Inside the empty classroom of Class Two, Lalanat sat alone at the last desk after helping the younger students rehearse for their play.
Silence filled the room.
A gentle breeze drifted through the open windows, making the curtains sway as sunlight spilled across the wooden floor.
She took a deep breath and smiled to herself.
Slowly, she rested her head on the desk and turned her gaze toward the window.
For a brief moment, her world consisted only of peace and the quiet classroom.
After a while, she heard footsteps approaching.
She lazily turned her head toward the door.
Caelin was walking down the hallway.
As he passed the classroom, he happened to glance inside.
Their eyes met.
He stopped.
For a few seconds, neither of them spoke.
Before the silence became awkward, Lalanat smiled gently and gave him a small wave.
"Hi, Caelin."
Caelin smiled back before walking over to the doorway. He leaned against the frame and folded his arms.
"Rare to see you sitting here all by yourself," he said.
Lalanat straightened herself.
"Ah... I was helping our juniors with their drama rehearsal."
She smiled and held up the pen in her hand.
Caelin let out a quiet chuckle.
Lalanat tilted her head.
"Did I say something funny?"
He shook his head with another small smile.
"Sorry... I just remembered something."
"Something?" Lalanat asked curiously.
Caelin let out a quiet sigh before sitting on the desk nearest the door, his hands resting in his pockets.
"It's just..."
He looked out the window.
"The sword tournament kept all of us excited... nervous... hopeful."
He smiled faintly.
"But in the end, it was always pointless."
"The overall winner takes everything."
After a brief pause, he added,
"Not that it matters to us anymore."
Silence settled between them once again.
Without looking at him, Lalanat finally spoke.
"Caelin..."
"I know you have your own reasons for leaving our class."
She slowly turned to face him.
"But... can I ask you something?"
Caelin looked into her eyes for a moment before quietly nodding.
Lalanat looked back toward the window.
"What is it..."
"...that you're secretly trying to protect?"
She paused.
"What could Alaric take from you... simply by defeating you?"
The question hung in the air.
Caelin froze.
Neither of them looked away.
Only the sound of the curtains brushing against each other filled the room.
Then—
The classroom door suddenly slid open.
Elara hurried inside, placed her lunch box on a desk, and collapsed onto the nearest chair.
She looked at both of them.
"...What are you two doing?"
Her eyes moved from Lalanat to Caelin.
"You've been staring at each other this whole time."
She leaned closer to Lalanat.
"Are you two fighting?"
Lalanat waved her hand with a small laugh.
"Ah... it's nothing."
"We were just talking about the past."
"Hmm..."
Elara wasn't completely convinced.
"Anyway," she said, standing up, "let's go watch Heidi's match before we head home."
Lalanat nodded and got to her feet.
Caelin remained seated in silence.
Elara looked at him.
"Are you coming?"
Caelin looked at both of them.
Lalanat and Elara were already standing side by side.
"...Yeah."
He got up awkwardly.
"Let's go."
The two girls walked toward the arena together, chatting as they left the classroom.
Caelin quietly followed a few steps behind.
His eyes drifted toward Lalanat as she smiled while talking with Elara.
*Is she onto something?*
*Does she know about Arasa?*
*About my father?*
*About the Thandor family?*
The questions lingered in his mind as he silently followed them.
Once again, the three of them made their way toward the arena...
...to watch Alaric and the younger students.
Inside the arena, the stands were packed with students and teachers, especially the first-years. Even a number of second-years had come to watch.
Everyone was waiting for the deciding match between Heidi and Cane.
The winner would earn the right to face Arasa in the final.
Even the students who had already been eliminated stayed to watch. This match would decide who reached the championship... and whether they would finally get to witness Alaric fight in the final. It was a thought shared by almost every first-year who had yet to see him in action.
Inside the tunnel, Heidi stood silently, staring toward the arena entrance.
Her expression was calm...
But serious.
Beside her stood Alaric, waiting to encourage her before the match.
Heidi took a deep breath.
Then another.
And another.
She exhaled loudly each time.
Alaric tapped her shoulder.
"Relax. It's not like breathing that much is suddenly going to help," he said casually.
Heidi turned toward him.
"I mean... I'm nervous."
She placed a hand over her chest.
"My heart's beating so fast."
Her eyes searched his face, almost hoping he would say something reassuring.
She lowered her gaze.
"What if I lose?"
"What if I let everyone down... my classmates... and the people who believed in me?"
Alaric gently grabbed both of her shoulders.
Heidi blinked in surprise, looking at his hands before meeting his eyes.
"I told you before."
"Carrying everyone's expectations into a fight already puts you at a disadvantage."
He leaned slightly closer.
"And we're running out of time, so listen."
"Watch your opponent's movements carefully."
"None of us use shields."
"The moment someone attacks..."
"...is also the moment they expose themselves."
"Adapt."
"Don't force the fight."
He finally let go.
Just then, the soldier's voice echoed from the arena.
"Fighters, prepare to enter."
Before Heidi stepped forward, Alaric called out one last time.
He scratched the back of his head with an awkward smile.
"Just go out there and do your best."
"The rest..."
"...leave it to God."
Heidi stared at him for a moment before smiling softly.
"...Right."
She turned toward the light pouring in from the arena and walked forward.
High in the stands, Caelin, Elara, and Lalanat quietly watched the two fighters make their entrance.
Behind Class Two's cheering squad sat Graneth.
"So that's the girl Benjamin was talking about..."
Benjamin and Tina sat in the front row.
Tina quietly clasped her hands together, silently praying for Heidi.
Not far away, Adis watched from the middle section of the arena.
Even Cedric, his face still wrapped in bandages, had come to watch from the back row.
The soldier stepped between the two fighters and raised his hand.
The entire arena fell silent.
Heidi stole a glance at Cane.
He wasn't looking at her.
Instead, he calmly observed the arena, casually looking around as if he had all the time in the world.
*Isn't he nervous...?*
*Or... is he just that confident?*
The thought quietly crept into her mind.
As the soldier explained the rules, Cane finally turned toward her.
Their eyes met.
He simply smiled.
A calm...
Almost effortless smile.
*He's way too relaxed...*
Back in the tunnel, Alaric watched the two of them.
*For some reason...*
*I've got a bad feeling about this.*
A moment later, another thought crossed his mind.
*...Or maybe it's just something I ate earlier.*
He shrugged to himself.
The soldier lowered his hand.
"Begin."
Then he stepped away.
Just then—
Cane suddenly threw his wooden sword high into the air.
At the same time, he lunged straight toward Heidi.
The entire arena fell silent.
Some stared at the spinning sword.
Others kept their eyes on Cane.
Heidi instinctively looked up at the sword.
By the time she looked back down...
Cane was already in front of her.
Startled, she swung her sword with all her strength.
Cane effortlessly dodged.
Without slowing down, he drove a straight punch into her face.
As he passed beneath the falling sword, he calmly raised one hand.
The wooden sword dropped perfectly back into his grasp.
Heidi was sent rolling across the arena.
She struggled to steady herself as blood slowly dripped from her nose.
Tina gasped.
"...What?"
Benjamin stared in disbelief.
"I didn't expect that..."
Elara and Lalanat covered their mouths in shock.
Caelin remained silent, carefully observing the fight.
*That punch...*
*It could decide the match.*
Heidi's vision blurred.
She shook her head repeatedly, trying to clear it.
Wiping the blood from her nose, she forced herself to stand.
Her legs gave out.
She dropped back onto one knee.
Cane slowly approached, casually resting his wooden sword on his shoulder.
A small smile appeared on his face.
"I'm impressed."
"You're still standing."
He chuckled.
"Not that I mind."
"It'll be more fun this way."
The moment he finished speaking—
He dashed forward again.
Heidi steadied herself.
She kept her eyes locked on him.
Instead of attacking...
She waited.
As Cane closed the distance, he swung just enough to force her to block.
The instant their swords met—
He grabbed her sword arm with his free hand and yanked her toward him.
Before Heidi could react—
Crack!
He slammed his forehead into hers.
Her body went limp.
The world spun around her.
She couldn't even register the pain before she collapsed onto both knees.
Cane still held onto her wrist.
From the tunnel, Alaric bit his lip.
*...This is bad.*
Heidi remained motionless.
Her head hung low.
Her body barely stayed upright.
Several girls in the audience covered their eyes.
"Heidi!"
"Get up!"
Others shouted,
"Finish it!"
Cane slowly released her wrist.
"Hesitating will only make it hurt more."
"So..."
"Why not end it here?"
He stood silently in front of her.
"..."
"I guess I'll finish it myself."
He slowly raised his wooden sword.
At that exact moment—
Heidi clenched the handle of her own sword between her teeth.
Cane swung.
Instead of blocking with her sword—
She caught his attacking arm with both hands.
With a loud scream, she pulled his arm across her shoulder and threw him over her body.
The entire arena...
fell silent.
Some of the girls slowly peeked through the fingers covering their eyes.
"Don't give up, Heidi!"
Philip shouted at the top of his lungs.
Arasa watched from the stands with a small smirk.
"...What a pain."
Elara and Lalanat both yelled at the same time.
"Finish it!"
Graneth leaned forward in his seat.
Cane hit the ground hard.
For a brief moment...
He couldn't even understand what had just happened.
Heidi immediately took her sword from between her teeth and thrust it toward him.
Cane rolled away just in time.
The strike missed.
Both fighters quickly regained their footing.
They slowly began circling each other once more.
Heidi wiped the blood from her nose again before shaking both of her arms to loosen them.
Her eyes never left Cane.
"I'll give you this..."
"That last move was good."
Cane smiled as they circled each other.
Heidi let out a tired laugh.
"Well..."
"Look at me."
"I'm barely standing."
*That's bait.*
Cane narrowed his eyes.
Heidi smiled to herself.
She already knew...
He wasn't going to fall for it.
Heidi suddenly lunged forward.
She swung—
But Cane's sword reached her first.
She immediately pulled back, ducked beneath his swing, and slipped past him.
Neither of them landed a hit.
They turned and faced each other once again.
From the tunnel, Alaric watched restlessly.
*Don't make it obvious you're figuring him out...*
*Either finish it before he notices... or don't let him notice at all.*
On the opposite side of the arena, Caelin quietly observed.
*He's not a bad fighter...*
*He's just a poor swordsman.*
*His martial arts are carrying him.*
*That's why he relies on his body more than his blade.*
The two continued circling each other.
Heidi suddenly smiled.
"You know..."
"You've done far more damage with your fists than with your sword."
She glanced at his weapon.
"I don't think your blade has touched mine more than once."
Cane's expression stiffened.
His grip on the wooden sword tightened.
Without realizing it, his stance became more defensive.
His eyes carefully followed every movement Heidi made.
Seeing the change, Heidi rushed toward him again.
She swung.
Then, at the last second, she ducked beneath him and slipped past without attacking.
Cane immediately turned to face her again.
His sword was raised near his face.
His eyes never left her.
The spectators began whispering among themselves.
"Was that first attack just luck?"
"Why can't he catch her anymore?"
"...Is he really bad with a sword?"
The whispers spread through the arena.
Cane bit his lip.
Annoyance slowly crept across his face.
After a moment, he relaxed his stance and let out a quiet sigh.
He looked directly at Heidi.
"...You're right."
"I'm not good with a sword."
"I never wanted to fight with one in the first place."
"I'm a hand-to-hand fighter."
He scoffed.
"Using a weapon to prove your strength..."
"...makes me sick."
He pointed his sword toward Heidi.
"And all of you call yourselves the strongest."
Heidi smiled to herself.
*Looks like the crowd helped me get under his skin.*
Her silence only frustrated Cane even more.
"Then I'll prove it!"
"I'll show every one of you that you don't need a weapon to protect your dignity."
"As long as you have the skill..."
"...and the will to keep fighting."
The moment he finished speaking—
He charged.
Heidi rushed forward as well.
Their wooden swords collided.
Clack!
Another exchange followed.
Then another.
*For someone who hates swords...*
*He's surprisingly good with one.*
Heidi gritted her teeth.
*There's no way I can beat him with brute strength.*
She began retreating.
Cane noticed immediately.
He pressed forward relentlessly, refusing to give her a chance to breathe.
Heidi continued backing away while blocking every attack.
Then—
Cane suddenly lunged in and grabbed her sword arm once again.
The moment he did...
A memory flashed through Heidi's mind.
The earlier headbutt.
Instead of resisting—
She rolled toward him.
Her elbow slammed directly into his face.
Cane stumbled backward.
He instinctively covered his nose.
A small trickle of blood ran between his fingers.
Heidi regained her footing.
A small smile appeared on her face.
Without another word, Cane charged again.
Heidi suddenly pulled her arm back.
Then—
She threw her wooden sword like a spear.
Cane instinctively stopped.
He raised his own sword to knock it away.
The impact forced him to shut his eyes for only a brief moment.
When he opened them—
Heidi was already right in front of him.
Before her sword could hit the ground—
She caught it.
In one smooth motion, she swung with all her strength.
The strike landed across Cane's shoulder.
Using his blind side, she rolled past him before he could react.
Cane staggered, clutching the spot where she had struck him.
Heidi didn't hesitate.
She immediately turned and delivered a clean strike across his back.
Silence.
For a single moment...
The entire arena froze.
Then—
"YES!"
"Heidi won!"
Benjamin jumped to his feet, shouting at the top of his lungs.
Beside him, Tina simply stared.
She still couldn't believe what had just happened.
The arena erupted into thunderous cheers.
The soldier quickly stepped between the two fighters and raised his hand.
"Match over!"
"Heidi is the winner!"
Only then did Heidi allow herself to relax.
Her grip loosened.
The wooden sword slipped from her hand.
Her legs trembled.
The dizziness returned all at once.
Just before she collapsed—
A familiar hand caught her.
Alaric supported her from behind.
"Well done."
"That was a good fight."
He gently held her upright.
Through her fading vision, Heidi barely caught sight of him.
A small smile appeared on her face.
"...I won..."
The words barely left her lips before everything went dark.
Her body went limp.
Tina and Philip immediately rushed toward the arena exit.
Arasa watched quietly from the stands.
A faint smile crossed his face before he turned and walked away.
Meanwhile...
Cane remained sitting on the ground.
His eyes followed Heidi as Alaric carried her away.
"...In the end..."
"...I still couldn't prove my worth."
A single tear rolled down his cheek.
He quietly wiped it away.
"...You're strong."
The words escaped his lips almost as a whisper.
From the side of the arena, his classmates began clapping.
"You fought well!"
"That was an amazing match!"
"We were just unlucky this time!"
Cane slowly looked toward them.
More tears welled up in his eyes.
Strangely...
Accepting their kindness hurt even more than losing.
He lowered his head, unable to stop the tears.
Around them, the crowd slowly began leaving the arena.
As students slowly filed out of the arena, Caelin turned toward Lalanat and Elara.
"Well then..."
"I'll be going."
"I have preparations to make for tomorrow."
Both girls nodded.
Just before leaving, Caelin stopped and glanced back over his shoulder.
"And about your question earlier, Lalanat..."
"...it's not something I can answer so casually."
Lalanat quietly met his gaze.
Elara looked between them, completely lost.
Caelin remained silent for a moment.
"Tell Alaric..."
"...not to hold back tomorrow."
His eyes drifted toward the arena.
"Because that's the very thing that will decide everything I've been holding onto."
Without another word, he disappeared into the crowd.
Elara blinked.
"...What was that all about?"
Lalanat remained silent, her eyes still fixed on the arena.
"I don't think tomorrow's match is just another battle."
"It's something more."
Elara scratched the back of her head before letting out a small yawn.
"...Well."
"I guess that's just the world we live in."
"Tomorrow..."
"...we'll witness the greatest match our academy has to offer."
A gentle breeze brushed through their hair.
The two quietly made their way toward the academy gate.
---
Outside the academy, Caelin found Arasa waiting for him.
Without stopping, Caelin walked straight past.
"Come on."
"We have a lot to prepare before tomorrow."
Arasa smiled faintly before following after him, resting both hands behind his head.
---
Meanwhile...
Benjamin, Tina, and the rest of Class Two waited near the entrance of the arena tunnel.
As soon as Alaric stepped out carrying Heidi, the entire class rushed over.
"Thank you, Alaric!"
They carefully took Heidi from him before accompanying her home.
Left alone, Alaric quietly walked across the academy grounds.
The setting sun caught his attention.
It hung low above the horizon, its golden light slowly fading into crimson.
He stopped walking.
Silently...
He watched the sunset.
A moment later, Lalanat and Elara found him.
They approached without saying a word.
"Is Heidi okay?"
Elara finally asked.
Alaric turned toward them.
"Yeah."
He gave a small nod.
"She'll probably wake up tonight..."
"...or tomorrow morning."
His eyes slowly returned to the horizon.
Silence settled over the three of them.
Lalanat and Elara followed his gaze.
None of them spoke.
They simply stood there together...
Watching the sun slowly disappear beyond the horizon.
For a brief moment,
the sunset felt less like the end of a day...
and more like the quiet farewell before something far greater awaited them tomorrow.