The murmur among the first-year students grew every second.
"What is this place...?" "Why are there people in the stands?" "Is this some kind of test?"
No one seemed to understand what was happening.
Elysian watched everything closely. Nicol was at his side, arms crossed, observing with a deep frown.
"I don't like this," she whispered.
Elysian didn't respond. His gaze scanned the arena, the torches, the stands filled with people screaming as if they were waiting for a show.
Then—
POOF!
A smoke bomb exploded in the center of the arena.
Black smoke expanded rapidly, covering the area for a few seconds.
The students recoiled in surprise.
When the smoke began to clear...
A figure appeared in the center.
A man dressed in a long black robe.
The crowd in the stands began to scream even louder.
Elysian narrowed his eyes.
The subject was wearing a strange mask.
It looked like a human face... but it also had animal features, as if it were a disturbing mixture of both.
Then Elysian recognized it.
"A Homo sapiens..."
The mask represented exactly that: a primitive human.
The man in the robe slowly raised his arms.
The noise in the stands subsided a bit.
Then he spoke.
"Many of you wonder why you are here."
His voice was loud, clear, amplified by hidden speakers.
"Many of your classmates who stood in your place wondered that as well..."
He paused briefly.
"Even I did."
Some students looked at each other.
The man continued walking through the arena.
"But I will tell you why you are in this academy."
The torches illuminated his mask in an unsettling way.
"As the Director told you... strength is the answer here."
He pointed to the students.
"Not your grades. Not your academic talents. Not your previous achievements."
His voice turned colder.
"The only thing that matters here... is strength."
Nervous murmurs were heard.
"Strength. Respect. And reputation."
The man raised a hand toward the stands.
"This academy is not built to help students."
Pause.
"It is built to entertain."
He turned toward the crowd.
"Isn't that right?"
The stands exploded in cheers.
"YESSSS!"
"LET'S GO!"
"LET IT BEGIN!"
The man extended his arms toward them.
"Then tell me..."
His voice rose.
"WHAT DO YOU WANT?"
The crowd responded as one voice.
"BLOOD!!!"
The man walked slowly through the arena.
"I didn't hear you."
"BLOOD!!!"
"What do you want?"
"BLOOD!!!"
The echo of the screams resonated throughout the arena.
Some students began to back away, frightened.
The man looked back at the first-years.
"You heard them."
He pointed to the sandy floor.
"You are going to fight."
A heavy silence fell among the students.
"Combat.
One on one.
Two on two.
Whatever is necessary to entertain."
He walked slowly as he spoke.
"People from all over the world come to see these fights.
And to bet on you."
The murmur among the students increased.
"And you wonder what you will win?"
The man held up two fingers.
"Two things."
First.
"Money."
Surprised whispers were heard.
"You will receive a share of the bets placed on you.
Hundreds. Thousands. Maybe... millions."
The man tilted his head slightly.
"But that will depend on your performance here."
He lowered one finger.
"And the second thing..."
His voice became deeper.
"A guaranteed future."
Silence fell again.
"The strongest people in this arena... will never have to worry about their life after the academy."
Then he raised a hand.
"There are only a couple of important rules."
A pause.
"First rule.
Never miss the academy.
Never.
It doesn't matter what happens in your life."
Another pause.
"Second rule.
Don't tell anyone what happens here."
The man's voice turned icy.
"If you do...
He stopped.
"Your future... and that of your family...
will be destroyed."
Some students turned pale.
"I recommend you... don't mess with us."
Then he extended his arms toward them.
"But we won't force you."
He pointed to the tunnel exit they had entered through.
"If you want to leave... you can do so."
A heavy silence filled the arena.
"But if you leave...
You will be immediately expelled from the academy."
The man raised his head slightly.
"And if you speak of what happens here...
you already know what will happen."
Pause.
"So, decide."
For several seconds, no one moved.
Then...
One student took a step back.
Then another.
A small group began walking toward the exit.
But the vast majority...
stayed.
Elysian watched everything in silence.
The tunnel doors closed behind those who were leaving.
The man in the black robe nodded slowly.
"I'm glad you chose well."
He turned toward the crowd.
"Let the games begin!"
The stands exploded in screams.
"BLOOD!!!"
"BLOOD!!!"
"BLOOD!!!"
The torches burned even brighter.
The arena waited.
And the baptism had just begun.
The figure in the black robe raised a hand, calling for silence from the crowd that was still screaming.
"The rules are simple."
The arena waited expectantly.
"Firearms are not permitted."
Pause.
"No sharp or pointed weapons."
He pointed toward the edges of the arena.
"But blunt weapons are allowed."
Some spectators began to laugh and applaud.
"That is all."
Then he tilted his head slightly.
"Everything else... is permitted."
The students exchanged uneasy glances.
"Low blows.
Eye gouging.
Dirty techniques.
Whatever is necessary to win."
His voice became colder.
"There is also no weight limit.
Woman against man.
Adult against youth.
It doesn't matter."
He looked at every student one by one.
"Here, only one thing matters.
Who remains standing."
He raised his hands one last time.
"Well... that is all."
POOF!
Another smoke bomb exploded.
The black cloud enveloped the man in the mask.
When the smoke cleared...
he had vanished.
The crowd roared again.
Then a figure appeared from the tunnel.
It was Connor.
He walked to the center and looked at the students.
"Alright."
He pointed to a section of the wall.
"Head toward that door."
The students looked at each other, confused.
Then...
CLACK
A part of the wall slowly opened, revealing a secret passage.
"Through there."
Connor gestured for them to move forward.
The students began walking through the narrow passage.
The atmosphere was tense.
No one spoke much.
After a few minutes, they arrived at a large room.
It looked like a cross between an infirmary and a preparation room.
There were several metal stretchers lined against the wall.
A group of people in medical coats were checking instruments and bandages.
Clearly, they were doctors.
But what really caught everyone's eye was on the other side of the room.
A large rack full of blunt weapons.
Bats. Metal pipes. Small hammers. Thick chains.
Elysian observed everything in silence.
Nicol walked beside him.
"Well..." she said, crossing her arms. "I think we understand what kind of school this is now."
Elysian looked at the weapon rack.
"Yeah."
Nicol looked at him with curiosity.
"What do you think of all this?"
Elysian thought for a few seconds.
"That it's illegal in at least twenty countries."
Nicol let out a small laugh.
"That's for sure."
Then she looked at him more seriously.
"Are you staying?"
Elysian didn't respond immediately.
He just watched the arena through a nearby metal grate.
"I guess we're already here."
Connor clapped a couple of times to get their attention.
"Alright."
He pointed to a large box on a table.
"Everyone take a ball from that box."
The students began to approach.
A boy reached in and pulled out a ball.
"Number 7," he said, looking at the painted number.
Another student pulled out another.
"Number 6."
Connor explained:
"Those will be your teammates."
The murmuring grew again.
"Team?"
"We're fighting in duos?"
"How does that work?"
Connor simply crossed his arms.
"You'll understand when your turn comes."
The students continued pulling out balls.
Finally, it was Elysian's turn.
He reached into the box.
He pulled out a ball.
Number 14.
He looked around, searching for his partner.
Then he saw another ball being raised.
Number 14.
It was Nicol.
She looked at him.
She smirked.
"Well... looks like we're a team."
Elysian slightly raised an eyebrow.
"I guess."
Connor spoke again.
"When your numbers are called over the speakers, you must head immediately to the arena."
He pointed to the metal door that led to combat.
"Get ready."
From the arena, the screams of the crowd could be heard.
And the sound of something hitting the sand with force.
The first matches...
had already begun.
One by one, the numbers began to sound over the speakers.
"Team 3, get ready. Team 3, to the arena."
The students left through the metal door while the others waited in the room.
Every time someone returned, they brought a mix of excitement and surprise.
"It was so easy!" a boy with a bandaged nose said. "I won a thousand dollars."
Another held up the money, laughing.
"Me too! He didn't even hit me hard."
"Those guys didn't even fight well."
Elysian listened in silence.
Something didn't add up.
All the first-year students who had returned had won.
Not one had lost.
That made no sense.
If this was a real show for betting... why were all the rookies winning?
Elysian rested his elbows on his knees.
"This is weird..."
Then the speakers sounded again.
"Team 14, get ready."
Nicol stood up immediately.
"That's us."
Elysian also stood up.
Before leaving, Nicol walked toward the weapon rack.
She grabbed something and slid it onto her hand.
Steel brass knuckles.
She turned toward Elysian.
"Aren't you going to use a weapon?"
Elysian looked at the rack full of bats and metal pipes.
Then he shook his head.
"I prefer fists... and kicks."
Nicol smiled.
"Very classic."
Both walked toward the metal door.
When it opened, the roar of the crowd hit their ears.
The torches illuminated the arena as the public screamed from the stands.
Elysian and Nicol walked toward the center.
On the other side, two young men were already waiting for them.
They looked a bit older than them.
Connor was near the arena, watching everything with his arms crossed, as if supervising the combat.
He looked at the four of them.
"You already know the rules."
He raised his hand.
"Begin."
The two opponents lunged immediately.
One ran straight at Elysian.
The movement was clumsy.
Too direct.
Elysian barely moved.
He dodged the blow with ease.
The boy was completely open.
Elysian twisted his hips and launched a punch straight to the chin.
THUD
The opponent fell to the ground unconscious.
A single blow.
Elysian blinked.
"Was that it?"
On the other side, Nicol had attacked at the same time.
With the brass knuckles, she connected two quick blows.
The boy in front of her also fell to the sand.
The fight had ended in seconds.
The crowd applauded... but without much enthusiasm.
As if they were expecting something more.
Nicol raised her arms, smiling.
"That was so easy!"
Elysian looked at the two opponents lying on the ground.
Something wasn't right.
The attacks had been too foolish.
Direct.
Predictable.
And if everything was permitted here...
Why didn't they try anything dirty?
Why did they lunge as if they wanted to lose?
Connor raised his hand.
"Victory for Team 14."
A few more rounds of applause were heard.
Elysian and Nicol walked toward the exit tunnel.
Before they fully entered, Connor approached.
He pulled out a wad of bills.
He separated two.
A thousand dollars.
He gave one to Nicol.
And another to Elysian.
"Good job."
Then he turned around, as if it were something completely normal.
Elysian tucked the money away in silence.
As they walked back through the tunnel, he heard someone in the stands shout:
"Let the real action begin!"
Elysian frowned.
When they returned to the preparation room, he sat on one of the benches.
He looked at the bill in his hand.
Thinking.
Nicol dropped onto a nearby stretcher.
"Well... if all the fights are like this, this academy is basically free money."
She looked at Elysian.
"Did you see that? We didn't even sweat."
Elysian looked up.
"That's what worries me."
Nicol tilted her head.
"Why?"
Elysian pointed toward the arena.
"Because this is supposed to be entertainment."
The noise of the public continued to be heard in the distance.
"And what we just did..."
Pause.
"Wasn't entertaining."
Nicol fell into thought.
For the first time, her smile faded a bit.
And in that moment...
from the speakers...
a brutal roar from the crowd was heard.
Much louder than before.
As if something far more violent had just begun.
The arena had changed. It was no longer a game for beginners.
One by one, the first-year students returned on stretchers—some with makeshift bandages, others with bruises and open cuts. Screams of pain and crying mixed with the applause and excitement of the crowd. Some parents or bettors in the stands were furious, others ecstatic. The atmosphere had shifted from a spectacle to a real battlefield.
Elysian watched in silence. His heart beat hard. He knew this wasn't the same as the previous fight. This time, the crowd's warning wasn't a trick; it was the truth.
It was his turn. Nicol walked beside him toward the arena. Both knew something had changed.
On the other side, Kener and a new figure were waiting. A girl of Chinese descent, with a red skirt decorated with flowers and a black tank top. Her hair was divided into two buns, each perfectly styled. The girl's gaze was cold, focused, lethal.
Kener smiled, reminding Elysian of what he had said before:
"I'll see you at the baptism, brat."
Nicol didn't wait. She lunged toward the Chinese girl with speed and strength. But the girl didn't even blink. With a perfectly executed kick, she swept Nicol to the ground and continued hitting her with surgical precision, leaving her staggering and in pain.
Elysian ran toward Nicol, but Kener intercepted him with a brutal punch. Elysian flew several meters and fell to the ground, touching his nose as blood began to flow. He knew what was happening: this was the real action, the test that the Director had been preparing.
Kener lunged at him again. Elysian tried to dodge and block, but nothing worked. Every one of Kener's blows seemed to break through his defenses with ease, massacring Elysian. The predator and the prey were clear in the arena: Elysian was the prey.
With a firm grip, Kener grabbed Elysian's blue hair and slammed him against the arena wall. The impact echoed through the entire place. The crowd screamed, cheering for the violence with enthusiasm.
Elysian rolled to dodge Kener's next kick, breathing with difficulty. Every movement was a struggle to survive, something completely different from anything he had faced before. The pressure and adrenaline forced him to react instinctively.
With a moment of clarity, Elysian managed a kick to Kener's chin, forcing him to step back and fall to his knees, surprised. The crowd went wilder, cheering for both of them as if they were gladiators.
"Wow!" said the Chinese girl, holding Nicol by the hair and watching the scene with a cruel smile. "This one is more fun than I expected."
Elysian stood up, panting, and launched another kick toward Kener. But Kener grabbed his leg with one hand, lifting him into the air while spinning. The crowd held its breath.
The spin launched Elysian toward the arena with brutal force. He spat blood and barely had time to react. He only saw Kener's fist approaching, and then... nothing. Only black.
The silence lasted a mortal instant before the crowd erupted in a deafening scream. Elysian was trapped in the darkness of the most intense fight of his life, facing an enemy that seemed invincible.
The first feeling was pain.
A dull ache that thrashed through his face, his jaw, and almost his entire body.
Elysian opened his eyes slowly.
The white ceiling and cold lights told him immediately where he was.
An infirmary.
He tried to sit up a bit, but his body protested.
"Take it easy," a voice nearby said. "You're still pretty beat up."
Elysian turned his head.
Sitting in a chair next to the stretcher was Roy, the skinny second-year boy with glasses.
Roy raised a hand in greeting.
"Good fight."
Elysian blinked a few times.
For a moment, he thought everything that had happened was a strange dream.
The arena. The crowd. Kener.
But Roy was still there.
"I never thought someone would make Kener drop to his knees," Roy continued.
Elysian let out a small, pained sigh.
"I didn't think anyone would give me a beating like that, either."
He looked at his bandaged hand.
"I've fought many guys on the street... even adults much stronger than me."
Pause.
"But that guy..."
Elysian remembered the final punch.
"He's on another level."
Roy nodded.
"Don't feel bad."
He adjusted his glasses.
"Kener is one of the top ten here at the academy."
Elysian looked at him, confused.
"Top ten?"
Roy rested his elbows on his knees.
"Yes."
He took a breath before explaining.
"In this academy, like they already told you... strength is the only rule."
Elysian listened in silence.
"Here, you have to respect your elders."
"Those with the most wins."
Roy raised a finger.
"It doesn't matter if someone is extremely skinny or small."
"If that person has even one more win than you, you have to respect them."
Elysian slightly frowned.
"That's how the hierarchy works here."
Roy continued.
"Fights are normally one-on-one or two-on-two, like the one you had."
"But the most important ones..."
His voice dropped a bit.
"Are the clan fights."
Elysian looked at him.
"Clans?"
Roy nodded.
"And then there are the betting fights."
"Those are where you really earn money."
Elysian crossed his arms with difficulty.
"Betting?"
"I thought the spectators were already betting."
Roy shook his head.
"That's the basics."
He leaned in toward him.
"In betting fights, it's not the spectators who bet."
"It's the fighters."
Elysian raised an eyebrow.
"The opponents can bet anything within their power."
"Money."
"Properties."
"Reputation."
"Information."
Roy paused briefly.
"Even..."
"Their lives."
Elysian stared at him.
"What?"
Roy sighed.
"In clan and betting fights..."
"You can kill."
Silence fell over the infirmary.
For Elysian, that was almost impossible to process.
To kill.
Inside a school.
It was absurd.
But he remembered the arena.
The crowd screaming for blood.
And he knew Roy wasn't exaggerating.
Still, he said nothing.
Roy kept explaining.
"The top ten are the students with the most victories."
"The strongest."
"The most important."
"They practically rule here."
Elysian watched him closely.
Roy raised another finger.
"They are allowed almost anything within the academy."
"They can skip classes."
"Dress however they want."
"Smoke on campus."
"Or even..."
He shrugged.
"Have relationships within the academy."
"Obviously in private places."
Elysian became thoughtful.
"So..."
He looked at him.
"What rank is Kener?"
Roy raised both hands.
"Tenth."
"The weakest of the ten."
Elysian's eyes widened slightly.
If Kener... who had crushed him...
was the weakest of the top ten...
Then...
What would the other nine be like?
For the first time since he arrived at the academy...
Elysian felt a true curiosity mixed with unease.
This place...
was much bigger...
and more dangerous...
than he had imagined.
Roy stood up from the chair by the stretcher and adjusted his backpack on his shoulder.
"Well… I have to go."
Elysian remained sitting on the stretcher, his body still feeling heavy.
"To class?"
Roy nodded.
"Yeah. They don't cancel classes here just because you almost got killed in the arena."
He adjusted his glasses.
"By the way… you were unconscious for an entire day."
Elysian raised his eyebrows.
"A day?"
"Yeah. They brought you in after the fight, and the doctors said you were in pretty bad shape."
Roy smiled slightly.
"But you survived. That's already more than some can say."
Elysian looked down for a moment.
Kener.
The top ten.
And he had barely been able to touch him.
Roy started walking toward the exit.
"See you later, Elysian."
Before leaving, he added:
"And seriously… you did well."
The door closed behind him.
A while later, Elysian left the infirmary.
The academy hallway was full of students walking between classes as if nothing had happened the night before.
As if the arena… didn't exist.
As he walked, he saw someone leaning against the wall.
It was Nicol.
She had bandages on her arm and a small patch over her eyebrow. She was also walking slightly hunched over.
When she saw Elysian, she smiled.
"Well… the hero woke up."
Elysian looked her up and down.
"You don't look so good either."
"That Chinese girl…" Nicol muttered, "she fights like a damn machine."
They walked together down the hallway.
"How long was I out?" Elysian asked.
"A day."
"Great."
Nicol sighed.
"I think we have class now."
She looked at her schedule.
"Advanced Mathematics."
Elysian looked at her.
"Perfect… exactly what I needed after almost dying."
They entered the classroom.
All the students were already seated.
The professor was standing in front of the chalkboard.
When Elysian saw him… he stopped for a moment.
He was massive.
The tallest person Elysian had ever seen.
He wore an elegant brown suit and reading glasses. But even with the suit, it was evident that his body was completely muscular.
His presence filled the entire room.
The professor looked at them coldly.
"You're late."
Elysian took a step forward.
"I just woke up in the infirmary."
The professor didn't even change his expression.
"I don't care."
He adjusted his glasses.
"I'll let it slide this time since you're new."
Pause.
"It will be the last time."
Elysian and Nicol took their seats.
The class began.
Elysian noticed something strange.
There were second and third-year students in the room as well.
But the weirdest thing…
Was the atmosphere.
Every time the professor spoke…
The students seemed afraid.
Not just attentive.
Terrified.
Nicol leaned toward a girl sitting in front of her.
"Hey," she whispered, "can I borrow an eraser?"
The girl tensed up.
She turned slowly.
Her face was pale.
"Don't talk…" she whispered nervously, "we'll get in trouble…"
CLANG
A metallic object flew across the room.
It hit the girl directly in the head.
The sound was sharp and dry.
The girl slumped forward.
Blood began to run down her forehead.
Nicol froze.
The object fell onto the desk.
It was a metal chalkboard eraser.
The professor's voice broke the silence.
"Miss Fer."
He adjusted his glasses.
"I thought you understood the rules."
The girl began to cry.
"I-it wasn't my fault…"
Her voice was trembling.
"She talked to me…"
The professor walked slowly toward her desk.
He had a disturbing smile.
He slammed the desk hard.
BAM
"Are you crying?"
The girl was shaking.
"Are you stupid?"
The professor looked at the blood dripping onto the desk.
"Look at what you did."
"You're dripping blood in my classroom."
He leaned toward her.
"You deserve a punishment."
The girl began to plead.
"Please… no…"
But then—
Nicol stood up abruptly.
"Hey!"
The entire room froze.
"That wasn't her fault!"
The professor turned his head slowly.
Without even looking at her.
SLAP
A brutal slap.
Nicol was sent flying and hit the floor.
Her lip split, and blood appeared immediately.
The classroom fell into absolute silence.
Elysian bolted up.
"What the hell is wrong with you?"
He insulted him.
The students looked at him in horror.
As if they had seen someone challenge the devil himself.
The professor didn't even seem bothered.
He simply took a step.
BOOM
A punch.
Elysian went flying against the back wall of the classroom.
The impact knocked the wind out of him.
Pain surged through his entire chest.
He tried to get up—
But something flew toward him.
A desk.
It hit him in the stomach.
The air was knocked out of his lungs instantly.
Before he could react, the professor was already in front of him.
He grabbed him by the neck.
And lifted him off the ground with a single hand.
Elysian punched the professor's face.
Once.
Again.
It did absolutely nothing.
The professor threw him against the chalkboard.
CRASH
Elysian fell to the floor.
The pain was unbearable.
Then he felt something pressing down on his neck.
The professor's foot.
Pinned down with force.
Elysian could barely breathe.
The professor spoke calmly.
"I told you, brat."
His voice was cold.
"I wouldn't forgive you twice."
He pressed his foot down a little more.
"Whether you know it or not… I don't really care."
He leaned in a bit.
"But in this academy…"
"You respect your superiors."
His eyes looked at him with contempt.
"The next time you disrespect me…"
Pause.
"I'll kill you."
He withdrew his foot.
Elysian coughed, trying to breathe.
The professor walked back to the front of the room as if nothing had happened.
"Right."
He adjusted his suit.
"Class dismissed."
"Leave."
The students left quickly.
No one said a word.
The professor looked at the girl who was still crying.
"Except you… Miss Fer."
He smiled.
A disturbing smile.
"You have to receive your punishment.