"Lu—"
"Lun—"
"Luna! Get up!"
I was violently awoken as I plummeted to the floor. "Ack!"
"Vicky, what the fuck?" I groaned, sprawled out in a pile of pillows and blankets, trying to blink away the grogginess.
Victoria loomed over me, arms crossed, somehow already dressed in her black and gold Vanguard uniform. Pristine. "I've been calling your name for a while."
"Yeah, well, you didn't have to throw me off the bed," I shot back, cheeks puffed with a sleepy scowl.
"It's morning," she stated, as if that explained it away.
I peered up at her. "And how are you dressed already—you smell good too. Did you bathe?"
"Yes," she replied simply. "Bathed and changed in my room."
"So you did all that but didn't wake me up normally?" I muttered, wobbling to my feet.
"I tried." She grabbed my shoulders and steered me toward the armchair, where my uniform was neatly folded. "But you were completely passed out, so I let you sleep for a little longer—but it's time to get up now. Get dressed."
"Could've just shaken me gently..." I muttered under my breath, grabbing the clothes.
"Okay, drama queen." She glanced over at the pile of armor I'd dumped at the door last night. "I've requested someone bring your armor and gear back to the arena. I left your sword there last night."
"Thanks, Mom."
"Luna... don't start."
"Always got a stick up her ass," I grumbled.
"What?"
"Nothing!"
It took a few minutes—and more effort than I cared to admit—to get dressed. My body was stiff and aching, payment for all of the fun I'd had yesterday. To make things worse, my mind wouldn't stop flashing back to last night's revelation.
If I could learn to control one core, maybe I could finally start building the foundation for magic with the other. Assuming Lucian's hint wasn't complete bullshit.
Okay, one core. Just one. Like everyone else. How do I even do this? I closed my eyes, steadied my breath, and focused inward. There—two clouds of mana, swirling inside me. They stubbornly pulsed at their own whim.
I tried to nudge one. Just a small tug. Both flared in response, surging like storms.
"Ugh, no—just one,"
I didn't stop. I tried to feel them again—find the one that responds to me the most. This one. Just draw out the mana. Don't disturb the other. I can do it.
Little by little, I shifted the pull, trying to make one dominate while the other stayed dormant. It was like looking left and right at the same time—easy to imagine, impossible to pull off.
Still, something changed. A faint imbalance. For just a tiny moment, one current felt stronger.
Then it all slipped away, right back to both cores thrashing in unison. "Okay... progress. Sort of."
I opened my eyes and yelped.
"Fuck!" I jumped back. "Vicky, you scared me."
Victoria was there, crouched, her face inches from mine. Uncomfortably close. She stood, offering a hand with an amused smile.
"What are you doing, sitting there talking to yourself?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.
I took her hand and let her pull me up. "I was... meditating."
She raised an eyebrow. "Meditating? It looked like something else."
"Yep!" I patted down my skirt, trying to brush off the suspicion. "And why'd you sneak up on me anyway?"
"I was making sure you hadn't fallen asleep again."
"Hmmm?" I squinted at her, unconvinced.
She sighed, leaning in to straighten my crooked tie. "Come on. Kael's waiting. We're going to be late."
She turned and headed to the door without waiting for my reply. I grumbled but followed, thinking back on that near-success in isolating one core. It was a start. And the duels today would be the perfect training ground.
We met Kael just outside of the Academy dorms, leaning against a pillar with his nose buried in a book. He glanced up and slipped a bookmark into place before following us out the gates. He didn't have any comments or jokes, unusual for him.
We quietly walked through the winter morning streets, making our way toward the arena.
"Hey, Kael, guess what?" I fell behind Victoria and leaned closer, jabbing his arm and lowering my voice.
"What?"
"I got to cuddle with Victoria last night," I whispered, grinning. "She's very soft and warm."
"Oh, really?" he asked, placing a hand on his chin, pretending to ponder the vital information.
"Luna..." Victoria's voice came from in front of us in a warning tone.
"Ma'am?" I answered with a giggle, skipping back up to her side.
The town's streets eventually opened up to the massive stone entrance of the arena carved into the mountainside. Inside, the briefing hall had a subdued atmosphere compared to yesterday. The crowd was much smaller—only six teams remained in the tournament.
I scanned the room, sizing up each team.
Astaria Royal Academy was there, of course. Asher and his teammates stood near the front of the stage, focused, motionless, like statues. Typical perfectionist, I suppose. Who are they even trying to impress? Weirdos.
My attention drifted to another team that I'd taken notice of in the previous rounds. Tidesword Hall. They kept scraping by in third place every round. Didn't get to fight them yesterday, but their sword technique looked really cool.
Then my eyes landed on a man who looked slightly older than the rest. He was broad-shouldered and burly, with a big, bushy beard that made him stick out among all the clean-shaven cadets. Huh.I thought I was the only age outlier here, but I guess I was wrong. Strange—our aging is supposed to be slower at stage 4, he must be way older than me.
Finally, I spotted a familiar figure among the competitors. She was hard to miss, with her distinctive mint-colored hair glowing in the hall's dim light.
I bolted toward her, slipping past Victoria's attempt to grab me. I weaved through the small crowd of cadets. "Hey! Not-archer girl!" I called out, earning a few curious looks. She flinched and ducked behind the big guy I'd fought before, peeking out at me with wide eyes.
I ignored the glares from her teammates—neither of them moved to stop me. I strode right up to her hiding spot. "Come on out," I cooed, catching her by the arm before she could retreat any further. "You should meet my friends."
"W-wait! What are you doing?" she stammered, trying to dig her feet into the stone floor as I dragged her across the hall. She was almost as light as Elara.
Victoria looked utterly mortified when I reappeared with a captive in tow. Kael just chuckled, doing his usual lean against a nearby wall. How the hell does he always find something to lean on?
"Guys," I announced, dragging my new prize along by the wrist. "This is, um—" I paused, turning to her. "What was your name again?"
"It's... Rhea," she stated, eyes darting between us.
"Right. This is Rhea!" I declared with a grin. "She's really strong!"
Victoria sighed. "Luna, you can't just abduct people before the match."
"I'm not abducting!" I protested, puffing my cheeks. "I'm socializing—just like you told me to."
"That's one word for it," Kael muttered.
Victoria facepalmed, mumbling something under her breath about a leash, while Kael chuckled behind her. Rhea just stood there like a startled kitten, unsure if she should stay or run.
"Miss Rhea, please forgive this child." Victoria glared at me. "Her body outgrew her manners, as you can see." She offered a polite, composed apology, which seemed to make the girl even more flustered.
Before she could respond, a man loudly cleared his throat, stepping onto the platform at the front of the room.
"Cadets! Attention please!" the man began, his voice carrying through the chamber. "Congratulations on making it to the final round of the Apex Blade Summit."
I casually released Rhea's arm and straightened my posture, trying to look like I hadn't just kidnapped another competitor right before the next round.
"The six teams gathered here represent the pinnacle of this generation's talent," he continued, gesturing to the scoreboard behind him. "Your final challenge begins now: Phase two—the Duel Gauntlet!"
The text on the board morphed, showing the rules for the next round.
"Each team will face the other five teams in a series of matchups, with three duels per round. One point for every victory." He paused, gaze sweeping the room. "This is your chance to catch up to the first and second-place teams. But, there is a condition: a defeated cadet may not participate again in that matchup. However, a victorious cadet may continue fighting until they lose. Strategy and endurance will decide the champion."
Hm, how do I get Vicky to let me fight all of them...
"The team with the most points after all fifteen matchups will be crowned the Champion!"
The scoreboard shifted again, revealing the first matchups.
Aegis Academy vs Tidesword Hall
Astaria Royal Academy vs Silverwood Order
Sunstone Coastal Academy vs Valmor Military Academy
Tidesword. That group of swordsmen. Perfect chance to test a few things before Asher.
"You will have one hour to prepare! Good luck!"
The announcer's words echoed as the hall erupted—chairs scraping, teams whispering, tension building.
"Hey." I poked the girl beside me. "Which one is your team?"
"Oh, um... Silverwood"
"Hmm, you're fighting Astaria. Well... I think you'll be fine. Just don't come out with a bow agai—"
"Come on little girl," Victoria interrupted, snatching my collar before I could finish.
I gave a small wave to Rhea before I was dragged away to the staging room.
The room was a quiet bubble compared to the chaos in the main hall. Perfect. I sank down cross-legged, closed my eyes, and went back to trying to isolate my cores.
Only the rhythm of my breathing and the thrashing of my cores held my focus. Separate them. One at a time.
"What's she doing?"
"She called it meditating."
"Doesn't look like it to me."
"I know. I caught her doing it this morning. Just let her be. It's already a battle to get her to be productive—and she's actually doing it all on her own now."
"If you say so."