After the chaotic confrontation in the forest, the students were finally teleported back to the academy, appearing one after the other in the grand main hall.
The atmosphere was thick with tension and curiosity, whispers echoing from every corner.
Grey leaned against a cold marble pillar near the edge of the hall, arms crossed, eyes shut, and a soft, knowing smirk resting on his lips.
His wounds had been fully healed by Vanica, leaving no visible trace of the brutal fight he'd endured just minutes ago.
'Keh keh keh... Perfect. Everything's going exactly how I planned,' he thought with satisfaction. 'I needed a reason to skip these ridiculous assessments, and now, I've failed all three. With this, I'm officially banned from the intra-tournament.'
He chuckled inwardly, shaking his head slightly.
'I told Amir countless times I wasn't interested. I already know I can beat anyone in this academy.
But no... he just had to force me into it. Now look at me—relieved of duty and free to focus on what really matters. I'll use this time to train, to grow stronger, and to eventually surpass that Kael bastard.'
Nearby, Raze's brows furrowed as he observed Grey's composed demeanor.
"How is Grey so damn chill right now?" Raze asked, folding his arms. "He literally got disqualified from all assessments. Doesn't he care about the tournament at all?"
Vince, standing just beside him, let out a sigh. His gaze remained fixed on Instructor Eric, who was scribbling something on his clipboard with an annoying amount of enthusiasm.
"As far as I know Grey, he never cared about any of this," Vince replied. "Not the assessments. Not the tournament."
Across the room, Eric smirked smugly as he finished his writing. His fingers hovered with dramatic flair over the parchment.
'That arrogant peasant… Let this teach him a lesson,' Eric mused.
On the parchment, a bold note read:
>Student failed all the assessments and hence is not qualified to participate in the intra-tournament.<
Tucking the paper away, Eric looked up at the crowd of buzzing students, all eagerly awaiting the next phase of the assessment.
"Listen up, all of you," Eric's voice cut through the chatter like a blade. Silence quickly descended, and every student's eyes turned toward the platform.
"It's time for the last and final assessment of the day—one that will determine who gets to participate in the intra-tournament."
A tense wave of anticipation rolled through the hall. Heartbeats pounded faster. Breath hitched. Everyone leaned in.
"The final test is a sparring match," Eric declared.
A collective groan and a wave of murmurs rippled through the students.
"Huh? Another one?" a third-year blurted out.
"Do we fight the same opponents again?" another asked with a grin.
"I hope I do—I had fun wrecking mine," a cocky boy boasted.
'If I get the redhead again, I'll crush her like an ant,' Dave thought darkly, his hands clenching into tight fists.
Eric raised his voice again, calm and assertive. "Yes, it's a sparring match. No, you don't fight your previous opponents."
"Then who do we fight?" Drey asked nervously, his chest rising and falling faster.
Eric's response was swift—and stunning.
For a second, the entire room was still. Then, an eruption of disbelief.
Even Grey's eyes flew open. He uncrossed his arms and blinked in disbelief at Eric's smug expression.
'Oh damn! This… this is the first time I regret my decision. I've been dying to wipe that arrogant smirk off his face, and now the chance is here—and I can't take it.
Freaking hell, I shot myself in the foot!' Grey mentally cursed. He shook his head, then shifted to a better viewing spot with a front-row seat. 'Well, I'll enjoy the show. Hopefully someone knocks him on his butt.'
"How are we supposed to spar with an instructor?" Vanica asked, visibly pale.
Eric shot her a side glance. "Not you. I know you won't last two seconds. I've already separated the support mages. Only combat mages will fight me—one by one."
Scarlet's fingers curled into tight fists, her crimson nails digging into her skin.
'He dared hurt Grey. Who gave him the right? Wait… what am I thinking? Why should I care?! It's not like I… I—Ugh! Why am I even justifying my thoughts?!' she fumed internally.
Across the room, Lyra smirked, fire dancing behind her gaze.
'Thank you, Instructor Eric,' she thought. 'You've just handed me the perfect excuse to break your face for laying a finger on my precious Grey. Back in the forest, I held back to avoid punishment. But now… now I can unleash everything.'
Vince stood still, hands trembling as he looked down at his palms. 'Can I survive this? Am I strong enough to face an instructor?'
Suddenly, a low whisper drifted to his ear.
"Listen, lil' bro. Just sit this one out. You're not ready," Dave muttered, then walked off without a backward glance.
Vince clenched his jaw. 'Screw that. I'm taking part—no matter what!'
Meanwhile, Raze could barely contain his excitement. "Oh hell yeah," he grinned. "Now things are getting spicy."
Eric raised his hand to silence the murmuring.
"The rules are simple," he began. "I will call each of you to the platform. You have two minutes to land a single blow—one that draws blood from my face."
He grinned as stunned silence spread across the room.
"If you fail to do so within two minutes, you lose. And your previous scores better be good enough to carry you into the tournament, because this will be your final shot."
With a casual flick of his wrist, he summoned a breeze to lift the paper in his hand and float it to safety.
"First up—Dave Walter."
Dave stepped out of the crowd, his aura flaring.
The final assessment had begun.
Some readers actually skipped this when I posted it so I'm doing again. Please, if you have voted, there's no need to again. You can skip this!
Hey, Arcane Warriors!
I've been thinking… it's finally time we created an identity—a name for this growing group of amazing readers who've been sticking with me through this epic journey in Magus Supremacy. Don't you think?
So, I've got four name ideas, and I want YOU to help me choose what we'll be called as a community. Here they are:
1. The Arcane Order – For those who walk the line between magic and mystery.
2. The Circle of Supremacy – Because we are rising to the top, together.
3. The Grand Affinates – The chosen ones, bearers of the ultimate affinities.
4. The Magus Legion – A united force of powerful mages and warriors.
Drop your favorite name in the comments! I'll go with whichever one has the most votes by on first of next month —and yes, this name will live on in Discord, author notes, and even special shout-outs.
Let's build this world together, one chapter at a time.
—Your Supreme Author: KBKayboy.