It was a forest clearing under a morning sky, sanctioned by the Hunt family as a make-shift arena. It was simple, but it had the necessary environments and surroundings that could be used for mock battles when needed.

“Hrah!”

The new combat whip of Adrian, the Azure, was a special weapon. Made from the finest elven steel known as mithril, and enchanted to harbour a supernatural power, it was a chain whip that was both deadly and beautiful to witness. The chain whip moved with a fluid grace, a deadly dance of magical links that commanded awe and fear alike.

Gone were the days of wielding his plain but tough bullwhip he had affectionately called Thorn, which had now been relegated to backup status. Azure was no ordinary weapon—it was alive with magic, almost sentient even, a tool of destruction that pulsed with supernatural energy at his command.

“Hrk-!”

He didn't even think Cecilia was willing to buy him this during their team’s little shopping spree one year ago. They used some of that gathered up loot and even her personal wallet to purchase it. But he couldn't complain.

“Hah—!”

The sound of those magical chains slicing through the air was like a lethal song. The blue flames that have manifested from his Battle Aura spiralled down the length of the whip, searing the air around him.

He wielded it like it was a dance, and said flames—with its heat and Essence fueled intensity—shall be unleashed through the weapon’s metallic links and into an explosion.

And its target was—

“Vis Propulsiva!”

Marilyn Althorn, his mock opponent for the day. She had summoned that warping of space once again, dispelling the explosion into nothingness as she would then advance towards him with a leap.

“So those kinds of attacks wouldn't work huh?”

Adrian’s eyes narrowed as Marilyn pressed forward, her pace relentless. The fast movement of her sword flashed through the air in precise, cutting arcs. Spatial rifts were sent towards him, forcing him back with each swing.

And her staff, raised in her left hand, swirling with power as lightning was conjured around its focus, ready to be unleashed.

“Fulmen!”

With an aimed gesture, she hurled a large bolt of lightning in his direction. Adrian reacted in an instant, his feet light and nimble, his body twisting to the side just in time to avoid the searing arc. He felt the electric charge in the air as it passed by, close enough to raise the hair on his arms.

But in accordance with that dodge he snapped Azure toward her in retaliation, the whip crackled with blue flame as it lashed out.

Marilyn didn’t bother defending. As through sheer instinct, she warped space around her, phasing out of the whip’s reach entirely, the blue flaming explosion unleashed onto the ground instead, and reappearing just a few paces to his left.

“Teleportation?” Adrian had barely a second to pivot before her sword came sweeping in low, aiming for his legs.

“Hah!” he exhaled, leaping back as the blade narrowly missed its mark, skimming the dirt where he had stood.

She didn’t give him a moment’s rest. A fireball erupted from her staff in that same move, barreling toward him with intense heat. Adrian raised Azure as he was air-borne, the chain wrapping around itself as he flicked it, dispersing the flame in midair before it could reach him.

She pressed forward like a force of nature, her Battle Aura present, unbothered by his counters. She was daring him to falter, to slip up under the weight of her offensive pressure.

But he wasn’t about to give in that easily.

As he landed, in a swift motion he spun Azure in a wide arc. The whip crackled, lashing toward her legs again, but this time, she planted her foot firmly and pivoted, her sword coming down to intercept the strike. The blade met the chain with a sharp clang, and for the briefest moment, they stood locked, the force of their clash sending sparks flying.

Then, without warning, Marilyn warped again, disappearing and reappearing behind him in an instant, her sword poised to strike.

Adrian spun instinctively, his senses already knowing the nature of her attacks, throwing himself into a low roll just in time to avoid the slash. He came up on his feet, heart racing, eyes locked on her every move.

She was fast—faster than he had expected—but there was a rhythm to her assault. A rhythm he was beginning to see. The fractions of seconds between her attacks, happening in this speed between them, those he could perceive and analyse.

He may not be as good as she was in terms information analysis, but he wasn't a slouch here either.

It was clear that her aggression was unyielding, calculated, without concern for defence. Adrian could see it now, from her expressions, her breathing, her movements, and those brief intervals between her spell casting—everything. Extreme focus in learning her lethal dance had been achieved.

This was the byproduct of the Path of the Warrior.

Still—

“Lux Impetus Magna!”

“Oh dear—!”

Dozens of glyphs manifested before him, and a bombardment of light soon ensued. Adrian was forced to defend, as he would then bring out his own sword to slash at the light, dodging and weaving through it as he did said action.

“Hrk-!”

His whip wouldn't be as effective in dispersing them at this immediate range, so he had to make use of it.

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Marilyn’s assault was relentless—those light glyphs, firing off those blasts, had hummed its song with such deadly intent. His sword too sang through the air as he slashed at those incoming beams, dispersing and dispelling what he could.

The rest, he dodged with swift, precise movements, his body twisting and turning in a blur. Each step was deliberate, his footwork keeping him just ahead of the burning light.

"Tch—there’s no end to it!" he hissed, sweat beading on his brow as the light intensified.

Marilyn wasn’t letting up. If anything, the pressure of her onslaught was growing, the glyphs multiplying and shimmering with brighter hues.

Then from above, her voice cut through the chaos like a bell.

“Lux Astra Ventis!”

Adrian’s gaze shot upward. Marilyn had taken to the air, her body suspended in the glowing light of her presence, her staff held high as countless swirling stars of multicoloured energy gathered around her. Each pulsed with lethal force, their rainbow hues dancing in the sky before rocketing down toward him like a celestial storm.

"Not good!" Adrian muttered, his heart racing.

He couldn’t block that nor dodge it—not all of it. Adrian’s heart raced as the stars descended toward him, brilliant and lethal, each one burning with the power to obliterate.

He had to move, and fast.

Marilyn had unleashed something far beyond the standard spells they usually sparred with. These weren’t just blasts of magic; they were concentrated, celestial forces aimed to overwhelm him completely.

Even if they weren't actual stars, the energy they bear had that similar feeling.

“She's fighting like she's trying to kill me!”

His body tensed, every muscle primed to dodge, his focus put to the extreme to the point that everything was in slow motion in his mind.

But there was no escape. The stars would be aiming to attack him from all directions, leaving him no room to manoeuvre. Running wasn’t an option. Dispelling them with his sword wouldn’t be enough.

But then, he felt it—the hum of Azure in his hand.

The whip vibrated and glowed with energy, its flames flaring up suddenly, as if sensing the danger. It wasn’t just reacting; it was almost...alive, responding to his prime need.

The heat from the blue flames intensified, swirling along the length of the whip in a hypnotic dance. The magical links shined, the power inside them surging.

Adrian’s eyes narrowed as a plan formed in his mind. He tightened his grip on Azure, feeling the whip pulse in his hand, almost like it was guiding him, pushing him toward the only way to survive the onslaught.

"Alright then," he muttered under his breath, eyes locking on the descending stars. "Let’s see what you can really do.”

He knew of Marilyn's current mindset, of that unknown burden upon her heart, and he hoped that she could move past it. Such sorrow had haunted her for longer than it should have. He could not let it go down that path any further.

Even if this was just a spar, this act shall be an attack of such significance. A prayer of stars.

He knelt down and faced upwards, his gaze switching into one of focus. It was clear what he was about to do.

With controlled motions of his arm, the whip gathered speed, its metallic links cutting through the air in tight circular orbits. Just a few turns were enough to focus the building energy. Like a serpent coiling to strike, the chain links of Azure began to circle him, swirling faster as the Essence in the air thickened around him.

Blue flames erupted along the chain’s length, blazing into an ‘X’ shape that hovered in front of him, radiating intense heat. Now, all he had to do was release it.

"Unleash your reverie, oh Azure!"

With an outwards sweeping motion of his arm, Adrian sent the blue flames surging forward. The whip’s supernatural power intensified, its radiant energy growing fiercer as it collided with the descending stars. Sparks of light erupted from the impact, each flare marking the violent clash between his and Marilyn’s attacks, as their powers struggled to consume one another.

Both forces bent space around them, the air itself forced to obey the power of their wills, and yet—

“—!?”

It all culminated in a spectacular explosion of light and Essence, an instant where everything converged, then detonated in a brilliant shockwave. The force of it struck them both, fierce and unforgiving.

“Aghk—!”

The both of them were sent back, Adrian skidding across the ground, and Marilyn towards the earth as if she were a thrown ball. The result of their ten minute fight, of their opportunity in showing off their skills in combat, ended in a draw.

————————

It was now a few moments after their spar, as the dust had settled. The both of them have picked themselves up and recovered somewhat. And across the clearing, Marilyn was approaching him steadily, adjusting the grip on her staff. Despite the fierce exchange earlier, she wore a faint, unreadable smile.

“You’ve gotten stronger,” she said, her voice steady but soft. Her usual stoicism was tinged with something else—perhaps surprise, perhaps relief. "Azure suits you."

Adrian gave a small, appreciative nod, letting his gaze linger on his enchanted whip, still humming with residual energy. “And you’re as relentless as ever, I think it’s a habit of yours now.”

For a moment, her expression faltered, and she looked away. "Well," she said slowly, "it's easy to forget yourself in a fight."

The silence stretched between them, charged with unspoken words. Adrian saw the hint of something in her eyes. It was clear evidence of something that all of her friends had seen. This wasn’t just a sparring match for her; he could definitely feel it now.

“Marilyn…” He took a step closer, lowering his voice. “I don’t know what burden you’re holding onto, but you don’t have to bear it alone.”

Her gaze flickered toward him, her lips pressed into a tight line. "It's not that simple, Adrian. If you’re trying to get through me again, it won’t work.”

He watched her closely, taking in her guarded stance, her distant eyes. “It’s not easy, I know. But remember our promise together. You don’t have to keep pushing everyone away, pretending that you’re alone.”

She looked at him with a darkened gaze, as if she was visibly annoyed by those words repeated towards her. "What do you know about carrying a burden like this?"

Adrian exhaled, choosing his words carefully. “I know enough that it’s just holding you back from being yourself again. It’s weird, you know?”

For a brief moment, her face softened, a crack in the armour she wore so diligently. She met his gaze, her voice barely a whisper. “...right.”

He smiled, “I’ll let you think about it, but do try to make some progress on that, okay?”

The faintest hint of gratitude flickered in her eyes before she looked away, her usual composure returning. She nodded, almost to herself, then stepped back, her hand raised in a quiet farewell. “I…I’ll think about what you said.”

Without another word, Marilyn turned and walked away, disappearing into the trees and onwards to the manor again, leaving Adrian standing alone in the clearing. The both of them had to prepare for their departure today, but Adrian hoped that somehow his words would be enough to push her forward.

Then—

“Julia, you don’t have to come in unannounced like that.”

Adrian, with a sigh, turned towards that sister of his who attempted to sneak up on him. Despite making no sound at all, no senses alerting him of her presence for she was invisible to it, he could still feel her through his instinctual Essence.

She didn’t react at all, outside of a faint almost invisible blush that she had very briefly. “Adrian, can you come with me for a bit? It’s important,” she said.

He raised an eyebrow at that, and he smiled. It was uncommon of her to do this, so this must be something of interest. “Alright, show me the way.”