WELCOME TO CAMELOT PART 2

My day started with Taiga’s voice blasting through my dreams like an alarm clock that was way too happy to exist.

I groaned, rolled over, and groaned again for good measure. Too late — Taiga was already bouncing around like a kid on his birthday.

The Institute had already prepared breakfast for us.

Taiga, sitting beside me, mumbled something through a mouthful of food.

“Chew first, dude,” I said, raising an eyebrow.

He swallowed and said, “I can’t wait for the initiation. What do you think it’ll be? A duel? A treasure hunt? Maybe we’ll form teams! We need to have a signal—"

Not in the mood, I stuffed his mouth with more food.

He muffled a protest, and I couldn’t help but chuckle a bit as I kept eating.

Halfway through my meal, my eyes wandered across the hall — and stopped.

At the far end of the table, the hooded cat girl from yesterday sat alone, quietly eating. Just methodically slicing a piece of fruit, her golden eyes half-lidded in thought.

For a second, I considered going over. But her face… It was the same one I used to wear. The one that said: Leave me alone.

Once we finished, we made our way toward the assembly point. That’s when I saw Evelyn talking to the girl who almost ran me over yesterday.

“So, Jeanne, what do you think of my plan?” Evelyn said, beaming. “The smartest girl in class combined with the strongest girl in class! Together, we’ll be unstoppable! I can see it now—popularity, perfect grades, fame! Nothing can come between us now!”

Jeanne crossed her arms. “Easy there, Eve. Let’s see if the initiation even involves teams before you start designing our matching capes.”

She then spotted me. “Well, well,” she said, smirking. “If it isn’t cutie from yesterday.”

“Erhh… and you,” Evelyn muttered with clear irritation as her eyes landed on Taiga.

I took a step forward to diffuse the building tension. “We haven’t officially met. I’m Caelum. The guy hide behind me is Taiga. Nice to meet you,” I said, extending a hand.

“Just Caelum, huh?” Jeanne said while she took my hand — not shaking it, but lightly holding it — like she was either about to kiss it or steal my watch.

“Yep. Just Caelum.”

She tilted her head slightly, eyes scanning me with a playful glint. “Mysterious.”

“I’m Jeanne D’Arc,” she continued, still holding my hand. “Didn’t think we’d bump into each other again. I figure we might run into each either in the initiation or paramedics.”

“Thanks?” I said not sure what to said

She finally let go of my hand. Then she leaned in just slightly.

“So, if the rumors are true… and the initiation is about teams… you thinking about asking me?” she asked.

I blinked. “Do you mean asking you to join my team or—”

“Yes,” she said with a wink.

I laughed. “Well, I’d prefer to team up with someone who hasn’t tried to run me over.”

Jeanne placed a hand on her chest, mock-offended. “Ouch. You really know how to hurt a girl. But hey—at least you’re still thinking about me.”

Before I could reply, Evelyn cut in, voice sharp.

“Are you seriously considering turning down The Jeanne D’Arc? Heiress to the House of D’Arc! Four-time champion of the Spartan Regional Tournaments?! She’s basically royalty!”

“The what now?” I asked.

Evelyn gasped like I’d insulted her entire bloodline.

“You don’t know the greatest combat sport of all time?!”

“Uhmmm…..no”

“Do you live under a rock!” Evelyn said while almost gonna hit me. Luckily, Jeanne holding her back.

“Oh wait!” Taiga piped up, pointing. “Aren’t you the girl on the front of Ariel’s Marshmallow Cereals?”

Jeanne let out a long-suffering sigh, then gave a cheeky smile. “Guilty. Glam shoot, terrible cereal.”

She reached into her pocket and casually pulled out a sleek black credit card, giving it a lazy spin between her fingers.

“But hey—mommy got a stack of cash,” she said with a grin, flashing the card like it was a badge of honor.

An announcement plays on the intercom system.

“Would all first-year students please report to the Training Field for initiation? Again, all first-year students report to the Training Field immediately.”

We arrived at the training field—a massive open arena surrounded by towering circular walls. Several students were already gathered, and standing at the center was Headmaster Orion, accompanied by a woman holding a sleek tablet. I assumed she was his assistant.

She stepped forward, her heels clicking against the stone floor.

"Hello, everyone. You may call me Professor Aira," she said crisply. "I’m sure many of you have heard rumors about the entrance exam. Let me be clear—it is not what you’ve heard."

Her eyes scanned the crowd before she continued.

"For today’s entrance exam, we will provide a target for you to face. Targets are worth points: Humanoid — one point. Larger with weapons — five points. Animal-design — ten points.”

Her tone sharpened. “There is also a target you must avoid. Engage it, and you lose five points. You’ll know it when you see it.”

That was vague.

She then continued.

"And there is one you must avoid at all costs. Engage with it, and you will lose five points immediately."

A hand shot up in the crowd. "How will we know which threat is which?"

Professor Aira smirked slightly. "You’ll know… when you see it."

I frowned. The whole setup felt too vague.

Then she tapped something on her tablet.

From the dense treeline surrounding the arena, a series of mechanical shapes emerged—robots of various sizes, their eyes glowing with hostile light. Some were small and spider-like, others towering and humanoid, their heavy footsteps shaking the ground.

"Your trial begins now!"

She blew a sharp whistle, and the machines surged forward.

From the treeline, they surged in — steel bodies gleaming, sensors glowing crimson. Humanoid drones moved in coordinated packs, five-pointers rolled forward with swiveling cannons, and far in the back, the heavy animal-types prowled like armored predators.

The arena erupted into chaos.

A humanoid lunged at me and knock me.

It then coming back to strike me again. My Chronosphere flared with wind magic.

One slash — air pressure whipped forward, cleaving the bot in two.

Another swung a steel fist — I caught the arm, twisted, and drove my hilt into its faceplate before kicking it over.

In the mist of chaos I saw a turreted mech locked onto two examinees, charging a molten fire shot.

I skated in on compressed air, its cannon blast barely missing my head. The heat scorched my cheek.

I spun around its flank, channeled lightning into my blade, and stabbed into the rotating mount. The overload cooked its circuits — the whole arm blew off.

A girl with twin daggers cut down one drone, not noticing the second behind her. I vaulted a barricade, hooked my blade around its neck, and yanked it down hard.

I leapt in, freezing the largest slab midair just long enough for her to roll clear. Jeanne dropped from above, gauntlet wreathed in flame, smashing the mech’s leg into molten scrap.

The fight became a blur

Then the ground began to thud.

From the far gate, it emerged — a towering four-legged behemoth, black armor etched with crimson hazard symbols, claws like siege weapons. Its sensor eyes burned red.

Jeanne who now beside me said “I guess that the thing professor said”

“What gave it away? The giant ominous—”

Before I could finish saying Its weapons unfolded — a cluster of cannons, each glowing a different color.

There a few moments of silence before

“Run!” I yelled

The first volley came — fire, ice, lightning, all in rapid sequence. Stone shattered. Air boiled. The ground itself froze and cracked.

Students scattered instantly.

I grabbed Jeanne and used my gift to carry her.

We fell down because I was too tired at the moment.

Someone passed me by and I turn to see it Taiga.

“Taiga! What are doing!” I yelled at him.

Jeanne grab me

“We gotta go now! Before that things catch up” she said.

I stand up and ran with her.

I saw the entrance gate with students already outside but something in my hearts doesn’t sit right.

I stop

Jeanne notice it

“What are you doing!” she said

I groan in frustration and go to Taiga.

I used my gift to catch up.

I saw Taiga carrying an unconscious girl that was wearing a black hoodie.

The giant mech’s claw was already swinging down toward him.

I quickly moved and I stood in front of it.

The claw grabbed me instead.

Everything happened so fast. I can almost hear my mana shield shattered like glass as it swung me in a brutal arc, slamming me into the ground with bone-rattling force. A crater formed under me.

The world went dark.