The distortion didn't settle—it deepened. The air bent inward as Lance stood ahead of them, hands in his pockets, expression unchanged.
"Come on," he said. "If that's all, this ends fast."
Dante moved first. Lightning cracked across his arm, rough but violent as he surged forward, axe forming mid-motion. The ground split beneath his step as he swung. The strike bent off-line, space shifting just enough to ruin it.
"…Too direct," Lance muttered.
Riven followed without hesitation, precise, controlled, blade cutting in from the side. It stopped mid-air. Not blocked—denied. His muscles tensed, but the blade didn't move. Lance flicked his fingers and Riven was thrown back, his own force turned against him as he hit the ground hard.
Taren didn't attack. He watched. Every shift. Every delay. Every inconsistency.
Modred stepped forward.
Then he moved.
He cut through the distance, forcing his body through the warped space instead of avoiding it. His strike landed.
Lance caught it.
The ground cracked beneath them.
"…Better."
Then Lance moved.
Modred didn't see it.
Something slammed into the side of his head. Hard.
The world tilted. Sound dulled. His body hit the ground and slid. For a second there was nothing—just ringing and the taste of iron.
Blood ran down his temple.
Silence.
Then his heartbeat started.
Slow.
Heavy.
Then faster.
He stayed down for a moment.
Then he laughed.
Low. Unsteady.
"…Yeah."
His fingers pressed into the ground as he pushed himself up. Blood traced down his jaw, dripping to the stone.
The rush came back.
Not controlled.
Not clean.
Violent.
His pulse climbed, hammering in his chest as something sharp settled into place.
The same feeling.
The Hoblim.
Everything narrowed.
Everything sharpened.
His Arcana ignited.
The flames condensed, tightening around him, refining into something sharper, denser.
His eyes shifted.
Emerald—
To red.
A faint star-shaped mark formed in his right eye, glowing beneath the blood.
The air changed.
People began to gather at the edges of the training grounds, drawn in without knowing why.
Dante stilled for a second, then grinned. "… Well damn that's new."
Modred moved.
He vanished.
Reappeared in front of Lance.
Faster.
His strike landed clean.
Lance stepped back.
"…Oh."
Modred didn't stop. He pressed forward, movements sharper, faster, cutting through distortions that had stopped him before. The space still warped—but it lagged now.
His smile edged wider.
"…More."
Lance's gaze sharpened slightly.
Dante stepped in, lightning erupting again, more stable now, wrapping his arm as he surged forward.
"Don't keep all the fun to yourself, dumbass."
Now two.
Dante's attacks came heavy, breaking through space by force. Modred moved alongside him, faster, cleaner, exploiting the smallest openings. One disrupted. The other cut.
For a moment—
It worked.
Lance exhaled.
"…Alright."
The air dropped.
Gravity twisted.
Vectors bent violently.
Dante's swing shifted mid-strike, dragged off-line. Modred's movement slowed—resisted.
Lance stepped forward.
Everything followed.
He moved once—Dante was slammed into the ground, lightning bursting outward on impact.
He moved again—Modred's strike was caught.
For a moment, their eyes met.
Then Lance twisted.
Modred was driven into the ground, stone fracturing beneath him as the force collapsed inward.
Silence.
The field lay cracked, distorted.
Lance stood above them, unbothered.
"…Good.".
The pressure vanished instantly.
Dante pushed himself up, breathing heavier but still grinning. Taren exhaled slowly, eyes still tracking everything. Riven stayed silent.
Modred remained on the ground for a second longer, the rush fading—not gone, just quieter.
Then he stood.
Lance glanced at him once. "…You guys aren't that bad, hope to see you in our next session."
Then he was gone.
The crowd lingered, whispers starting to spread, but Modred ignored it.
He turned and walked.
The academy had settled by evening. The noise had thinned into something distant, replaced by long shadows and quiet corridors.
Then—
"…Just stay out of our way."
"…It's not that hard."
He turned the corner.
Three of them. Two girls, one boy.
And behind them—a girl.
She stood still, hands loosely at her sides. Not trembling. Not resisting. Just waiting.
Modred walked forward.
The boy stepped in front of him. "Go around."
Modred didn't stop.
That was enough.
One step. One strike. The boy dropped. The others froze, then backed away immediately, whatever confidence they had collapsing just as fast.
They left.
Silence returned.
The girl looked up.
Pale blonde hair, soft, slightly curled. Pink eyes. Clear. Steady.
"…You're bleeding," she said.
Modred wiped his jaw with the back of his hand. "It's fine."
She watched him for a second, then nodded.
"…Thank you."
He nodded once.
"…Modred."
She repeated it quietly. "…Modred."
A pause. "…Aurelia."
They walked.
Same direction. Same pace.
No need to fill the silence.
The academy had settled into evening, the last light fading through the arches. Their footsteps echoed faintly, steady, unhurried.
"…Does it hurt?" she asked after a while.
"No."
She accepted that easily.
The rest of the walk passed quietly. Not empty. Just… easy.
They reached the dorm entrance. Lantern light had replaced the sun now, casting a soft glow across the stone. A light breeze moved through the open space.
Aurelia stopped.
Modred did too.
For a moment, neither spoke.
She turned slightly toward him, the light catching in her hair as the wind shifted it softly across her face.
"…I didn't think today would end like this," she said quietly.
A small pause.
"…I'm glad it did."
Modred glanced at her. "…You should avoid corners like that."
Her lips curved faintly. "I'll try."
Another pause.
"…Maybe we'll run into each other again."
Modred shrugged slightly. "…You tend to end up in trouble."
She blinked—then a quiet laugh slipped out. Light. Unforced.
"…Then I guess I'll have to."
The wind passed again, softer this time.
She stepped back.
"…Goodnight, Modred."
"…Yeah."
She turned and walked toward the entrance, then slowed slightly.
Looked back.
That same small smile.
Then she disappeared inside.
Modred stood there for a moment.
Then turned.
And walked.