The White House was cloaked in silence, heavy with anticipation. Inside the council chamber, the Seven Devils sat around a long stone table. The glow of magic lamps painted their faces with pale light, and Mira could feel it in the air—this wasn't just another meeting. This was the eve of war.
Miss Veena's words still rang in her ears: they would be facing the former Seven Devils.
At the head of the table, Kai stood, his golden eyes steady, though the lines of tension in his jaw betrayed the weight he carried. Akira was beside him, serious in a way Mira rarely saw.
Kai spoke first. "We can't walk into this blind. They are not just opponents. They are the shadows of what we're expected to become." His voice carried, low and sharp. "And each one knows how to break us."
Akira raised her hand, summoning a golden projection that shimmered in the air. One by one, the shapes of seven figures formed above the table. Mira's breath caught in her throat. Even as illusions, their presence felt crushing.
"Refella Voidwalker," Kai said quietly, his gaze hardening. "She has never lost a battle. Her sword and her space magic make her untouchable. If you falter for even a moment, she will carve through you."
Ren scoffed, but his voice was tight. "She's a nightmare, not a person."
Mira shivered. The name alone made her chest heavy.
Akira's fingers moved, and another figure stepped forward. "Draven Nightshade," she said. "The Phantom Duelist. Shadows obey his will. He's unpredictable—once he disappears, you've already lost."
Asher spat to the side, crimson eyes narrowing. "Tch. I despise shadow users. Always hiding like cowards."
Mira bit her lip. If he could outpace even Akira, what hope would she have against someone like that?
Then a thunderous silhouette emerged, broad-shouldered and glowing faintly with lightning. Kai's expression hardened. "Vale Thundercrest. His strikes carry the force of storms. I've seen him break stone with his fists. If he lands a single clean hit, the fight ends there."
Ren's smirk faltered, his hand brushing over his ribs unconsciously. "Yeah… I still remember the last time. Nearly shattered me."
Next came a regal woman with hair like snow, cold eyes watching them from the projection. Celvia's face grew grave. "Liora Everfrost. Mistress of the battlefield. Her ice domain swallows everything. If she has time to set it, the fight is already lost."
Rhyshe leaned forward, grinning wide. "Good. Then I'll just stop her before she does."
Mira hoped Rhyshe wasn't bluffing.
The projection flared again, and fire burst forth, wild and untamed. Mira's throat tightened.
"Zayne Pyroclast," Kai announced. "Flames as wild as his mind. He's reckless, unstable. But his destruction is absolute."
Mira swallowed hard, her palms sweating. Another fire user. And not just any fire—unpredictable, explosive. She whispered to herself, This one's mine.
Akira's hand flicked again, and a lithe figure spun into view, her movements airy and elusive. "Elise Moonveil. Wind dancer. She disrupts energy itself, fast and slippery. But if we corner her, she falls."
Rhyshe laughed lightly. "Let's see if she's faster than me."
Finally, a towering figure appeared, solid as stone, unmoving even in illusion. Kai's voice grew firm. "Darius Blackthorn. His defense is absolute. If the fight drags, he'll grind us down until we break."
Ren crossed his arms, frowning. "He won't fall easy. But if he does, the others will lose heart."
The illusions dissolved, and the room fell into silence. The weight of seven legends pressed on all of them.
Kai broke it first. "We fight in pairs. No one steps in alone."
Ren's knuckles cracked. "Then Refella is mine." His eyes blazed with a dangerous hunger.
Mira arched an eyebrow. "Still chasing her shadow? Or is it an obsession?"
Ren's glare could have cut steel. "Unless you'd rather take her blade yourself."
Mira smirked faintly, though her chest was tight. "I'd sooner wrestle a wyvern."
Akira snapped, her voice sharper than steel. "Enough. Rhyshe, Celvia—you'll take Elise and Liora. Speed is your edge. Don't waste it."
Rhyshe grinned, her confidence unshaken.
Kai added, "Asher and I will take Vale and Darius. Strength meets strategy."
Everyone had a place. Everyone but Mira. She said nothing, but unease coiled inside her.
The doors opened. Miss Veena entered, her presence a blade of silence. "Your plans are sound," she said smoothly. "But without execution, they are nothing but words."
Kai straightened. "Then we train tonight."
"Good," Veena replied, her eyes unreadable. "Because your first match is tomorrow."
The words hit like thunder. Mira's breath caught. Tomorrow. Already tomorrow.
The Seven Devils exchanged tense glances. There was no turning back.
That night, Artemis Academy slept beneath a starry sky. Mira couldn't. Her heart was restless, heavy with the fire she feared might not be enough. She slipped into the gardens, the cool night air brushing against her skin as she sank beneath an ancient tree.
Tomorrow, Zayne Pyroclast. A fire like mine… but wilder. Can I withstand him?
She buried her face in her arms, fighting her spiraling thoughts.
Then a ripple stirred the night. Space twisted, and Fengrion leapt through a vortex, his silver fur gleaming faintly.
"Exhausting day," he muttered, shaking himself out.
Mira's head shot up. "Where were you?"
"Training with Lucian," he said casually, his golden eyes glinting with amusement.
Mira nearly choked. "You WHAT?"
He smirked, tail flicking lazily. "The old man wanted to see if I've gone soft. He's strong… but I held my own."
She stared at him, stunned. "You fought the Grand Immortal all day and you're just—relaxing?"
"I'm older than you think," Fengrion said, his tone softening. "But you… you're the one troubled tonight."
Mira's shoulders sagged. "Zayne… his fire is chaos. What if my flames can't stand against his?"
Fengrion's gaze sharpened. "He fights with rage. You fight with heart. Rage burns out. Heart endures."
The words sank deep. Mira felt her chest tighten, then ease.
He grinned, fangs glinting. "So stop doubting. Tomorrow, show them what true fire is."
For the first time, Mira laughed softly. "You're impossible."
"Maybe," Fengrion said, fading back into shadows, "but so are you."
Mira pressed a hand to her heart as the night wind brushed past. Fear remained, but beneath it, resolve had begun to burn.
Tomorrow, she would face Zayne Pyroclast.
And she would not fall.