❀══🩸══❀
The day of the trial had finally arrived.The arena was immersed in a strange, almost solemn silence. Scarlet would be the first to step forward. Red Zone. A training designed specifically for her, meant to analyze her way of fighting rather than her raw power.
In the stands, Yuta, Ryota, and Evelynn took their seats in silence.
— Do you think she'll succeed? Evelynn asked, slightly tense.— Of course, Ryota replied without hesitation. She's stronger than us.— We've never seen Raythem fight seriously, Yuta added, arms crossed, already focused on the field.
That remark was enough to shatter the group's confidence.
At the center of the arena, Scarlet walked forward with steady steps. She knew this feeling—the anticipation before a duel, the suspended moment just before bodies clashed. She had fought in many tournaments. She knew how to handle pressure.
And yet, today… something felt different.
Raythem stood at the opposite end, hands in his pockets, perfectly relaxed.
— Are you ready, Scarlet?— I'm ready.
She met his gaze without looking away.
— Remember the rules. You must control the range of your scythe and the extension of your blood. If I cross the Red Zone around you, you lose. The fight will last five minutes.
A signal echoed, and the arena's roof closed, letting light filter through a vast glass dome. Holograms activated all around the field. Then, slowly, a crimson circle appeared around Scarlet.
Her Zone.
She could feel every vibration of it, like a pulse connected to her own heart.
══ ✦ ══
The fight began.
Raythem didn't move.He remained still, observing.
Scarlet frowned slightly. She hated this kind of situation. Not knowing when her opponent would attack. Not controlling the rhythm. A brief hesitation crossed her mind—and that was enough.
Raythem vanished.
In a fraction of a second, he appeared right in front of her, far too close. By pure instinct, a blood scythe burst from her hand and sliced through the air. He simply tilted his head to avoid the blade and stepped back without even taking his hands out of his pockets.
He didn't counterattack.
He was waiting.
Scarlet felt irritation rise. A thin trail of blood marked the ground as she lunged forward. She chained her attacks, fast, precise, trying to force an opening. But Raythem dodged with unsettling ease. A sidestep. A pivot. A simple shift of his shoulder.
Nothing more.
Her breathing grew uneven. Her Red Zone expanded unconsciously, as if trying to compensate for the distance he maintained.
— Calm down, he said simply.
Around them, mirrors emerged from the ground and walls, surrounding the arena. Scarlet's reflection multiplied endlessly. Then Raythem stepped into one of them, disappearing into the reflective surface.
His voice echoed throughout the space.
— Don't forget the rules, Scarlet.
She turned her head, trying to anticipate where he would reappear. Every mirror became a potential threat. Her gaze jumped from one to another, too fast, too tense.
Behind her.
She felt it at the last second.
She leapt backward to recreate distance, redeploying her Zone with more precision this time. Her scythe stretched, the blood vibrating like a living extension. Raythem stopped just centimeters from the red boundary.
And that was when she understood.
He wasn't trying to attack her.He was trying to make her lose control.
Her Red Zone wasn't an offensive weapon.
It was a territory.
She took a deep breath and slightly reduced the circle, focusing her energy instead of spreading it. Her movements became more measured, more deliberate. She stopped chasing him.
When he emerged from a more distant mirror, she didn't panic. She observed. One reflection vibrated differently from the others. She adjusted her Zone accordingly.
Raythem appeared—and her scythe intercepted his path with newfound precision. A thin cut marked the sleeve of her mentor.
In the stands, Ryota suddenly straightened up.
But Scarlet staggered. Her face was pale. She had already spent too much energy at the beginning of the fight. Her breathing was short, uneven.
The timer displayed the final seconds.
Raythem finally took his hands out of his pockets and stepped forward decisively.
He willingly entered the Zone.
Scarlet gathered her remaining strength. Her scythe vibrated one last time and sliced through the air. A thin scratch appeared on Raythem's cheek.
Then he fully crossed the boundary.
The Red Zone dissipated.
══ ✦ ══
Scarlet remained standing for a brief moment, her gaze fixed ahead, before her legs gave out. She fell to her knees, her hands stained with her own blood.
Silence fell over the arena.
Raythem approached calmly.
— You lost the duel.
She clenched her teeth, frustrated.
He crouched down in front of her.
— But you succeeded in your training.
Her eyes lifted toward him.
— At first, you fought to reach me. In the end, you fought to control the space. That is the Red Zone.
He placed a hand on her shoulder.
— Mastery is not about striking harder. It is about deciding the rhythm of the fight. Today, you understood.
Scarlet lowered her gaze, still breathing heavily.
She had lost.
But for the first time, she hadn't just attacked.
She had thought.
Deep within her, a fragile flame flickered.
And this time, she had no intention of letting it go out.