Half an hour later.
The air in the training grounds shimmered faintly with residual magic.
The ground beneath their feet was scorched in patches, small wisps of smoke drifting up from the latest spells.
Judas exhaled slowly, then snapped his fingers.
A dozen fireballs flickered into existence above him like miniature suns, each burning with controlled intensity.
"Focus," he said calmly.
"You're on the right track. You just need a bit more practice."
His gaze slid toward the amber-haired elf standing a few meters away.
Lefiya was drenched in sweat... strands of her hair clinging to her cheeks, her chest rising and falling in uneven breaths.
Despite her trembling arms and exhaustion, she clutched her staff as if it were the last thing anchoring her to the ground.
"R-right..."
She whispered, more to herself than to him.
She inhaled deeply, grounding herself.
Her eyes slipped shut, and the familiar hum of elven magic began to rise around her.
The mind she gathered condensed around her staff like a thin veil of shimmering light.
"Unleashed streak of light, bow limbs of the holy tree. You are an expert of the bow. Shoot, sniper of the fairies..."
Her chant flowed steadily... until Judas flicked his wrist.
A fireball shot toward her.
Lefiya's eyes snapped open.
Her feet moved instinctively... quick, sharp steps to the side.
The spell grazed past her shoulder, its heat brushing against her skin.
But she didn't stop chanting.
Another fireball came.
She ducked, barely avoiding it as it exploded behind her in a small burst of embers.
Her voice quivered for a moment, but she forced it steady.
"Penetrate, arrow of absolute accuracy."
She straightened, her breathing heavy but focused.
Her ocean-blue eyes gleamed with determination.
"Arcs Ray!"
The magic stones embedded in her staff pulsed with brilliant white light.
A concentrated beam shot forward like a spear of pure radiance.
Judas merely raised his hand.
A translucent barrier materialized before him, effortlessly absorbing the blast.
Lefiya staggered a little from the recoil of her own spell, then blinked.
Her spell hadn't collapsed.
Her chant had continued even while dodging.
"I–I did it!"
Her voice cracked with disbelief and joy.
She looked at her hands as if seeing them for the first time, then broke into a bright, childlike smile.
Before she realized it, she leaped forward and threw her arms around Judas.
"Thank you very much!"
It lasted only a second.
As soon as her mind caught up with her body, she froze... eyes widening, ears turning bright red.
She shot backward like a frightened deer.
"I am sorry!"
She yelped, face completely crimson.
Then she bolted away at full speed, looking very much like a panicked kitten fleeing from its own shadow.
"Haha..."
Judas couldn't help the laugh that escaped him.
He picked up a bottle of water from beside him and took a long drink, the cool liquid easing the dryness in his throat.
Footsteps approached.
"Oh? It seems like you guys worked up quite the sweat."
Tiona appeared with her hands clasped behind her back, her grin bright as always.
"Yeah, I guess so."
Judas replied, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
"You've never experienced Monster Feria before, right, Judas?"
Tiona said, leaning forward slightly.
"Would you like to come with us?"
She tilted her head, smile widening.
...
Walking through the Twilight Manor's hallways, Judas and Tiona moved side by side, their footsteps echoing softly against the polished stone.
As they approached the doorway, they spotted a familiar group gathered near the entrance.
"Eh? Judas is coming with us?"
Lefiya blurted out the moment she noticed him approaching.
Instantly, the memory of what had happened earlier flashed in her mind.
Her cheeks flared a deep shade of red, steam practically rising from the top of her head as she stiffened like a startled squirrel.
"Hey! Hey! Let me come with you as well!"
Loki's sing-song voice rang out as she suddenly popped out from behind Tione... no one really knew how long she had been lurking there.
And just like that, the small group... Tiona and Tione, Lefiya, Ais, Loki, and Judas... set off into the festive streets of Orario.
Vendors shouted over one another, advertising skewers, drinks, masks, and trinkets.
Children darted through the crowd, laughing as they chased each other between the legs of adventurers.
Musicians strummed lively tunes that mixed with the rumble of distant wagons and the excited chatter of the masses.
"Hey! Let's head toward the Colosseum!"
Tiona said in her usual energetic voice.
"The Ganesha Familia should be doing a live presentation... showing off their taming skills!"
No one objected, so the group naturally shifted direction.
Judas let his gaze wander, quietly absorbing every sound, every scent, every flicker of festival light.
Loki suddenly spoke up, hands tucked behind her head.
"The Monster Feria, huh? Ha~ I still don't understand the point. Bring monsters to the surface, let the public stare at them... makes me wonder who this is really for."
Judas didn't respond.
Her words echoed inside his mind, nudging at a truth he already remembered.
'The Xenos.'
Originally created for the sake of the Xenos... intelligent monsters... to slowly introduce the idea that not every monster needed to be feared or hunted.
To help them blend into the surface world someday.
To make coexistence possible.
'Yeah, good luck with that.'
Even Judas found that goal to be a nearly impossible dream.
Monsters were rooted in people's minds as humanity's sworn enemies; trying to subvert that in just a single generation was a fool's errand.
'Even if everyone knew that the Xenos were just like them... it's going to take many years, maybe even several generations, before people could get used to them.'
A distant horn blared, cutting off his thoughts.
"Ah! That's the signal!"
Tiona exclaimed.
"The presentation's starting soon!"
They pushed forward, weaving through the clusters of excited spectators until the towering Colosseum came into view, illuminated by torches and enchanted lights.
Inside, a massive arena had been prepared.
Members of the Ganesha Familia marched in organized lines, each guiding caged monsters of varying sizes.
The crowd cheered at the spectacle... roars, growls, and rattling cages filling the air.
Judas then he felt a light tap on his arm.
"Judas," Ais said softly, golden eyes looking up at him.
"Are you... enjoying the festival?"
Her voice was calm, almost monotone, yet there was a subtle curiosity in her expression... like she genuinely wanted to know.
Judas blinked.
"It's... lively. More than I expected."
Ais gave a tiny nod, seemingly satisfied with that answer.
Lefiya, watching from behind, let out a tiny squeak.
Suddenly, Judas felt a gaze brush against him from somewhere in the distance.
'Someone is watching.'
His steps slowed for a fraction of a second.
He glanced upward... just for a moment... toward the highest arch of the Colosseum.
And there in the shadows far above, he thought he saw... movement.
A lone masked figure.
Colorful masks overlapping like scales on a serpent.
Then, in a blink, it was gone.
---
+15 chapters at patreon.com/drdedot