Dune was about to step onto the platform when Ned suddenly grabbed his arm.
"What?" Dune asked, glancing back.
Ned's eyes burned with an intensity Dune had never seen before. "I want you to show your best, Dune."
Dune frowned. "Of course, I will—"
"No." Ned's grip tightened. His voice was like steel. "Go beyond your limits. There won't be another chance to prove them wrong. No more holding back. Go beyond."
Dune hesitated. Ned was never like this, never this serious, never this... desperate. Something had changed. Something had awakened inside him.
But there was no time to question it.
He turned away and walked toward the platform. He didn't bow, but by now, no one even reacted.
Dune stood before the testing circle, deep in thought.
*If I hit this normally, I can reach 600 easily. That was my last score when I trained with Cadogan. But is that enough?*
*why does Ned want me to go beyond?*
His gaze swept the audience, locking onto the rulers of two continents. Their arrogant expressions, their complete indifference to everyone beneath them, it made his blood boil.
For a single moment, Dune wished, no, he craved to see their eyes widen in shock. To shatter their composure. To shake this entire arena to its core.
And standing here now, he finally understood how Ned felt.
His fists clenched, knuckles turning white. Then, he spoke, his voice cutting through the silence, loud, clear, and defiant.
"I am Dune... and..."
"I will grow strong enough to tear the gods from the sky and drag the heavens down to the earth."
A silence heavier than stone settled over the arena.
Magma's eyes widened slightly, instantly grasping the weight of those words. Aramir, too, along with the other higher-ups, exchanged glances. They understood exactly what Dune had just declared.
Dune turned back to the circle.
Bulby? Are you with me?
I always wanted to try this.
Neba ignited in his hand, energy surging wildly. But this time, he didn't just enhance his punch.
He amplified it. Two Neba Step flared to life between his fist and the circle. Then another behind the target. And a fourth , behind himself.
Dune launched forward. The first two Neba Steps exploded, accelerating his fist. The instant he struck, the third Neba Step behind the circle detonated, compressing the force inward. And the fourth? It erupted at the same time, slingshotting him back into the attack.
The impact wasn't just a hit. It was a collision of forces, compounded, multiplied, unstoppable.
BOOM.
The entire platform trembled as the air itself cracked.
Magma shot up from his seat. The students, every single one of them, stood frozen, eyes wide, jaws slack. The sheer force of the blast forced academy officials to intervene, erecting barriers to shield the audience. Smoke and dust filled the air. Following Silence and gasps.
Then, as the dust settled, they saw him.
Dune stood there, breathing heavily. His shirt was half-destroyed. His arm, drenched in blood, fingers broken, trembling. But he was grinning
Then their eyes traveled upward. The circle was gone, shattered. Only fragments remained, scattered across the platform.
All eyes snapped to the glowing scoreboard. The numbers flickered, struggling to process what had just happened.
...
...
...
...
...
...
[ 3500 ]
The arena exploded.
"Impossible," Magma whispered.
The students lost their minds.
"WHAT THE HELL—?!"
"HOW?!"
"THERE'S NO WAY!!"
James Murderthrone shot up from his seat, fists clenched so tight they shook. His record was gone. His expression twisted in rage as he stormed away without a word.
Meanwhile, Damion... smiled. A small, knowing smirk, as if he had been waiting for something like this.
Dune closed his eyes for a brief moment.
He wanted to savor this feeling.
This was just the beginning.
And he wouldn't stop
Not until he reached the peak.
Ned and Atlas were speechless, their eyes nearly popping out of their heads. Then, suddenly, they snapped out of it.
"DUNE, YOU CRAZY BASTARD!!" They jumped on him in excitement.
"You just broke the whole damn thing!" Atlas laughed.
Dune, still grinning, winced through the pain. "Wasn't i cool?"
Ned punched him in the head. "COOL?! YOU BROKE YOUR ARM, you're not me, IDIOT!"
Dune laughed at Ned's comment.
Across the arena, Ramires stood frozen, stunned into silence. He had forgotten to announce the score. Forgotten to say anything at all.
After Dune's unprecedented display, officials hurried to replace the shattered Neba circle with a new one, and the test resumed.
One by one, students stepped forward, their performances impressive in their own right,
but none came close to what had just transpired.
By the time the final participant had taken their turn, the results were set. The scoreboard flickered before settling into place, displaying the top ten scorers for all to see:
1. Dune - 3500
2. Azrael Rodeny - 2000
3. Cedric Valefort - 1800
4. Atlas - 950
5. Leonard Amellia - 910
6. Sylas Vermillion - 875
7. Raine Castillon - 820
8. Victor Durnhelm - 780
9. Elias Ravenshade - 730
10. Orion Blackthorne - 670
Murmurs spread like wildfire across the arena. The gap between first and second place was beyond staggering, Dune had more than tripled the score of some of the most elite contenders.
Even the nobles, those accustomed to prestige and superiority, found themselves speechless.
The weight of this moment was undeniable.
Dune had changed everything.