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 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.
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