Larna, Vale, and Allen had decided to pass the previous night to the Clan Battle in their clan base, at the cost of waking up before sunrise to return to the city.

  Larna looked outside of the bus’s window, his posture straight, his fists clenched against his thighs, and a slight frown on his face.

  “Ah, I’m so nervous,” Allen complained at his side.

  Even Allen could feel nervous—It was something obvious, but Larna just came to realize it in the two weeks he spent with him. Strong people are still people.

  “What about you, Larna?” Allen asked, noticing his side glance.

  Larna took a moment to analyze himself. Indeed, he was nervous, but also had an objective. Maybe that was the reason the blaze inside of him burned so overwhelmingly, making him misjudge the nervousness as excitement.

  “Not much"

  “Oh,” Allen said, genuinely surprised, “ Any advice then?"

  “Don’t be the leader.”

  Allen chuckled, “Or do as Vale”.

  Larna looked at the back of the bus, where Vale rested casually over the row of seats, and chuckled.

  “I’m nervous, but also excited."

  Allen smiled back at him. “Me too”

  —

  The bus abruptly stopped, and a thump followed by a pained moan came from the back of the bus.

  “Let’s go,” Allen said, stepping down the bus and turning in a walk that would let them into the base of the Black Slice Clan.

  A couple of minutes later, they stopped before a house-like building of barnized wood. Larna expected a triangular-shaped roof like the dojos he had seen from Japan, but the ceiling of this was plain.

  Allen‘s face contorted as he looked at the dojo with the happy and sad memories that he surely had in that place.

  “What are we waiting for?” Vale teased them, stepping towards the slipping doors of the entrance.

  The dojo was silent even when Larna stepped closer. “There’s even someone there?”

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  Allen checked the hour on his phone, “We’ll see in one minute.”

  Vale didn’t seem to care about the lifeless dojo and headed towards the main door. He was about to knock on it when the slipping door snapped open.

  Behind them was a guy dressed in a black kimono, with long black hair, and abyssal eyes.

  “We’re on time as you like,” Allen teased him.

  Rising Shadow glanced at each one of them, ending with Larna, who clenched his fists as he met his severe eyes, determined not to look away. He was going to show him how much he had progressed.

  “Come.” Rising Shadow said, finally turning away and entering the dojo.

  The threshold of the door grew closer with each step. Don’t hesitate. Larna said to himself as his feet landed on the floor of wooden planks of the tatami. As his body entered it, his clothes started to shine with a faint blue light, one that he had seen dozens of times already.

  Battle? How’s this possible?

  Larna’s clothes were changed to the default gray clothes he hasn’t bothered to change since the first day he put his feet on the Battle Center. A sword faded into existence inside a sheath on his waist.

  But Larna forgot the strange phenomenon when his eyes shifted to his side. Dozens of people dressed in black kimonos rested on their knees in utter silence while following them with their gazes.

  The Black Slice Clan members were watching him.

  Larna’s throat tightened, and his movements grew insecure. He was starting to feel the drowning pressure of a Clan Battle.

  “We were waiting for you.” Rising Shadow said, a hint of amusement in his voice.

  Larna’s nerves made him jerk when a warm hand posed on his shoulder, but he allowed himself to relax as Allen removed his hand to step in front of their group.

  “That’s good,” his voice startlingly relaxed in a situation like that.

  His last step left him standing in front of Rising Shadow. “Vale, Larna, wait for me over there,” he said, glancing back at each one of them with a smile. Larna smirked, his chest burning with the urge to become someone as cool as Allen.

  The silence was hurting as Larna and Vale kneeled, facing the Black Slice Clan members from the other side of the tatami.

  “As the leader of our clan, I challenge the Black Slice Clan." Allen’s voice was firm and booming. “If we win, we’ll take your clan ranking and your Integrated Battle System.”

  Integrated Battle System, something like that exists?

  Larna felt a cold running down his spine as Allen glanced at him and Vale. His look felt like the one someone gives to their loved ones before jumping off a cliff. “If we lose,” Allen’s brow furrowed, the next words seeming to tear his soul, “...our clan will be erased, and I’ll return to the Black Slice Clan.”

  Larna’s eyes widened, wishing to have misheard. He glanced at Vale at his side. Allen’s words had taken him aback, too. Will our clan be erased, and will Allen return to the clan he hates? Larna’s mind didn’t have time to assimilate the implication of that statement when Rising Shadow’s words cut the air.

  “As the Black Slice’s Clan leader, I accept.” He declared, resting his hand on the hilt of the katana that was appearing in his waist inside a black sheath.

  Allen’s sword weaved itself directly in his hands as he walked away from Rising Shadow, towards the opposite side of the tatami.

  Larna realized it then.

  The Clan Battle had begun.