Ms. Liora turned to me, her expression unreadable—except for the tiniest hint of amusement flickering in her golden eyes. "Don't worry, Sera," she said, a knowing smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "You might actually enjoy this next one."
I narrowed my eyes at her. "That's... suspicious."
Lillian hummed beside me, resting a hand on her hip. "Indeed," she said. "The only time Sera enjoys a battle is when she's winning."
I shot her a glare, but Ms. Liora only chuckled.
"Oh, you'll enjoy this, trust me," she said smoothly, folding her arms. "Because this time, I might've conducted a little friendly match against someone you might know."
I froze.
"What?"
Lillian's expression sharpened. "Who?"
Ms. Liora simply gestured ahead, toward the bridge—the golden light spilling onto the path, casting two familiar silhouettes.
My stomach dropped.
No way.
The figures stepped forward, and I caught the gleam of silver-white hair and dark brown locks.
And then, just like that—Claire and Camille emerged from the golden glow.
Claire, arms crossed, grinning. Camille, adjusting her gloves, smirking.
"Oh, hell no," I muttered.
Claire beamed. "Sera! You made it!" she said, placing her hands on her hips. "Took you long enough! We've been waiting here for ages."
Camille, standing beside her, sighed dramatically. "Truly, it was such a pain waiting for you two," she said, rolling her shoulders. "But I suppose the anticipation made it all the more exciting."
Exciting?
Exciting?!
Moreover, "We arrived first!"
I could already feel Lillian tensing beside me. Not out of fear, no—she was thrilled.
"Ah," Lillian mused, taking a graceful step forward, her rapier gleaming under the artificial light. "So this is what you meant, Professor."
Ms. Liora nodded. "That's right. Your next trial—a battle." She smiled at me. "And your opponents? Well… let's just say it's a little friendly competition."
I felt a wave of betrayal. "Friendly?" I echoed. "Against those two maniacs?" I gestured wildly at Claire and Camille. "That's not friendly, that's a death match!"
Claire laughed. Actually laughed.
Camille smiled sweetly. "You wound me, Sera. What ever do you mean?"
I turned back to Ms. Liora. "So, what? You're just letting them fight us?" I asked, exasperated.
Ms. Liora nodded. "Exactly."
I groaned. "This is just the maid café incident all over again."
Lillian chuckled, flipping her hair. "Except this time," she said, voice dripping with confidence, "I get to win."
Claire's eyes sparkled with mischief. "We'll see about that."
Camille sighed, adjusting her gloves once more. "Shall we begin, then?"
Ms. Liora took a step back, motioning toward the center of the field. "The rules are simple," she said. "Victory is determined when one team yields or is unable to continue. No lethal force, but you are encouraged to fight at your full potential."
She looked at me. "Do you understand?"
I exhaled, shaking off the lingering dread. This wasn't the time to panic. I could do this. Lillian and I could do this.
I met Ms. Liora's gaze and nodded.
"Alright," she said, stepping back.
Then, in a sharp, commanding voice:
"Begin."
The moment the word "Begin" left Ms. Liora's lips, the battlefield exploded into chaos.
Camille moved first.
[Glacial Veil.]
A burst of frost magic surged from her fingertips, instantly coating the ground in a thin sheet of ice. Slick, dangerous, disorienting. I barely had a second to react before Claire followed up—her movements were fast, the wind whipping around her, a clear indication she was preparing something.
Lillian, ever graceful, adjusted immediately. She lifted her rapier, the golden gemstone on its hilt flashing as she analyzed the battlefield.
"They're trying to force us to lose footing," she murmured. "Camille controls the field, and Claire controls the momentum."
She turned to me, a smirk forming on her lips. "How adorable."
Adorable? I was about to slip and break my neck!
"Lillian, I hope you have a plan!" I hissed, barely keeping myself steady on the ice.
"Of course I do," she purred.
I knew that tone.
It meant I was about to be thrown into absolute madness.
Before I could even ask, Lillian suddenly grabbed my waist and pulled me flush against her. My breath hitched as she dipped her head, her lips dangerously close to my ear.
"Hold onto me, darling," she whispered. "And don't let go."
"Wha—?!"
Without another warning, Lillian lifted me into the air. Literally. One moment, I was standing on ice, the next, I was weightless as she carried me bridal-style.
I barely had a second to process the sheer audacity of this woman before Camille's voice rang out from the other side.
"Is that really your strategy?" Camille called, unimpressed. "Holding Sera like a princess? What exactly is that going to—"
[Luminous Dash.]
The moment Lillian activated her magic, a golden trail of light erupted beneath her feet. In an instant, she shot forward like a comet, completely bypassing the ice trap without slipping even once.
Oh.
Oh.
Lillian's speed was ridiculous.
I barely registered what was happening before we were already in Camille's range. Lillian adjusted her grip on me effortlessly, holding me with just one arm as she swung her rapier in a precise arc.
Camille barely managed to block in time, summoning an ice barrier to shield herself from the strike. The sheer force of the impact sent her skidding backward.
"Okay, that was impressive," Camille admitted, rubbing her arm.
Lillian laughed softly, but there was a sharpness to it. She twirled her rapier with ease, never once releasing me from her hold.
"Isn't that what you like about me?" she teased.
Oh. Oh.
Camille's eyes narrowed slightly, her expression unreadable.
Claire, on the other hand, was laughing.
"I did not expect that!" Claire grinned, summoning a whirlwind around herself. "That was kinda hot, not gonna lie."
I wanted to disappear.
"LILLIAN, PUT ME DOWN!" I shrieked, kicking my legs.
She tilted her head. "Are you sure?"
Before I could protest, she gently spun me around and set me on my feet. It should've been graceful, seamless—but my legs were still wobbly from the shock, so I stumbled right into her chest.
Her arms wrapped around me instantly. Steadying. Secure. Warm.
"There, there," she murmured, smirking. "You're safe."
I was going to scream.
From across the battlefield, Camille exhaled.
"Alright, no more playing around," she muttered.
[Frozen Barrage.]
Suddenly, hundreds of ice shards materialized around Camille, forming a deadly, floating array of crystal-like daggers.
My blood ran cold.
Camille raised a single hand. "Let's begin for real."
And then—she launched them all at once.
"Lillian!" I shouted.
But she was already moving.
[Radiant Guard.]
In a blink, a golden barrier of light formed in front of us, shielding us from the first wave of Camille's assault. The ice shards shattered against the divine-like defense, the impact causing bursts of frost to erupt around us.
Claire moved in from the side, fast, unpredictable. She sprinted up a gust of wind, using it as a platform to launch herself into the air.
I could see it in her stance—she was preparing for a heavy strike.
Lillian's gaze flickered upward. "Sera. Your move."
She wasn't holding me anymore.
This was my moment.
I clenched my fists, my mind instantly switching gears.
No more distractions. No more flustered thoughts.
Time to fight.
[Frostbind.]
I thrust my hands forward, releasing a concentrated pulse of ice magic. A thick layer of frost suddenly coated Claire's boots, stopping her mid-air and throwing off her landing.
"Whoa—!" Claire yelped, trying to adjust—but I wasn't done.
[Glacial Spikes.]
Ice burst from the ground beneath her, jagged and unforgiving, forcing her to dodge mid-air. She twisted her body, flipping gracefully as she barely avoided the attack.
But I wasn't aiming for her.
I was aiming for her momentum.
As she landed, she lost just enough footing for Lillian to close the distance.
[Dazzling Thrust.]
Lillian's rapier glowed brightly, and in a single motion, she struck forward, the force behind it sending Claire skidding backward.
Camille reacted instantly, conjuring another barrier of ice to prevent Claire from losing ground.
But I was already countering.
[Frigid Bloom.]
From the shattered frost beneath Claire's feet, icy vines erupted, wrapping around her ankles and freezing over.
Her eyes widened.
"Oh, come on—!"
Before she could break free, Lillian was in front of her again.
Her rapier hovered just under Claire's chin.
A smirk tugged at Lillian's lips.
"Yield?" she asked sweetly.
Claire gritted her teeth. "Not happening."
And just like that, she burst free.
Wind exploded from around her, shattering the ice, sending Lillian sliding back.
I barely had time to react before Camille was already in front of me.
[Froststep.]
In an instant, she closed the distance, her boots gliding seamlessly over the ice-covered battlefield like it was her own personal domain.
I lifted my hand, ready to counter with another ice spell—but she was faster.
[Glacial Bind.]
My feet suddenly locked in place, the frost creeping up my legs in a chilling embrace.
Shit.
Before I could react, Camille thrust her palm forward—a concentrated blast of ice magic surged straight at me.
But just as the attack was about to land—
A warm golden glow enveloped me.
[Radiant Shift.]
And then, suddenly—I wasn't there anymore.
I was swept off my feet, pulled into a protective hold, and spun gracefully out of danger.
When I blinked, I found myself staring straight into Lillian's emerald-green eyes.
"Are you alright?" she murmured, her voice smooth, unwavering.
I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.
Because—because she was holding me again.
Lillian had me cradled in her arms, her grip firm yet careful, her face far too close.
For a brief second, I forgot about Camille. I forgot about the fight.
All I could focus on was the warmth of her touch.
The way her breath fanned against my cheek.
"Earth to Sera?" she teased, a smirk curling at her lips. "Or did I make your heart skip again?"
Oh my god.
I shoved at her shoulder, my face burning. "Put me down!"
She laughed. But—she listened.
Gently, she set me back on my feet, her hands lingering just long enough to make sure I was steady.
But Camille was already on the move again.
"Cute moment," Camille called, flicking her wrist. "But we're not done."
[Frozen Edge.]
A set of razor-sharp ice blades formed around her, rotating in the air like a storm of deadly petals.
Lillian sighed, shaking her head. "Persistent, aren't you?"
She lifted her rapier, her stance poised, deadly.
"Let's finish this."
[Dazzling Tempest.]
A golden arc of light magic surged forward from her blade, clashing against Camille's ice storm head-on.
The moment they collided, a blinding explosion of frost and light erupted around us.
I raised my arm to shield my eyes from the impact, the air thick with magic.
And in that moment—I saw my opening.
I gathered my magic, channeling everything into my hands.
[Absolute Frost.]
The temperature dropped instantly.
Everything froze.
Camille's spinning ice blades? Encased in crystalized frost.
Claire's whirlwind? Snuffed out, frozen in the air like a sculpture.
Even the lingering golden embers of Lillian's magic? Coated in thin, shimmering ice.
Camille's eyes widened. "Oh—"
But before she could react—
I moved.
[Froststep.]
I skated across the frozen battlefield, using the ice itself as my momentum.
I twisted, landing just behind Camille.
[Glacial Bind.]
A thick, unbreakable pillar of ice erupted beneath her feet—freezing her in place.
She struggled, her magic flaring—but it was too late.
Lillian was already there.
Her rapier's tip hovered just at Camille's throat.
"You fought well," Lillian said smoothly, grinning. "Yield?"
Camille let out a breath. Then, she laughed.
"Alright, alright. You got me."
She raised her hands in surrender.
Claire groaned dramatically from across the field. "Man, and here I thought we had them!"
"You almost did," I admitted, breathing heavily. "Almost."
Then, before I could react—
Lillian looped an arm around my waist and pulled me against her.
Again.
Her voice was low, teasing.
"But look at you," she murmured, leaning in just enough that I could feel the warmth of her breath.
"You're so strong when you let yourself be."
I stiffened.
And from the corner of my eye—I saw Camille smirking.
Oh.
Oh no.
I was never going to hear the end of this.