Alex woke up with groggy eyes, blinking toward the window.
Dawn was already tearing through the veil of night.
He stood up and walked to the washroom.
In the mirror, his dark purple eyes stared back at him—still red from the night before.
He leaned closer and whispered to himself, voice low but steady:
"I’ll save you, Mother... even if it kills ."
He clenched his fists, then slowly released them.
Splash!
Cold water hit his face. He breathed out sharply, steadied himself, and stepped out of the washroom.
Hati was curled on the bed, still asleep. Alex ran a hand through his dishevelled silver-white hair, pushing it back.
Then, he called out sharply, "Hati! Wake up! Breakfast!"
Hati’s ears perked instantly. He looked around, wide-eyed, searching for food, only to find none.
He turned to Alex with clear resentnt in his gaze, huffing as he crawled out of bed.
Later...
Alex and Hati entered the cafeteria. After finishing their als, they made their way toward the Arena.
The place was already bustling, echoing with the roar of an eager crowd.
The noise hit them like a wave.
Alex’s sharp eyes scanned the scene, narrowing when he spotted two banners waving above in the eager crowd:
The black shadow panther of Noctshade,
And the purple ’V’ of Veylor.
He muttered under his breath as he descended the arena stairs,
"So... their match was first."
Hati growled low beside him, ears flattening.
Alex reached down and gently patted him, voice low, determined.
"We’ll take our revenge... when we’re strong enough. Right now, we can’t do anything to them."
Hati cooed softly in response.
On the Battle Arena...
Riven stood relaxed, amusent dancing in his eyes as he watched ika.
Looks like she’s gotten a little stronger, he thought.
ika, on the other hand, was glaring daggers at him.
Just then, Ethan Noctshade, captain of the Shadow Panther Club, walked over. He greeted Riven Veylor like an old friend.
Shaking Riven’s hand with a grin, Ethan said,
"I’ve seen your matches. You’ve grown stronger, Riven, my friend."
Riven chuckled, flashing a crooked smile.
"Hahaha... Not strong enough. You’re still way out of my league, Ethan."
While the captains chatted, Lyra approached ika. The two girls hugged warmly like close friends.
"I haven’t seen you around much these days, ika. What’ve you been up to?" Lyra asked.
"Training," ika replied. "I learned sothing in the Dark Realm... and I’ve been working hard to master it."
Lyra’s eyes widened slightly, a knowing smirk tugging at her lips.
"So you’re coming fully prepared to beat us, huh?"
ika nodded seriously.
"Yes. I am. And we will win this battle."
Lyra sighed, her tone dipping.
"Still hung up on that thing about Riven?"
ika’s expression hardened.
"Yes. Riven isn’t a good person. He doesn’t care about anyone’s life."
Lyra’s smile vanished. Her reply was curt.
"That doesn’t matter to . He’s good to . That’s all that matters."
ika didn’t respond. Her eyes drifted toward the centre of the field, where her brother stood across from the Veylor captain for the toss.
The umpire’s voice echoed across the arena:
"Rainstorm Zone selected."
ika didn’t flinch at the announcent, but Lyra’s face noticeably tensed.
"We’ll talk after the match," ika said quietly, and walked away toward her team.
Ethan called out firmly, "Let’s huddle up!"
The team closed in.
Ethan quickly assigned positions with calm authority. Then he turned to ika.
"You’ll take Blaster role," he said neutrally.
ika shook her head.
"Shield Breaker and Dasher suits better."
Ethan frowned slightly, clenched his fist, but didn’t argue. He gave a small nod.
Then he bellowed,
"Let’s win this!"
The team broke out of the huddle, heading toward their columns on the arena field.
Across from them, the defender team was already in position.
But this ti, Riven wasn’t in the third column where he usually set traps.
He stood alone in the final column—the anchor.
Riven stared at the floating blue screen.
[ACT AS ANCHOR IN THE MATCH. WINNING CHANCES INCREASE BY 50%.]
His fist clenched.
"Tch... this damn system’s getting stingier. No rewards again?"
His jaw tightened, but he said nothing as the screen vanished.
Across the field, ika frowned when she saw Riven stationed in the last column—the anchor position.
"That bastard..." she muttered under her breath.
"This just got harder. He’s strong. Of course they’d put him in the final defence."
She unsheathed her twin daggers, the steel glinting faintly under the arena lights. Her muscles tensed in anticipation.
The first whistle blew.
30:00
Another shrill whistle cut the air.
29:59
The match had begun.
A roaring rainstorm descended over the arena.
Wind whipped around them like invisible blades, and thunder cracked ominously above.
Rain pelted the ground, cold and hard, turning the entire battlefield into a furious tempest.
ika’s body shimred with darkness as her dark armor engulfed her, sleek and tight like a second skin.
Her helt ford around her head—black, curved horns protruding from either side—and only her glowing, dark eyes were visible through the visor.
She took a deep breath, steadying her nerves.
I still can’t control this form perfectly... but after a month of training, I’ve co this far. It’ll be enough for this battle.
Unbeknownst to ika, soone else was watching her every move.
From behind, Ethan’s eyes narrowed as he observed his sister.
Jealousy burned in his chest like acid.
"So... you’re trying to surpass , huh?" he thought under the veil of calm face.
"You’ll never be better than ... never."
His jaw clenched, and he turned away, his eyes flashing.
ika moved, rging into the darkness like a fish slipping through water.
She crossed the first column easily—Aslan was no longer stationed there, already repositioned in the vertical middle column.
She slipped past the second and third columns without resistance.
But in the fourth, everything changed.
It felt like the very space around her was squeezing her out—an invisible pressure that rejected her shadow.
This was a long shot, she thought, using the darkness like a dasher—but it was worth the risk.
Suddenly, amidst the howling wind and crack of thunder, a sleek avatar of darkness erged—her armor hugging her curves like liquid night. Horned, elegant, and deadly.
The storm welcod her.
The darkness sward toward her, wrapping closely to her skin.
It was attracted to her, like a moth toward a fla.
ika struck.
She dashed forward, lightning-quick, erging from the shadows on the other side of a defender.
Slash.
"Arghh!"
His scream vanished into the howling storm.
Blood spilled—then vanished, washed away by the downpour.
The defender stumbled back, clutching his leg, terror blooming in his chest as he looked at the phantom before him.
But still—he lunged forward with a roar, sword swinging wide.
Too wide.
ika ducked low, closing the distance with effortless grace.
Slash!
Twin black daggers cut into the arm holding his sword, slicing clean, like darkness cutting through light.
She whispered coldly:
"You drew too wide an arc."
Without hesitation, she moved to the next column.
Monts later, behind her, a muffled scream echoed, lost in the symphony of storm and rain.
ika moved fast, cutting through column after column, flowing like shadow made flesh.
She slipped through the ninth—then approached the final column.
Just one more... Then I finish this.
"15 minutes remaining!"
The stadium’s system echoed like thunder.
ika smiled under her helt.
Plenty of ti. This is my win.
She stepped into the final column—
Slash!
A sudden streak of purple energy sliced through the air, catching her thigh.
"Ahhh!"
She gasped and stumbled, forced out of her shadow-state and into the open.
The pain was sharp—but shallow. Her dark armor had taken most of the impact.
ika’s eyes scanned the rainy battlefield—and found him.
Riven.
Smirking. Unbothered.
"You were always good," he said, voice calm and cutting. "But I am better."
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