Isoldes's perspective
I was about to witness something I'd been waiting years for. I didn't know if it was a sign of fate or just an inevitable chapter… but there I was, on the edge of the outcome that had been brewing for so long.
Lucy, my brother, was about to face someone who didn't just tower over him in height but in presence too. That guy didn't feel like just a rival. There was something… heavy about him. Like he carried a story that made him bigger, darker.
"Hey," someone said beside me, interrupting my thoughts. They sat right in Lucius's spot. "Isolde, right?"
"Yeah. What are you doing here?" I couldn't hide my irritation. That was Lucy's spot. Even if it didn't really matter, I couldn't help feeling like it was something sacred being invaded.
"Nothing special. Since Lucius is busy, I thought I'd keep you company. It'd be rude to leave you alone," Gareth replied, toying with his hair as if his mere presence was a work of art. He had that vibe of a good-looking, slightly egotistical guy… but behind it, he was surprisingly kind. Annoyingly so, actually.
"Hmm… Fine. But keep quiet. I want to watch my brother tear that poor guy to shreds."
"Shreds, huh? You're that confident?"
What was that supposed to mean?
Obviously, Lucy was going to win. He's trained with near-obsessive discipline, mastering both magic and physical combat with a rigor I could never match. The Paradox style… it's more than just fighting. It's a philosophy. And Lucy embodies it.
"I hear the guy he's up against… he's known for causing trouble. A lot of it, actually. If I may, I think Lucius is going to have a tough time."
"What? No. That's not possible. Lucy's going to destroy him. I know it."
"Alright! Begin!"
Gareth was about to reply, but the fight started. My attention snapped to the battle. The opponent's name slipped my mind. Leonard? Yeah… something like that.
Lucy didn't move. He stood still. Assessing. Calculating. Like he always does.
Leonard began circling him, looking for an opening. But Lucy doesn't leave gaps. Still, it was only a matter of time before one of them made the first move.
Leonard struck. A punch aimed straight at the ribs. Lucy dodged fluidly and countered with a kick that sent Leonard stumbling back. Without pause, Lucy chased him and landed a knee to his face.
Muay Thai.
"I've never seen anything like that. It's not like anything they usually teach," Gareth murmured, his eyes glued to the scene.
"Really? I thought it was normal."
"Normal? That style is unique. Where did he learn it? The whole system is different."
I didn't answer. Partly because I didn't know how to explain it. Partly because Lucy hit the ground again.
Leonard had thrown him with brutal force. Lucy rolled, using wind magic to propel himself upward. In mid-air, he aimed a low kick at Leonard's head.
Taekwondo.
Leonard blocked it. He grabbed Lucy mid-air. The strength gap was obvious. Lucy looked surprised, and for a second, I doubted.
But that doubt was the opening. Lucy used the grip as leverage, spinning and landing a roundhouse kick that forced Leonard to let go.
"What…?" Gareth seemed more shocked than I was. "Is Leonard… losing? Wow, that's unexpected. That guy beat up half the western territory of the kingdom…"
"Half the… what?"
I wasn't sure what surprised me more—his words or the casual way he said them.
"Haha… Yeah, well. Most of them. He even put me on the ground. Walked away like it was nothing."
I didn't reply. Suddenly, the conversation felt absurd. I'd never talked about real fights. Not like this. Just training, theory… assumptions. This was different. This was real.
I turned back to the fight. And I saw it. Lucy on the ground. Confused. Like he didn't know what to do anymore.
"That's enough," Leonard said, gripping his shoulder with unnecessary force. A threat more than an action. "Now it's my turn to hit you."
…Is he going to lose?
"Let go… Shit… It hurts," Lucy muttered, barely holding back the pain.
And then, Leonard threw him into the air.
A light flared from his hand, followed by a small but precise explosion.
"Lucy!" I screamed without thinking.
I don't know if it was fear or rage that shot through me. All I know is that for a second… I forgot to breathe.
But my scream… it was drowned out by what happened next.
"Don't worry, Issy. I'm fine. Or I think I am…" Lucy's voice echoed nearby, though I couldn't see him. He was using magic to conceal himself. He'd done it before in our training, but never so precisely. So cleanly.
Leonard looked around, bewildered. Then, in an instant, Lucy appeared behind him, wrapping his arms around Leonard's torso and taking him down with an unexpected maneuver, slamming his back into the ground at a brutal angle.
Lucha Libre. A technique lacking aesthetic grace but effective… and painful. I didn't think he'd use it in a real fight.
"Haha… Impressive. Damn," Gareth said, his laugh a mix of nerves and surrender. "If I'd been up against him… I'd have lost ages ago."
I didn't reply. I still couldn't take my eyes off Lucy.
"Who is he…?"
"He's incredible…"
"What kind of training must he have had?"
The voices around me were a constant murmur. Everyone was talking. Everyone was trying to understand. And deep down, I was too. Even though I knew him better than anyone, Lucy still managed to surprise me.
Leonard shot up and grabbed Lucy by the shirt, trying to regain control. But Lucy answered with a direct kick to the chin, sending him reeling back. Without giving him a moment to breathe, Lucy moved in with agility and delivered a low, firm hook kick that dropped Leonard again.
Leonard tried to get up. A mistake. Lucy, not wasting a second, conjured a rock with earth magic and sent it straight at his head.
A dull thud.
Silence.
Leonard fell.
"Stop! Lucius Van D'Arques passes the combat test!" Reginald shouted from the platform.
"Huh? It's over already?" I muttered, not fully processing it. It was fast. Incredibly fast.
I laughed without meaning to, releasing the pent-up tension.
"Haha… That was awesome! Incredible…"
Lucy stepped down, his movements a bit heavy. You could see the pain in his gestures, though he tried to hide it.
"That was… tough. Ugh. Shit, it still hurts," he said, clutching his shoulder where Leonard had gripped him.
"What kind of monster is that guy? I almost lost. If I hadn't reinforced my muscles with blood control, I'd have been done for… And that explosion… it hit me full-on," he added, almost muttering, as if torn between pride and humiliation.
Without saying a word, I placed my hands on his shoulder and channeled the little mana I could muster. I wasn't good at healing magic… yet. But I wanted to do something. Even if it was small.
"Thanks, Issy," he said with a faint smile, sitting beside me. The area had emptied out without me noticing. Had there been another fight in the meantime? I didn't know. I hadn't registered it.
And then I heard it.
"Isolde Equidna D'Arques, step onto the platform!"
My body tensed. I couldn't help it. I knew this moment would come, but still… fear slithered through my veins like ice. I stood. My legs were steady, but inside, I was trembling nonstop.
I descended the bleachers and walked to the platform. Climbing up was hard, maybe because of the height… or the weight in my chest. I took my position. Across from me was a girl.
There was something familiar about her face, but I didn't want to dwell on it. Not now. I didn't have time for memories I couldn't place.
My heart was pounding. Too fast. Part of me wanted to run, to vanish. To cry. But… Lucy was watching me.
And I couldn't fail.
After all the training… after everything we dreamed of…
I couldn't lose here. Not if it meant not going to the academy with him.
"Begin!"
The order came, and the girl charged at me.
And I… breathed.
She was fast, yeah… but clumsy. She came at me with gusto, but her movements were easy to read, easy to dodge. Even with nerves churning in my stomach, I could move with ease.
I wanted to strike back. Land at least one hit, even if just to keep things balanced. But… what if I hurt her? What if I lost control again? Would pushing her be enough? Sounds simple, right? But if she fell wrong… if she hit her head…
No. I couldn't risk it.
What do I do? What am I supposed to do? My thoughts piled up, frantic and muddled, each one carrying an explosive weight at its tip. The worry wasn't just uncomfortable—it was suffocating, murky, with that threatening edge that warns you the fear isn't irrational but cautious.
I glanced at Lucy in the bleachers. I couldn't talk to him, of course. But I wanted to. I wanted him to tell me what to do, how to act, how to not be a walking hazard.
But this was something I had to figure out alone. This time… I couldn't rely on him.
"Stop moving!" the girl complained, throwing another punch that barely grazed me. Her voice snapped me out of the spiral of thoughts. Maybe… maybe I still had an option.
Aikido? Yeah, Aikido. It doesn't aim to harm, just redirect. That would work.
I leaped back, tensing my muscles as I calculated the angle. When she got close enough, she threw a punch straight at my face.
I grabbed her wrist, pivoted on my axis, and forced her to follow the motion. She hit the ground on her back, all the air escaping her lungs in one loud gasp.
That had to hurt, I thought, but I forced myself not to waver. She got up, staggering, breathing hard, and then tried to sweep my ankle with a kick. It hurt, yeah, but only a little.
I channeled mana into my index finger and formed a small sphere of earth. I launched it straight at her forehead—a spark of contact, and a small cloud of smoke burst out.
"Agh! My eyes!" she yelped. It worked.
I rushed toward her, brought my hand down hard, and struck her in the face. This time, she fell and didn't get up.
"Stop! Isolde Equidna D'Arques wins!" Reginald shouted, ending the fight.
It's over? That's it? So quick… and so easy?
I stood still. It wasn't fear. It wasn't confusion either. It was… embarrassment. I felt foolish for doubting myself so much, for thinking I was some uncontrollable force with no direction. I just had to hold back. That's all.
And yet, I felt happy. Not because I won… but because I didn't hurt her.
I hurried off the platform and ran straight to Lucy.
"I did it! Lucy, I did it! Haha, it was easy!" I shouted, throwing myself at him and hugging him tightly.
"Agh! Do you always have to launch yourself at me like that?" he complained, but I didn't care. I just squeezed harder.
"But, well done. You managed to control your strength. Honestly… I was worried you'd knock her out for good."
"What? Oh! Well, I didn't do much. Just wanted to win, I guess."
I lied. I didn't want him to know how much I feared my own strength. What I'm capable of when I don't think, when I'm not careful. Ever since we started training, it was clear I wasn't normal. I could lift Lucy like he was a pillow, break things without meaning to, leave cracks in walls.
There was no balance. No control. Just raw, dangerous strength.
But… today, at least for a moment, I tamed it. That was enough.
For now.
"Issy… you're choking me," Lucy said, sounding weaker than usual.
"Ah! Sorry!" I loosened my arms immediately. "You okay? Does anything hurt?"
"No, I'm fine. But… yeah, we definitely need to work on that strength control thing."
"Right," I nodded, looking down, feeling that pang of guilt again. Not for what I did, but for what I could do.