Snow started to fall again, drifting down onto the scarred field, slowly covering it in a fresh coat of white.
I crossed my eyes, following a single flake that landed on the tip of my nose.
The Valmor leader stood across from me, a bulky, worn axe rested on his shoulder. That grin hadn't left him since I first noticed it.
Our gazes locked on one another.
The flake melted.
The horn blew.
I exploded forward— and so did he.
I didn't have time to think about testing a new [Aura Technique]. I did what I knew best, flare my aura with as much mana as I could wrangle from both cores.
I poured it all into a horizontal arc.
He responded by doing the same trick the elf did. His hazy aura channeled, flowing from his body and condensing into his arms.
He met my swing.
Our weapons collided with a CRACK, a shockwave bursting out.
Whole team can do that technique, I suppose. But my strength's better.
Two cores, overwhelming power.
His axe flew upward, the shaft nearly torn from his grip. He stumbled back, boots carving trenches through the fresh snow.
"Hahahaha!" The man let out a deep laugh, resetting his grip on his axe. The grin on his face twisted from a smirk into excitement.
"Hah. That's it!" He cheerfully barked. "That's the power I wanted to see!"
Hes... Happy?
"Pfft." I snorted, shifting my stance. "Don't get so excited just cause you managed to keep your stupid axe in your hands, old man."
I lunged again, pouring my dual-core power into another horizontal slash. Try to block this one.
"What a mean little girl." He swung his axe up, meeting my blade with another ground-shaking clang.
"I'm Vernon, not old man. I'm not even thirty-two yet!" His axe spun and came back down in an overhead cleave.
What? Thirty-one? I just thought he looked a little older than everyone else. Why's he still a cadet?
I slipped back, letting the axe slam into the dirt where I'd just been. He was fast.
"You're holding out on me!" he called out as he yanked his axe free. "You didn't get to first place by pulling punches. Show me that wild power you used against Deylin!"
This guy... he's asking for it.
"Fine!" I roared and charged again.
But that was a lie. I wasn't going to let some old ass cadet ruin my training.
There was an opening. I'll try it this time.
I focused, trying to push my mana, channel it. Pushing my good core to give me everything it had, then shove it into my arms.
It failed.
The haze around me shimmered but didn't shift. My swing came out slow—heavy.
Vernon dodged, stepping inside my clumsy strike, his axe whistling toward me. I managed to bring my sword hilt up, catching the blow with the flat of my blade. The impact sent vibrations through my arms.
He laughed. "Hah! I knew it! You've been practicing!"
He twisted his axe free. "Trying to learn [Aura Channeling] on the fly? In the middle of a tournament?"
My face burned. He noticed? Was I that obvious?
Vernon's eyes gleamed. "I see why your captain was so furious." He lowered his stance, axe ready. "You're gutsy, kid."
"Shut up."
I dashed. Mana flared around me, erratic, refusing to move the way I wanted it. I tried forcing it down to my legs. Nothing.
He effortlessly sidestepped, grinning. "That temper's not gonna fix your control, gir—"
I roared, lashing out.
Two cores. No restraint.
The power I'd been holding back finally broke free, spilling from my entire body. Our blades met with a thunderous crack, the backlash sending Vernon skidding back.
"Whoa!" Vernon's smile sharpened. "That's more like it, kid." He rolled his shoulders, dropping guard. "Take notes."
His grin turned into a calm, deadly focus. His eyes closed, and his aura changed.
What's that?
His mana turned wild and unstable. Then it drew tight, clinging to his body in a thin layer, while the rest spiraled toward his chest. Mana churned around his core in a tight vortex, until a single pulse of energy pushed outward—beating like a heart made of light.
"Heyyy," I called out, hand on my hip. Tired of waiting. "You done yet?"
His eyes snapped open, and he charged.
It wasn't like the elf's short explosive bursts—it was relentless speed. Each swing of his axe landed with power that matched my own dual-core strikes, blow for blow.
He's fast... and strong. I can't win like I usually do.
I was stunned—no one had matched me like this since my duel with Victoria while still at Nebula stage. Even Asher hadn't come close.
Each strike drove me backwards, the sound of our clashes echoing through the arena. My palms stung with every parry.
Dammit! I'll win with technique! I won't let these cores drag me around anymore!
He raised his axe high, aura surging around his chest like a storm.
I won't do it. I refuse!
I steadied my stance, pulling my focus inward—forcing my aura to obey. The world faded, leaving only the sound of his charge closing in, closer, until I could feel the pressure of his weapon cutting the air.
I can do this. I can do it.
I drew in my breath, aura trembling around me. I can do this. I will do it. Reaching inward, I pushed for the technique again.
Vernon's axe was closing in. I pushed my aura toward my legs, forcing it where I wanted. It flowed easily at first... then something snapped. A tiny pulse of mana went wild, clawing at the rest. It fought, refusing to bend. The energy screamed against my control, twisting into something unstable. I felt it surge, spike... and then—
It exploded.
A flash of white seared my eyes. My body twisted, tumbling through the air.
Oh... shit... I'm flying.
Every nerve screamed. My arms flailed, trying to grab something—anything—but there was nothing to hold onto.
Shit! Shit! Shit!
I'm so fucked...
...
...
...
...ugh...
...
..."She—she's down!—ace—explod—"...
...so loud...
...
...ringing... won't stop...
"—all the fight—Vernon—winner?"
...my head... warm...
...wet....
...
..."—ait? She's mov—"...
...ugh... shut up...
...eyes... heavy...
I forced them open.
Blurry light—colors, motion, nothing clear. My head throbbed with every heartbeat. Something warm crawled down my face.
I sluggishly lifted a shaky hand. It came back dark and sticky.
...Oh. I'm bleeding.Huh...
"Hehehe." A confused giggle escaped my lips. What am I laughing for? It feels like my brain is spilling out.
I tried to blink away the blurriness. The ringing wouldn't stop.
The announcer's voice cut through the haze. "Cadet Luna is standing! I guess she's alright, folks!"
I wobbled, grabbing my sword and pushing off the fractured wall behind me. Blood dripped down my face, warm against the cold air.
That feeling... the detonation. I remember it...
I grinned, swallowing some of the blood that seeped into my mouth. "Hahahahaha! I can do it again!"
A voice inside me was screaming. Don't! But it was like something was controlling me.
"Hehehehe... yeah... again."
I clenched my fist and pulled.
A white flash—then I was flying backward again. My black slammed into the wall behind me, air shooting out of my lungs. I felt electric.
"What is she doing?!" the announcer's voice broke. "Referee, stop her?"
I popped back up, still laughing. "Hahaha—ow—okay—wrong way."
The crowd's murmurs swelled into a bewildered hum.
The announcer voiced the collective confusion. "Maybe she hit her head a little too hard?"
I dragged myself a little farther from the wall. My head screamed, but I didn't stop.
Vernon stood in the middle of the field, watching with a patient grin. He was waiting.
"Alright..." I muttered, strings of blood hanging from my lips. "Gotta go forward this time."
BOOM!
The blast hurled me forward, completely off the ground. I tumbled into a roll to stop myself.
I looked down at my hands, shaking from adrenaline.
"Haha... hahahaha! This is it! It works!"
"She... she did it again!" the announcer screamed. "What is this technique?!"
BOOM!
Sideways this time. I spun, overcorrected, and crashed shoulder-first into the ground. "Hahahahahahah!"
BOOM! BOOM!
My [Detonations] became quicker—each one more controlled. Barely.
This is perfect! My new technique!
When I finally stopped, a cloud of dust hung over the arena. My chest heaved, lungs burning, every breath half a laugh.
Across from me, Vernon still stood in the same spot, casually leaning on his axe.
He tilted his head. "Damn, kid. You done fighting the wall?"
I wiped a smear of blood from my lips, smiling like an idiot. "Yep."
He chuckled, rolling his shoulders as mana began to gather around him again. "Good. Cause it's my turn."
We charged.
His axe came down in a blur—precise, perfected.
My response? Wild, instinctive, completely unrefined. I abandoned [Aura Channeling] entirely.
He swung—
BOOM!
A [Detonation] erupted from my back, launching me under his axe.
He twisted to counter—
BOOM!
Another burst from my back sent me spinning, blade crashing into his axe with brutish, reckless force.
He was a master of control, built on experience. I was chaos—bleeding, concussed, and inventing new moves mid-fight while laughing through the pain.
"Stand still—!" Vernon snarled, his axe cleaving through the air.
BOOM!
I blasted sideways, dirt and wind exploding around me as his strike tore through empty space.
He's tough. His technique... it's still matching me. I can't break through.
Unless...
My eyes darted to the ground—the wave mark from my last blast. Then another. And another.
Wait... every time I push, I move. So what if I keep pushing?
BOOM! Forward.
BOOM! Stop.
BOOM! Sideways.
Each burst jerked me around faster.
Vernon swung again, trying to track me, but I was already gone—using [Detonation] midstep, redirecting, stopping, launching again.
BOOM! Over his shoulder.
BOOM! Under his guard.
BOOM! Behind him.
Every [Detonation] tore at my body, sent pain screaming through my skull—but it was fun.
"Hahahahahahaha!"
I moved faster than ever before, learning to fight by blowing myself up.
Vernon swung—and missed. Again. His boots slid through the dirt as another [Detonation] sent me veering past him. I could see the frustration building in his jaw, the disbelief in his eyes.
He straightened, axe resting on his shoulder. "Alright, alright! Look at you go!" he taunted. "You gonna come down at some point, or should I start throwing rocks?"
I skidded to a stop, aura flaring around me, and grinned.
"Hehe, okay, old man," I said. "One attack. Best move. Got it?"
Vernon patted his chest, smiling. "Hah! You got it, kid. I'll show you everything I have." He rolled his shoulders, lowering his stance. "Come at me."
Vernon's eyes narrowed. The aura around him compressed, wrapping tighter and tighter around his chest. The vortex pulsed, ready to snap. Every ounce of his power—every bit of the mana he had—was packed into that single, spinning core.
I planted my feet, muscles coiling, greatsword held out to the side.
Then, I dashed, one explosive step before the first [Detonation] erupted, pushing me forward.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The blasts chained, each pulse from my chest spinning me faster, twisting my body into a violent spin. The world blurred around me as I shot through the air, the chain of [Detonations] propelling me straight toward Vernon.
At the same instant, Vernon's axe descended, the storm on his chest glowing brighter with every millisecond, a counter to anything I threw at him.
My greatsword swung from the side, his massive axe came from above. The moment our weapons met, everything exploded. A shockwave tore through the arena, throwing snow, dirt, and shards of metal in every direction. Sparks flew as our weapons shattered—Vernon's axe split in two, my sword splintering along its edge.
Vernon staggered, staring at his broken axe. Then he laughed—genuinely this time.
"That... that was incredible, kid," he said, voice rough but amused. "By far the most fun I've had in this tournament. Thought I'd have to face that noble kid Deylin to get a fight like that."
He lowered his shoulders, relaxing, then smiled, "I yield. That's all I got. You earned this one fair and square."
Silence.
"Match! The winner... Aegis Academy!"