deep breath, slowly settling the golden heat and silver chill inside her.
It took a bit longer to calm the magic this time, but she kept it from spilling out in public.
Her opponent looked up at her though anger lingered on his face, a faint trace of respect had appeared in his eyes.
He gave a brief nod and exited the ring.
Sera turned toward the exit corridor.
Her legs felt slightly heavy and her arm throbbed, but she kept her stride steady.
The crowd watched her leave with a completely different look in their eyes.
”She’s definitely not a Zero.” ”How did she win that?” ”What was that light around her?” Livia sat rigid in her seat, watching her plan crumble at the very first step.
”This isn’t over yet,” she muttered under her breath to her friend.
Sera stepped out into the hallway, where Theron was already waiting for her.
He scanned her quickly from head to toe.
“Injuries?” ”Manageable,” Sera replied.
Theron didn’t press any further.
“Let’s go.” From the upper gallery, the male leads watched her walk away.
Though their expressions differed, one realization was shared by all: none of them had expected her to win the first match so cleanly.
As Sera walked down the corridor, passing students no longer looked at her with mockery.
Their eyes held calculation and curiosity instead.
She glanced down at her palm, where a faint warmth still lingered.
Her magic had flashed in public today, and people had witnessed it.
She closed her hand into a firm fist.
She had won the first match.
But with this victory, the eyes watching her would only grow sharper.
And she knew…
this was only the beginning.