Waiting a few more minutes, Amari and I both looked up as a pulse of magic surged through the forest.
Above us, Kayda's barrier shimmered into existence, locking the world away and sealing the clearing in layers of translucent crystal flame. The mana density spiked, pressing in on our skin like humid fog.
Not for me.
For Amari.
I guess Kayda wants to give Amari an edge. Or maybe… she's testing her? I thought, narrowing my eyes at the faint ripples crawling across the air. The pressure wasn't uncomfortable for me, but it shifted slightly, almost deliberately, toward Amari. She was still staring upward, fascinated by the sky-blue sheen of the barrier, her lips parted in awe.
Amari stepped ten meters away, exhaling slowly. Flames coiled around her wrists in lazy spirals, then flared sharper, wrapping her in that restless dual-element glow she always carried. She wore light armor, the kind meant for movement rather than protection, its sleeves scorched and blackened in places from overuse. The dual-element insignia stitched into her collar glowed faintly, like embers beneath ash.
"So. Are we doing this or not?" she asked, rolling her shoulders. The grin on her face wasn't arrogance—it was excitement. Pure adrenaline-fueled joy.
"Sure. Let's go all out." My grin matched hers as I released my limiters.
The clearing darkened, or maybe it only felt that way, as three tails burst into view behind me. They unfurled like banners of icy malice, swaying and snapping with restrained violence. The air around them crystallized, mist curling in little threads along the grass.
Her eyes lit up. "You're going to use them?"
"For you? Yeah. I need them." My voice carried no hesitation. She'd earned this. "You're over level 200 now. It would be rude not to take you seriously."
I reached into my inventory and pulled out a small bowl of soup. With a casual flick, I tossed it into the air.
Amari snorted. "Seriously? Mid-duel snack time?"
The bowl hit the ground.
Crack.
In an instant, thousands of elemental lances formed around her, glowing blue, gold, and red. They shrieked through the air toward me like a meteor storm, each one sharp enough to split stone.
I dashed forward, tails sweeping in wide arcs. Every strike shattered dozens of lances, their fragments dissolving into steam as my ice tore through them like paper. The rhythm of breaking projectiles echoed across the clearing—thud, crack, hiss—building into a storm of its own.
Creating a claymore of jagged ice mid-run, I swung at her with full force, a wide arc that would've flattened a boulder.
But something invisible slammed into my gut.
WHAM!
The impact knocked the wind out of me and hurled me backward, air rushing past my ears. Spinning in midair, I forced my claymore downward, cleaving through the massive ball of mana she had conjured in the same breath. It burst apart, scattering into a thick smoke cloud.
Perfect cover.
I vanished into it, flash-stepping forward. The smoke twisted as I reappeared behind her, katana low, ready to sweep across her legs. But once again, something I couldn't see struck me in the face with bone-rattling force.
CRACK.
The world tilted, pain buzzing along my jaw.
"That's new," I muttered, straightening as I rubbed my cheek, eyeing the unnatural coils of mana around her. It twisted tighter and denser near her body, forming a translucent bubble only my senses could pick up.
"Yeah," Amari said, her grin crooked and full of teeth. "Small range, but effective."
"Hmph."
Slamming my foot into the ground, I created a shockwave that blasted dust into the air. The world blurred gray. Ice lances formed above me, hundreds of them, then rained down toward her. Each one carried tiny explosive cores at their center, waiting to burst.
Boom! Boom! BOOM!
The shockwaves tore across the clearing, rattling the barrier overhead. Leaves and dirt spun violently in the air, coating the barrier's blue shimmer in dust.
I narrowed my eyes. 'It only disrupts mana flow, not physical matter.' The explosions didn't fizzle against the field. They pushed straight through and warped it.
Amari stood tall within the swirling haze, her sage field curling calmly around her. "Don't test so many things out," she teased, raising her hand. The swirl of mana around her was stable and deliberate. "This spell's my baby. Made it last week."
I made a sharp snapping sound with my fingers.
Shhhkt.
The sage field froze over, with jagged frost instantly forming a spiderweb pattern across its surface and locking it in place.
"Unfair!" Amari shouted, hurling more lances at me in frustration.
I swept my hand. Crash. They shattered like brittle glass against my ice.
"Come on, Amari," I called, already behind her again, tails rippling. "You can do better."
"Shit!" she swore, diving forward just in time to dodge my descending blade. My katana slammed into the earth, carving a deep gouge. She rolled, came up with her sword, and parried my second strike. Sparks leapt between us as steel clashed.
Amari grinned fiercely. "Mom drilled me hard on weapon forms."
"Not enough," I replied, twisting to catch her ankle with a tail. I flung her into the dirt. She bounced, rolled, and tried to catch herself—but my boot caught her midair, punting her across the clearing like a stone skipping water.
"Gah! Agh!" She coughed, tumbling.
"Come on!" I shouted, stalking forward—only to halt as the air itself shifted.
The pressure changed. It pressed down on me, not crushing, but thick. Slowing.
Wind magic?
No. Denser. Familiar.
Another Sage technique.
Amari staggered upright, sweat beading along her brow. "Try to move now," she said smugly, holding her sword at her side.
I tilted my head.
Disappointment.
She fired another volley of lances. I stomped, the ice shockwave rolling outward, and the pressure thinned. Not gone, but weaker.
"Tch. That's all I can do." Although she sounded annoyed with herself, her smirk lingered. Still, the slowing effect clung faintly to my limbs.
She charged, sword raised. Flames licked the blade, casting her in orange light.
"You want to duel now?" I asked, catching her strike and knocking it aside with mine. In the same motion, my fist slammed into her ribs. She wheezed but kicked off the ground, twisting in midair.
I caught her mid-spin, slammed her down again, then followed with a strike that sent her skipping across the ground like a ragdoll.
"Come at me!"
Dozens of ice swords materialized above and fired in perfect formation.
Amari countered, slamming her hands together. A wall of flaming lances erupted, streaking upward to intercept. The sky turned into a battlefield of blue and gold, each impact rocking the clearing with thunderclaps.
Her arms caught fire, literal flames licking up to her shoulders.
Kayda's magic.
I narrowed my eyes. "Copying?"
"Not quite," she replied—and vanished.
She reappeared at my side. Instinct screamed. I raised an ice wall just in time. BOOM. Her dragonfire detonated, erupting in a circular shockwave that tore apart the wall and threw embers across the barrier.
"That's her element alright," I muttered, snapping my fingers. Lightning shot forward in a jagged arc.
She mirrored it. Lightning surged from her palm, colliding with mine. The twin bolts met and canceled out in a deafening crack, the light searing the inside of my eyes.
Damn, she's gotten strong. Zagan was holding her back.' I allowed myself a small smile—then winced.
My arm hit the ground.
I blinked at the stump. "You can use darkness now?"
Even as I spoke, frost raced over the wound. My arm regrew, crystalline ice knitting into flesh.
"And light." Amari's grin widened as spears of radiant energy erupted beneath me, slamming upward.
"Augh!" I growled, tails sweeping down to catch and crush them, forcing them back into the ground.
Her eyes widened. "I didn't know your tails were that strong."
The spears froze solid mid-thrust.
"Oh no, you don't!" she shouted, swinging her sword in a wide arc. The blade unleashed a wave of compressed air, a visible distortion in the world. Only my eyes tracked it.
I raised a thick shield of ice. The ripple struck, vibrating the surface, but it held.
Flash step.
I appeared behind her, hand clamping around the back of her neck. Victory for a moment.
Then three dark spears pierced straight through my torso.
"Shadows, too?" My voice was flat, pained, but unimpressed.
"Obviously," she panted, staggering as she ripped them back. Her mana reserves were burning fast.
I kicked her away, tearing the spears free.
"Don't lose focus."
"Use them," she demanded, breath ragged.
"No."
"Why not?!"
"Because nothing I know of can stop them. And I've tested it."
"Then give me a chance!" she cried, desperation threading her tone.
I sighed, letting the tension drain for one moment. A small 9mm pistol appeared in my hand, mundane, almost laughable compared to everything else.
She blinked. "Really?"
"Yup." I squeezed the trigger.
BANG!
The bullet struck her chest—and detonated. A sharp, controlled explosion swallowed her in a sphere of smoke and fire.
I flash-stepped above the crater, slicing my wrist. Blood dripped, crimson drops catching the light as they neared her mouth. Her regeneration flared, knitting flesh and bone back together in seconds.
"Never underestimate an enemy," she whispered hoarsely, grinning despite the blood on her teeth.
Then the mana shifted again.
"Don't," I warned, eyes narrowing, tails poised.
She chuckled softly, eyes blazing.
Then she detonated the entire barrier from within.
WHOOOOOM!!
The explosion rippled outward, light blinding and raw, filling the world with roaring heat. The translucent crystal flame shattered, screaming as it broke apart. For a heartbeat, everything was fire and thunder.
When the smoke cleared, I stood untouched, tails still swaying. My aura shimmered faintly from redirecting the blast.
Amari lay unconscious beneath me, armor cracked, hair singed, but alive.
I stared down at her, jaw tight. "She's definitely getting a lecture."
Back outside the barrier, Kayda turned, sensing the violent shift. Her eyes sharpened until I stepped out, carrying Amari slung across my shoulders.
"Oh hey, you're back?" she asked, brightening despite the lingering tension.
"Not quite. This peanut decided to try and kill both of us." I dropped Amari onto the floor with a thud.
Kayda blinked, tilting her head. "Yes, I saw. But I'm assuming you redirected the blast?"
"Of course, babe. Rawr. Who do you think I am? Rawr." I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her close.
"Someone who's been sticking cl—"
"No, no, no." I pressed a finger to her lips, cutting her off quickly. "You're not allowed to say that word. Only two more days of this farce. After this farce, I will take you on a proper romantic date. Rawr."
I kissed her.
She kissed me back, sighing against my lips.
"Well, I need to get back to the preparations," I murmured, stealing one more peck before letting go.
She sighed, releasing me reluctantly. "Just be careful."
I nodded, turning to open a swirling portal. The colors shimmered with faint frost.
As I stepped through, Amari stirred behind me, groaning. "Ugh… Did I win?"
Kayda loomed above her, arms crossed, expression like stone. "Winning a talking-to? Yes. You won that."
Amari blinked up at her.
Kayda's shadow lengthened over her.
Amari gulped audibly. "…Oh no."
[Draig Mansion]
[Kayda's POV]
The great doors of the Draig mansion opened with a familiar creak, their heavy hinges echoing faintly through the long marble halls. I stepped inside, the crisp scent of waxed stone and old parchment filling my senses. Amari trailed behind me, dragging her boots with all the enthusiasm of someone walking toward their execution.
She was quiet. Too quiet. Amari always had something to say—a joke, a jab, a complaint. Silence from her was unnatural and heavy. But it wasn't because she had nothing to say—it was because the lecture I had delivered on the way here had wrung the energy from her. And for once, I didn't feel guilty. She needed it. She nearly blew herself up along with Kitsuna. That was beyond reckless.
We moved down the main hall toward Stacy's study. The air in this wing was calmer than the training grounds, but it still carried that Draig weight—tradition and discipline settled into the very stones. Even the portraits seemed to watch us.
"Straighten up," I muttered over my shoulder.
Amari stiffened, lifted her chin, and adjusted her stance. Her boots scuffed less against the polished stone as she obeyed, even if the tension in her jaw betrayed her irritation.
At the double doors ahead, Stacy's voice reached us before I even knocked. "I hear armor. Is that my daughter or a thunder spirit coming to yell at me?"
I pushed the door open without waiting. "Both."
Stacy sat behind her broad desk, maps and scrolls sprawled across its surface, ink stains marking where her quill had danced. She looked relaxed at first glance, but her sharp eyes immediately flicked toward Amari, scanning her for injuries. The concern was there, buried beneath a calm smile.
Amari stepped in hesitantly. "Hey, Mom…"
"Amari," Stacy said gently. "I heard about the explosion. Are you—?"
"She's alive," I cut in, my tone flat. "Mostly because Kitsuna saved her ass."
"I had it under control," Amari muttered, arms crossing defensively.
"You were unconscious when I got to you."
"I was resting."
"You were drooling into a crater."
Stacy's lips twitched, her gaze moving between us with faint amusement. "Well, clearly someone got a talking-to."
"Oh, she did," I said firmly. "And now she's here to tell you the rest."
Amari inhaled slowly, then squared her shoulders. "I'm withdrawing from the tournament."
Stacy's expression didn't change immediately, but her shoulders relaxed ever so slightly. She rose from her chair, walking around the desk to place her hands gently on Amari's shoulders. "Why?"
"Because I'm not the right one for this next fight," Amari said, her voice steady, no longer the cocky drawl she had used earlier. "The opponent I'd be facing… he's not just dangerous. He's on another level. I can't beat him—not without risking my life. Only Kitsuna can handle someone like that."
Stacy studied her for a long, silent moment, then nodded slowly. "You're sure this isn't fear talking?"
"No," Amari said firmly. "I'm not scared. I got what I came for. I fought Kitsuna, and she gave me everything I could've hoped for. But this next match isn't a test of strength. It's suicide."
A flicker of emotion softened Stacy's eyes. She brushed her fingers lightly against Amari's cheek, a rare tenderness. "You've always been brave. Braver than I expected, sometimes too much for your own good. But today? You're being wise. That's rarer."
For a brief heartbeat, a genuine smile passed between them.
I stepped forward. "We'll file it as a precautionary withdrawal. Training-related internal strain. No scandal, no disgrace."
Stacy nodded in agreement. "I'll handle the paperwork myself."
"Thanks, Mom." Amari whispered, and the word carried more weight this time. No sarcasm. No deflection. Just sincerity.
Stacy squeezed her arm gently. "Thank you for choosing to live. That's all I've ever wanted."
A long silence lingered, warm but heavy.
Then Stacy's lips curved into a sly smile. "…Besides, this gives me time to sneak you out for cake later."
Amari blinked, then grinned wide. "Can we make it chocolate?"
"You're damn right we can," Stacy said, and pulled her daughter into a rare, unguarded embrace.