Back where Erica and Jericho stood, the air was still warm from lingering embers of soul energy. The battlefield behind them was quiet now, but the thrill of the clash still pulsed between them.
Erica suddenly burst into laughter, placing her hands on her hips. "That was so much fun—and so intense, Jericho," she said brightly.
"Setting the soul energy aside… that was actually the first time I've ever gone all out against a fellow human—oh, sorry," she added quickly with a grin, "you're a god. I just fought a god… and almost won."
Jericho shot her a flat look. "Calm yourself, Erica. How is that the only thing you're excited about when you literally just mastered soul energy manipulation in a single week? You're strange. And for the record, it's Sub-god."
"Whatever," she waved him off with a laugh. "I see you're not denying it anymore." She tilted her head playfully. "And as for the soul energy thing, it wasn't a big deal… I technically had a head start."
Jericho blinked. "You had a what?"
She hesitated for just a moment, then exhaled softly.
"I've always pushed myself," Erica said softly. "Ever since I was a child. I didn't want just my crown to define me."
Her smile wavered.
Her gaze drifted slightly. "That's why I joined the Holy Knights. It wasn't easy. I faced a lot of resistance… my father was strongly against it at first. But I worked hard. I proved myself to him. Earning his trust."
Her fingers tightened subtly. "Still… there are people who doubt me. People who don't see me as someone worthy of being their queen. So… I can't stop proving myself."
She shook her head lightly. "Sorry, Jericho. I got a bit emotional there."
Jericho said nothing.
For a moment, the world felt oddly quiet. No wind. No voices. Just her standing there with that fragile smile.
Before he realized it, his hand had already reached for hers—
and he pulled her into his arms.
Erica froze completely.
Her eyes widened. Her mouth parted slightly.
Her face turned bright red.
"J-Jericho—!?"
He froze too.
Slowly, awkwardly, he released her.
"I— I'm so sorry! I wasn't thinking! My body just— it just moved!"
{What was that…?}
Erica touched her chest lightly, her heart racing.
"I… it's okay," she whispered. "It actually… helped."
She cleared her throat hastily. "A-anyway… the reason I said I had a head start was because the first step of your training was already part of my normal routine. I meditate often—it helps me learn my body better and fight fatigue. So I just kept doing what I always do… and one day, I suddenly felt a strange energy inside me."
Her eyes shimmered with excitement. "After that, I focused on calling it out. And now—well… here we are."
"I see…" Jericho said, genuinely impressed.
"Head start or not," Jericho said, smiling openly now, "mastering soul energy this fast is unbelievable. You really are a genius, Erica."
Without thinking—
pat.
Her entire face exploded into red.
"J-JERICHOOO—!?"
"I DID IT AGAIN— I'M SORRY—!" He cried out.
Erica stood there, flustered, clutching her chest lightly. "…You're really dangerous without realizing it, you know."
When they finally managed to tear their eyes away from each other, reality crashed back in.
Their surroundings were… ruined.
The once-intact training ground had been carved open like it had endured a natural disaster. Deep fissures tore through the earth. Stone slabs were shattered into dust.
Scorched paths traced the path of Erica's unstable soul energy, and the air still shimmered faintly with lingering power.
For a long moment, both of them simply stared.
"…Oh."
"…Oh no."
Erica's eyes slowly widened as the full scale of the destruction registered in her mind. Her jaw dropped.
"WHAT IN THE WORLD HAPPENED HERE?!" she screamed suddenly, spinning around in disbelief. "W-was this us?! Was this really us, Jericho?!"
Jericho let out a weak, nervous laugh, scratching the back of his head. "I suppose… we may have gotten a little carried away. Just a little."
"A little?!" she snapped, pointing at a crater the size of a house.
He winced. "Okay… maybe— maybe more than a little. But honestly, I'm less worried about the damage and more worried about something far more terrifying."
Erica blinked. "More terrifying than this?"
He swallowed. "…William's reaction."
Her face instantly paled.
"You're right," she whispered. "He's going to kill us."
Jericho laughed awkwardly. "He can be… very intense when it comes to scolding."
The two of them stood there amidst the devastation—one frozen in horror, the other nervously laughing—both realizing, at the exact same time…
They were in serious trouble.
——
William exhaled as he watched the two finish surveying the destruction.
"…They've finally realized what they've done," he muttered, still half-stunned.
Alice raised a brow. "It would seem so. Honestly… what were they even talking about to miss all of this?"
There was no mistaking the faint jealousy threading her voice.
William didn't answer immediately. His gaze lingered on Erica — not just surprised, but genuinely impressed.
"To think she already learned to use soul energy… this soon," he murmured under his breath. "She only just discovered it, and she's already wielding it like that…"
He shook his head slightly. Even for a genius, this was unheard of.
Jericho and Erica approached, both wearing identical we-definitely-overdid-it expressions as they braced for whatever came next.
Erica and Jericho slowed as they approached, both of them looking like two children caught playing with something dangerous.
William crossed his arms, staring at them with that cold, quiet disappointment only he could manage.
Alice, on the other hand, tapped her foot, waiting.
"So," William said at last, "enjoy your little… exercise?"
Erica flinched. Jericho looked away.
Alice gestured at the wrecked terrain — the shattered trees, the cratered earth, the torn ground stretching out in all directions.
"Mind explaining how you two managed to almost erase an entire section of the training grounds?" she asked, voice sharp… but her eyes flicked to Jericho for a moment, softening just a bit.
Jericho rubbed the back of his neck. "We, uh… may have gotten a bit carried away."
"A bit?" Alice echoed. "Jericho, half this field looks like the aftermath of a small war."
Erica stepped forward, cheeks pink. "It wasn't intentional! We were just sparring and—"
"And you forgot the world around you?" William finished for her, but his tone lacked real anger. "Look, I'm not even sure whether to scold you… or congratulate you."
Erica and Jericho blinked. "Congratulate…?"
William sighed. "Commander, mastering soul energy in weeks is already nearly impossible. But wielding it this effectively—"
He motioned to the devastation around them.
"—that's just too impressive."
Alice's eyes widened slightly, realizing the weight of what he'd just said.
Jericho shot Erica a proud look — which only made her turn redder.
"Still," William added, straightening, "no more sparring unsupervised. Next time you two want to blow up half the countryside, warn us first."
Erica and Jericho nodded like two schoolkids who'd just been told to behave.
William exhaled slowly, then fixed his gaze on Erica — commander or not, she wasn't escaping this question.
"Commander," he said, calm but pointed, "why didn't you tell us you'd gotten this far? Soul energy mastery isn't exactly something one forgets to mention."
Erica froze for a moment… then gave a small, guilty smile.
"A lot has happened these past few days," she said, twirling a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I didn't exactly have the chance to sit everyone down and explain. Everything kept moving so fast."
She shrugged, then grinned mischievously.
"And honestly? I'm glad I didn't say anything. The look on all your faces when you saw the destruction was priceless."
William blinked.
Alice choked.
Jericho laughed under his breath.
William rubbed his temples. "So that was intentional… the surprise, at least."
Erica puffed her chest. "Of course. A commander should make an impression, shouldn't she?"
Alice muttered, "There are impressions… and then there's this," gesturing to the ruined landscape.
Jericho coughed awkwardly, trying not to laugh again.
Before William could turn his scolding toward Jericho for indulging Erica's recklessness, Erica stepped forward, lifting her voice so all the gathered knights could hear.
"Also," she said confidently, brushing dust from her torn sleeve, "those of you who still think soul energy is impossible for you to achieve… you should reconsider."
A few knights stiffened, their expressions guilty — they knew exactly who she meant.
Erica smiled warmly, almost proudly.
"Because I was a complete stranger to this just weeks ago. If I can do it, then every single one of you has a chance. What you saw today wasn't just power — it was proof. So let it lift your spirits, not break them."
A murmur rippled through the knights.
Surprise… admiration… and something new: hope.
Alice's face softened.
Jericho watched Erica with a small, proud smile.
And even William — ever the stoic — allowed the faintest curve of his lips.
One knight whispered, "Commander… you always think of us first…"
Another added, "She's unbelievable…"
The mood shifted.
Their fear of soul energy faded, replaced with determination.
Erica crossed her arms triumphantly. "Good. That's the reaction I wanted."
Erica clapped her hands lightly, calling out to the knights, "Alright, everyone — back to your drills. No slacking just because your commander made a crater!"
A few laughed nervously, then hurried back to work.
Erica turned and walked toward Alice, William, and Jericho.
As soon as she reached them, Alice leaned in, eyes wide with curiosity.
"Commander… that flame you used — can you explain it? Because that wasn't a normal fire. It was denser… hotter… it didn't even look like flame. What was that?"
Erica blinked, genuinely baffled. "Honestly? I… have no idea. I just reached for something and… that came out."
All three of them then slowly turned to Jericho.
Jericho felt their combined stares like a spear to the chest and let out a tiny, startled yelp.
"Ahem—! Well… uh… yes. I can explain."
He straightened his posture, acting like nothing happened.
"What Erica unleashed… is the second class of the Fire element. It's called INFERNO. Far more potent than ordinary flame — denser, heavier, overwhelmingly destructive."
Alice and William exchanged stunned looks.
Jericho continued, warming to the topic:
"There are four basic elements that form the foundation of soul energy in this world: WATER, FIRE, WIND, and EARTH.
Then there are the Chaos-Class Elements, rare abilities that don't fall under the basic four — like mine."
He raised his hand, and silvery Mercury pooled into his palm like liquid moonlight.
William leaned forward, analyzing the substance.
"I see… fascinating indeed. But just to be sure—did you say the commander's flame is only the second class of the fire element? Does that mean each element has multiple classes?"
"Correct," Jericho nodded. "Each one has stages — lower, middle, and highest. For example:
Fire Element: FIRE → INFERNO → LAVA
Water Element: WATER → FOG → ICE
Earth Element: EARTH → SAND → GROWTH
Wind Element: WIND → HURRICANE → STORM
"As for the Chaos Classes, they follow the same structure, but there are limitless variations, so I can't list them all. But mine — Mercury — is the third and highest of its class. The two beneath it are METAL and CRYSTAL."
Alice nodded slowly, absorbing every detail.
"Alright… that makes sense. But then… how did the commander awaken her element? How did she end up with Fire — and Inferno of all things?"
Jericho shrugged lightly.
"That part… I don't really know. But usually, a person's soul energy manifests as the element that best fits their nature… the one that compliments who they truly are."
He turned his gaze toward Erica and smiled softly.
"And Fire suits her perfectly."
Erica's cheeks tinted red, though she tried to hide it by looking away.
Erica went beet-red the moment Jericho said the flames suited her perfectly. Her gaze snapped away, drifting anywhere but his eyes.
Alice caught it instantly. A flicker of jealousy pinched her chest — not because she disliked Erica, but because Jericho's admiration felt… different. Warmer. Still, Alice couldn't deny it. He's right… she really is incredible. That quiet pride swelled inside her; she was honored to call Erica her commander.