The final exams were over.
The students returned to their homes...
Except for some of them.
"Hey! Come here!"
"I want another copy of this document! Don't be lazy!"
"Take a look around and keep the gardens in the best condition!"
"Clean the bathrooms!"
The workers who had spent the entire year keeping the academy clean could finally rest.
And for once, they were the ones giving orders to the students they had served all year.
Their authority didn't spare even Shion Lan.
"Lord Lan! Clean the roads!"
"Lord Lan! Carry the training equipment inside!"
"Lord Lan!—"
"Lord Lan!"
"Lord Lan!!"
"..."
Shion did every job without complaining.
However, Shi Yun Lan did not show him the same mercy.
"Betting?! In my family, that crime is worthy of having your hands cut off!
...
You should be ashamed of yourself!
...
Noble?! What did you leave to the scumbags?!"
"..."
Shion didn't react.
But inwardly, something was being engraved into his soul.
Every lowly task he performed...
Every time he was forced to clean something...
Every time someone ordered him around...
Another thread of hatred toward betting was woven into his soul.
By the end of the week, Shion had developed a genuine hatred for the word itself.
After finishing the cleaning of the dormitories, Shion leaned against the wall and took a deep breath.
His body was exhausted.
Yet his eyes were still glowing brightly, filled with the nebulas of the Stellar Aura.
He pulled his legs toward himself and sat down.
'It's only the first week...
I still have to do this over and over again...'
Normally, the entire academy wouldn't take even a month to clean.
But because of his "punishment" and the academy's time magic, the academy would be made dirty again and again, forcing him to repeat the same tasks.
For Shion, it had become a nightmare.
Still, despite his exhaustion, he refused to let his body drag him into bed.
Instead, he closed his eyes.
His consciousness sank into another world.
The Veins Domain.
The familiar presence and atmosphere immediately filled his soul.
And among them was the familiar figure of his companion.
The fifteen-year-old Shi Yun Lan stood before him.
Shion looked at him.
"Shi Yun Lan, ready?"
Shi Yun Lan answered indifferently.
"Ready."
The moment he said that single word, he advanced without hesitation.
His sword shot directly toward Shion's neck.
Shion didn't hesitate either.
He was the one who had requested this duel.
His claws rose and blocked the sword.
At the same time, he pushed Shi Yun Lan's blade aside and thrust his own attack forward.
"(Stellar Summit Art: Star Surge)!"
The aura surrounding Shion's sword intensified as the attack grew more powerful.
But Shi Yun Lan didn't retreat.
He released his sword intent and activated his own art.
"(Art of Annihilation: Blood of the Dead)."
A terrifying aura spread from his sword.
The air filled with the smell of blood.
The crimson blade blocked Shion's stab.
Shion stared at the sword.
It was completely crimson.
Blood dripped from its surface as though the weapon itself were alive.
Shi Yun Lan advanced.
With his incredible intelligence, he copied Shion's attack.
"(Blood Surge)."
The elegant and radiant attack instantly transformed into an ominous and terrifying one.
Shion's eyes narrowed.
He used the same technique again.
"Now you'll see the difference between the real thing and a fake!"
The two attacks collided.
Their sword tips met at a single point.
A moment later, both of them were thrown backward.
Shion was smiling.
Shi Yun Lan's expression was unreadable.
"I have to admit it."
He looked at Shion.
"I can't copy your techniques."
Shion smirked.
"Why don't you use your own techniques, then? Are they too weak?"
Shi Yun Lan wasn't affected by the insult.
"My art is considered a foundation. I have already used my family's techniques through the (Aura of Death). Don't you remember?"
Shion's eyes narrowed as he understood.
The true power of the art lies in reconstructing a technique in a way that benefits its user.
By copying the outer framework of a technique, the user can reproduce it according to their own abilities.
'But my art...'
A smile appeared on Shion's face.
"You can't copy something you can't feel, am I right?"
Shi Yun Lan looked at him.
"You've become smarter."
He raised his sword again.
"(Blood Surge)."
But this time, something was different.
He didn't use the framework of Shion's Stellar techniques.
Instead, he used a technique from his own world.
A technique belonging to the Blood Sect.
Shion immediately recognized the difference.
"(Star Surge)!"
The two attacks collided again.
But this time...
Shion felt it.
The power behind Shi Yun Lan's attack was far greater than before.
No wonder he's the monstrous genius of his world.
Both were thrown backward again.
Shion's expression became tense.
Shi Yun Lan looked at him.
"So?"
He raised his sword.
"What will you do now?"
Shion released his aura.
The power of the (Path of Stellar River) filled his body.
He held his sword in one hand.
His other hand opened.
A spell began forming.
"(Star Explosion)."
An invisible sphere appeared.
Inside it, countless threads of starlight gathered toward its core.
Shion stared directly at Shi Yun Lan.
"What will I do?"
His smile widened.
"I'll take you down!"
Shi Yun Lan remained calm.
"Well."
He raised his sword.
"I'm waiting."
The annihilating blood began filling the air around him, mixing with his deadly aura.
Silver eyes met black eyes.
Shion advanced.
His movements flowed like a river, his sword pointed forward.
Shi Yun Lan moved as well.
But his movements resembled the flow of blood.
The aura surrounding his body moved in accordance with the blood vessels inside him.
The stellar sword descended toward Shi Yun Lan's head.
Shi Yun Lan distorted the trajectory of the attack, causing the blade to strike the ground instead.
He immediately counterattacked.
"(Bloodlusting Duel)!"
The air became tense.
Shi Yun Lan rushed toward Shion.
Shion pulled his sword back and blocked the attack.
But Shi Yun Lan didn't stop.
His attacks continued.
The aura surrounding his sword became increasingly bloody.
Shion threw the spell toward him.
Shi Yun Lan immediately retreated.
He knew the destructive power of that sphere.
The sphere didn't touch the ground.
Instead, it followed him.
Shion smiled.
He moved his finger, guiding the sphere toward his opponent.
At the same time, he moved around Shi Yun Lan, intending to attack him from behind.
But Shi Yun Lan suddenly turned his head.
He had already noticed Shion.
"(Clotting)."
The air behind him solidified.
The explosion was stopped before it could reach him.
Shi Yun Lan immediately caught Shion.
Shion grabbed his sword with both hands.
The two collided again.
Sparks filled the arena.
Shion advanced with power and speed, exploiting every gap in Shi Yun Lan's defense.
Shi Yun Lan reacted immediately.
He defended against the attacks before launching counterattacks of his own.
Shion moved swiftly.
The slashes passed through empty air.
He immediately attacked again.
"Hmm?"
Shi Yun Lan noticed an opening.
Shion had left his ribs exposed.
He could cut through them.
But Shi Yun Lan hesitated.
'We've been repeating the same movements for some time.
Yet Shion hasn't lost his focus.'
He observed his opponent carefully.
Unlike reality, the Veins Domain gave Shion an effectively unlimited supply of energy.
He didn't have to worry about his aura stars or magic circles.
As the battle continued, however, Shion's mistakes began appearing more frequently.
That confused Shi Yun Lan.
'The (Path of Stellar River)...'
He blocked another stab.
'It's a technique designed for prolonged battles.
It submerges everything beneath stellar aura.
Everything... including my techniques.'
His eyes narrowed.
'He can find the gaps in my techniques like water.
Then he strikes those gaps with the power and explosiveness of fire.
But I'm seeing something else.'
Another opening appeared near Shion's knee.
Shi Yun Lan stared at it.
'Didn't he completely submerge himself within the technique?
If he didn't...
Then his technique is losing its shape.'
His eyes sharpened.
Shion himself has become the Stellar River.
Shi Yun Lan calculated his next move.
'I'll use it.'
The moment he began aiming for Shion's openings...
The flow of the entire battle changed.
Shi Yun Lan finally allowed his sword to do what it had been created to do.
Kill.
He advanced.
His sword swung toward Shion's ribs.
He prepared himself for the inevitable counterattack.
But then—
'What is that?'
The sword cut through Shion.
Blood spilled.
A wound appeared across his side.
Shion looked down at the cut.
Then he smiled.
"I think you won this one."
Shi Yun Lan didn't answer.
He simply snapped his fingers.
The wound across Shion's chest suddenly glowed red.
A familiar aura spread through the blood.
Shion's eyes widened.
"That..."
"(Blood Explosion)."
BOOM!
An explosion erupted from inside Shion's chest.
His flesh was torn apart.
Blood and fragments of flesh scattered across the ground.
For a moment, Shion was reminded of another battle.
The battle against the Dark Crows.
The battle where his companions had died.
"..."
Shion slowly looked at Shi Yun Lan.
His expression was filled with anger.
"Did you even copy that lowly trick?!"
Shi Yun Lan showed no expression.
"What brings me victory is permissible for me to use."
"..."
Shion stared at him.
Then his anger disappeared.
A smile appeared on his face.
"Hahaha."
He laughed.
"I have to admit it..."
His eyes sharpened.
"I prefer that arrogant expression of yours."
He stood again despite the burnt and bleeding side of his body.
"(Star Explosion)!"
Without warning, explosions erupted around Shi Yun Lan.
His eyes widened.
He felt multiple bombs appear throughout his body.
From his knee to his chest, countless points of light appeared.
"!!!"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The explosions detonated simultaneously.
Shi Yun Lan was thrown backward.
He landed heavily before slowly standing up, using his sword as a cane.
"Well..."
He looked at Shion.
"You used (Star Bomb), not (Star Explosion)."
His expression became slightly irritated.
"Bastard."
Shion didn't comment on the insult.
Instead, he smiled.
"You want that spell, don't you?"
He raised his hand.
"So I'll fulfill your wish!"
A sphere appeared beside Shi Yun Lan's head.
His eyes narrowed.
Then—
BOOOOOOM!
A massive explosion engulfed him.
The destructive force was enough to kill an ordinary person instantly.
But...
"As expected from you."
Shion stared through the smoke.
"Even my strongest spell won't make a big difference."
The smoke slowly faded.
Shi Yun Lan stood there.
Half of his face had been burned.
"..."
He didn't make a sound.
Instead, the blood from his wound gathered across his face.
It began to clot.
A layer of blood hardened around his body, forming a defensive shell.
Shion raised his sword.
"I studied the structure of the stars you created in my domain."
His eyes gleamed.
"And I discovered something."
He pointed his sword toward Shi Yun Lan.
"You are abstract.
I am creative.
You make everything accurately.
I create everything with meaning."
His aura began pouring into his sword.
"So...
I made some changes to my domain."
Shi Yun Lan stared at him.
"No more meaningless talking."
He allowed the blood to cover his entire body.
Some parts hardened for defense.
Other parts remained flexible.
"(Bloody Body)."
Shion recognized the technique.
"That is one of the Blood Sect's techniques."
His smile widened.
"I want to see if you can handle it."
Shi Yun Lan accelerated the flow of blood throughout his body.
His power and speed exploded.
Shion's eyes widened.
"Let's do it!"
Shion released his own power.
"(Stellar Body)."
His body merged with his techniques.
Claws appeared on his hands and feet.
His body began moving like a flowing river.
Dominating power gathered around his sword.
Shion moved freely.
He allowed his emotions to control his movements.
At the same time, lines of blood began appearing across his face and body.
But he could see something else.
The entire framework of Shi Yun Lan's technique.
He understood it.
He began striking.
His claws tore across the Bloody Body.
Stellar lines appeared across the blood-covered body.
Every movement was controlled by his will.
His body moved like a silver river.
Shi Yun Lan watched the battle carefully.
Then he made his decision.
'I'll finish this.'
He shifted his stance.
The deadly aura mixed with the blood.
A massive aura gathered around him.
Shion smiled.
His entire body suddenly became tense.
No longer free-flowing.
Focused.
Controlled.
"(Stellar Summit Art: Star Severance)!"
A line of nine stars appeared within Shion's eyes.
The stars moved.
Shi Yun Lan's enormous aura was split apart.
The line passed directly toward his neck.
Shi Yun Lan's arm, which had been tense, suddenly became free.
One star...
Two...
Three...
The entire line of stars was severed.
And then—
Slash!
Shi Yun Lan's head was cut off.
"..."
Silence filled the Veins Domain.
Shion stood there, breathing heavily.
He lowered his sword.
Then he looked at Shi Yun Lan.
"Shi Yun Lan..."
A tired smile appeared on his face.
"I won."