CHAPTER 25: RANK EVALUATION PART 5

The Adventurer's Guild arena crackled with anticipation, its scorched earth and shattered stone trembling under the weight of countless battles. The stands buzzed with the fervent whispers of adventurers, their eyes locked on the battlefield where Haruto stood, his dark hair fluttering in the faint breeze, his gaze sharp with resolve. The massive display above flickered, revealing his stats: Core level: Arcane. Elemental affinities: Lightning, Wind, Fire, Water. Divine energy level: 12100. Rank: B+. Additional abilities: Beast Summoner, Healing. A delayed update flashed: Additional ability: Mage (confirmed post-evaluation). The crowd erupted in murmurs, voices overlapping in awe. "Someone with every ability since the Golden Period of Earth!" one adventurer gasped, their tone reverent. "Every ability in one soul?" another whispered, disbelief coloring their words.

Haruto, standing in the arena's center, overheard the whispers and shook his head, his voice tinged with frustration. "Is it possible for someone to have all these abilities? Even I'm surprised as them. I only found out today after the evaluation—maybe the machine detected my Mage ability when I left the room. But I don't know how to use any of them!"

Malric, his opponent, stepped forward, his longsword gleaming with a menacing light. His weathered face betrayed shock, his eyes narrowing as he spoke. "Haruto, it's the first time since the Golden Period of Earth. A prodigy like you is rare."

Haruto unsheathed his sword, its blade catching the torchlight, and smirked. "Golden or whatever, it's time to fight. Don't expect much from me—I only know how to use a sword."

Malric's lips curled into a slight smirk. "I see. But I thought you'd know the basics of every ability." Before Haruto could respond, Malric's sword slashed through the air, a blur that grazed Haruto's left side, sending a few strands of his hair fluttering to the ground. Haruto's smile widened, his sword now pointing at Malric's throat. "Let's battle."

Haruto dashed forward, his blade arcing toward Malric's neck with deadly precision. Malric ducked, sliding backward, his own sword flashing up to nick a few strands of Haruto's hair. Both warriors took their distance, eyes locked, and then surged toward each other, their swords meeting in a ringing clash that echoed through the arena. The blades strained, locked in a test of strength, sparks flying as metal scraped against metal. Haruto's right leg shot out, aiming a kick at Malric's side, but Malric leaped upward, avoiding the blow. In mid-air, he roared, "Inferno Arc!" A blazing slash of fire tore toward Haruto, its heat scorching the ground.

Haruto dove to his left, the flames grazing his sleeve as he rolled to safety. Malric landed and charged, his sword slashing relentlessly. Haruto parried, their blades clanging in a rapid flurry, but Malric's strength began to overpower him. Haruto's arms trembled, his grip faltering as Malric pushed his sword downward. Gritting his teeth, Haruto channeled divine energy into his legs, enhancing his strength, and leaped backward, landing upright to face Malric again.

Both warriors dashed forward, their bodies glowing faintly as they enhanced their speed with divine energy. Malric unleashed another "Inferno Arc!" the fiery slash roaring toward Haruto. Haruto ducked low, the flames searing the air above him, and countered as Malric closed the distance. With a surge of force, Haruto threw a punch at Malric's jaw from a low angle. The blow connected with a sickening crunch, sending Malric flying backward to crash into the ground, dust billowing around him.

Malric lifted his head, his eyes narrowing as Haruto leaped toward him, sword raised. Malric backflipped, his long hair falling over his eyes. He swept it back with a hand just as Haruto's sword struck the ground, embedding itself in the stone with a thud. Seizing the opportunity, Malric hurled his own sword at Haruto, the blade spinning through the air. Haruto twisted, but the sword tore through his left arm, leaving a minor gash. Blood seeped through his torn shirt, and Haruto quickly tied the fabric around the wound to stem the flow, his face set with determination.

Selena, watching from the stands, leaned forward, her voice steady. "The injury doesn't look bad."

Reina's face was etched with concern, her hands clenched. "Maybe not serious, but…" Her words trailed off, worry clouding her eyes.

Renjiro, his silver-and-white hair glinting, shouted angrily, "Does he fight or what? I'm ready to jump in there!" Takeshi grabbed his arm, holding him back. "Calm down, Renjiro."

Malric dusted off his armor, his voice calm but firm. "Now we both don't have swords. You're injured, Haruto—you're at a disadvantage." He clenched his fist, taking a fighting stance.

Haruto smirked, unfazed. "Let's see." He charged straight at Malric, leaping with a burst of speed. Malric threw a punch with his right hand, but Haruto enhanced his own right hand with lightning, the air crackling with electric energy. "Thunder Strike!" he roared, unleashing a slashing bolt of lightning toward Malric. Malric's eyes widened, and before he could react, the lightning struck, enveloping him in a blinding explosion. Haruto closed his eyes against the glare, landing in a cloud of smoke and leaping back to his starting position.

As the smoke swirled, Haruto stared intently, waiting for Malric's next move. A sudden shout rang out—"Wind Slash!"—and a sharp gust tore through the smoke, slicing toward Haruto. He dove to the right, the wind grazing his shoulder, and saw Malric emerge from the smoke, holding Haruto's sword. Haruto's eyes narrowed. "I see."

Malric smirked. "What?"

Haruto's voice was steady. "When I closed my eyes, you took my sword to block the lightning. But you're still damaged—bruises all over your body." Before Malric could respond, Haruto moved like a blur, his speed almost teleportation-like. He launched a kick at Malric's head with his left leg. Malric ducked, but Haruto anticipated it, swinging his right leg to strike the back of Malric's head. The blow sent Malric crashing to the ground, dust rising around him.

Haruto knelt, one knee on the ground, ready to end the match. But Malric, with a sudden burst of strength, punched Haruto's stomach from a low angle. The force sent Haruto flying backward, landing hard but not crashing into the ground. He clutched his stomach, blood trickling from his mouth, pain radiating through him. Malric stood, brushing dust from his armor, his voice steady but impressed. "That was an impressive move. I never expected that coming. Nothing less from a kid from Mizuhara Village. Let's fight for real." He positioned himself, Haruto's sword gleaming in his hand, ready to strike.

Renjiro, watching from the stands, grinned widely. "Heh, finally, the match is getting interesting!"