The four hour break between trials passed in tense anticipation. Jace found a quiet corner of the Academy grounds, away from the other applicants and their nervous chatter. He needed to conserve energy, both his own and Kiri's, for the final combat trial. The beast power assessment had been successful, but it had also drawn attention. Several Academy officials had been making notes, their interest evident.
Kiri sat beside him, her posture relaxed but alert. Through their bond, Jace could feel her calm confidence. She trusted his planning, trusted that the combat trial would showcase everything they'd worked toward.
"The judges noticed," Kiri observed quietly. "The way you had me strike. The precision. They're wondering how a debt ridden failure trained a supposedly broken Seraph to fight like that."
"Good," Jace replied. "Questions mean they're paying attention. The Academy rewards excellence, not mediocrity. We need to be memorable, need to demonstrate value that justifies resource investment."
He pulled up the mental assessment of what they'd face in the combat trial. Jace's inherited memories from the original host provided fragmented but useful information about the trial structure. One on one combat against a veteran summoner's beast, typically Mid Rare Tier with defensive focus. The matches were designed to test tactical awareness, adaptability under pressure, and the ability to exploit weaknesses.
"Your opponent will likely be an Earth Golem or similar tank type," Jace explained, running through the tactical scenarios he'd prepared. "High Constitution, moderate Power, low Speed. They'll try to outlast you, force you to exhaust yourself against their defences while looking for counterattack opportunities."
Kiri nodded, her golden eyes focused. "And my approach?"
"Exploit the Speed differential ruthlessly. Your 300 Speed with Royal Stat Floor advantage gives you effective 390 velocity. Even the best trained tank can't track that. You hit structural weak points, joints, where their armour is thinnest. Accumulate damage rather than trying to break through their Constitution directly."
"And if they adapt? If they turtle up and try to wait me out?"
Jace allowed himself a small, cold smile. "Then we demonstrate something they won't expect. Tactical intelligence. The ability to read an opponent and adjust in real time. That's what separates trained fighters from beasts operating on instinct."
They spent the remaining hours reviewing scenarios and contingencies, Jace's royal knowledge providing insights that no conventional training could match. The Prince had commanded armies, had studied warfare at the highest strategic and tactical levels. That knowledge, applied to individual combat, was devastating.
Finally, the call came. All remaining applicants were summoned to the combat arena, a massive open air structure capable of accommodating dozens of simultaneous matches. Crystal barriers separated different fighting zones, each one designed to contain the damage from Rare Tier combat while allowing judges to observe clearly.
The arena was packed. Failed applicants from earlier trials had stayed to watch, curious to see who would pass the final test. Academy officials and veteran instructors lined the observation platforms, making notes and assessments. This wasn't just about passing or failing. It was about identifying talent worth cultivating.
Jace and Kiri were directed to combat zone seven. Their opponent was already waiting, a grizzled veteran summoner in Academy instructor robes, standing beside his contracted beast. Just as Jace had predicted, it was an Earth Golem. Massive, heavily armoured, radiating defensive solidity.
The instructor studied Jace and Kiri with professional detachment. "I'm Instructor Mareth. I'll be your opponent for this trial. The rules are simple: non lethal combat until submission, knockout, or judge intervention. Victory conditions: demonstrate tactical competence and the ability to overcome a superior defensive position. Failure conditions: inability to damage opponent, tactical incompetence, or your beast's incapacitation. Understood?"
"Understood," Jace confirmed.
Instructor Mareth's expression softened slightly, something approaching pity crossing his features. "I've reviewed your file. Three time failure, massive stat improvement in two weeks, wingless Seraph performing well above expected levels. The Academy is interested in understanding how you achieved this."
The statement carried weight. Interest meant scrutiny, but it also meant opportunity. If Jace could demonstrate genuine capability, the Academy might overlook his questionable background in favour of his potential value.
"Then I'll show you," Jace replied simply.
The instructor nodded and stepped back, taking his position at the edge of the combat zone. His Earth Golem moved to the centre, its massive form settling into a defensive stance. The crystal barriers activated, sealing the zone and ensuring no external interference.
A judge's voice rang out across the arena, magically amplified. "Combat trial seven, begin."
The Earth Golem didn't move. It simply stood, a wall of stone and defensive enchantments, waiting for Kiri to make the first move. The strategy was obvious: force the opponent to exhaust themselves against impenetrable defences, then counterattack when they were vulnerable.
Jace activated Insight of the Tactician, spending his second daily use.
System: Tactical Analysis
Target: Earth Golem (Mid Rare Tier, Defensive Specialist)
Stats: Power 185, Spirit 140, Constitution 295, Speed 130
Critical Weaknesses: Joint articulation points at knees and shoulders. Enchantment grid concentrated on chest and head, leaving back relatively unprotected. Slow turning speed makes rear flanking highly effective. Counterattack patterns follow standard Academy defensive doctrine, predictable timing.
The analysis appeared in his mind like text overlaying reality, providing exact exploitable weaknesses. This was what his family had used to dominate for millennia. Not overwhelming power, but surgical precision in identifying and exploiting flaws.
"Kiri," Jace said through their bond, transmitting the tactical data directly. "Knee joints first. Three strike combination, then disengage before counterattack window. Circle right, the Golem's turning speed is 130 versus your 300. It can't track you."
Kiri moved instantly, her form blurring into a streak of celestial light. Her Speed of 300, amplified to effective 390 by the Royal Stat Floor, translated into velocity that seemed impossible for a Rare Tier beast. She closed the distance to the Golem in less than a second, struck its right knee joint three times with surgical precision, then disengaged before the Golem's retaliatory strike could land.
The crowd gasped. The Golem's knee joint, designed to withstand direct assaults, showed visible stress fractures from the concentrated strikes. Kiri hadn't tried to break through the Constitution stat directly. She'd targeted the structural weakness, accumulating damage where the defences were thinnest.
The Golem pivoted, trying to track Kiri's movement, but its Speed of 130 was hopelessly inadequate. Kiri was already circling right, positioning for the next attack sequence. The Golem's defensive stance, designed to protect its front and sides, left its back exposed.
"Back of left knee, same pattern," Jace commanded through the bond.
Kiri struck again, three precise impacts against the Golem's left knee joint from behind. More stress fractures appeared, the accumulated damage beginning to compromise the Golem's structural integrity. The defensive specialist was being systematically dismantled by an opponent it couldn't even track effectively.
Instructor Mareth's expression shifted from professional detachment to genuine interest. His Golem was being outmanoeuvred by a wingless Seraph with superior Speed and unnaturally precise targeting. This wasn't random assault. This was trained, tactical combat.
The Golem changed tactics, abandoning its defensive stance to slam both fists into the ground. The impact sent shockwaves through the arena floor, designed to disrupt opponents who relied on speed and mobility. It was a smart adaptation, the kind of tactical flexibility that separated veteran fighters from novices.
But Jace had anticipated it. "Jump, three meters vertical, strike from above during recovery window," he transmitted instantly.
Kiri launched herself upward, clearing the shockwave entirely. While the Golem was still recovering from its ground strike, locked in the animation of its own attack, Kiri descended from above and struck the back of its head. The impact wasn't enough to breach the heavy armour directly, but it didn't need to be. The goal was accumulation, systematic weakening of defensive structures.
The Golem staggered, its defensive enchantments flickering under the sustained assault. Its Constitution of 295 was formidable, but Constitution couldn't protect against surgical strikes targeting structural weaknesses. The knee joints were compromised. The defensive stance was broken. The Golem was being forced into reactive, defensive scrambling.
"Final sequence," Jace commanded. "Right knee, full force, break the joint completely."
Kiri moved with absolute precision. She closed the distance, evaded the Golem's desperate counterattack, and delivered a devastating strike to the already fractured right knee joint. Her Power of 290, amplified to effective 378, focused into a single point of impact.
The joint shattered. The Golem collapsed, its massive form crashing to the arena floor, unable to support its own weight. It wasn't defeated, not technically, but it was incapacitated. Combat effectiveness reduced to zero.
The judge's voice rang out. "Combat trial seven, concluded. Victory: Applicant Jace and contracted beast Kiri."
The arena fell silent for a moment, then erupted in shocked murmurs. A wingless Seraph had just systematically dismantled a Mid Rare Tier defensive specialist in under two minutes. Not through overwhelming power, but through speed, precision, and tactical awareness that seemed impossible for a supposedly untrained beast.
Instructor Mareth stepped forward, his expression showing genuine respect. He placed a hand on his fallen Golem, channelling healing energy to repair the damaged joints. "Impressive. Exceptionally impressive. Your Seraph fights like she's received military tactical training, not basic beast conditioning."
Jace met his gaze steadily. "She's well trained."
"Clearly." The instructor made notes on his tablet, his assessment evident. "The Academy will be very interested in understanding your training methods. You pass the combat trial with high marks. Congratulations, Jace. You're officially accepted."
The words carried weight that transcended the simple statement. Accepted. After three failures, after the public humiliation of the Mythic Lion's rejection, after the desperate gamble with forbidden cultivation materials, after everything, they'd succeeded.
Jace felt something warm bloom in his chest, cutting through the Prince's cold calculation. Relief. Genuine, overwhelming relief. The path forward was open. The Academy's resources were accessible. The climb could continue.
Through their bond, he felt Kiri's matching satisfaction. They'd done it together, partners in survival and ambition.
As they left the combat zone, Jace caught sight of other trial results being announced. Most applicants passed. A few failed, their beasts unable to overcome the defensive challenges. But none had won as decisively or as quickly as Kiri had.
The attention was both opportunity and danger. Academy officials were making notes, veterans were discussing tactics, and other successful applicants were studying him with new interest. He'd wanted to be memorable, to demonstrate value. Mission accomplished.
But with visibility came scrutiny. Questions would be asked about his training methods, his stat improvements, his seemingly impossible success. The Academy might investigate, might discover things about the forbidden cultivation materials that would cause problems.
Those were future concerns. For now, they'd passed. They were in. The Academy's gates were open, and with them, access to the resources and knowledge needed to continue the climb.
Three trials completed. Academy acceptance secured. The first major milestone achieved.
The suffering had been worth it. The gamble had paid off. And now, the real work would begin.