Two days. Two days until the Inter-Academy Tournament, and the weight of it all was pressing against my chest like an invisible vice.
My mind raced with strategies, my body craved more practice, and my energy buzzed with an anticipatory tension that was almost unbearable. I had to be ready.
But it wasn't just the tournament looming on the horizon—it was the chaos that came with it. Rivalries, challenges, and people trying to prove themselves. And I had a feeling that today would be no different.
I walked through the Academy's labyrinthine halls, the constant buzz of chatter around me only faintly reaching my ears. I was used to the murmurs—rumors about me, about my potential, and of course, about my rank. I wasn't a fan of the attention, but I had to admit, I'd grown used to it.
Suddenly, a shift in the air caught my attention. The noise ahead of me faded, replaced by a focused, intense silence. I turned the corner and there they were—a group of academy students blocking my path.
At the front of the group was a striking figure. She stood tall, her presence commanding and impossible to ignore. A girl with blonde hair that fell like a cascading waterfall over her shoulders, framing a face that looked like it belonged in a high-end magazine. Her eyes, the color of amber, glimmered with confidence, and her lips curled into a smile that was more an invitation to trouble than friendliness.
She wore the House Rivenor insignia on her jacket, the golden embroidery gleaming in the dim light. The students around her stood in a formation that seemed to worship her every movement.
"Are you Avant Dekus?" she asked, her voice cool but carrying an edge of disdain.
The tension in the air was palpable, and I couldn't help but smirk, intrigued by this unexpected encounter. "Yes, that's me," I replied, keeping my tone casual, though I could sense a challenge in her words.
Her eyes narrowed slightly, and she stepped closer, her every movement fluid and calculated. "I challenge you to a duel," she declared, her voice now filled with a quiet fire. "Do you accept?"
A chime rang in my ears, a mechanical voice slicing through the thick air of tension. The ZUA System had activated a notification on my wristband. I looked down and saw the words flash on my holographic screen:
Duel Challenge
Challenger: Mirsa Rivenor (Rank 51)
Contender: Avant Dekus (Rank 49)
Do you accept?
I raised an eyebrow. A duel, just like that? No build-up, no theatrics—just pure competition. But it wasn't hard to figure out why. I'd effectively stolen her rank. And now, she was looking to take it back.
I glanced at her, a playful smirk tugging at the corners of my lips. "You're a little too eager, aren't you?" I teased. "I didn't think a girl from House Rivenor would be so keen on fighting."
Her eyes flared with a mixture of anger and pride. "This isn't a game, Dekus. You took my rank, and I intend to take it back. Do you accept or not?"
I leaned back against the wall, crossing my arms with nonchalance. "Sure, I accept. But I must warn you—I'm a bit of a handful."
Her lips curled into a sneer. "You think this is funny?"
Before I could respond, her energy flared. I felt the air shift, the temperature dropping as her Zodiac Affinity—the power of Pisces—spilled out. Her crystal grimoire, which had been floating beside her, pulsed with a sudden surge of energy. Then, without warning, a tidal wave of water shot towards me.
The force of it was monstrous—an unstoppable torrent of water that could drown anything in its path. My instincts kicked in, and I activated my Star Energy Absorption skill just in time.
The water slammed into my barrier, crashing against it with a roar. The impact was deafening, and I could feel the raw power coursing through the air. But instead of being swept away, I absorbed the energy, redirecting it back into myself, neutralizing the wave.
The clash was magnificent—water swirling around us, crashing and dissipating like a storm crashing against a mountain. Mirsa's eyes widened for a fraction of a second, disbelief flashing across her face. She hadn't expected my response to be so swift. But she wasn't backing down.
The ZUA System's voice cut through the noise, its tone authoritative. "Warning: Unauthorized combat detected. Activating confinement protocol."
A bright light flashed around us, and the world shifted. In an instant, the landscape around us warped into a shimmering, illusory prison. We were suspended in an ethereal space, caught in a moment of reflection, the air buzzing with remnants of our previous clash.
Mirsa gritted her teeth, fury radiating off her. Her cheeks flushed with the combined heat of anger and humiliation. She glared at me, her fists clenched tightly at her sides.
"This is your fault, Dekus!" she spat, her words dripping with venom. She adjusted the folds of her jacket as if that could somehow restore the dignity she felt was stripped away.
I simply shrugged, leaning back against the translucent walls of our containment cell. "Oh, come on. I didn't think you'd be so sensitive about your rank. It's just a number, right?"
She scoffed, her eyes narrowing to daggers. "Sensitive? You think this is just a joke? You humiliated me!"
The students who had gathered around to watch, no doubt intrigued by the unexpected showdown, were now openly gawking. Some of them laughed, others recorded the scene, clearly entertained by the spectacle unfolding before them.
Mirsa's entourage—her loyal followers—made half-hearted attempts to block the crowd from seeing, but their efforts were futile. The humiliation burned in her chest, and I could see it, even from this distance. She was beyond furious, but beneath that fury, there was something else. Something deeper. Something dangerous.
I crossed my arms, enjoying the quiet moment before the ZUA System's voice rang out again. "Confinement protocol complete. Releasing containment in 3… 2… 1…"
With a sharp snap, the world around us reverted to normal. We were back in the academy, but the crowd remained, still buzzing with excitement. Mirsa straightened up, trying to regain her composure as best as she could, but the fury in her eyes hadn't faded.
"Let's set a date for our duel," she said, her voice cold with determination. "One day before the qualifiers."
I raised an eyebrow, intrigued by her resolve. "Fine by me," I replied, my voice laced with anticipation. "But just so you know, I won't be holding back either."
Her eyes glinted with a spark of challenge. "Good. Because neither will I. Loser has to forfeit their rank."
I grinned. "Deal."
I turned and walked away, but I couldn't resist looking back. Her expression was a mix of frustration and resolve—she wasn't about to let this go. I could already feel the tension between us building, and I was almost looking forward to our inevitable clash.
The rush of adrenaline coursed through me as I walked away from the scene. I had no doubts about my abilities, but something told me that this duel was going to be different. Mirsa wasn't the type to back down easily, and I had a feeling she'd come at me with everything she had.
The countdown to the qualifiers had officially begun. And with it, the battles that would shape our futures.