Seris' eyes narrowed as she looked at Mike easily destroying her powerful golems. She wasn't ready to give up yet.

"…This is my final move. If you can destroy it, it's your win."

She struck the control crystal floating beside her.

All the remaining golems suddenly stopped moving. Blue-white mana spread over their bodies as the runes on them lit up.

"Fusion—Ascendant Form."

The crowd looked interested wondering what's her final move.

The damaged golems began breaking apart. Metal plates, gears, and cores were pulled toward the center of the arena as if by strong gravity. The ground shook as everything merged together.

In a few seconds, a single massive golem formed. It was three times larger than before, covered in thick armor, with a huge glowing core in its chest.

A giant golem knight stood there, overflowing with mana.

"She fused them?!"

"That thing is at least Rank 1 early in power now!"

Seris spoke again, calm but clearly under pressure.

"Golem Sovereign—attack."

The golem moved.

It was incredibly fast.

Its fist slammed down like a meteor.

BOOM!

The arena floor cracked as Mike jumped back. Shockwaves spread as the golem kept attacking, forcing Mike to defend seriously for the first time.

Mike's golden weapons struck the golem's armor again and again, sparks flying—but the armor held.

Instead of looking worried, Mike smiled wider.

"…Nice," he said. "This deserves a real response."

Golden mana surged—but instead of spreading outward, it flowed back into his body. His floating weapons disappeared, merging into his arms and torso. Golden lines spread across his skin.

'Aurora Sword Art - Frostlight Fist'

The air trembled.

Mike vanished.

In the next instant, he appeared right in front of the golem's chest, his fist already moving.

Seris' eyes widened.

"So fast—!"

Mike punched.

There was no explosion.

His punch pierced straight through the armor and into the core. Cracks spread across the golem's body instantly.

"It ends now" Mike said calmly.

The core shattered.

A bright flash filled the arena.

When the light faded, the giant golem stood still for a moment—then collapsed and broke apart into dust.

Silence followed.

Then the referee raised his hand.

"Match over! Winner—Mike Vester!"

The arena exploded with cheers. Mike stood up straight as the golden light faded from his body. He wasn't seriously hurt at all.

Seris stared at him for a moment, then sighed and smiled.

"…Perfect," she said, bowing slightly. "I couldn't catch up to you."

Mike nodded. "Your control was impressive. That fusion was strong."

The crystals above the arena glowed and rearranged themselves.

Mike Vester — 4 Wins (Perfect Record)

The examiner stepped forward, clearly impressed.

"With four wins and no losses—

First place is decided."

He raised his staff.

"Rank One of the Spireheart Academy Entrance Exam—

Mike Vester."

The crowd cheered even louder.

Drax laughed from the seats. "Hahahahaha! I knew it!"

Elina watched with a proud smile. "…Of course it's you."

Mike looked around at the cheering crowd and let out a slow breath. He waved back, smiling, before stepping aside as the remaining matches began.

By the end of the exam, the rankings were finalized.

Seris claimed second place. Her fused golem was so powerful that no one else could properly defend against it.

Third place went to Elina.

Fourth place to Kael.

And last place went to Roth.

Roth's face looked like he'd just eaten something disgusting. His mood was so bad that not even his friends dared to come over and comfort him after the loss.

"You can all go and rest for now. The awards will be personally given by the Headmaster," the examiner said to the top three.

They nodded and followed another professor who began leading them away from the arena.

"I'm Felix Slade," the man said as they walked. "I'm also your magic combat professor."

He glanced at Mike with a grin.

"I'm looking forward to teaching you all—especially you, Mike. Your fundamentals are so solid that I honestly wonder if you're an old man hiding in a young body."

He chuckled.

Mike simply smiled. "I'm not that old."

Felix laughed even harder.

Felix waved a hand casually as they walked through the academy halls.

"Jokes aside, all three of you did well today. Very well. The entrance exam wasn't just about power—it was about control, judgment, and adaptability."

He looked at Seris. "Your fusion spell was risky, but you handled it cleanly."

Then at Elina. "Good awareness and positioning. You know when to push and when to pull back."

Finally, his eyes returned to Mike.

"And you," Felix said, tone more serious now. "You fight like someone who already knows what real battles look like."

Mike didn't deny it. He just shrugged slightly. "I've had practice."

Felix smiled knowingly. "Figures."

They stopped in front of a large stone building marked Dormitory.

Felix pointed toward the entrance. "Inside, the dormitory head will assign your rooms."

He turned back to them and added, "After that, you're free to go say goodbye to your parents—or whoever you came with. Once classes start, all of you will be living here full-time."

All three nodded as Felix left.

"Let's get our rooms first, then go back and say goodbye to Drax," Mike said.

Elina nodded in agreement, while Seris looked at them with curiosity.

"Are you two from the same city?" she asked.

Mike and Elina nodded.

"I'm not from her village," Mike added. "They saved me when I was injured while hunting on my own in the forest. I come from a different village."

Seris nodded in understanding.

"I'll fight you again next time," she said with confidence. "And I'll win."

She turned and walked off.

Mike smiled in response.

Elina watched Seris leave, then let out a small laugh. "She's serious."

Mike nodded. "Yeah. She's strong. Next time won't be easy."

They headed into the dormitory together. Inside, a middle-aged staff member sat behind a wooden desk, flipping through a ledger.

"Names?" he asked without looking up.

"Mike Vester."

"Elina Ardent."

The man paused briefly at Mike's name, glanced up at him, then nodded. "Single rooms. Second floor. Doors twelve and thirteen."

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