Eriska huffed, crossing her arms with a sharp flick of her hair."Hmph... Fine then," she muttered, turning slightly away. "Do whatever you want. But don't come crying to me if you fail."
Despite her words, the faintest hint of concern lingered in her eyes.
Zayden raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips."So then, how are you two gonna decide about that flag this time?"
Kajin perked up instantly, eyes gleaming with mischief."Obviously with a competition, duh."
Gakurei let out a quiet sigh, rubbing his temple."Here we go again..."
Both brothers fired up, stretching and warming up as sparks of rivalry danced in the air.
Under the shade of a nearby tree, the girls—Sara, Shion, and Eriska—sat watching the familiar show unfold.
Shion and Eriska wore matching deadpan stares, their expressions reduced to flat chibi-like boredom.They'd seen this scene far too many times.
Shion tilted her head toward Eriska."Hey, I've been meaning to ask—are you three, you, Kajin, and Gakurei, from the same nation?"
"Huh? Why are you asking about that?" Eriska huffed again, arms still crossed. "It's not like it matters or anything."
"Ahh, no, it's just—you three look really close. Like longtime friends or something," Shion replied, scratching her cheek awkwardly. "Just like the four of us, you know?"
Eriska blinked, then glanced toward Kajin and Gakurei.
Kajin was busy tossing a rock into the air like a game, while Gakurei leaned calmly against a tree, arms crossed.
"If you want to know, I guess I should tell you," Eriska said, her tone softening unexpectedly.
Shion and Sara exchanged a glance, their faces flattening into disbelief.So easy, they both thought in unison.
"...We're from the Pionin Nation," Eriska said quietly."The three of us have been together since we were kids. But unlike you all... we grew up with nothing."
She paused. Her eyes drifted into the distance.
"I had only my father—he worked the fields every day just to feed us. Kajin... He had no parents. He used to steal food just to survive. Every time he got caught, he was beaten half to death."
Her voice lowered, barely audible.
"And Gakurei... He worked day and night to care for his sick mother and little sister. His father? A drunk who stole all his earnings and beat them both. Eventually, his mother passed. And now, his sister is suffering from that same illness."
Her tone remained steady, but her eyes betrayed the pain behind those memories.
"If it weren't for the Knight Academy... none of us would be here. They gave us food, clothes, a place to belong. A second chance. They're even covering the medical bills for Gakurei's sister."
Eriska lifted her eyes, her voice quieter now."Sorry… I didn't mean to get all emotional. Just... thinking back on everything."
Shion looked at her for a long moment, then smiled gently."You don't have to apologize. I should be the one saying sorry for bringing all that up."
An awkward silence hung between them—until Shion suddenly clapped her hands, breaking the tension."Alright! Let's talk about something else for now."
"Hmm, Eriska, is this your first time participating in the tournament?" Shion asked curiously.
"Yeah. What about you? First time, too?" Eriska asked, her voice softer now.
"It's nothing big... It's just that I don't have much courage. Going alone, facing all those other students—it's kind of scary," Shion admitted with a faint voice."But when Sara decided to take part, I made up my mind too. I wanted to fight alongside my friends."
Eriska smirked faintly."Heh… So you're just tagging along behind your friends, huh? Guess I misjudged you."
Shion blinked, surprised."W-What's that supposed to mean?"
Eriska shrugged."Nothing. Just didn't think someone like you needed a safety net. Though now I'm wondering… why didn't you, Sara, participate earlier? You're as strong as a monster."
Sara blinked, her expression turning into a chibi version of herself—blank-eyed, relaxed, and totally disinterested."No, not interested in this at all. I only came because Ito was taking part, that's all."
Sara and Eriska spoke in unison."That's so like him..."
Sara puffed her cheeks.Eriska rolled her eyes.Both looked faintly amused.
Then, Shion turned again, this time with a tilt of her head."Hey Eriska, just curious—why didn't you join the tournament before? You're in your last year too, right?"
"We wanted to join, too. But Gakurei had to stay with his little sister, so Kajin and I skipped it with him. Then, out of nowhere—just days before the tournament—he shows up and says he's joining."
She scoffed."When we asked about his sister, he just grinned and went, 'She's alright!' Like it was nothing."
Shion nodded casually."Oh, I see… It's really good that his sister's doing okay now."
Suddenly, Sara stood up and cupped her hands."Come on, Ito! Show them what you've got!"
Shion and Eriska exchanged glances, both smiling slightly at the unexpected cheer.
Eriska clapped a few times.Shion turned to her, puzzled."Hmm… why aren't you cheering for Kajin?"
Eriska huffed, arms crossed again, puffing her cheeks slightly."I'm not cheering for that idiot."
Ito and Kajin stood face-to-face from a distance, eyes locked in quiet intensity.The cheers from the girls drifted through the air, soft but unmistakable.
Kajin smirked and tilted his head."Heh… Little brother, sounds like they're cheering for you."
Ito gave a small shrug, gaze steady."Yeah… seems like it."
"Hey!" Zayden called out flatly, arms crossed. "If you two are done staring into each other's souls, maybe actually compete?"
Ito raised a brow."Zayden, why did you give us this stone? And what's that round circle for?"
Zayden grinned, raising one finger."You see, I've got a fun little game to settle who gets that flag."
"You'll each take turns. First, throw that rock as high as you can—Zone powers allowed. Then, before it hits the ground, try to push Gakurei out of the circle."
"Whoever throws the rock higher and lands a harder impact and manages to throw Gakurei out faster, wins. If only one of you pulls it off, that's the winner. Got it?"
"Wait, isn't using powers against the rules?" Gakurei asked.
"Nope. As long as you're not fighting each other, it's allowed," Zayden replied.
Kajin motioned casually."Brother, you go first."
"Huh... What, really?" Ito blinked, pointing at himself.
"Yeah," Kajin nodded, grin widening. "Show me your full strength first… then I'll show you mine."
With a small smile, Ito stepped forward.
He took a breath.His fingers tightened around the rough stone.A hum pulsed around him—his white aura flaring gently, crackling at his feet.
Then, with a sudden twist of his body—Whoooosh!He launched the stone skyward, light trailing behind it.