Three years had passed since the incident, and the calmness that once filled the village was gone. An explosion shook the ground, yet the villagers paid no attention—after all, they had grown used to it over the years.

  “Is that all you’ve got?!” Julius shouted, launching another fireball.

  “Shield!”

  The fireballs struck the large figure standing before Julius, but they had no effect. It was Stier. He pressed his palms together, creating a protective barrier. Steadying himself, he prepared to counterattack.

  “Wind Slash!”

  A powerful blade of air shot toward Julius, slicing through everything in its path. But with ease, Julius dodged—it was no challenge for him. He had enhanced his body with mana, granting him greater strength and agility.

  Once again, he hurled multiple fireballs at Stier, who blocked them with his shield.

  “Seems like my fireballs aren’t enough, huh?” Julius smirked.

  “Burn to ashes—Fireball!”

  This time, the fireball was massive—three times its usual size—rushing toward Stier with immense heat. But unlike before, the explosion shattered his shield and sent him flying backward.

  Stier lay on the ground, his vision spinning, when he felt a hand reaching out to him.

  “That was a good training session,” Julius said, pulling him up.

  “Do you really think you’re ready?” Stier asked.

  Julius’s expression turned serious. “This is my only chance.”

  Julius was determined to find his sister. His only lead? The soldiers from Lidoris—a city famous for its magic academy, the most prestigious in the entire continent.

  Since the school’s founding, no commoner had ever been admitted. Even nobles struggled to secure a place. But that changed when a commoner, later known as one of the Nine Wonders, emerged. He was a powerful mage, and despite his lowly birth, he was invited to study at Lidoris.

  His acceptance shook the foundations of the academy. For the first time, the school opened its doors to more commoners, seeing it as the dawn of a new era.

  However, this decision sparked outrage among the nobility. No commoner had ever set foot inside Lidoris before—now, everything was changing. And all because of a Blessing.

  That was the power and status that came with being one of the “Neun Wunder.”

  Tomorrow, a tournament would be held in the city to determine who could enter the academy. The rules were simple: anyone could participate as long as they were at least sixteen years old—the minimum age for magic academies, as that was when a person’s mana core fully matured.

  “Did you read the books Jin brought you?” Stier asked.

  “Yeah, they were great. Some powerful spells in there… I keep wondering where he even gets these.”

  Stier just laughed awkwardly.

  “Oh, right—we were supposed to visit Jina,” Stier said, nudging Julius. “We should hurry.”

  When they arrived at the twins’ house, Stier knocked on the door. A large man answered—it was Paul, Jin and Jina’s father.

  “Good afternoon, Paul. We’d like to see Jina,” Stier said with a gentle tone.

  “Oh, Noah! Good to see you. Come on in.” Paul stepped aside, letting them enter.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  Julius, however, hesitated. He stayed behind Stier as they walked in, but Paul shot him a sharp, unkind glare.

  Even after Julius had explained everything, it took two years—and Jin’s help—before he was even allowed to visit Jina. But Paul still didn’t fully trust him.

  Inside the room, Jin was already there, holding Jina’s hand. She lay in bed, fast asleep. Her scars had healed over time, but she never woke up.

  “How is she today?” Stier asked softly.

  “No change,” Jin replied.

  For a moment, silence filled the room.

  “Did you find out anything more about the sword?” Julius finally asked.

  Jin shook his head. “No.”

  Julius had described the sword in detail—how it glowed when it touched Jina’s blood. Jin had spent years searching for information, and he had found something.

  It was an artifact called the “Blutrotes Dornenschwert .” The more blood it absorbed, the stronger it became. Those who lost too much blood to it usually died as a result.

  That was why Jina hadn’t woken up.

  But they had no way to fix it.

  After giving Jina their blessings, Julius and Stier left.

  Tomorrow was the tournament.

  And Julius had to be ready.

  The day of reckoning had arrived—the tournament was about to begin. Julius and Jin had just arrived in the city.

  “It’s really crowded today,” Julius said, glancing around. The city was more alive than ever. People had come from all over, each hoping for a chance to secure a spot at the prestigious Lidoris Academy.

  “Are you nervous?” Jin asked, noticing the tension in Julius’s expression.

  “Of course not,” Julius replied, shaking his head. He had worked too hard for this moment. He had to win his place at Lidoris—only then could he begin searching for his sister.

  “Let’s go!” he said, rushing forward.

  In the city center, a small open field had been cleared and surrounded by a wooden fence to resemble an arena. In the middle stood the mayor, addressing the crowd.

  “Welcome, everyone, to the city of Minga! Today is your chance to prove yourselves and secure a place at the best academy on the continent!”

  The crowd erupted in cheers.

  “The rules are simple—you will fight against one another, but only three of you will earn a spot at Lidoris.”

  “Only three?! What?” voices from the crowd murmured in disbelief.

  At that moment, a man in a robe stepped forward. He carried a staff as tall as he was, and his long white beard reached down to his chest.

  “I am Professor Stein—or should I say, former professor,” he chuckled, stroking his beard.

  “Though I am retired, I have been given the honor of selecting three mages who will have the privilege of attending Lidoris. Show me that you are worthy of being trained as true magicians!”

  The crowd roared in excitement.

  “Alright! The tournament will begin in just a few minutes. Use this time to prepare,” the mayor announced before stepping down.

  Julius and Jin sat on a bench near the arena.

  “There are a lot of participants, huh?” Jin remarked, scanning the crowd.

  “Everyone wants a spot,” Julius said, clenching his fist. He had only one goal, and the only way to achieve it was by winning.

  “Don’t forget—not to use your secret weapon right away,” Jin whispered to Julius.

  “I know, I know,” Julius replied, rolling his eyes.

  Suddenly, a voice startled them from the side.

  “Oh? So you have a secret weapon too?”

  A young man with short black hair and a headband featuring snake eyes was sitting beside them. He was another tournament participant.

  “Since when have you been sitting there?” Jin asked, shocked.

  “The whole time!” the boy declared proudly, puffing out his chest.

  “And who are you?” Jin asked cautiously.

  The young man crossed his arms and answered with confidence.

  “I am Shadow! A member of a secret organization that protects the kingdom from the shadows!” He stood tall as if expecting admiration.

  “A secret organization?” Jin raised an eyebrow.

  “What’s it called?” he asked.

  “I have no idea,” Shadow admitted. “But my grandfather used to tell me stories about it when I was a kid.”

  Julius and Jin nearly fell off the bench.

  “So… it was just a bedtime story?” Julius deadpanned.

  “Ah, I think my father told me something like that when I was little too,” Jin added.

  “Let’s go, Jin. This guy is crazy,” Julius muttered, getting up.

  As they walked away, Julius felt a strange sense of unease. He had lost time on a meaningless conversation, yet something about Shadow unsettled him.

  He hadn’t even noticed when the guy sat down.

  “Look over there, Julius,” Jin said, pointing at another boy.

  Julius followed Jin’s gaze and spotted the boy in question. He wore white robes adorned with golden stripes.

  “A noble,” Julius muttered, his voice laced with anger.

  “Don’t forget what I told you about them,” Jin warned, as if Julius might forget at any moment.

  At that moment, the noble noticed Julius’s dark glare and strode toward him.

  “Jealous of my staff, are you, commoner?” he sneered, holding up his ornate magic staff with pride.

  “Be careful not to get your filthy hands on it—it’s worth more than your entire family could ever afford.” His arrogant laughter rang out.

  Julius clenched his fists, his anger boiling over.

  “What’s the matter? Did Daddy’s money fail to buy you a spot at Lidoris?” he shot back, meeting the noble’s gaze head-on.

  The noble’s laughter instantly faded. He raised his staff, pointing it directly at Julius.

  “You damn commoners don’t know your place,” he hissed, preparing to strike.

  Jin panicked, certain that the two were about to tear each other apart.

  But before anything could happen, a loud signal echoed through the city, grabbing everyone’s attention.

  The tournament had begun.