The Mall of Asia Arena's pit convulsed with light and sound, steel rings thrumming as mana-charged runes flickered beneath the holographic displays. The crowd's roar pounded the rafters, a tidal clash of blue-and-red Fourth High scarves and orange-and-yellow Fourteenth High banners. The air tasted of ozone and sweat, laced with the faint grease of popcorn and scorched hotdogs drifting from the stands. Holo-screens fractured and multiplied every motion, magnifying the chaos as Sallie Mae Salcedo and Celeste Marie Salcedo tore through the arena in a brutal ballet against Clara Escueta and Liana Salamat, the SEA Games Grand Finals burning around them.
Sallie moved with ease, his blue-and-red uniform coated in gritty pit dust, a stark contrast to the bright lights of the arena. His briefcase CAD transformed effortlessly, the tesla staff extending into a longbow, its green runes ablaze as he loosed a spiraling mana arrow. Clara, in her orange-and-yellow uniform, rolled to the side, her brass knuckles CAD glowing and bronze runes aglow as she countered Sallie's attack.
Sallie's blue-and-red uniform is covered in dust from the pit, his briefcase CAD cracks open to reveal a hulking tesla staff that quickly transforms into a longbow. The glowing green runes on his CAD flare as he releases a spiraling mana arrow towards Clara. A victorious grin stretches across his face, his eyes shining with daring confidence.
Celeste's boots dug into the arena floor, grimoire CAD balanced in her left palm while her right index finger traced a silver sigil that burned the air. Pages flipped with a whisper-click beneath her touch, each calibrated turn releasing a pulse of mana that rippled her short hair.
Through the sweat-stung corners of her violet eyes, she caught the flash of Liana's rapier—there, then gone, then there again in the sulfurous haze. Her fingertips tingled as the silver tethers materialized, gossamer-thin and deadly, stretching across the arena like a spider's web. The corner of her mouth twitched upward as the first tether found its mark.
"Predictable," she breathed, the word fogging in the suddenly cold air as Liana's indigo runes flickered against her binding spell.
But Liana was ready—Fuyumi Nakamura's meticulously gathered intel, secretly transmitted to Fourteenth High's tactical servers precisely 3.7 hours ago, gave her the razor-thin edge she needed.
Her Damascus-steel rapier twirled between nimble fingers, each rotation leaving a comet-tail of indigo runes that crystallized in the charged air as she layered a three-tiered illusion matrix—a false mana spike that perfectly mimicked Sallie's distinctive 200-megajoule morph threshold down to the quantum fluctuations.
The counterfeit signal pulsed and flickered across Celeste's retinal HUD like digital fireflies, throwing her silver tethers off by precious milliseconds—an eternity in competitive casting.
Liana's blade slashed forward in a perfect crescent arc, conjuring a trio of photorealistic illusory doubles that shimmered with heat distortion, each one masking her true strike until the cold metal found flesh, grazing Celeste's exposed shoulder with surgical precision.
Crimson blood welled from the shallow wound, each droplet trickling down in rivulets that bloomed like dark roses against the synthetic fibers of her dust-covered blue-and-red uniform.
"Gotcha," Liana said, her dark eyes steady, braid swaying as she pivoted, her rapier already weaving another illusion.
Sallie didn't notice the subtle misfire in Celeste's tethers, too focused on Clara. His longbow morphed back to a tesla staff, green arcs crackling as he swung at her.
Clara met him head-on, her knuckles slamming the ground, bronze runes triggering a shockwave that forced Sallie to leap back. "You're slipping, Salcedo!" Clara taunted, her amber eyes blazing. Fuyumi's data—Sallie's 0.8-second morph cycle—let Clara anticipate his shift, her knuckles grazing his arm as he dodged, tearing a strip from his sleeve.
Celeste flipped another page, her grimoire pulsing as she recalibrated, silver tethers tightening to counter Liana's illusions. But Liana's rapier danced, indigo runes casting layered decoys—false tether signatures that flickered in Celeste's field, making her miss a critical bind. "You're not locking me down," Liana said, her voice calm but cutting, as she lunged, her blade nicking Celeste's thigh.
The Salcedos' 98.1% sync, usually a seamless dance, faltered under the illusions' pressure. Sallie's briefcase morphed again—staff to flail, green runes spinning wildly—but Clara was ready, her knuckles deflecting the flail's arc with a bronze pulse, Fuyumi's intel letting her predict the morph's timing. "Too slow!" she growled, closing the gap, her knuckles aimed at Sallie's chest.
Celeste's eyes flashed, her grimoire flaring as she unleashed a wider tether grid, trying to trap both opponents. But Liana's illusions, built on Fuyumi's precise cast-time data—1.2 seconds for Celeste's tethers—spawned false mana trails, making Celeste's grid miss its mark. Liana's rapier struck again, a clean slash across Celeste's forearm, drawing a sharp hiss.
The crowd roared, oblivious to Fourteenth High's hidden advantage. Holo-screens zoomed in: Sallie's flail sparking against Clara's knuckles, Celeste's tethers fraying under Liana's illusory strikes. Blue-and-red scarves waved frantically, but orange-and-yellow banners surged, sensing an upset. The pit shook with mana bursts, concrete cracking under the cadets' onslaught.
Sallie pivoted, his flail morphing back to a longbow, firing another green arrow. "Come on, sis, tighten it up!" he called, sweat beading on his brow, unaware of the intel fueling Clara's dodges. Clara rolled again, her knuckles countering with a bronze shockwave, the arrow exploding harmlessly against the pit's rebar.
Celeste's voice was ice, her grimoire pages flipping faster. "Their timing's off—too perfect." Her HUD flickered, catching a faint glitch from Liana's illusions, but not enough to break their advantage. She loosed another tether grid, narrower, aiming for Liana's rapier arm, but an illusory decoy flickered, throwing her off again.
High in the stands, Fuyumi Nakamura watched, her Fourth High uniform blending with the crowd, her HUD glasses dim to avoid notice. Her wrist CAD's violet runes pulsed faintly, her holo-tab hidden in her jacket, feeding real-time updates to Fourteenth High's coach via an encrypted line. Her jaw clenched as Celeste's tethers missed, her intel working perfectly—too perfectly. A pang of guilt hit, but she shoved it down, her eyes fixed on the pit, on Japan's shadow looming beyond.
The announcer's voice boomed over the chaos, his holo-mic crackling. "Fourth High's fighting hard, but Fourteenth High's illusions are tearing through! Clara's knuckles, Liana's rapier—they're hitting the Salcedos where it hurts! Who's taking the Pinnacle, Manila?"
The crowd's scream was deafening, mana sparks flaring in the stands as the pit became a crucible of chaos and deception, the Salcedos unaware of the invisible hand tilting the scales.
Sallie pivoted, his blue-and-red uniform streaked with pit dust, his briefcase CAD humming as it morphed mid-step—tesla staff collapsing into a flail, green runes spiraling like a storm.
He swung hard, aiming the flail's spiked head at Clara's chest, his grin sharp despite the sweat beading on his brow. "Try this!" he barked, expecting to catch her off-guard.
Clara, her orange-and-yellow uniform flashing under the lights, was ready—Fuyumi's intel had mapped Sallie's 0.8-second morph cycle to the millisecond. Her brass knuckles CAD flared, bronze runes pulsing as she sidestepped, her knuckles slamming the air to unleash a kinetic shockwave. The flail's arc veered, missing her by inches, and she countered with a jab, grazing Sallie's shoulder, tearing fabric.
"Predictable, Salcedo!" she taunted, her amber eyes glinting, Fuyumi's data letting her anticipate his next switch.
Across the pit, Celeste flipped her grimoire CAD's pages, silver sigils cycling as she shifted from her silver tether spell to an elemental burst—crimson flames coiling from the book, aimed at Liana to disrupt her rhythm.
Her violet eyes narrowed, her voice a low mutter. "Shift the field, force her out." But Fuyumi's intel—Celeste's 1.2-second cast time for elemental switches—had reached Fourteenth High's coach, and Liana was prepared.
Liana's rapier CAD twirled, indigo runes flaring as she wove an illusion—a false mana spike mimicking Celeste's flame cast, layered with a decoy tether signature.
The illusion flickered in Celeste's HUD, throwing her aim off. The flames roared wide, scorching the pit's rebar but missing Liana, who darted forward, her rapier slashing a clean line across Celeste's forearm. Blood welled, staining her blue-and-red sleeve.
"Nice try," Liana said, her dark eyes calm, braid swaying as she reset for another strike.
Sallie cursed under his breath, his briefcase morphing again—flail to shotgun, green runes blazing as he fired a scattershot of mana pellets at Clara.
The pellets screamed through the air, but Clara, armed with Fuyumi's data on Sallie's 200-megajoule morph thresholds, ducked low, her knuckles pulsing bronze as she triggered another shockwave, dispersing the pellets into harmless sparks. She lunged, her fist grazing Sallie's ribs, forcing him to stagger back. "You're off, Salcedo!" she growled, her knuckles humming.
Celeste flipped her grimoire again, switching to an ice elemental spell—jagged shards forming in the air, aimed at pinning Liana's rapier arm. Her sigils pulsed faster, trying to outpace the illusions, but Liana's indigo runes countered with another layered decoy—a false ice signature that flickered in Celeste's field, making her shards miss by a fraction. Liana's rapier struck again, nicking Celeste's thigh, her voice cool. "You're slipping, Salcedo."
The Salcedos, usually a seamless dance, cracked under the pressure of Fourteenth High's uncanny precision. Sallie's shotgun morphed back to a longbow, green runes flaring as he loosed an arrow, but Clara's knuckles met it mid-air, bronze shockwave shattering it. Fuyumi's intel—Sallie's morph triggers—let Clara move before he did, her fists relentless.
Celeste's grimoire pulsed, cycling to a wind spell—gusts whipping the pit, aiming to disrupt Liana's footing. But Liana's illusions, built on Fuyumi's cast-time data, spawned a false wind vector, tricking Celeste's HUD into misaligning the gusts.
Liana slid through, her rapier grazing Celeste's shoulder, drawing another thin line of blood. "Keep trying," Liana said, her indigo runes steady.
High in the stands, Fuyumi Nakamura blended with the Fourth High crowd, her HUD glasses dim, her wrist CAD's violet runes pulsing faintly. Her holo-tab, hidden in her jacket, fed real-time updates to Fourteenth High's coach—Sallie's morph patterns, Celeste's elemental shifts—encrypted and untraceable.
Her jaw clenched as Celeste's ice missed, her guilt warring with her resolve. Japan's safety outweighed her team's loss, but the Salcedos' struggle stung.
The announcer's voice boomed, holo-mic crackling. "Fourteenth High's illusions are tearing through! Clara's knuckles, Liana's rapier—they're reading the Salcedos like a book! Fourth High's fighting back, but can they break this? Manila, make some noise!"
The crowd erupted, blue-and-red scarves flagging as Fourth High cadets screamed for a comeback, orange-and-yellow banners surging with Fourteenth High's rising edge. Holo-screens flashed:
Sallie's longbow sparking, Celeste's flames missing, Clara's knuckles crushing, Liana's rapier dancing through illusions.
Mana sparks flared in the stands, popcorn crunching underfoot as the pit shook with each clash.
Sallie growled, his briefcase morphing to a sledgehammer, green runes blazing as he swung at Clara. "Enough of this!" he snarled, aiming to crack her guard. But Clara, guided by Fuyumi's intel, dodged, her knuckles countering with a bronze pulse that sent Sallie stumbling, the sledgehammer grazing the steel ring, sparking wildly.
Celeste's grimoire flared, cycling back to tethers, silver threads snapping toward Liana. "Lock her down," she muttered, but Liana's illusions—false tether signatures—disrupted her aim again, the threads catching only air. Liana's rapier flashed, nicking Celeste's wrist, her voice low. "Not this time."
Sallie ducked a bronze shockwave from Clara's brass knuckles, his blue-and-red uniform torn at the shoulder, blood trickling from a graze. His briefcase CAD morphed—sledgehammer to longbow, green runes flaring—but Clara anticipated, her knuckles slamming the air, shattering his mana arrow mid-flight.
He stumbled, his grin gone, eyes narrowing as he caught his breath. "Something's off," he muttered, voice low, barely audible over the crowd's roar. "She's reading me like a damn manual."
Celeste flipped her grimoire's pages, silver sigils pulsing as she shifted from wind to ice, jagged shards spiking toward Liana. Her violet eyes flickered, catching a glitch in her HUD—a false mana signature, courtesy of Fuyumi Nakamura's intel, though Celeste didn't know it.
Liana's rapier danced, indigo runes weaving an illusory decoy that threw the ice shards wide, grazing the pit's rebar. Liana's blade nicked Celeste's wrist, drawing another thin line of blood. Celeste's jaw tightened, her voice sharp. "Their timing's too precise. It's not natural."
Sallie pivoted, his longbow morphing to a flail, green runes spinning as he swung at Clara. "They're cheating?" he growled, half-questioning, his swing aimed to force Clara back.
But Clara, armed with Fuyumi's 0.8-second morph data, sidestepped, her knuckles pulsing bronze as she countered with a shockwave, knocking the flail off course. Sallie staggered, his eyes flashing with suspicion. "No way they're this good at guessing."
Clara smirked, her amber eyes glinting, her orange-and-yellow uniform streaked with dust. "Guess better, Salcedo!" she taunted, her knuckles raised, Fuyumi's intel letting her predict his next morph—a shotgun, right on cue. She dodged as Sallie fired, pellets scattering harmlessly, and lunged, her fist grazing his ribs.
Celeste's grimoire flared, cycling back to tethers, silver threads snapping toward Liana's rapier arm. "Lock her," she muttered, but Liana's indigo illusions—built on Fuyumi's 1.2-second cast-time leaks—spawned a false tether signature, making Celeste's threads miss by inches. Liana's blade slashed, catching Celeste's forearm, blood staining her blue-and-red sleeve.
Celeste's eyes widened, her HUD glitching again. "They know my patterns," she hissed, her voice low, urgent. "Someone's feeding them."
Sallie caught her glance, his flail morphing to a tesla staff, green arcs crackling as he swung at Clara to buy space. "What's that, sis?" he called, dodging another bronze shockwave, his breath ragged. "You saying we got a rat?"
Celeste's sigils pulsed, her grimoire flipping to a fire spell—crimson flames roaring toward Liana. "Not sure," she said, her voice tight, eyes scanning the pit for a clue. "Their counters are too perfect. It's like they've got our playbook."
The flames missed, Liana's illusions warping her position, another nick landing on Celeste's shoulder.
High in the stands, Fuyumi Nakamura sat rigid, her Fourth High uniform blending with the blue-and-red crowd. Her HUD glasses were dim, her wrist CAD's violet runes pulsing faintly as her holo-tab, hidden in her jacket, fed real-time updates to Fourteenth High's coach—Sallie's morph triggers, Celeste's elemental shifts.
Her jaw clenched as Celeste's flames faltered, guilt gnawing but drowned by her resolve to protect Japan. She caught Sallie's glance toward the stands, his eyes searching, and her heart skipped, but she stayed still, invisible in the chaos.
The announcer's voice boomed, holo-mic crackling. "Fourth High's fighting hard, but Fourteenth High's illusions are relentless! Clara's knuckles, Liana's rapier—they're tearing through the Salcedos' sync! Is this the upset of the century, Manila?"
The crowd roared, blue-and-red scarves flagging desperately, orange-and-yellow banners surging with confidence. Holo-screens flashed: Sallie's tesla staff sparking, Celeste's tethers fraying, Clara's knuckles crushing, Liana's rapier weaving illusions. Mana sparks flared in the stands, popcorn crunching under stomping boots.
Sallie's staff morphed back to a longbow, green runes blazing as he fired at Clara, his voice sharp. "Sis, if there's a leak, we gotta shake it up!" He loosed another arrow, aiming wide to force Clara's dodge. Clara countered, her knuckles pulsing, shattering the arrow, but Sallie's eyes flicked to Celeste, a silent signal.
Celeste nodded, her grimoire cycling faster, skipping her usual tether-fire-ice pattern to a rare lightning spell—bolts crackling from the book, aimed at Liana. "Switching protocols," she muttered, hoping to throw off their counters. But Liana, prepped by Fuyumi's data on Celeste's elemental range, wove an illusion—a false lightning vector—making the bolts miss, her rapier grazing Celeste's thigh.
"They're still on us," Celeste said, her voice low, urgent, her HUD glitching with another false signal. "It's not just skill. Someone's in our systems."
Sallie growled, his longbow morphing to a sledgehammer, green runes flaring as he charged Clara. "Then we go raw—break their rhythm!" He swung hard, the hammer cracking the pit's steel, forcing Clara to leap back, her knuckles pulsing to block the shockwave.
Sallie staggered back, his blue-and-red uniform torn, blood seeping from a graze on his ribs. His briefcase CAD morphed—sledgehammer to longbow, green runes flaring—but Clara's brass knuckles shattered his mana arrow mid-flight with a bronze shockwave.
His eyes narrowed, suspicion burning. "Sis, they're reading us like a damn book," he growled, dodging another of Clara's punches, her knuckles grazing his shoulder.
Celeste flipped her grimoire's pages, silver sigils pulsing as she loosed a lightning spell, bolts crackling toward Liana. Her violet eyes flickered, catching another false mana signature in her HUD—Liana's indigo illusions, fueled by Fuyumi's leaks, throwing her aim off.
Liana's rapier slashed, nicking Celeste's forearm, blood staining her sleeve. "It's a leak," Celeste hissed, her voice low, urgent. "Their timing's too perfect."
Sallie's longbow morphed to a flail, green runes spinning as he swung at Clara, forcing her back. His breath was ragged, but his eyes flashed with a reckless idea. "Celeste, hold my hand," he said, voice sharp, cutting through the pit's din. "I'm doing something."
Celeste's grimoire paused, her eyes snapping to him, confusion breaking her focus mid-fight. "What? Now?" Her tethers faltered, a silver thread missing Liana by inches as another illusion flickered in her HUD.
"Trust me, sis," Sallie said, his grin returning, sharp and wild. He dodged Clara's next shockwave, his flail morphing to a tesla staff, green arcs sparking. "Just do it."
Celeste hesitated, her grimoire pulsing, then nodded, her trust overriding doubt. She flipped a page, silver sigils flaring as she cast a barrier spell—a shimmering dome of violet mana enveloping them, deflecting Liana's rapier strike. "Barrier's up," she said, her voice tight. "Make it quick."
Clara and Liana circled, wary, their CADs humming—bronze knuckles and indigo rapier ready to exploit any opening. The crowd roared, sensing a shift, blue-and-red scarves flagging desperately, orange-and-yellow banners surging. The holo-screens zoomed in, capturing the Salcedos' dome glowing against the pit's steel.
Sallie grabbed Celeste's hand, his grip firm, his briefcase CAD pulsing green. "Feign defeat," he whispered, his voice low, urgent. "Slump a little—sell it." Celeste's eyes widened, but she complied, letting her shoulders sag, her grimoire lowering slightly, the barrier flickering as if weakening.
Clara smirked, her knuckles flaring bronze, sensing a kill. Liana's rapier twirled, indigo illusions layering to mask her approach. The announcer's voice boomed, "Are the Salcedos faltering? Fourteenth High's closing in!"
Sallie's free hand slipped to his belt, pulling a smoke grenade from his utility pouch. He lobbed it, the canister hissing as it burst, flooding the pit with thick gray haze. Before Clara or Liana could react, he tossed a flashbang—its blinding white light and deafening crack disorienting them, their CADs stuttering as they shielded their eyes.
"Now, sis—close your eyes!" Sallie said, his voice cutting through the chaos. Celeste obeyed, her grimoire still open, barrier holding as she squeezed his hand. The crowd gasped, the holo-screens obscured by smoke, the pit a blur of light and shadow.
Sallie's briefcase CAD flared, green runes surging as he activated his trump card—Elemental Sight, a rare spell woven into his CAD's core. His vision shifted, the pit dissolving into a web of mana threads: Clara's bronze kinetic pulses, Liana's indigo illusion vectors, the crowd's stray sparks—all glowing in his mind's eye. He tightened his grip on Celeste's hand, channeling the Sight through their sync, his bond with her acting as a conduit.
Celeste gasped, her closed eyes twitching as Sallie's vision flooded her senses—mana trails mapping the pit, revealing Liana's hidden rapier behind an illusion, Clara's knuckles charging for a strike. "I see it," she whispered, her voice steadying, grimoire pulsing as she recalibrated.
"Got their tricks now," Sallie muttered, his grin returning.
But Sallie's Sight caught something else—a faint mana trail, violet and subtle, snaking from the stands into the arena's underbelly. His jaw tightened, his grin fading. "Sis, we got bigger problems," he muttered, his voice low, urgent, as he fired a shotgun blast at Clara, green runes flaring. The pellets scattered, forcing Clara to dodge, her knuckles pulsing bronze to counter.
Celeste's tethers snapped toward Liana, silver threads catching her rapier arm despite an illusory decoy. "What is it?" she asked, her grimoire flipping to a fire spell, crimson flames roaring to keep Liana at bay. Her HUD flickered, still glitching from Fuyumi's illusions, but her focus held.
Sallie's Sight tracked the violet trail—Fuyumi's CAD signature, unmistakable, moving fast through the arena's service corridors. "It's Nakamura," he growled, his briefcase morphing to a longbow, green runes locking on Clara's position. "She's not just in the stands. She's leading people—strong mana, multiple signatures.Ten Master Clans."
Celeste's eyes widened, her flames faltering for a split second before she tightened her grip on Sallie's hand. "The Clans? Here?"
Her grimoire pulsed, cycling to ice shards, aiming to pin Liana. "That's why they're countering us so perfectly. She leaked our playbook."
Sallie loosed an arrow, forcing Clara back, his voice sharp. "Yeah, and she's moving now—toward the VIP suites or worse. She's planning something bad, sis."
His Sight zoomed in, catching glimpses of cloaked figures trailing Fuyumi—Shigenobu Kudou's silver cane, Reiko Fujibayashi's violet dagger, Tetsuo Itsuka's amber vambrace. "They're inside the arena."
Clara charged, her knuckles flaring bronze, unaware of the Salcedos' revelation. Fuyumi's intel let her predict Sallie's longbow shift, her shockwave shattering his arrow mid-air. "You're done, Salcedo!" she snapped, lunging, her fist grazing his chest.
Liana's rapier slashed through Celeste's ice shards, indigo illusions masking her strike, drawing another nick on Celeste's arm. "Keep swinging," Liana said, her voice calm, braid swaying as she reset. Fuyumi's data—Celeste's elemental cast times—kept her one step ahead.
Celeste's barrier flickered, violet mana holding against Liana's assault. "We can't let them win," she said, her voice low, urgent. "If Fuyumi's with the Clans, this is bigger than the Pinnacle." Her grimoire flared, cycling to tethers again, aiming to bind Liana's rapier arm through the illusions.
Sallie nodded, his longbow morphing to a tesla staff, green arcs crackling as he swung at Clara. "We break these two, then we deal with Nakamura," he said, his Sight still tracking Fuyumi's violet signature moving deeper into the arena, toward the palace wing where Gabriella Mendez was spectating.
"She's targeting the Emperor's daughter." High in the stands, Fuyumi Nakamura froze, her Fourth High uniform blending with the crowd, her wrist CAD's violet runes dim but pulsing.
Her holo-tab, hidden in her jacket, pinged uselessly—her intel on Sallie's morphs and Celeste's casts obsolete against their all-out assault. Her heart pounded as she saw Sallie's Sight catch her violet trail leading the Ten Master Clans through the arena's tunnels toward Gabriella Mendez. "They know," she whispered, guilt and fear clashing as she signaled Shigenobu Kudou to hurry.
---
His voice was a low growl, sharp with resolve. "Sis, we're flipping the game—Uno reverse, all-in, no holding back." His Sight locked on Clara's knuckles and Liana's rapier, their weaknesses glowing like cracks in armor. "Trust me. We hit hard, we hit everything."
Celeste's violet eyes flicked to him, her grimoire open, silver sigils cycling furiously. "All spells at once?" she asked, her voice steady but edged with doubt, mid-fight chaos threatening to overwhelm their sync. Blood dripped from her forearm, staining her blue-and-red sleeve.
"That's reckless, Onii-sama."
"Reckless is our style," Sallie shot back, his grin wild, eyes burning. "They think they know us—Fuyumi's intel's got nothing on this." He released her hand, his briefcase CAD morphing in a blur—longbow, flail, shotgun, tesla staff, sledgehammer—all at once, green runes screaming with mana overload, the weapon cycling so fast it was a kaleidoscope of steel and sparks. "Let's brawl."
Celeste nodded, her grimoire flaring as she flipped its pages in a frenzy, silver sigils igniting. "Then we go full spectrum," she said, her voice cold, precise. She unleashed every spell in her arsenal—tethers, fire, ice, lightning, wind—simultaneously, mana threads weaving into a chaotic storm of elemental fury, like a boxer throwing a flurry of punches with no pattern.
Clara charged, her brass knuckles CAD pulsing bronze, aiming a kinetic shockwave at Sallie, Fuyumi's intel predicting his shotgun morph. But Sallie's Sight saw her move—knuckles' weakness: short range, slow recharge.
His briefcase cycled to a longbow, loosing a green mana arrow to force Clara back, then snapped to a flail, its spiked head swinging wide to exploit her limited reach. Clara dodged, her shockwave shattering the arrow, but the flail grazed her shoulder, tearing her orange-and-yellow uniform. "What the hell?" she snarled, her amber eyes wide, Fuyumi's data useless against Sallie's rapid cycling.
Liana's rapier slashed at Celeste, indigo illusions masking her strike, Fuyumi's intel guiding her to anticipate tethers. But Celeste's full-spectrum assault—flames roaring, ice shards spiking, lightning crackling, wind gusting—overwhelmed the illusions.
The rapier's weakness: precision reliant on clear targeting. Celeste's chaotic spellstorm flooded Liana's HUD with false signatures, her tethers snaking through to bind Liana's arm, ice grazing her thigh, flames singeing her braid.
Liana stumbled, her indigo runes flickering. "How—" she gasped, her dark eyes darting, illusions fraying.
Sallie's briefcase morphed faster—shotgun blasting pellets to keep Clara at bay, tesla staff arcing to disrupt her knuckles' recharge, sledgehammer cracking the pit's steel to unbalance her.
Each weapon targeted the knuckles' flaws: limited mobility, predictable pulses. Clara countered, her bronze shockwaves deflecting pellets, but Sallie's Sight tracked her mana flow, his flail swinging low to catch her ankle, tripping her. "Stay down!" he roared, his green runes blazing.
Celeste's grimoire pulsed, her spells a relentless barrage—tethers locking Liana's rapier, lightning sparking to jam her CAD, wind shoving her off-balance, fire forcing her to retreat.
The rapier's precision crumbled under the elemental chaos, Liana's illusions unable to keep up. A tether caught her wrist, ice pinned her boot, and a lightning bolt grazed her shoulder, drawing blood. "You're breaking," Celeste said, her voice ice-cold, violet eyes unyielding.
The pit shook, concrete cracking under the onslaught, mana sparks raining like embers. The crowd went wild, blue-and-red scarves surging, orange-and-yellow banners faltering. Holo-screens struggled to capture the chaos: Sallie's weapons cycling in a blur, Celeste's spells flooding the pit, Clara and Liana scrambling to counter.
The announcer's voice boomed, holo-mic crackling. "The Salcedos are unleashed! All weapons, all spells—Fourth High's flipping the script! Fourteenth High's reeling, Manila!"
High in the stands, Fuyumi Nakamura froze, her Fourth High uniform blending with the crowd, her wrist CAD's violet runes dim but pulsing. Her holo-tab, hidden in her jacket, pinged uselessly—her intel on Sallie's morphs and Celeste's casts obsolete against their all-out assault.
Her heart pounded as she saw Sallie's Sight catch her violet trail leading the Ten Master Clans through the arena's tunnels toward Gabriella Mendez. "They know," she whispered, guilt and fear clashing as she signaled Shigenobu Kudou to hurry.
Sallie swung his sledgehammer, forcing Clara back, then snapped to a shotgun, pellets peppering her guard. "Sis, we've got 'em!" he called, his Sight tracking Clara's faltering pulses. Celeste's grimoire flared, tethers and lightning striking Liana simultaneously, her rapier dropping as a wind gust knocked her to the pit's edge.
Sallie's briefcase CAD was a whirlwind of transformation, green runes screaming with mana overload. His blue-and-red uniform, bloodied and torn, flared as he cycled weapons in a blur—spear thrusting at Clara, morphing to a scythe that swept low to trip her, then snapping to a blinding shield, its green flash forcing Clara to shield her eyes.
"Keep up, Escueta!" he taunted, his voice sharp, his Sight tracking her bronze pulses. The shield morphed to a gigantic grappling hook, its chain rattling as he launched it, snagging Clara's ankle and yanking her off-balance, her brass knuckles scraping the pit's steel.
Clara recovered, her orange-and-yellow uniform streaked with dust, her knuckles pulsing bronze as she unleashed a kinetic shockwave, shattering the hook.
But Sallie was already moving, his briefcase morphing to an auto shotgun, green runes blazing as he fired a storm of mana pellets, exploiting the knuckles' short range.
Clara dove, her shockwave deflecting most pellets, but one grazed her shoulder, drawing blood. "Damn you!" she snarled, her amber eyes wild, Fuyumi's intel useless against Sallie's unpredictable cycling.
Celeste's grimoire was a maelstrom of elemental fury, silver sigils cycling as she chained spells in a relentless combo—ice shards spiking toward Liana, melting into fire that roared across the pit, shifting to water jets that surged to unbalance her, then crackling into lightning bolts, wind gusts, back to water, ice, fire, and lightning again.
Her violet eyes glowed, her HUD clear through Sallie's shared Sight, bypassing Liana's indigo illusions. "Break," she muttered, her voice ice-cold, as a fire-water-lightning combo overwhelmed Liana's rapier, the blade's precision crumbling under the chaotic barrage.
A water jet caught Liana's arm, ice pinned her boot, and a lightning bolt grazed her thigh, staining her orange-and-yellow sash.
Liana's rapier slashed, indigo runes flickering as she tried to weave illusions, but Celeste's spellstorm flooded her HUD with conflicting signatures, rendering Fuyumi's 1.2-second cast data obsolete. "You're too much!" Liana gasped, her braid swaying as she staggered, her rapier nicking only air.
Sallie's briefcase morphed again—shotgun to throwable spear, green runes flaring as he hurled it at Clara, forcing her to dodge. It snapped back to a claymore for close range, its massive blade swinging to exploit Clara's knuckles' limited mobility.
Clara blocked with a bronze pulse, but the claymore's edge grazed her forearm, blood dripping. Sallie pressed in, his weapon cycling to dual MP7s, green mana bursts spraying to keep Clara pinned, then morphing to a blast shield, its green flash absorbing her next shockwave.
"Sis, boost me!" Sallie shouted, his voice cutting through the pit's din. Celeste nodded, her grimoire flaring as she layered a wind spell, gusts surging under Sallie, launching him high above the pit.
The crowd roared, holo-screens zooming in as Sallie's briefcase morphed one final time—into a rocket-propelled grenade launcher, green runes blazing like a beacon. He grinned, wild and unhinged, locking onto Clara and Liana below.
"Say hello to my little friend!" he yelled, pulling the trigger.
The RPG fired, a green mana rocket screaming through the pit, trailing sparks. Clara and Liana dove, their CADs flaring—bronze shockwave and indigo illusions merging in a desperate counter.
The rocket hit the pit's center, exploding in a green-white blast that cracked the steel rings, sending shrapnel and mana sparks flying. The crowd screamed, blue-and-red scarves surging, orange-and-yellow banners faltering.
Celeste kept up her assault, her grimoire chaining ice-fire-water-lightning-wind in a relentless cycle, tethers snapping to bind Liana's rapier arm, flames singeing her uniform, lightning jamming her CAD. Liana staggered, her illusions crumbling, blood dripping from her thigh. Clara, battered by the RPG's shockwave, tried to charge, her knuckles pulsing, but Sallie landed, his blast shield morphing back to a claymore, green runes driving her back.
High in the stands, Fuyumi Nakamura gripped her holo-tab, her Fourth High uniform blending with the crowd, her wrist CAD's violet runes pulsing faintly. Her heart pounded as Sallie's RPG shook the pit, her intel—once a scalpel—now useless against the Salcedos' chaos.
Her violet mana trail, leading the Ten Master Clans toward Gabriella Mendez in the palace wing, felt exposed as Sallie's Sight lingered on her position. "They're adapting," she whispered, signaling Shigenobu Kudou to move faster, fear and resolve clashing.
The announcer's voice boomed, holo-mic crackling. "The Salcedos are a hurricane! Sallie's weapons, Celeste's spells—they're rewriting the pit! Fourteenth High's on the ropes, Manila! Who's taking the Pinnacle?"
Sallie landed from his wind-boosted leap, his blue-and-red uniform bloodied but defiant, his briefcase CAD pulsing green as it morphed from blast shield to throwable spear, its tip glinting with mana-charged steel.
His Elemental Sight burned, mapping Clara's bronze pulses and Liana's indigo illusions, their weaknesses exposed—Clara's short-range knuckles, Liana's faltering precision. "Sis, endgame—let's finish this!" he shouted, his voice cutting through the pit's din, grin wild and unhinged.
Celeste stood firm, her grimoire open, silver sigils blazing as she cycled through her elemental storm—ice, fire, water, wind, lightning—her violet eyes locked on Liana. Blood dripped from her forearm and thigh, staining her blue-and-red sleeve, but her focus was razor-sharp.
"Got it, Onii-sama," she said, her voice cold, precise. Her grimoire pulsed, pages flipping to a single spell—lightning, but amplified, mana surging as she wove a gigantic lightning spear, its electric arcs crackling like a storm god's wrath, illuminating the pit in blinding white.
Sallie's spear hummed, green runes syncing with Celeste's lightning. He poured his own mana into it, the spear's steel glowing with a hybrid aura—green and white, Fourth High's chaos fused with Celeste's precision. "Mix it up, sis!" he called, his Sight tracking Clara and Liana's staggered movements, their CADs flickering under the Salcedos' onslaught.
Celeste nodded, her grimoire flaring as she channeled her lightning into Sallie's spear, the weapon now a blazing hybrid of steel and electric fury, its tip sparking with enough force to shatter steel. "Together," she said, her voice steady, raising the lightning spear alongside Sallie's. The pit's air warped, mana density spiking, holo-screens glitching from the overload.
Clara, battered and bloodied, her orange-and-yellow uniform torn, raised her brass knuckles, bronze runes pulsing weakly. Fuyumi's intel was useless now, her counters failing against Sallie's rapid morphs. "You're not winning!" she snarled, charging with a final shockwave, aiming to disrupt their sync.
Liana, her braid singed, her rapier's indigo illusions fraying, lunged at Celeste, trying to weave one last decoy. But Celeste's lightning storm overwhelmed her HUD, false signatures drowned by raw power. "It's over," Liana muttered, her dark eyes wide, rapier trembling as she braced for impact.
The Salcedos moved as one, their sync perfect despite the blood and chaos. Sallie hurled his throwable spear, green-white arcs trailing, while Celeste launched her lightning spear, the twin projectiles screaming through the pit like comets. The spears converged, their mana fusing mid-air into a single, devastating projectile—a blazing lance of steel and lightning, its impact zone locked on Clara and Liana.
Clara's shockwave hit first, bronze runes flaring, but the hybrid spear tore through, its electric charge frying her knuckles' mana field.
Liana's rapier slashed, an illusion flickering, but the spear's lightning overwhelmed her decoys, sparking her CAD into silence.
The impact struck, a thunderclap shaking the pit, sending Clara and Liana flying—out of bounds, crashing against the pit's rebar wall, their orange-and-yellow uniforms scorched and torn.
The klaxon wailed, signaling the end. The crowd erupted, blue-and-red scarves flooding the stands, orange-and-yellow banners dropping in defeat. Holo-screens froze on the Salcedos' victory: Sallie's spear embedded in the pit's steel, Celeste's lightning fading in crackling arcs.
The announcer's voice boomed, holo-mic crackling. "Fourth High takes the Pinnacle! Sallie and Celeste Salcedo—unstoppable! Manila, give it up for your champions!"
Sallie and Celeste stood panting, bloodied but unbowed, their CADs dimming—green runes and silver sigils spent. Sallie's grin returned, fierce but tired, as he glanced at Celeste. "Told you we'd flip it, sis."
---
High above in the imperial balcony, a fortified glass box draped in IFRP banners, Emperor Aurelio Mendez III sat with a steely gaze, his gold-trimmed black suit glinting under the spotlights. His weathered face, scarred from decades of rule, betrayed no emotion, but his dark eyes locked on the Salcedos below, their bloodied blue-and-red uniforms standing defiant in the pit.
At his side, Gabriela Aurelia Mendez, his daughter, leaned forward, her crimson gown shimmering, her amber eyes bright with excitement. Her silver hairpin, etched with imperial runes, caught the light as she clapped, a rare smile breaking her composed demeanor.
"They did it, Father," Gabriela said, her voice low but sharp, barely audible over the crowd's fading cheers. "Sallie and Celeste—the Pinnacle's theirs. We chose right."
Aurelio's lips twitched, a faint nod the only sign of approval. His gauntlet CAD, gold runes pulsing faintly at his wrist, hummed as he leaned back, fingers steepled. "Sallie Mae Salcedo," he murmured, his voice gravelly, deliberate. "His chaos is unmatched. The boy's a weapon."
His eyes flicked to the holo-screen replaying the hybrid spear's impact, Clara and Liana sprawling against the pit's rebar. "He's ready for Shiba."
Gabriela's smile faded, her amber eyes narrowing as she glanced at her father. "Tatsuya Shiba's no ordinary target. Elemental Sight, Decomposition, Regrowth—Sallie's good, but Shiba's a fortress. Are we sure this is the move?"
Aurelio's gaze didn't waver, fixed on Sallie below, his briefcase CAD dim but still humming green. "The decree stands," he said, his voice cold, final. "Sallie wins the Pinnacle, he gets his shot at Shiba. It's the spark we need." His gauntlet pulsed, gold runes flaring briefly. "Japan's Clans will rally if Shiba falls—or even if he's challenged. Either way, it justifies the invasion."
Gabriela's fingers tightened on her gown, her hairpin's runes flickering. "And if Sallie loses? Shiba's not just a magician—he's a symbol. The Clans will retaliate."
Aurelio's scarred face hardened, a shadow crossing his eyes. "Then we use the loss. A martyr fuels war as much as a victory. The SEA Games end tonight, and our fleet's ready. Japan's time is coming."
---
The announcer's voice boomed, holo-mic crackling. "Fourth High's Sallie and Celeste Salcedo are your Pinnacle champions! Manila, give it up for the victors!" The crowd roared, blue-and-red scarves a sea of triumph, unaware of the imperial decree sending Sallie toward Tatsuya Shiba—or the Clans closing in on Gabriela.
---
Aurelio leaned forward, his gauntlet's gold runes steady. "The Salcedos held their end. Now we hold ours. Shiba's waiting." His voice carried the weight of an empire, Japan's invasion looming as the SEA Games closed.
--
Sallie stood in the pit, his blue-and-red uniform bloodied and torn, his briefcase CAD slung over his shoulder, green runes dim but still humming.
His grin was tired but fierce, his calibrator clipped to his belt as he caught his breath, eyes scanning the stands for Fuyumi Nakamura's violet CAD trail.
Celeste stood beside him, her grimoire closed, silver sigils dark, her violet eyes sharp despite the blood staining her sleeve and thigh. They had carried them through Fuyumi's betrayal, but her larger plot—leading the Ten Master Clans toward Gabriela Mendez—loomed heavy.
The announcer's voice boomed, holo-mic crackling as he stepped onto the platform. "Manila, your Pinnacle champions—Fourth High's Sallie Mae and Celeste Marie Salcedo! The Imperial Duel 2v2 is over, and they've carved their names in history!" The crowd's applause surged, blue-and-red scarves waving frantically, mana sparks flaring in the stands.
In the Fourth High section, Angela Castillo leapt to her feet, her maroon-trimmed uniform pristine compared to the Salcedos' battle-worn gear. Her tome CAD's amber runes pulsed as she cupped her hands, shouting, "Celeste! Sallie! You legends!" Her voice cracked with pride, her short hair bouncing as she waved a blue-and-red scarf, her grin wide.
Other Fourth High cadets joined her, chanting "Salcedo! Salcedo!" as the stands shook, bottles clinking, popcorn scattering under stomping boots.
From the imperial balcony, Emperor Aurelio Mendez III watched, his gold-trimmed black suit glinting, his scarred face impassive. Gabriela Aurelia Mendez, at his side in her crimson gown, clapped softly, her amber eyes gleaming with approval. Aurelio's gauntlet CAD, gold runes pulsing, hummed as he nodded once. "They've earned it," he murmured, his voice gravelly. "Shiba awaits."
An IFRP imperial guard, clad in obsidian techweave with silver runes pulsing along his vambraces, descended from the balcony. His helm, etched with the imperial crest, gleamed as he carried a velvet case, his boots echoing on the pit's steel.
The Royal Guard to Aurelio Mendez III, his presence silenced the crowd's roar to a low hum. He stopped before the Salcedos, his voice clipped, formal. "Sallie Mae Salcedo, Celeste Marie Salcedo—by order of Emperor Mendez, you are awarded the Pinnacle Medals for your victory in the Imperial Duel 2v2."
He opened the case, revealing two gold medallions, each engraved with the IFRP crest and mana runes that glowed faintly. Sallie stepped forward, his grin softening as he accepted his medal, the weight heavy in his hand. Celeste followed, her expression composed but her violet eyes sharp, taking her medal with a nod. The guard saluted, his vambrace runes flaring, then stepped back.
The crowd erupted again, Angela's voice cutting through with a whoop. "That's my girl, Celeste!" she yelled, waving her scarf, the Fourth High cadets echoing her cheer. Holo-screens zoomed in on the Salcedos, their medals glinting under the lights, Sallie's grin returning as he raised his to the crowd, Celeste standing stoic beside him.
---
In a dimly lit service tunnel beneath the Mall of Asia Arena, Fuyumi Nakamura crouched behind a stack of mana-charged crates, her Fourth High uniform crumpled and streaked with dust. The tunnel's concrete walls vibrated faintly from the crowd's lingering roars above, the SEA Games Grand Finals now concluded with Sallie Mae and Celeste Marie Salcedo's Pinnacle victory.
A small holo-screen, jury-rigged to a maintenance panel, flickered with static, showing the arena's pit—Sallie and Celeste standing bloodied but triumphant, their gold medals glinting as the IFRP Royal Guard saluted. The announcer's voice echoed, "Fourth High's Sallie and Celeste Salcedo—your Pinnacle champions!"
Fuyumi's jaw clenched, her teeth grinding as she watched the holo-screen, her HUD glasses dark to avoid detection. Her wrist CAD's violet runes pulsed faintly, her holo-tab clutched tight in her hand, its encrypted feed to Fourteenth High's coach now silent.
Her plan—leaking Sallie's intel to Clara Escueta and Liana Salamat—had collapsed under the Salcedos' chaotic reversal, their hybrid spear shattering her carefully laid strategy. "Damn them," she hissed, her voice low, venomous, her fingers tightening on the holo-tab until her knuckles whitened.
Behind her, the Ten Master Clans—Shigenobu Kudou, Reiko Fujibayashi, Tetsuo Itsuka, Hanae Mitsui, Daichi Nakura—waited in the shadows, their CADs humming softly: Shigenobu's silver cane, Reiko's violet dagger, Tetsuo's amber vambrace, Hanae's jade pendant, Daichi's obsidian ring.
Their mana signatures were cloaked, but Fuyumi's violet trail, caught by Sallie's Elemental Sight, burned in her mind. "They know I'm here," she muttered, her anger mixing with a flicker of fear. "Sallie saw me."
Fuyumi slammed her fist against the concrete wall, her knuckles splitting as her CAD's violet runes flared with her rage. "That Filipino bastard!" she snarled, whirling to face the Ten Master Clans.
"Salcedo has BOTH abilities! Not just Restore—his knockoff version of Regrowth—but Elemental Sight too! He's a carbon copy of Shiba!" Her voice cracked as blood trickled between her fingers.
Behind her, Kudou's face drained of color, Fujibayashi's hand trembled on her dagger, and Nakura's obsidian ring pulsed erratically. "Two Tatsuyas," Itsuka whispered, horror spreading across his features. "Gods help us all."
The words hang in the concrete hush like a death sentence. Shigenobu Kudou staggers, the end of his silver cane scraping a jagged scar across the floor. His breath comes shallow, skin drained of all color—he suddenly looks a decade older, his legendary composure shattered in an instant.
Reiko Fujibayashi, famed for her ice-veined calm under fire, falters, her violet dagger clattering against the metal grate as she nearly drops it, fingers trembling so hard they blur in the dim light.
Beside her, Tetsuo Itsuka's jaw flexes, the veins in his neck roping taut as his entire body tenses with the realization. He can only whisper, "Two Tatsuyas…"—the impossibility of it turning his voice brittle, raw.
Hanae Mitsui's jade pendant spins wildly on its chain, mana leaking in frantic pulses, while Daichi Nakura's obsidian ring convulses, mana field oscillating between pitch-black and blinding blue, the artifact on the verge of shattering.
No one speaks, not even Fuyumi. The implication is too vast, the precedent too nightmarish. For a heartbeat, even the distant roar of the arena above feels muted, as if the world itself recoils from the knowledge. Every one of them has trained for years to counter the unique terror of Tatsuya Shiba—the ultimate human anti-mage, walking apocalypse, a living strategic weapon. But the only hope was that he was unique, a singularity; now there are two.
Panic flickers through the Clans, the old rivalries and betrayals suddenly insignificant in the face of extinction. Reiko's lips part, teeth chattering against the air:
"If Salcedo masters that, there's no stopping him. That's the end of our leverage—he can null even Shiba." Kudou tries to reassert himself, but his voice is a frail echo:
"They'll pit them against each other. The Imperial Family wants spectacle—nuclear-scale spectacle."
Hanae clutches her pendant, muttering calculations, trying to imagine a world where even one Regrowth could be contained, let alone two.
"He's already at seventy percent Shiba's throughput," she says, pale with dread. "If he does, we're lost."
Fuyumi, hands still bloody, forces her voice steady. "We improvise. Decoy the briefcase. We need to make them burn out—force a mana spike, trigger a fail-safe, anything." The sense of time shrinks, tunnel walls closing in as the Clans' decades of plotting evaporate in the face of a single, monstrous talent. Their only chance is speed—if Salcedo reaches Gabriela first, it's over.
The group sprints into motion, all animosity forgotten; Fujibayashi slices the bypass panel with her trembling dagger, Itsuka hotwires the maglock with a surge from his vambrace, and Nakura's ring—on the verge of exploding—floods the corridor with darkness, shielding their movement from all but the most diabolical Elemental Sight.
Fuyumi wipes her blood on her skirt, jams the holo-tab into her pocket, and runs after them, the weight of her decision growing heavier with each echoing footfall.
Above, the crowd is still screaming for the Salcedos' victory, oblivious to the fact that the real war has just begun.
Fuyumi's brain works overtime as she runs, the branching timelines of the next hour splintering with every scenario that ends in her death—or worse, in the utter erasure of the Clans. Their only hope is to reach Gabriela before Salcedo does, to disrupt the Imperial procession and force a showdown on their terms. If they can't, the world's balance of power will shatter in the next sixty minutes.
All the while, the words ring in her ears—Two Tatsuyas, gods help us all.
Fuyumi risks a glance backward as the group clears the final turn. The afterimage of Salcedo's Elemental Sight—green, cruel, all-seeing—still burns behind her eyelids, a specter that will haunt her until she either kills it, or it kills her.