Our break didn't last long. Soon enough, all eighteen teams were crammed into a cavernous briefing hall beneath the arena. The air was ripe with the smell of sweat, damp leather, and nervous energy. Some teams were celebrating their first-round victories; others were licking their wounds. I just leaned on a stone pillar in the back, Kael joining me.
The announcer finally showed his face, stepping onto a raised platform, his voice magically amplified to fill the hall.
"Congratulations on completing the first round. The final results are set. Now, for round two, Crystal Siege!"
A collective murmur swept through the gathering of cadets.
He continued, "For this round, the mages will be transforming the arena into a forest terrain, a single clearing at the center. Each team will defend an Anchor Stone at the far ends of the field. Your objective is straightforward. Either destroy your opponents' Anchor Stone for an instant victory, or be the first team to collect four points. A Central Beacon will be located in the clearing. Capturing this beacon by maintaining ten seconds of continuous contact will award one point and temporarily weaken the opposing team's Anchor Stone for three minutes. Your matches will begin at midday. Take this time to prepare yourselves."
A forest? Perfect... I thought, struggling to keep my casual demeanor, the excitement building. Anchor Stones and a beacon. Just like Victoria said, easy enough, I suppose. All of the cover will make it so easy for me to go wild.
A massive, glowing scoreboard appeared above the platform. All eighteen teams swirled before snapping into pairs. Nine matches. My eyes scanned the list, hoping a certain pompous asshole's team was paired with ours.
To my dismay, I found their name. Astaria Royal Academy vs Crimson Spire Magical Academy.Shit... they're against a bunch of mages. Our name was just below. Aegis Academy vs Ironclad Academy of the North.
The scoreboard had stolen Victoria's attention completely.
"Ironclad?" I said. "I've never heard of them?"
Victoria didn't look at me; she was completely focused on an imaginary map, her expression analytical. "They're from the northernmost territories," she said, her voice a mumble, still preoccupied in her mind. "They specialize in coordinated, heavy-armor defense. Their reputation is built on being an immovable wall. A simple frontal assault won't win us this round."
She turned and strode off towards the exit leading back to the staging areas, not waiting to see if we were following.
Kael gave a small shrug. "So they got good defenses? Huh... seems tricky."
An immovable wall. Fine. Let her worry about their stupid defense. Walls were made to be broken. And this one was just a stepping stone on my way to destroying Asher.
We entered our staging room, a large wooden table in the center, and weapon racks on the side—simple. Victoria immediately pulled out a roll of parchment and began to scribble a crude map of the arena, new changes included.
"Alright," she began in her professional tone. "The Ironclads are defenders. They'll likely send two to hold the center clearing while their mage focuses on reinforcing their Anchor Stone. The normal approach would be for you and me, Luna, to match them in the center, Kael giving us ranged support from the treeline."
I immediately shook my head, a complaint halfway out. "Vic—"
"But," she cut me off, giving me a look that silenced me. "I know how you are, Luna. So, I will hold them off in the clearing while you run wild. Okay?"
I snapped my mouth shut. Wait. What?She's just gonna let me... do whatever? No argument? No lecture? She was actually planning around my recklessness instead of trying to contain it.
Kael, who had been studying the map, raised an eyebrow. "This is interesting. But if Victoria is holding the center and Luna is being Luna, where do you want me? Am I supporting your push? Still defending?"
Victoria nodded, keen focus in her eyes. "Yes, that's the key. Letting Luna off her leash means you'll have to both support me and be flexible enough to defend. Your position is everything."
Kael tapped a point on the map, roughly a third of the way between our Anchor Stone and the clearing. "Then I should be here. On defense and support. From this spot, my spells can reach you in the clearing, Victoria, but I'm also close enough to fall back to defend our Anchor Stone if they attack."
Victoria studied the unorthodox formation on the map for a moment, her finger tracing the paths of attack. After a long moment, she gave a slow, decisive nod of approval.
Kael leaned back, confidence growing on his lips as he summed up their new strategy. "A rampaging beast role for Luna, and a pivot position for me. It's risky, but it leverages our individual strengths perfectly. It's a plan only we could pull off."
Victoria then looked directly at me with a serious face. "He's right. Luna, the success of this plan hinges on you. Either destroy their Anchor Stone or cause enough mayhem to help me take the Central Beacon. You have the freedom to make the call when the moment comes. Got it?"
I crossed my arms. "Got it."
She surveyed us both before giving a nod. "Alright. That's the plan."
Finally. They weren't just trying to suppress me. They were aiming me.
With our plan set, the energy in the room settled, concentration building. We had some time before our match.
"Well, I'm not gonna just lounge here like I'm Kael," I said, leaping to my feet. "Let's go watch the competition." I smiled at Victoria. "Specifically, Astaria."
Victoria and Kael exchanged a look but followed me out. The competitor's balcony was anarchy; groups of cadets, all studying their future opponents, spread out on the stone terrace overlooking the arena floor. Above us, a half-dozen magical screens shimmered, offering multiple views of the forest battlefield.
Conversations sputtered and died as we passed. Heads turned. It wasn't the usual mix of resentment from nobles and jealousy from commoners I was used to. This was different. Stronger. It was the stare of rivals.
We managed to find a spot to watch with some effort.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a cadet from another academy nudge his teammate, his whisper carrying just enough for me to hear. "That's them. The Aegis team. The one who took first."
His friend's eyes landed on me. "Gods, is that the girl? No way a sixteen-year-old has that kind of power."
This was new. People weren't just dismissing me anymore. They were looking at me with... awe. And a little bit of fear. I decided I liked it.
We spent almost an hour watching other teams before Astaria Royal Academy vs Crimson Spire Magical Academy came up on the main screen.
"Well, let's see what they've got," Kael murmured, leaning on the rail beside me. "Most mages before Core stage are vulnerable up close, deadly at a distance. If Astaria gives them space, they could struggle here."
But they didn't. What we witnessed wasn't so much a fight as it was a dissection.
The spear-using lackey moved in a flurry, never engaging directly but constantly forcing the mages to reposition and divide focus, disrupting their spellcasting. Asher himself was like a bulwark, his shield absorbing any magic they threw his way. Their movements were so coordinated that they didn't even seem to speak.
"Look at their formation," Kael said, actually taking something serious for once. "Asher draws the attention, their spearman disrupts, and their mage controls. The Crimson Spire mages can't even get complex spells off."
"Yes, their discipline is perfect," Victoria admitted from my other side, voice tinged with grudging respect.
Perfect... maybe. But incredibly boring. I thought. It was so predictable. They were just suffocating their opponents with fundamentals.
The end of the match was all but inevitable. Pinned down at their Anchor Stone, unable to break through, the Crimson Spire team eventually left an opening. The Astaria mage covered Asher as he ran up, a single, efficient strike shattering the crystal into pieces. A clean, flawless, and incredibly uninteresting victory.
"Impressive," Victoria said under her breath.
I snorted. "No way."
She gave me a sideways glance. "You think so?"
"Of course!" I said, puffing out my chest. "They win by preventing mistakes, efficient and boring. We're going to win by creating chaos—flashy, and most importantly, fun."
We didn't have to wait long. A tournament official in a crisp uniform appeared near the doorway to the balcony. "Aegis Academy! Ironclad Academy! To your gates! Your match begins in five minutes."
A new energy settled over us as we moved through the corridors beneath the arena stands. It wasn't nerves; it was hardened resolve. The distant, hushed crowd grew louder with every step. My heart began to race inside my chest—this time, from pure excitement.
We stopped before the massive stone gate. This was it.
Kael placed a palm on my shoulder, "Okay, Luna, let's give them a show."
Victoria stood tall, her eyes fixed on the gate in front of us. "Stick to the plan. Trust each other. Win."
I gripped the hilt of my sword, the leather worn into the perfect shape. Create Chaos. Outshine Asher. The words repeated in my head; the goal was simple. Victoria's trust, Kael's composure, our ridiculous plan. The familiar feeling of adrenaline flowing through my veins took over.
A creak echoed through the tunnel as the doors ground open.
Midday light flooded the passage, the din of the audience swelling.
It was time.