The crowd was still buzzing with Evelyn’s name when the screens flickered again. Athena stepped forward, her boots silent over the fractured stone.
"Next match. Silas vs Reia."
Another murmur rippled through the stands.
"They’re fighting again?"
"This is to decide who goes to the quarterfinals... right?"
"Yeah... Reia was crazy fast last time. But Silas is a monster."
Silas rose slowly from where he sat, rolling his massive shoulders as if testing them after the fight with Evelyn. A few veins still pulsed with residual mana glow under his skin. Reia stood too, her motions calm and minimal as always. She adjusted her wrist brace, tightening the straps, her eyes distant and quiet behind her bangs.
They both stepped onto the stage.
Silas grinned wide at her, his teeth white against his tanned skin. "Let’s go, little sis. This time, I’m winning properly."
Reia didn’t answer. She raised her gaze, golden circuits flickering faintly across her temples.
Athena raised her hand.
The gong echoed once more.
Silas charged instantly, the stone cracking under each step. Reia slid sideways with graceful ease, her foot skimming dust as his fist slammed down where she’d been standing. She pivoted, driving her palm into his ribs with pinpoint accuracy. A small burst of mana pulsed through her fingers, forcing the air from his lungs.
But Silas barely flinched. He twisted, his elbow swinging out like a battering ram. Reia ducked under it, stepping back just far enough to avoid his knee that came up immediately after. Their movements were silent except for the low grunts from Silas and the sharp breaths Reia exhaled each time she struck.
[Enhanced Intellect – Prediction Threads Active]
She danced around him like a shadow, her mind reading his patterns, her strikes clean and efficient. But Silas’ durability and brute force kept closing the distance no matter how many pressure points she targeted.
"Come on, Reia!" he growled, swinging his fist down. She sidestepped, but his other arm swept low, catching her ankle mid-pivot and pulling her off balance. She landed with her palms against the stone, immediately pushing off into a backwards roll just as his fist slammed into the spot she’d been lying.
Dust exploded outward.
Reia landed in a crouch, sweat dripping down her cheek, circuits glowing brighter.
[Calculation Field – Overclock]
She moved again, a blur of gold and black, striking his exposed neck with a precision chop. His head jerked sideways, but he only growled louder, blood dripping faintly from his nose. He grabbed her wrist mid-strike, tightening his grip with slow, crushing force.
She twisted, trying to break free, but his grip was unyielding. He lifted her off the ground by the wrist, spinning once and slamming her lightly into the cracked stone. The impact shook dust from the stage surface, but he didn’t let go or continue the attack.
Instead, he lowered her gently back onto her feet. She tried to step back, but he still held her wrist, eyes locked with hers, calm but firm.
She looked up at him, her golden circuits flickering dimmer now as fatigue weighed heavy on her small frame.
"...Don’t hold back just because I’m your sister," she said softly.
His brows lowered, eyes narrowing.
"Don’t hold back in your next match... just because your opponent is a girl."
Silence filled the arena for a moment. Only the wind across the high domes and the distant birds outside the barrier walls could be heard.
She exhaled and pulled her wrist from his hand.
"I forfeit," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Athena raised her hand immediately. "Winner: Silas."
The crowd erupted into cheers for both of them, though it was mixed with murmurs of confusion and respect.
"Why did she do that?"
"She’s his sister... maybe she didn’t want to hurt him."
"No way. Did you see her eyes? She was serious the whole time."
Silas watched Reia walk off the stage, her steps steady despite her limp. As she passed him, she paused just for a moment. Without looking up, she spoke softly.
Then she walked away, her back straight, her shadow stretching long under the arena lights.
Silas stood there a moment, his massive fists clenching and unclenching at his sides. His chest rose and fell heavily as he turned to the crowd, raising one fist high. The students screamed his name, their cheers echoing off the arena walls.
Athena watched silently, her sharp gaze following Reia’s small frame until she disappeared behind the stage curtains. Then she turned back to Silas, nodding once.
"Prepare for your next match," she said, her voice quiet but carrying an edge of approval.
He only grunted in reply, rolling his shoulders as he walked off the stage. The ground seemed to shiver under each heavy step.
And as the crowd buzzed with restless excitement, the golden tally table flickered again above the arena, reshuffling the names for the quarterfinal battles.
Somewhere in the stands, Lucian watched with half-lidded eyes, the corner of his mouth twitching upward into a faint, unreadable smirk.
Reia stepped down from the stage, the cheers fading into background noise. She pulled her wrist brace off, flexing her fingers lightly as she walked towards the side benches where Vyn sat, her grey robes drifting quietly around her.
Vyn’s sharp grey eyes flicked up at her, studying her face with silent focus.
"...Why did you forfeit?" she asked softly, her voice carrying that same detached, unblinking calm.
Reia sat down beside her, placing the wrist brace on her lap. She didn’t look up as she answered.
"What’s the point if I’m going to lose in the next match anyway?" Her tone was flat, almost bored, but a faint tiredness lingered in it. "Besides... my brother has a high chance of coming out second place if he just stops being a fool."
She tilted her head slightly then, her golden eyes flicking across the arena to where Silas was stretching out his arms again, rolling his neck with heavy, cracking motions. Her gaze drifted further—past him, towards the stands.
He sat leaning forward, elbows on his knees, chin resting on his folded hands. His black hair drifted slightly in the breeze that cut through the arena. His half-lidded eyes were locked onto Reia, unreadable as always.
She met his gaze for just a second, then looked away.
Vyn followed her line of sight, then turned back to Reia, tilting her head ever so slightly. "...You already know the outcome."
Reia exhaled softly, almost like a sigh. Her lips curled upward into a faint smile that didn’t touch her tired eyes.
"That’s what my ability is for... right?"
She reached for her water flask, uncapping it with slow, precise fingers and taking a small sip. The golden circuits on her temples had faded now, leaving only faint scars of exhausted mana channels across her skin.
Vyn watched her silently, then turned her gaze forward again, eyes drifting back to Lucian in the stands.
Lucian watched them both with a faint smirk pulling at the edge of his mouth. He closed his eyes briefly, letting the sunlight warm his face, before opening them again to focus on Reia.
What a terrifying mind... he thought, the words echoing in the quiet corners of his mind. She reads the future like it’s an open book... and still chooses where to stop reading.
He let out a small breath through his nose, almost a chuckle. His fingers drummed lightly against his knee as he shifted in his seat, the anticipation coiling quietly under his calm exterior.
The arena lights flickered again as Athena raised her hand, her voice echoing across the silent stage.
"Quarterfinal matches... begin."
The giant screens flickered with the names for the upcoming duels, their glowing letters casting shifting light across the sea of students gathered under the morning sun.
And in the quiet space between those names and the shouts of the crowd, Reia closed her eyes, letting the noise wash over her like a tide she no longer felt.