"When was the last time we fought Anneliese and Lysander?"
Nathael lay back in the stadium stands, hands behind his head, gazing up at the star-strewn sky. The valley was silent. No trace remained of the previous night's celebration—only the wind, the murmur of the ancestral forest, and Celestia's soft purr beside him.
She, lounging elegantly on a velvet cushion left behind by a forgetful house-elf, opened one eye.
"Four years ago," she said lazily. "We were fifteen. You'd just learned the fog magic."
Nathael smiled.
"Yes. I challenged her. Said I was strong enough to beat the 'perfect heiress.'"
Celestia let out a soft, amused chuckle—almost a playful meow.
"And the fog… didn't just blind them. It blinded us too."
"True," Nathael laughed. "I thought it was only for them. But I didn't understand that ancestral magic doesn't distinguish between ally and enemy. It only obeys intention."
"If it hadn't been for Williams," Celestia said, "that spell would've drained you to your soul. You'd have been in a coma for weeks."
"Technically…" Nathael said with a mischievous grin, "it was a draw."
Celestia glanced at him sideways.
"If you say so."
They fell silent for a moment. The sky turned slowly above them, as if the universe itself were holding its breath.
"Tomorrow," Nathael said after a while, "you'll have to use body magic against Lysander."
Celestia sighed.
"I know. But I don't like it. It gets my fur dirty."
"You could cast a cleaning charm afterward," Nathael said, stroking her head.
"That wastes unnecessary magic," she replied. "But… I'll do it."
Because they both knew that against Lysander, elegance wasn't enough.
They had to be lethal.
They kept watching the stars.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the manor…
The room was lit by a single floating candle. Anneliese sat on the windowsill, eyes narrowed as she watched the forest. Lysander, curled at her feet, stretched.
"You're not nervous, are you?" Anneliese asked.
"A little," Lysander admitted. "But I trust you."
Anneliese leaned down and scratched him behind the ears.
"You're stronger than the others realize," she said, her voice unusually soft. "Stronger than me in many ways. Your instinct… your loyalty… they're your greatest weapons."
Lysander lifted his head.
"I won't let you down."
"You never have," Anneliese said. "And tomorrow… we'll win. Because of you."
Lysander nodded.
And for the first time in a long while, Anneliese smiled.
At Dawn
Unlike previous days, no one slept late.
There were no party remnants. No house-elves collecting empty mugs.
Because today was the day.
The final duel.
And the valley was already awake.
Outside the stadium, an army of girls marched in perfect formation. They wore blue cloaks with silver trim, banners reading "CELESTIA REIGNS!" and "NATHAEL FOREVER!", and giant flags depicting heroic portraits of the duo: Nathael summoning black chains, Celestia wrapped in fog, the two standing back-to-back in battle stance.
"Romilda!" one cried. "Fireworks!"
Romilda raised her wand.
"Lumos Maxima… with style!"
Skyborne fireworks exploded, forming shimmering images: Nathael casting chains, Celestia cloaked in mist, the two united in combat.
"And now… merch!" another shouted.
They began handing out luck-rune bracelets, scarves in Nathael's colors, and even porcelain miniatures of Celestia that meowed when petted.
"Only for true fans!" Romilda declared proudly.
On the commentator's platform, Mira and Tobias were already in place.
"Today is the day!" Mira said, voice trembling. "The final duel of the Tournament of Ancient Blood!"
"On one side," Tobias said, "Nathael and Celestia—the hunter, the strategist, master of both ancestral and modern magic."
"And on the other," Mira continued, "Anneliese and Lysander—the heiress, the coldest mind in the family, and her companion, whose loyalty is legendary."
"The scores so far," Tobias added:
First trial: Anneliese first, Nathael second.
Second trial: tie.
Third trial: decisive.
"If Anneliese wins," Mira said, "she takes the Tournament!"
"And if Nathael wins," Tobias added, "they'll be technically tied—but the judges will award extra points based on final duel performance… so whoever wins today wins everything!"
The ancestral drum sounded.
Thoom-thoom!
Thoom-thoom!
Thoom-thoom!
The stadium was already packed.
The air hummed with anticipation.
And at the center of the field, two paths were about to collide:
One forged in treasure-hunting adventures.
The other in discipline and knowledge.