Chapter 53: The Clash of Pride
The hype was real.
Cheers echoed across the stadium like waves crashing against a cliff. The stands roared with excitement as students shouted from every direction.
"Let's go Lucas!"
"Show us what the Storm Family is made of!"
"Get her, man! One strike and she's out!"
At the center stage, Lucas Storm stood tall, his sharp black eyes glinting beneath strands of his messy blue hair. His spear rested against his shoulder, casual but deadly. Across from him stood Seraphine Ashfall, calm and composed, her golden eyes locked on her opponent with quiet intensity. Her long crimson hair was tied loosely behind her back, and her white blazer fluttered lightly with the wind.
Whispers spread among the crowd.
"Wait, I think I know her..."
"Isn't she from the Ashfall family?"
"Ashfall? Weren't they some powerful family that crumbled a while back?"
"Ohhh... so she's from a fallen clan? Hah!"
Laughter broke out from some corners of the crowd.
Lucas looked her over and grinned. "So you're from a fallen family. Doesn't matter. Even if you were still noble, I was gonna crush you anyway."
Seraphine didn't flinch. She smiled slightly, her voice confident. "We'll see who crushes who. I'm not from a fallen family anymore. I belong to something much more powerful now."
Lucas raised an eyebrow as he noticed the sword in her hand. "You use a sword?"
"And you use a spear. Come on then. Show me what you've got," Seraphine replied, her grip tightening around the hilt.
The match started with a flash.
Both ran at each other in a blur. Their weapons clashed with a loud metallic ring.
CLASH!
Sparks flew as sword and spear collided. Neither of them held back. Lucas moved with precise strikes, never letting Seraphine close the distance. Each jab of his spear forced her back, but she met every blow with fast footwork and clean parries.
The battle became a dance of speed and instinct. Seraphine weaved through the air like a flame, her sword slicing through openings while Lucas countered with swift and brutal thrusts.
Cheers exploded in the stands.
"Whoa! That girl's holding her ground against Lucas?!"
"She's amazing!"
Lucas laughed mid-battle, eyes gleaming. "Hahaha! You're better than I thought! This is getting fun!"
Even then, neither had used their abilities.
This was pure skill. Pure strength. Trained in the other world.
SWISH!
Lucas' spear grazed Seraphine's shoulder, cutting through her coat and shirt and slicing into her skin. A shallow line of blood formed. The pain burned, but Seraphine didn't back down.
She looked down at her shoulder, then smirked. "Guess it's time I got serious too."
Lucas didn't wait. He dashed forward, spear aimed straight at her chest.
___
STATS
SERAPHINE ASHFALL
LEVEL: 160
STRENGTH: 80
SPEED: 90
ENDURANCE: 75
IQ: 80
Abilities: Queen's Eyes (SSS), Enhanced Reflex (A), Speed Rush (A)
She activated Enhanced Reflex.
Her body moved with unnatural precision. With a slight tilt and twist, she dodged the spear.
Then came her counter.
She spun, her body gathering momentum.
A right sword hook.
___
[Technique Note] Sword Hook is a counter technique, used after a dodge or when the opponent drops their guard. It relies on rotational momentum, similar to a boxing hook, but with a blade. In the other world, it became a basic yet deadly move for sword users.
Her sword curved sharply toward Lucas.
A sharp gasp rang out as blood sprayed from Lucas' left arm. He'd caught the blade with his bare hand.
But he didn't seem angry.
He stood there, blood dripping, and laughed.
"Hahaha... You're amazing."
Seraphine froze. Her attack had left her wide open. If Lucas attacked now, she wouldn't be able to block.
Instead, Lucas turned and walked toward the edge of the stage.
"I give up," he said.
Gasps. Silence.
Seraphine stared at him, confused. "What...? Why?"
Lucas stopped and looked back with a grin. "If that sword had reached me, I would've lost my head. You won."
"But... you caught it."
"Still got off the stage, didn't I?"
The announcement echoed.
"The winner is Seraphine Ashfall!"
The crowd roared.
But Seraphine didn't smile.
She looked down at her sword, then at Lucas as he left. "He could have beaten me... and he didn't even use his ability."
She stepped down slowly. Raven and Lyra waited for her.
"I lost," she said quietly.
Raven didn't say anything right away. Then he smiled. "Doesn't matter. You learned something, didn't you?"
Seraphine looked up at him. His calm expression made her feel lighter.
"Lucas is a good guy," Lyra added. "We should ask him to join sister-in-law's guild."
"He won't," Raven replied. "He's from the Storm family. They'll make their own guild. He's our rival... but I wouldn't mind being his friend."
Seraphine nodded slowly, still thoughtful.
"Your fight's next, right?" she asked Lyra.
"I already finished. Total wipeout. The guy was a loser," Lyra said proudly.
Raven flicked her ear. "Don't call people losers. Maybe you're stronger, but that doesn't mean they don't matter. If Lucas had defeated Seraphine and called her a loser, would you be okay with that?"
"Ow! Okay, okay, I get it! Let go!" Lyra groaned.
Seraphine chuckled at the sight.
"Lyra, come to the restroom with me. I need to treat this shoulder."
"Coming!" Lyra said and quickly walked to her side.
As they walked away, Lyra glanced back. "Brother, don't lose like an idiot!"
Raven exhaled, a smirk playing on his lips.
His turn was next.
___
Inside The Academy Infirmary
Inside the Academy infirmary, the air is cool and still. Seraphine sits on the bed, her white blazer and shirt removed. A bandage wraps around her bare shoulder, pressed gently against her skin. Only her bra remains above, the fabric slightly ruffled from the treatment.
The nurse finishes tying the bandage and offers a smile.
"You should rest for a while. I'll be in the next room—there are many students injured today."
Lyra nods. "Okay. We'll stay here."
As the nurse leaves, the door clicks shut. The room falls into silence.
Seraphine leans back slightly, adjusting the edge of her bandage with a wince.
"What do you think? Will we make it to Class A?"
Lyra crosses her arms, leaning against the nearby cabinet. "We both won, so we have a chance."
She pauses, thinking. "But with so many students—five hundred new ones, not to mention the seniors… I don't think just winning is enough. They'll probably evaluate our overall strength and performance. Let's hope we stand out."
Seraphine nods. "Yeah…"
A strange smile curves on Lyra's face. Her voice lowers, just a bit too calm.
"I love this. The power… the strength. I'm not afraid anymore. I'm going to keep getting stronger… and I'm going to make them all pay."
Seraphine glances up at her, sensing something odd in her tone. "Lyra…?"
Lyra's eyes glimmer with something close to madness. "You know what I mean, right? All those people who looked down on me. Hurt me. I used to be scared. But now—" she laughs softly, "—now I want them to feel what I felt."
Seraphine narrows her eyes. "You should calm down."
"I am calm," Lyra replies, stepping closer. "You know what they did. You know how they treated me. So why do you always defend them?"
Her voice sharpens. Then, without warning, she grabs Seraphine's chin, tilting it upward.
"You're no fun sometimes, Seraphine…"
Seraphine blinks. "What are you doing?"
Instead of answering, Lyra pushes her gently back onto the bed and climbs over her, straddling her lap. Her hands press against Seraphine's shoulders.
Her smile turns playful, but her eyes remain unsettling.
"You're strong now too. You're not scared of me… right?"
Seraphine sighs and shifts, grabbing Lyra's hair and pulling her down into a reversal. She ends up on top of her.
"I should beat you up," she mutters. "What are you even doing?"
Lyra laughs beneath her. "See? Even you're different now. You would never have done this before."
Her hand trails up to Seraphine's waist, then brushes along her toned abs. "You've trained hard. Your body's changed. And so has your mind. You're not soft anymore."
Seraphine doesn't move. Her hand rests lightly against Lyra's cheek.
"Listen, I know what you've been through. But don't lose yourself. We still have unfinished business — Nyra. You remember her, don't you?"
At that name, Lyra's grin fades slightly. "Nyra… that bitch."
Her voice hardens. "I'll take her down. Maybe not now, but one day. I swear I will."
Lyra leans up suddenly and wraps her arms around Seraphine, pulling her close.
"I don't know what's happening to me. Since we came back… I don't feel the same. I don't care the way I used to. It's like something's missing. Or maybe something broke."
Seraphine looks at her for a moment, then quietly shifts away, sitting at the edge of the bed.
"I know. Just… don't let that part of you vanish. I don't want to lose the real Lyra."
Lyra comes up behind her, wrapping her arms around Seraphine again. She rests her chin on Seraphine's shoulder, her hands lingering as she speaks softly. "You always think better for me. That's why I like you…"
She chuckles, brushing her lips gently against Seraphine's neck before pulling away.
"I'll see you later," Lyra said, her voice light again. She walks to the door and glances back. "Don't miss me too much."
As the door closes behind her, Seraphine exhales slowly. "She's going off the rails," she murmurs to herself. A small smile touches her lips. "But she's still my Lyra."
___
Outside the Infirmary
Lyra leans against the gate, her long white hair slipping over her shoulder, brushing against her black eyes that gleam with quiet mischief.
"I think that's enough for now," she murmurs, lips curling into a sly smile. "This should keep Seraphine from thinking about him too much."
She twirls a strand of hair around her finger, the image of Lucas holding Seraphine's sword flashing in her mind.
"That Lucas guy's got some rizz… Admitting defeat while holding her sword? Does he think that'll win her over?" Her smile twists darker.
"I'll give him seven points for effort," she mutters, her fingers grazing the hilt of her sword. "But next… he has to face my brother."
She glances one last time at the infirmary door, her expression unreadable.
Then, with a small huff, she turns and walks down the corridor—shoes echoing lightly against the polished floor—as she heads back toward the stadium.
"Let's see how Raven's doing."