The final day of the Grand Contest between academies dawned crisp and thunderous.
Though no rain touched the air, the sky over the Grand Colosseum buzzed with static—the kind of tension only war, pride, or greatness could summon.
And the students of the Four Great Academies were expected to deliver all three.
Within the marble-stone walls of the arena, thousands had gathered—heads craned, voices high, wagers whispered across food vendors and tiered balconies.
Magic screens hovered midair, suspended by unseen enchantments, projecting close-ups of the arena floor below.
This was it.
The last day.
And only one group could leave with their names carved into the winners' gate.
The Year Five division would fight next.
A culmination of five years of study, training, brutal field evaluation, experience, and countless sleepless nights. These weren't green recruits anymore. They were the ones the academies gambled their reputations on.
