Lily adjusted her stance, her breathing steady as she recalled Ray's advice. With a newfound fluidity, her dual swords glimmered with their opposing energies, radiating an aura of balance. She could feel the difference immediately, her movements were swifter, her strikes more precise.
Drawing a deep breath, she focused her primal energy, channeling it into her twin swords. The energies swirled violently before condensing along the blades.
"Dragonborne Style: Third Form—Twin Dragon Slash!"
Her shout reverberated across the training ground as her swords carved through the air, releasing a torrent of energy. The dark and light auras formed two intertwined dragons, their ethereal shapes coiling as they charged at Ray with ferocious speed.
Ray's eyes narrowed, his instincts screaming at him to evade. Intrigued by the technique, he stepped forward, meeting the dragons head-on. His stick, now enveloped in his silver aura, shimmered as he infused it with time energy. Concentrating, he activated 'Time Drain', one of the abilities of silver energy, he'd honed through months of grueling practice and now can control to some extent.
The world seemed to slow as he slashed through the energy dragons. The primal energy of twin dragon dissipated, drained by his stick, and the force of the attack was nullified. In a single fluid motion, he disarmed Lily, sending her swords clattering to the ground.
Before she could collapse, Ray caught her effortlessly, holding her as though she weighed nothing.
The crowd was stunned into silence. Lewis, Ririna, Xavier, Henry, and the others had been certain that Lily's family technique, lethal and awe-inspiring would decide the match. Yet here was Ray, standing victorious, his stick glowing faintly, Lily cradled in his arms.
Xavier attempted to analyze the energy surrounding Ray's stick using his trait, but it was too complex, a mystery he couldn't unravel.
---
Lily's face flushed a deep red as she realized her position. Before Ray could say a word, she wrenched herself free, summoned her swords back to their sheaths, and bolted toward the exit.
"That was fun!" Ray called out after her, his voice lighthearted.
"Can we spar again?, Hey!!"
Lily didn't respond, but as she ran, a faint smile tugged at her lips.
The spectators, still reeling from the battle, began to disperse, each heading back to their quarters, carrying stories of the incredible match they'd just witnessed.
---
After coming to his room he was given a letter from inn receptionist which was delivered by the Academy in his name. He went to his room, freshened up, and opened the envelope that contained,
"Dear Examinee Ray,
We are pleased to inform you about the final phase of the entrance examination: the Combat Examination, scheduled for tomorrow. This concluding test will be held in a tournament format and is set to begin promptly at 9:00 A.M. You will be assigned opponents, whose identities will remain undisclosed until the examination commences. This round presents a crucial opportunity to display your combat abilities and skills before esteemed members of prominent clans, influential figures, and potential sponsors, who will be attending to observe and evaluate promising candidates.
Victory in this tournament will be rewarded with a special prize, the details of which will be revealed during the event. Moreover, performance in the Combat Examination will be instrumental in shaping the final evaluations and may significantly impact your future academic journey.
We wish you the very best of luck. Prepare well and seize this chance to showcase your unique talents.
All the best,
The Academy Admissions Committee"
After reading the letter Ray threw it aside lay on the bed and asked Luna,
"Hey Luna, How is the analysis of Spirit arts coming along?"
"On it... you know your blessing of Alusean, it's related to the spirit realm."
"oh.." Ray replied without being excited anymore about his powers.
He brought out eggs from inventory and started feeding them both his energies. After he finished, the eggs seemed to reply to their satisfaction by emitting a light glow...as if they are happy.
He checked his status to check something, "Status",
[Origin System]
Name : Ray ??? ?????????|
Age : 12
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Mana Core : Mage King
Attributes : S???, Time, Life, Darkness, Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Ice, Lightning, Magma,...
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Dragon Core: Sword King
Aura : Silver Aura [Time], [???]
----------------------------------
Traits : World of Mana, Dracos, Chronos, Healthy Body, Creation, [Locked], [Locked]...
Blessings : Goddess of Life, Dragon God, Goddess of Alusean, [Locked], [Locked]
Skills : Eye of Limbo, Temporal Cognition, Meditation, Time-Splitting Sword, Mana Concealment, [Locked]
-----------------------------------
Techniques : Eldric's Sword, Silver Sword, Destructive sword, Moon sword, Elemental Sword, Dargonborne sword(Incomplete)
Spells : Special tier -{ Time barrier, Life, Valhalla, Canva }, Dark - tier 4, Basic and Deviant elements - tier 6
----------------------------------
Satisfied seeing Lily's technique being memorized, as he had used his Eye of Limbo and temporal Cognition to understand the attack, and now had complete grasp on it, He slipped into his sleep.
-----
Meanwhile, in the desolate Deadlands of the Western Continent, on the outskirts of the Demon Continent, two men dressed in rugged leather jackets trudged through the barren terrain. Their faces were marked with exhaustion as they searched for something amidst the ruins.
The air grew thick with an oppressive energy. Suddenly, a sickeningly sweet scent of blood filled their nostrils, paralyzing them with fear. Before they could react, a shadow descended upon them with terrifying speed.
In the next instant, their severed heads hit the ground, wide eyes frozen in terror. The shadow engulfed their corpses, dissolving them entirely.
From the shadows emerged two figures, indistinguishable in appearance from the slain men. The mimicry was perfect, down to their clothing and expressions. With a fluid motion, the shadowy clones melted back into the darkness, leaving no trace of the grisly scene.
The Deadlands remained silent, save for the faint echoes of an ominous laughter that seemed to emanate from nowhere.