The sun dipped low in the sky, its golden rays slipping through the tall windows of Shirogane Academy's grand library. Rows upon rows of ancient tomes lined the shelves, the air rich with the scent of paper and old leather. For most students, this place was a sanctuary of silence and study. For Yuna Yoshi, it was practically home.
She sat at a long oak table, her posture flawless, eyes sharp as she read through a textbook on elemental theory. She made notes neatly in her journal, every character perfectly aligned. To Yuna, the library wasn't just a resource—it was a battlefield of intellect where precision reigned supreme.
The sound of heavy footsteps broke her concentration. She looked up, frowning slightly, to see Silas Shirogane wandering into the library. He looked out of place, his uniform still imperfectly worn, his wooden training sword strapped casually across his back. His eyes scanned the shelves with open curiosity, as though he'd walked into an unfamiliar workshop rather than a place of study.
Yuna's lips pressed into a thin line. Of course.
He noticed her almost instantly, and his grin widened. "Well, well. If it isn't the academy's perfect prodigy. What are the odds?"
"Higher than you think," Yuna replied coolly, adjusting her notes. "Some of us actually study to improve our magic, instead of relying on brute force."
Silas chuckled, leaning against the edge of her table. "Study's fine, but on the battlefield? Instinct keeps you alive. Books don't."
Yuna's pen stilled. She looked up at him, eyes narrowing. "Care to prove that?"
The challenge hung in the air, and Silas's smirk widened. Before either of them could back down, a group of curious students—drawn by the tension—had begun to gather. Whispered bets were exchanged. The library's silence gave way to anticipation.
With a sigh, Yuna closed her book and stood, her composure unshaken. "Fine. A small duel. But this time, in here—we'll keep it subtle."
They moved to the cleared space at the back of the library. With a flick of her hand, Yuna conjured slender threads of shimmering ice, weaving them into a delicate lattice that floated around her like crystalline ribbons. Her control was immaculate.
Silas rolled his shoulders, his hand resting on the hilt of his practice sword. He didn't bother with finesse; instead, he let sparks of forged flame flicker along the wooden blade, rough but powerful. His mana control wasn't elegant, but it radiated raw heat that made the air waver.
"Ready?" Yuna asked.
"Always," Silas replied.
She struck first—threads of ice lashing toward him with surgical precision. Silas swung, flames surging along his blade, cutting through the ice like a hammer smashing glass. Yet each strike cost him more effort than hers; his control wavered where hers was steady.
"You're wasting mana," Yuna called out, her tone almost like a teacher scolding a reckless pupil. "If you keep that up, you'll burn out in minutes."
"Better to burn out than freeze up," Silas shot back, charging forward.
Their clash lit the library with sparks and frost, a dance of precision against power. Yuna created a shield of ice to block his blade, but this time, instead of shattering, the frost absorbed the flame, steam hissing between them. Both froze—literally and figuratively—as they realized what had just happened.
The crowd murmured, confused but fascinated. Yuna's sharp mind raced. The elements… they didn't cancel out. They merged.
Silas noticed it too, his grin softening into something more thoughtful. "Huh. Didn't expect that."
Yuna's eyes met his, a flicker of unease crossing her usual composure. For a heartbeat, their rivalry shifted into something else—something neither of them understood yet.
Before either could test it further, the librarian stormed in, her furious voice breaking the moment. "Enough! This is a place for study, not duels!"
The crowd scattered at once, students laughing and whispering as they fled. Yuna and Silas were left standing in the quiet aftermath, breathing hard.
Yuna smoothed her uniform, regaining her calm exterior. "This changes nothing. You're still reckless."
Silas adjusted his sword strap, though his grin returned. "Maybe. But looks like we're stronger together than apart."
Her heart skipped—just once—but she dismissed it quickly. "Don't get used to it."
As Silas walked away, he glanced back over his shoulder, eyes glinting with something unreadable. Yuna sat down again, her hands steady on her notebook, but her mind was anything but calm. For the first time, she wondered if Silas Shirogane was more than just a rival. Perhaps he was something else entirely.