Aoi's hand dropped.
Aki moved first. Her body erupted with radiance, beams of light darting like arrows across the arena. The brightness was so intense that Naaji instinctively shielded her eyes with a splash of blood, forming a veil in front of her face.
Indra didn't blink. His strings lashed outward, cutting through the light like knives. He launched them forward, anchoring into the ground, and pulled himself to the side just as a spear of golden energy blasted into the floor where he had stood. The shockwave rattled the entire court.
Selene followed in silence. Her hand lifted, a small orb of teal fire blooming in her palm. With a flick of her wrist, it expanded into a wave, surging across the arena like a tidal flame.
Naaji stepped forward, her body breaking apart into a stream of blood before reforming behind Indra. She slashed her hand outward, sending a sharp whip of crimson into the fire. The two forces collided violently, crackling and hissing, before bursting apart in a shower of embers and droplets.
"Keep your eyes on Aki!" Indra barked.
Aki was already on them, her light forming a blade. She swung, and the sheer brilliance made it hard to track. Indra raised his arm, strings coiling into a shield. The blade cut through two layers before Indra twisted his wrist, snapping the threads taut and pulling Aki off balance.
Naaji took the opening. Her body shifted, dissolving into blood mid-leap before reforming above Aki. She slashed down with a spear of hardened crimson aimed at her chest.
But Selene was there. She appeared at Naaji's side, her hand brushing forward with effortless grace. Another wave of teal fire burst outward, forcing Naaji back in a rain of sparks.
"Your tricks won't save you," Selene murmured, her voice calm, almost bored.
Indra's grin sharpened. "Neither will yours."
He thrust both hands forward, strings erupting in a storm, weaving into countless sharp threads that lashed toward her. Selene spun, fire coating her arms as she batted them away, each strike searing the strings. But for every thread burned, two more shot forward.
Aki regrouped with her, her light burning brighter, pushing back against the encroaching net. Together, they carved an opening, their powers flowing like sun and flame.
Naaji's voice cracked out in determination. "Indra, now!"
She plunged her hands to the ground. Blood pooled outward, covering half the arena, boiling and writhing as it hardened into spikes that erupted toward Selene and Aki.
The two countered at once—Aki firing beams to shatter the spikes mid-air, Selene summoning a wall of teal fire that melted the crimson forest. But the distraction gave Indra the moment he needed.
From behind them, threads snapped into place like a cage, forming a dome around Selene and Aki. The net tightened in an instant, strings glowing with violent energy.
The crowd gasped.
Selene's eyes narrowed. Her aura surged, fire spilling upward in a column, tearing through one layer of strings, then another. Aki's light flared, slicing clean lines into the threads. The cage buckled, shaking under the force of their combined power.
Indra yanked his hands back, reinforcing the threads. Veins bulged across his arms as he gritted his teeth. "Naaji!"
She answered without hesitation. Her body liquified again, rushing into the cracks in the cage, filling the gaps with hardened blood, sealing them tighter. Together, their abilities fused—string and blood, steel and flesh.
Inside the dome, Selene and Aki glowed like a miniature sun trying to tear free.
The ground quaked. The air screamed.
And then—
The entire cage exploded in a storm of fire and light.
Indra and Naaji staggered back, arms raised to shield themselves. The shockwave threw dust and debris across the arena. When the haze cleared, Selene and Aki stood at the center, their auras blazing, unscathed but breathing heavier than before.
Selene's pale eyes locked on Indra's, a cold fire burning within them. Aki's light dimmed just slightly, but her stance was steady.
Indra wiped the sweat from his brow, his grin refusing to fade. "Not bad…" he muttered.
The arena trembled with the aftershock of the last clash. Dust hung in the air, glowing faintly in the fading shimmer of Aki's light. Both teams stood locked in a standoff, battered but unbroken.
Naaji panted heavily, blood dripping from her arms where she'd pushed herself too far. Her crimson eyes flickered, but she refused to collapse. Indra's threads wavered faintly, his arms straining, yet his grin never left.
Across from them, Aki's glow dimmed, though her willpower burned as bright as ever. Selene stood beside her, her pale gaze calm and steady, her aura pressing down like the promise of inevitability.
"Stubborn, aren't you?" Selene said softly, violet fire licking at her fingertips.
Indra chuckled, shaking his head. "Takes one to know one."
Naaji turned to him, whispering hoarsely, "We can still do this. If we push one more time—"
But Indra cut her off with a glance, his grin fading into something quieter. His eyes, sharp and calculating a moment ago, softened with resolve.
"No," he said.
Naaji froze. "What?"
He exhaled slowly, lowering his arms. The strings unraveled around him, vanishing into nothing. "I've seen enough. I don't need to win this fight."
Selene tilted her head, narrowing her eyes, as if sensing the shift. Aki raised her blade of light again, uncertain.
Naaji's voice cracked with frustration. "Why—?!"
Indra's tone was calm, steady, almost detached. "Because this isn't the war that matters. Not yet." He smirked faintly, as if he were keeping secrets even from her.
"Besides… sometimes it's smarter to lose."
Aoi blinked in surprise but raised his hand. "Indra and Naaji… forfeit. Selene and Aki our the tournament champions!"
The crowd erupted with cheers and murmurs, half of them stunned at the sudden end, the other half roaring for the victors.
Naaji clenched her fists, shaking with confusion, but Indra rested a hand on her shoulder. His expression remained unreadable, but his voice was low and firm.
"Trust me. This is how it needs to be."
On the opposite side of the arena, Selene studied him carefully, her pale gaze unreadable. Aki glanced at her, but she said nothing.
Indra turned his back to them, leading Naaji out of the ring with the same calm stride he had when entered it.
The match was over, but the tension lingered like a shadow—the sense that Indra hadn't truly been defeated. He had simply chosen to step aside.
And that choice made him all the more dangerous.
It worked. Giving them the impression that my limit has yet to be discovered will make them more wary of me, they might even try to befriend me, which serves me well.
Indra's voice rang internally.
————
The sun dipped low over Class Crown Academy, casting long golden shadows through the arched windows of the dormitory halls. Students milled about, laughing, bickering, or collapsing from exhaustion after the day's brutal sparring matches.
Indra walked in silence, his hands tucked into his pockets. His eyes drifted lazily over the rows of engraved doors until he found the one marked with his assigned number. With a quiet exhale, he pushed it open.
Inside, a young man with golden hair sat at the desk, back straight, polishing a gleaming sword. His posture was perfect, his movements practiced—even royal. The faint crest on his academy uniform confirmed it: Luce Seinaru, the second prince of the Fasl Kingdom.
The two locked eyes.
"You've got to be kidding me," Luce muttered first, his voice sharp with disbelief. "They put you here?"
Indra smirked, leaning against the doorframe. "Looks that way. Don't worry, I don't snore."
Luce set the sword down, rising to his feet.
"This isn't a joke. I asked for private quarters. To think they'd stick me with you…" His tone dripped with distaste, like Indra was a stain on silk.
Indra stepped inside, shutting the door behind him. "Relax, Your Highness. I don't bite." He dropped his bag carelessly onto the empty bed. "Unless you ask nicely."
Luce's jaw tightened. "Don't mock me. I've seen you fight. You're reckless. Undisciplined. The kind of man who gets others killed."
Indra raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "And you're the type who talks too much."
For a moment, tension coiled in the room, sharp as drawn blades. Neither backed down. Then, slowly, Indra stretched out across his mattress, folding his arms behind his head like he owned the place.
"Well, Prince Charming," he drawled, "looks like we're stuck together. You keep your side neat and tidy, I'll keep mine however I like. Stay out of my way, and maybe we won't kill each other."
Luce's lip curled, but he sat back down, forcing his composure. "Fine. But don't think for a second I'll tolerate your arrogance."
Indra grinned faintly, eyes closing as if the conversation bored him. "Tolerate me? Oh no, Luce… you'll learn from me."
The silence that followed wasn't comfortable, but it wasn't outright hostile either. It was something sharper—a rivalry born from proximity, the kind that could either sharpen them both… or tear them apart.
Looks like everything is going to plan. I'm with Luce, Kaelen is with Veli, Hikaru is with Tessa, Selene is with Naaji, Sylvie is with Kaori and Aki is with Mira.
The beginning of this important, yet haste affair begins..