I was Drafted Into a War as the Only Human

After a few rounds of evaluation to gauge their basic capabilities, Llarm, Lucius, Gindu, and Eri were thrown headfirst into a challenge that seemed more like punishment than training:

Fighting Darfin.

'This guy is a total maniac,' Lucy thought as he dove to the side, barely dodging a column of fire that exploded past his shoulder. The heat seared the edge of his tunic, leaving behind a sharp, acrid smell of burning fabric and smoke.

He coughed, eyes watering. But there was no time to recover.

Without warning, a glistening sphere of water snapped into existence around him, clear and suffocating. The temperature plummeted. It clung to his skin and clothes like icy hands, squeezing the air from his lungs. His instincts screamed. He kicked, twisted—but there was no give.

The world outside distorted. Sound vanished. He could see Darfin's mouth moving, but there was no voice. Just silence

His vision began to blur at the edges when two shadows streaked in—Eri from the left and Gindu from the right. Their blades gleamed as they charged together, letting out cries of defiance.

Eri moved with deadly precision, her twin blades flashing like silver lightning. Gindu, all power and brute force, roared as he lunged, claws extended.

Darfin's eyes flicked to them. With a sigh that bordered on boredom, he leapt upward, twisting through the air in a graceful spin that defied the laws of gravity. Steel clashed beneath him as the two attacks met nothing but empty space.

Still, their assault was enough.

The concentration he needed to maintain the bubble wavered, and with a sudden pop, the watery prison collapsed around Lucy. He dropped like a stone.

He hit the ground with a heavy thud, limbs splayed, coughing violently as air rushed back into his lungs. His black hair was plastered to his forehead, and dirt clung to his soaked pants as he pushed himself up.

'Just wait until I figure out what my ability does!' he thought, frustrated.

Everyone else had discovered at least a hint of what they could do. Gindu with his scales, Eri had nine lives, and Llarm with the wind. But Lucy?

Nothing but a name: habitual learning. Useless.

'What does that even mean?' he grumbled inwardly, brushing mud off his legs.

But there was no time for self-pity.

A sudden whistle through the air made his head snap up—and a split-second later, four jagged chunks of earth, sharpened like bullets, rocketed toward him.

Darfin's voice followed, like a thunderclap. "Don't lose focus, Human!"

Pain exploded in his limbs as the rock bullets struck—arms, legs. Lucy crumpled to the ground again, teeth clenched, vision swimming.

'Damn this guy.' The pain sharpened his senses. He forced himself back into the fight.

Ahead, Darfin landed lightly about ten feet from Eri and Gindu. The overconfident dragon let out a snort, steam curling from his nostrils. He charged with a battle cry, his scaled skin hardening with a crunching sound. His right arm came down in a brutal arc, claws ready to rip through anything in his path.

Darfin didn't even flinch.

With a lazy motion, he caught Gindu's arm mid-swing—then drove his knee into the dragonkin's gut with bone-rattling force. Gindu's eyes widened as the air was knocked from him. Then he was airborne, flung like a ragdoll into the magical barrier surrounding the palace training grounds.

The barrier shimmered where he hit it, sending a ripple of light.

'Damn. Poor guy. I thought he had him that time,' Lucy thought, wincing... and, despite himself, chuckling a little.

It was a mistake.

A sudden blur cut through the space in front of him, like reality itself hiccupped—and then Darfin was right there, face inches from Lucy's.

"What are you laughing at?" he growled.

His fist came up like a cannon.

'Oh crap—this is gonna hurt.'

Lucy threw his hands up to shield his face, bracing for impact—

But it never came.

Instead, a strange sensation swept over him, like invisible arms were picking him up and gently repositioning him several feet to the left. The wind whooshed past his ears, light and fast.

He blinked.

Darfin stood frozen mid-swing. Lucy now stood off to the side, heart hammering in his chest.

Standing nearby, arm outstretched and eyes sharp, was Llarm. Wisps of air swirled around him like ribbons, still fading.

Darfin turned his gaze to Llarm, eyebrows raised.

Lucy stared, stunned. Ever since arriving at the palace, he'd been treated like dirt for being human, ignored, mocked, and dismissed.

And yet, Llarm had just saved him.

But before Lucy could say anything—before he could even process what had just happened, Darfin's voice cut through the tension like a blade.

"Llarm," he said coldly, his words laced with disdain, "why did you save the human?"

Llarm didn't look up. He stood with his head bowed, shoulders hunched, eyes fixed on the grass. His golden hair hung loosely, veiling most of his face.

"I was the number one pick," he muttered, voice barely above a whisper. "And yet... I'm average."

The words hung in the air, vague and haunting, like a confession.

Lucy blinked, confused—then his jaw nearly hit the dirt.

'This guy was the number one pick?'

'This guy?!'

He barely managed to hold in a laugh, biting the inside of his cheek. It seemed absurd—like someone had mixed up the names at a ceremony.

But Llarm wasn't finished.

"I thought I was going to be special," he said, his voice low and aching with quiet disappointment. "Turns out, that's not true, but that doesn't mean I can't give it my all."

He paused. His fists clenched at his sides, knuckles whitening.

"As for why I saved the human..." he continued, lifting his eyes slightly, "if the guy with the highest ranking ability needs my help, doesn't that make me special?"

The question came out fragile, like he was trying to believe the answer himself.

Darfin stared at him, blinking. For once, the smug instructor had no words.

The silence that followed was awkward, heavy, and thick with unsaid things.

So Lucy stepped in.

Maybe it was guilt for laughing at Llarm during evaluations, perhaps it was gratitude, or maybe it was both. But whatever it was, he meant every word.

"Llarm... thank you," he said, voice firm. "You are amazing. You're super special and amazing. Like a superhero or something! I seriously would've been knocked out if you hadn't helped me just now."

Llarm's eyes widened.

For a heartbeat, they shimmered with disbelief.

Then something shifted.

Light rushed back into them, soft at first, then bursting like sunshine through storm clouds. A slow smile broke across his face, growing brighter by the second.

Suddenly, he sprang upright, flinging his arms wide like he was on stage.

"I am like a superhero, aren't I?!" he declared. "The Amazing Llarm—that's what you can call me from now on!"

He struck a ridiculous pose, one leg bent, both fists on his hips, cape-less but imagining one billowing behind him.

Lucy laughed this time—not at Llarm, but with him.

The tension melted just a little.

Even Darfin... well, he didn't smile, but the corner of his mouth twitched. Maybe that was his version of approval.

"You aren't so bad, Human," Llarm chirped, puffing his chest out with pride.

Lucy blinked at him in confusion.

'Why does everyone here hate humans so much? he thought. Sure, we're not perfect—but we're not that bad.'

Still, he bit back the question. Llarm was finally warming up to him, and he didn't want to ruin that progress just yet.

"Thanks, Amazing Llarm," Lucy said with a smirk, "you're not too bad yourself. Also, the name's Lucy."

He stepped forward, extending his hand for a handshake.

Llarm eyed it as if it were some deadly artifact. His shoulders stiffened, and he leaned back slightly, golden brows furrowing.

"You're... your hand won't poison me, right?" he asked, genuine fear flickering in his eyes.

Lucy stared at him for a second, thrown off. "I... I hope not. That'd be kinda funny, though. Imagine—deadly handshake, the final power of humanity."

He grinned. "Nah, I'm kidding. Not poisonous. I don't think, anyway."

Llarm nodded slowly, clearly unsure but willing to take the risk. He reached out, and their hands met in a firm, awkward shake.

'Huh... did I make my first friend?'

The thought barely had time to finish before a shadow loomed over them.

Darfin.

One second, he wasn't there. Next, he stood directly beside them, his expression unreadable, and his arms crossed.

"Touching. But next time you two want to hold hands, do it after surviving the lesson,"he said with venom.

Then, faster than either of them could react, his fists shot out—crack!—striking both Lucy and Llarm square on the tops of their heads.

They collapsed in perfect sync, crashing to the ground like a pair of felled trees.

Darkness swallowed Lucy's thoughts.

The last thing he heard before blacking out was Llarm mumbling, "I thought we were having a moment..."