"Everyone has gathered around."

Above the stadium, clouds swayed and gathered together, pulled together by an impressive amount of Ein that made all the students pale from the power emanating from above. The clouds formed a large ring overlooking the stadium, and an image of a person formed in the center. The figure had a clean-shaven head with no hair on his head and no facial hair, making him seem like a strange middle-aged man dressed in simple blue robes.

His closed eyelids slowly parted, revealing a vibrant green pair of eyes, and brought forth not a sense of danger but rather everyone felt a sense of submission creep up from their heart. Clenching his scarlet bulwark and sweating from the pressure, Oscar bowed to his knees, as did everyone else.

The figure coughed multiple times before his magnetic voice spread through the air. "I am the Pavilion Master, Remulus Grant. Nice to see our students so enthusiastic about today."

As everyone heard his voice, they felt the pressure lifting from them and a sense of comfort from Remulus's kind tone. But they soon kneeled more from his words. This normal-looking unassuming person was the Pavilion Master who ruled over them all, a legendary King Exalt! How many can say they had seen a King Exalt with their own eyes?

"Everyone rise." Remulus scratched his chin.

Oscar rose to his feet with awe at the King Exalt above. Just from feeling his presence and hearing his voice, Oscar understood that he was nothing more than an ant before him. It wouldn't surprise him if a single cough could end his minuscule life.

Remulus sighed, expressing his exhaustion. "I am speaking to all of the Halls from the Minor Hall to the Inner, from the Foundry to the Palace of Whirlpools. This news is one we had all been anticipating but also one that places a sword above your heads."

No one broke out in whispers, but several audibly gulped. This news that made the Pavilion Master himself come out to relay it was certainly not going to be anything uplifting.

"The time of the opening of the Ashen Grove has been determined. It will be in a year and a half." Remulus had a severe expression on his face. "All students, hear my command. Do your best to become stronger. Work hard so that you can fight. I understand this is asking a lot from you children, but know that you'll bear the responsibility to shape the future."

"Farewell. I pray for your good fortune." Remulus's visage faded, and the clouds parted, returning to their place.

As the crowd around him broke out in a clamor, Oscar remained silent in his thoughts like a stone in the river. A year and a half. That was all the time he had left to grow stronger.

Although the purpose of Ashen Grove eluded him, as even his master did not speak of it, Oscar feared it would cost some lives, and he had no wish to join the unfortunate ones. "First step is to get as far in this Grand Gathering."

The elders calmed down the crowd and began to call out names for the battle. Name by name, people came forth and fought on their platforms. Oscar closed his eyes and drowned out the sounds of battle, waiting for his turn.

"Oscar Terr!"

"Here." Oscar leaped on his platform, looking around for his opponent. Then someone came on his platform, but Oscar laughed and said, "Fred?"

"Why am I paired with you?" Running his fingers through his green hair, Frederick grumbled while his yellow eyes stared daggers at Oscar. He sighed and took out two short swords, new grade-two armaments he had purchased a while ago. "Reminds me of when we were matched up two years ago."

"At that time, they disqualified both of us." Oscar lifted his Invicus Bulwark, and the silver rings glowed as his Ein flowed within. "But this is payback for back then."

"Didn't you already punch me in the gut?" Frederick sighed, but he stared forward calmly. "Don't think this will be easy for you, Os."

The two took up their stances. The proctor nodded at the two's readiness and shouted, "Begin!"

At the signal, Oscar and Frederick summoned their animas. Oscar's deer anima stomped its metallic hooves as its metal antlers shone from the sunlight. Frederick's hawk anima had grown twice as large as before, with streams and swirls of green wind surrounding its wings and feathers.

"Go." Oscar sent out his deer anima for their usual greeting in spars.

"Shaking hands?" Frederick, however, rushed ahead with his anima, not intent on playing around. He swung his right sword as wind melded and flowed around its blade, forming a second outer edge.

'Grade Two Gust Blade'

Frederick followed up with his hawk anima, slicing with its right wing in sync with his slash. Frederick's attack was a triple-fold menace with the 'Gust Blade', his armament, and the hawk anima's wing enveloped in raging winds. However, his Prinstyct picked up Oscar's intent, and he switched stances.

"Man, you thought the same as me." Oscar threw his Invicus Bulwark with the full force of his Reis, becoming a red blur like a spinning disc. His deer anima leaped backward with a snort from its nose. "But we both have the Prinstyct, so it's pointless."

Frederick clicked his tongue and knocked the bulwark aside. The raging winds from his attacks made it take weird trajectories in the air.

Oscar pulled his bulwark back and snapped it to his arm. Stomping his powerful feet, Oscar trampled his way toward Frederick with his deer anima, intent on setting this in close combat. However, as expected, his friend knew enough of his prowess in melee and retreated away with 'Grade Two Gust Steps'.

Turning his body, with his feet skidding across the platform, Oscar attempted to give chase, but the winds on Frederick's swords began to swirl until they were akin to tornadoes. The 'Grade Two Cyclone' spell shot out from his blades, similar to Rachel's 'Tornado Spear', but was an upgraded version.

The twisting cyclones slammed into Oscar's Invicus Bulwark and failed to get past the sturdy bulwark but split into tearing winds, the aftereffects of a cyclone.

'Grade Two Silver Sheen'

Oscar's body became coated in silverly metal that clanked and clicked from the remaining winds that failed to get past the hard metal, leaving him unharmed. Without a single wound on him, Oscar still cursed that he didn't have time to get a ranged spell and decided to keep his eyes on Frederick, who was desperately trying to throw off his Prinstyct.

'Grade Two Guststream'

Oscar dodged the wind tunnel created by Frederick, but the next move caught his Prinstyct off-guard. Frederick's hawk anima had ridden the 'Guststream' to reach incredible speeds, even more than its usual speed from its wind-empowered wings. As it sped like a bullet, its wings spread out like two sharp blades.

'Not bad.' An anima's intent was not viewable from the Prinstyct, and Frederick hid this tactic from Oscar during their spars. Oscar smiled as Frederick sent out more cyclones when he was distracted by the hawk anima. The cyclones mixed with the 'Guststream' and the hawk anima's wings, terrifying winds were gathering around hawk, becoming like a harbinger of the storm.

'Grade Two Silver Lance'

A silver lance covered Oscar's arm. Resonating with his deer anima's antlers, Oscar thrust forward, meeting the hawk anima head-on. The 'Shattering Wave' burst from the silver lance, scattering through the winds and reaching the hawk anima.

But the hawk anima disappeared suddenly. Oscar remained calm as a burst of wind slammed into his back. Frederick had moved out of his sight to his exposed back, attacking from a distance.

'Ripple Shroud'

'Silver Sheen'

The winds receded for a moment, not harming him too much before his silver skin came up to protect him. But the force of the winds was enough to move his body forward, doing blunt, dull damage to his back.

"Phew." Oscar sighed as his skin returned to normal, but Frederick did not allow him to catch a breather as more wind attacks assaulted him. However, Oscar had enough of Frederick's little tricks, blocking and dodging the incoming storm.

The hawk anima whizzed by his face multiple times, unable to catch him. The winds failed to break past his sturdy defense. All the while, he sent out his deer anima to stampede its way toward Frederick.

'Wind Barrier'

Frederick cursed and put up his barrier, but since it was only a grade-one spell, the deer anima smashed through it with its metal antlers. Ein focused on its hooves, allowing it to give chase to Frederick's 'Gust Steps'.

Oscar realized the stalemate between Frederick and him. Although he had no wounds, he couldn't allow himself to keep up his 'Silver Sheen' and Edureisclad forever. With no other choice, his legs burst out with incredible speed, and the bulk of his Reis acted as the propulsion, shooting him out like an arrow.

The entire time, his deer anima had been moving Frederick in one direction, making it easy for him to guess his next move even without Prinstyct.

But Oscar's eyes perked up as his Prinstyct picked up Frederick's intent. His friend streamed straight ahead toward him.

'A trap?' Oscar eyed his friend with the Prinstyct. 'Bring it on, Fred.'