The dawn painted the sea in molten gold, the ship cutting through the waters with sails stretched full. Andy stepped onto the deck, his cape stirred by the breeze, three swords strapped across his back—Ember Edge, glowing faint with crimson embers; Tide-Singer, its blade rippling with flowing azure light; and Stormbreaker Fang, where whorls of wind shimmered faintly around its edge. Together they hummed, like a chorus only he could hear.
Nia stood by the railing already, her auburn hair shimmering damp, drops clinging from her earlier wash. She turned, her sapphire eyes softening at his presence. "Good morning, Andy," she said gently, but the stiffness beneath her voice betrayed the tension brewing within her.
Andy smiled faintly, nodding. "Morning, Nia… did you rest well?"
Before she could answer, footsteps clicked across the deck. Aurelia emerged, golden hair catching the rising sun, a confident sway in her stride. She radiated vitality, but her lips curled with something more daring than simple warmth. She halted in front of Andy, eyes locked with his, voice silky as silk thread.
"Morning, Andy… did you miss me?" she teased, tilting her head. A chuckle danced from her lips, husky and knowing. "Because I can't say the same—I carried you in my thoughts all night."
Nia stiffened, brows arching sharply, but Aurelia only leaned closer, her words a blade of honey. "I even dreamed of you… funny how dreams can feel so real, isn't it?"
Andy's ears burned, his throat caught. He shifted awkwardly, desperate to redirect. "W-We should… focus. Training. Today."
The two women's eyes clashed like lightning—Nia's a storm of cold sapphire, Aurelia's a blaze of molten gold.
Andy drew a breath, forcing command into his tone. "We're not wasting this voyage. If we're to stand against what's ahead, we need more than strength. We need… sync."
---
The deck was cleared. Sailors gathered at a safe distance, whispers flying, eyes wide at the sight of the young man unsheathing Tide-Singer, the water blade pulsing softly in his hand. He thrust it into the deck, its resonance humming outward. Ember Edge flared on his back, Stormbreaker Fang whistled low—and together, the three blades conjured a shimmer in the air.
Illusions formed: three phantoms armored in light and shadow, circling, blades raised.
[System Notice: Training Trial Initiated.]
[Condition: Illusions can only be defeated through synchronized attacks.]
Andy's gaze hardened. "This time, I won't fight. Prove you can stand together. Otherwise… we'll all fall apart."
---
The spar began.
Nia raised her staff, her voice steady despite the tremor in her chest. "Aqua Veil!" A shield of cascading water rippled into existence, catching the first phantom's strike. She countered with "Luminous Orb!" — spheres of light burst forward.
But Aurelia had already dashed with "Shadow Step!", her daggers flashing with Hunter's Edge. She cut across Nia's angle, colliding with her magic and breaking the rhythm.
"You're blocking me!" Aurelia hissed.
"And you're reckless!" Nia snapped back, pushing her staff against the phantom's weight.
Steel clanged, sparks leapt. The illusions pressed harder.
Andy barked, "Stop fighting each other! Look—watch the rhythm, not just yourselves!"
---
They tried again. Nia's water magic swirled, Aurelia's blades darted—but their timing faltered, strikes dissonant. The second phantom slammed them back, sending Aurelia skidding across the deck, Nia nearly losing her balance.
[System Notice: Synchronization Failed. Efficiency: 15%.]
Andy's grip on his hilts tightened. His heart pounded with restrained frustration, but he forced his voice low, commanding. "Again. Watch each other. Move as one."
---
Aurelia spat blood from a nick at her lip, her eyes blazing. "Don't slow me down, mage."
Nia raised her chin, steady. "Then learn to follow a lead."
For once, their breaths matched, though eyes still clashed.
The next charge came. Nia whispered, "Aqua Surge!", torrents of water surging forward. At the exact beat, Aurelia's form blurred—"Piercing Shadow Fang!"—and her blades cut through the water-wrapped phantom like fangs laced with light. The illusion cracked apart.
Both women froze, startled by the sudden harmony.
[System Notice: Partial Sync Achieved. Efficiency: 45%.]
Andy's lips curved faintly. Good. They're starting to get it.
---
The final phantom advanced, heavier aura radiating.
Nia's hands trembled but steadied. She raised her staff, calling softly. "Bond Amplify…" Glyphs of light wrapped around her, flowing into Aurelia's daggers.
Aurelia blinked at the glow weaving along her blades. She snarled, then smirked. "Fine. Just this once."
They surged forward. Nia's Bond Barrier burst into a dome, catching the phantom's strike. Aurelia shot through the shimmering opening, spinning in deadly arcs—"Twin Fang Assault!" Blades laced with amplified light tore the phantom apart.
The deck rang with silence as the last illusion dissolved into mist.
---
[System Notice: Bond Synchronization Achieved.]
[Reward Unlocked: Bond Barrier (Nia).]
[Reward Unlocked: Hunter's Instinct (Aurelia).]
[Bond Progress: ★★★★★ – 65%]
---
Both women collapsed to their knees, sweat beading their skin.
Andy approached, sliding Stormbreaker Fang back into its sheath. "That's it… That's the strength I need from both of you."
Aurelia wiped her mouth, grinning despite her ragged breath. "Don't think this makes me your partner."
Nia's reply was crisp, though her chest heaved. "And don't think I'll give up my place."
Yet neither woman moved away. For the first time, shoulders rose and fell in sync—uneasy, unwilling, but undeniably tethered.
---
Night came. They leaned quietly against the rail, moonlight shimmering silver across the waves. Andy's hand brushed his swords; their aura hummed faintly like stars. Above, in the constellations, he thought he glimpsed shadows—dragon wings entwined with phoenix fire.
The bond threads shimmered faint between them, fragile yet undeniable.
Andy whispered into the salt air. "…We're getting closer."
Steam clouded the chamber, lanternlight dim and golden. Nia was already inside, sunk into the bath, her auburn hair clinging wet to her bare shoulders. Her sapphire eyes were closed, her breathing steady—until the door creaked.
Aurelia strode in confidently, humming, towel dangling from her arm. She let it fall without hesitation, stepping into the steam. Only when she slipped into the water did her gaze snap toward Nia's figure opposite her.
"Oh," Aurelia purred, blinking once before smiling slyly. "Didn't realize this tub was already claimed."
Nia's eyes narrowed, though she didn't shift an inch. "You barge in anywhere without thinking, don't you?"
Aurelia chuckled, leaning back so the lanternlight traced the curves of her body through the rising steam. "Why not? I've never had complaints… until now." Her golden hair clung damply to her skin, framing her in effortless allure.
Nia's jaw tightened. "You parade your body like it's all that matters."
"Mm," Aurelia hummed, her smile teasing. "And yet, I see the way you sit straighter when I do. Are you worried Andy might enjoy curves different from yours?"
Heat that had nothing to do with the water rose in Nia's cheeks. She leaned forward slightly, eyes sharp. "Andy doesn't need imagination. He already knows my body—and my heart."
Aurelia stilled for a beat, then grinned wider, leaning closer across the tub. "So that's your confidence… that you've already let him touch you." Her voice dropped lower, a playful blade. "Tell me then—how many times? Enough to make you certain he won't want more?"
Nia's lips curved in a dangerous smile, pride glowing in her eyes. "…More than you'd dare to dream."
The words struck like fire. Aurelia inhaled slowly, golden eyes blazing with competitive heat. She whispered, each syllable a promise, "Then someday… I'll make sure I'm the one lying in his arms. And when I do, I'll make him feel satisfaction that even you can't claim."
The water rippled between them, steam coiling like smoke from clashing fires. For a long moment, they sat in silence, their rivalry heavy in the air—yet beneath it, an undeniable recognition: they were both bound by the same man.
The steam clung heavy, tension sharp as blades—until Aurelia suddenly flicked a splash of water across the tub, droplets striking Nia's face.
For a heartbeat, silence. Then Nia blinked, startled—before narrowing her eyes with a huff. "Immature."
But her hand swept through the water anyway, sending a wave right back at Aurelia. The golden-haired huntress gasped dramatically, then broke into laughter, her voice echoing bright against the chamber walls.
"You dare?" she teased, splashing harder.
Nia tried to keep her composure, lips pressed tight—but soon her own laughter spilled free, softer but no less genuine. Water danced between them, ripples breaking through the heavy air that had bound them.
For the first time, their rivalry didn't feel like a wound. It felt like fire and gold clashing into something new—untamed, but not hateful.
Their laughter faded into quiet smiles, breathless, damp strands of hair clinging to their flushed faces. Neither admitted it aloud, but both felt it: beneath the jealousy, beneath the pride, there was the faint beginning of something else.
Not friendship. Not yet.
But the seed of respect—born in steam, water, and the echo of Andy's name in their hearts.
---