As the domain closed, Kai reappeared back in the training hall, his body aching but mostly intact. He barely had time to adjust before Rose's voice cut through the air.
"Damn, Kai, that was rough. You sure you weren't just warming up? Or was that all you got?"
Kai exhaled, rubbing his temples. "Not in the mood, Rose."
She grinned, arms crossed. "Oh, come on, I'm just saying, you put on quite the show. Markus practically walked through you. I was hoping for a little more excitement."
Kai shot her a glare. "I lasted longer than you would've."
Rose laughed. "Yeah? We'll see."
Aika let out a small yawn, stretching. "You really shouldn't tease him like that."
Rose waved her off. "Oh, please. If he can't handle a little fun, how's he gonna handle a real fight?"
Kai sighed. "Are you done?"
Rose smirked, stepping past him. "Not quite."
She leaned in slightly, her voice dropping just enough to make sure he heard. "Too bad you lost… I would've given you a kiss."
Kai stiffened, nearly tripping over himself. "What—"
"Oops, guess you'll never know," she said with a wink before stepping forward, vanishing into the domain.
Kai groaned, running a hand down his face. "Unbelievable."
The others watched as Aika followed in behind Rose, her expression calm but focused. The next match was about to begin.
he burning desert melted away, the golden dunes dissolving into a deep emerald green. Towering trees stretched toward the sky, their thick branches intertwining like a woven canopy. Sunlight barely filtered through the dense foliage, casting flickering shadows across the moss-covered ground. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and fresh leaves, the quiet hum of nature surrounding them.
Massive roots jutted out from the ground, twisting like ancient serpents, making the terrain unpredictable. Vines hung low from the branches, some wrapped tightly around trunks, others swaying gently with the soft breeze. In the distance, the faint rush of a river could be heard, water trickling over smooth stones.
Aika stood still, her gaze scanning the dense forest.
Aika barely had time to react before Rose was already moving.
She was fast. Too fast.
Her form blurred as she leapt effortlessly from branch to branch, barely making a sound. The leaves rustled in her wake, but not a single twig snapped beneath her weight. She moved like a shadow, weaving through the trees with the ease of a predator closing in on its prey.
Aika narrowed her eyes.
She expected this.
Rose wasn't going to give her a moment to breathe.
Aika lifted her hand, magic swirling at her fingertips. The forest pulsed with energy, the very air humming in response. Roots slithered beneath the soil, reacting to her call, twisting and shifting just beneath the surface.
Rose kicked off a thick branch, launching herself forward at breakneck speed.
Right as Rose closed the distance, her fist mere inches from Aika's face, the forest shifted.
The ground beneath them lurched. Roots tore free from the earth, twisting upward like writhing serpents. The trees groaned, their branches bending unnaturally as if responding to Aika's silent command. Thick vines shot toward Rose from all directions, their movements precise, coordinated—aimed to restrict, to entangle, to trap.
Rose's tail stiffened. She kicked off the ground, flipping backward as a vine snapped where she had just stood. Another whipped toward her mid-air, forcing her to twist to avoid it.
She landed on a thick root, crouched low, her ears flicking as she narrowed her eyes at Aika.
"That's cheating!"
Aika tilted her head, her expression calm as magic pulsed through the air. "I don't remember there being any rules."
Rose huffed, flicking her tail as she dashed sideways, narrowly dodging another vine that tried to coil around her ankle. The forest had turned against her, shifting to Aika's will, but Rose wasn't about to let it slow her down.
If Aika was going to manipulate the battlefield, then Rose just had to be faster than the battlefield itself.
Her grin widened. "Fine. I'll just have to beat you before the trees can catch me."
And with that, she disappeared in a blur of movement.
As Rose closed the distance, her blade gleaming in the dappled light, Aika's eyes sharpened. She raised her hands, magic surging to life around her.
"Not so fast!"
The ground trembled as glowing runes lit up beneath Rose's feet. A burst of energy exploded upward, sending a shockwave through the forest. Rose barely managed to twist out of the way, flipping mid-air as the attack scorched the ground where she had stood moments before.
Aika wasn't done.
"Arcane Burst!"
A blinding sphere of condensed mana shot toward Rose, ripping through the trees in its path. Rose ducked, her form a blur as she dodged the first blast—only for another to come barreling toward her. She threw herself to the side, rolling against the mossy ground before springing up onto a thick branch.
Aika pointed toward her.
"Binding Roots!"
Thick vines erupted from the bark, twisting around Rose's limbs. Her tail bristled as she struggled against them.
"That's cheating!"
Aika smirked, her hands glowing with another spell. "It's strategy."
Rose growled, flexing her muscles before wrenching herself free. Splinters and vines snapped around her as she hit the ground running, determination burning in her eyes.
Rose lunged forward again, faster this time, her blade cutting through the thick air between them. She wasn't going to let Aika get comfortable.
Aika's magic pulsed beneath her fingertips, the forest responding in kind. The vines that Rose had sliced moments ago regrew instantly, twisting toward her ankles.
Rose's tail bristled. "Again?! That's so cheating!"
She flipped mid-stride, barely escaping the grasping roots as she slashed downward, cutting through another thick tangle. Aika lifted a hand, her eyes narrowing.
Rose recognized that look.
Something big was coming.
Aika raised her staff, her voice ringing through the air.
"Arcane Bur-!"
Aika's words were cut short as Rose's foot slammed into her stomach. The impact sent her flying backward, crashing through a curtain of leaves before slamming against the trunk of a massive tree.
A sharp gasp escaped Aika's lips as she hit the ground, rolling to a stop.
Aika wiped her mouth, her eyes glinting with something dangerous.
The ground beneath Rose's feet trembled.
Before she could react, the earth split apart, and thorned roots shot out like spears, aiming straight for her.
Rose's ears flattened.
"Oh, come on—"
She twisted, flipping backward, barely dodging as the spikes ripped through where she'd been standing. But they didn't stop. The roots coiled around her, trapping her mid-air before slamming her into the ground.
Rose groaned, her body sinking into the small crater the impact had left. Her ears twitched as she felt the vines tightening around her limbs, pinning her down.
Her sword—gone. Somewhere in the overgrown mess of roots and dirt.
Her tail bristled.
"Tch."
Without hesitation, she reached for the holsters at her waist.
Twin pistols gleamed as she yanked them free.
Aika's eyes widened.
Oh no—
Rose didn't waste a second.
BANG. BANG. BANG.
Gunfire echoed through the forest as bullets ripped into the roots holding her down, shattering them with ease. The moment they loosened, she twisted her body, flipping upright mid-air before landing on one knee.
Aika barely had time to react before Rose was already moving.
The instant her feet touched the ground, she fired again.
BANG. BANG. BANG.
Bullets tore through the air, forcing Aika to go on the defensive. She raised her hands, channeling magic into a protective barrier as the rounds struck against it in rapid succession. Sparks of energy flickered where the bullets made contact, cracks forming along the shimmering shield.
Rose didn't let up.
She dashed forward, unloading shot after shot, her movements relentless. Every step she took was calculated, keeping Aika pressured, keeping her from casting anything stronger.
Aika clenched her teeth, pushing back against the assault. The ground shifted beneath her, roots coiling to create another defense, but Rose was faster.
She twisted mid-air, flipping over the barrier and landing behind Aika in a crouch.
BANG.
Aika spun just in time, throwing up another shield. The force of the bullet sent her skidding back, her boots digging into the dirt.
"Dammit—"
Rose grinned.
"Getting tired already?"
Aika narrowed her eyes. She lifted her hands again, magic crackling.
Rose wasn't waiting for whatever came next.
She lunged, closing the gap instantly.
Aika barely had time to reinforce her barrier before Rose was on her, pistols raised at point-blank range.
BANG. BANG. BANG.
The first shot sent a shockwave through Aika's shield, the second nearly cracked it apart.
The third—
The barrier shattered.
Aika gasped as the impact sent her stumbling back, her body hitting the base of a massive tree.
Rose cocked one of her pistols, tail flicking.
Aika gritted her teeth, forcing herself upright. Magic pulsed in her veins, but her body was sluggish. That last hit had rattled her—her arms trembled as she tried to summon another spell.
Rose wasn't giving her the chance.
The moment Aika's foot shifted, Rose was already moving.
She dashed forward, weaving between the massive roots with terrifying speed. In a blink, she was in Aika's space again, pistol raised.
BANG.
Aika barely managed to duck, the bullet whizzing past her ear. She swung her hand up, magic sparking to life, but Rose anticipated it.
With a flick of her tail, she twisted her body, sweeping Aika's legs out from under her.
Aika hit the ground hard.
Before she could recover, Rose was already on top of her, one knee pressing into her stomach, a pistol aimed squarely at her forehead.
Aika froze.
Silence.
A bead of sweat rolled down her temple as she stared up at Rose, her chest rising and falling in sharp breaths.
Rose smirked, ears twitching.
"Looks like I win."
Aika exhaled sharply, slumping back against the dirt.
"Yeah… yeah, you win."
BANG.
The gunshot echoed for a split second before the world around them dissolved.
The towering trees, the tangled roots, the thick scent of earth—all of it vanished in an instant. The forest gave way to the sterile walls of the training hall, the weight of battle evaporating as Aika and Rose reappeared in their original positions.
Aika groaned, still sprawled out on the floor, her chest rising and falling as she tried to catch her breath. The sting of exhaustion clung to her muscles, but she knew it wasn't just from the fight—it was from knowing she lost.
Rose stretched, rolling her shoulders with a smirk. "Damn, that was fun."
Aika, who had just started to drift off, blinked up in confusion as a shadow fell over her.
Then she felt it.
The pressure. The heat. The unmistakable sensation of someone absolutely fuming.
She turned her head slightly—and froze.
Zara.
The instructor stood over her, arms crossed, her expression a storm of barely restrained fury.
Aika swallowed.
Oh no.
Rose took a step back, ears twitching as she muttered, "Welp, I'm staying out of this."
Aika barely managed to sit up before Zara's voice cut through the air like a whip.
"Well, I guess it's extra training for you."
Aika winced. "I… uh…"
Zara's glare sharpened. "No excuses."
Aika slumped, muttering under her breath, "I wasn't making one…"
Zara crossed her arms. "What was that?"
"Nothing!" Aika quickly straightened up, forcing a weak smile.
Kai sighed, shaking his head. "You really should've seen that one coming."
Rose snickered. "Oh yeah, you had that loss earned."
Aika shot her a glare. "Not helping."
Rose just smirked, tail flicking. "Didn't say I was trying to."
Zara turned sharply. "Enough." Her eyes locked onto the next fighters. "Markus. Rose. Step forward."
Rose's smirk widened. "Finally." She stretched, rolling her shoulders before locking eyes with Markus. "Alright, big guy. Let's see if you can keep up."
Markus cracked his neck, rolling his wrists. "We'll see."