Luis blinked slowly.

"That's… Aurelia?" 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

"Yeah, did you forget how she looks?" Lumine asked.

"No, it's just that she has changed a lot."

"True."

"So, how did they clash?"

"Nothing much, Aurelia just arrived half an hour ago. I helped them introduce each other, then suggested they bond over a spar."

"…As expected of you, Mom." Luis was speechless.

---

Above the field, Alicia hovered in the air with frost swirling around her body. Her frustration was obvious. Dozens of ice shards formed behind her and shot forward in a barrage.

The moment they entered the mist, they disappeared.

It missed again.

Alicia clicked her tongue. "Ice Field!"

The ground froze instantly, frost racing outward in a wide circle as thick spikes of ice burst from the earth. Yet the moment her wide-area attack spread—

BOOM!

A violent column of compressed air crashed down from above. The downburst shattered several ice spikes and forced Alicia to retreat midair to stabilise herself.

She immediately retaliated. "Icicles!"

Massive frozen spears rained downward, but within the mist, Aurelia moved once.

Gale Step.

Her figure shifted like drifting wind, completely avoiding the falling attacks. The mist twisted again, and suddenly the icicles Alicia had summoned were caught in a powerful rotating current. The frozen projectiles shattered and scattered into hundreds of fragments.

Then the wind tightened, and the shards rose into the air.

"Hail Storm."

The stolen ice rained down like a merciless storm. Alicia quickly formed an ice cage around herself as the hail crashed against it in a relentless barrage.

Grinding her teeth, Alicia gathered more power. Frost spread across her Magnus Gloves as electricity crackled along the surface.

"Ice Lightning!"

This was the new combination move she was developing. Once it's complete, it would be one of her most lethal one-time use moves.

Though incomplete, it still packs quite a power.

A bolt of frozen lightning tore through the mist, splitting the battlefield with blinding light. But before it could strike, the wind shifted violently. A squall line formed in the sky, bending the lightning away and pulling its energy into the clouds.

Thunder rumbled.

The electricity gathered above, swirling into the beginnings of a storm under Aurelia's quiet control.

Alicia stared in disbelief.

'No way…? Not again… Why is this happening?'

She couldn't see her opponent. She couldn't predict the attacks. Every spell she cast seemed to become Aurelia's weapon instead.

The battlefield had completely turned against her.

Aurelia stood calmly in the centre of the mist, her silver hair drifting gently in the wind as lightning flickered across the dark clouds above. Around her, the currents of air tightened once more, and the storm began to build toward a far more dangerous attack.

Alicia knew if she were to get hit, it would hurt a lot.

But before the power could descend, Aurelia lowered her hand.

Instantly, the wind died down.

The mist slowly dispersed, the clouds above thinning as the brewing thunderstorm faded away. The floating hail fragments dropped harmlessly to the ground as the pressure in the air vanished.

Aurelia looked toward Alicia and spoke in a calm voice.

"That should be enough bonding, right, Sister Alicia?"

Alicia hovered there for a moment, her breath slightly uneven, before slowly descending to the ground. The frost around her faded, and the last traces of tension left her shoulders. She stared at Aurelia in silence, then gave a small nod.

"You are strong."

"Of course I am," Aurelia replied without hesitation.

Her tone wasn't loud, nor was it boastful in the usual sense, but the quiet certainty behind it carried a sharp edge. Alicia caught it immediately.

"…Next time, I'll defeat you."

Aurelia tilted her head slightly, her silver hair shifting with the lingering breeze. "Let's wait and see."

The dismissiveness in her voice was subtle, but it was clear enough.

Alicia's eyes narrowed faintly. 'She really is Luis's cousin.'

Just as the irritation began to build with nowhere to vent, her gaze shifted and landed on Luis standing beside Mom and smirking.

That was all it took to irk her.

Alicia walked toward him at a steady pace. Luis, noticing her approach, instinctively opened his arms slightly, already imagining her leaning into him, maybe complaining a little, seeking comfort after the loss.

Instead, she sidestepped past his open arms.

Her hand shot straight to his waist. Then pinch and twist.

"Hiss—!" Luis sucked in a sharp breath, nearly jumping. "What was that for?!"

Alicia looked up at him, her expression cold. "Why were you grinning? Did you enjoy watching me lose?"

"Not at all!" Luis shook his head rapidly, almost rattling. "You only lost because of the information gap. In terms of strength, you two aren't that different. In fact, in terms of raw power, you're stronger than her."

Alicia blinked.

"Really?"

The pressure of her fingers loosened slightly.

Sensing the shift, Luis immediately pressed on. "Of course. If you go in prepared next time, you can defeat her in one move."

"I can't pretend I didn't hear that."

A clear voice cut in.

Aurelia had already walked closer, her blue eyes now fixed directly on Luis. Then she turned her gaze to Lumine.

"Aunt, how did my cousin become so overconfident after not seeing him for a few years?"

Lumine let out a soft chuckle. "Overconfident? You might be underestimating him, Aurelia. Though…" she glanced at Luis with amusement, "defeating you in one move might be a bit much."

Aurelia's brow lifted slightly.

That response… was unexpected.

She knew Lumine well. If anything, her aunt had always been stricter with Luis and more indulgent toward her. There was no way that comment could have come from a mother's blind bias toward her son.

'…Things seem to have changed.'

Her gaze slowly returned to Luis.

She looked at him properly this time.

He was taller now. More composed. There was an ease in the way he carried himself, and the confidence in his voice didn't feel hollow. He now also has a lovely fiancée. He seemed… happy.

Wait… If I think about it, he is doing way too well!

And for some reason, she felt irritated.

'This little cousin who used to follow me everywhere…'

'Now he hasn't even greeted me properly.'

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

'What? Is he waiting for me, the elder one, to go first?'

'I have dignity. Okay.'

She waited for a few seconds.

However, Luis only glanced at her briefly… then went right back to teasing Alicia.

A faint blush crept onto Aurelia's cheeks.

"Luis!"

He turned. "What's wrong, cousin?"

"You've become quite cheeky," she said, her eyes narrowing slightly, though there was a strange mix of annoyance and challenge in them. Then, without hesitation, she pointed toward the training ground.

"Come on. Let's fight."

Luis raised an eyebrow.

"I want to see," Aurelia continued, her voice steady but carrying a clear edge now, "how you plan to defeat me in one move."