The next day at school was nothing short of a wildfire.
Out of three demo matches scheduled after the second period, students whispered about the Princess of Ignisar versus the F-rank slacker match in particular.
Though this match was crucial to Cassie for confirming her suspicions about Zen, it came at a cost to her reputation.
While her admirers spoke highly of her putting someone in their place, others chattered about how she was deliberately bullying someone beneath her.
Instructors were… surprised, to say the least. But it was a small price she was willing to pay.
The classes continued. Zen was staring outside as always. Paying attention in class was never on his to-do list.
Though he could feel the eyes that occasionally glanced at him and the whispers that followed.
Cassie, however, seemed unfazed. She was genuinely focused on the lecture. It was a natural environment for a princess who had always been the center of attention.
Viara, seated to her right, seemed worried, not for the match itself, but for Cassie's odd behavior. However, she saved her questions for later, maintaining discipline in class.
Finn, seated right in front of Zen, leaned back slightly in his chair. "Feeling alright?"
Zen stayed quiet, gazing through the window at a bird's nest in a tree, where a bird was feeding its children. He felt a sharp pang of pain in his heart.
"When was the last time I was with my family?"
A second later, he let out a quiet sigh and turned his attention back to Finn.
Finn smirked at Zen. "Hey, no one's going to question you if you didn't show up, you know. You could look for other ways around this mess."
"Dude... I'm a slacker, not a coward." Zen faintly smirked back.
Finn's smirk slowly faded. "Hey, if you need a helping hand, all you have to do is ask."
"Don't worry. I will when necessary." Zen reassured him with a nod. "I always did."
Finn nodded back and shifted his attention back to class.
Zen's gaze drifted back to the window.
"After experiencing the deadly side of life together so many times, there aren't many I trust as much as you."
The first period seemed to pass by very quickly for him, while for others it felt like an eternity. Around the end of the second period, an instructor entered.
"Everyone, listen up. Arena one is going through some renovation, so the demo matches today will be held at Arena two."
He then looked at Cassie and Zen. "Solheim and Fuyukawa, both of you are excused early for preparation." Once finished speaking, he left to attend to other matters at hand.
Cassie got up from her desk and left the classroom, followed by Zen a few seconds later. In the middle of the walk through the school corridor to the locker room, Cassie intentionally slowed down to fall into step beside Zen.
"Honestly, I expected you to fake a headache and call in sick. Didn't think you would actually follow through on your words." Cassie gave him a teasing smirk.
Zen kept quiet at first, but the sarcastic side eye Cassie gave him finally forced him to speak.
"Did a few dodges bruise your ego that badly?"
"Oh, please. My ego's perfectly intact. If anything, you should be grateful that I, Princess Cassie Lysandra von Solheim, bestowed upon you the honor of a duel." Her voice carried dramatic pride.
Zen sighed. "What a waste of time."
"It's definitely worth my time, though." Cassie glanced over her shoulder, already turning toward the girls' locker room before disappearing into the hallway.
As Zen made his way through the dimly lit corridor to the boys' locker room, another figure was passing by. A guy of the same height, with fiery red hair, a face set in arrogant pride, and a confident ease to his stride.
The figure came to a stop right in front of Zen, blocking his path.
"You must be the person who's dueling Lysandra. What was the name again?"
He paused, thinking, then smirked. "Oh, right… Fuyukawa. I heard about you."
Zen crossed his arms. "And I have heard nothing about you."
Zen's words almost made him lose his composure, but he was just as fast to regain it.
"Oh… how unfortunate. Well then, allow me to introduce myself."
He ran his fingers through his hair, posing as if it were a photoshoot. "I am Kyoya Aquila von Solheim, Prince of Ignisar. Scored an S-tier performance at the entrance exam. Ring any bells?"
"Nope," Zen replied, his tone flat. "By the way, how many Solheim's are in this school?"
"Just the three of us. Cousins. I'm obviously the coolest one," Kyoya said with a confident shrug, giving Zen a pat on the shoulder as he walked by.
"Best of luck for the duel. You're going to need it."
Zen stood still for another moment, watching Kyoya leave before he continued towards the locker room.
Once inside, he took out a light-gray hoodie, matching trousers, and sneakers.
Gear tracksuits were similar to regular exercise attire, but modified for maximum movement efficiency and nanotech compatibility.
After changing, he made his way to the preparation room of Arena Two to wait for the match announcement.
As he pushed the door and entered the room, he found Madoka and Finn already chatting inside.
Both of their heads turned as Zen entered.
"About time," Madoka said, arms crossed, leaning back against the wall.
She pushed off the wall and straightened, tossing Zen a can of what looked like an energy drink. "Try this drink. It's supposed to suppress your elemental energy for a short period."
"You do realize that these things have basically no effect on me, right?" Zen said, opening the can and taking a sip.
"That's why I said it's supposed to," Madoka replied. "We Nulls drink this, and it suppresses more than half of our power."
"At least it tastes good. I tried one before, just out of curiosity," Finn chimed in with a laugh to ease the mood.
"Better taste good. They expect us to drink it at least twice a day." Madoka crossed her arms again.
"Tastes like failure. Can't feel a thing happening to me," Zen said flatly after finishing the drink and tossing the can in the recycle bin.
Madoka smirked and rolled her eyes, but Finn burst out in laughter at Zen's remark.
Suddenly, an announcement came through the arena system, "Attention: ten minutes until the combat demonstration matches begin. All combatants, please make your final preparations."
Madoka's face turned serious again. "So, what's the plan?"
"Losing convincingly," Zen replied.
Madoka scoffed, rolling her eyes, "Easier said than done. You have a bad record of pulling your punches."
"I'll try not to accidentally kill her."
Zen applied slight pressure to his left hand, and in a matter of seconds, black, metallic nanoparticles rippled out of his glove and spread across his tracksuit, constructing his gear Alpha-02 with precision.
A holographic HUD appeared in front of him with all the current stats and functions of A-02.
"Looking clean," Finn complimented.
Zen smirked. "It's nice to have a change sometimes."
He tapped on the HUD with his finger, and a system confirmation message popped up: "Safe Mode active. Power output restricted to 15%."
A few parts of A-02 shifted, making it appear as an academy-issued standard combat suit.
He tapped on the HUD again, and this time, a long, black, metallic staff with two curved, opposite-facing silver blades at each end materialized in his hand.
This was a weapon Zen wasn't well-versed in since he had picked it up only a few years ago. A weapon not yet mastered and his gear at only 15% of its full power was perfect to avoid suspicion.
"Good luck. It would be quite a shame if your peaceful days ended because a princess got curious," Madoka teased, arms crossed.
"Thanks, I guess," Zen replied sarcastically.
Meanwhile, in the other preparation room on the opposite side of the arena, Cassie was in her tracksuit, ready to deploy her gear. At that moment, Viara entered to check on her. She came straight to the preparation room as soon as the second period ended.
"Ready for the match?" Viara asked as she entered and took a seat on one of the long benches in the room.
"Yeah…" Cassie replied with her ever-determined look, but from her voice, Viara could tell her mood was off.
Viara cleared her throat before speaking again, "Cass, are you ok? You've been acting strange since yesterday."
Suddenly, Cassie snapped back to reality from her thoughts, "What?"
"You've been awfully quiet since last night," Viara continued. "Lost in thought almost all the time, not paying attention. That's not like you."
Cassie couldn't even realize during this period of time that she was indeed behaving unusually.
"Really?" she asked, her eyes narrowing in realization.
"Yes, you were," Viara replied. "Cass, I'm always here to help. You can at least tell me what's bothering you."
She got up from the bench and stood beside Cassie, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "We've shared so many secrets before. You know you can trust me. Why are you so obsessed with this match?"
For a few seconds, Cassie couldn't answer. Then, she took a deep breath, calming herself before replying, "Because, yesterday when he dodged everything so effortlessly, that movement pattern, the precision and refinement, it reminded me of… her."
"Her? Who?" Viara asked, curiosity piqued.
Cassie looked at her from the corner of her eye, but she didn't answer. The look on her face, however, made Viara realize.
"You mean… Sayuri-sensei?" Viara asked again. "Are you sure you aren't just imagining it?"
"No! Absolutely not! I can't be making a mistake," Cassie replied with full confidence. "I have watched dozens of her match recordings, I follow her techniques, and I can feel it in my bones when I see anything similar to her combat style."
She took another deep breath to calm her nerves. "I literally came to this academy because she's here, hoping that if I can prove my skills, someday she'll accept me as her private student."
Her eyes fell to the tiled floor beneath her feet. "Her combat style is highly unique. I've never seen anyone even coming close to her level of refinement until… this guy showed up. He made my attacks look like rookie moves. And this match is how I confirm that I'm not crazy."
This match truly was important to her. Sayuri Harukaze was a legendary warrior of her time, now a top-tier instructor at this very academy, though she mostly remained busy with administrative tasks.
She has many admirers, many as devoted as Cassie herself. But Cassie didn't see her as her ideal role model just because of her status; it was far deeper than that.
When Cassie was a child, Sayuri once saved her from a nearly deadly situation. It was a terrifying moment for the young girl, but it also became the event that changed the very direction of her life.
She decided to follow in her savior's footsteps. And if someone else was also following the same path as her, then she was not ready to fall behind without a fight.
Another announcement came through the arena system, "Attention: three minutes until the demonstration matches begin. All combatants, please enter the arena."
Hearing the announcement, Cassie gently tapped her wristband, and white nanoparticles crawled out of the housing unit, spreading over her tracksuit, forming her gear, White Phoenix.
A custom, military-grade gear built under the supervision of the royal family of Ignisar. The grip of her right hand tightened, and her double-bladed staff materialized in her hand.
Once ready, she looked over her shoulder and gave Viara a nod. Viara nodded back, and Cassie started making her way through the corridor to the arena entrance gate. Her mind was already calculating every way to test Zen's patience.
From the other side of the arena entrance, Zen entered.
They both continued forward until standing only a few feet apart. The hyped crowd erupted in cheers, particularly for Cassie.
"Demonstration match one: Cassie Lysandra von Solheim versus Zen Fuyukawa," a cheerful female announcer's voice echoed through the system.
"Combat gear shield restricted to 60% as per regulations. Duel ends when either combatant loses their shield, forfeits, or is incapacitated. Warriors, prepare! And best of luck!"
On the mega screen, a countdown began. Cassie and Zen took fighting stances, and with a sharp chime, an invisible energy shield covered their entire body like clothing on skin.
The crowd joined the countdown, "5…4…3…2…1…FIGHT!" —and the buzzer went off.
Cassie did not waste a second and immediately dashed forward. Zen firmly gripped his staff, preparing for what was to come.
First swing from Cassie, a simple parry with his staff, a basic move. She followed up with another swing aimed at his head. He dodged. A third swing, blocked again.
She intentionally delayed her next attack, but he didn't try to hit back even when given the opportunity. That's when she realized that Zen had no intention to strike back.
So, she doubled her speed. The next slashes, stabs, and upswings all came in rapidly to hopefully bait him into fighting back.
But his response—lazy. He blocked and parried some of her strikes. The rest hit his gear shield.
Cassie gritted her teeth. If she wanted to prove she wasn't crazy, she needed him to fight back.
She threw a spinning wheel kick at him and stepped back to catch her breath.
"You're a stubborn one, aren't you? Just how long do you think you can hold back?" she snapped, breathing heavy.
"What more do you expect from a defense strategist?" Zen replied deadpan, holding his stance.
Cassie scoffed and smirked in amusement as her anger took over. "Oh, really? I see how it is."
She let out a shuddering breath. "Well then, defend THIS!"
She straightened up, regained her combat stance, and chanted, "Twin Blades: Infusion!"
Immediately, the long blades of Cassie's staff flared up in raging flames. She channeled an immense amount of energy, anger pushing her to nearly her limits without hesitation.
The heat of her weapon and her inner flame were getting stronger by the second. She wasn't going to accept returning empty-handed from this fight.
Cassie stepped forward and swung directly towards Zen's head, forcing him to duck. She threw another wheel kick at him and instantly followed up with rapid vertical strikes.
Not only were her strikes fast, but the fire infusion added high heat, and the channeling fire inside her gave her a menacing amount of brute force.
This all-out aggression and sheer brute force caught Zen completely off guard, forcing his instincts to react instantly.
He held his staff horizontally in front of him with a strong double-grip stance, and a thin wind barrier formed on the staff.
Every strike from Cassie made Zen stagger back, and his footwork subconsciously shifted in an instant.
Sparks ignited as each strike hit the metal staff, and bit by bit, Zen's shield began to chip away.
His gear, restricted to only one seventh of its offensive capacity and further weakened by the system regulations for this match, meant that Cassie's infused strikes could even prove lethal.
From the border of the arena's field, Madoka stood with her arms crossed, watching intently. Finn was right next to her.
"She's dead set on testing his patience," Finn assessed.
"Winning isn't her only goal. She's trying to figure him out," Madoka observed, her expression unreadable. "If only he hadn't underestimated her determination, he could've suffered a convincing defeat."
"He underestimated himself, too," Finn added, crossing his arms. "Even if he wanted to take hits just to prove her wrong, the very muscle memory he built through years of near-death experiences wouldn't let him."
And they were both correct.
Back in the field, Cassie continued her rapid strikes. "Your instincts betray you, Zen. You can't hide from me."
And Zen knew that too. His instincts were spiraling out of control, and his body was reacting completely on its own, so he tried to double down on his strength.
But Cassie wasn't planning to let that happen. Suddenly, she changed the angle of attack from vertical to horizontal, aiming a full, heavy strike at his waist. She intended to bait him into a fast reaction with a searing attack, and she got just that.
With no time to recover, all Zen could do was put his staff between Cassie's strike and himself. But his mind was conflicted between achieving his goal, and letting his instincts defend him, resulting in a poor defense.
The force of her strike landed through the staff.
A-02 took a massive hit to its shield, and the kinetic energy sent Zen rolling on the ground for a second before he lunged his weapon into the ground to stop the momentum.
His shield dropped, and the reserve shield kicked in to ensure post-match safety.
The arena buzzer went off. "And the winner is our Princess of Ignisar!" the announcer screamed, and the crowd immediately erupted in cheers.
Cassie's admirers chattered, "Did you see that?! She didn't even let him strike back!"
"Her flame-infused twin blades are so cool!" another student added.
But not everyone was busy cheering. Somewhere in the crowd, Julianna watched closely.
To most eyes, Zen's performance was indeed convincing — exactly as he intended. But to a sharp analyst, it told a very different story.
"The match lasted only three minutes," Julianna thought. "But in that short time, Lysandra delivered enough firepower that would bring me to the ground."
"Yet, an F-rank student absorbed every hit until the very last moment of the battle, when anyone else would have already been lying unconscious."
The few seconds where Zen slipped to hold himself back were more than enough to justify Julianna's assessment.
She smirked. "This is going to be fun."
Watching the crowd — oblivious to the truth Cassie had revealed and busy cheering for the princess — she appreciated the irony of the situation.
While the shield gear flawlessly protected him from all the direct physical blows, Zen felt the heat of Cassie's infused flame. He stayed down on one knee, clutching his weapon and catching his breath.
Cassie stood in front of him, the hilt of her weapon's blade pointing at him.
"Is that really all you had to offer?"
Zen checked his gear HUD, which was blinking red. He stayed still for a moment, then slowly got back up on his feet and took a deep breath. He turned to leave, but then he paused.
Looking over his shoulder, he said with a calm and unfazed voice,
"You have potential — just not the right guidance."
And this completely shocked Cassie. She expected him to deflect or make excuses, but not confirm her suspicions.
Little did she know, this wasn't a cheap compliment either. After all, it had been a very long time since someone managed to surprise him.
Before she could say anything, Zen was already walking away.
Cassie stood still, watching Zen leave.
"So, I was right," she murmured.
After standing still for another moment, she finally turned to head back.
Though she had won the fight and confirmed she wasn't crazy, this victory felt tasteless to her. Now, she had more questions than answers, and this was just the beginning.
All she could think right now was,
"Who are you really, Zen?"
As Cassie exited the arena field, Viara followed behind. "Are you okay? Any injuries?"
"I'm fine. He didn't even fight back." Even if she said she was fine, she could feel her legs giving in.
She sighed as she entered the prep room and sat down on a bench.
"It's just… my head is a mess right now. I can't think straight."
"Hey, deep breaths, I'm here for you." Viara sat down beside her to provide comfort. "We'll figure this out together. Right now, you need some rest to recover stamina. You pushed yourself a bit too hard."
"Also…" Viara pulled out her phone. "A student was recording the fight, so I collected the footage from them so you don't have to."
Cassie's eyes lit up. "Really? That's great!" She tried to reach out for the phone even though she was exhausted.
But Viara pulled it out of her reach. "Hold on now, I'm not letting you have it until you've rested enough."
"Oh, come on, don't be like that!" Cassie protested weakly.
"Nope! You can see it after we return to the dorm. I don't want you mentally straining yourself," Viara insisted. "Don't worry, the footage isn't going anywhere."
Cassie sighed, feeling helpless and badly drained. "Alright, fine."
She lay her head on Viara's shoulder and closed her eyes, a smile on her face. "Thanks, Vi."
"I'm always here for you." Viara adjusted her shoulder slightly for Cassie to rest.
"Let's visit the nurse once you start feeling better, okay?" and Cassie gave her a small nod of agreement.
Madoka was waiting at the other field exit, leaning against the gate, arms crossed. Finn was checking his phone.
"You overperformed," Madoka said as Zen approached.
"I know," Zen replied while walking by.
"At least you tried. Losing convincingly isn't really your specialty," Finn teased as the three made their way back into the prep room.
"It's not the same this time, Finn." Zen's eyes narrowed as he walked, "This… was fate."
Once back inside the prep room, Zen deactivated his gear and weapon, retracting them back into the glove on his left hand.
Right as he did, Madoka's eyes landed on the small burn marks around his face and hand that Cassie's fire caused.
"That looks painful. Sit down, I'll treat your burns." She grabbed the first aid kit in the room.
"It's not a big deal. I've got more important things to do," Zen brushed it off flatly.
"Sit. Down. Before I decide to knock some sense into your idiot brain." Madoka's voice carried genuine anger.
Zen's lack of self-care clearly irritated her. And so, sensing the clear warning in her voice, he sat down on a bench.
Finn shook his head in resignation. "You shouldn't ignore your own health if you want to protect others."
Zen let out a long sigh. "I've been through worse, you know that."
"I do. But it's not like you're ever going to take care of yourself." Madoka began treating his injuries. "I do this because I care, even if you don't."
"I do care," Zen smirked. "Thank you."
"You're welcome. Now, sit still." Madoka replied, deadpan.
Later that evening, after the whirlwind of the school day had ended, Cassie and Viara returned to their shared dormitory.
The suite was spacious—two bedrooms with balconies, a living room, and a neat kitchen with a dining table—everything polished to perfection, as expected of the Solheim family's influence.
Cassie freshened up and changed into her casual clothes, then collapsed onto her bed. The day had been overwhelming. The duel drained her stamina so badly that she was unable to lift any weight for the day.
Thanks to the school nurse for providing some elemental healing so that she could walk properly. The nurse had advised her to rest, but she insisted on attending classes anyway.
Cassie couldn't stop thinking about the fight. She considered reviewing the footage. But the exhaustion, combined with all the questions racing in her head, immediately gave her an intense headache.
A few minutes later, Viara appeared in the doorway. "So, what are you craving for dinner? I'll cook tonight. Or we could order something from outside if you want."
Cassie was practically dozing off. "I think I'll skip dinner... Headache. Just going to sleep."
Viara couldn't help but feel concerned. "Are you sure? I can grab something light for you—maybe a snack?"
Cassie turned her face into the pillow and curled deeper into the covers, her voice muffled. "I'll be fine. Skipping one meal won't kill me."
Viara wasn't reassured. She sat down on the edge of Cassie's bed and began gently stroking her hair. Under Viara's soft touch, Cassie's breathing evened out, and her body relaxed.
Viara finally let out a quiet sigh. Reviewing the match footage could wait. Right now, her cousin's health was her only priority, and she had no intention to leave Cassie's side for the night.
The night deepened, and even at this hour, the city was just as busy as during the day. The highways and major streets were still lit with the light from shops, street lamps, and vehicles.
At the rooftop of one of the tallest buildings around, Zen sat at the edge of the railing in his gear, hooded, gazing down at the city below.
A moment later, the silhouette of a silver-white android soared through the night sky, circling the tall building from above and eventually landing on the rooftop with a soft impact.
Humanoid in design, yet his face was just a casing of metal and a glowing blue visor.
The android approached him from behind. "Perimeter scans complete. Double-checked, for good measure. Criminal activities—minimal. What are your next orders, Sire?"
"Drop the formality, Ansar," Zen replied.
"Apologies. I was only following protocol." Ansar came to a stop beside him.
A moment of silence passed as they both stared down at the city streets below.
And then Ansar spoke again,
"You could fully entrust the late-night scouting to the Vanguard. You've had a busy day. It will only make your condition worse, Zen."
Zen sighed, clearly tired. "I can't let my guard down."
He smirked faintly. "Besides… It's not like I can be at peace even in sleep. I have no choice but to rely on elements to cover the lack of energy for me."
"By paying with life itself?" Ansar asked.
And Zen went silent at the question. He had nothing to reply with.
Ansar didn't push the conversation further. He already knew the truth behind it since this wasn't the first time he had asked.
The two gazed down at the streets again, letting the cold, quiet night and the sound of the bustling city take over once more.