"T-this… how?" Eira muttered, blinking blankly, taking a few seconds to register his words.

Swallowing deeply, she took another step back, her eyes scanning the figure before her once more, reevaluating him in the back of her mind. An anomaly by all standards, proof of that being the monstrous strength he'd wielded just a few days after his awakening. Strength that now eclipsed what she had struggled to acquire in three years. That was just how wide the gap in their talents was.

But all that had changed the day a figure appeared...one who promised the unthinkable: to alter their talents. The one constant in the universe that was said to be unchangeable. Yet he did it. He had a way to evolve talents, by a full tier.

And that was all the proof they needed. He asked for only one thing in return. Even that, they had now failed to deliver, because of a single miscalculation.

Though vastly outstripped in strength, her intelligence had always far surpassed that of her peers. Since childhood, she had learned to find solace in intellect when strength failed her. She had grown to love it, the cold calculation, always being one or two steps ahead of everyone else. It gave her an edge.

Well, until now.

The being before her had surpassed her in every aspect, having seen through their carefully devised plot in a single glance. A terrifying thought that sent shudders down her spine.

Still, she couldn't give up. Clenching her fists in determination, she spat out, a vile look coloring her face.

"You are strong," she began, "but if you kill us… our guild leader will kill you the moment you exit the preliminaries!" she shrieked, trying to plant fear in him as a last resort.

"Hm." Aurelian hummed, her words tugging at the corners of his lips, the devilish smirk stretching further.

"You give yourself far too much credit," he murmured. "But even so…" He groaned softly. "Three days are enough to ascend to D-rank, no?" He smiled.

"Huh?" Eira mumbled, her eyes widening at his words. If it were anyone else, she would have dismissed them as preposterous drivel. But coming from the youth before her, a suffocating pressure pressed against her chest, the weight of his words too real to ignore. With the feats she'd seen him achieve, this… seemed possible.

Myriads of thoughts spun at the back of her mind, swirling before one finally took root. A determined glint flickered in her eyes as her blonde hair trembled from the sheer force of her resolve.

"Retreat!" she yelled, reaching for the bracelet on her arm.

The rest followed suit. They had held off retreating for as long as possible, this was their last chance at the academy selections. But now, there was no other option left.

The promise of power was enticing, but they valued their lives more.

The words had barely left her lips when Aurelian's form blurred into a mirage. His silhouette flickered before their eyes, followed by a gust of wind.

Their eyes shrank at the sight, but their movements didn't falter, their fingers reaching for the bracelets, before freezing.

For the first time, they felt true terror.

"Looking for this?" Aurelian smiled, holding their bracelets firmly in his palm.

The smile on his face widened as their expressions dropped. He could easily have slain them outright rather than take their bracelets, but… where was the fun in that?

"H-how?" Eira muttered, finally finding her voice. Even with all her calculations, she had still sorely underestimated his power. But now wasn't the time for regret.

Pointing at him, she shrieked, "Attack!"

Her words snapped the rest of the team from their stupor, and they unleashed a barrage of attacks.

Arthur was the first, his face hardening as he hastily nocked an arrow and released, firing a stream of shots at the black-robed figure, hoping one would land true.

The two mages followed in perfect sync, spheres of ice and fire spiraling toward him.

The warrior charged next, sword drawn, aiming to slip through the chaos for a direct strike.

"Hmph." Amber snorted, about to spring forward before Aurelian raised his hand to stop her.

She looked at him in puzzlement for a moment, then reluctantly stood down—annoyed to be left out of the fight.

Aurelian exhaled softly. This was his battle, and he would fight it himself. Besides, he mused, fingers curling into fists, he'd been itching for a fight, and he wasn't about to shy away now.

As the thought crossed his mind, he snapped his fingers. His mana pool churned violently as his infinite mana pathways ignited.

His fingers took on a dark blue hue, a suffocating pressure radiating outward as he compressed the mana's density to terrifying levels.

Then, with a single thought, his outstretched hand clenched into a crushing grip.

The result was instantaneous.

Carl, who was previously suspended midair, exploded into a bloody mist, his massive shield crumpling with him until both were reduced to nothing but scraps of metal.

The entire ordeal lasted barely a second. But the gesture alone drained nearly a quarter of his mana pool.

"Amazing," he whispered, turning his gaze to the incoming projectiles. A thought burned at the back of his mind.

Aegis of Illusion.

A dark, abyssal armor materialized from thin air, spreading across his body with a devilish grace. It radiated an unyielding, almost regal aura.

As the attacks landed, they barely left a mark. The barrage of arrows shattered on impact. The elemental energy from the mages was absorbed as if it were nothing.

Without giving them a moment to breathe, he snapped his fingers once more.

Two enormous spectral blades materialized. One abysmally black, the other pure radiant white—buzzing with murderous intent, awaiting his command.

"Wait..." Eira muttered, horror lacing her voice as she took in the sight before her. From their very first exchange, Carl, one of the strongest among them, had been crushed with a single gesture. The reality hit like a hammer. This was a losing battle.

"If you let us go..." she began, but was swiftly cut off.

"I never said you couldn't leave," Aurelian whispered playfully, the blades beside him buzzing with renewed intensity.

"We can?" Eira muttered, suspicion and fragile hope flickering in her eyes as she stared at the being now draped in that terrifying armor. He was growing more unfathomable by the second, every passing moment deepening the gulf between them.

"You can," Aurelian smiled wistfully. "Just leave your heads behind."

With that, he gave the command, and the two spectral blades shot forward.

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