What Are You Looking For?

After Sinilium’s speech, the participants were led into the assignment hall.

Tesi moved with the crowd, though his gaze drifted back toward the purple robe several times. The boy walked ahead, lost among the other participants. He spoke to no one and, after their brief encounter, once again looked like nothing more than an ordinary applicant.

Almost.

Tesi remembered the sensation of his mana far too clearly to believe that.

What are you looking for here?

The assignment hall was spacious, with high vaulted ceilings. Long tables lined the walls, and behind them sat officials in strict gray robes, writing down the participants’ names without so much as raising their heads.

The scratching of quills, rustling parchment, and hushed conversations filled the room.

The line moved slowly. Some people shifted nervously from foot to foot, others discussed possible opponents, but most remained silent, lost in their own thoughts.

Tesi was near the back.

The boy in the purple robe stood several people ahead, leaning one shoulder against a column. At first glance, he seemed completely uninterested in what was happening around him.

But Tesi noticed something else.

His eyes never stopped moving.

Faces.

Crests.

Officials.

Astras.

Not a single glance was random.

He was looking for someone.

So that’s how it is.

By now, Tesi was almost certain.

The boy hadn’t come to the selection because he wanted a place in one of the squads.

The only question was what he had come for.

Eventually, Tesi reached the front of the line.

The official sitting before him didn’t even look up.

“Name?”

“Fati Lemoni.”

The quill scratched across the parchment several times.

“Next.”

Tesi walked into the adjoining hall, where the registered participants were already gathering.

A few seconds later, the boy in the purple robe entered as well.

He passed right beside Tesi without looking at him. His expression didn’t change in the slightest.

As though they had never spoken.

Of course.

Before long, a magically amplified voice echoed throughout the hall.

“The groups have been formed! All participants, take your places according to your assigned numbers!”

Long glowing lists appeared along the walls, and the entire crowd immediately began to move.

Tesi quickly found his name.

Fati Lemoni. Group Thirteen.

Four people were already waiting at the designated spot.

The first person Tesi noticed was a girl with dark hair tied into a tight ponytail. She looked him over from head to toe, as though she were already deciding whether he would be useful once the fighting began.

“Reki.”

“Fati.”

Beside her stood a solidly built boy with slightly tanned skin and green eyes.

Unlike Reki, he looked fairly relaxed.

“Samo.”

Tesi nodded and moved his gaze farther along.

The third person stood slightly apart from the others.

Short.

Thin.

Unnaturally pale.

His skin had an almost grayish tint, his light-colored lips barely stood out against his face, and his gaze was so distant that Noxi himself seemed to be somewhere far away from this room.

“Noxi,” he said quietly.

Tesi watched him for a moment longer than the others.

Something was wrong.

He could sense at least something from every other participant—even if it was faint, blurred by the dozens of mana sources surrounding them.

But from Noxi...

almost nothing.

Not very little.

Almost nothing at all.

Noxi noticed Tesi staring but gave no reaction.

“Fani!”

The last girl introduced herself brightly enough to make up for the silence of the entire group.

Red hair.

Freckles.

An open smile.

She held out her hand to Tesi.

“If we’re all going to get beaten up together, we might as well introduce ourselves properly first.”

Tesi shook her hand.

“Fati.”

“Wow. You’re quite the talker.”

“I’m trying.”

Fani grinned.

Reki glanced at them.

“Are you done?”

“We haven’t even started.”

“Good.”

An official approached them carrying a scroll, and the conversation stopped.

“Group Thirteen. Your opponent is Astra Falimon. Specialization: barrier magic. Five minutes until you enter the arena.”

He turned and continued toward the next group.

For several seconds, no one spoke.

“Barriers,” Fani drawled. “Could’ve been worse.”

“No,” Tesi said.

She looked at him.

“No what?”

“It’s actually pretty bad.”

“You’re really good at reassuring people.”

Tesi ignored the comment.

“Falimon doesn’t just make walls. He can reshape his barriers into blades, spikes, and projectiles. If you keep attacking him head-on without thinking, you’ll only give him an advantage.”

Reki frowned.

“How do you know that?”

“I know.”

“Very informative.”

“That’s all you’re getting.”

Samo chuckled.

“Guess there’s no point arguing with him.”

“Finally, someone understands.”

Fani laughed under her breath.

Reki clearly wasn’t thrilled, but there wasn’t much time left.

“Fine. What do you suggest?”

“Stay at medium range,” Tesi told her. “Don’t rush in first. Pressure him whenever his attention shifts elsewhere.”

Reki narrowed her eyes.

“And what makes you think medium range suits me?”

Tesi had already turned to Samo.

“Make him move. Don’t let him settle in one place.”

Samo frowned.

“Wait. Are you—”

“Fani. Don’t go in first. Watch his attacks. If you see a chance to disrupt his rhythm, take it.”

Fani stared at him for several seconds.

Then slowly turned toward the others.

“Am I the only one who thinks something weird is happening here?”

“No,” Reki answered immediately.

Samo was watching Tesi more carefully now as well.

“We haven’t told you what any of us can do.”

“You haven’t,” Tesi agreed.

“But you’ve already decided where everyone should be standing,” Fani continued.

“Yes.”

“And that doesn’t bother you at all?”

“No.”

Fani stared at him with her mouth slightly open.

Then shook her head.

“I hate people like you.”

“You’ve known him for less than two minutes,” Samo pointed out.

“That was enough.”

Reki crossed her arms.

“Fati. How do you know?”

Tesi met her gaze.

“Later.”

“That’s not an answer.”

“It is short.”

Fani burst out laughing.

“What?” Reki snapped, turning toward her.

“Nothing. He isn’t going to tell you anyway.”

“I noticed.”

Samo nodded toward Noxi.

“What about him?”

Everyone looked at the pale boy.

Noxi had remained a little distance away the entire time.

When he noticed their attention, he reluctantly raised his head.

“What?”

“Your role,” Fani said.

“My what?”

“In the fight.”

Noxi thought about it.

“Run.”

A short silence followed.

“That’s it?” Fani asked.

“Preferably fast.”

Samo turned away to hide a smile.

Even Reki lost her serious expression for a second.

“Wonderful,” Fani said. “Now I feel much better.”

“Glad I could help.”

Tesi was still watching Noxi.

Eventually, Noxi noticed.

“You don’t have anything to say to me?”

“No.”

For the first time, mild surprise appeared on his pale face.

“Why?”

“I want to see what you do on your own.”

Their eyes met.

Noxi remained silent for a few seconds, then shrugged.

“Fine.”

“Just don’t get in anyone else’s way.”

“I’ll try.”

“Progress,” Fani muttered.

Somewhere beyond the walls, the first bell rang.

“So I keep my distance,” Reki said.

“Not too much.”

“Samo keeps him moving.”

“Sounds easy,” Samo said.

“It won’t be.”

“Thanks.”

Fani raised her hand.

“And I watch his attacks while also trying to figure out who the hell you are.”

“The second part is unnecessary.”

“Not to me.”

Tesi looked at her.

“After the fight.”

Fani smiled.

“I’ll remember that.”

The second bell cut off the conversation.

“Group Thirteen! To the arena!”

Tesi headed for the exit first.

“So,” Fani called from behind him, “has anyone figured out how we’re supposed to avoid embarrassing ourselves?”

“Yes,” Samo answered.

“And?”

“Hope Fati actually knows what he’s doing.”

Tesi didn’t turn around.

“Bad plan.”

“We don’t have another one.”

“Then it’ll do.”

Bright daylight struck their eyes as the five of them stepped into the arena.

The roar of the stands grew louder, only to fade almost immediately when their opponent stepped forward.

Astra Falimon was a middle-aged man with short dark hair and a thin scar near his chin.

He stood casually with his hands behind his back, looking over the five participants with a faint smile.

“Children.”

Fani sighed quietly.

“I already like him.”

Falimon heard her.

“That won’t last.”

Tesi watched him calmly.

Falimon was stronger than any of them.

And he knew it.

That was precisely his weakness.

The referee raised a hand.

“Begin!”

Falimon didn’t move.

The sand in front of him exploded.

Dozens of translucent spikes erupted from the ground at once.

The group scattered.

One passed only a few centimeters from Fani’s shoulder.

Samo had to leap sharply backward.

Noxi simply took one short step to the side, as though he had known exactly where the attack would appear.

Reki attacked first.

The air around her trembled.

A second later, a powerful torrent of water slammed toward Falimon.

A transparent barrier instantly appeared before him, and the water exploded into thousands of droplets.

Fani glanced quickly at Tesi.

He said nothing.

Samo struck the ground with his palm.

The sand bulged upward.

Thick roots burst from beneath it and shot toward Falimon’s legs.

For the first time, Falimon stepped back.

The roots nearly reached him when several transparent blades appeared in the air.

With a single movement, he cut through the roots and sent the remaining blades toward Reki.

“Fani.”

“I see them!”

The space before the girl rippled.

An oval tear opened in the path of the blades.

They disappeared inside it.

Almost simultaneously, another portal opened behind Falimon.

His own weapons flew back out.

A barrier appeared before the man had even fully turned.

The blades shattered against its transparent surface.

“Spatial magic,” Falimon said, looking at Fani. “Annoying.”

She smiled.

“Thanks.”

“That wasn’t a compliment.”

“I’ll take it anyway.”

Falimon smirked and immediately launched his next attack at her.

Fani barely managed to dodge.

Tesi still hadn’t intervened.

He watched as Reki continued pressing Falimon with water, Samo kept forcing him to move, and Fani disrupted the trajectories of his attacks.

Everything was going more or less as expected.

Except Noxi.

He really was running.

At least, that was what it looked like from the outside.

One blade passed beside his cheek.

Noxi barely tilted his head.

A second came from below.

He took half a step back.

For the third, he simply twisted his body, letting the point pass a few centimeters from his clothes.

Not a single unnecessary movement.

Not a trace of panic.

Falimon noticed him as well.

“You’re an interesting one.”

Noxi didn’t answer.

Five blades appeared in front of Falimon at once.

Noxi let the first pass beside his head.

He leaned away from the second.

The third passed beneath his arm.

He unexpectedly touched the fourth with his palm, altering its direction just slightly.

The fifth stopped only a few centimeters from his eye.

Noxi froze.

But he wasn’t looking at Falimon.

He was looking at the blade.

Far too intently.

As though he were trying to understand something.

Falimon smiled.

“Got you.”

The blade vanished.

At the same moment, the ground beneath Noxi trembled.

Two transparent walls rose on either side of him, rapidly closing in.

Noxi took a single step forward and slipped through the narrow opening a moment before the barriers slammed together.

Falimon watched him for several seconds.

“Interesting.”

The corner of Tesi’s mouth rose slightly.

Falimon was gradually losing interest in playing around.

His barriers appeared faster and faster, becoming walls, spikes, and long blades.

Reki failed to avoid the next attack.

A barrier struck her from the side and sent her flying several meters.

Samo looked away for only a second.

That was enough.

A wide barrier formed in front of him and struck like a massive palm.

Tesi glanced at the hourglass beside the referee.

Falimon could have ended the fight much earlier.

He was deliberately choosing not to.

He was studying them.

Testing who would stand back up after being hit.

Who would panic.

Who could surprise him.

He’s playing with us.

There wasn’t much time left.

“Closer together!” Tesi shouted.

Reki struggled back to her feet.

Samo was already rising as well.

Falimon created two long transparent swords.

“Finally figured it out?” he asked.

“What?”

“That splitting up against me was a mistake.”

Tesi looked at the weapons.

“No. I figured out that you talk too much.”

Fani snorted.

Falimon’s smile twitched.

He rushed forward.

The first attack was aimed at Tesi.

Tesi stepped back, and the transparent blade cut through the air just in front of his face.

Fani tried to catch the second strike with a portal, but Falimon changed its direction in mid-swing.

The third attack went toward Samo.

The boy raised roots as a shield, but the sword sliced through them and struck his shoulder.

Reki tried to surround Falimon with water.

He expanded a barrier around himself and blasted the current apart from within.

A few seconds later, only three remained standing.

Tesi.

Fani.

Noxi.

“Not bad for beginners,” Falimon said.

“You already said that.”

“Then you’ve earned it twice.”

Tesi quickly glanced at Fani, then at Noxi.

“Together.”

Fani nodded.

Noxi said nothing.

They attacked at the same time.

Fani opened a portal beside Falimon.

Tesi went straight at him.

Noxi approached from the opposite side.

Falimon drove his foot into the sand.

A barrier formed around his entire body and violently expanded outward.

The shockwave tore across the arena.

Fani lost her balance.

Noxi was thrown several meters and hit the sand hard.

Tesi managed to retreat and stay on his feet.

Falimon pointed his sword at him.

“One.”

Tesi looked at Fani.

“Portal.”

She took a heavy breath.

“Where?”

“Under his attack.”

Fani froze for a second.

“You’re insane.”

“We’ll discuss that later.”

Tesi stepped forward.

Falimon attacked.

The transparent blade drove straight toward Tesi’s chest.

At the last possible moment, space opened in front of him.

The sword disappeared into the portal.

A second tear appeared beside Falimon himself.

His arm, together with the blade, vanished into it almost up to the elbow.

For a fraction of a second, he lost his balance.

That was exactly what Tesi had been waiting for.

He appeared beside Falimon and struck toward his chin.

But Falimon was an Astra for a reason.

With his free hand, he instantly created another short blade.

Tesi saw the movement in his shoulder and shifted aside.

The point passed beside his face.

Then a strange, dull cracking sound echoed across the arena.

Tesi turned his head.

Noxi was already standing.

But he looked different.

The sickly pallor was gone.

His skin had taken on a cold, almost glasslike hue, as though transparent light flowed beneath it instead of blood.

Thin lines appeared along his fingers, spreading over his hand and connecting into perfect hexagons.

They climbed along his arm toward his shoulder.

Across his neck.

Along the left side of his face.

Even his eyes had changed.

Only moments ago they had been dull and almost colorless.

Now they reflected light in strange geometric patterns.

It didn’t look as though Falimon’s magic was inside Noxi.

For those few moments, it looked as though the magic had become Noxi himself.

For the first time, Falimon stopped smiling.

“What the...”

Noxi raised his hand.

A transparent blade formed beside his palm.

Exactly like Falimon’s.

The same curve.

The same structure.

Even the barely visible defect near the base had been reproduced with disturbing precision.

But Tesi wasn’t looking at the weapon.

He was looking at Noxi.

He didn’t just recreate it.

Falimon understood that too.

“Copying...?”

Noxi didn’t answer.

He looked at his own hand, covered in hexagonal patterns.

Slowly, he clenched his fingers as though testing the sensation.

Then he attacked.

Falimon barely raised his own sword in time.

The two transparent blades collided, ringing across the arena.

Falimon took half a step back.

For the first time in the entire battle.

Tesi smiled.

Noxi was about to attack again when the bell rang.

“Time! Battle over!”

The referee paused briefly.

“Group Thirteen’s result—a draw!”

A roar spread through the stands.

Falimon ignored it.

He was still looking at Noxi.

The hexagonal patterns across the boy’s skin gradually faded.

The light within them died out.

The glasslike hue disappeared.

His face slowly returned to its usual sickly gray pallor.

The blade in his hand was the last thing to vanish.

Fani stared at him with her mouth slightly open.

“Does he... always change like that?”

“No idea,” Samo said.

Reki stood up, holding her injured shoulder.

“What even was that?”

Noxi looked down at his palm.

The last thin line disappeared from his skin.

“My magic.”

Fani blinked.

“I figured that much. What kind?”

Noxi thought for a moment.

“It takes a long time to explain.”

“We have time.”

“Still takes a long time.”

Fani stared at him.

“Did you and Fati decide together that today was the day to drive me insane?”

“No,” Noxi answered calmly.

Tesi walked closer.

“So that’s why you barely attacked?”

Noxi looked at him.

“I needed to understand.”

“What?”

His gaze briefly moved toward Falimon.

“Him.”

Tesi smiled faintly.

He still didn’t understand exactly what Noxi had done.

But it definitely wasn’t simple copying.

It was too early to draw conclusions.

“Not bad.”

Noxi raised an eyebrow.

“That’s it?”

“For now.”

Tesi turned away.

Fani immediately appeared beside him.

“Hey. You promised after the fight.”

“What?”

“Don’t play dumb. How did you know what all of us were supposed to do?”

“Later.”

Fani stopped dead.

“Are you kidding me?!”

Samo laughed.

Reki sighed tiredly.

And Noxi, now completely back to his former appearance, allowed the faintest hint of a smile.

The trials continued after their battle.

Tesi remained near the arena, watching the other participants.

Fire.

Ice.

Metal.

Sound.

There were good mages.

Sometimes very good ones.

But raw strength wasn’t enough.

Tesi had seen plenty of strong people.

He needed people who could offer something else.

Several fights passed before another group of five was called.

“Group Eleven! To the arena!”

Five participants stepped onto the sand.

Among them, one boy caught Tesi’s attention almost immediately.

Solid build.

Dark hair.

A serious expression.

He didn’t look like the strongest member of his group and didn’t stand out much at first glance.

But unlike the others, he barely looked toward the stands.

All of his attention was fixed on their opponent.

A man wearing the light uniform of one of the kingdom’s main squads entered from the opposite side.

He looked relaxed.

He clearly didn’t take the young participants seriously.

“Varel,” he introduced himself. “Try to at least see where the hit comes from.”

The referee gave the signal.

Varel disappeared.

At least, that was how it looked to most of the spectators.

One moment he stood on the opposite side of the arena.

The next, he was already among the participants.

The first didn’t even have time to raise his arms before a blow sent him flying.

The second tried to turn around, but Varel was already behind him.

The others attacked together.

Varel slipped between them as effortlessly as though he already knew where each of them would be.

Only one participant hadn’t been hit.

The dark-haired boy.

Varel appeared in front of him.

His fist missed.

The boy had lowered his head before the attack had even begun.

Varel appeared on his left.

The boy had already stepped right.

An attack from behind.

He ducked in advance.

The next blow was aimed at his side.

But the boy began turning before Varel had even appeared there.

Tesi leaned forward.

No.

It wasn’t reflexes.

It wasn’t reading movements.

And it definitely wasn’t speed.

He was moving first.

Not at the last instant before an attack.

Before the attack itself.

Varel noticed something was wrong as well.

His interest in the other participants disappeared.

Now he focused entirely on one opponent.

He accelerated.

Blurred silhouettes flickered around the boy.

Yet he continued avoiding the attacks.

Sometimes too early.

As though he were dodging things that had not happened yet.

Once, he made a mistake.

Varel’s fist grazed his cheek and made him stumble.

The second blow struck his shoulder.

But he avoided the next one in advance again.

Tesi narrowed his eyes.

He can see the future...?

If so, not very far.

Otherwise, Varel would never have been able to touch him.

One second?

Maybe two.

No more.

But even that was enough.

Varel disappeared again.

This time, the boy didn’t dodge.

Instead, he suddenly stepped forward.

Straight into empty space.

Confused murmurs rose from the stands.

Then Varel appeared exactly there.

The boy’s fist met him before he could finish his own attack.

It struck his stomach.

Varel took several steps back.

For the first time, the smile disappeared from his face.

“You aren’t just dodging, are you?”

The boy said nothing.

Varel stared at him for several seconds, then smiled again.

“Fine. Let’s try something else.”

The fight became far more brutal after that.

Varel constantly changed his rhythm.

He would begin an attack and suddenly stop.

Approach from one side, then change direction at the last possible moment.

Several times, he managed to confuse his opponent.

But again and again, the boy escaped attacks that an ordinary person wouldn’t even have had time to notice.

By then, the other members of his group were barely capable of continuing.

The dark-haired boy was still standing.

Bruised.

Breathing heavily.

Blood on his lip.

But standing.

When the bell finally rang, he could barely remain on his feet.

Varel looked considerably fresher.

The difference in strength was obvious.

But Tesi only watched the boy.

He didn’t try to look stronger than he was.

He didn’t panic when his ability failed him.

He didn’t break after being hit.

He simply got back up.

Looked ahead.

And tried again.

The participants began leaving the arena while the referee opened a scroll containing the results.

“From Group Eleven, the participants advancing are...”

He began reading names.

One made Tesi look toward the dark-haired boy again.

“Vasi.”

Vasi.

Tesi remembered the name.

Noxi.

Now Vasi.

Two.

The next battle was announced almost immediately.

But the moment the referee spoke the name of their opponent, thoughts of Vasi moved into the background.

“Next group! Your opponent is—Lenkart!”

A low murmur spread through the stands.

Tesi looked up.

Lenkart...?

An old name.

A very old one.

Even among noble families, the name stood apart.

Members of House Lenkart rarely appeared in the capital and even more rarely participated in events like this.

Seeing one here was unexpected.

A man in a dark cloak stepped onto the arena.

A family crest had been embroidered in silver across his chest.

Tesi recognized it immediately.

And almost at the same moment, he noticed movement among the participants.

Purple.

That robe.

The boy entered the arena with four other participants.

One of them said something to him.

He didn’t even turn his head.

His eyes were fixed entirely on Lenkart.

Tesi narrowed his eyes.

Until now, the stranger’s gaze had constantly wandered.

Faces.

Crests.

Astras.

Officials.

Now it had stopped.

So you’re the one he was looking for.

The boy wasn’t evaluating Lenkart’s stance.

He barely seemed interested in the flow of his mana.

But for the briefest moment, his eyes dropped toward the crest on Lenkart’s chest.

Only for an instant.

Tesi noticed.

What do you want from him?

As though sensing the attention, the boy in purple slowly turned his head.

Even across the entire arena, he found Tesi immediately.

They stared at one another in silence.

Then a faint smile appeared on the boy’s lips.

Tesi understood the message perfectly.

Stay out of this.

Tesi returned the smile.

He hadn’t promised anything.

The stranger’s smile vanished.

He turned back toward Lenkart.

Lenkart raised one hand.

The air around him trembled faintly.

The referee moved to the edge of the arena and looked at both sides.

“Begin!”

The boy in the purple robe took his first step.

Tesi leaned forward slightly.

Now he knew who the boy had been looking for.

All that remained was to understand why.