Lux's whip cracked again, its golden energy slicing through the air with relentless precision. She pressed forward, her strikes cutting wide arcs meant to corner Merir, force him back, and strip him of any chance at retaliation. The grin on her face widened as her attacks intensified, the whip hissing with raw energy.
"You're just dodging now!" Lux taunted as she struck again, her voice rising to meet the growing tension in the crowd. "You can't keep up! You never could!"
The whip lashed toward Merir's torso, but he sidestepped once more, angling his narrow blade upward to deflect the radiant strike. Sparks burst into the air as their energies collided, and for a split second, Lux faltered—the whip recoiling slightly from the deflection.
Merir felt the moment arrive.
He moved.
"I am there, not here."
Time seemed to slow as golden light flared faintly around him, rippling across the Crimson Circle. His body blurred, twisting inward on itself as if collapsing through an unseen fold in reality. The golden outline of his form flickered where he had just stood a heartbeat ago.
And then he was gone.
Lux's whip snapped down savagely toward where Merir should have been. The radiant coil struck only empty space, sending sparks hissing against the red glyphs below. Her grin twisted into confusion as realization dawned.
He's gone.
"What?" she hissed, whipping her head back and forth, scanning the circle for him. But Merir wasn't in front of her anymore. The place where he had been standing shimmered faintly with golden light, as though the air itself had been torn open and stitched half-shut in his wake.
In the crowd, gasps echoed in every direction.
"Where—did he—?"
"Did he just teleport?!"
Lux caught sight of him half a second too late.
Merir was suddenly behind her, his slim Solaris Blade already raised in a precise, cutting arc. The motion was fluid, the kind of strike born not of strength alone but perfect timing. Golden energy hummed sharply as the blade's edge bore down on her exposed flank.
Lux spun instinctively, flicking her whip upward in a desperate defense. The radiant coil barely unraveled in time to block the incoming slash, but it wasn't enough.
Merir's blade bit into the whip's midsection, golden sparks bursting outward as the two energies collided with violent force. The whip resisted only for an instant before its glowing form unraveled, the radiant energy disrupting and scattering into dim particles as the blade cut through it.
Lux staggered, the impact forcing her off balance. Her whip fizzled, losing cohesion, leaving her hand empty for the first time in the fight.
Precision and Power
Merir didn't stop.
His pulse raced, but his movements were steady, deliberate. The teleportation had cost him; he could feel the familiar burn radiating from his core—a warning sign of the strain his power placed on his body. He couldn't afford another mistake.
He stepped forward, closing the distance in three swift strides. Lux tried to recover, summoning a shield in her left hand, the golden energy flaring faintly as it began to form. But she was too slow.
Merir's blade struck just before the shield could solidify. The sharp point of his weapon hummed as it stopped an inch from her throat—a margin of safety, but only just enough to make the ultimatum clear.
Lux froze in place, her lips parted in disbelief. The glowing shield flickered weakly at her side before dissipating entirely.
The Crimson Circle went silent. The faint hum of the glyphs rang louder than even the whispers of the crowd.
"Match over," declared the instructor standing outside the circle, his voice cutting through the heavy stillness. "Victor: Merir Solaris."
The quiet murmur that followed his declaration spilled over into a thunderous wave of noise. Conversations erupted in every corner of the courtyard as the audience tried to process what they had just witnessed.
"How?!"
"Teleportation…?"
"Impossible! That's an advanced Solaris ability—it's something only the most experienced fighters can use! He shouldn't have access to it!"
One of the branch family nobles jolted to his feet, his face a mix of disbelief and suspicion. "No… no, that wasn't teleportation. It couldn't have been. It's probably some kind of illusion technique!"
"Illusion?" another noble countered sharply. "Did you see the precision in his movements? There was no hesitation—he knew exactly what he was doing. That was real."
Up on the main family dais, Lord Cael Solaris remained silent, his expression inscrutable as he watched Merir lower his blade and turn toward the edge of the circle. Even Kael's usually calm demeanor broke for a moment, his golden eyes narrowing slightly in thought.
Lux, furious and red-faced, rubbed her hands together in frustration as if willing her broken whip to reform. She spun toward Merir, her voice cold and cutting.
"You—" she began, taking a step forward, but stopped herself. For once, whatever taunt or demand she had been about to hurl at him died on her lips under the weight of her own humiliation.
Ignoring his sister's glare, Merir dismissed his slim sword with a faint flick of his wrist. The weapon dissolved into golden motes of energy that flickered briefly before fading entirely.
He didn't acknowledge the crowd's whispers as he stepped slowly out of the Crimson Circle. His breathing was labored now, subtle but noticeable to anyone paying close attention. The teleportation had taken its toll, but to all outward appearances, he looked calm, composed.
Inside, his thoughts burned in rhythm with the faint ache of his body.
72 percent left. Enough for now. Don't waste it, he reminded himself, flexing his hands to keep them steady.
As he passed through the thinning crowd of competitors, their wide-eyed glances followed him. Most didn't say anything—they simply stared, conflicted between amazement and disbelief.
"That... that wasn't an illusion," whispered one of the yet-to-compete branch cousins, his voice shaking. "The precision of that counter... those movements. Someone using an illusion wouldn't be able to anticipate Lux's defense like that."
"But how does he have that kind of control?" another argued. "There's no way he's mastered an advanced technique like teleportation on his own. Someone must have taught him in secret."
Every theory only fueled the growing chaos of speculation. Had Merir somehow trained himself to that level in complete isolation? Was it a fluke? Or worse yet—for those jealous or afraid of him—had someone from outside the family aided him?
Merir stopped briefly at the far edge of the courtyard, near a pillar half-enveloped in shadow. He leaned back slightly, careful not to show weakness but taking the moment to gather himself.
From the dais, Kael Solaris finally spoke, breaking his long silence.
"Teleportation," he murmured slowly, not quite addressing anyone in particular. "Or something close... but the precision. That wasn't accident. He's sharper than I realized."
Lux overheard the comment, her fists tightening as she shot him an incredulous glare. "You're kidding, right?" she hissed. "It's just a trick. He's... He hasn't earned this!"
Kael didn't respond. His golden eyes remained fixed on Merir, narrowing slightly as if searching for answers the younger sibling hadn't yet revealed.