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 their bodies as sparks of rivalry danced in the air.
Beneath the shade of a nearby tree, the three girls—Sara, Eriska, and Sara—sat quietly, observing the scene unfold like spectators at a familiar show.
Meanwhile, Shion and Eriska wore matching expressions of boredom, their faces reduced to chibi-like deadpan stares as if they'd seen this routine one too many times.
Shion tilted her head toward Eriska and asked,
"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, crossing her arms. "It's not like it matters or anything."
"Ahh, no, it's just—you three look really close. Like, longtime friends or something," Shion said, scratching her cheek awkwardly. "Just like the four of us, you know?"
Eriska blinked, then looked over at Kajin and Gakurei.
Kajin was busy tossing a rock into the air like it was a game, while Gakurei leaned calmly against a tree, arms crossed.
"If you want to know, I think I should tell you," Eriska said, her tone oddly cooperative.
Shion and Sara exchanged a glance, their faces shifting into chibi-like 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 distant.
"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, almost trembling.
"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."
"She looked down, her voice steady despite the weight of her words."
"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 moment, then smiled gently. "You don't have to apologize. Instead, I should say sorry for reminding you about all those bad memories."
An awkward silence lingered 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, tilting her head with mild curiosity.
"Yeah. What about you? Is this your first time, too?" Eriska asked, her voice softening as she glanced at Shion.
"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, her voice faint. "But when Sara decided to take part, I made up my mind too. I wanted to fight alongside my friends."
Eriska glanced at Shion with a faint smirk. "Heh… so you're just tagging along behind your friends, huh? Guess I misjudged you."
Shion blinked, a bit caught off guard. "W-What's that supposed to mean?"
Eriska glanced at Shion with a faint smirk. "Heh… so you're just tagging along behind your friends, huh? Guess I misjudged you."
Shion blinked, a bit caught off guard. "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 are as strong as a monster."
"No, I'm not interested in this at all, a bit," Sara said with a nonchalant face, her expression turning into a cute chibi version of herself.
Her eyes were half-lidded, and her hands hung loosely at her sides, giving off a relaxed, carefree vibe, as if the entire tournament didn't concern her in the slightest. "I only came because Ito was taking part, that's all."
Sara and Eriska said in unison, "That's so like him..." Sara puffed her cheeks, and Eriska rolled her eyes, both amused by his antics.
Shion tilted her head slightly, looking at Eriska.
"Hey Eriska, just curious—why didn't you join the tournament before? You're in your last year at the academy too, aren't you?"
"We wanted to join, too, honestly. But Gakurei had to stay with his little sister, so Kajin and I decided to skip it as well. Then, out of nowhere—just days before the tournament—he shows up and says he's joining. 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 called out, "Come on, Ito! show them what you've got!"
Shion and Eriska exchanged glances, smiling slightly at the unexpected cheer.
Eriska clapped a few times.
Shion turned to her, a bit confused. "Hmm… Eriska, why aren't you cheering for Kajin?"
Eriska crossed her arms and turned her head with a small, annoyed huff. Her cheeks puffed just a little as she muttered, "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, light but unmistakable.
Kajin smirked, tilting his head slightly.
"Heh… Little brother, sounds like they're cheering for you."
Ito gave a small shrug, keeping his gaze steady.
"Yeah… seems like it."
"Hey, if you two are done staring into each other's souls, maybe use the time to actually compete?" Zayden called out flatly, his arms crossed with clear impatience.
"Zayden, why did you give us this stone? And what's that round circle for?" Ito asked, glancing between the object and the markings.
"You see, I've got a fun little game to settle who gets that flag," Zayden said, raising his index finger with a sly grin.
"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 of the circle faster, wins. If only one of you pulls it off, that's the winner. Got it?"
"Wait, isn't using powers against the tournament rules?" Gakurei asked.
"No, not at all. As long as you're not fighting each other, it's allowed." Zayden replied.
"Brother, you can go first," Kajin said with a casual nod, stepping back with a confident smirk.
"Huh... What, really?" Ito blinked, pointing at himself in surprise.
"Yeah," Kajin said with a confident grin. "Show me your full strength first… then I'll show you mine."
With a confident smile tugging at his lips, Ito stepped forward.
His fingers tightened around the rough stone, breath steady.
A faint hum pulsed around him as his white aura flared to life—light crackling softly at his feet.
Then, with a sharp twist of his body, he launched the stone skyward, his entire frame surging with energy.
Whoooosh!