Capital of Ars
The crowd was roaring in ecstasy, their cheers echoing throughout the entire arena. In the center, two opponents faced each other — the battle had reached its decisive climax.
"Haaa!"
The blond-haired young man raised his hands and clenched his fists tightly.
"Sand Prison!"
The ground trembled slightly. A violent whirlwind of sand erupted around his opponent, spinning faster and faster.
"What the—?!"
Those were his last words. In just a few seconds, he was completely swallowed by the sandstorm.
When the whirlwind finally dissipated, the opponent stood motionless in the center of the arena, his entire body covered in compacted sand, with only his head exposed.
"Phew…" Félix sighed, visibly exhausted but wearing a triumphant smile.
The audience exploded into deafening applause.
"Amazing, folks! A fantastic victory for Félix! The Golden Phoenixes advance once again! Will they be able to keep up this pace until the end?!"
While the arena still vibrated with the crowd's roars…
Room E
Marin sat in a corner, hugging her knees, her gaze lost on the floor. Her expression was downcast.
"Something wrong, Snowflake?"
She jumped at the sound of the soft voice beside her. Light was leaning slightly toward her, a gentle little smile on his lips.
"Ah… it's you, Light…" she murmured, not daring to look at him. "I'm fine…"
"Mmm…" Light rested his hand on his chin, pretending to think, but his eyes sparkled with affection. "You don't look fine at all. Are you sure it's not because of what happened up there?"
Marin gripped the hem of her skirt tightly.
"N-no, it's not that… it's just… I let everyone down. The captain must be so disappointed in me…"
"Oh, stop that." Light gave her a kind smile. "The last thing you'll ever see is the captain being disappointed in you. She knows we're all giving it our best. So stop beating yourself up over one loss. Be proud that you tried!"
Marin's eyes widened for a second, but she quickly looked away, trying to hide the small smile that was forcing its way onto her lips. Light noticed immediately.
"Aww, Snowflake is smiling!" he said, leaning closer and gently poking her cheeks with his fingers.
"H-hey! Stop that!" Marin protested, blushing, though she didn't really push his hands away. "I've told you not to call me Snowflake"
The sound of the door opening interrupted them. Félix walked in with an excited, victorious expression.
"I'm back!"
One of the older members walked over to him, arms crossed.
"You did really well up there. Congratulations."
"Thanks, veteran Eldref… you finally praised me!" Félix replied, his eyes shining with happiness.
Eldref snorted and rolled his eyes.
"Don't get used to it, kid."
"Okay…" Félix muttered, still smiling.
"Anyway…" Eldref moved to the center of the room, drawing everyone's attention. "We need to keep this momentum going. We can't give our opponents any openings. We have to stay strong and persistent!"
Kwin, who had been quiet until then, raised his hand and adjusted his glasses.
"No offense, Eldref-san… but according to my calculations, our chances of winning the entire tournament are below 59% compared to the other groups. Even if we manage a few more wins… it won't last long before we're eliminated."
A brief silence fell over the room.
Eldref sighed… then burst into loud laughter, leaving Kwin confused.
"You're right, Kwin. Our defeat might even be inevitable… but does that mean we're just going to accept it? Of course not!" He raised his fist with determination. "Even if our chances are less than 30%, we'll keep trying again and again! We're not doing this for anyone else. We're showing our captain that we can push beyond our limits!" He looked at everyone with a firm smile. "So I don't care about the final result… as long as we fight until the very end!"
Everyone's expressions changed. Determination and admiration shone in their eyes. Almost in unison, they raised their voices in response, full of energy.
Kwin, on the other hand, remained silent, his lips slightly pressed together.
"So let's head up there and give it our all!"
Meanwhile…
"Alright, everyone! The next match in this festival will be—"
Suddenly, the announcer's pupils turned red for a few seconds before returning to normal. He clutched his head.
"What a weird feeling…" he thought, but quickly resumed his announcement: "Louis versus Juichi!"
"O-oh! It's my turn!" Louis said, jumping to his feet. "I'll do my best!"
"That's the spirit! Go get 'em, champ!"
Erick gave him a light pat on the back for encouragement. Louis quickly ran toward the door.
"Good luck, Louis!" Lilith waved with a gentle smile.
He waved back before leaving. The moment he did, Lilith placed a hand over her chest, frowning.
"Something wrong, Lilith?" Rose asked, holding her shoulder.
"I don't know… I just have a feeling that something isn't right…" she replied, still staring at the door.
***
As he climbed the stairs, the katana began pulsing with a faint aura.
"Is that you… Kamitsuki?"
"Mmn… of course it's me, kid. And also… I don't remember giving you permission to name me…" he said in his usual tone.
"It's just… it felt weird to keep calling you 'cursed sword'… so I thought it'd be nice to give you a name…" Louis answered, a little embarrassed.
But his expression soon turned serious.
"I'm counting on you up there…"
"That won't be a problem… as long as you do your part…"
Louis frowned.
"But how am I supposed to feed you…?"
"Ah…" Kamitsuki laughed, a mysterious chuckle. "You'll find out soon enough…"
And with that, the glow faded.
Louis sighed.
"Why is he always like this…?"
***
Up in the arena, both opponents stood face to face. Louis looked tense and visibly nervous. His opponent was of average height with short, reddish hair. He smiled sideways, noticing the boy's nervousness.
"First time in a place like this?"
"Ah… yeah. Until a few months ago, I lived in a small village with my older brother, you know… so I'm still getting used to new things."
"Yeah, that makes sense…"
Juichi brought a hand to his chin, carefully analyzing Louis, but for some reason, he couldn't sense anything coming from him.
"How strange… he must be really good at hiding his mana and energy…"
He then assumed an attacking stance, firm and fierce, radiating a powerful aura. Louis took a step back, hesitant, feeling intimidated.
"W-what a strong aura…"
"Just letting you know, kid. As a member of the Wild Flowers, I'm going to win this festival and claim the grace for us… so I'll be giving everything I've got in this fight!"
In the same instant, he vanished completely from the arena, shocking everyone.
"H-huh? Where did he—?"
Louis barely finished speaking before a kick struck his back, sending him flying and crashing hard onto the ground. Juichi approached as Louis tried to get back up.
"I couldn't even see him coming…"
"Pay attention, kid."
Kamitsuki's voice echoed in his mind. Louis had barely recovered when another kick came from the right, launching him high into the air. Juichi disappeared with a leap, reappearing above him and striking again.
The impact was so strong it slammed him violently into the arena floor.
After the dust settled, Louis was there, struggling to stand, his eyes fixed on his opponent.
"I don't understand… how is he moving so fa—"
At that moment, Juichi stepped on his back and pinned him to the ground.
"I bet you're wondering: how exactly am I moving from one place to another, right?"
He kicked Louis in the stomach, sending him flying backward. In the same instant, he teleported behind him and grabbed his back.
"My magic lets me swap places with the space of a certain object or person. As long as there's space… I can move wherever I want!"
With a quick motion, he slammed Louis back onto the ground.
"In other words, there's no way for you to predict my movements!"
"Oh no… Louis!" Erick shouted, clenching his fists in worry.
Lilith, however, placed a hand on her chest and frowned.
"Louis…"
"Don't worry about him so much. Louis will be fine," Takamiya said, crossing his arms.
"Have more faith in your brother, Erick. He won't fall that easily," Ike added, wiping the sheath of his sword.
Louis slowly got back to his feet, surprising Juichi.
"Oh, so you still have some strength left… I'm impressed. I didn't think you'd last this long."
"I… can still… fight…"
Juichi let out a sigh.
"Very well. Then get ready to lose!"
With a snap, Juichi vanished from the arena, reappearing behind him. Louis instinctively felt it and dodged, but was caught off guard by a follow-up kick.
"It's useless—you can't beat me!"
The blows came from every direction. It was almost impossible to predict the enemy, and Louis's muscles were beginning to give out.
"You're getting beaten up pretty badly, kid. Aren't you going to do anything?" Kamitsuki asked, her tone disapproving.
"He's too strong… and there's no way to know where the next attack is coming from…"
"Mmm… then you just need to be more… invasive. It's time I taught you how to use my abilities."
Louis frowned, confused.
"Wasn't I just supposed to hold you…?"
"Of course not, you fool. Our contract states that I have to give you power, so simply holding me won't make any difference. That depends on your own skills."
Meanwhile, Juichi closed the distance and threw a powerful punch, sending him flying.
"Tell me already, Kamitsuki! I don't know how much longer I can last!"
"Mmm… you brat. To activate it, just say… 'Zakt'…"
"Got it…"
Louis slowly closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"Zakt…"
In that instant, markings like crawling snakes appeared on his arm. Juichi jumped back, sensing a strange energy surging from him.
"What was that weird feeling…? He suddenly started overflowing with energy. Was he hiding his strength? No… even if he's different now… there's still no way to know where I'll attack from."
With a confident smile, Juichi charged toward him, instantly appearing on his left and delivering a powerful kick… but:
THUD!
His kick was blocked by Louis's sword.
"I can see you now!"
Juichi's eyes widened in disbelief. Louis quickly grabbed his foot and hurled him out of the arena, but Juichi teleported back to the center at the last second.
"Tch… that was close! I shouldn't have underestimated you…" He then flashed an excited grin. "You're full of surprises. So show me everything you've got!"
"Alright…" Louis got into position, his eyes shining with determination. "I'll give it everything I've got… Nii…"
3 months ago…
Louis lay on his back, visibly injured and panting — his face showed pure exhaustion.
"Come on, newbie, get up already! The goal was to dodge 100 strikes and you only managed one!" Takamiya sighed. "Ah… and you, Ike? How many did he block?"
"Zero."
Louis stood up slowly, slightly frustrated.
"I'm trying… but it's impossible to dodge strikes that are meant to kill me!"
Takamiya shook his head.
"Stop complaining and just think about the benefits. This will make your body and mind process things much faster when exposed to life-threatening danger. Besides, these are wooden swords, so there's nothing to worry about… they're not lethal."
Ike nodded in agreement.
Louis let out a heavy sigh, but then felt Takamiya's hand on his shoulder.
"But I'm impressed. It's not easy to take that many hits and still stay conscious. It just proves you're not weak!" he said with a smile.
"Was that supposed to be a compliment…?" Louis muttered, but soon smiled back.
Ike and Takamiya took their positions, both raising their wooden swords.
"Ready for another round?"
"Yes!" Louis nodded, his determination returning.
***
"Then come at me!"
Juichi's voice brought him back to reality. Both of them shot forward, ready for the clash.
"Space Change!"
Juichi began attacking Louis from multiple directions at once, like a blur. But his eyes widened — Louis was dodging every strike with supernatural precision.
"T-that's impossible!" Juichi shouted, his face twisting in doubt. "There's no way to guess where I'll appear… but he's dodging like it's nothing! Even without seeing the space… how is this possible!?"
At that moment, Louis finally grabbed his wrist.
"Got you!"
He delivered a powerful punch straight to Juichi's face, driving him into the ground. Immediately after, he grabbed his collar and hurled him upward with all his strength.
"Why can't I…"
"Haaa!"
Pressing hard with his legs, Louis leaped high into the air, leaving a small crack in the ground beneath him.
"Space Change!"
Juichi appeared behind him — but a fist was already inches from his face.
"How?! He managed to predict—"
"…I figured out how your magic works. Every time you swap places… there's a slight shift in the air at the next spot where you appear…"
He received a punch full of power, as if Juichi's own force had been added to Louis's.
"Full Reaction!"
Louis slammed Juichi violently into the arena floor, creating a crack that spread across the ground like a spiderweb.
"Incredible… looks like… I underestimated… you…" were his last words before he finally lost consciousness.
The crowd fell silent for a moment, then exploded into thunderous applause.
"That's my brother!" Erick cheered, barely containing his excitement.
Lilith closed her eyes and sighed in relief, a small smile forming on her lips.
"Thank goodness…"
Captains' Lounge
"Mmm… that Louis isn't bad at all… defeating Ju-chan in his own specialty isn't easy," Kagura commented, taking a sip of wine and trying to sound indifferent.
Darth snorted, but the corner of his mouth curled into a crooked smile as he glanced at her.
"Are you sure you're not just upset about your student's defeat?"
She narrowed her eyes, but couldn't hide the faint blush rising to her cheeks. She took another, longer sip of wine.
"Ju-chan is smart. He knows when he's beaten and doesn't let anger get the best of him…" She paused dramatically, turning to Darth with a teasing smirk. "Unlike a certain someone I know."
"Huh? What did you say? Your voice is so low I couldn't hear…"
They shot sharp looks at each other, but Nori quickly tried to calm things down.
"C-calm down, both of you! Let's focus on the festival, okay?" she said with an awkward smile.
Vulgo and Cosmo watched the scene from afar, not wanting to get involved.
Vulgo let out a soft chuckle.
"Ah… this brings back memories. They always used to fight like that, and Nori was always the one who had to pull them apart…"
But then his expression changed.
"If only they were here—"
Cosmo placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled.
"What happened, happened. We have to focus on the present… Vulgo."
He nodded, taking a deep breath.
"Yeah, you're right…"
Their attention returned to the arena.
"Alright, everyone. We've had several surprising matches so far, so get ready, because our next fighter is—"
Suddenly, he stopped. He began laughing like a madman, a distorted and erratic laugh that made the audience exchange confused glances.
Then… his body swelled for a second. The next moment, he exploded violently, chunks of flesh and blood spraying across the entire arena like a gruesome rain.
Absolute silence fell over the venue.
The crowd watched the scene in complete horror, faces frozen in terror.
And then —
"AAAAAHHHH!"
Screams of panic erupted from all sides. People jumped up desperately, shoving one another. The metallic smell of blood filled the air.
Louis fell to his knees in total shock, eyes wide.
"W-what's happening…?!"
"Good evening, everyone!"
A mysterious voice echoed from the top of the arena, cutting through the chaos like a blade. All eyes turned upward.
At the highest point, an androgynous figure appeared. Long, dark-toned hair waved gently, pale skin contrasting with slightly reddish eyes that gleamed with amusement.
"I am Ginmi. Pleasure to meet you all!"