Jai Veer and Anvi teleported at the Aaroha Academy camp with the old man—who was none other than Shekhar Singh, the Vice Principal of the Aroha Academy.
"It's still a while before morning," Shekhar Singh said as they arrived. "Anvi, head back to your tent and get some rest. And you, young boy, come with me."
Before entering her tent, Anvi glanced back at Jai Veer. She gave him a small, warm smile and said softly, "Bye, Veer." Then she disappeared inside.
Jai Veer smiled back and quietly followed the vice principal.
"So, your name is Veer?" Shekhar Singh asked casually as they walked.
"Well, actually... my full name is Jai Veer. Sorry I didn't mention it earlier," he replied, slightly awkward.
Shekhar Singh chuckled. "No need to apologize, boy. I just never asked before."
After walking a bit further, they stopped in front of a small solo tent but big enough for one person.
"This will be your place to rest," the vice principal said. "I'll send someone for you in a little while. You'll be going up against one of our students in a match—it will be your entrance test. There'll be other students and teachers watching, so be prepared." With that, he turned and walked away.
"So I have to fight just to get into the Aroha academy... Hopefully, they don't make me face someone too powerful for a trial match," Jai Veer muttered to himself. Then he sat down cross-legged and slipped into a meditative pose to recover his energy and heal the wounds he had sustained.
---
A Few Hours Later...
Jai Veer slowly opened his eyes. He stretched his arms and back with a long sigh. "Whew... I feel a lot better now. Last night was really intense."
Just then, the flap of the tent shifted, and someone stepped inside.
"Oh! Anvi!? What are you doing here?" He asked, a bit surprised.
"The vice principal sent me," she said. "Matches are happening, and your match is coming up in a few hours. I'm here to take you to the arena."
"Matches!?" He raised an eyebrow, puzzled.
"Yeah," she nodded. "These matches determine who's qualified to enter the forest to hunt Grade-1 magical beasts. But your match is different—it's both your entrance test and your qualifying round for the hunting mission."
"Oh, I get it. Alright then, let's go," he said, heading toward the exit.
"Wait! You're seriously planning to go like this—with your clothes all torn up?" she said, stepping in front of him. "Fix them with your magical energy first."
"Oh! I totally forgot," he said, a little embarrassed. He waved his hand, and with a small surge of magical energy, his clothes magically repaired themselves. "Thanks for the reminder, Anvi. Let's go."
---
The arenas were full of energy and motion. Students of all ages were busy—some looked around Jai Veer's age, while others were clearly older and more experienced. A few among them radiated impressive strength, having reached the peak of the 9-Star Jagruti (Awakening) stage.
Several teachers stood around the edges of the arena, watching the matches unfold. Jai Veer looked around but couldn't spot the vice principal anywhere.
"Huh... Weird. He was the one who arranged my match, and now he's nowhere in sight," Jai Veer thought, scanning the area.
Three different arenas were active. Each one had a supervising teacher who was calling out match results, making sure everything ran smoothly and fairly. Some teachers stood silently with arms crossed, watching the fighters with sharp eyes.
"Arena 2, Match 5—Winner: Vipin Kumar!" one of the teachers announced loudly.
"For Match 6—Anvi versus Suraj Kumar! Please report to Arena 2!"
Anvi looked at Jai Veer. "My turn," she said and walked off toward the arena.
"Good luck!" Jai Veer! called out behind her.
She turned her head, flashed him a quick smile, and then kept walking.
---
Both fighters entered Arena 2 and took their positions.
"Begin!" the supervising teacher announced.
Suraj launched the first attack, firing a barrage of magical strikes from a distance. Anvi moved with liquid grace, dodging each one with ease. She swiftly closed the gap between them, her dagger glowing faintly in her hand.
"So she wants to fight up close, huh?" Suraj muttered and took out his sword.
Dagger clashed against Sword. Their blades met in a flurry of sparks—each strike followed by a counter, every block followed by another swift move. It was a fierce and fast-paced block, dodge, and counterattack of weapons.
"Damn... she's fast. And her strikes are dead-on," Suraj thought, panting from the effort. "I've got to end this fast."
"Sword Power Strike!" he shouted, gripping his sword tightly with both hands and channeling all his magical energy into it. The blade glowed as it surged with power.
But Anvi wasn't backing down.
"Amplified Thunderbolt!" she yelled, forming a series of precise hand signs. A bright bolt of lightning burst from her dagger.
The two attacks collided in midair. A brilliant flash and loud boom echoed across the arena.
Suraj was thrown back, barely landing on his feet.
"What the—how did her attack overpower mine?" He muttered in disbelief.
But Anvi didn't give him time to recover. With lightning speed, she channeled energy into her dagger and rushed forward again.
Suraj tried to block the incoming blow, but the energy surge from her weapon was too much. His sword flew from his hand, and he hit the ground hard.
"Arena 2, Match 6—Winner: Anvi!" the teacher declared.
Suraj lay on the ground, both hurt and furious, while Anvi calmly stepped out of the arena.
---
Back at Jai Veer's side, she noticed the distant look on his face.
"What's the matter? You look like you've seen a ghost," she teased.
"No... It's just... it feels like everyone here has some kind of special techniques. I don't have anything like that," he replied, still staring toward the arena.
"Ohh, so that's what's bothering you," she smiled. "Well, here in the academy, we earn those techniques by completing tasks. Most of us still only have the basics since we're pretty young."
"So tasks like matches, missions, and tournaments?" he asked.
"Exactly. That Amplified Thunderbolt move—I got it after finishing a special task," she said.
"Oh! Then that move you used in the forest... was that one from the academy too?" he asked curiously.
Anvi smirked and turned away. "No, that one's a secret technique."
"Wait... If that wasn't from the academy, then there's only one explanation—you're from a powerful clan, aren't you?" He said, stepping in front of her with a playful grin.
"You're sharp, I'll give you that," she said, her expression growing serious. "But I never tell anyone my clan's name. Not students, not outsiders. So don't ask me that. And don't assume anything either."
With that, she turned and walked away toward the arena to watch matches carefully.
"Alright, alright! I won't ask," Jai Veer said with a sheepish smile.
---
One Hour Later...
A loud voice echoed from Arena 3:
"For Match 17—Jai Veer versus Anmol Ratan! Please report to Arena 3 immediately!"
"Finally, it's my turn," Jai Veer said, taking a deep breath and heading toward the arena.
As he stepped inside, he came face to face with his opponent—Anmol Ratan. He was taller, older by at least two years, and his presence radiated powerful energy. He had clearly mastered the peak of the 9-Star Jagruti (Awakening) stage.
Nearby students started laughing.
"Look at that rookie! He's going up against Anmol? He's done for!"
"Yeah, he won't last a minute. This is going to be brutal."
Their laughter drew even
more attention. Now, all the students, teachers, and spectators from every corner of the training ground turned their eyes toward Arena 3.