Rubert woke up. Again, he had a similar dream to what he was having since he started playing this game.
It was way too addicting to him, but there was something else he had been even more interested in than the game itself: Discussing it with Noelle and Sabrina.
They had grown more and more interested in the game after that first encounter in the mountain, which lead to Noelle creating a group chat and to him becoming their "teacher", explaining to them the basic systems and rules of the game and how it came to be.
As his first "lesson" to them, he compiled some basic information about the dueling section of the game, the one they all had to understand if they were to participate on the tournament:
Rubert: "two or more players battle, each carrying ten spells at the start of combat, without being able to switch after it starts. They have to complete missions and defeat Eidolon bosses to acquire new spells on their arsenal, and use them to craft the best selection of spells for their duels.
Spells are divided in 3 types - Quickspells, Action Spells, and named spells. Quickspells being simple damage dealing spells with no extra effects, while action spells apply extra effects when they land. Named spells are upgraded levels of Actions spells, and they drop from Eidolon bosses.
Each spell has its own limitations: Mana consumption, times it can be used in a single duel, even some spells that consume HP to use, and some even consume other spells."
That's it, that's all you need to know about spells.
Noelle: I have no idea what you just said, but it sounded cool.
Rubert: .-.
Sabrina: I literally talked to you about this yesterday, how can you have no idea about it?
Noelle: I dozed off, you explain like a turtle moonwalking
Rudeus had to hold a loud chuckle for a moment, then he kept reading:
Sabrina: Ignoring that comment you just made, we are set for the tournament, right?
Rubert: Yes!
Noelle: You know the answer.
Sabrina: Then lets set a day to train all three of us. How about the city square of our town?
Rubert: I can go on this weekend, unless the tracks gets burried in snow again.
Noelle: Alright snowman, see you there!
The town square was massive—at least twice the size Rubert had pictured—and ringed with elegant archways that shimmered faintly with player enchantments. In the center, cobblestone paths formed a rough dueling arena, still scarred with the faint digital burns and fractures of previous battles. Above it all, an enormous 3D hologram floated, slowly rotating to advertise the upcoming city tournament: "Local Eidolon Break Clash – Open Qualifiers This Weekend! – Solo, Duos, and Trios categories – Prize set at 5000 credits and a rare Eidolon spell for each category winner!"
Rubert adjusted his AR lenses, scanning the environment as the data overlays painted outlines of other players already practicing across the space. Most were locals, small-town duelists sparring in pairs or trading spell combinations. He spotted two familiar figures waving near the statue of the Founder—Sabrina and Noelle, both in casual jackets but still unmistakable from their silhouettes.
"You made it!" Sabrina said, holding up a drink and offering him a spare bottle. "Ready to get stomped?"
"You're confusing me with Noelle again," Rubert replied, accepting the bottle. "She's the one who's still pretending to be bad."
Noelle stuck her tongue out. "Still pretending? Rubert, I'll let my spells do the talking."
The three laughed, then walked toward the edge of the sparring arena, where they could practice away from the more experienced players. Once they found a quiet corner, Sabrina clapped her hands.
"Alright. Let's see what this Krivaa spell is really capable of."
"Before we do that, let me remind you two about command spells," Rubert said.
The girls nodded, and he began his explanation.
"Krivaa is the spell that summons them, as you both know, but a whole set of caster commands is also unlocked after the creature is summoned. They are meant to aid you in controlling the creature's AI so it can do what you need it to. Are you both following?"
The girls nodded in sync again, listening closely to his explanation.
"These commands are: De-summon, Set Target, Set Spell, Teleport to Caster, and Damage translocation. I probably don't have to explain to you two what most of them do since the name is self-explanatory, but if you have any doubts just ask".
"I tried using them with Noelle when we practiced at home a while back" Sabrina said,
"but I'm still having trouble remembering to use them all, hehe".
"Airhead" Noelle said, her voice a bit distorted by the straw in her mouth.
"Shut up shorty. I'll kick your ass again later!" Sabrina said with confidence
"We'll see!! "
Rubert and Sabrina activated their summon spells in unison while Noelle was distracted with her drink. The glowing glyphs spiraled in midair—familiar now, but still carrying a weight Rubert hadn't fully grown used to.
Two Eidolon creatures materialized before them.
Rubert's creature was Red, and it inherited part of his starting spell set. The creature hovered silently, cloaked in shifting red plasma, with its hands constantly forming glyph shapes of its own. "Rashaata" and "Fireball" floated as spell icons above it—an aggressive set.
Sabrina's was smokey and grey, its form partially indistinct. Trails of vapor curled off its body like fog spilling over rocks. Her Eidolon carried "Smokescreen" and another spell: "Suthramak".
"Suthramak?" Rubert squinted at the icon. "That one's new. A rare starting spell?"
Sabrina gave him a wicked grin. "Wouldn't you like to know."
"That's the point, yes."
She smirked. "It's my secret weapon. You'll see when it hits you."
Noelle sighed, rolling her eyes. "Of course she gets all dramatic before showing off. I'll summon mine in a second too... HEY!?"
But Rubert was already stepping into a dueling stance. "One way to find out what it does," he said with a grin. "Fight me."
Noelle groaned. "You two are impossible!"
she sat down, a bit grumpy, and sipped her drink while watching them quickly set up for the fight.
The duel began without a countdown. A flick of Rubert's hand summoned a translucent arcane barrier just in time to block Sabrina's opening spells. Light shimmered across the shield's surface as her attack shattered against it.
She wasn't holding back.
Rubert nodded slightly. She had improved since the mountain raid. Her attacks were timed better, sharper. But he noticed something else too—her feet barely moved. She stood rooted in place, relying on raw defense and spellpower.
That would cost her.
He redirected his summon, casting Set Target: Sabrina, and watched as it launched a fireball toward her. She countered with Smokescreen, fog spilling out and cloaking the battlefield in grey. A moment later, a new spell icon blinked into life—"See Through"—Rubert's counter.
He activated it—and immediately blocked a fast moving projectile. Sabrina had tried to flank him.
"Nice try—" he started to say, but the words barely left his lips before a second blast of grey energy burst out of the smoke, slamming into him.
Rubert staggered back, blinking as the debuff took hold.
"What the—?"
His spellcasting HUD flickered red. MP: Locked. Spell access: Disabled.
Smoke curled from his arms and chest. A soft icon hovered overhead: Status Effect: Nullbind (Suthramak).
"No way..."
Sabrina was laughing now, advancing slowly, casually tossing low-damage spells that Rubert could only dodge without the ability to cast.
"You look a little... vulnerable," she teased.
He ducked behind one of the decorative statues at the edge of the square. A group of onlookers began to gather—players and non-players alike. Noelle's laugh echoed above them all.
"Run, Rubert! I believe in your legs!" Noelle shouted, half-laughing, almost spilling her drink.
The smoke continued to pour from Rubert, giving away his position every time he tried to hide.
"I underestimated you," he muttered. "Alright... let's turn the tables."
He tapped the Teleport to Caster command.
In an instant, his summon phased into existence behind the statue. A quiet hum built in its chest. Sabrina rounded the corner, smirking—just in time to be blasted point-blank by Rashaata. A high-pitched shriek split the air, and Sabrina stumbled a bit with the sudden noise and the red light flash in her face.
The crowd let out a collective gasp.
But then—just before the spell's damage registered—Sabrina clenched her fist.
"Damage Transfer: Krivaa," she said under her breath.
Her summon burst into flames and vanished.
Rubert blinked. She'd used the same trick the Eidolon boss had. She sacrificed her creature to survive the fatal blow.
The crowd cheered, and Sabrina ran back, casting a smokescreen spell backward toward Rubert while running.
She tripped on her own foot.
At first Sabrina desperately tried to regain her footing—staying a good 3 seconds stumbling, and then slipped on a patch of loose gravel, falling face-first into the cobblestones.
The system AI instantly flagged the accident, and the fog of spells dispersed. A brief silence followed, then voices emerged all around.
"Is she okay?"
Noelle rushed over and helped her up, concern on her face for half a second—before her lips curled into a grin.
"You tripped in front of a whole crowd," she said. "Gonna tell them it was part of your strategy?"
Sabrina groaned and hid her face. "Kill me now..."
Rubert stepped forward, brushing off the last of the debuff smoke still rising from his jacket. "You good?"
"Not emotionally," Sabrina muttered. "That was so embarrassing."
"Hey," a nearby player interrupted, "that spell you used—what was it called again? That grey one?"
"Suthramak," Sabrina said automatically, still dazed. "It locks spells and—crap—NO!"
She slapped her own forehead.
"Thanks for the info!" the player grinned, and ran away soon after.
"You just told everyone what your secret spell does," Noelle said, deadpan. "They're probably in the tournament too."
"I hate everything," Sabrina groaned.
Rubert laughed. "Relax. We'll just have to come up with a new plan. Besides... we've still got Noelle's Eidolon to show off."
Noelle blinked. "Oh. Right. I totally forgot to summon it... I'll do it after we grab an ice cream, how about that?"
"See? That's our real secret weapon," Rubert said with a wink.
The tension broke. They left the square shortly after, ice cream cones in hand, walking slowly down the sunny street as the afternoon bled into early evening.
"Next time," Sabrina said through a mouthful of strawberry ice cream, "I'm bringing knee pads."
"You really have to practice running... You stayed still like a statue for the first half of the fight, and you fell only when you tried to run too. Do you know why that is?" Rubert asked her, not really expecting an answer.
"It's probably because I'm used to hiking, but I never tried running much before. I guess I need to work on that before the tournament".
"Good catch Rubert." — Noelle uttered, "I'll set up training exercises we can all do to improve our movement! My time to shine has come!" She said with a smug on her face.
"Oh great cousin, I praise thee" Sabrina joked, bowing down to Noelle while Rubert held his chuckle.
While entering the station, they could see a few players pointing at them, which reminded Rubert about the fight again.
"I'm still shocked you tanked that blast and survived," Rubert said.
"The damage translocation command really came in handy... and I remembered to use it! yey"
she uttered that last silly part of the sentence so silently he almost missed it.
Rubert followed up
"And that spell... isn't it too op? The cast time seems a bit too low for what it does..."
"You're just mad I landed a hit." Sabrina gleefully declared.
"A little."
The three laughed again, walking side by side toward the station. The game had brought them together by chance, but it was moments like these—unplanned, chaotic, real—that made Rubert feel something had shifted within him for good.
As the train doors slid shut and Sabrina and Noelle waved him off, he leaned back into his seat and stared at the fading sky outside.
His phone buzzed. A message from their new group chat: [TEAM KRIVAA]
Noelle: So uh. someone posted a video of that last part of the duel online
Sabrina: I'm. going. to. die.
Rubert: Relax, no one is going to die. Again, we still have noelle's mystery spell to use! I'm sure we'll do just fine!
Noelle: Oh crap. i never showed you guys lol
Rubert: saving it for the tournament? smart. ;)
Noelle: More like, for next training :) get ready to be curb stomped
Sabrina: Our majesty is jumping with excitement!
Noelle: Shut up .-.
He smiled as he set the phone down, the gentle rattle of the train soothing him into stillness.
His eyes closed.
"I might be getting a bit too into this..." "...but whatever. I like them."