School Dormitory, 09:00 AM...

  'That first evaluation was truly impressive... I actually showed what I’m capable of! Asuna, Pan... I can’t believe they’re that strong.'

  The boy lay on the dormitory’s only bed, currently being "hugged" by his teacher, who seemed to have spent the whole night snoring. Slowly waking up to the morning sun, Paola stretched, getting ready for another day.

  "Hmm... Giyo? You're awake already?"

  "Y-yes..." the boy replied, sounding a bit nervous.

  "You know, I’m curious about something. You talked to those two girls yesterday, didn't you? Don't tell me you've fallen for your opponents—and possibly your future classmates?"

  Giyo shivered, leaping out of bed instantly.

  "O-of course not!! I just respect them... Asuna Vermilion and Pan Sun... they are both very strong, though Asuna didn't seem particularly strategic."

  "So you noticed? The Vermilion Clan is always like that—they put the thrill of the fight above everything else. But I’ve never heard of that other girl’s clan... The Sun Clan... I wonder where they come from?" Paola mused, running through various possibilities.

  Giyo felt a chill crawl up his spine, but he did his best to hide his knowledge.

  "I-I have no idea... Hehehe."

  A few hours later...

  Giyo had already gotten dressed and prepared himself for the second phase of the selection. Once again at the entrance, all the participants were gathered, looking more confident and excited! While waiting for the start, Giyo leaned against a wall, but one tiny problem was bothering him at the moment.

  "Hey... I want to know why you two are here," he asked.

  Pan and Asuna were at the boy's sides, clinging firmly to his arms.

  "I-I'm a little nervous about this phase. I prepared all night, so... you're the only one I can lean on right now," Pan admitted, looking anxious as she gripped her brother's arm even tighter.

  Asuna watched their proximity, feeling a pang of jealousy and drawing closer as well.

  "I don't care. These weaklings don't deserve my attention," she declared dismissively. But inside, her thoughts were racing: 'Damn, look at this... I’m so close to him...'.

  Just like the first time, Hiro appeared accompanied by the professors, inviting the participants into the school. The path through the corridors was the same, until a strange door at the very end swung open on its own.

  Everyone stepped inside, feeling the heavy tension in the air. Inside the room, there were countless chairs and sheets of paper on the tables. The place was pitch black—the floor, the ceiling, and the walls were shrouded in absolute darkness, showing no sign of light.

  "Don't worry, we are still inside the school," Hiro said, raising his arms to present the room. "As you can see, this is the intelligence testing hall. I made sure to remove any details that might distract you."

  Stepping into the center of the room, Hiro crossed his arms, observing every candidate.

  "The intelligence test boils down to a single question, which you must discover for yourselves... Good luck to all."

  Without another word, Hiro left with the professors, and the door sealed them in total darkness.

  'Okay... this exam looks complicated. I don't remember Paola teaching me any of this,' Giyo thought. He glanced around; everyone looked focused, yet no one had even picked up a pen. 'It seems nobody understands the test.'

  Suddenly, Pan stood up and walked toward her brother. The entire room was shocked by her boldness; even Giyo couldn't hide the surprise on his face.

  "W-what are you—"

  "I've figured it out. This test isn't about a simple sheet of paper; they want us to do something else." Her revelation brought a wave of relief as everyone leaned in to listen. "As you can see, the topics on this paper are incomprehensible because they are university-level subjects. Things we don't even know yet. LOOK!" She pointed toward where the exit should have been. "Our only way out has vanished into the darkness. In short: the test is to find a way out of this room!"

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  Immediately, the participants rose from their seats, moving through the dark hall. Groups began to form, each trying to find an escape.

  "Impressive, Pan. But did you have to scare me like that?" Giyo asked.

  "Let’s just say I wanted to see my little brother’s scared face," she gave a quick wink, teasing him. "But now the question is: how do we get out? I can’t sense any mana nearby; it’s like we’ve been cut off from the rest of the world."

  Asuna approached them, her usual arrogant self.

  "I have an idea. Just like on the first day, let's just punch a hole through the wall!"

  "You really are a brute..." Pan sighed. "But you're right. If this room is just for show, a hole in the wall might be our way out."

  "And what if it's not just for show?" Giyo questioned.

  "Then we'll have to find a way to locate the door using magic..." Pan mused.

  Asuna walked to a wall, channeled all her magic into her fist, and slammed it into the darkness. Everything shook from the impact, but in the end... not a single hole. Not even a scratch.

  Giyo tried the same with a simple punch, but nothing happened. All around him, the other participants were doing the same, desperately searching for a breakthrough.

  "Damn it," Giyo muttered, feeling discouraged. "If brute force didn't work, we have to find another way out."

  "When I struck the wall, the room trembled slightly. I felt something coming from four specific points... We might be trapped inside a magical barrier or a seal," Asuna stated.

  "A barrier? A seal?" Pan pondered the possibilities. "Getting out won't be easy. We're just beginners; does the Headmaster really expect us to break high-level spells?"

  Giyo, growing anxious, searched for a solution. Then, he remembered the papers Pan had mentioned earlier and began to examine them detail by detail. Pan and Asuna didn't quite understand what he was doing, but they knew he was onto something.

  "Did you find something, Giyo?" Pan asked.

  "It's a seal, right? My teacher told me about this once. Usually, you'd need Ancient Magic to break a seal like this. But since none of us can use advanced magic, they must have hidden the release spell in one of these sheets!"

  Pan and Asuna were stunned by the possibility. They gathered all the papers and analyzed them until four stood out, featuring a strange script that was nearly impossible to decipher.

  "Great!" Pan cheered, realizing this was the answer. "Now we just need to channel magic into them and break the seal."

  "Hold on, it's not that simple. Look," Giyo pointed to the sheets. "Each page has a symbol: Fire, Water, Earth, and Air. The four natural elements! We need people who can use each of them."

  The participants gathered around, trying to activate the sheets, but no one could make them glow completely. That’s when the two standouts from the previous day approached.

  "You're the ones from yesterday, right? The ones who stood out in the fights..." Giyo greeted them.

  "I should say the same about you. Anyway, I am Kirio Ualter."

  "I-I'm Petra..." the girl whispered.

  The two channeled their magic into the papers, and they lit up instantly. Finally, the users of the four natural elements were gathered!

  "Okay, but what now? We need to channel this energy into something that can act as a key," Pan said, her worry growing as each discovery brought a new set of problems.

  "I have an idea." Giyo walked toward the wall, placing his hand against the darkness and priming a strike. "Channel your mana into me! I’m going to throw a punch that will shatter this seal!"

  Everyone was stunned, but they followed Giyo’s lead. One by one, they placed their hands on his back. Magic surged through his body, awakening something deep within. His marks began to glow with a vibrant blue hue, and a black flame erupted from his fist. With a single, explosive burst... BOOM!

  Giyo’s punch struck the wall with devastating force, unraveling the darkness and the seal instantly. The room returned to normal as the shadows vanished. The Headmaster stepped inside, applauding the candidates.

  "Impressive! I didn't expect you to figure out how to escape this room so quickly. However, I must inform you: the test is not over. Even after breaking the seal, the room hid the truth from your eyes. In short, keeping your test papers intact was a requirement to pass."

  Giyo’s expression turned grim. He spun around toward his desk only to see his paper burning away, turning into nothing but ash. Giyo collapsed to the floor... defeated.

  "Damn it... I failed..."

  A few hours later, in the Headmaster’s office...

  "I honestly couldn't believe they were actually capable of breaking the seal I placed," Hiro remarked, gathering the paperwork and the results of each student.

  "I suppose it’s my fault. I taught him about ancient magic and seals... In the end, I’m the one who accidentally gave him the answer key," Paola said, her head hanging low.

  "KAAAAAKAKAKA! Don't worry about it, Paola. The boy did well, they all did... Even if they didn't get a perfect score, those five managed to pass. That much I can guarantee."

  "R-really?!" Paola felt a brief wave of relief.

  "But the next trial begins now. I didn't warn them because I wanted to catch them off guard." Hiro turned his back to the desk, watching the students about to leave the school grounds. "Ultimately, I must be certain they are prepared to grasp the true concept of magic and combat."

  "You mean...?" Paola gasped, covering her mouth in shock.

  "Exactly. The Psychological Test."

  Outside, Giyo and the other participants were on their way out, ready to head home. Suddenly, a massive symbol erupted on the ground, ensnaring the feet of every student. Giyo realized what it was and tried to warn the others, but it was no use. One by one, they collapsed to the ground, falling into a deep, unnatural sleep.

  "Sir, I have cast the spell as instructed."

  A maid suddenly appeared behind Paola, startling her.

  "Thank you..." Hiro remained there, watching the scene unfold. His eyes locked onto the five children who had stood out. "I truly hope they pass this test."