Fireball! Lelovia chanted, and a large ball of fire roared toward Kessia, who gracefully glided aside, countering with chunks of debris she wrenched from the ravaged earth around them.
What began as a simple clash for points had evolved into a full-fledged battle. Dangerous spells ripped through the earth, uprooting it, sending torrents of water from nearby ponds spiraling into the chaos.
Thunderbolt! Kessia's voice rang out, and a bolt of lightning cracked through the air, striking Lelovia's figure amidst the swirling smoke.
"So lousy," Kessia remarked dryly.
But then Lelovia's voice cut through the aftermath. "Oh, you think I've fallen?" Her chant summoned a small glowing orb from the dense smoke.
As the cloud cleared, Lelovia emerged, untouched. "And yet here I am, unharmed." A prideful grin tugged at her lips. "Your attacks are mediocre at best."
Kessia clapped mockingly. "Oh, congratulations, you managed to survive a simple spell. Truly commendable."
"Orb of Structure, Invert…" Lelovia began, her tone calm as she subtly backed away.
A shimmering bubble enveloped Kessia. She frowned, perplexed, but quickly grew uneasy as her world turned upside down within the sphere. Disoriented and stumbling, Kessia struck at the bubble, only to find her attacks futile. The more she struggled, the more her senses spiraled into chaos.
"Falling to such low-level gravity magic—how utterly shameful," Lelovia teased, her smirk growing. "The moment your focus shifted to my orb, you had already lost. You've trapped yourself."
She held up the orb, spinning it lazily between her fingers. "In truth, this orb is nothing but a distraction. The spell doesn't even need it. I created it to mislead my enemies, though it still serves a purpose." With a flick of her wrist, Lelovia hurled the orb skyward, where it shattered into a shimmering cloud of stardust.
"And now, my final showcase," she said, raising her arms as the glowing dust swirled around her, faster and faster, emanating an otherworldly blue light.
Her voice thundered with power. "Shimmering night of old, feeble messenger of the stars, rip and tear the compounds of the world as you please—STARDUST SHIMMERANCE!"
Space itself seemed to collapse as the dust coalesced into a devastating force, tearing through reality and striking Kessia with unrelenting power. The younger mage's body crumpled, her consciousness fading as she fell to the ground.
Before she hit the earth, Miseria appeared, catching Kessia with an almost motherly grace. A soft smile played on her lips.
"You finally mastered it," Miseria said, her tone proud but laced with critique. "Though your naming tactics are… underwhelming."
Lelovia flushed with embarrassment. "I kinda came up with it on the spot."
Miseria chuckled lightly, her expression shifting to seriousness as she addressed her apprentice. "Lelovia Baffalin, do you wish to have Kessia Dracolin eliminated from the event?"
Lelovia hesitated for only a moment. "No. She deserves to represent her teammate. Besides, it's fun to battle another mage." Her tone softened, betraying a hint of sentimentality.
"Very well." Miseria smiled gently before vanishing with Kessia.
Lelovia let out a quiet sigh, her adrenaline fading. She glanced down, her sharp gaze landing on Aurora, who had been watching her silently from a distance
Aurora stared at Lelovia like a disappointed mother.
"Are you serious? You actually let her go?" she said, annoyance clear in her voice.
"And the destruction you caused—was all that really necessary?" Aurora's frustration rose as she spoke, her arms crossed tightly.
Lelovia raised her hands in surrender. "Okay, okay, sorry," she muttered, her tone placating.
Aurora sighed, running a hand through her hair. "It's fine. At least I took out Christopher, but your big, flashy move might have drawn some unwanted attention."
The twins were still a threat—always lurking, always waiting for their chance to strike.
"It's a waste of time to stay here sulking, let's hurry back before anything else happens," Aurora said, already turning toward the village.
Back at the Village
"Ugh, how long are they going to take?" Mathew muttered, pacing anxiously. "I'm starting to worry."
"No need," Benjamin replied with an easy smile, leaning against a wooden post. "As long as Aurora's with them, they'll make it back."
Another hour passed.
Benjamin's smirk faded. "…Maybe we should start looking for them."
Heliop straightened. "Derrick and I can find them. Don't—"
"No need for that," a familiar voice interrupted. Lelovia approached the group, her expression calm but tired.
"Where's Aurora?" Benjamin demanded, stepping forward.
Lelovia jabbed her thumb over her shoulder. "Relax, she's right behind me."
The moment Aurora came into view, Benjamin rushed to her side, his concern evident.
"You're hurt," he said, his sharp eyes scanning the faint scars on her arms.
"It's nothing," Aurora assured him accompanied by her trademark dull expressions. "Just had a little fight with Kessia and Christopher. We won, of course."
She shot a glare at Lelovia. "Except this idiot let Kessia go, Now we've got someone whose only mission is to get revenge on us."
Lelovia sighed, but before she could reply, Mathew cut in. "It doesn't matter anymore," he said firmly. "What matters is surviving until the second phase of the event."
"Agreed," Lelovia said.
150 Miles from the Docks of Grelaville
The salty breeze cut across the deck as the waves rolled beneath the old fishing vessel.
"Are you sure we should be going through uncharted waters?" a young crewman asked hesitantly. "We have… important people onboard."
The captain, an older man with a thick beard and a weathered face, scoffed. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Some smug royal bastards are hitching a ride on my boat. Doesn't change a damn thing. I've been sailing these waters longer than you've been alive, boy. I know them like the back of my hand."
"It doesn't matter how long you've been sailing," the crewman insisted. "What are you going to do if a sea mons—"
"There aren't any sea monsters out here!" the captain snapped. "And you're just a cleaner boy. Get out of my quarters." He shoved the young man toward the door.
At Dinner on the Boat
"Ew, Mommy, this boat is disgusting. Why can't we take a royal navy ship?" a noble brat whined, tugging on his mother's sleeve.
"Don't worry, darling," his mother said, her face twisted in a grimace. "We'll be off this filthy thing soon. Once we reach Grelaville, everything will be back to normal."
The ship reeked of rotting fish, its wooden walls stained with years of grime. The nobility had chosen this decrepit vessel over a navy ship to avoid drawing the attention of their enemies. It was a safer disguise—but left them vulnerable to other dangers.
Far from the nobles' lavish table, a family of three sat at a rickety bench.
"Do you think they'll ever let us eat with them?" the young boy, Arthur, asked poking at his food.
"Don't worry, son. One day, I'll make us one of them," his father said, a determined glint in his eye.
Arthur frowned. "You said that last time. I'd never want to be like them—those damn pigs."
"Keep your voice down!" his mother hushed him. "They might hear you."
Arthur scowled but obeyed.
I was always bullied by my higher-noble relatives. My father made some kind of deal with them in his youth—that's how he ended up among the lower nobility.
He had passion, ambition. I took after him.
My mother, though… she bowed to them. Did whatever they wanted. I started to hate her for it. But even then, I still loved her.
And on that fateful night, everything changed.
On the Deck of the Boat
A rock watcher stood at his post, a massive mana crystal in his hands. The light shimmered across the water's surface as he scanned for danger.
"Another boring night," he sighed. "Nothing ever happens out here."
A large shape rippled across the waves—too fast for him to see clearly.
He frowned. "What the hell was that?"
Shifting the crystal, he searched the opposite side of the ship. Again, the dark mass moved beneath the surface, swift and silent.
"Shit," he whispered. "I have to ring the bell."
He bolted toward the emergency bell, hand outstretched—
BANG!
The ship lurched as something massive slammed into it.
Below Deck
"Father, what was that?" Arthur gasped, clinging to his parents as panicked shouts filled the air.
"I don't know. Maybe a rock," his father said, though his voice wavered.
The nobles were screaming now, their fear drowning out all reason.
Then—
BANG!
Another violent impact.
And this time, the ship began to tilt.