The crowd hadn't stopped roaring since Jiwoo's match ended.
Dust still hung in the air from his final clash with Park Doyun, but now, all eyes turned toward the next names flashing across the screen.
"Next match! Lower Bracket — Han Jiwon versus Kang Jisoo!"
The arena trembled again as cheers erupted. One of Eclipse's strongest swordsmen against the academy's Dancing Blade — everyone knew this was going to be good.
Jiwoo sat back in his seat, catching his breath from his own fight. Rina leaned forward on the railing, eyes sharp. Minjae, still munching on a snack, grinned. "Welp. Guess we're watching royalty fight again."
"Royalty?" Rina asked.
"Yeah. Han Jiwon — the princess of swordsmanship," Minjae said dramatically, gesturing at the field. "And Kang Jisoo, the heir to Eclipse's golden boy bloodline."
Jiwoo groaned quietly. "Please don't call her that."
Rina smirked. "So, which royal are you betting on?"
Jiwoo shrugged. "My sister, obviously."
"Wow," Minjae said. "Shocking. Such suspense."
Jiwon stood at the center of the coliseum, calm as ever. Her uniform jacket fluttered slightly in the breeze, and her sword gleamed faintly with blue mana. Across from her, Kang Jisoo rolled his shoulders, spinning his blade once before setting it at his side. His expression was relaxed, confident — the same way he looked back in the early trials when he faced Jiwoo.
"Never thought I'd face you after losing to your brother some time ago." Jisoo said, smirking. "Guess I get my revenge this way."
Jiwon tilted her head, her tone light. "If you think fighting me makes up for losing to him, I think you will be disappointed."
Jisoo grinned wider. "Yeah, yeah I know. If I lose even to jiwoo, how much more to you."
The referee stepped forward, raising his flag. "Both ready?"
Two nods.
"Begin!"
The clash came instantly — steel on steel, sharp and fluid.
Jiwon's blade flashed like lightning, weaving through Jisoo's defenses with impossible precision. Jisoo parried, spun, countered — his own strikes clean and heavy, his mana reinforcing each swing.
The first exchange ended in a draw. Both slid back a few meters, dust swirling around them.
"Too fast to watch," Minjae muttered, eyes wide. "Are they even human?"
Rina squinted. "They're reading each other's rhythm. One mistake, and it's over."
Jiwoo stayed silent, gaze locked on the two figures below. He could see every subtle shift, every feint. He recognized the style — Jiwon's pure kendo foundation mixed with her refined mana flow. It wasn't raw speed; it was timing.
On the field, Jiwon flicked her sword upward, catching Jisoo's strike and twisting it away. She stepped in, her blade grazing his uniform sleeve — a shallow cut, but a clean one.
The crowd cheered.
Jisoo grinned. "So that's how it is."
His mana flared suddenly, coating his blade in a faint white shimmer. The ground cracked beneath his step as he lunged — faster, sharper, heavier. Jiwon barely deflected the first blow. The second came harder. The third grazed her cheek.
"Jisoo's amping his mana output," Baek noted from the instructor's booth. "He's done playing defense."
Soomin nodded. "That's risky. If she catches the tempo again, he'll run dry before she breaks a sweat."
Kain didn't speak — just watched, arms folded, expression unreadable.
The tempo shifted again. Jiwon ducked under Jisoo's horizontal slash, her sword tracing a glowing arc across his guard. Sparks burst where their blades met. They moved faster now — one step, one clash, one retreat. Neither backed down.
The arena fell quiet except for the metallic rhythm echoing through the air.
Clack. Step. Slash.
The sound of two duelists speaking a language only they understood.
Jisoo exhaled, eyes narrowing. "You really don't leave openings, huh?"
Jiwon smiled faintly. "You just don't know where to look."
He laughed. "Then I'll find out."
He feinted left — a blur of motion — then twisted right, aiming a low strike. Jiwon sidestepped, parried, and in the same breath, countered. Their blades locked — pressure building, mana crackling between them.
For a heartbeat, they were frozen — the world holding its breath.
Then Jiwon whispered, "Too slow."
She pivoted sharply, breaking the clash and spinning behind him. A clean strike — her blade grazed his shoulder, the impact pushing him forward before he could recover.
The crowd erupted again. "Dancing Blade!" someone shouted. "She's unreal!"
Jisoo stumbled, panting, then laughed under his breath. "No wonder your brother's always chasing your shadow."
At the stands, Minjae's jaw dropped. "Did he just—? No, she's gonna kill him for that."
Rina chuckled. "He's not wrong, though."
Jiwoo sighed. "Yeah… but he really shouldn't have said it out loud."
Jisoo steadied himself, spinning his blade one last time. His mana flared brighter — but this time, it wasn't wild. It was sharp, focused. He lunged.
Jiwon's eyes narrowed. Her sword moved in response — no hesitation, no fear. They clashed in the center of the field, both pouring everything into that final exchange.
The sound cracked like thunder. A wave of mana burst outward, shaking the ground and forcing the crowd to shield their eyes.
When the dust settled, both stood motionless.
Jisoo's blade was broken halfway down. Jiwon's sword was pointed to his chest — not touching, but close enough.
The referee raised his flag. "Winner — Han Jiwon!"
The arena exploded again. Chants of "Dancing Blade!" echoed across the coliseum.
Jiwon exhaled slowly, lowering her sword. Jisoo smiled, lowering his own handle with a respectful nod.
"Guess I lost to another Han," he said.
"Seems like it," she replied, laughing softly.
They shook hands — a gesture that drew another wave of cheers.
In the stands, Minjae fell backward dramatically. "I swear, the Han family's bloodline needs to be studied."
Rina snorted. "At this point, it's genetic bullying."
Jiwoo smiled quietly, eyes still on the field. "She's always been like that."
Rina turned to him. "Ever beaten her?"
"...Not yet," he said simply.
Minjae groaned. "Man, I think Eclipse was built for the Kang and Han families."
Rina laughed. "He's not wrong."
Up in the faculty booth, Baek was grinning ear to ear. "That's what top-tier swordsmanship looks like. Perfect flow, clean mana control, no wasted motion."
Soomin leaned forward, eyes following Jiwon as she left the stage. "It's like watching water fight steel — and somehow, she's both."
Kain finally spoke, voice low but clear. "She's strong… but the boy's different."
Baek turned to him. "Jiwoo?"
Kain nodded slowly. "He doesn't have her grace — but he has something else. Something quieter. A power inside him."
Back on the arena floor, Jiwon waved briefly toward the stands. Jiwoo met her gaze and raised a small wave in return.
She smiled — not with pride, but something gentler. Encouragement. A reminder that the fight wasn't over yet.
The announcer's voice boomed again, calling the crowd's attention back.
"With that, we have our finalist in the lower bracket! The remaining duel in the upper bracket will decide who will be our finalist. Tomorrow 8am, Han Jiwoo vs Kang Hyunwoo!"
Cheers echoed again. The energy felt endless.
Jiwoo exhaled softly, gripping the railing. "Final four, huh,"
Minjae said beside him. "No pressure or anything."
Jiwoo smiled faintly. "Pressure's good. It means I'm still alive."
Rina crossed her arms. "Better keep it that way. You're up against monsters next."
He chuckled. "Aren't we all?"
The camera drones hovered closer to the field, capturing the roar of the crowd as the sun began to set behind the arena towers.
The next matches would decide it all — who would stand as Eclipse Academy's strongest.
But for now, Jiwoo just watched his sister walk off the field — a calm smile on her face and a promise in her step.