Bloodline Evolution: I Can Choose Opposing Paths-Chapter 58: Orientation Exchange (3)

The barrier dome dimmed as John was carried off the platform by two attendants.

A brief intermission was announced, the platforms lowering slightly as the arena crews began repairing the worst of the structural damage.

Up in the waiting tier, Yuna finally stepped back from the railing.

"...Unbelievable," she muttered.

Her composed posture cracked visibly now that the fight was over. She dragged a hand through her hair, the elegant, princess-like demeanor she’d been maintaining slipping away under the pressure.

"He burned everything in under three minutes. Three." She turned to Aren. "We’re fighting uphill the rest of the rotation."

Aren leaned against the railing, gaze still on the platform below.

"He tried to force an endurance check against an Earth major," he said calmly. "That was never going to work."

"That’s not the point!" Yuna snapped, then immediately winced at her own tone.

She exhaled and lowered her voice. "The point is... I’m next."

Aren looked at her properly now.

"You’re not confident?"

She hesitated for a fraction of a second before scoffing. "Fairy-types aren’t built for straight 1v1 duels."

The admission seemed to frustrate her more than John’s loss.

"If this were team-based, I’d have no problem," she continued, folding her arms tighter. "I’d even carry both of you, actually."

Aren’s expression must’ve gone blank because she suddenly stopped complaining.

"So let me get this straight," he spoke slowly. "You volunteered knowing the full risks, and now you’re blaming it on your Bloodline?"

Yuna stiffened.

"I’m not blaming it on my Bloodline," she shot back immediately. "I’m stating a fact. Fairy-types are support-oriented. That’s not an excuse, it’s—"

"It’s a limitation?" Aren cut in calmly.

"You think Earth doesn’t have limitations?" he continued.

"Or Lightning? Every Bloodline has strengths and weaknesses. John lost because he leaned into his weakness and called it confidence."

Yuna’s gaze flickered downward for a fraction of a second before she caught herself.

Aren held her gaze for a moment, then looked back down at the arena.

"Fine, whatever," he said evenly. "Then swap with me."

She blinked. "What?"

"I’ll go next."

Yuna stared at him.

"...You’d just volunteer like that?"

Aren didn’t answer immediately. Instead, his eyes drifted toward the opposite waiting tier.

If he stepped out now, it would actually work in his favor. Expectations were lower after John’s reckless defeat. If he stepped out, won the matches before losing at the very last opponent...

He could give Yuna the credit of winning it all, honoring both his promise to Professor Sterling and staying low on the radar.

Aren turned over to Yuna, only to see her bunched-up expression.

"It’s already too late."

She gestured toward the hovering projection panel beside them, where the Lightning Department’s roster order glowed.

"Professor Sterling submitted the lineup this morning. Once the first match starts, the sequence locks. It can’t be changed mid-rotation."

Aren clicked his tongue softly.

So much for that idea.

He exhaled and leaned back against the railing. Across the stadium, a burst of frost erupted from another platform.

His gaze shifted instinctively to it. Luna stood within her barrier dome, her opponent was already frozen at the knee, hands raised up in surrender.

"Ice Department — Victory." 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

The announcement echoed across the stadium. Aren watched her for a second longer before looking away.

As expected.

Aren sighed. They really would just have to get lucky with their second match opponent.

The intermission timer blinked down to its final seconds before the arena got back to full force. A faint mechanical noise cut through the air as something descended from above.

A sleek academy drone hovered just right above their waiting area. Its undercompartment opened with a soft click, revealing a small box filled with metallic tiles, each etched with a department emblem.

Yuna blinked.

"Oh. Manual draw?"

A holographic panel lit up beside the drone.

Lightning Department — Draw Opponent.

The crowd quieted slightly, curiosity shifting from spectacle to suspense. Yuna stepped forward instinctively—then paused.

"...You do it."

Aren glanced at her.

"You’re up next."

"Exactly," she replied quickly. "If I draw something awful, I’ll psych myself out. You’re neutral. You pick."

The drone lowered the box slightly, its lid sliding open.

Aren stepped forward quickly and reached inside. The tiles were cool and smooth beneath his fingers. Each one was equally balanced in weight and temperature, so there was absolutely no way he could tell which was which.

He tried to feel the front of the tiles, thinking the emblems etched infront might be a sign. But as soon as he did, the lid snapped up on his arm just a tiny bit.

"Ouch, fine!"

Aren pulled one out.

For a second, he didn’t even look at it. Then he turned it over. A chime echoed across the stadium as the projection above updated.

Opponent — Steel Department.

Yuna froze for a second before jumping up and down, literally bouncing in joy.

"Yes!"

The tension drained out of her in an instant.

"That’s perfect. That’s actually perfect."

She leaned forward over the railing, already scanning the Steel waiting tier as their representative stepped up.

"Finally, we have the counter-element now!"

Aren handed the tile back to the hovering drone, which sealed the box and swifty flew out of reach.

Even Aren managed a small smile. He hadn’t expected much from luck, but this time...it had fallen exactly where he needed.

He turned around to Yuna before doing an exaggerated motion.

"Satisfied now, Ms. Princess?"

"Oh, you bet," she shot back instantly, chin lifting with renewed confidence, or maybe arrogance.

"I’m gonna wipe the floor with them!"

Before he could respond, she spun on her heel and strode toward the edge of the waiting tier. The platform beneath her glowed before it descended smoothly toward the arena floor.

The Steel student was tall and composed, a metallic sheen already forming along his forearms as he prepared for the fight.

The referee’s voice echoed clearly through the stadium.

"Second match of the rotation: Lightning Department versus Steel Department. Begin!"

The barrier closed around them—

And Yuna summoned her Bloodline first.