The atmosphere inside Caelora Grand Colosseum turned silent as the names Rossie and Lyra were announced as the first duel pair.
Rossie's steps were light as she entered the arena. The small girl with light purple hair looked as relaxed as ever, wearing a short robe accented with mint green. A cheerful smile hung on her lips, showing not a trace of pressure.
On the opposite side, Lyra walked with poise. The long blue-haired girl, hair neatly combed, wore the uniform of Venthir Academy, complete with golden emblems on her collar. Her face was calm, cold—almost emotionless.
"The first match… begins!" the announcer shouted, his voice amplified by echo runes.
A gust of wind instantly blew through the arena. Lyra raised her hand, and pressure filled the air. A blue aura pulsed steadily around her body—like a controlled storm.
"Wind Pillar."
Four columns of wind surged from the ground, surrounding Rossie in a blink. But Rossie merely tilted her head, watching curiously.
"Whoa, cool," she murmured.
With a light hop, she jumped onto one of the wind pillars, briefly floating—then flipped off it and landed, dodging all of them gracefully.
"I haven't attacked yet, you know?" Lyra said flatly. She moved her fingers, and the air around her formed hundreds of floating wind blades.
"Wind Cutter—Formation Grid."
The blades connected into a massive spiderweb-like lattice in midair. Rossie squinted, then pulled a small wand from beneath her robe.
"I can play along too, if you want," she said cheerfully.
A small vortex spun beneath her feet as she weaved through the wind web like a falling leaf. But one blade grazed her left arm—knocking her slightly off-balance.
"Ugh… that's sharp."
From the stands, Brant watched his sister while munching on a stuffed roll.
"She's playing it safe," he muttered.
Beside him, Sylveras focused seriously. "Lyra's impressive. Her magic is extremely precise."
Brant nodded. "Top-tier academy kid. But…" He took another bite. "…she hasn't seen it all yet."
Back in the arena, Lyra now pressed both hands together. Wind surged stronger around her—her hair floated like ocean waves.
"Wind Lance."
A pure wind spear formed above her head—dense, shimmering, radiating pressure. Rossie stood still for a moment, then looked straight at it.
Lyra hurled the spear forward—too fast for the eye to track.
"ROSSIE!!" several spectators screamed.
But just as the spear closed in, a bright purple light burst from Rossie's body. A soft aura wrapped around her, and in an instant, the spear split apart before reaching her.
The air in the arena turned warm and fragrant. From the glowing winds emerged a small, luminous figure: a little girl with silver wavy hair, pointed ears, and bright purple eyes.
"…A spirit?" one council member gasped.
One of the Sages of Caelora's Council leaned forward. "Is that… a wind spirit?"
"That child… has a spirit contract?!"
In the stands, Sylveras's eyes widened. "Brant… she…?!"
Brant stayed calm, chewing slowly. "Zephyra finally came out."
Meanwhile, Elara, sitting farther away, turned pale. Her memory flashed to a past training session—when she was constantly harassed by a perverted wind spirit named Mirtagos, who always showed up during her baths or naps.
"Ugh… I hate wind spirits," she muttered.
Back in the arena, Rossie smiled gently.
"Zephyra, can you help now?"
The little spirit nodded. Her voice was soft, like morning dew.
"Your wind isn't enough to reach her, academy girl…"
Lyra froze. For the first time, her expression broke.
Lyra asked, "Why didn't you summon her when fighting Sage Helmir's root monster?"
Zephyra answered calmly, "Because I knew Rossie could handle it with her own magic."
Rossie pointed her wand forward. "Zephyra, form two."
Zephyra glowed brighter and floated higher. Transparent wings appeared on her back, and four wind spirals surrounded Rossie.
Lyra raised her hand. "Wind Wall!"
A five-meter-thick wall of wind appeared before her—but Rossie's spirals pierced right through, creating a gap in the defense.
Rossie dashed forward—faster than before. Her magic now flowed in sync with Zephyra.
"Rushing Gale!"
She appeared directly in front of Lyra and unleashed a small spiral gust that launched Lyra backward. Lyra managed to conjure a shield, but the wind's force still knocked her down and sent her tumbling.
"Duel over! Rossie, from Orpus, is the winner!"
The entire coliseum erupted in cheers.
Rossie stood laughing softly, then raised her hand. Zephyra returned to her small form and floated to Rossie's shoulder, sitting there swinging her legs.
"You're really strong, Lyra. That was an awesome match," Rossie said cheerfully, bowing politely.
Lyra sat up, panting, sweat dripping from her brow. She looked at Rossie and gave a small nod. "You… are strong. But that wasn't ordinary magic…"
Rossie smiled, offering no reply.
One of the council members whispered to another, "A spirit contract? But… that wasn't ordinary. The spirit spoke… and…"
Another answered seriously, "I've never seen a spirit react like that. There's something deeper…"
Meanwhile, in a dark corner of the audience, a hooded man scribbled quickly with a magic quill. His eyes were fixed sharply on Rossie.
"Report to Lord Numrath: the girl from Orpus… bonded with a spirit. Name: Rossie. Potential: unknown."
Brant stood, raising a hand toward his sister.
"Nice job, Granny," he muttered with a grin.
Sylveras exhaled deeply. "She's really… a tiny monster."