Vale stood unsteadily, one hand clutching his side as a low grunt escaped him. Every movement sent sharp pain through his ribs. Yuki noticed immediately, her grip tightening slightly as she pulled him fully upright. An awkward expression crossed her face.
"Sorry, kid," she muttered. "I really shouldn't have gone that hard on you."
Vale managed a weak smile, despite the pain.
"No need to apologize," he said between breaths. "Can this… be healed?"
Yuki's expression shifted instantly. A confident grin spread across her face, pride clear in her posture.
"Of course. I'm the greatest healer in this base, after all."
Vale blinked in surprise. After witnessing how she fought, wild, relentless, almost feral, the idea of Yuki being a healer had never crossed his mind. She seemed more like a raging beast than someone who mended wounds.
A faint chuckle slipped from him at the thought.
Yuki noticed but ignored it. "So," she said, her tone suddenly businesslike and focused, "where does it hurt? I can't really sense you, so I'll have to go off your directions."
Vale gently tapped the side of his ribs. Even the light touch sent a dull spike of pain through him.
"Right here."
Yuki stepped closer and lifted his shirt without warning. Vale stiffened slightly, discomfort flickering across his face, but he didn't protest. She placed her hand firmly over his injured ribs, her eyes narrowing in concentration.
Moments later, clear ice began to form against Vale's skin.
Strangely, it wasn't cold.
Instead, it felt soothing, pleasant even, like a gentle warmth spreading through his body. Vale stared in confusion as the ice crept outward, instinctively knowing it was healing him. But when the bones began to knit together, pain surged violently through him.
Vale gritted his teeth, his breath hitching as the sensation intensified. He forced himself to stay still, refusing to cry out.
Yuki glanced at his face and smirked.
"Nice, kid. You've got guts. Keep that attitude."
The ice spread further, then suddenly expanded, and in the next instant, it shattered.
The sensation was overwhelming.
Vale stumbled backward as if his entire body had fractured along with the ice. He gasped sharply, shaking, every muscle screaming as he struggled to stay upright. His breathing came in ragged bursts, his legs threatening to give out.
A firm hand grabbed his shoulder.
Vale turned his head weakly and saw Callum at his side, holding him up with surprising strength.
"Don't worry, kid," Callum said with a bright, reassuring smile. "I've got you."
At the same time, Evelyn approached them, her expression visibly dissatisfied.
"Seriously, Yuki," she said with a heavy sigh. "You shouldn't go that hard on him. He's only a Flicker, after all."
Yuki shot her an annoyed glare.
"Oh? Since you like the kid so much," she snapped, "why don't you defeat me in his stead, little miss queen?"
Evelyn's eyes hardened, her gaze turning cold. She glanced briefly at Vale and Callum. Vale, still in pain, felt a nervous knot twist in his stomach under her scrutiny.
After a moment, Evelyn turned back to Yuki.
"Fine," she said evenly. "Let's do it."
Yuki blinked, genuine surprise flashing across her face.
"…You're serious?"
Evelyn's expression darkened further.
"What?" she asked sharply. "Are you scared now?"
Vale felt his stomach drop. He glanced at Callum, who, despite the tension, still wore a slightly nervous smile. When Vale looked back, Yuki's surprise had already shifted into irritation, her posture tightening.
A few silent seconds passed, heavy with anticipation.
Then Evelyn spoke again, her voice calm but commanding.
"Callum, dear, take Vale to the wall and protect him from any possible danger."
Callum nodded without hesitation.
"You heard her, kid. Let's go."
Vale gave Callum a conflicted look but said nothing. He allowed himself to be guided forward, limping as Callum half-dragged, half-supported him toward the wall. Once there, they turned to face the center of the room.
Yuki and Evelyn stood opposite each other, both radiating readiness.
Yuki's lips curled into a bloodthirsty grin.
"Well then," she said, raising her hand, "how will the others react when I tell them I beat the infamous Queen of the Dark?"
Ice surged around her arm, rapidly forming a massive greatsword once more.
"I guess I'll find out after this match."
Evelyn smiled mockingly in response.
"Don't bother," she said coolly. "That's something you'll never find out."
As she spoke, her shadow peeled itself away from her feet, rising unnaturally along her body. It flowed into her hand and solidified into a long, sleek blade of darkness, its form agile and predatory.
Vale swallowed hard and turned to Callum.
"So… who do you think will win?"
Callum blinked, looking at him with mild confusion before answering casually,
"Evelyn, of course. She's my woman."
Vale frowned slightly.
"Does that really matter?"
Callum's smile softened, becoming strangely sincere.
"Very much."
At that exact moment, Yuki and Evelyn charged.
They didn't clash head-on. Instead, both moved with blinding agility, circling and weaving past one another. Their blades sliced through the air, passing within inches of each other's faces as they narrowly avoided what would have been devastating strikes.
The real fight had begun.
Vale watched nervously as the blades flashed between the two women. Shadow and ice carved through the air with terrifying speed, yet something felt… off.
Evelyn wasn't fighting offensively.
But she wasn't defending either.
Vale narrowed his eyes, focusing more closely on her movements. She wasn't retreating out of fear, nor was she pressing an attack. Instead, she was flowing, testing, waiting.
"What the…" Vale murmured under his breath.
A faint chuckle sounded beside him.
"You've noticed, haven't you?"
Vale turned sharply, surprised. "Noticed what?" he asked.
Callum smiled, clearly amused.
"My dear Eve, of course."
Vale frowned, still confused.
At the same time, Yuki's massive greatsword began to assert its dominance. The sheer weight and reach of the ice blade forced Evelyn back, each clash pushing her a step farther away.
"I guess she didn't want to use it at first," Callum said casually, eyes never leaving the fight.
Vale looked back just in time to see Evelyn slide backward across the floor, yet her expression remained calm, untroubled.
"You see," Callum continued, "that isn't Eve's usual weapon."
As if on cue, Evelyn's shadow-forged blade began to shift.
Yuki slammed her greatsword down with brutal force, but Evelyn dodged effortlessly. In the same instant, her weapon elongated and split, reshaping itself into a massive trident of living shadow. She drove it down, pinning the greatsword to the floor.
Before Yuki could fully react, Evelyn stepped in and delivered a brutal punch straight to Yuki's face.
The blow snapped Yuki's head to the side. She staggered back, one foot sliding across the cracked stone, but she recovered quickly and retaliated with a heavy punch of her own.
Evelyn slipped past it with fluid grace.
In that same motion, her trident unraveled, thinning and lengthening until it became a shadowy whip. The weapon lashed out, coiling tightly around Yuki's arm. Evelyn took a single step forward, braced herself, and hurled Yuki into the air with shocking strength.
Yuki however, refused to release her greatsword.
She soared upward, crashing into the ceiling. Stone shattered on impact, but Yuki didn't fall. Instead, she twisted her body, planting her feet against the ceiling itself.
Then she kicked off.
The ceiling exploded behind her as she launched downward like a meteor, greatsword raised high. She tore through the air, aimed directly at Evelyn.
Vale's eyes widened in horror.
Evelyn didn't move.
The impact was thunderous. Stone shattered, dust and debris billowing outward in a choking cloud. Vale raised an arm to shield his eyes, his heart pounding.
For a brief, dreadful moment, he thought it was over.
Then the dust began to settle.
As visibility returned, a single figure could be seen kneeling at the center of the crater, Yuki, her greatsword impaled deep into the stone floor.
Standing behind her was Evelyn.
A blade of shadow rested calmly against the side of Yuki's throat.
Silence filled the room.
Finally, Yuki let out a rough breath.
"…Ugh. You win."
Evelyn smiled gently and stepped back, allowing the blade to dissolve and sink back into the floor. Her shadow returned to its natural place at her feet, as though nothing extraordinary had happened.
Vale stared wide-eyed. Their battle had been far more destructive than his own, on an entirely different level. He glanced around the room. The walls were cracked, the floor fractured, and deep scars ran across nearly every surface.
''Is this how the strong fight?'' he asked.
Callum noticed his expression and placed an arm around his shoulders.
"I guess so," he said thoughtfully. "Though they're heavily restricted right now. So… yes and no."
He turned to Vale with a warm smile.
"Anyway, let's go. We still have to get to my test."
Vale looked at him, questions swirling endlessly in his mind, but he said nothing. After a moment, he nodded.
They started moving again. Vale had recovered enough to walk on his own now, though his body still ached. Behind them, the two women also headed toward the exit.
Yuki trudged along like a scolded child, her ego visibly bruised. Evelyn, by contrast, walked with quiet pride, clearly satisfied with the outcome of the battle.
Together, all of them moved deeper into the base, toward the test that would finally show Vale what their true power really looked like.