In the heart of Solaris Castle, Princess Aurelia and Hime Lyra sat in the solar, the golden light of the afternoon filtering through the stained glass.
"So," Aurelia began, leaning back with a playful smirk. "I heard Kai is actually... training?"
Lyra nodded, a spark of pride in her eyes. "Yes, Your Majesty. He's taking it seriously this time."
"Well, I suppose wonders never cease." Aurelia's expression shifted, becoming more formal. "Either way, I've called you here to discuss the Mugen-Armaments."
"The anti-Umbra division?" Lyra asked, her brow furrowing. "Is there a problem?"
"My advisor will explain. Valena?"
The doors swung open. Valena entered the room with a gait that commanded attention. Her attire was daring—revealing silk that left little to the imagination. As she passed the line of royal guards, the clatter of spears hitting the floor echoed through the hall. One by one, the men seemed to lose their footing, collapsing like flies in the wake of her sheer presence.
She ignored them, bowing elegantly before Lyra. "Ah, the heiress to the Akatsuki throne. A pleasure to meet you."
Mother warned me not to trust this woman, Lyra thought, her smile remaining polite but fixed. I need to keep my guard up. "The pleasure is mine, Valena."
"Straight to business then," Valena said, her voice like velvet. "I've been asked to address the state of the Mugen-Armaments."
"Tell me," Lyra said. "What could be wrong with the strongest anti-Umbra division in the kingdom?"
Valena's smirk widened, her eyes momentarily flashing with a dark, distant light.
Flashback: The Hellish Domain
In a realm of eternal twilight stood Nyaxara. She was a vision of terrifying beauty—a body sculpted like a goddess, possessed by a spirit of pure malevolence. When Valena (then known as Velthra) entered, Nyaxara was "playing." She was methodically slaughtering her subordinates, only to revive them and tear them apart again in a rhythmic cycle of gore.
She sensed Velthra and stopped, looking annoyed. "What do you want?"
"You... you called for me," Velthra stammered.
"Oh, right." Nyaxara wiped a spray of blood from her cheek. "Listen closely. Our Master wants to know: have you found Lord Umbra yet?"
"Not exactly," Velthra replied, sweat beading on her forehead. "Being the Princess's advisor is a heavy responsibility. It's hard to juggle—"
In a blur of motion, Nyaxara swiped her hand. Valena's head was severed instantly, sliding off her shoulders. A second later, shadows knitted the flesh back together, and her head regrew with a wet, sickening pop.
"You weren't sent to play loyal dog to the throne," Nyaxara hissed. "You were sent to kill a potential Godslayer. If Lord Umbra discovers the secrets of a God's anatomy because of your incompetence, you will be the first to truly die. Hurry up."
Present Day
"So, a physical test?" Lyra asked, bringing the conversation back to the present.
"Precisely," Valena said. "A way to gauge the students' current levels and scout fresh blood for the Armaments." (And a way to find that Lord Umbra guy who cost me my head,) she added internally.
"It's a solid plan," Lyra agreed. "It will spread awareness, even if we aren't low on soldiers."
"And," Aurelia added with a wink, "you get to see how Kai has been doing."
Lyra's face softened into a blush. "Yeah... Kai."
"Then it's settled. We send word immediately."
"Actually," Valena interrupted, "I already told the school to prepare. Let's go now."
Aurelia blinked. "Valena? You seem... eager."
"Just excited, Your Highness!"
As they walked toward the academy, Lyra's hand stayed close to her hilt. Even with the bonding and the smiles, something about Valena felt wrong—a coldness beneath the skin she couldn't yet name.
The Academy Grounds
A one-mile obstacle course now dominated the training field. It was a nightmare of swinging pendulums, Kishō-suppression fields, and hidden traps. While the other students stood ready, Kai was on his knees, seemingly praying to the Divine for a sudden earthquake to cancel the class.
"Don't worry, Kai," Itsuki said, hoisting him up by his collar. "It's just an obstacle course."
"Easy for you to say," Kurone muttered, checking her gear. "Some of us are actually built for this."
"Yeah," Reina added, glancing at Kai's trembling form. "And Kai is... well, Kai."
Satsuki, busy reading the roster, let out a yawn. "Looks like Kai is last. After the course, the top seven get to spar against Lyra and Aurelia. Those who land a blow get a direct recommendation to the Mugen-Armaments."
Itsuki's eyes lit up. "Now that is why I'm here. The Armaments are the goal."
"I just want to ask the Princess to increase our sleeping hours," Satsuki sighed.
They laughed, but Itsuki realized he was still dangling Kai by the collar. "Oh, sorry Kai! Forgot I had you."
Kai gave a weak smile. "It's okay, it's—"
"The Princesses! They're here!" a scholar shouted.
The students snapped to attention as Lyra, Aurelia, and Valena arrived. Lyra caught Kai's eye and gave him a secret, encouraging smile.
The trials began.
Elara went first. Her eyes shifted into moonlight crescents as she became a blur of silver. She didn't just pass the obstacles; her aftershocks shattered the wooden barriers as she flew past the finish line.
Kurone was next. Tapping into her demonic resonance, she moved with predatory efficiency, using the bare minimum of Kishō to preserve energy. She cleared the highest tower with ten effortless backflips.
Itsuki followed with swift, precise movements, though he seemed to struggle slightly when his Kishō was active. Still, he cleared it with ease.
Kaida Voss took a different approach. She simply barged through, smashing every trap and wall in her path like a human wrecking ball.
Reina and Satsuki moved with an elegant, synchronized rhythm. They finished a second faster than Itsuki, though Satsuki looked like she might nap at the finish line.
Then, a hooded figure stepped up. He moved with a speed that made Kurone look slow, finishing with the best time of the day.
"Huh?" Itsuki blinked. "Who is that?"
"I practiced for three days for that record," Kurone hissed, "and some random guy just steals it?"
The figure pulled back his hood, revealing a sharp-featured twenty-year-old. "The name is Aoi. And don't worry—I take pleasure in the defeat of others."
"You arrogant—!" Kurone started, but Lyra's voice cut through the air like a blade.
"Enough." The field went silent. "Results, please."
"Wait!" Kai shouted from the back. "I haven't gone yet!"
Lyra smiled warmly. "Oh, I almost forgot."
Aurelia leaned in and whispered, "You really want to watch him embarrass himself?"
"He might take all day just to reach the halfway point," Lyra whispered back, "but that's what sisterhood is for. You go ahead and handle the volunteers."
"Fine," Aurelia sighed. "But don't blame me when my brother fails to impress. Announcer! Who am I fighting?"
"The top six: Kurone, Reina, Satsuki, Itsuki, Kaida, and Aoi. Elara has declined."
"Count me out!" Elara shouted, sitting next to Lyra. "It'll be way cooler to see my otō-kun finish this course than to watch Aurelia beat everyone up."
Kai blushed. "Thanks, guys."
As the crowd moved toward the sparring arena, Kai faced the first hurdle. He scrambled over it, panting. "I... I did it!"
"Go, lil bro!" Lyra cheered.
"Crush it, otō-kun!" Elara screamed.
The Arena
While Kai crawled through the course, the arena was a storm of steel.
Aurelia vs. Kurone: It wasn't even close. Aurelia fought blindfolded, her movements like a seasoned god. Even with Kurone's demonic blood, she couldn't find an opening.
"Winning against her is nearly impossible," Ma'am Neko muttered as Kurone was sent skidding out of the ring.
Aurelia vs. Itsuki: Itsuki's evasive maneuvers were top-tier, but he found he couldn't even draw his weapon before Aurelia launched him out of the ring with a flick of her wrist.
Aurelia vs. Reina: This was the highlight. "Solaris," Aurelia commanded. "Masakado," Reina countered. The clash was blinding. When the light faded, Aurelia stood tall—but a thin line of red trailed down her cheek. Reina had drawn blood. Without a word, Reina dusted herself off and walked away, a victor in her own right.
Finally, it was Aoi's turn.
He walked up to Aurelia, but he didn't draw a sword. Instead, he reached out with a gloved hand and wiped the single drop of blood from her cheek. He pulled out a jagged dagger, smeared the blood on the tip, and—without blinking—drove the blade into his own heart.
The silence that followed was deafening.
"Everyone evacuate!" Ma'am Neko's voice screamed, cracking with pure terror. "NOW!"
Back at the obstacle course, Kai stopped. The air had turned heavy, smelling of ozone and rot.
"Something's wrong," Kai whispered.
"Kai! We have to check on Aurelia," Lyra shouted, her face pale. "Wait here!"
The two sisters sprinted toward the arena, leaving Kai alone in the center of the course. He sat down, his expression going blank.
Renaria appeared beside him in a shimmer of light. "A high Kishō output has been detected. The Crown suggests you intervene."
"Nah," Kai said, his voice devoid of its usual shakiness. "I'll let my sisters handle it."
"But Master..." Renaria paused. "I trust you."
"Don't worry," Kai said, a small, chilling smile touching his lips. "If it goes out of control... I'll step in."
"Who will step in?" Renaria asked softly. "Kai... or Lord Umbra?"
Kai's smile dropped. He looked toward the arena, his eyes darkening until they were nothing but endless voids.
"We shall see."