As expected from a school under the International Magic Knights Alliance, Hagun Academy was enormous. Just within the campus, it housed multiple dome-shaped arenas, each containing a combat area with a diameter of 100 meters and wide, tiered seating for spectators.
After quickly cleaning up, Kurogane Ikki led Charles to one such arena.
Along the way, the two had grown more familiar through conversation.
"Charles, you're really from Shenlong Temple? I've always wanted to see that place. But I heard they don't allow outsiders in," Ikki said in amazement.
Charles replied, "People on the outside just think it's mysterious. In truth, it's not all that different from a school. Everyone's simply working hard to pursue the pinnacle of martial arts."
"That kind of place... sounds amazing," Ikki said with genuine longing.
Just from being around Charles, he could tell Shenlong Temple was a place of true purity—unlike Hagun Academy, where bureaucracy and superficial judgment had dulled its edge.
Before long, they arrived at the appointed arena. As they entered, they saw Shingūji Kurono, cigarette in mouth, waiting inside.
"Took you long enough," she complained, then noticed Ikki beside Charles.
"Looks like you two already know each other. So? How do you like my arrangement?"
Charles nodded. "Ikki's a strong guy—I've enjoyed getting to know him."
Kurono smiled. "Good to hear. But right now, the important thing is your testing. Don't tell me you were so focused on making friends you forgot to prepare?"
Charles replied casually, "If I had prepared in advance, it wouldn't reflect my real capabilities, would it?"
"Confident, aren't we?" Kurono chuckled. "Let's not waste time then—let's begin!"
She led Charles into the arena, where several unfamiliar machines were set up.
To Charles's surprise, the spectator seats weren't empty—quite a few students were present, Stella among them. A quick glance at Kurono told him everything—this was her doing, obviously.
Kurono met his suspicious gaze without a hint of guilt and said calmly, "There are six sections in the test. First up: Attack Power. Hit the target with everything you've got."
Charles stepped into the center of the arena, raised his arms, and whispered:
"Roar—〈Fafnir〉."
A glow appeared on his left arm as scaled plates like dragon hide spread across his hand and forearm, forming a grim-looking gauntlet. The fingers ended in sharp claws, and the elbow was topped with a deadly spike. Fiery patterns pulsed along the surface, resembling molten lava—it exuded raw, terrifying power.
But Charles wasn't done.
"And now… Rise—〈Siegfried〉."
His right arm also began to transform. Unlike the draconic left, this silver gauntlet was refined and elegant, befitting a noble knight.
Kurono chuckled. "So that's his Noble Arm, huh? Fafnir and Siegfried… The Dragon and the Dragonslayer.
How intriguing—what kind of conflicting soul produces such a Noble Arm?"
Noble Arms were unique to this world—manifestations of a Sword Bearer's soul, materialized through magic power.
Legendary weapons like "Holy Swords," "Cursed Blades," "Magic Spears"—they were all Noble Arms wielded by some exceptional warrior.
The form of one's Noble Arm reflected their innermost self. As with a wand to a mage, a Sword Bearer needed their Arm to unleash their full potential.
Since it was a soul projection, Noble Arms could be summoned in either a "real" or "phantom" form. The phantom version inflicted no real damage—only drained stamina.
As a result, the Alliance mandated that only licensed Magic Knights were permitted to use the real form of their Noble Arms outside of authorized scenarios.
Even phantom forms were generally restricted to arenas.
Charles's Noble Arm was a dual set—two different gauntlets on either hand: 〈Fafnir〉 and 〈Siegfried〉.
Their names came from the Nibelungenlied. Fafnir, the cursed dragon, was once a giant who transformed into a beast to guard his golden ring. Siegfried, the hero, slew Fafnir and bathed in his blood to gain invincibility, earning the title "Dragon-Blooded Knight."
Charles possessed both the power to become a dragon and the will to slay one—thus, his Noble Arm reflected this inner paradox.
Fully equipped, Charles unleashed his first attack:
"Flame Dragon's Iron Fist!"
The segmented scales of his left gauntlet flared open, and fire surged outward in a jet, like a dragon roaring from within.
The blazing heat rolled across the arena, raising the temperature dramatically. The inferno completely enveloped the target dummy.
Kurono leaned over to check the monitor—and saw the numbers spiking. In an instant, the gauge passed the A-rank threshold and kept climbing.
Though this test measured only attack power, it reflected other metrics like magic control and output. One move alone made it obvious: Charles was, without a doubt, an A-rank Sword Bearer.
Strangely, his expression remained calm, and the fiery lines on his gauntlet only glowed a bit brighter. He wasn't even breathing hard as he turned to Kurono.
"If you don't need a break, we'll move on to the next test: Defense," Kurono announced.
Charles nodded and stepped in front of the next machine.
"Skip the formalities," Kurono told the technician. "Start from B-rank output."
In this world, magic power didn't just represent fate—it also granted passive defense. Sword Bearers with high magic could block normal attacks with their aura alone.
Someone like Stella could shrug off any attack below D-rank—it wouldn't even penetrate her defense field.
This was why top-ranked Sword Bearers could alter the course of wars alone. Conventional weapons were little more than toys to them.
With so many variables in play, even nuclear weapons from Charles's previous world might not be enough to stop them.
The same went for Charles—starting from the lowest level was a waste of time.
The technician hesitated, but obeyed.
The device fired a concentrated magic beam straight at Charles's chest—but he didn't even flinch. The beam was blocked effortlessly.
"Boost the output," Kurono ordered.
The intensity increased. Charles could feel it, but it still wasn't difficult to withstand.
"A-rank reached!" the technician reported.
Kurono waved a hand. "Keep going—I want to see where his limit is."
The pressure rose. Sparks of fire danced around Charles's body—his magic was so strong that it began to leak out as flames.
Suddenly, the machine began to smoke.
"Director! We've reached the limit!" the technician shouted.
Kurono snapped, "What are you babbling about? Can't you see the kid's still perfectly fine?"
"The machine, ma'am! It's at its limit. Any more and something might break!"
"Tch, fine, shut it down. So much for the latest model—breaking down before the person does," she grumbled.
"Prep the next phase!" she barked.
"Magic Capacity Test: Begin!"
Watching the gauge nearly overload, Kurono simply nodded. "As expected."
"Magic Control Test!"
Charles used his power to manipulate clay in midair, sculpting an impressively detailed dragon. Every scale was finely textured, every feature lifelike.
"Luck Test!"
He pressed a button ten times. Each press generated a random marker, which the system then matched against ten hidden markers to determine accuracy.
"Physical Test!"
Without using magic, Charles passed every apparatus with ease.
Looking at the test results, Kurono muttered, "What a monster."
Even as a former world third-ranked, she'd rarely seen such balanced, outstanding stats. The resulting six-point graph was unnervingly perfect.
Name: Charles
Ability: Conceptual Interference - Flame Dragon
Sword Bearer Rank: A
Noble Arm: 〈Fafnir〉 & 〈Siegfried〉
Attack: A
Defense: A
Magic Power: A
Magic Control: A
Luck: B
Physical Ability: A
[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! Only $5 per novel or $15 for all!!] [[email protected]/Mutter]
[+50 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]
[+5 Reviews = +1 Extra Chapter]