Morning came with an eerie silence.
Zen stood beside his dorm window, staring at the courtyard below. He hadn't slept much. That river conversation with Daiki haunted him. His eyes wandered, searching the academy grounds, hoping—maybe foolishly—that Daiki would be standing there, giving one of his awkward smiles.
But there was no sign of him.
> [System Nex]: [Analyzing... Daiki's presence not found within the academy grounds. His mana signature has completely vanished. Poof. Like socks in a laundry vortex.]
Zen clenched his fist. He didn't say goodbye. Not even a trace. Just gone.
Before he could linger on the feeling, the courtyard suddenly roared to life.
A line of seven figures emerged from a large black-and-silver carriage that bore the swirling emblem of Vaelstrom Academy—a tempest locked in a circle.
They stepped out one by one, their posture sharp, their expressions sharper.
> [System Nex]: [Oh. Great. Vaelstrom's "secret weapons" have arrived. Shall I prepare tea or a tactical strike?]
From a shaded balcony above, the Eboncrest students watched in silence.
• The Arrival – Vaelstrom's Seven
1. Arthin – The leader, golden-haired and steady-eyed, carried himself with the calm confidence of a chosen Hero of Vaelstrom. The glow around him was almost literal—like the sun's heat rising from his skin.
2. Alethia – Cool and graceful, her stance was that of someone who had seen through illusions and survived their truths.
3. Jardin – A calm, quiet force. His expression is unreadable.
4. Kaisen – Lean and sharp, with thin-rimmed glasses and a book always in hand.
5. Leora – Pale red hair, twin swords strapped to her back. Confident smirk like she already won.
6. Gaithor – A hulking presence with armor that creaked as he moved—if he moved, you'd feel it in your ribs.
7. Nayella – The smallest but perhaps the most unsettling. Her calm demeanor was too calm.
• Eboncrest's Reactions
Lyra leaned toward Sylvia. "So they really were in secret training…"
Sylvia raised an icy brow. "Training in what? Looking smug?"
Elvren, overhearing them, added, "I heard it was some kind of combat conditioning deep in the Sable Caverns. Dangerous place. Most people don't come back."
Arisha narrowed her eyes. "That Arthin... he's their hero."
Zen perked up at the word.
Lyra turned, frowning. "Hero? You mean the kind who fights the Demon King if he appears in our lands?"
Elsan nodded. "Every nation has one. Heroes are chosen, trained since childhood. And they don't fight alone. These seven? They're Arthin's team. His elite squad."
Arisha scoffed. "Then our Archmage should just summon Grandovale's Hero. Let him deal with this."
Aelric shook his head. "He's not available. Underground training. Deep-level. Probably not even in the city anymore."
Zen stayed quiet. That word—Hero—left a strange taste in his mouth.
Arisha added softly, "Our nation's hero started sword training before he could walk. This is serious."
> [System Nex]: [Fun fact: average hero sleeps only 4.2 hours a night and trains the other 19.8. Give or take trauma.]
• Formal Introduction – Tension Rising
On one side stood Vaelstrom Professor, robed in Vaelstrom's dark crimson, his tone calm but charged with power.
On the other, Eboncrest's Professor , stern as a blade's edge, representing Eboncrest, his voice firm with pride and authority.
"Let this be the official introduction between Vaelstrom Academy's Elite Seven and Eboncrest Academy's Representatives. You'll be fighting as rivals soon." said Vaelstrom's professor
The names were announced by Eboncrest's professor:
Eboncrest Side — Zen, Aelric, Elsan, Sylvie, Elvren, Arisha, Kleez.
Then, Vaelstrom's professor followed:
Vaelstrom Side — Arthin, Alethia, Jardin, Kaisen, Leora, Gaithor, Nayella.
They stepped forward, face to face.
Cold stares.
Challenging smiles.
Leora met Elvren gaze, sparks already crackling between their glares.
Arthin didn't even blink at Zen, but Zen felt it - like standing too close to the sun. There was no fire, no light… yet something about Arthin's presence pushed back the shadows around him. As if he carried more than just a sword - like he was built to erase darkness itself, and simply chose not to show it yet.
Kleez, naturally, broke the tension by trying to summon a tiny chicken on Vaelstrom soil. It exploded quietly. No one laughed.
> [System Nex]: [Kleez's "chicken diplomacy" continues. Still not covered by any Geneva Convention.]
Jardin and Elsan stood across from each other, silent and unreadable. Their posture was flawless—too flawless.
Even Nayella whispered something to Sylvie in passing.
"Don't blink. Your ice melts faster than you think."
Sylvie didn't respond, but her hand gripped her blade.
The match was only a day away. One day before the Twelve Day Event would begin.
> [System Nex]: [One day left, partner. The stage is set, the players are here… and fate's got popcorn. You ready?]
"yes"
---Meanwhile – In a place no light touched...
A chamber lit only by red glyphs pulsing on obsidian walls.
A man in shadow sat cross-legged, eyes closed. The silence was a roar. Then—
"You're late, Daiki."
The voice slithered like smoke through the void.
Daiki appeared, kneeling immediately. "My bad, Master. I was training... time slipped."
The figure stood. His face unseen. His aura monstrous.
"Training?" he chuckled.
"No more delays. The game begins soon. Be ready, Daiki. You'll make the first move…"
"…and paint their dawn in blood."
The glyphs blazed brighter…
• Night Before Tournament
Setting: Vaelstrom Academy — Dorm Courtyard, Night Before the Tournament
The courtyard was quieter than usual.
Torches flickered along the marble path, casting gold on stone walls. A heavy moon hung over Vaelstrom like a watchful eye. Tomorrow, magic would clash. Swords would sing. But tonight? Tonight was the hush before a storm.
---
Zen sat alone near a half-frozen fountain, the water partially crystallized by residual magic. He stared into it, watching his reflection ripple.
> [System Nex]:
[So… thinking of something deep and philosophical? Or just brooding for aesthetic points?]
Zen didn't answer. Not with words.
> [System Nex]:
[Yeah, that's what I thought. You always get like this before things go boom. Very main-character of you.]
He exhaled slowly, and for a moment—just a moment—his hand hovered over the hilt of his sword.
Then he stood.
---
Aelric was sparring with shadows, blade moving in sharp, precise arcs. Sparks danced every time it sliced the air.
"Still overthinking your moves?" came a teasing voice.
Aelric turned to see Arisha, twirling casually nearby, her hair lifting in soft wind trails.
"I'm not the one talking to breezes," he said with a smirk.
"I'm not the one getting hit by them," she replied, and a gust gently knocked his balance an inch. Just an inch.
He grinned. "Fair."
---
Sylvie sat in the training garden, her blade lying beside her like a frozen pet. With closed eyes, she whispered to it. The blade glowed faint blue, frost creeping over the flowers nearby. She didn't notice.
Elsan walked by, crunching loudly on some kind of fried root snack. He paused, squinting at the ice spreading.
"You always like… meditate-freeze things, or is this a new hobby?"
She opened one eye. "Would you like a demonstration?"
He raised both hands. "I'm good. I like my organs frost-free."
---
Kleez was upside down.
Literally hanging from a tree, chatting to his smoke-chicken (who now wore a tiny scarf).
"Tomorrow we burn things! Or explode them. Or both. Jardin better be weird, I need a good mystery. Don't I, Sir Pecks?"
The chicken meowed.
---
Elvren Halcrest stood alone by the training spire, fire magic swirling around his fingertips. Not wild. Not blazing. It was calm. Elegant. Focused.
He breathed in and whispered, "Alethia… silent but deadly. Like frost behind glass."
From behind him, Zen approached.
"She's not to be underestimated," Zen said simply.
"I don't underestimate anyone," Elvren replied. "But I don't fear them either."
The fire phoenix mark on his palm shimmered once, then vanished.
---
Lyra, cloaked in deep blue, watched from the balcony above. An observer, technically. But her eyes were locked on Zen.
"He's changed again," she murmured, lips curled just slightly. "Still carrying the weight of a world he won't speak of."
She tightened the gloves on her hands, the mark of her noble house glowing faintly under her sleeve.
"And yet… he still walks forward."
> [System Nex]:
[Tomorrow: Danger. Drama. Possible maiming. But hey—at least you're the main character, right?]
A pause.
[...Zen?]
But Zen had already turned away, walking toward the darkness. Toward tomorrow.