A few days later…
The sun was just starting to dip past the upper towers of Asterblume when Yuxin stepped out of the Administration Hall with a crumpled registration sheet in hand and an expression that screamed "instant regret."
"...This is gonna suck."
She waved the paper half-heartedly like it was a death warrant, not a tournament entry.
Behind her, Ruka trailed with slow, defeated steps. Her head was slightly bowed, arms limp at her sides like all hope had left her small, cursed body.
"Why... am I here too..." she whispered.
Yuxin didn't even look back.
"Because suffering loves company."
"I didn't sign anything..." Ruka whimpered.
"You didn't have to," Yuxin smirked.
"Verbal contract. Spiritually binding. Also—snacks."
Ruka blinked, confused.
"Wait… you said you'd buy me peach buns if I helped you get your cloak back, not join a tournament!"
"Details, details."
"You lied!"
"I rephrased."
"Yuxin!!"
"Shut it, midget. If I'm going down, so are you."
"This is betrayal!!" Ruka squeaked.
"This is Asterblume," Yuxin muttered.
Behind them, Blanche and Vila strolled out more calmly. Vila held her copy of the form like she was reading a war map. Blanche just looked satisfied, like she'd finished a very productive day of diplomatically dragging three lives into chaos.
"I didn't think you'd really go through with it," Blanche commented.
"I'm still not convinced I have," Yuxin muttered, staring at the paper like it might vanish if she crumpled it hard enough.
"You'll survive."
"If I don't, I'm haunting your dorm."
Just as the group turned to leave the steps, a voice exploded next to them.
"I KNEW IT~!"
Everyone flinched.
From behind a pillar, Rea Caelumotris emerged like a caffeine-powered gremlin.
She bounced into the circle with arms thrown dramatically into the air and a grin that could power a city block.
"I knew you four would end up joining! You guys reek of unresolved competitive tension and beautiful disaster vibes!"
Yuxin visibly recoiled.
"Ugh. No."
"YES." Rea pointed like it was divine truth.
"This team? It's practically destined. Tragic backstories, secret pacts, unresolved emotional repression—chef's kiss!"
Blanche raised a brow.
"Were you spying on us?"
"Pfft. Not spying. Strategic observing. I call it—Reaservation."
Vila tilted her head.
"Your naming conventions are inefficient."
Rea ignored her completely and swung between Yuxin and Ruka like a bouncy pendulum.
"So! What's your team name? You have one yet? Something brooding? Or dramatic? Maybe... Shadow Snacks?"
"If you speak again I'm taking your lunch credits," Yuxin said flatly.
Rea just grinned wider.
"You'll thank me when you're champions."
Ruka whimpered again.
"Why am I always in the weirdest clubs…"
As the group kept walking down the stone steps, still surrounded by the dying light of the afternoon sun, Blanche glanced sideways at Rea, who was now humming like she hadn't just invaded everyone's personal space three seconds ago.
"Rea," Blanche said calmly, "are you joining the tournament too?"
Rea perked up like a cat being offered tuna.
"Yup! Of course!"
She twirled once in place, her braid swinging like a pendulum of chaos.
"The moment I heard it was gonna be a team-based structure with arena-style scoring and tactical formations? I was like, hell yes."
Yuxin muttered under her breath.
"That's what normal people say when they're invited to a beach trip…"
Blanche ignored her and pressed further.
"You're entering with… who, exactly?"
Rea gave a wink, pointing a finger up like she was about to reveal her secret weapon.
"With Silas, duh."
There was a pause.
Blanche's footsteps slowed just for a second.
Yuxin frowned.
"Wait—you're teaming with your brother? The council head?"
Rea nodded proudly.
"Yup~ Caelumotris siblings, reporting for tournament mayhem! It'll be awesome. Like fire and ice. Or... logic and chaos. Guess who's which?"
Ruka looked slightly horrified.
Vila simply muttered, "That pairing is structurally concerning."
Blanche, meanwhile, stayed quiet.
Her eyes lowered just a little, thoughtful.
She didn't say it aloud, but in her head, the calculation was already running:
Silas and Rea on the same team.
She knew exactly what that meant.
Silas—the tactician. Calm, strategic, patient.
Rea—the unpredictable spark that breaks all formation logic.
Together, they were...
A tactical nightmare. In the worst way possible.
Still, Blanche didn't frown. Didn't panic.
She simply gave a small smile and folded her hands in front of her.
"...Then I'll pray for everyone else."
Rea tilted her head.
"Aww. You're worried?"
"Not worried," Blanche replied smoothly. "Respectful. That's a very... intense team to face."
Rea lit up like she was being praised by the sun itself.
"Awwwh, thanks~! We'll try not to go too hard."
Blanche offered a slow, graceful nod.
But deep down?
She was already thinking about counter-strategies.
If we run into them in the brackets… we're gonna need more than strategy and shadow tricks.
Just as the group was about to round the corner toward the main courtyard, a familiar voice called out:
"Yuxin?! No freaking way!"
Yuxin turned lazily, hands in her coat pockets.
Coming up fast from the east path were Mika, Rei, and William, still in their casual uniforms, clearly just out of their last class.
Mika was the first to reach them, her wavy blue hair bouncing as she did a dramatic gasp.
"So the rumors were true. The school's scariest shadow queen is officially joining the tourney."
"You make it sound like I'm a boss monster," Yuxin muttered.
"Aren't you?" Mika smirked.
Rei followed behind, her steps more graceful, hands folded together with a gentle smile.
"Honestly, I kind of expected it. You've got that... 'don't mess with me or I'll end your lineage' energy."
"Thank you?" Yuxin said dryly.
William, always chill, nodded once with a calm chuckle.
"I just assumed you'd end up in the finals by accident. Like, someone pisses you off and suddenly they're unconscious."
Yuxin stared at all three of them.
Then she gave a slow, sarcastic grin.
"You're all way too confident in my reputation."
"But not wrong," Mika said, grinning.
Yuxin gave a single short laugh through her nose. Then she tilted her head, expression still flat but sharp.
"Just so you know…"
She cracked her knuckles once—loud enough to make Rei flinch slightly.
"If I see any of you in that arena, I'm not holding back."
Rei blinked.
"Eh?"
"I will put you on the ground, Mika," Yuxin said.
"As if I'd even make it past round two."
"William, I'll break your calm little smile."
"I believe you."
"And Rei…"
Rei straightened like she was about to get her soul yanked out.
"I'll apologize after."
"Y-Yuxin…"
"What?"
"Nothing, ma'am."
The three of them laughed, and even Yuxin's smirk softened just a bit.
"Tch. Idiots."
But her tone was lighter now.
Just for a moment.
She let herself enjoy the noise.
Mika took one bold step forward, planted both hands on her hips, and struck a pose like she was about to deliver a heroic monologue on top of a cafeteria table.
"Well, if you must know…" she said, grinning like a lunatic.
"We're joining the tournament too. And guess what—our team is totally unbeaten!"
Yuxin raised an eyebrow.
"Unbeaten? Since when?"
"Since forever," Mika declared, spinning dramatically.
"Because we've never fought. Which means we've never lost. Therefore, undefeated!"
Rei, standing quietly beside her, blinked twice.
"...I don't think that's how that works."
"Rei," Mika said, placing a dramatic hand on her shoulder,
"You gotta believe in the narrative."
Rei just smiled politely, clearly not following but too kind to challenge the chaos.
William leaned against the railing, arms crossed loosely.
"Honestly, I just wanna see how far Mika's delusions carry us."
"Delusions? Please." Mika flipped her hair.
"We are Team Neverdown—because we either win... or fall so fast no one sees it coming."
Yuxin gave her a long, deadpan stare.
"That's the dumbest name I've heard all week."
"You love it."
"I hate it."
"That's just your tsundere mode talking."
Blanche, watching from the side with mild amusement, muttered under her breath to Vila:
"Is she always like this?"
Vila nodded without hesitation.
"Perhaps worse."
William looked toward Yuxin with a chill shrug.
"We don't expect to win. But hey—free snacks for participants, right?"
"That's your motivation?" Yuxin asked.
"That, and I enjoy watching Mika monologue under pressure."
"Which I do brilliantly, by the way," Mika added.
Yuxin sighed and shook her head.
"If I have to fight you three, I'm using you as warm-up practice."
"Aww, look at her being shy again," Mika teased.
Yuxin growled.
"I will obliterate your dumb team name from school records."
"Team Neverdown can't be erased. It's destiny."
"It's a red flag."
Eventually—somehow—they managed to escape.
After several rounds of verbal chaos, a few last-minute "Wait! One more thing—!" moments from Rea, and a mini speech from Mika about "team branding," the over-energized duo finally peeled off toward the north dorms.
Rea skipped away like she hadn't just emotionally exhausted an entire hallway.
Mika walked backwards, finger-gunning dramatically.
"See you on the battlefield~! Team Neverdown rides at dawn!"
Yuxin didn't even respond.
She just stood there, arms crossed, expression dead.
Vila blinked once.
"Are all human social interactions this... loud?"
Blanche chuckled quietly.
"Not all. Just the ones we attract."
Ruka slowly slid down the nearby wall and sat on the floor like her soul had exited her body.
"I feel like I aged ten years listening to them…"
Yuxin let out a long, suffering sigh.
One of those "I'm not mad, I'm just disappointed in humanity" sighs.
"I need a week of silence. Minimum. No noise. No voices. No 'team spirit' chants."
She rubbed her temples.
"I don't even hate them. I'm just... drained."
Blanche gave a small, amused nod.
"You handled it better than I thought."
"I considered throwing Mika out a window," Yuxin replied.
"I just didn't find a window fast enough."
Vila nodded seriously.
"Next time, I will help locate one."
They stood there a little longer in the fading light, finally soaking in the rare moment of calm.
No yelling.
No declarations.
Just... peace.
And for a split second—
Yuxin looked almost content.
"If they're our opponents, we're finishing this tournament in two rounds max."
"So optimistic," Blanche smiled.
"No," Yuxin muttered.
"That's not optimism. That's a threat.
The sky above Asterblume was painted with strokes of peach and violet. Mana-lamps along the cobbled walkways flickered to life one by one, casting a soft golden hue across the academy grounds. The air was cool—calm for once. No shouting. No duels. No chaos.
Just quiet footsteps, soft voices, and the gentle rustle of uniforms in the breeze.
Yuxin walked ahead, her hands tucked deep into her pockets, cloak fluttering behind her. She didn't say much. But she didn't storm off this time either.
Vila walked beside her, expression unreadable as always, but her pace was just slightly in sync with Yuxin's. She occasionally looked up at the night sky like she was listening to something no one else could hear.
Ruka lagged a bit behind, hugging a notebook to her chest, glancing up at the stars now and then like she was memorizing their positions. Her footsteps were small, careful—but steady.
And Blanche brought up the rear, eyes sharp but relaxed, her posture graceful even after the long day. She carried herself like someone who'd just finished a mission… but knew another one was coming soon.
Their voices rose slowly as the tension of the day melted away.
"I still don't get how I got roped into this," Yuxin muttered.
"You agreed willingly," Blanche replied.
"Under duress."
"You were standing," Vila added. "That counts as awareness."
Yuxin side-eyed her.
"I should've hexed all of you."
"You still can," Vila offered helpfully.
Ruka giggled under her breath.
"Just don't hex me until after the remedials…"
"No promises," Yuxin replied, but her voice was lighter.
They passed under a wide mana-bridge connecting two academic towers, their shadows stretching beneath them. The distant hum of the central tower buzzed faintly—a reminder of the academy's heart still pulsing with life, even at twilight.
"Do you think we'll survive this tournament?" Ruka asked softly, more to herself than anyone.
Vila tilted her head.
"Biologically? Uncertain. Statistically? Average."
"Emotionally?" Yuxin added. "Absolutely not."
"Strategically?" Blanche said, smiling.
"We'll do just fine. As long as no one gets distracted by cafeteria vouchers."
Vila looked at her.
"You underestimate soup."
Laughter, low and warm, rippled through the group.
They were tired.
They were mismatched.
But in some strange way—they fit.
As they turned down the last stretch toward the East Dormitory sector, the warm glow of the lamplight made the stone walls look softer. Familiar. Like the edges of something that, little by little, was starting to feel like home.
Yuxin slowed her pace just slightly, letting the others catch up beside her.
"Still think this school's cursed," she muttered. "But at least the company's not total trash."
Blanche gave her a sideways glance.
"I'll take that as high praise."
"Don't."
"Too late."
They reached the wide courtyard just before the dorm gates—where the wind picked up, brushing through leaves and uniform hems, carrying with it a quiet kind of peace.
For now.
No council summons.
No sudden attacks.
No shadowy figures under trees.
Just four students walking home together.
Four paths slowly starting to intertwine.
Maybe not friends yet.
But no longer strangers.
And so ends Volume One: Asterblume Awakens
The winds are calm—for now.
But in the quiet, something begins to stir.
Shadows shift. Factions move.
Keep Waiting For Volumen Two~