The morning before the Dawnforge Tournament felt… off.
Not tense.
Not dangerous.
Just strangely, unnervingly quiet.
As if the entire city of Nexara was holding its breath again.
Raze Arcwell stood alone in the Arcwell estate courtyard, practicing slow, deliberate strikes with weighted batons.
Not the Starbreaker suit.
Not any upgraded training device.
Just the same Arcsteel batons he had used since childhood—the tools that grounded him more than anything else.
He always returned to the basics when he needed to think.
Tap.
Step.
Shift.
Strike.
His movements were steady and precise.
His thoughts were not.
Astra.
Round Two.
Nightveil.
The weight of the world watching him.
Too many things waited for him beyond tomorrow's sunrise.
Raze exhaled, resetting his stance.
◆ ◆ ◆
From the upper balcony, Luna watched with her arms crossed.
"He's pushing harder than usual," she murmured.
Rose joined her with a cup of tea, her expression soft and knowing.
"That's how he stabilizes himself," she said. "Before anything important… he always goes back to where he began."
Luna puffed her cheeks slightly.
"I wish he didn't remind me so much of Father sometimes."
Rose smiled into her cup.
"That's a compliment, Luna."
Luna's cheeks went red instantly.
"...No it isn't."
◆ ◆ ◆
Down in the courtyard, Lily tip-toed behind Raze with a giant blanket draped over her—her best attempt at a spooky ghost.
She crept closer…
Closer…
"BOO!"
Raze didn't even flinch.
"Lily. I can see your feet."
The blanket dropped dramatically as she huffed.
"You're no fun when you're focused!"
Raze cracked a smile.
"Give me five minutes."
"Nope."
She grabbed his sleeve and tugged with all her six-year-old strength.
"You're done now."
He blinked.
"…That wasn't a request, was it?"
"Nope!"
Raze sighed, defeated by a child, as she dragged him toward the cherry blossom trees.
They sat under the shade, petals drifting gently in the wind as Lily leaned her head on his arm.
"Are you nervous about tomorrow?" she asked quietly.
Raze hesitated.
"…A little."
"Good."
He stared at her.
"Good?"
"Yeah! That means you care! Heroes who don't care lose early. But you care, so you'll win!"
Her logic was questionable.
Her confidence was not.
Raze laughed softly, tension easing from his shoulders.
◆ ◆ ◆
Later that afternoon, the doorbell rang.
Raze walked over to open it—
and the door burst open before he touched it.
Roger Castellan marched inside, carrying a massive bag of snacks.
"EMERGENCY PRE-TOURNAMENT PARTY!"
"No," Luna said immediately from the living room.
"Yes," Roger replied, sweeping past her.
"No."
"Yes."
"NO."
"Yes—because Astra is already here."
"...What?"
Astra Noire stepped into view holding the pastry box Rose had given her last time.
Luna's eye twitched dangerously.
Raze blinked. "Astra? Why are you—?"
"She said she wanted to check on you," Roger announced proudly.
"And she owes Lily a rematch in plush-throwing combat."
Astra turned scarlet.
"I did not say that! I only came to return a plate. Lily asked me to help her build a pillow fortress—I did not volunteer!"
Lily zipped into the room.
"Astra! The pillow war begins NOW!"
Astra sighed as Lily latched onto her leg.
Raze turned to Roger.
"Why are YOU here?"
Roger opened a soda dramatically.
"Emotional support. And snacks."
Luna groaned into her hands.
"Our home is turning into a public park…"
But she didn't kick them out.
◆ ◆ ◆
The living room quickly transformed into a chaotic wonderland of cushions, blankets, and Lily's suspicious engineering.
Astra sat stiffly on the couch, unused to the warmth of a loud, messy household.
Lily climbed into her lap and placed a dragon plush in her hands.
"You're the dragon queen now."
Astra blinked.
"…I am?"
"Yes."
Astra accepted her fate.
Roger sprawled across the floor with chips.
"Tomorrow's gonna be wild. You and Astra might fight, huh?"
Raze nodded quietly.
Astra glanced at him, expression unreadable.
"You should rest. Tomorrow matters."
Lily pointed at both of them with all the authority of a tiny general.
"You two better not hurt yourselves tomorrow."
Raze and Astra both looked away immediately—at identical angles.
Roger whispered loudly,
"Oh yeah, there is DEFINITELY tension here."
A pillow smacked him in the face. Courtesy of Luna.
◆ ◆ ◆
Night settled softly over the Arcwell estate.
After everyone left and Lily fell asleep in her blanket fort, Raze stepped onto the balcony for air.
Astra was already there.
She stood beneath the moonlight, wings folded neatly behind her, staring over the glowing skyline of Nexara.
"You were quiet today," she said without turning.
"You were too," Raze replied.
A moment passed.
Astra exhaled.
"Tomorrow… I won't hold back."
Raze nodded.
"Good. I don't want you to."
She turned to him, golden eyes sharp yet soft.
"You've changed, Raze. You're stronger. I can feel it. But strength alone won't defeat me."
"I know."
"Then why do you look calm?"
Raze looked at the city—quiet, glowing, waiting.
"Because today reminded me that no matter what happens tomorrow… I'm not facing this world alone."
Astra's expression softened.
"That is… good."
She stepped off the balcony edge, floating gently.
"Sleep early," she said softly.
"Tomorrow, we decide who moves forward."
With a rush of wind, she soared into the night sky.
Raze watched her disappear among the stars.
His heart steady.
His resolve sharper than ever.
Tomorrow, the world would watch him again.
And this time—
he intended to show them everything.
************************
The day the Dawnforge Tournament resumed, Lionel Academy felt like a fortress.
Pro heroes patrolled every hallway.
Drones hovered in tight formations.
Titanheart himself stood near the central tower, his mere presence enough to silence a crowd.
But despite the tension hanging over Nexara like a cold cloud…
the stadium was packed.
Students filled the seats.
Reporters whispered into cameras.
Teachers scanned the perimeter with sharp eyes.
And on the holo-screen, the first match of the resumed tournament appeared:
RAIN LANCELOT vs ALREN FROST
A murmur rippled through the arena.
"This will be a technical fight…"
"Both have precise element control."
"Rain's offense versus Alren's defense!"
Raze exhaled softly.
Rain's first match back—and against Rank 8.
She needed to stay calm.
◆ ◆ ◆
Entering the Stage
Alren Frost stepped onto the arena first.
Dark blue hair tied back neatly.
Pale eyes calm and unreadable.
A faint mist followed his movements as he walked, the air chilling subtly in his presence.
He wore thick gloves—both to protect others from accidental frost and to control his power better.
Despite coming from a family of powerful ice-users…
Alren was labeled the weakest.
His Nexas, Frostfield, let him freeze moisture in a 15-meter radius.
No ice storms.
No blizzards.
No destructive power.
Just calm, controlled freezing.
But Alren trained harder than almost anyone.
Rain Lancelot entered next—light blue hair tied in a loose braid, water swirling gently around her fingertips like it was greeting her.
Her eyes shone with quiet determination.
Astra smiled faintly from the stands.
"She grew stronger."
Raze nodded.
"She has."
Roger shouted, "RAIN, FREEZE HIS BUTT!"
Astra bonked him on the head immediately.
◆ ◆ ◆
The First Exchange
The announcer raised his arm.
"BEGIN!"
Rain moved first—
water forming instantly from moisture in the air, spiraling into two liquid blades.
She dashed forward with clean footwork.
Alren inhaled.
The air around him dropped suddenly.
FSSSH—!
A 15-meter radius frostfield erupted around him, freezing the ground in a perfect circle.
Rain's steps skidded slightly, but she adjusted, pivoting off the ice.
Alren raised his palm—
Rain's blades froze mid-flight, turning solid and dropping like glass.
He spoke calmly.
"You won't bypass my radius easily."
Rain smiled softly.
"You don't need flashy powers to be strong."
Her voice was almost gentle.
Then she flicked her wrist.
Water vapor burst into existence—dozens of tiny droplets swirling around her.
Alren narrowed his eyes. He tried to freeze them—
But Rain moved faster.
She melted them into vapor, scattered them across the field…
And—
FWIP—FWIP—FWIP—
froze them into razor-thin ice needles surrounding Alren's radius.
The crowd gasped.
"Her control…!?"
"She changed states instantly!"
"Rain's speed improved!"
◆ ◆ ◆
Precision vs Stability
Alren pressed his palm to the ground.
His frostfield expanded with a sudden pulse—
**CRACK—!!**
Ice pillars erupted along the ground, blocking Rain's advancing path.
Rain changed tactics instantly, turning her liquid blade into mist.
Alren's frost tried to grab the vapor—
But Rain heated it slightly, preventing it from freezing.
A dance of temperatures.
Rain's fine control versus Alren's stable freezing radius.
Each time Rain attacked—
- Alren froze the path ahead
- Formed ice barriers
- Created slick terrain to slow her
Each time Alren countered—
- Rain changed water states
- Molded it into shapes
- Manipulated the battlefield moisture
Their clash wasn't explosive.
It was beautiful.
Graceful.
Technical.
Precise.
◆ ◆ ◆
Alren's Resolve
In the arena's chill…
Alren remembered his father's words.
"You have more potential than you realize."
He never believed them.
He trained to prove his father wrong—
to prove that he really was the weakest Frost in generations.
But today…
as Rain pushed him harder than anyone had before…
a spark lit in his chest.
He exhaled sharply.
"Rain… I won't lose."
His frost radius intensified.
The ice pillars sharpened.
The air became dangerously cold.
Even Rain shivered slightly.
◆ ◆ ◆
Rain's Breakthrough
Rain inhaled deeply.
Her mentor once told her:
"Water adapts. If you're losing—change form."
She raised both arms—
Water vapor spiraled around her, forming a thin mist across the entire field.
Alren tried to freeze it—
But Rain was already moving.
She shaped the mist into—
A dome.
A sphere of vapor that flowed like silk.
Inside Alren's frostfield, moisture was dense—his own power enhancing hers.
Rain's eyes sharpened.
"Thank you, Alren. This environment… helps me."
The sphere collapsed inward—
Then—
**FLASH—!!**
It froze instantly into hundreds of tiny reflective shards, catching sunlight and blinding Alren.
He shielded his eyes—
Too late.
Rain surged forward, water spiraling around her arm, condensed into a rotating whip of liquid force.
"Flow Strike!"
BAM—!!
The blow shattered Alren's frost barrier and knocked him onto the frozen ground.
He struggled to rise—
But the referee's hand shot up.
"ALREN FROST IS UNABLE TO CONTINUE—
WINNER: RAIN LANCELOT!"
◆ ◆ ◆
Aftermath
Cheers filled the stadium.
Rain exhaled deeply, her breath forming soft mist.
Astra clapped with sincere admiration.
"She did wonderfully."
Roger screamed, "RAIN YOU BEAUTIFUL WATER GODDESS!"
Luna smacked him again.
Raze watched Rain approach Alren and offer her hand.
Alren hesitated…
Then accepted it.
Rain smiled gently.
"You weren't weak, Alren. Your control is amazing."
Alren lowered his head, eyes softening.
"…Thank you."
It was the first time in the tournament someone called him strong.
Rain returned to the group, cheeks flushing as everyone applauded her.
Raze gave her a warm nod.
"You earned it."
Rain's heart fluttered—but she simply replied:
"Thank you. I'll work even harder."
◆ ◆ ◆
The first match of the resumed tournament ended with an elegant, tactical victory—
and Rain Lancelot stepped forward as a true contender.