The night had draped its velvet cloak over the town of Valerra, stars twinkling above like silent watchers of fate. The air smelled of baked bread and lingering bonfire smoke from the Banquet of Hope. Laughter had faded into silence. Most were now asleep—at peace for the first time in weeks.
But Noah Von Augustus sat upright in his bed, staring at the ceiling. Shadows danced along the wooden panels as candlelight flickered beside him. Around him lay the three girls who had become both his strength and his burden to protect.
Scarlett clung to his left arm, breathing softly, her face turned toward him, her scarlet hair like flames on the pillow. Lyra was on his right, her jet-black hair resting over his chest, her cold hands clasped around his own. Layla lay completely on top of him, her head on his chest, arms curled possessively around his shoulders as if he might disappear if she let go.
Noah stared into the dark.
"I was weak."
His voice was low but resolute.
"I could barely stand against the Corruption Queen. If Layla hadn't unleashed her Domain… if you hadn't been there…" He swallowed hard. "I don't want to rely on miracles again."
Scarlett stirred slightly, opening one crimson eye.
"Then don't," she whispered. "Make yourself the miracle."
Lyra's fingers curled tighter around his.
"You don't need to carry this alone, Noah. But… I agree. We need to grow."
Layla didn't move, but her lips curled upward into a sleepy smirk.
"About time you decided to act like the protagonist again."
"We're going to train," Noah said. "Inside the Soul Space. We stay until all of us are above S-Rank. I don't care if it takes weeks. We have to be ready for what's coming."
Scarlett sat up, fire in her eyes.
"You really think I'll let some cursed ghost bride get ahead of me?"
"You never had a chance to begin with," Layla said dreamily.
Lyra nodded, standing with calm determination.
"You said we'd reach the peak. Let's start climbing."
Noah opened the swirling vortex beside the bed, and without hesitation, they all entered the Soul Space.
Soul Space: Transcendence Grounds
The moment they stepped in, the world shimmered around them.
Where once there was only emptiness, now stood a breathtaking expanse of living beauty. Crystal trees shimmered with mana, flowers pulsed with soft light, a lake reflected the stars, and a small wooden house stood in the distance—a symbol of their unity.
But Noah's expression remained serious. He raised a finger and snapped.
"Battle mode."
In an instant, the beauty vanished. The lake dried. The grass cracked into stone. Craters appeared, dummy constructs arose in the distance, and jagged mountains loomed under a blood-red sky.
"Time dilation: One hour in real world equals one week here."
With a wave of his hand, Noah summoned twenty clones—each brimming with power, each mirroring a part of himself.
"Split and assign."
Eleven clones broke away into the distance to resume internal training: swordsmanship, mana control, spell refining, and elemental mastery.
Six surrounded Scarlett and Lyra. The remaining three joined Noah and stared at Layla, who cracked her neck.
"Try not to bore me."
Scarlett & Lyra vs Noah's Clones
Scarlett surged forward, her body melting into shadows. Twin daggers of crimson light formed in her hands.
"Shadow Step!"
She vanished and reappeared behind a clone, slashing its back. Another clone fired a Wind Slash, but she dodged mid-air and retaliated with:
"Dagger Storm!" — dozens of glowing blades burst from her back, shredding two clones mid-formation.
Lyra stood still, her aura calm but chilling. The ground beneath her frosted over as she extended her palm.
"Glacial Barrier."
Ice erupted around her, deflecting a clone's fireball. She thrust her hand forward:
"Frost Lance!" — a massive icy spear formed and launched at her target, exploding into a storm of razors upon impact.
Two clones advanced from the side. Lyra's eyes glowed.
"Blizzard's Wrath."
A cyclone of snow and frost formed around her, freezing everything it touched. Scarlett appeared beside her, breathing hard, then grinned.
"We're a good team, huh?"
"As long as you don't stab me in the back," Lyra replied, her voice as frosty as her magic.
Noah vs Layla: Duel of Shadows and Stars
The air shifted as Layla summoned her Fallen Scythe, its curved blade dripping with cursed petals.
Noah raised his Eclipse Blade, light and shadow swirling around it. His three clones flanked him, each wielding a different elemental form—Fire, Lightning, and Earth.
"Come then, dear," Layla whispered. "Let me carve devotion into your bones."
She lunged.
Her scythe met Noah's blade with a thunderous clang, sending shockwaves across the battlefield.
"Phantom Edge: Third Form!" Noah shouted—slashing diagonally with shadow trailing behind.
Layla flipped mid-air, avoided the strike, and retaliated.
"Weight of the Damned!"
The entire battlefield warped. Noah's body felt heavy—crushed under an invisible force. One of his clones collapsed instantly.
"Mana Domain: Expansion!" he roared, releasing a pulse of pure force.
The weight lifted slightly. He dashed forward, engaging Layla in a flurry of high-speed swordplay. Fire clone flanked her, launching:
"Flame Burst Spiral!"
Layla responded by snapping her fingers.
"Cursed Reflection."
The flame spell reversed—hitting the fire clone instead, which exploded into ash.
"That's two down," she giggled. "You'll need to do better than that."
Noah's lightning clone struck from above.
"Thunderfall Strike!"
A beam of lightning fell from the sky—but Layla summoned a wall of black vines.
"Veil of Misfortune."
The strike fizzled into harmless sparks.
"You're beautiful when you try so hard," Layla whispered as she appeared behind Noah—scythe poised.
But Noah smirked.
"You talk too much."
"What—?"
"Skill Fusion: Phantom Flame Blade."
He twisted and swung—combining shadow and fire into a blade of flaming darkness that scorched the air and forced Layla back for the first time.
"Now that's more like it…" Layla's expression shifted—her eyes gleaming with thrill. "Shall we go serious now?"
End of Round One
Layla stood, untouched, amused.
Scarlett and Lyra were breathing hard, faces flushed, frost and shadow still lingering in the air.
Noah was on one knee, sword cracked, two clones gone, the last flickering with broken mana.
"You've all grown," Layla said, walking toward them. "But growth isn't enough. It must be honed."
Scarlett smirked, wiping her lip.
"Then let's keep going."
"Yes," Lyra whispered. "We're not done yet."
Noah stood, blade glowing again.
"We'll train until we no longer hope to win… but expect it."
And the Soul Space roared with life once more.
-To be continued..