Father...

Veda stared ahead; his breath uneven as he tilted his head slightly, barely dodging the bullet that sliced past his cheek. The heat of it brushed his skin, leaving a thin trail of blood behind.

For a moment, his eyes lingered.

He really does look like I’m seeing Bale...

Clank! Clank!

The sound rang out sharply as he raised the H&K G41, the blade attached to it striking against incoming shots. His wrist twisted slightly, guiding the edge of the blade to deflect the bullets one after another.

The instant metal met metal...

BOOM!

An explosion burst out from the clash, the shockwave pushing against his body and forcing him a step back, his boots scraping against the ground as he neared the edge of the circle.

"Tsk."

He clicked his tongue, his fingers tightening around the grip of his weapon as his hands trembled from the impact.

He’s supposed to be just a Binder rank alchemist... but he’s already using a Meister rank gun.

Across from him, Valentine stood still.

The dual-barrel shotgun rested in his hands, smoke drifting slowly from the two barrels as he calmly ejected the empty shells and placed, a newly created shells into the gun. His foot shifted slightly, grounding himself with practiced ease as he prepared for the next shot.

Cognis surged through Veda’s body, pushing against his fatigue as he forced his aching muscles to move.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

He fired rapidly; each shot aimed with intent.

At the same time...

Valentine fired.

The pellets from the shotgun tore through the air, colliding with Veda’s bullets, breaking some apart mid-flight while the recoil twisted Valentine’s body slightly.

He spun with that motion.

Clean and controlled.

The remaining bullets passed him by a hair’s breadth.

Veda adjusted his aim instantly, firing toward the incoming blast...

But the force behind Valentine’s shot overwhelmed his bullets, deflecting them aside as the attack still came through.

He lowered his body quickly, bending at the waist, the blast rushing over him.

He saw the bullets and felt the pressure of the moving force.

Then...

Bang!

Another shot.

Veda pushed himself up immediately, raising his weapon, the blade clashing against the incoming blast.

BOOM!

Another explosion erupted.

The force surged through his arms, nearly ripping the weapon from his grip. His body was pushed back, but before he could be thrown out...

He slammed the blade into the ground.

The metal dug into the surface.

His body stopped barely.

His arms trembled violently as he held himself in place.

Is this how powerful... you were, Father?

He breathed in deeply then out.

Blood dripped from his forehead, from his nose, running down past his lips as his Cognis reserves began to drop.

And in that moment...A memory surfaced.

***

Eight years ago...

In the main family castle of Ash, inside the private room of the third wife of the Head of the family, the atmosphere was calm and quiet, like the room itself was trying not to disturb the peace within it.

"Mum..."

A small voice echoed softly.

Veda, only five years old, rested his cheek gently on his mother’s lap, his small body leaning into her warmth as if that alone was enough to keep everything in the world steady.

The woman sat on a wooden chair near the window, the soft light from outside falling across her figure. Her light-blue hair, almost white, flowed down past her shoulders in loose curls, slightly swaying whenever she moved. She wore a white nightgown that draped over her body, simple, yet unable to hide her natural elegance.

Even sitting down, there was something about her presence that drew attention without effort. The gentle curve of her neck, the way her chest rose slowly with each breath, the smooth line down to her waist and hips, and the calm stillness in her legs—it all came together in a way that made it clear without needing to be said.

She was very beautiful.

In her arms, Bale, who was four years old, slept quietly, his small body curled slightly as her arms wrapped around him in a protective hold. His breathing was soft, steady, unaware of anything beyond that moment.

"Yes, Veda..."

Her voice came out soft and warm, like a gentle morning breeze that brushed lightly against the skin. Her fingers moved slowly through his hair, stroking it in a steady rhythm. She looked at him quietly, her clear white eyes steady and calm, while the soft afternoon light slipped through the window and rested on her light brown skin, giving her a gentle glow that made her presence feel warm and close.

"Why haven’t we seen our father since we were born?"

Veda asked, puffing his cheeks slightly as he spoke, his brows knitting together in a small frown.

"Ara..."

She tilted her head just a little, her expression calm.

"I already told you," She said gently, "your father is out fulfilling his duties, both as the Head of the family and as a protector of our nation."

She smiled as she spoke, her tone steady, as if repeating something she had said many times before.

"But... we are already five," Veda said, his voice lowering as he frowned more clearly now. "We don’t even know how our father looks."

His fingers tightened around her gown.

"When my friends talk about their fathers, I can’t say anything... I just stand there and listen to them talk about how strong they are, how cool they look..."

His voice dropped further.

"But I couldn’t say anything..."

He looked down.

"Does he not care about us?"

For a moment, she did not answer, she simply looked at him.

Then her hand moved from his hair to his cheek, gently cupping it, her thumb brushing lightly across his skin.

"Don’t worry, Veda," she said softly.

"Your father cares very much about you."

Her eyes softened slightly as she spoke.

"In fact, when you and Bale were born, he carried both of you in his arms... and he smiled in a way I had never seen before."

She raised a finger to her lips and widened her smile slightly, trying to imitate that moment.

"He cares about you," she continued, "but it’s not only you he cares about."

Her smile became a little brighter.

"He cares about everyone in the family."

Her hand returned to his hair, stroking it again.

"So, be patient a little longer, okay?"

Veda stayed quiet for a moment, still pouting slightly, but eventually he nodded.

"Okay..."

"Big brother..."

A small voice came from behind him.

Vera stood there, holding onto the back of his clothes with one hand, her face calm, almost blank as she looked at him.

Veda turned slightly.

"I’m okay now," he said, taking her hand and giving her a small smile.

She looked at him for a second, no change in her expression.

"My little cute Vera," their mother said, her eyes moving to her with a gentle grin, "are you also curious about your father?"

"I’m not interested," Vera replied flatly.

Then she looked at Veda.

"But if my big brother is... then I am."

Her voice did not change, but the meaning behind it was clear.

"Awwn..."

Their mother covered her mouth slightly, her eyes softening as she looked at the two of them together, clearly moved by how close they were.

But then...

"Cough!! Cough!! Cough!!"

The calm in the room shattered.

Her body jerked forward as a violent cough burst out of her, harsh and uncontrollable. Blood spilled from her mouth, staining her lips and dripping onto her gown.

Veda’s eyes widened instantly.

"Mum!"

He shouted, his voice breaking as he pushed himself up.

The door burst open.

Maids rushed in immediately, their movements fast and urgent. One of them quickly stepped forward and carefully took Bale from her arms, but the sudden movement woke him.

He began to cry.

Loud and confused.

Another maid supported their mother as she continued coughing, her body trembling slightly.

"Call the doctor!" one of them shouted toward the door.

A guard outside responded immediately, footsteps rushing away.

Veda stood there, frozen.

His small hands clenched tightly at his sides as he watched them carry her away, her white gown now stained, her breathing uneven.

Everything felt too fast, too sudden.

Beside him...Vera stood still.

Her face remained the same.

Blank, silent and watching.

***

Ah...

Veda snapped back from the memory, his eyes refocusing slowly as the present returned to him.

Opposite him, Lord Valentine stood calm as ever, Cognis flowing through his body like a quiet current, moving across his arms and torso, repairing the strain left behind by the recoil of the previous shots. His movements were steady, controlled, as he reached into his space bag and brought out another steel bar.

His gaze never left Veda.

Not even once.

Veda was still on one knee, his body heavy, his breath uneven as he tried to push himself up.

I remember...

His thoughts moved slowly at first, then clearer.

Mum was very sick after giving birth to Bale...

He lowered his head slightly, his hand pressing against the ground as he forced strength into his legs.

During that time, her condition kept getting worse.

Even though she wasn’t an alchemist... with the money and influence our family had, treating her should have been easy.

But...

His eyes lifted.

Valentine was already creating the shells to reload.

Her sickness... had already gone beyond what Flora or Herbal Alchemists could handle and the family refused to get the help of a Higher ranked Alchemist that focused on healing.

Still...

Veda’s fingers tightened slightly.

She kept smiling, after they abandoned her. She kept talking about him, the man who never once came to see her. She kept telling us... that he cared, that he cared about us, that he cared about the whole family.

She kept...

Veda’s teeth clenched.

Care...

The word felt heavy as another memory surfaced.

He was in the council hall, with his maid dragged forward like a criminal who committed a grave sin.

Veda, younger, desperate, his voice breaking as he pleaded again and again, his hands shaking as he begged them to spare her.

At the center...

Valentine Ashenlocke sat.

Silent, watching.

"Please...!"

Bang!

The gunshot echoed.

Lord Astraea had already fired with no hesitation and no permission needed.

The maid’s body dropped instantly.

Veda’s mind went blank.

His body froze.

He couldn’t move, couldn’t think.

Then...

His eyes met his father’s.

Cold, black and empty.

There was nothing in them.

No recognition, no emotion.

Nothing.

Just a gaze that looked at him like he was no different from dust on the floor.

And then...

He left, just like that.

As if nothing had happened.

That same gaze...

Veda saw it again later. When Valentine looked at Vera after her loss, after she was defeated by Diana Bergwyn.

That was when it finally became clear.

Everything, even his mother...Was nothing, maybe just something small, something insignificant.

Care...

His father did care, but only for those he deemed worthy.

Everyone else didn’t matter.

Veda let out a low bitter laugh which sounded rough and broken.

Blood mixed with sweat as it dripped from his chin, from his nose, from his hands, falling onto the ground below him.

"I promised myself..."

His voice came out uneven, but steady enough.

"...that I wouldn’t become like you." He pushed himself up slowly. "...and that I would never lose to you."

Across from him, Valentine finished loading the shells into the shotgun, his shoulders rolling slightly as he adjusted his stance. The weapon lifted again, aimed directly at Veda.

Veda’s eyes sharpened.

A spark of determination lit within them.

"I won’t lose... to a clone version of you, Father!"

His grip tightened around his weapon.

The Akai resumed.

Time passed.

Long.

One after another, the leaders finished their trials.

After some time,

Felix came out from the ninth floor.

His expression showed frustration for a brief moment, his jaw tightening slightly, but he quickly forced it away, turning his back and leaving with his group without saying anything.

Bale entered next, his energy still high as he rushed forward, clearly eager to take on the trial himself.

More time passed.

Vera eventually came out, having lost on the final floor, her expression calm, though her eyes carried a faint hint of dissatisfaction.

Priscilla followed later, after a long fight that stretched close to an hour, finally losing on the eighth floor after a prolonged Akia battle.

Then...

Something unexpected happened that made everyone’s attention shift upward to Veda’s window side on the last floor...

It didn’t turn red nor did it turn green.

It turned yellow.

Signaling a draw.

For a moment, there was silence.

Then...

Cheers exploded from Veda’s group.

Loud, excited and relieved.

The door opened and Veda stepped out.

His body swayed slightly as he walked, each step heavy, his strength almost gone.

Before he could fall Nickolas, Bobby, and Mariam rushed forward catching him and supporting him.

Holding him steady as they helped him back.

Later on, Bale also lost on the eighth floor and just like that...The Sixth Trial ended.