I feel... dizzy...

That was the first thing that hit her the moment she stepped onto the stage.

The noise.

It wasn’t just loud—it was overwhelming.

The music blaring, the crowd roaring, voices overlapping into something that didn’t even sound human anymore.

It pressed into her ears, into her chest, into her thoughts.

And then there were the eyes.

So many of them.

Judging.

Reina tightened her grip on her sword.

Across from her, Den stood ready. From the outside, he looked composed, steady—but she could see it. The slight tremble in his stance, the tension in his shoulders.

He was nervous too.

That should’ve helped.

But it didn’t.

Because for Reina... it wasn’t the same.

The expectations on her were heavier.

Being Riley’s little sister wasn’t something people ignored.

Whether she wanted it or not, it followed her everywhere.

Every step she took, every match she fought—it all came with that unspoken comparison.

Is she really that good?

Or is it just because of him?

She’d heard it before.

Felt it.

And now, standing here—

It felt like all of it was weighing down on her at once.

Even so...

This stage

She earned it.

Every step that brought her here—every win, every loss, every hour spent training—it was hers.

For once, she could say that without hesitation.

...So what if I’m nervous?

Her breathing steadied slightly.

Win or lose—

That didn’t change what she’d already proven.

She wasn’t here by luck.

She wasn’t here because of her brother.

She was here because she was strong enough to be here.

As long as...

Her grip tightened just a bit more.

...as long as big bro sees me...

...and I can make him proud...

...make mom and dad proud too...

That was enough.

The noise around her faded—not because it stopped, but because she stopped listening to it.

Her focus narrowed.

Her mana began to gather, responding to her will, steady and controlled despite the lingering tension in her chest.

It hadn’t been long since she learned this.

Hadn’t fully mastered it either.

But—

She wouldn’t hold back.

Not here.

Not now.

"Fight!"

The signal rang out.

Reina moved.

Her mana flared, bluish-white light wrapping around her form as her blade shot forward in a clean, precise motion.

[Heavenly Swordsmanship – Hell Style]

[Rain]

Her thrust split into a flurry—

Sharp, fast, relentless.

Like falling rain, each strike came one after another, leaving no space to breathe, no room to escape.

......

Den Kalah wasn’t weak.

Far from it.

Back in his own academy, he wasn’t just "good"—he was one of the names people talked about when they mentioned the top.

A swordsman known for explosive mana output, the kind that didn’t just enhance his strikes but overwhelmed everything around him.

His raw mana alone could rival early-stage aura users.

That was his pride.

His strength.

And yet—

What is this...?

Den’s expression tightened as frustration crept in.

"S-She’s too fast—goddamn it!"

The words slipped out under his breath as he forced his blade up again.

Clang! Clang!

Each strike Reina sent at him came sharp and precise, faster than the last. He was blocking—barely—but it wasn’t clean.

Every impact pushed him back just a little more, his stance slowly being eaten away.

But that wasn’t what bothered him most.

It was the fact that—

She wasn’t even moving.

Reina stood rooted in place, her body steady as her blade kept thrusting forward again and again, like a needle piercing through space itself. Each motion was minimal, efficient, almost mechanical.

Yet the attacks—

They weren’t.

FOOOSH—!!1

The bluish-white mana extending from her blade stretched outward like flashes of lightning, thin but deadly. Fast enough that Den couldn’t afford even a moment of distraction.

Too precise... too fast...

His jaw clenched.

He shifted his stance, focusing more on defense now, reinforcing his blade with mana just to keep up.

But he knew.

This wasn’t sustainable.

His output was high, but it burned fast. Reina’s attacks weren’t just rapid—they were controlled. Measured. Each one aimed to wear him down little by little.

If this kept going—

He’d break first.

...I need to stop this.

Den’s eyes sharpened.

Break her rhythm.

He adjusted his footing, letting a few minor cuts slip through instead of fully blocking them. Nothing fatal—just enough to avoid overcommitting.

He waited.

Watched.

Counted.

Across from him, Reina didn’t stop.

Her focus stayed locked, her breathing steady as she kept pushing forward with the same relentless pattern. But even she understood—

Den had the advantage in raw output.

If she gave him space, he’d take control of the fight.

So she pressed harder.

Faster.

Trying to overwhelm him before that could happen.

But no technique was perfect.

No rhythm without a gap.

And the moment it appeared—

It was enough.

Reina’s blade paused for just a fraction of a second as she drew a breath—

And Den moved.

"Got you!"

BOOOM—!!!

Instead of striking directly, he slammed his fist into the ground.

The impact shattered the arena floor beneath them, cracks spreading outward as the entire stage shook violently.

The sudden shockwave broke the flow of her attacks instantly, throwing off her balance just enough.

Dust and debris burst into the air.

And in that brief opening—

Den stepped forward.

Ready to turn the fight around.

He knew he shouldn’t give Riena a chance to gain her distance.

WOOOSHHH!!!

He pulled everything in.

Mana surged from his core, flooding into his blade until it hummed under the pressure.

The green aura around it thickened, condensing into something heavier—denser—until even the air around the edge started to distort.

This has to end now.

Opponents like Reina weren’t the type you let drag the fight out.

The longer it went, the more dangerous they became.

Her control, her precision—it would only get sharper with time.

Momentum mattered.

And right now—

He had it.

Reina’s stance had just broken.

Her breathing had shifted.

That brief pause he forced—that was the opening.

She didn’t have time to reset.

Didn’t have time to rebuild her rhythm.

Which meant—

There were only two options left for her.

Step back.

Or jump away.

Anything else—

Was suicide.

Show me what you’ll choose...

Den pushed forward, his body blurring as he closed the distance in an instant.

His torso twisted, blade sweeping out in a wide, horizontal arc—meant to cut through everything in its path.

But—

C—LAAANGGG!!!

"...W-What!?"

Instead of retreating—

Reina stepped in.

No hesitation.

No second thought.

She dashed forward, closing the gap herself and meeting his strike head-on.

Their blades collided, mana crashing against mana as her lightning-like aura scattered in sharp bursts around the point of impact.

Den’s eyes widened.

Then—

A grin broke through.

"Hah... you’re crazier than I thought...!"

He pushed harder.

His output surged, the weight behind his blade increasing as he forced it down against hers. The difference in raw power became obvious almost instantly—his mana pressing forward, overwhelming hers little by little.

"HAAAH—!!!"

He tried to crush her right there, forcing his mana directly through her guard—

But suddenly—

His instincts screamed.

Den pulled back just in time.

SHIIINNGGG—!!!

Two sharp sounds cut through the air.

CLANK! CLANK!

He barely managed to block, sparks flying as something slammed into his guard from both sides.

"...What the—"

He took a step back, eyes snapping toward Reina.

Floating beside her—

Two blades.

Formed entirely from mana.

"Aura blades...?"

Shock flashed across his face.

Not just the technique—

But the control behind it.

Those weren’t random constructs. They moved with purpose, with direction—like extensions of her will.

[Heavenly Swordsmanship – Hell Style]

[Solid Clouds]

Reina’s grip tightened slightly.

It wasn’t perfect.

She knew that.

The structure was still rough, the density lacking compared to real aura constructs. It didn’t carry the same weight, the same destructive force—

But it didn’t need to.

Not for this.

Just enough...

Den’s focus had shifted.

Just for a moment.

"...Shit—!"

Too late.

[Heavenly Swordsmanship – Hell Style]

[Rain]

Reina moved.

Her blade shot forward again, faster than before, the lightning-like aura extending in a sharp, piercing line.

There was no room left to react.

No space to defend.

The strike went straight through.

A clean hit.

Den’s body froze for a split second—

Then began to glow.

Golden light wrapped around him as the academy’s safety system activated, pulling him out before the damage could become fatal.

His form dissolved into particles of light—

And just like that—

The fight was over.

.....

"Haah...! Haah...! I hope we’re not too late!"

"Haah—t-this is why I told you not to get so carried away with your training, you training junkie!"

"S-Sorry!"

Lucas scratched the back of his head, a little awkward as he ran alongside Janica through the crowd. He’d just wrapped up his usual training when it hit him—he had plans today.

Important ones.

Reina’s match.

Janica had only been there to watch him train, like she sometimes did. She hadn’t expected to get dragged into a full sprint across the academy because he suddenly remembered something halfway through.

Now they were both pushing through people, trying to make it in time.

"E-Excuse us—!"

"Please, make way—!"

Janica wanted to ask.

When did he even plan this? Since when did he make time to watch Reina’s match? And more importantly—

Why?

But there wasn’t time for that now.

By the time they reached the colosseum entrance and forced their way inside—

It was already over.

"...Looks like we’re too late," Janica muttered, a bit of disappointment slipping into her voice as she slowed to a stop.

Lucas followed her gaze upward.

The large projection screens above the arena were already displaying the result.

Reina Hell.

Highlighted.

Winner.

He let out a small breath.

"...I’m glad."

Janica turned her head immediately, stepping closer until her voice was right by his ear.

"And why are you glad?"

Lucas flinched slightly at the sudden proximity, taking a small step back.

"Haha... well..."

He rubbed his neck, trying to put it into words.

"Junior Reina is someone I’ve helped before... and she’s helped me too. We’re... friends, I guess. And she’s Riley’s little sister."

He glanced back at the screen for a moment.

"So yeah... I’m glad she won."

Then he looked back at Janica, smiling lightly.

"Aren’t you happy about the result, Janny?"

Janica frowned.

"I am happy," she said, crossing her arms slightly. "But you aren’t you a bit too happy—"

She paused, then let out a quiet sigh.

"...Even after I’ve been honest with you lately, you’re still like this."

There was a hint of frustration there.

"Haha...." Lucas blinked, not fully getting what she meant.

Janica looked at him for another second before shaking her head.

"...Sigh. I guess that’s just who you are, Lucas."

She didn’t push it further.

"Anyways, it looks like the match just ended," Janica said, glancing toward the inner area beneath the stage. "We can probably still find her... at least congratulate her properly."

"...Yeah." Lucas nodded.

His eyes swept across the crowd out of habit, instinctively trying to pick up on familiar mana signatures. There was too much noise, too many people—but then—

A voice cut through it.

"Hahah—hehe! Reina, you won! You actually won! Congratulations, Reina!"

Both of them turned at the same time.

Down near the underside of the stage, a small group had already gathered. Right in the middle of it—

Emilia.

Practically bouncing on her feet as she grabbed both of Reina’s hands, spinning her around in circles without a care in the world.

Her excitement was impossible to miss.

"Y-Yes—th-thank you, E-Enna—!"

Reina’s voice came out unsteady, her balance clearly struggling as she got dragged along.

"Calm down, Emmy, she’s still tired," Vanessa stepped in with a light laugh, pulling Emilia away before Reina could completely lose her footing. "Sorry about that, Reina. You know how she gets."

She gave a small nod.

"And congratulations."

Reina steadied herself, brushing a strand of hair aside as she let out a small breath.

"It’s fine," she said, a faint smile forming. "Honestly... her enthusiasm is a bit flattering."

Emilia puffed up slightly at that, clearly pleased.

Vanessa just chuckled.

The mood was light.

Relaxed.

Until—

"Now, now~ who cares if stupid Reina won?" a lazy voice cut in from the side. "Her opponent was way too weak for it to matter~"

Flamme.

Still half-slouched where she stood, arms crossed, expression as indifferent as ever.

Reina’s smile didn’t disappear.

But it sharpened.

"Fufu~ I guess people who didn’t even make it to the semi-finals wouldn’t understand~" 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Flamme’s eye twitched.

"What did you just say?"

She straightened slightly, irritation slipping through.

"I’ll have you know Stacia was a much stronger opponent. Just because I lost doesn’t mean you’re better than me!"

"Sure~"

That one word—

That tone—

It hit exactly where it needed to.

For a brief second, the air between them shifted.

Crackle!

Not enough to turn serious—

But enough that you could almost see the sparks.

Emilia and Vanessa, already used to this kind of back-and-forth, didn’t even react much.

They just exchanged a look—

And laughed.