MTLNOVEL Chapter 26: Chapter 26~ Welcome Back, Master
Evaluation Grounds
After return of Sylves and Elza, surprising for the other students, the atmosphere slowly settled. The General Advancement Assessment resumed, and students filed in and out of the duel rings — some cheered, others groaned, and a few wiped tears.
The faculty, led by Professor William Whites, continued observing quietly from a shaded platform. The assessment would determine who was fit to advance to the next academic year based on their growth — magical control, physical aptitude, combat adaptability, and overall conduct.
Then came the announcement:
"Next duel—Miss Serena Lawrance versus Miss Cloud Lovelace!"
Gasps fluttered through the crowd. Cloud Lovelace, known for her technical precision and control, was not an easy opponent.
Serena stepped forward, her reddish-golden hair pulled back in a braid, eyes glowing with determination. Across the ring, Cloud, with her soft pink hair and gentle demeanor, waited calmly. The two girls bowed.
Sylves and the others stood to the side, watching intently. Ashia clutched her hands nervously. Elza, with arms folded, leaned slightly forward, curious.
"Begin!" came Professor Whites' call.
Serena immediately raised her hands, summoning two sharp water blades, spinning them into motion. Cloud responded with defensive water barriers, reacting faster than expected. Serena dashed forward, combining fluid footwork with agile blade sweeps. The crowd murmured in awe.
But it didn't take long for Cloud to match her. Using water pressure manipulation, she diverted Serena's attacks, forcing her back. Serena quickly shifted, gathering light into her palm and casting Blinding Flare, briefly dazzling the field.
She seized the chance to rush forward—but Cloud was ready. A concealed water tether surged from the ground, catching Serena's ankle and yanking her balance away. With a burst of water force, Serena was pushed outside the dueling ring.
Serena caught herself with a light roll and stood, breathing heavily.
Cloud bowed again with grace.
Professor Whites stood and announced:
"Seventy points to Miss Lawrance.
Eighty-five points to Miss Lovelace."
The crowd applauded politely.
Serena returned to the group, wiping sweat from her forehead. Ashia greeted her with a proud smile.
"That was brilliant. You used everything you had."
"Still wasn't enough," Serena said, sighing. "But I'm getting better."
Elas nodded. "You forced her to take you seriously. That's what matters."
Sylves gave her a rare, approving smile. "You'll win next time."
Serena straightened with renewed pride. "Next time, she's the one going out of bounds."
Evaluation Grounds – A Few Matches Later
The warm afternoon sun drifted across the sky as more students were tested. The duels grew more intense with each round, and so did the expectations of the crowd and examiners.
Then came the next call:
"Next duel—Miss Ashia versus Miss Sky Lovelace!"
A few students whispered at the unexpected match-up. Sky, with her violet-pink hair and eyes, was less publicly known than her twin, but rumors hinted that she was the more aggressive of the two.
Ashia stepped into the ring, her expression calm but focused. She wore her usual academy training attire, sleeves rolled, staff gripped lightly in her hand. Sky stood opposite her, her hair in a high ponytail, a confident smirk playing on her lips.
They bowed. The crowd quieted.
"Begin!" announced Professor Whites.
Ashia moved first, summoning a curtain of mist that spread over the dueling field. Her control of Water Mist Magic made visibility difficult for most opponents — but Sky wasn't most.
A sharp, slicing wind tore through the mist — Sky had dual affinity: wind and water.
Ashia leapt back, dodging just in time. She responded by condensing water into a whip-like arc, attempting to catch Sky off balance. But Sky countered with pressure bursts, shifting her movements with rapid, precise air steps that gave her the edge in speed.
Ashia remained calm, staying defensive. She cast a Mist Mirror, a reflective illusion that flickered three copies of herself across the field.
Sky narrowed her eyes and pointed—sending a corkscrew of spinning wind into the mirror field. The mirror shattered, but the real Ashia had already darted behind her opponent.
With her staff raised, Ashia conjured a water binding technique, wrapping Sky's leg. The moment held—
Until Sky surged a small blast of wind under her own feet, vaulting into the air and breaking the bind mid-jump. She landed swiftly, and with a sharp gesture, summoned compressed water spheres that burst toward Ashia.
One sphere struck Ashia squarely on the shoulder, knocking her down just outside the ring's edge.
"Match ends!"
Ashia slowly stood, brushing off her uniform, heart pounding. Her chest heaved with breath, but she gave a respectful bow to her opponent.
Sky blinked in surprise, then gave a small smile and returned the bow.
"Eighty points to Miss Ashia.
Eighty-five points to Miss Sky Lovelace."
Applause rippled through the arena.
Ashia returned to her friends—Serena immediately came to her side.
"You did incredible! That was nearly a win!"
Ashia shook her head softly. "I lost, but… I didn't falter. That's enough for me today."
Prince Elas offered her a handkerchief for her bruised shoulder. "You controlled the field with grace. I'd say that's a bigger win than numbers."
Then a soft but clear voice drifted across the group.
"You were graceful, Ashia. She was a tough opponent."
Everyone turned in unison.
It was Elza—speaking clearly, confidently, and without hiding behind Sylves.
Even Serena, who had known her for a year now, blinked in stunned disbelief. "Wait… was that you, Elza?"
Prince Elas leaned forward with a smirk. "Did our Elza just speak to someone other than Sylves… without turning red or running behind him?"
Ashia's eyes widened too. "You… you really have changed."
Elza just tilted her head slightly, brushing a strand of her long silver hair behind her ear. "You're all friends, aren't you? It's not so hard anymore."
A stunned silence fell over the group—then laughter and cheers erupted.
"Okay, what kind of training was that?" Serena asked, still grinning.
Sylves crossed his arms, nodding proudly. "She lost her shyness the very first day of training. Mr. Hawk didn't give her the choice."
Elza huffed lightly. "He yelled until I had to speak. But I'm… grateful now."
Everyone except Sylves burst into laughter... So much Serena's stomach started hurting.
The crowd around the dueling arena grew restless as another match wrapped up. Then, Professor William Whites stepped forward, voice calm yet commanding.
"Next match—Prince Elas versus Grim Lesner!"
Gasps and murmurs swept through the spectators. Grim Lesner was well-known even among the first years—broad-shouldered, silent, and rumored to train with third years during weekends. His black hair fell in messy strands over deep-set eyes that never blinked in a fight.
Elas stepped into the ring with a confident stride, adjusting his gloves. His usual smile remained, but there was a slight narrowing of his eyes—a readiness to perform.
Grim gave no greeting. He simply raised his fists, aura swirling with earth energy. Prince Elas bowed formally. "Let's give them a good show."
"Begin!" came the announcement.
Grim charged first, sending a blast of stone spikes ripping from the ground toward Elas. The prince spun to the side, wind magic crackling around him. He launched a counter with twin wind blades, sharp and fast—but Grim raised a wall of compact stone, deflecting both with a grunt.
"Too slow," Grim muttered—and leapt straight through the smoke.
Elas met him in the middle with an open palm strike to the chest, laced with light magic. Grim stumbled but twisted midair, his fist landing a solid punch into Elas's stomach. The crowd gasped as the prince staggered back.
Serena's hands clenched. Ashia stood up from her seat.
But Elas didn't fall. He grounded himself, eyes blazing, and summoned a wide circular sweep of wind. It blasted Grim off his footing for just a moment—but that was all Elas needed.
He shot forward like lightning, using light magic to blink-step behind Grim and place two fingers on the back of his neck, surging light into his spine.
"Yield," he said softly.
Grim fell to one knee. He raised his hand.
"Match over!" declared Professor Whites. "Victory: Prince Elas!"
The crowd broke into applause. Serena cheered with both arms raised. Ashia exhaled with a smile.
Elas wiped the corner of his lip and turned toward them, giving a dramatic bow that made several girls in the crowd giggle.
Professor Whites raised a hand.
"Assessment score: 95 points to Prince Elas. 85 points to Mr. Grim Lesner."
Elas blinked. "Not perfect?"
Whites nodded. "You received a direct hit. Impressive counter, but this is not a sparring match—it's an evaluation of full control. Still, excellent work."
Grim stood up and extended a hand silently. Elas shook it.
"Strong hit," the prince said, smiling. "Thanks for not cracking a rib."
Grim gave a rare, approving nod.
As Elas walked back to the group, Serena gave him a teasing look. "Still charming, even with bruised guts."
Ashia smiled, clapping lightly. "That was amazing, Your Highness."
Elas grinned. "Well, if I'd lost, I wouldn't have heard the end of it from Sylves."
Sylves folded his arms. "You still won't."
They all laughed.
The buzz around the arena swelled as Professor William Whites raised his hand.
"Next match—Miss Elza Glens versus Miss Betty Pincer!"
Most students leaned forward in curiosity. Betty Pincer was small—barely reaching Elza Glens's shoulder—with flawless skin and a doll-like expression. No one knew how strong she truly was, and that mystery made the air heavy with tension.
Elza Glens entered the ring, her long silver hair gleaming under the sunlight, violet eyes calm and unreadable. She gave a silent nod to her opponent. Betty Pincer responded with a gentle smile, bouncing on her feet, light and energetic.
"Begin!"
Betty moved like lightning.
Before anyone could blink, she vanished from her spot and reappeared behind Elza with a crackle of wind-enhanced speed. Her punch was swift—Elza barely managed to deflect it with a gust of wind, stumbling backward.
"She's fast!" Serena gasped.
Ashia leaned forward, tense.
Betty kept pressing. With a powerful kick and a sharp twist, she conjured a flaming spiral—wind and fire weaving together into a flame tornado that roared at the center of the ring. Elza was swallowed in the blaze.
Then—silence.
The flame tornado abruptly split apart, not from impact, but from a strange, chilling force.
A ripple of black surged through the air. From within the smoke stepped Elza—completely unharmed. Her violet eyes now glowed darker, colder. The temperature around her dropped. Her aura felt… unnatural.
"Void Magic…" a student whispered.
Elza raised her hand. A silent, invisible pressure burst forward—a compressed wave of void magic. The flame tornado dispersed instantly, like paper shredded by the wind. The entire crowd fell into an eerie hush.
Betty froze. Her flames sputtered out.
Then, Elza vanished again—reappearing behind Betty with uncanny speed. She tapped her lightly on the shoulder.
"Yield," she said softly.
Betty trembled. Slowly, she raised her hand.
"Match over!" Professor Whites declared. "Victory: Miss Elza Glens!"
The audience burst into amazed murmurs and scattered applause.
"Score announcement: 97 points to Miss Elza Glens… 90 points to Miss Betty Pincer."
Elza bowed politely and walked back to the sidelines, her face expressionless but calm.
Ashia blinked. "She's changed so much…"
Sylves, standing beside her, nodded. "That's ten months of Hawk Frost's training."
Serena sighed. "Good thing I went before her…"
Betty stood alone at the center of the ring. Her hands still trembled slightly. She watched Elza leave and whispered to herself, "What… was that magic?"
The crowd was still murmuring in disbelief.
"Next match—Mr. Sylves Ellesmere versus Mr. Nord Swarn!"
The moment Sylves stepped into the arena, the crowd stilled. Even some senior students from the upper wings had gathered silently on the rooftops and balconies to observe.
Across the field stood Nord Swarn—tall, muscular, and already channeling earth and fire magic around his arms like molten armor.
"Begin!"
In a burst of motion, Nord launched forward, sending jagged earth spikes racing along the ground toward Sylves. As they reached him, flames exploded from Nord's fists, merging into a roaring blast of rock and fire.
Sylves didn't move his hands.
He sidestepped each spike with minimal motion, back slightly bent, his arms still calmly behind him. The audience watched, stunned, as every blast, spike, and flaming wave missed him by inches—his footwork so clean and fluid that it looked almost like a dance.
Serena blinked. "He's not even trying."
Ashia smiled faintly. "This… is normal for Master."
After a final charge, Nord halted, panting, smoke rising from his hands. Sylves slowly walked toward him.
He stopped right in front of Nord and extended one hand—not toward his opponent, but to the ground.
A circular Void Rift opened beneath him.
Then, behind Sylves, four elemental sigils lit up in a radiant display: Water. Wind. Earth. Fire.
His feet shimmered with Light Magic, generating a faint glow around him. Only Spatial Magic was absent—a discipline he hadn't yet mastered.
Gasps rippled through the arena.
Even the professors murmured among themselves.
Sylves stood like a sovereign before the elements, his violet eyes gleaming with quiet resolve.
Nord stared. Then shouted:
"This is unfair! I give up!"
He raised both arms into the air, trembling.
Whispers exploded across the courtyard. Students from every corner leaned in, some with awe, others with disbelief. Some seniors chuckled and clapped, while a few senior girls let out loud cheers of admiration from the balcony.
Professor William Whites raised a hand for silence.
"Match concluded—Mr. Nord Swarn has surrendered."
"Score announcement: 70 points to Mr. Nord Swarn… 100 points to Mr. Sylves Ellesmere."
The applause was immediate—some polite, some enthusiastic. Sylves merely bowed his head slightly and turned, walking back toward the others with the same calm demeanor he'd shown throughout.
Ashia's eyes followed him, sparkling.
"Welcome back, Master…" she whispered softly to herself.
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