"Wow! Wow! Wow! Wow! WOOWW!" Isidor's voice boomed with excitement. "I definitely wouldn't want to get hit by that thing! Might even be enough to give you a lifetime cold! But anyway, two against one, AND SHE CAME OUT ON TOP!!! NOW THAT RIGHT THERE IS WHAT I CALL DETERMINATION-INDUCED POWER-UP!!!"
With a long sigh, "That son of mine really is only good for running his mouth," said Claude, holding his temple.
With a booming laugh, "At least he's making everything fun by doing it!" said Dorian, his excitement almost palpable.
"Well, with how few there are that remain, the competition is nearing its end, am I right?" added Greg, with a focused gazed.
"Well, Hugo. I didn't know you had a student who could use Historia?" asked Roselia, with an inquisitive tone.
"I'm not sure what you mean by that, Lady Roselia," started Hugo, glancing at her with serene yet shrewd expression. "I certainly didn't know that she was able to use it. It's more probable that she awakened it unconsciously during the heat of battle."
"I see," Roselia stopped there. 'It would seem that prying further would simply be useless.'
Leonardo didn't question Hugo. He only stayed silent with an amused expression drawn on his face.
'If only they knew,' Hugo thought, his eyes focused on Emilia's transformed self. 'In principle, Historia is the manifestation of the power of an Authority by invoking the name that reflects the will within. Gods, mythical beasts, stars, legends, each name holds a significance to a certain being and is unique to each Realizer. Hence, invoking Historia as a form of text. Words of power that manifest that will and then allows us to borrow the strengths of those mighty beings. But…'
His eyes became more focused, an almost wary gaze glinting through his eyelids.
'The power she now possesses is much more terrifying and powerful than whatever they could expect,' Hugo thought, his gaze fixating on a future only he foresaw as a silhouette appeared in his mind. 'A real authority that no humans could ever reach.'
He released a furtive breath, his thoughts carrying the weight of an unavoidable destiny.
'It would seem that the wheels of fate have started to turn, and with them, the hour of awakening is close. Without a doubt, today is when the fate of this world that's been at a standstill will finally start to move. And at the center of it all, is you… Ace.'
---
---
---
"Wow," said a voice which approached Emilia who stood still, facing the owner of that voice with a doll-like expression that turned into a soft yet cold smile.
"Though I was watching everything from a safe distance, I certainly didn't expect this kind of development," it was Ace's voice with his hands in pockets. "Anyway, what's with the transformation? That's something new."
"Hmm?" Ace raised a brow.
Emilia didn't answer his question. Instead, she simply walked towards him, slowly closing the distance between them while the seconds that passed were enough for Ace to question himself about Emilia's strange behavior.
'Strange. I don't feel any animosity or bloodlust coming from her,' he thought, continuously watching her without ever averting his gaze. 'That's not all. No hate. No anger. No fear. Nothing. I can't feel anything from her.'
Only a few centimeters remained between him and her, and still, no words came out from her.
'What is she planning? I can't get a read on her. It's almost as if she doesn't even have the slightest bit of hidden intention,' Ace thought as Emilia now stood in front of him, her smiling yet hazy and dazed face now staring at him intently. 'It's… unsettling.'
A silent tension loomed in the air. They simply stared at each other, none of them ever uttering even a single word. And in a single instant, a spike of ice appeared suddenly, grazing Ace's face.
Having evaded the strike by a hair's breadth by simply tilting his head, blood flowed down his left cheek, a single drop flowing down the ice spike.
"Now what do you think you're doing?" bluntly asked Ace with a low and serious tone while Emilia simply giggled in amusement with pink flushed cheeks. "Should I consider this little act of yours as you challenging me? Not that I mind. After all, this is a competition. Whether it'd be later or now, it's all the same."
Emilia continued to stay silent, continuously giggling with that smile of hers that didn't hint at anything she might be thinking.
"Still no answer, eh?" Ace said, his aloof expression growing colder as his eyes reflected nothing but murderous intent. "Fine. Then die."
While Ace, suddenly drew out knife at a calm yet still giggling Emilia, at another location, Arnold and Stephany were now face-to-face, ready to challenge themselves to a little sibling duel.
"It's an honor to finally be able to fight you, dear Brother," said Stephany with a graceful bow.
"Why don't you stop it with the fake humility?" said Arnold, drawing his sword from its sheath with a smirk playing on his lips. "Let's not waste any more time. I'm pretty sure you're also thinking the same aren't you, little sister of mine?"
A sudden lightning strike came crashing down at Arnold without warning.
"How cruel," said Stephany with the most unconvincing sullen tone a person can imagine. "Shouldn't an older brother let his little sister win?"
"Now that's just playing dirty considering you launched a surprise attack on me, don't you think?" said Arnold, standing at the extreme left of Stephany.
"That's just hurtful. I would never dare," said Stephany, giggling while smiling innocently.
"Just drop the act, will you?" said Arnold with a sigh, pointing his sword straight at her. "You know full well you can't fool me."
Stephany's innocent expression turned mischievous.
"I suppose the cat's out of the bag, huh?" said Stephany, her gaze full of cunning mischief.
"Why don't you stop playing around and just come at me seriously?"
As she released a deep sigh, "My dear brother, don't you think that we should take things slowly and enjoy this rare occasion?"
"No," Arnold said, his aura flaring up as he simply unleashed it with his full might. "Enough chitchat. Come at me."
Opening her fan as giant electrical balls appeared behind her, Stephany, with a mischievous smile that sent shivers down the spine, only uttered a single line in response to Arnold's invitation.
"As you wish," she started, a menacing yet beautiful small grin playing on her lips. "My dear brother~"