Chapter 19: Reliability Under Fire
Daichi stood in the middle of the training arena with his knees wobbling badly enough that he was beginning to suspect they had developed opinions of their own. His palms were damp, his glasses had already slipped down his nose twice, and opposite him hovered Luminel—basketball-sized, pink, winged, spear in hand, and somehow managing to produce the sort of pressure one normally expected from something considerably larger and much less cheerful-looking. Knowing that Luminel was only an Elite-stage Aetherkin did not make this more comforting. Daichi had seen what Elite-stage creatures could do. He had also seen Luminel fight Eidon. Size, he had learned during the last month, was one of the least reliable ways to judge whether something could flatten you.
"Focus on Clark," Daichi muttered to himself. "You're not fighting an ancient fairy who could probably put you through the ground. You're supporting Clark. Completely different."
It was not completely different.
Beside him, Clark bounced eagerly on his flippers, utterly unconcerned.
Daichi looked down at him.
"How are you not nervous?"
Clark grinned.
"Because we're fighting."
"That is exactly why I'm nervous."
Luminel tapped the butt of his spear against one tiny shoulder.
"Whenever you're finished having your crisis."
Daichi swallowed.
"Right."
He raised his Resonance Linker.
The device answered immediately.
Light spilled outward and wrapped around Clark's body. This was not natural evolution. They all understood that distinction now. If Clark had genuinely fulfilled the conditions required to become an Adult-stage Aetherkin, the change would have been permanent. He would have grown into the new stage and stayed there unless something forcibly drained enough power from him to cause regression.
The Linker was cheating.
Useful cheating.
But cheating nonetheless.
It took the bond between human and Aetherkin and forced a temporary one-stage leap before the Aetherkin had actually earned that stage naturally.
Clark's body expanded inside the light.
His white fur thickened and spread over a much larger frame. Massive limbs struck the ground, hard plating formed around parts of his body, and great tusks curved outward as the playful little sea-lion-like creature transformed into his powerful Adult form.
Tidemaw.
The stone beneath him trembled as he landed.
Daichi stared upward.
No matter how many times he watched one of their partners evolve, there was always a moment when his brain needed to catch up with the fact that the small creature who had been making jokes beside him seconds earlier could now probably crash through a building.
Tidemaw turned his massive head.
Same eyes.
Same grin.
Still Clark.
Daichi's nervousness did not disappear.
That wasn't how reliability worked.
His hands still trembled.
His heart still hammered.
But Clark was beside him.
That was enough.
"All right."
Daichi raised the Linker.
"Let's do this."
The Virtue Sigil of Reliability flashed.
Daichi felt the connection between them strengthen.
He pushed support through it.
First defence.
Blue-white light flowed around Tidemaw's enormous body and settled across his armour and fur like a second protective layer.
Then speed.
Another current joined it.
Tidemaw's stance shifted instantly, enormous body somehow becoming lighter.
Daichi felt the drain immediately.
But something in the Sigil answered.
He pushed once more.
Power.
A third enhancement surged through the Link.
Tidemaw's muscles tightened beneath the layered aura.
On the sidelines, Haruto's eyes widened.
"Three?"
Shun had already opened his laptop.
"He's maintaining three enhancements simultaneously."
Airi glanced at him.
"Is that unusual?"
"At our current level?"
Shun's fingers moved rapidly.
"Very."
The Sigil around Daichi's Linker continued glowing.
Luminel's eyes narrowed with interest.
"Reliability," he murmured.
Daichi heard none of them.
His attention had narrowed completely onto Clark.
"Go!"
Tidemaw roared.
Cold mist erupted around his tusks.
"Ice Coat!"
Frost swept across his massive form. Freezing mist spiralled around him until the enormous Adult-stage Aetherkin was wrapped inside a shimmering layer of cold, frost glittering across his armour beneath Daichi's defensive enhancement.
Luminel moved.
Daichi barely saw it.
One moment the little fairy hovered opposite them.
The next his pink body blurred.
"Clark!"
"Got him!"
Tidemaw swung his head.
"Icicle Bullet!"
Sharp spears of ice erupted forward.
Luminel's spear spun.
CRACK!
One shattered.
CRACK!
Another exploded into glittering fragments.
Luminel twisted between the remaining projectiles without slowing.
Daichi's stomach dropped.
"He's too fast."
Tidemaw planted his feet.
Luminel vanished behind a spray of broken ice.
Daichi's eyes tracked the movement.
Left.
Up.
No—
"Right!"
Tidemaw turned.
Too slow.
Luminel's spear struck the defensive aura.
THOOM!
The impact pushed Tidemaw several metres across the arena.
Stone cracked beneath his feet.
But the barrier held.
Daichi felt the impact through the Link like pressure against his chest.
He clenched his teeth.
"Again!"
Tidemaw's horn glowed.
"Harpoon Torpedo!"
Power spiralled around the attack, forming a high-pressure drilling blast that screamed across the arena.
Luminel banked sideways.
The first passed him.
Tidemaw fired another.
Then another.
Luminel twisted between them, tiny wings snapping him through impossible turns.
Daichi followed.
Don't watch where he is.
Watch where he's moving.
Another blast.
Luminel dipped.
"Now!"
Tidemaw changed angle.
The Harpoon Torpedo almost caught him.
Almost.
Luminel spun around it with inches to spare.
His grin widened.
"Better."
Daichi did not find that encouraging.
Luminel disappeared.
Daichi froze.
"Where—"
A ripple appeared beside Tidemaw.
Space folded.
A small glowing opening formed, and Luminel shot through it with his spear already thrust forward.
"Barrier!"
Tidemaw reacted instantly.
"Bubble Barrier!"
Water exploded around him.
A vast translucent sphere formed around Tidemaw and Daichi together.
Luminel's spear struck.
THOOOM.
The barrier folded inward.
Ripples raced across its surface.
For one terrible second Daichi thought it would burst.
Then the water redirected the impact.
Luminel was thrown backward.
Daichi punched the air.
"YES!"
Tidemaw laughed.
"We got him!"
"No."
Luminel's voice came from nowhere.
Daichi's smile vanished.
Another spatial ripple opened behind them.
"Behind!"
Tidemaw spun.
Too late.
Luminel emerged from the opening, one hand already glowing.
Electricity crawled between his fingers.
"Fairy Lightning."
The bolt struck Tidemaw's side.
CRACK!
His enormous body jerked.
Electricity raced across frost-covered armour and wrapped around his front limbs.
"CLARK!"
Daichi felt the shock through their bond.
Not the full pain.
An echo.
Enough to make every muscle along his back tighten.
Tidemaw dug his claws into the stone.
Electricity snapped around him.
His head lowered.
Then slowly rose again.
"Status!" Daichi shouted.
Tidemaw shook himself.
"No paralysis."
Shun looked up sharply.
"Interesting."
Renji glanced at him.
"What?"
"That attack should have interfered with his movement."
Daichi's layered defensive reinforcement still shimmered around Tidemaw.
The Sigil glowed beside it.
Misaki smiled faintly.
"Maybe Daichi's defence boost did more than he thought."
Daichi heard none of this.
He was breathing hard now.
The stamina gauge on his Linker had fallen considerably.
Maintaining three enhancements while supporting an evolved partner was expensive.
His hands shook.
But this time, it wasn't entirely fear.
"I'm not stopping."
Tidemaw turned his head slightly.
"Good."
Luminel hovered several metres away.
For the first time since the fight began, he gave Daichi a genuine nod.
"Better than I expected."
Daichi pushed his glasses back into place.
"That isn't as flattering as you think."
Luminel smiled.
"You'll survive."
"That somehow sounds worse."
Tidemaw laughed.
Then charged again.
By the time Luminel finally called the match, Tidemaw's legs were shaking beneath him.
The Adult-stage Aetherkin lumbered away from the centre of the arena, frost still clinging around one tusk and his breathing heavy enough to make his entire body rise and fall.
Daichi walked beside him.
Or attempted to.
His own knees were not functioning with much greater dignity.
"That," Daichi said between breaths, "was worse than exams."
Tidemaw groaned.
"I can't feel my legs."
"You have legs now?"
"That feels like an unnecessarily technical question."
They made it to the edge of the arena before Tidemaw's front limbs buckled.
Daichi immediately caught against his side, which accomplished absolutely nothing considering their difference in size but made him feel useful.
Luminel floated over.
"Hold still."
He touched his spear lightly against Tidemaw's side.
Soft light spread outward.
The strain in Tidemaw's muscles eased. His breathing slowed. The lingering electricity faded.
Daichi dropped onto the grass beside him.
Luminel examined them both.
"Good."
Daichi looked up.
"Good?"
"You lasted longer than I expected."
Daichi stared.
"Please stop saying encouraging things like insults."
Luminel's mouth twitched.
The others gathered around.
Haruto arrived first.
"That was incredible!"
Ryu bounced beside him.
"Let us fight next."
Haruto grinned.
"Exactly."
Renji folded his arms.
"We're going after them."
Alex looked up at him.
"You are voluntarily allowing Haruto to precede us?"
"I'm observing."
Alex blinked.
"Remarkable."
"I'm capable of thinking."
"Occasionally."
Renji frowned down at him.
Nearby, Raikōmaru stood beside Caelan watching Tidemaw recover.
The newly renamed Voltkin nodded solemnly.
"Clark did well."
Caelan glanced down.
"Not jealous?"
Raikōmaru hesitated.
"A little."
"At least you're honest."
"A respectful amount of jealousy."
"Naturally."
Misaki crouched beside Yuto.
The younger boy had been quiet since the fight ended.
Michael hovered close to him.
"You okay?" Misaki asked.
Yuto looked toward Tidemaw.
"He got hit really hard."
Michael's wings lowered slightly.
Yuto swallowed.
"What if Michael can't handle that?"
Michael moved onto his shoulder.
"I'll be okay."
Yuto looked at him.
Michael gave him a gentle smile.
"But... we can wait a little if you want."
Luminel heard them.
"No one has to step into the arena before they're ready."
Yuto looked surprised.
Then Luminel added:
"But waiting forever is another form of refusing."
Yuto nodded slowly.
"We'll do it."
Michael pressed against his cheek.
"Together."
"Later."
"Later."
Airi had Flora held tightly against herself.
"I would also like to formally request 'later.'"
Flora patted her arm.
"We'll be fine."
"That's what everyone says before getting struck by lightning."
Tidemaw lifted one paw weakly.
"Still worth it."
Airi stared.
"You are all insane."
Shun was typing again.
Luminel noticed.
"What now?"
"I'm estimating how much power you actually used."
Luminel's eyes narrowed.
Shun continued.
"Based on movement speed, impact force, reaction time and the reduction in output from Fairy Lightning..."
Everyone waited.
"Approximately five percent."
Silence.
Haruto stared at Luminel.
"Five?"
Shun nodded.
"Approximately."
Airi looked horrified.
"You nearly flattened them with five percent?"
Luminel shrugged.
"I am Elite-stage."
Daichi lay back on the grass.
"Excellent."
Misaki sighed.
"Thank you, Shun. That made everyone feel much better."
"I thought you'd want accurate information."
"No."
"Noted."
Tidemaw stirred.
Luminel's healing had worked rapidly. The enormous Adult form raised himself again and stretched, rolling his shoulders as strength returned.
"I feel fantastic."
Daichi looked at him.
"You were unable to feel your legs thirty seconds ago."
"I'm resilient."
"You're a menace."
Tidemaw grinned.
Daichi's expression softened.
"You did really well, Clark."
"So did you."
Daichi laughed weakly.
"I mostly stood there and panicked."
"You kept the boosts running."
Daichi stopped.
Tidemaw lowered his enormous head closer.
"And you didn't run."
Something in Daichi's expression shifted.
"I didn't want to let you down," Clark said simply.
Daichi stared at him.
Then smiled.
"Same."
Around them, the others grew quieter.
Haruto's enthusiasm remained.
Renji's competitive stare remained.
Airi and Yuto were still nervous.
But everyone had watched Daichi—the most cautious among them—stand in the arena against an Elite-stage Aetherkin and continue supporting his partner even while terrified.
Luminel floated upward.
"Remember that."
Everyone looked at him.
"Your virtues are not decorations."
His gaze passed across their Sigils.
"Courage. Friendship. Knowledge. Compassion. Sincerity. Hope. Reliability."
The Sigils glimmered faintly in response.
"They influence what your bonds can become."
Haruto's eyes dropped briefly toward his own Sigil.
He knew better than anyone how far that influence could go.
The Linkers could force their partners one stage beyond what they had naturally achieved.
The Sigils could push farther.
Much farther.
Gravefang had proven that.
Ryu had gone from Juvenile to Elite without ever naturally reaching Adult in between.
And someday, if a Sigil fully awakened, that power could carry one of their partners all the way to Apex.
It was a frightening shortcut.
Perhaps also the only shortcut powerful enough to get them home.
Luminel lowered his spear toward the arena.
"So."
His smile returned.
"Who's next?"
Haruto and Ryu moved simultaneously.
"US!"
Renji groaned.
"I knew I should've moved faster."