The energy in the arena hadn't faded from the previous match.

  Students still whispered excitedly about Alexander and Elaina’s clash. Some of them even mimicked the final exchange with imaginary swords as they replayed the moment in their minds.

  “Did you see that last strike?”

  “Alexander barely won that.”

  Kageka shook his head in disbelief.

  “Those strikes were incredible.”

  Kaori crossed her arms.

  “I was confident she was going to win for sure.”

  Archer scoffed.

  “No way. Alexander was pushing her the whole time.”

  Near the edge of the training field, Elaina sat quietly with her hands resting against her legs.

  Her posture remained composed.

  But her golden eyes were fixed on the arena floor.

  Across the field, Clarence stepped forward again.

  The moment he moved, the students began to quiet down. Everyone waited for him to announce the next match.

  “Aster and Kakeru.”

  Aster stepped forward with a relaxed grin, rolling his shoulders as he entered the arena.

  Across from him, Kakeru cracked his knuckles loudly.

  “Bout damn time,” Kakeru said with a wide grin.

  Several students leaned forward immediately.

  “This will be a great battle.”

  Aurelia laughed.

  “Kakeru might destroy the place.”

  Kakeru raised his sword and settled into a Jōdan-no-Kamae stance, the blade lifted high above his head.

  Aster simply stretched his arms before gripping his staff.

  Clarence raised his hand.

  “Begin.”

  Kakeru charged forward immediately.

  His foot slammed against the stone floor as he closed the distance in a single explosive step.

  Aster prepared for the attack.

  Kakeru brought his blade down in a devastating overhead strike.

  Aster didn’t flinch.

  He calmly raised his staff in a high guard.

  CLACK.

  The wooden staff absorbed the blow.

  Before Kakeru could recover—

  Aster thrust his staff forward.

  THUD.

  The strike landed cleanly against Kakeru’s ribs.

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  Kakeru barely moved.

  Instead, his grin widened.

  “Hell yeah!”

  He swung his sword diagonally.

  Aster barely intercepted the strike with a diagonal block before the blade continued its path.

  Kakeru swung again.

  A horizontal slash aimed straight for Aster’s head.

  Aster ducked beneath it and stepped backward, creating distance.

  Students reacted instantly.

  “What a dodge!”

  Kakeru rushed forward again, still maintaining his aggressive Jōdan stance.

  His blade came down again.

  And again.

  Aster constantly redirected the strikes with small movements of his staff.

  Left.

  Right.

  The blade barely missed Aster’s shoulders each time.

  Each downward strike carried frightening power.

  The arena echoed with the sound of steel clashing against wood.

  CLACK.

  CLACK.

  CLACK.

  Aster shifted his footing constantly.

  Step.

  Shift.

  Turn.

  Kakeru suddenly launched an unexpected punch.

  CRACK.

  The blow caught Aster’s guard and forced him back several steps.

  Kakeru chased him instantly.

  “Stop dodging!”

  Aster smiled.

  “Just swing better.”

  Several students laughed.

  Near the edge of the arena, Oscar watched silently with his arms crossed.

  As he observed the fight, he noticed Elaina sitting away from everyone else.

  She must be upset about her loss.

  Oscar slowly walked over.

  Elaina noticed him approaching.

  Her gaze shifted from the arena to him.

  “…Why aren’t you supporting your friend?”

  Oscar looked toward the arena before answering.

  “Why aren’t you with your friend?”

  Elaina looked down slightly.

  “…Because I lost.”

  She paused.

  “I’ve never lost before.”

  Oscar nodded.

  “So did I.”

  He sat a few seats away from her.

  In the arena, Kakeru rushed forward again.

  His sword cut through the air in another powerful strike.

  Aster stepped forward and redirected the blade with the shaft of his staff.

  Oscar grinned slightly.

  “To answer your question… he doesn’t need it.”

  Elaina tilted her head.

  “You seem quite confident in him.”

  Oscar shrugged.

  “I’ve seen him fight.”

  In the arena, Kakeru launched a kick.

  Aster blocked it with his staff and twisted the weapon, forcing Kakeru to stumble forward.

  Aster struck again.

  WHACK.

  Another blow landed against Kakeru’s ribs.

  Students leaned forward.

  “Another hit for Aster!”

  Kakeru stepped back, irritation flashing across his face.

  “…Okay.”

  His grin disappeared.

  “I see how you fight.”

  He lunged forward again.

  This time his movements were less predictable.

  Wild.

  Erratic.

  Aster took a slow breath.

  Watching.

  Studying.

  His mind entered the still water state.

  Kakeru’s blade came down diagonally.

  Aster calmly raised his staff to block.

  Kakeru immediately followed with a kick.

  Aster jumped just in time.

  The moment Aster landed—

  Kakeru’s blade was already coming down again.

  Aster planted his staff against the ground and pushed off, narrowly dodging the strike.

  Kakeru began panting.

  “Stop dodging and fight!”

  Aster laughed.

  Near the edge of the arena, Oscar spoke again.

  “My confidence in him is the same as his confidence in me.”

  Elaina frowned slightly.

  “What exactly do you mean?”

  Oscar looked toward the fight.

  Then he asked quietly,

  “What are you fighting for?”

  The question caught her completely off guard.

  “W-What?”

  Oscar nodded toward the arena.

  “Aster fights to protect people.”

  In the arena, Kakeru rushed forward again.

  Aster stepped aside, redirecting another strike.

  Oscar continued.

  “Vega wants to surpass Haruto… and his father.”

  Kakeru swung again.

  Aster ducked and drove his staff into Kakeru’s ribs once more.

  “Alexander wants to prove he’s the strongest.”

  Oscar finally looked at her.

  “So what about you?”

  Elaina opened her mouth to answer.

  But nothing came out.

  The arena erupted as Aster landed another clean strike.

  But Elaina barely heard it.

  What am I fighting for?

  For as long as she could remember, she had trained to become stronger.

  Her instructors demanded perfection.

  Her training demanded efficiency.

  Every movement had purpose.

  Every strike had calculation.

  She had spent her entire life becoming stronger.

  But Oscar’s question refused to leave her mind.

  What am I fighting for?

  In the arena, Kakeru looked like he could barely withstand another blow to his ribs.

  He attempted one final downward strike.

  But the movement was slower than before.

  Aster laughed.

  “This is what happens when I stop just dodging.”

  His staff swung forward.

  THUD.

  The strike landed cleaner than any before.

  Kakeru dropped to one knee.

  Clarence raised his hand.

  “That’s enough.”

  The match was over.

  Students erupted into chatter.

  “Aster looked so cool out there!”

  “Kakeru got figured out.”

  Kakeru walked past Aster and muttered,

  “You only won because I couldn’t use my core.”

  Aster laughed.

  “Whatever helps you sleep at night.”

  The arena buzzed with energy again.

  But Elaina remained silent.

  Oscar had already stood and moved closer to the arena.

  She watched him walk away.

  She watched him a moment longer than she intended.

  His question still echoed in her mind.

  What are you fighting for?

  For the first time since entering Aegis Academy…

  Elaina didn’t have an answer.

  And somehow—

  That affected her more than losing.