Grip!

Gray's grip tightened in Leon's hair as the young prince tried to pull away, but it was useless as his strength meant nothing here.

A faint smirk curved on Gray's lips, but there was no warmth in it. He looked more like a man dissecting a problem than fighting a rival.

CRACK!

His fist slammed into Leon's face, snapping his head to the side. Blood sprayed through the air, a tooth bouncing off the ground.

"Kh—guh…!" Leon tried to raise his arms to defend himself, but Gray caught his wrist and twisted it.

POP!

A sharp sound echoed through the arena as his shoulder dislocated. Leon screamed, stumbling back, but Gray didn't let him fall.

"Stand up, little prince," Gray muttered coldly, yanking him forward by the collar. "You wanted attention, didn't you? You got it."

Thud!

Bang!

Three more blows struck in Leon's weak points.

"Gu…ah—!"

Gray's movements were too precise to be called rage.

This wasn't wild violence; it was some kind of punishment.

"Kaugff... cough!"

Leon coughed and tried to swing his sword with his good arm, but Gray sidestepped easily and slammed his knee into Leon's ribs.

CRACK!

A scream tore out of Leon's throat. The sound echoed, but no one moved. The crowd, with the remaining students, just watched.

No one dared step in.

Blood dripped from Leon's nose and mouth as he collapsed to one knee, trembling.

Gray tilted his head slightly, studying him with the same detached calm one might show to a broken toy.

"Still breathing? Impressive."

Leon groaned, clutching his stomach. He could barely see through the blood coating his eyes, but when he looked up, he saw Gray's cold stare and froze.

"Don't worry," Gray whispered. "You'll learn not to open your mouth next time."

He grabbed Leon's head again and slammed it into the ground.

BAM!

The floor cracked beneath the impact.

Then again.

BAM!

And again.

BAM!

Each strike sent small shards of stone flying, and the sound grew duller each time as Leon's voice faded into pained gasps.

Students whispered among themselves, but the moment Gray's gaze flicked in their direction, all noise stopped.

His eyes were too cold, too empty, like looking at something that no longer cared about consequences.

And honestly, he didn't.

Selene and Lyra exchanged glances.

Both wanted to intervene, but something in their instincts told them not to. Gray wasn't in the mood to be reasoned with.

But strangely... Maelis, who had been smirking... still had the same smirk. It was as if she was enjoying that Leon was getting beaten up.

Gray didn't give it much thought as he continued beating the crap out of him.

The professors standing above the arena remained motionless.

Otto's expression didn't change; his eyes were sharp, but there was no sign of interference. It seemed this was exactly what he had expected from Gray.

And Gloria... yawned in boredom.

Gray finally released Leon, letting the prince fall flat onto his back. The once-proud noble lay motionless, his face a swollen mess of bruises and blood.

Gray straightened slowly, wiping his knuckles with a casual motion.

"You talk too much," he said simply, his tone void of emotion.

Leon coughed weakly, trying to raise his head, but Gray placed his boot on his chest and pressed down, not hard enough to kill, but enough to remind him that he could.

"You're lucky this is an exam," Gray added quietly.

"Otherwise, I'd have finished the job."

He looked down at Leon's battered body, his cold eyes showing not a hint of pity. Then, without hesitation, he swung his leg hard into Leon's side.

CRACK!

The sound echoed sharply across the arena. Leon let out a strangled groan, blood and saliva flying from his mouth as the force of the kick sent him soaring through the air.

BANG!

He hit the wall with a heavy thud before sliding down lifelessly, leaving a faint streak of red behind.

His body lay limp on the floor, unconscious, his once-proud face swollen beyond recognition.

For a moment, the entire arena went still.

The sound of breathing, the faint hum of magic in the air... all of it felt distant. Everyone just stared at Gray.

It was already a miracle Leon had lasted that long against him.

"Haaah..."

Gray's head tilted slightly, expression unreadable as he looked at the broken prince. Then, slowly, he turned his gaze toward the others still standing.

Aside from Cassandra, his team, and Maelis's group, only fourteen students remained.

Their faces were pale, their grips on their weapons unsteady.

Gray rolled his shoulders, stretching slightly as if the fight had only warmed him up.

The blood dripping from his hand only made the scene worse, painting him in the image of a devil who'd just stepped out of hell.

Without saying a word, he began walking toward the last group.

Every step he took echoed softly on the cracked floor.

Tap...

Tap..

Tap.

And with each step, the students' fear grew clearer.

Their breathing quickened, a few of them clenched their teeth, while others didn't even dare to meet his gaze.

"Aah..."

One of them let out a shaky sound as all fourteen unconsciously stepped back together, like prey reacting to a predator's shadow.

Then, without anyone expecting, Gray took one more step forward and vanished.

FWOOOSH!

The air split around him, a sharp gust following his sudden movement.

The group of fourteen barely had time to react before he was already among them, his rapier flashing like a streak of black light.

CLANG!

The first student raised his spear to block, but Gray twisted his sword at the last second, sliding the rapier's edge under the shaft and flicking it upward.

The spear went flying.

CRACK!

A sharp kick met the student's jaw, sending him spinning through the air before he hit the ground hard.

"...One down," Gray muttered lightly.

Another came from his left, swinging an axe. Gray sidestepped, feeling the air rush past his ear, then brought his elbow forward.

THUD!

"KURGHH!"

The hit landed squarely on the attacker's throat. The man gagged, clutching his neck, and collapsed shortly after.

"Two."

Gray didn't even glance at him.

Three mages began casting from the back. Then, he raised his sword lightly before vanishing again.

ZWOOP!

He appeared right behind them.

"Too slow."

His sword slashed sideways.

SHHIIINK!

"Five."

A gust of wind followed the clean motion, cutting through their defensive barriers like paper. The three were thrown backward, coughing blood as their spells fizzled out in the air.

Two others tried to flank him from behind.

He turned, catching the first one's blade mid-swing, twisting it down with his wrist and slamming his shoulder into the man's chest.

The other came right after, aiming for his head, but Gray ducked under the attack, sweeping his leg low.

SWISH!

Both attackers hit the ground at once. He spun his rapier in his hand before stabbing it down, the tip stopping just beside one man's throat.

They froze.

"Stay down," he said coldly.

"Seven."

CLANG!

Suddenly, another tried to take advantage of the distraction.

A dagger came flying toward his face.

Gray didn't flinch as he simply tilted his head, the blade passing an inch from his cheek. His hand shot forward, gripping the dagger thrower's wrist.

SNAP!

The bone cracked, followed by a scream. Gray pulled the weapon free, reversed it, and threw it right back.

THUK!

The hilt struck the man's forehead, dropping him instantly.

"Nine."

He scanned the remaining students, and all of them were trembling, causing him almost to laugh.

"Haa..."

Gray exhaled slowly, brushing a few drops of blood from his cheek with his thumb.

"S-shit... I'M OUT!"

Dumbly, the next student tried to run.

"[✧Swap✧]"

Gray's figure blurred again, appearing in front of him.

FWOOP!

"Where are you going?"

He grabbed the boy by the collar and kneed him in the gut. The air left his lungs with a painful wheeze before he collapsed in a heap.

"Ten."

Two others rushed from both sides in desperation, swinging wildly.

CLANG!

CLANG!

Gray parried both with fluid ease as his sword twisted low, before he countered.

One strike pushed the left opponent's sword up, leaving his chest open. Gray turned his wrist and drove the hilt of his weapon into the man's ribs.

THUD!

The other tried to take advantage of the moment, thrusting forward, but Gray leaned sideways, letting the blade brush past his shoulder, then slashed up.

SHIIING!

A bright flash followed, and the student's weapon was cut cleanly in half.

He stumbled back, eyes wide, before Gray flicked his blade across the boy's chest, leaving a faint bleeding line.

That was enough to end his courage as he instantly dropped to his knees.

"Twelve... two left."

BOOOM!

The last two students tried casting a massive spell from the back, energy swirling around their palms.

Gray turned his head slightly, eyes narrowing, before his aura suddenly pulsed outward.

Dark mist rippled from his body like smoke, coating his blade in a shadowy layer.

He swung once.

ZAAASH!

The air itself seemed to tear apart. The spell broke mid-cast, and both of the students were thrown off their feet, crashing into the ground.

Silence followed.

Fourteen bodies lay scattered across the arena floor, none dead, but all were either broken, defeated, or humiliated.

Gray stood in the middle, his breath steady, his expression unreadable.

But his eyes…

They were changing.

The dark aura still leaked from him, crawling along his shoulders and down his arms. His pupils swirled faintly, like ink mixing in water, shades of black and crimson shifting together.

Even his teammates, standing far behind, could feel it, the strange, suffocating pressure spreading slowly outward.

Cassandra's hand tightened around her scythe.

"Gray…" she whispered softly.

But Gray didn't respond as he didn't even hear her, which was a surprise considering his extreme senses.

He simply stood there, surrounded by the faint sound of his heartbeat echoing in the silence, his shadow twisting unnaturally on the cracked ground beneath him.

However, the only reason he was like that was because of the notification in front of him.

[Ding!]

[You've successfully met the requirements to awaken a Secret Class!]

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