And with that—
The day had finally come.
The Lunarium stood grander than ever before. What was once a place of study had transformed into something far more lively.
The stalls that once sold simple school supplies had shifted into something resembling a full festival.
Charms, enchanted trinkets, food, curiosities—everything was displayed with vibrant energy for the specific occasion.
And even with all of that—
Charlotte still made sure of one thing. Profit that benefits both.
Charlotte had gone through them one by one when the idea was first proposed. Pricing, sourcing, presentation, even placement within the Lunarium. What sold best near the entrance, what drew attention near the stage, what kept people lingering instead of leaving too early—she had thought of all of it.
Everything had to be presentable for everyone. This was the first event after all.
Some were told to adjust their prices. Others were given better supplies provided by Charlotte herself.
And the results showed. No stall stood empty. No one sat idly waiting for customers that never came. Even the quieter corners had steady traffic, drawn in by careful positioning and just the right kind of curiosity.
There was competition, yes but it wasn't the kind that crushed people. It pushed them. Encouraged them. Made them better. Because here, profit wasn't something taken from others. It was something built.
And Charlotte made sure of one thing above all else—
No one walked away from the Lunarium feeling like they had been left behind.
At the very center of the Lunarium, between the grand hall and the student quarters, a platform had been placed.
The stage. Where the duel would be held.
As the festivities continued, students eagerly waited for the final brackets to be announced.
Above them all—
Aster sat within his office. The highest point of the Lunarium.
With him were the living constructs he had created, the professors of the entire coven. Mary adjusted her glasses, straightening the stack of papers in her hands before smiling.
"Done!"
Aster smiled back, stretching slightly in his seat.
"I swear, I wouldn't have been able to establish all of this without you guys."
Silence.
The room went still for a moment. They all stared at him. Not confused nor offended.
Just… caught off guard.
Aster could only blink.
"…Did I say something weird?"
No one answered immediately. Instead, a few of them shifted awkwardly.
Dorothy let out a soft chuckle.
"Sir… it's just…" she began gently, "you made us. And yet you speak as if we stand equal to you."
The others remained quiet. But the thought lingered among them. They knew what they were. No matter how much they thought, acted, or helped—
They were still created by the person in front of them. As Servants.
Tools.
That was the nature of their existence. But Aster only tilted his head slightly.
"But you are equal to me." Simple. Direct.
"With how I made you. The way you think, the way you act…" he continued, "I can't really say you're just simple constructs anymore."
A pause.
"You're you."
Something new. Something… real. That silence returned—
But this time, it felt different.
They looked down. Not in shame. But in something quieter.
Something unfamiliar.
All those thoughts they carried—about being tools, about being lesser—Felt… smaller now.
Misplaced even.
Aster didn't push further. He didn't need to. Because they understood.
And for the first time—
They stayed not because they were made to. But because they wanted to.
Mary adjusted the papers in her hands again, more carefully this time.
"…We'll finalize the announcements," she said.
Dorothy smiled softly.
"Everything will be ready before the duel."
"Thanks."
Aster could only smile.
The others moved as well, returning to their tasks with a steadiness that hadn't been there before.
And as they worked—
There was something lighter in the room.
Something… human.
Though, quietly at the back of their minds, the thought of their next paycheck lingered. Not as obligation. But as something simple.
Something normal.
Something… theirs.
With the brackets finalized—
Aster shifted.
Charlotte took his place. She rose into the air above the Lunarium.
"STUDENTS! THE BRACKETS HAVE BEEN DECIDED!" she says with her voice projected loud the entire Lunarium heard it.
A massive projection formed in the sky. It was clear, showed detailed brackets. Unavoidable to everyone in the Lunarium. Names filled the structure. Paths were drawn. Valeria and Selene stood on opposite brackets.
Being together, both noticed immediately.
A smile and a handshake.
"You better not lose before the finals," Valeria said, stepping away, heading towards her waiting room.
Selene smirked slightly. "Same goes for you."
Seats filled quickly. Students. Spectators. Families. Even members of the Senate had arrived.
Among them—
Edith Panthera and Persephone Raven sat beside each other with their families at their sides.
"My granddaughter will win," Edith said confidently.
Persephone didn't even look at her. "Mine will." She says as she continues eating from one of the Lunarium stalls, completely unfazed.
At the center of the stage—
Elowen raised her hand.
"The rules are simple."
Above the stage, two HP bars appeared.
Mirrored and equal on their width and whatnot.
"When your opponent's HP reaches zero, you win."
A pause.
"If you force them out of bounds, you also win."
Her gaze swept across everyone.
"And most importantly, to the people watching, no one dies. The stage will ensure yours and the students safety."
A faint smile.
"You may fight without hesitation," she says, gazing back at the students participating.
The duels began.
Despite having many participants, what had very much piqued everyone's minds were the most special fights.
Starting the duel, the participants immediately drew attention. Because everyone knew who stood there. The noble witch who had led the protests.
The loudest voice.
The proudest.
Lightning crackled at her fingertips, sharp and unstable. She had adapted well to the Lunarium's teachings. Runeless casting came naturally to her now. And that only made her more confident.
Across from her—
Amelia.
A beginner and a nobody.
At least—
That's what everyone thought.
The signal was given.
Lightning erupted across the stage.
Fast. Violent. Relentless.
It struck Amelia directly.
Gasps echoed across the crowd.
Her skin burned, scorched, the smell of lightning lingered the entire arena as her entire body seethed.
And then—
It disappeared.
Healed.
Perfectly as nothing happened.
Amelia didn't dodge. Didn't even rush herself. She simply walked forward.
Slowly.
Every attack landed. Every strike hit. And every single time, she just healed them.
From the stands, Persephone's gaze sharpened.
"…Pain Nullification," she murmured.
And more than that—
Targeted restoration.
Not inefficient full-body healing. No. Only the damaged parts were being healed.
A spell most witches avoided—
Because it demanded too much.
Too much focus. Too much control. Too much strain on the mental part.
And yet—
This "Beginner" rank used it like breathing.
The noble witch faltered as the duel went on and Amelia walked slowly towards her.
Her lightning became unstable.
Desperate.
Amelia kept walking.
Closer.
Closer.
Until—
She reached her.
A simple push—
And the match ended.
Silence.
Then, the crowd erupted.
The second duel that piqued them changed everything. Because this time—
It wasn't just witches watching.
Isla stepped forward.
A werefox.
At first glance—
Nothing seemed threatening.
In her human form, she looked… normal. Even going so much as unremarkable.
That was the problem.
Her opponent smiled.
When the duel began, Isla moved. Not with brute force, but with grace.
Her body shifted—
But not fully.
Multiple tails of her lineage, the fox, flowed as if they were alive.
A half-transformation.
The crowd stirred.
That wasn't standard for the werebeings. That wasn't even taught to their families, as the werebeings never truly strayed from their traditions as much as the witches did.
She moved through the arena with unnatural grace, dodging spells with ease. Magic that would have once been lethal to their species barely brushed past her.
No full transformation meant—
No complete vulnerability to silver and magic like all Supernaturals.
And yet—
She retained strength, speed, and instinct.
The balance was… perfect.
Among the werebeings watching, whispers turned into stunned silence, then abrupt realization from her family.
The way she looked, her ever-graceful form.
Nine tails.
A figure only spoken of in stories among the family of werefoxes.
A peak they never thought they could reach—
one spoken of only in stories, where their tails would finally carry the mana needed to reach their true strength.
Her opponent never noticed these changes until it was too late.
Isla closed the distance instantly. Her arm shifted mid-strike into claws and hit her enemy with multiple strikes.
A clean hit.
The HP bar dropped to zero.
In a panicked daze, their worries disappeared when it truly safely transported the student outside the stage, heralding Isla the winner.
The Senate and the other families present at the meeting of the proposal already knew what would happen but seeing it in person, truly was a wonder to see.
By the time the semifinals began—
Everything had changed.
No more doubts. Only expectation.
On Valeria's bracket, she stepped forward.
Her match ended quickly.
Clean strikes. Refined movement. No wasted motion.
Her control over mana was sharp. Both focused and intentional. She didn't overwhelm but had only dominated her opponent the moment the fight started.
Selene followed.
Quieter and much more precise.
Her spells didn't explode or overwhelm as it just simply landed.
Pure mana of barrages hitting her opponent.
Exactly where they needed to.
No excess. No waste. Just results.
Their opponents never stood a chance.
From the stands—
two figures watched closely.
Edith Panthera.
Persephone Raven.
Neither spoke.
But the satisfaction was clear.
Because the finals—
were exactly what they had hoped for.
The moment the fight between Valeria and Selene comes, they both stand at the pinnacle of the bracket, just before it's decided who's going to be the champion of the Lunarium Duel.
Giving the signal, Valeria rushed towards Selene but she didn't let up. Sending out bolts of pure mana to put distance in between them. The attacks weren't hitting most of Valeria as the other bolts were being sent all around her to prevent her from giving spaces to run.
All she could do was deflect and block everything with her soul armament, changing from both a glaive for reach and a sword for close combat.
Regardless, the fight was clean with both sides not letting up. Selene's pure mana shaped into simple yet effective bolts and Valeria's weapons and enhancements on her body and weapon.
Until—
It ended.
Valeria stood.
Barely.
Her HP flickering and her breath uneven. But standing.
Edith stood immediately.
"I told you!"
Persephone didn't respond.
She simply looked at Selene—
And gave a small nod.
Approval to her growth.
Charlotte descended onto the stage, clapping.
"Yo. Congrats."
Valeria smiled faintly, still catching her breath.
Before she could respond—
The professors arrived.
Franziska adjusted the stage and the exhaustion faded as the HP bar disappears as well.
"…Thank you," Valeria said.
Charlotte raised her hand.
Mana gathered, condensed, then formed into shape.
Then—
She handed it over.
Valeria's reward.
A Persona Schema, now named as Eidolon for generalization, formed at Valeria's hand as she held it, turning into a dagger.
Then—
It lifted.
Floating.
An eye opened along its hilt and it looked at her.
"…My lady."
The voice lowered, respectful, and carries a heroic voice on it.
"I recognize you as my bearer. I remain at your service."
From the stands—
Edith's laughter rang out.
On the stands, Edith celebrates once more and laughs loudly that their family gets an Eidolon, already thinking of when Valeria gets old, heralding it as a family treasure.