Tave and Lily stepped into the Knight Academy, where armored trainees moved about, some engaged in sparring while others conversed in small groups. Among them were also dressed in academy uniforms, each bearing the emblem of Dissidia Kingdom.
And yes, he could feel the stares.
And hell, he hated it.
He knew they weren't looking at him.
They were looking at Lily.
That much was obvious. Lily was a prodigy, after all. He expected admiration. Respect. Maybe even envy.
But when he noticed the way most of the men were staring…
Yeah. That was something else entirely.
And strangely enough, he didn't like it.
Was this… an older brother's instinct?
The thought lingered for a moment before he shook it off, following Lily toward the Training Center.
Inside, multiple sparring rooms lined the hall, each designed for practice and one-on-one duels.
They sat on a bench, waiting for their turn.
Even though Lily was well-known here, Tave noticed something amusing. No one approached her.
She was famous, sure. Respected, definitely.
But no one treated her casually.
And he knew exactly why.
She wasn't terrifying, just difficult to approach.
Even their father, a seasoned Knight Commander, knew when to stay quiet around her.
"No one's talking to you." He leaned toward her, whispering playfully.
Lily barely looked at him. "That's because you're here. No one wants to get close to you."
Her voice was flat, completely unbothered.
Tave grinned. "That's cruel, my little sister."
Lily said nothing, simply crossing her arms as they waited.
A few minutes later, their turn arrived.
The sparring area was a simple, open training ring, enclosed by metal bars, allowing spectators to watch from outside.
The moment they stepped inside, Tave immediately noticed the shift.
People stopped what they were doing. Some trainees paused their training to move closer, standing by the railing. Others whispered among themselves, their eyes locked onto the two siblings.
He could already tell what they were thinking.
They were here to watch a prodigy beat her older brother into the ground. To witness a humiliating defeat.
Well… he'd rather not disappoint their expectations.
Some of the whispers, though quiet, reached his ears with unsettling clarity.
"What kind of joke is this?"
"A pathetic older brother trying to leech off his prodigy little sister's popularity?"
"Sparring? This is ridiculous."
"I heard he passed out during his stage breakthrough."
"He should've just died. A failure like him is nothing but a meat shield on the battlefield. A waste of resources."
"Such a disgrace, considering his father is a Knight Commander."
"If I had a useless son like him, I'd throw him away."
"Maybe he's adopted? Just look at them. The difference is like heaven and earth."
"Think Lily will go easy on him just to make him look a little less pathetic?"
Laughter.
"This is a waste of time. Let's go."
"Nah, let's stay. I need some entertainment… watching him get beaten by his own little sister might be fun."
Tave remained still, his expression unreadable.
Oh. So that's how it is.
Fuck all of you.
Let them talk all they wanted.
He kept his face neutral, though he could feel the irritation settling deep inside him. He had expected judgment, expected ridicule, but hearing it so openly was another thing entirely. It wasn't just contempt, it was as if they had already decided his worth, and it was nothing.
Then, Lily's voice cut through the murmurs.
"What kind of sparring do you want, Tave?"
She spoke casually, but her voice was clear and sharp, loud enough for everyone to hear. The room was already focused on them, and now, she had just ensured that even more people were paying attention.
"Full contact. No holding back," he replied without hesitation.
For a brief moment, there was silence.
Then, as expected, laughter broke out.
Mocking. Amused. Disbelieving.
They thought he was joking.
Like hell. Can't they just leave if they're not interested?
But even as annoyance simmered in his chest, he felt something else.
Excitement.
Tave could feel the rush in his veins.
Yes, the pressure was there. Yes, people were waiting to watch him fail. Yes, they expected him to embarrass himself.
And that was exactly why he had to win.
Lily tilted her head slightly. "Are you sure? With elemental skills too?"
"Yes, Lil. Elemental skills included."
Lily gave him a small glance, then nodded, showing neither approval or disapproval.
She wasn't a front-line fighter, but that didn't mean she wasn't strong.
Lily was a support role, but her abilities were nothing to underestimate.
She had awakened with a High Affinity for Water Element and possessed a Sigil. It was a Raindrop Sigil.
When activated, a teardrop-shaped marking would appear beneath her left eye, almost resembling a single falling tear.
But don't let the delicate appearance fool you.
Her Sigil enhanced her water manipulation, allowing her to wield stronger water magic and boosting her ability to heal allies in combat.
That was her primary role in battle. A healer.
But this world didn't work like games where healers were fragile.
Every Gaia Awakener, regardless of their role, had enhanced physical abilities.
What truly set them apart was where they focused their training.
Those who dedicated themselves to martial arts, swordplay, and offensive skills became frontline warriors.
Those who mastered spellcasting and complex Hand Seal chains became long-range spellcasters.
And then, there were support roles like Lily.
Rare. Precious. Highly valuable.
The reason? Most people didn't want to be healers.
Support roles had a heavy reliance on their teammates. They weren't independent in battle. Their value was only as strong as the team around them.
And in a world where power decided everything, most people chose to be damage dealers.
That was where the glory was.
That was where people made their name.
And yet, Lily had chosen differently.
One more thing. The location of a Sigil also mattered.
Lily's was on her face, making it impossible to hide when activated. The moment she used her Sigil, everyone would see it.
But him?
His Sigil was on his upper right arm, hidden from sight unless he deliberately revealed it. And he would use that advantage without hesitation.
The fight was about to begin.
Lily gripped her sword. A blue-bladed weapon that was lighter and thinner than Tave's, built for speed and precision rather than raw power. It was not a Relic, just a standard weapon, but in the right hands, it was deadly.
Meanwhile, Tave held his new sword, feeling its weight in his grasp. This was the first time he would wield it in battle.
A Tier 3 Epic-Grade sword. A weapon far beyond the reach of most Gaia Apprentices.
Lily's sword, also a gift from their father, was of similar tier but one grade lower, it was Elite-Grade.
In terms of weapon grade, Tave had the advantage. In terms of combat technique… that was another matter.
They had trained together since childhood, both taught by their father. However, Lily advanced through the Gaia Stages first, allowing her to study a wider range of combat applications beyond swordsmanship.
Meanwhile, Tave had dedicated himself solely to his sword technique, honing it relentlessly.
Now, they were about to clash.
Lily's expression was sharp and focused, but there was a faint crease on her brow.
Hah.
Even if she acted tough, she cared.
Tave could tell she wasn't entirely comfortable with this fight. As if she was only doing it because he asked her to.
Tave formed a Hand Seal with his free hand while holding his sword in the other.
And the moment he did! Lily's eyes widened.
And not just hers.
A ripple of shock spread through the spectators watching from the training hall.
"What the hell? Did he just use a one-hand seal form?"
"Damn it! That's impossible! He's got to be bluffing!"
"See? Nothing happened. He must have failed."
They doubted him.
Because using one-hand Hand Seals was considered an extremely high-difficulty technique in combat. It wasn't flawless and came with severe penalties, but as long as the Hand Seal was formed correctly, the skill would still activate.
The drawback? A 70% penalty, making it far less efficient. On top of that, finger positioning, firmness, and precision had to be executed perfectly. A single mistake could cause the sequence to fail.
And yet, somehow, the original Tave had already mastered this in secret.
Hah!
He was starting to admire the old Tave more and more.
[ Shadow Veil activated. ]
[ Your movement speed has increased. Your instincts sharpen under the cover of shadow. ]
The moment the effect took hold, Lily reacted instantly.
Without hesitation, she sheathed her sword at her left hip and swiftly executed her own Hand Seals.
A blue aura of water surged around her, wrapping her body like flowing armor.
In one smooth motion, she grasped her sword again, the water energy fusing into the blade.
Their eyes met.
Then…
They lunged at each other!