[Academy Arena – 7:00 AM]
Kael stood still, eyes narrowed as dust and energy swirled around the reinforced arena.
> Vael's smooth movements... he's clearly relying on the Morvayne Waltz. But that's just a high-tier family style. He's not using the actual Morvayne Secret Technique. Probably because he doesn't know it.
Only a few in the family ever did like Elira, the prodigy. And her father Vandalion Morvayne, the current family head and one of the most feared blade-masters in the Asian Empire.
Kael's fist clenched at the thought.
> So even this display… this insane precision, these deadly steps… it's not even Vael's peak?
BOOM!
Zeta Locke, now fully Beast-Fused, sprinted forward again, glowing white claws extending beyond his fingers like ethereal talons. Four elemental beasts spiraled around him wind and stone shielding his sides, lightning pulsing at his back.
Vael's rapier shimmered a deep crimson. He slid left, then forward, steps flowing like silk his footwork sharp enough to choreograph death.
Clang. Clang. FLASH!
Zeta swung violently his enhanced strength crashing like thunder. But Vael weaved, each strike evaded with no wasted motion.
Then, without warning, red mist exploded from Vael's body.
Zeta froze for half a second.
Kael's eyes widened.
> Blood manipulation…?
The mist swirled, then condensed hundreds of needle-thin blood lances forming midair.
> "Let's test your shield, Locke," Vael whispered coldly.
WHOOSH!
The crimson needles fired all at once.
Zeta slammed his foot, forming a multi-layered barrier with the beasts rotating outward to defend.
BOOM! BOOM! SNAP!
The first two waves struck the shield. It held.
But the third imbued with Vael's own core blood pierced through like razors.
"Agh!" Zeta yelled, as dozens of thin cuts split open across his arms and shoulder.
Still, he didn't fall.
> "Your control is disgusting…" Zeta growled, panting.
Vael didn't respond. He moved again.
This time, faster. Steps sharper. The Morvayne Waltz flowed into its killing tempo.
> He's dancing, Kael thought. *He's not just fighting. Every pivot adds momentum, every slash builds a sequence
[Academy Arena – Side Exit Hallway]
The metallic scent of blood still hung in the air.
Kael adjusted his coat as he walked down the polished stone corridor, hands in his pockets, the echo of distant clapping fading behind him. He'd been meaning to leave but something gnawed at him. A curiosity. A tension.
Then…
Footsteps.
He turned the corner and there stood Vael Morvayne, wiping a speck of blood from his cheek with a black handkerchief. His rapier was sheathed now, but his aura… it still pulsed faintly. Calm. Focused. Controlled.
Kael stepped into view, locking eyes.
"Impressive," Kael said, voice neutral.
Vael didn't even glance fully at him. "You didn't clap."
"I don't clap for half-finished performances."
That made Vael pause.
He tilted his head slightly, crimson eyes narrowing. "Half-finished?"
Kael shrugged, a cocky smile curling up. "That was the Morvayne Waltz. Clean. Sharp. Predictable. But it wasn't the Secret Technique, was it?"
The air shifted. Cold.
Vael's expression froze for a moment. Then, slowly, a thin smirk stretched across his pale face.
"You know more than you should," he said. "But I suppose that's to be expected… from Elira's little plaything."
Kael's smile dropped instantly. "Watch your mouth."
Vael chuckled. "Relax. I'm not here to fight. Besides, if you couldn't handle me in the sauna, what makes you think you can handle me when I'm actually trying?"
Kael stepped closer, matching his gaze. "Because unlike you, I'm not dancing. I'm evolving."
Vael's smile faded.
A beat passed between them.
Then, with a quiet voice, Vael leaned in slightly. "If you truly want to see the Morvayne Secret Technique, you'd have to survive a duel with Elira… on a real battlefield. When she stops pretending to care what the school thinks."
Kael narrowed his eyes. "Why are you telling me this?"
Vael stepped past him, whispering coldly as he passed.
"Because whether it's her… or me… or Vandalion himself a Morvayne will be your end."
And just like that, he was gone.
---
[Later – Alchemy Wing, Noon]
Kael walked into the lab slowly, the atmosphere quiet. Phoebe was already there, tinkering with something that looked like a small mana engine fused with a runic amplifier.
"Welcome back, soldier," she said without looking up. "Heard the barrier almost cracked from the fight. Good thing you didn't try to duel Vael again."
Kael exhaled through his nose. "I might have to. Sooner than I thought."
Phoebe raised an eyebrow. "Wow. Are you in a self-destructive arc?"
"No," Kael replied. "I just realized how far behind I am. If I want to survive… I need to learn everything you're willing to teach me. And I need that crystal soon."
Phoebe grinned. "Then sit your arrogant ass down and grab a pen. We're starting with intermediate runes today."