Natalie stood alone on the sprawling, sun-baked training ground, her thoughts a heavy, churning tide in the sudden silence. Kirill, the Headmaster, approached her shadow, his steps soft yet purposeful.
"Natalie," he began, his voice low. "Superior Nephtali sent me with a message."
Natalie turned, her expression unreadable. "And what is it, Headmaster Kirill?"
"It's about the trial. He does not wish you to fight a random Grandmaster. The Grandmasters council has convened, and due to your demonstrated prowess, your assessment will be fundamentally different."
A faint shadow of a smile touched her lips. "I understand completely. Just relay that back to him."
Kirill hesitated, his brow furrowed with unconcealed concern. "I don't mean to interfere, but why not face Superior Nephtali yourself? Say what you need to say, clear the air."
A sudden, fierce darkness crossed Natalie's face, quickly suppressed. "I cannot face him while my heart is still this heavy."
"I see. I understand, Natalie." Kirill reached into his inner robe and produced a slender, leather-bound booklet. "He asked me to give you this."
He left immediately, his exit mirroring the swiftness of his arrival. Natalie watched him go, then slowly opened the booklet. Inside were pages filled not with powerful incantations, but with diagrams of subtle, debilitating strikes—techniques she could execute without having to channel a massive surge of energy.
A deep sigh escaped her. *Even when you're angry at me, you still guide me.*
She smiled faintly, her mind drifting to Nephtali. As she looked up, scanning the far hallway, her breath hitched. Superior Nephtali stood there, his figure imposing and distant, watching her. Their gazes locked for a brief, electric moment before he retreated.
Natalie refocused, poring over the booklet's contents, conditioning her body with every breath. The trial was imminent.
---
The combat assessment was scheduled to begin, and Natalie was slated as the first challenger, facing a Grandmaster whose name Nephtali himself would draw.
Stepping out of her quarters, she spotted something on her table: a tightly rolled parchment and, beside it, a thick, dark **bamboo staff** wrapped with an air of unusual, potent power. A fragment of the legendary Silver Chain was tied around its grip.
She picked up the scroll. It was Nephtali's handwriting.
I know your heart is still heavy, Natalie, and I cannot blame you if your anger remains. I only ever wanted to forge you into a formidable Guardian, and my rigid discipline, I now see, suffocated you. Forgive me.
I will listen now.
Every day that has passed without our conversation, without your presence, I have felt a loss of life. I need you by my side. I desperately want to talk to you, to be with you again. Please, forgive your Kuya. I never meant to hurt you.
I hope this staff provides even a fraction of help in your trial. Be careful.
Natalie took the staff, the unique power humming faintly beneath her fingers. A genuine, hopeful smile finally curved her lips.
Clutching the staff, she walked toward the main training arena. Fairah and Venice rushed to meet her, their faces pale with anxiety.
"Natalie, are you certain you have to do this?" Fairah's voice was tight. "It's a Grandmaster! The highest rank!"
Venice gripped her arm. "You won't believe it. Grandmasters from other Divisions have arrived, and their names are in the draw. These aren't just local Grandmasters, Nat. These are the elite."
"And Kalmin said you were still battered from that last fight," Fairah whispered, fear in her eyes. "What if you're severely hurt out there?"
Natalie gave them a reassuring look, though her eyes were sharp. "If anything happens, don't forget to bring me good food at the infirmary. I detest the slop they serve; it only makes a person weaker." She waved a dismissive hand. "Enough drama. Let's get this done. I'd like an early rest."
She offered them a confident smile—a clear, dazzling contrast to the panic in their eyes.
---
Silence descended as Natalie stepped onto the circular arena. Every eye in the massive structure turned to her. Nephtali, seated high among the council, stiffened slightly as he saw the dark staff in her hand.
Superior Grandmaster Red, the announcer, boomed, "Junior Master Natalie will now face a Grandmaster, whose name will be drawn by Superior Grandmaster Nephtali, for her combat assessment."
Nephtali drew a slip of paper. With a flick of his finger, the name ignited into a blaze of crimson energy above the center of the ring: **Grandmaster Vego of the Knights Sector**. A collective gasp rippled through the onlookers—Vego was notorious for his ruthless speed and power. Fear mingled with awe.
Natalie and Master Vego met in the center. Vego wore a predatory, amused smile.
"Master Vego, this is a combat trial," Red warned sternly. "Any action violating the arena's rules will result in your immediate punishment. Junior Master Natalie, you are granted the opportunity to make the first move. **Begin!**"
Vego sneered. "I've heard much about you, Junior Master. Now you will see how a *true* Grandmaster fights."
"You certainly think highly of me," Natalie returned, her voice deceptively light.
She vanished.
Her initial strike—a high kick aimed at Vego's head—was fast, but Vego was faster. He sidestepped with impossible grace, matching her lightning speed as she launched into a flurry of silent, lethal strikes.
Vego countered with a thunderous kick. Natalie tilted her head, barely avoiding the blow, forcing Vego to overcommit. He stumbled, catching himself before he slammed into the ground. Furious, Vego unleashed a volley of concentrated energy blasts.
Natalie flicked her finger. Tiny pebbles around the arena floor suddenly levitated, forming a swift, erratic shield that deflected Vego's explosive energy harmlessly.
The crowd erupted in a roar of shock and applause. A Junior Master was holding her own.
Vego attacked again, throwing a devastating barrage. Natalie evaded, dancing around the blasts. In a flash, she closed the distance, striking Vego's back, then his sternum, with the tip of her bamboo staff. The strikes were not powerful blasts of energy, but precise, needle-point blows.
Vego staggered, dropping to one knee, coughing blood onto the dust.
"Master Vego, can you continue?" Red asked, his voice strained.
"I will **not** be defeated by the likes of you!" Vego roared, though his body was weakening, his movements sluggish.
Natalie simply watched, dodging his wild, desperate punches and kicks. With a decisive push and a swift kick to his left knee, she sent the Grandmaster crashing down, his face hitting the stone ground. He did not move.
The arena exploded into deafening noise as Red raised Natalie's arm high.
"**Victor: Junior Master Natalie!**"
Nephtali rose from his seat. The applause died instantly.
"In this trial," Nephtali declared, his voice cutting through the silence, "Junior Master Natalie has demonstrated a capability that far exceeds even a powerful Grandmaster. Therefore, effective immediately, Natalie is elevated to the rank of **Superior Headmaster**, counted among the strongest of her generation."
Natalie froze, stunned by the immediate decree. The crowd burst back into wild cheers.
Nephtali descended, stepping before her. He removed a ring from his own finger—the signet of a Superior Headmaster—and placed it gently onto hers.
"I'm so proud of you, Superior Headmaster Natalie."
"Thank you, Superior Grandmaster Nephtali."
She stared at the ring, the heavy weight of her new rank sinking in. A stream of well-wishers greeted her as she made her way out, but she stopped, turning to see Nephtali following her.
"Kuya," she began, her voice cracking. "Thank you. For not abandoning me, even after our fight. Please forgive the terrible things I said. Your little sister is still so stubborn."
Tears streamed down her face, and she wiped them away in frustration. Nephtali simply smiled.
"Do you know," he teased softly, "that Superior Headmasters don't cry?"
"Kuya!" she protested. "I was trying to explain myself!"
Nephtali wrapped her in a tight hug. "I am not angry. I understand. You forgive your Kuya, too. You know everything I do is for you, right?"
"I know," she whispered, burying her face in his shoulder. "I'm just headstrong and I rarely listen."
"Stop crying," he murmured. "This is your day. You are one of the best now. You fought and won without resorting to overwhelming power. Keep fighting like that. That will be your strength."
"Yes, Kuya. I mean, Superior Nephtali."
He pulled back, a genuine smile on his face. "Stop with the formalities. I prefer you call me Kuya Nephtali."
"Won't your Grandmasters throw me in a dungeon for that?"
He laughed, a rich, open sound. "They wouldn't dare imprison the one who can beat them all."
The siblings left the arena together, laughing, the heavy cloud between them finally lifting.
---
The Headmasters and Junior Masters' combat trials continued across different arenas. Kalmin, trembling with fear, was being escorted to his assigned training ground by Natalie and their friends.
"Is Kalmin even going to make it there?" Lencia wondered aloud. "He looks like he'll collapse from anxiety before he even steps inside."
"We need to be supportive," Adira urged. "He needs his friends now to give him courage."
"Where is Malika, though?" Natalie asked, scanning the hallway. "She should be here. You two aren't still fighting, are you, Lencia?"
Lencia scoffed. "Ever since Nephtali punished us, I stopped arguing with her. I even broke up with Fedor just to get some peace. I'm sure she's with him now."
Kalmin swallowed hard. "It's fine if Malika isn't here. What matters is that I show I can fight like Headmaster Fedor. Thank you, all of you, for being here, even after our rough start."
"Forget the past, Kalmin," Adira said, clapping him on the back. "The fight won't be easy, so focus now."
They reached the arena. Kalmin's eyes widened to saucers as he saw his opponent: a monstrous creature of muscle and shadow, shockingly similar to one of the beasts they had battled when Kalmin attempted to take his own life.
Kalmin fainted, collapsing instantly.
"Well? Is he fighting or not?" Fedor demanded, watching the clock impatiently. "We have other fights scheduled. He needs to hurry."
"Headmaster Fedor," Natalie said, her voice sharp with her new authority. "Junior Master Kalmin was just startled by his opponent. Give him a few minutes."
Fedor immediately straightened. "Of course, Superior Headmaster Natalie. My apologies. I was focused on the schedule. I will allow him three minutes to prepare."
"See, Kalmin? Superior Headmaster Natalie is here." Adira helped him up. "We'll prepare your weapon and shield."
"I can't beat that thing," Kalmin mumbled, shaking. "It's too strong. What do I do? Fedor's watching! He'll laugh at me. I *have* to pass."
Natalie focused on the creature. She saw the resemblance, and the memory sparked an idea.
"Kalmin, listen to me," she whispered urgently. "This is what you will do. Nothing else. Just this." She quickly outlined a plan of movement and attack.
"I won't lose if I do that, Natalie?"
She smiled, a warm, steady light. "You will win. Just trust yourself."
Kalmin stood, his courage bolstered. He began the fight not by attacking, but by pure evasion, dodging the creature's furious strikes. He waited, finding small openings to deliver quick, painful kicks to its legs. The constant dodging exhausted the hulking opponent, and when the moment came, Kalmin unleashed a focused energy attack. The creature collapsed in a heap.
Silence, then an explosion of cheers. Kalmin, disbelieving, looked at his own hand.
"He did it! That's incredible, Kalmin!" Lencia shrieked.
"I did it? I *did it*!" Kalmin crowed, jumping for joy.
As the commotion settled, Natalie noticed Malika and Fedor locked in a vicious argument across the hall.
"You're going to report me for getting you pregnant?" Fedor hissed, utterly appalled. "It was *one time*! How do you know it's mine?"
"I can't be wrong!" Malika spat back, tears of rage in her eyes. "It's yours, and you will take responsibility! I haven't been with any man but you!"
"You haven't loved another man, perhaps, but you've been in bed with half the Division!"
Malika's hand flashed out, delivering a stinging slap across Fedor's face. Fedor reared back to retaliate, but an unseen rope of energy snapped around his wrist, binding him mid-swing. With a single pull from Natalie, Fedor was yanked off his feet.
"Why would you strike a woman, Headmaster Fedor?" Natalie demanded, her voice cold steel.
"Superior Headmaster Natalie, that woman is a liar! She thinks I don't know what she did before we dated—different men every week, just to get into their beds! And now she's pregnant, trying to pin the fatherhood on me!"
Malika dissolved into sobs, turning to Natalie. "All I ever wanted was for you to love me! Is that so hard?"
In a terrible moment, Malika's weapon materialized in her hand. She lunged, aiming the blade at Fedor. Natalie shoved Fedor hard, knocking him out of the way. The blade found its mark, slicing a shallow, crimson line across Natalie's left hand.
Headmasters flooded the area, weapons drawn, immediately surrounding Malika.
"Escort Junior Master Malika to Superior Nephtali's office," Natalie commanded, her hand throbbing. "Take Headmaster Fedor with you."
"Yes, Superior Headmaster Natalie."
The cut was minor, a mere scratch compared to her old wounds, but the sting was sharp. She looked at her friends, especially Kalmin. They knew what this meant: an attempt on a Headmaster's life would lead to Malika's expulsion.
Natalie waited outside Nephtali's office. Malika was led out by two Headmasters, her face tear-streaked and resigned.
"Forgive me, Natalie," Malika pleaded. "I was blinded by my love for Fedor. I won't be coming back here, not to the Guardians. They will wipe my memories and send me back to the world, to live until my body fails. I should have listened to you before. None of this would have happened."
"Until we meet again, Malika." Natalie's eyes were full of pity.
"We'll take her out now, Superior Headmaster Natalie."
Natalie watched her friend go, a long, heavy gaze. Nephtali appeared in the doorway, having heard the exchange.
"Death should have been the punishment for attempted murder," he said quietly. "But she is carrying a child. She will only be stripped of her memories. I know how close you two were, so I gave the lightest sentence possible."
Natalie stared at him. "You disregarded the Codes. For a friend of mine?"
"To do what is right is its own Code, is it not?"
They stood, two powerful figures framed by the training ground's stone archway, their unspoken understanding finally complete.