Extra's Ascent

"This is how it's going to be. If you win, I'll accept fault even for things I don't understand. But if I come out on top, you end this pointless hostility."

Aldrich's tone carried unwavering certainty, almost unnervingly so.

Though his adversary was two classes beneath him, this level of composure might have been excessive. After all, both of them were handpicked by Eldora, an academy that didn't entertain mediocrity. Every student here, regardless of rank, bore within them remarkable talent and untapped promise.

It was true: there existed a noticeable gap between an S-class and a B-class, let alone when comparing battle potential. But still… this was Eldora. And here, even a B-rank could break limits, shatter expectations, and change outcomes. Aldrich's overwhelming confidence could very well lead to his downfall if caution was thrown to the wind.

"Enough of the talk," Dickins growled, stepping forward, fists clenched. "Let's get this over with."

What was this sensation washing over Aldrich? He was moments away from engaging in combat, and yet, not a flicker of fear stirred inside. No adrenaline surge, no anxious tremor, just a quiet, steadfast assurance. Oddly, even the thought of using his clover eyes hadn't crossed his mind.

Dickins charged first, fist cocked and radiating raw, unfiltered force. The attack carried weight more than any normal strike should have. Yet Aldrich waited, calm and motionless, calculating.

As Dickins closed the distance, Aldrich infused mana through his veins. At the precise moment, he drove his leg forward with ruthless precision, striking Dickins directly in the abdomen. The impact sent the latter flying backwards, crashing to the floor with a harsh thud.

He tried to rise but Aldrich was already upon him.

With swift dominance, Aldrich pressed a firm foot down on Dickins' chest, anchoring him to the ground with authority. There was no resistance. No fight left.

To Aldrich, this wasn't a battle. It was a demonstration, an exhibit of the chasm between their current states of strength.

'Is this what Dwayne felt facing Dante?' Aldrich wondered briefly. Dwayne, too, had stood calm and centred when he fought Dante Pendragon, utterly unfazed by the fanfare surrounding the prodigy.

Dwayne had won, and effortlessly at that. Now Aldrich understood why.

"Listen." Aldrich's voice was level, clear. "I don't know what your problem with me is and honestly, I don't care enough to pry."

He kept his foot planted firmly, asserting control. "We've been grouped together for a reason. Whether that reason is strategic or chaotic, I don't know. What I do know is this: you either rise to the occasion and work with me or you let your resentment cloud your mind and jeopardize our exam."

He paused, watching Dickins' eyes flicker with something, recognition, perhaps?

Aldrich wasn't one to rely on charm or persuasive speech. He had no 'talk-no-jutsu' magic to lean on. But for this team to function, he needed to make sure there were no lingering grudges. He was willing to put in the effort.

"I'm going to step back now," he continued, "and when I do, you and I are going to figure this out as comrades, equals. Sound fair?"

Dickins remained silent, eyes scanning the ceiling above, then shifted his gaze toward Opius and Valeria, who had watched the skirmish unfold without interference.

"I told you," he murmured to them. "He's not like the rest of them."

Aldrich furrowed his brow. "What do you mean, not like the rest? Someone care to explain?"

Opius and Valeria stepped closer as Aldrich removed his foot, noting with some relief that the tension in Dickin's expression had faded.

"We made a bet," Opius said casually. "Dickins and I wagered on whether you'd behave like the typical S-class student, proud, dismissive, egotistical."

"So all of this?" Aldrich asked, bewildered.

"A test," Opius answered.

Should he be amused? Offended? Maybe both?

Aldrich stood in thought. "I could have seriously injured you," he said finally.

He envisioned them pulling this stunt on someone like Ian. The outcome would have been catastrophic, bloodied, probably unconscious. On a scale of one to disaster, it would've broken the meter.

"But you didn't," Dickins responded, brushing dirt and debris from his uniform. "Even though I provoked you, you didn't escalate. You could have gone all out, you didn't even activate your clover eyes."

"You know about that?"

Introductions only went by first names. No family names were exchanged. If they knew about his clover eyes, then they knew who he really was.

"Of course," Opius said, grinning. "You're famous around here. Right alongside Dante Pendragon, Fiona Helmswoth, Selina Von-Degure, your sister Saldrich Aldaman, and Edward Handerson. You six are the icons of the S-class."

Aldrich blinked. Him? Among them?

He could understand the others, they were prominent, established, well-known even before Eldora. But him?

"My sister? Why is she on that list?"

The others, sure, but Saldrich too?

"She earned her reputation by being the only student from the mid-states to climb into S-class," Valeria explained. "No family backing. No wealth. She's an inspiration, a symbol of possibility for students without privilege."

She left out the details about Saldrich serving Selina Von-Degure. Aldrich considered mentioning it but decided against it.

"And what if I'd failed your little test?" he asked, voice steady. "What if I had looked down on you all?"

"Then this group would've had a very difficult time functioning," Dickins admitted. "But that didn't happen. So now, I've got no issue working with you."

Dickins extended his hand, an offering of truce. Sincere. Solid.

Aldrich stared at it for a second. This wasn't hesitation, it was reflection. Dickins, a character who'd never once appeared in the story till now, had managed to earn his respect.

"Likewise," Aldrich said, clasping the handshake firmly.

"Don't leave us hanging," Opius chimed in, stepping forward with a smirk.

Valeria joined as well, her quiet nod enough to convey her agreement.

And just like that, a team was forged, not yet unbreakable, not wholly in sync, but real. They stood not as fractured pieces brought together by fate, but as a group willing to figure things out, despite the tension, despite the gaps in strength.

An unexpected beginning.

A promising one Aldrich looks forward to.