JUSTIN'S POINT OF VIEW
I leapt back instinctively when thick vines erupted from the ground beneath my feet. The moment I landed elsewhere, more sprang up from the new spot, writhing like snakes. They pursued me relentlessly, forcing me into a constant sprint and dodge.
I spared a glance at Rhein—her gaze was locked on me, deadly serious. Looking behind me, I knew this chase wouldn't end unless I made it stop.
I skidded to a halt and hurled spheres of dark energy at the encroaching vines. Then I slammed my palm against the ground, summoning my mnarill. The entire battlefield darkened; fissures split the earth, and her vines withered to ash.
My lips curled into a grin. "Now… how do you plan to fight me on this poisonous land? Give up—"
A gust of wind cut me off. It swelled rapidly, twisting into multiple whirlwinds around us. I had almost forgotten—ofris mnarillazas can control the wind as well.
I thrust my power upward, tainting the whirlwinds black until I controlled them entirely. Rhein didn't even flinch when she realized they were no longer hers.
I sent them rushing toward her. She darted away, leaping high, but too late—five black cyclones closed in, trapping her completely.
The JAZA fans erupted into cheers, certain I had already won. But then… silence.
When the dark whirlwinds dissolved, Rhein was gone. My gut tightened at the sound of her voice behind me. I didn't know how she'd done it, but one thing was certain—she'd awakened to her true powers. She had teleported.
"Surprised?"
I turned, and the tip of her light sword was at my throat. She stared at me with unnerving calm—so different from when we had first met.
I teleported away, creating distance, and conjured my own dark sword.
Dark energy spheres materialized in the air around us, diving toward her. She didn't bother dodging. A light barrier shimmered into existence around her, absorbing my attack. Instead of exploding, my dark energy began to turn white, bending to her control. I tried to reclaim it—failed.
Her mnarill is too strong.
The barrier dropped, and she hurled my own energy back at me. I countered by creating fresh orbs of darkness, sending them to clash midair. The explosion filled the field with black smoke.
I saw nothing—until pain tore through my right shoulder.
"Aaagh!" I cried out as my uniform sleeve burned away, revealing scorched flesh. I stared at it in shock. Light energy from her sister's attacks had never left a wound like this. The king and queen had been right—Rhein's mnarill was different.
I flooded the area with thick black smoke laced with sleep-inducing magic, a move meant to end the match quickly. The barrier around the battlefield would protect the audience, but I could still see her through the haze. I was certain she'd collapse any second—
The smoke vanished.
White feathers floated in the air around her, drifting and spinning faster and faster until they obscured her completely. Each one glowed like a star. From within the whirlwind of light, the darkened battlefield floor began to pale, transforming into pure white. Her mnarill surged—blinding, overwhelming.
The feathers exploded outward and faded, her light sword dissolving along with them. The arena returned to its original form. She still looked puzzled, but her calm never wavered.
"Whoa! Congratulations on fully transitioning, Rhein! You're now a true hwiztamnarillaza!" the emcee announced.
She glanced at her badge, confirming the words. No joy, no gloating—just a sigh before she turned her serious gaze on me.
I smiled. "Congratulations."
My legs gave way, the strength draining from me. The crowd's shouts blurred into noise. My only injury was the burn on my shoulder, but her mnarill had sapped far more from me than I'd expected.
"Our winner for this amazing match is Rhein Gomez!"
Damn Dylan. He's right.
She is awesome.
DYLAN'S POINT OF VIEW
I was in the Student Council office, watching the match unfold on the screen. The principal knew my situation well enough that she had cameras installed inside the gymnasium. If I had watched from the bleachers, there was a high chance Rhein would have recognized me.
"Are you done assessing?"
Principal Oak had barely stepped inside when she fired the question.
Was she really that eager to see the results?
Without a word, I rose from my seat and handed her the sheet listing the rankings I had written down. She skimmed through it, then smiled.
"Good work, Mister President," she said, and left just as quickly.
I let out a long sigh and sank back into my chair, turning once again to the computer monitor. The battlefield was still in view. Rhein and Justin's match had just ended.
I already knew Justin was strong, but I couldn't help finding it a little amusing that a beginner had managed to beat him. I'd make sure to tease him about it later.
"It usually takes months before deore and hwiztamnarillazas fully transition, right? So how did the princess manage it already?" Tyler's voice came from my desk—he'd crawled under it to hide when the principal passed by. "And she only talked to her mnarill about her powers last night. Isn't that strange?"
It is strange. Incredibly strange.
"I know," I admitted, "but her parents once said her mnarill is… different. They never explained why. I tried asking before, but they just smiled at me."
The corner of my mouth curved upward again as I rewound the footage to the part where she had taken Justin by surprise—teleporting right in front of him, sword aimed at his chest.
"You're smiling again," the bird at my side teased.
"Who wouldn't? She has never failed to impress me."
The door swung open, and I immediately shut off the computer. Standing, I turned to face the visitor. At first, I thought Principal Oak had returned—but no.
My eyes widened.
I did not expect this.
She stood there, her pracien by her side, gaze locked on me with unnerving seriousness. A wave of unease climbed up my spine.
Damn it. What is this? Has Princess Rona miscalculated her plans' outcomes?
"You set us—my friends and me—against JAZA. Worse, you set me up against Justin. You made the two of us the highlight of the whole selection." Her laugh was hollow, mocking. "No wonder you didn't show up at the actual event—you were afraid I'd recognize you. Lucky for me, there were gossiping students near our spot earlier. They were disappointed you didn't attend, but thanks to them, I finally learned who you are. That sealed my suspicions, Mister President—the top student of the whole academy. And, I almost forgot—your other famous title: the only meithi mnarillaza left in the world of Mnarra."
I opened my mouth to explain, but what was the point? She'd already hit the bull's-eye.
My thoughts scattered the moment she walked in and started saying all this.
"Fighting me in the forest and revealing your type of mnarillaza… that was a very stupid move," she continued coldly. "Back then, I already had a hunch I knew you. Your voice sounded familiar. I wasn't wrong." Her eyes shut tight for a moment. "You also followed me to the gymnasium last night. Your presence said everything."
"So that's why I didn't sense any hostile intent from you when you showed yourself in the forest. You weren't the deore mnarillaza who tried to attack me—you were following orders from someone else." She paused briefly. "You claimed you were my sister's co-worker. Where exactly do you 'work' with her? Making up schemes to mess with me? Tell me the truth. What is all this for? Did my sister go through the same thing when she came here? Is this some kind of test for us princesses?"
Her voice wavered at the end, and then… a single tear slid down her cheek.
She knew... all of it.