Grand Return System-Chapter 91: The Bamboo Test

The Bamboo Test

"Teacher," Rias said softly now, sincerity replacing her earlier excitement, "this place... it feels like home. I really like it here."

Wind from the window curled into the room, skimming her skin like something barely spoken. A single thread of red hair rose, wove midair, then rested on her face. Fixing it was not worth the effort.

Just then, her calm slipped away. She stopped holding it together.

A quietness sat in her gaze now, where sparks once jumped. Not held back, not trimmed by court rules or watchful looks. Open. Still... ease.

Each word came straight from her heart.

For a moment, silence came from Leon. Then nothing more.

He watched her.

It wasn’t only her face - there was a quiet change underneath. Her shoulders sat differently now. Her voice moved without strain. At the beginning, every smile kept a distance, like words unspoken were hiding behind it.

Now it had vanished.

Out of its place came a softer presence.

Something real.

Peace.

Fine," came his reply, slow and steady, barely above a murmur.

A tiny nod slipped out, more like a quiet close than any kind of announcement.

"Alright, that’s good."

Faintly, Rias smiled - soft, quiet, the sort that shows without shouting. Her eyes blinked once, slowly, before the warmth settled in.

Up he stood, calm and steady. The edge of his deep-colored robe moved too, shadowy cloth glinting faintly where threads of purple curled at the border. A soft glow pulsed there, almost breathing under the weave.

A hush crept through the training hall, slow and uneven. Stillness settled like dust after motion stopped. Quiet pooled in corners where noise once jumped. Air hung without breath. Not a footstep broke the calm. Silence thickened, odd but complete.

Not empty - but attentive.

Stillness crept into the space between breaths.

Moment by moment, Leon’s eyes shifted from one face to another. His look stayed fixed, careful in its pace.

"My Amethyst Summit Division is different from other divisions," he said, his tone even, but carrying quiet authority. "We don’t bind ourselves with unnecessary restrictions."

He paused, just long enough for the words to sink in.

"As long as we don’t violate the Academy’s rules, everything will be fine."

Rias tilted her head slightly, curiosity flickering in her eyes again—but it was calmer now, more focused. Beside her, the other student straightened instinctively, sensing the shift in atmosphere.

Leon’s purple eyes sharpened—not harsh, but precise. Like a blade being drawn just enough to show its edge.

"The Seven Division Martial Meeting is approaching."

The words landed heavier than before.

Even the air seemed to tighten.

Rias’s expression stilled. "The Martial Meeting... already?" she murmured, more to herself than anyone else.

She knew what that meant.

Everyone did.

For Celestis Academy, the Martial Meeting wasn’t just another event. It was pride. It was status. A battlefield without blood—where strength, strategy, and reputation clashed in front of the entire academy.

A place where divisions proved their worth... or lost face.

Leon continued, his voice cutting cleanly through their thoughts.

"The two of you will represent Amethyst Summit Division to participate."

Rias straightened fully now, surprise flashing across her face before settling into something sharper—determination.

"Us?" she asked, a hint of disbelief slipping through. Then, after a brief pause, her lips curved slightly. "You’re really trusting us with that?"

Leon met her gaze without hesitation.

"If I didn’t," he said simply, "you wouldn’t be standing here."

That was enough.

No exaggeration. No unnecessary praise.

Just certainty.

Rias exhaled quietly, something in her chest settling. "...Then we won’t disappoint you."

The other student nodded as well, more silently—but no less resolute.

Leon watched them for a moment longer, as if weighing something unseen.

Then—

"Today," Leon continued, "we’ll hold an examination."

He stepped forward, his presence immediately changing the atmosphere.

"Let me see how much your cultivation has improved during this period. Selena, you go first."

Selena stood.

Her long silver-white hair fell over her shoulders like moonlight. The pale blue sash at her waist fluttered faintly as she followed Leon out of the training hall toward the bamboo forest.

Rias stayed behind, red robes vivid against the stream’s edge, watching quietly.

The bamboo forest swayed gently under a clear sky. Sunlight filtered through tall stalks, scattering broken shadows across the ground.

Selena held the Amethyst Mist Sword.

The moment she stood opposite Leon, the pressure multiplied.

Before her peers, she was confident. Cold. Untouchable.

But before him...

Her fingers tightened slightly around the hilt.

This wasn’t just a spar.

This was his evaluation.

And she wanted—no, needed—to meet his expectations.

"Phew..."

She exhaled slowly, calming her heartbeat.

Don’t be nervous. Don’t disappoint Teacher.

"Come," Leon said, voice steady. "Attack me with what you’ve learned. Any method."

He stood beneath the bamboo canopy, one hand behind his back. The other rested loosely at his side. The jade pendant at his waist caught the sunlight. His long black hair shifted with the wind, and for a brief second, he looked less like a teacher—and more like an immortal descended from the heavens.

Selena’s cheeks warmed faintly.

She steadied herself.

"Teacher... here I come."

Her voice turned cold and focused.

In the next instant, she moved.

The Amethyst Mist Sword flashed forward, slicing through air with a clean hum. She formed a sword seal mid-stride, riding the wind as she closed the distance.

Leon didn’t move until the blade was nearly upon him.

Then—

A simple shift.

Two fingers rose, lightly intercepting the flat of the blade.

Clang.

The impact rang softly, but the force behind it dissolved like mist.

He used no domain.

No GrandMaster Realm suppression.

Only his physical body.

Selena’s eyes sharpened.

She twisted her wrist the moment her attack was blocked, pivoted mid-air, and drove a sharp kick toward his flank.

Leon stepped sideways.

To him, her movements unfolded like slow ripples in still water—clear, predictable, measured.

But for someone of her realm?

Her reactions were sharp.

Her form was stable.

Almost no unnecessary motion.

The Amethyst Mist Sword flowed seamlessly into another technique. She didn’t hesitate. Didn’t panic.

Good.

Very good.

Yet no matter how smoothly she executed her strikes, she couldn’t touch him.

Her breathing grew heavier.

Then—

A faint frost gathered around her.

The temperature dropped.

"Hell Blizzard Technique."

In an instant, a soul-piercing chill erupted outward. The air crystallized. Frost spread across bamboo leaves, forming delicate white patterns.

Under the awakening of her Divine Ice Bones, that cold wasn’t ordinary.

It penetrated.

It sought the soul.

Leon’s eyes flickered with quiet approval.

"Teacher, be careful!" Selena called out, even as she advanced.

Her blade carved through the frozen air, releasing a wave of icy sword light aimed straight at him.

If Leon stood at the same level as her, without using the Font Sword Art, he would indeed need effort to counter this.

He lifted his hand casually.

The incoming sword energy dispersed as if brushed aside by a passing breeze.

The frost shattered into harmless fragments of light.

Selena landed lightly, chest rising and falling.

Leon nodded inwardly.

Two-star Astral Realm.

In just over a month of real combat experience, her realm had stabilized completely. More importantly, her mindset had matured.

Her attacks weren’t reckless.

They were deliberate.

Her improvement was enormous.

The bamboo forest slowly returned to normal. Sunlight warmed the clearing again.

Selena lowered her sword slightly, waiting for his verdict.

Leon’s expression remained calm—but his eyes carried unmistakable satisfaction.