The arena trembled beneath gathering lightning.
Blue currents danced around Kel's sword.
Golden arcs flowed across Valeryn's blade.
The air itself seemed alive.
Every droplet of water scattered across the battlefield crackled faintly beneath the growing electrical charge.
The spectators held their breath.
The opposing team tightened their grips.
The atmosphere felt like the moment before a thunderstorm descended from the heavens.
Dangerous.
Beautiful.
Unavoidable.
Yet amidst all that tension—
Kel spoke.
His voice was calm.
Far too calm considering the circumstances.
"Valeryn."
The crimson-haired noblewoman glanced sideways.
Her sword remained raised.
Lightning reflected within her crimson eyes.
"What is it?"
Kel watched the soaked battlefield.
Then quietly said—
"Make your lightning as harmless as possible."
Silence.
Valeryn blinked.
The answer genuinely surprised her.
For several seconds she simply stared.
Because it wasn't what she expected.
Not even remotely.
The entire battlefield had been prepared.
The strategy had worked.
Their opponents stood soaked with water.
Lightning surrounded their weapons.
Everything favored them.
Yet the first thing Aedon said wasn't about victory.
Wasn't about finishing the battle quickly.
Wasn't about exploiting weakness.
Instead—
He was telling her to hold back.
The realization felt strangely unexpected.
Valeryn studied him quietly.
The silver-haired young man continued watching the battlefield.
His expression remained relaxed.
Almost peaceful.
As though discussing ordinary weather rather than combat.
The noblewoman suddenly remembered something.
The rumors.
The stories.
The strange incidents surrounding him.
Helping Seraphine.
Negotiating with Leviathans.
Supporting others without demanding recognition.
Even during their training earlier—
He constantly avoided unnecessary harm.
At first she thought it was weakness.
Now...
She wasn't so sure.
Perhaps it wasn't weakness at all.
Perhaps it was restraint.
The distinction mattered.
A lot.
The wind moved through her crimson hair.
For a brief moment she found herself thinking—
Maybe he isn't a bad person after all.
The thought surprised her.
Because she rarely formed opinions this quickly.
Yet Aedon continuously challenged expectations.
Every time she thought she understood him—
He revealed something new.
Then—
Kel continued speaking.
And immediately destroyed the image she had just constructed.
"We are going to enjoy this battle."
Valeryn blinked.
What?
The silver-haired young man smiled.
The kind of smile that made people suspicious.
Very suspicious.
Then he calmly elaborated.
"Give them only a tiny amount of current every time we hit them."
The noblewoman listened.
Confused.
Kel pointed toward the opposing team.
"They should feel the shock."
A pause followed.
"But not enough to lose consciousness."
The smile widened slightly.
Then came the final sentence.
"We'll simply keep hitting them until they surrender."
Silence.
Complete silence.
Valeryn stared.
The opposing team stared.
The audience stared.
For several moments nobody knew what to say.
The contrast was absurd.
Moments ago he sounded kind.
Compassionate.
Merciful.
Now—
He was proposing prolonged psychological warfare.
Valeryn slowly covered her face.
The realization hit her immediately.
Aedon wasn't cruel.
Not at all.
But he possessed an alarming capacity for creative problem-solving.
A dangerous trait.
Very dangerous.
The noblewoman couldn't help it.
She laughed.
A genuine laugh escaped her lips.
"Aedon."
Kel looked toward her.
"What?"
Valeryn shook her head.
The laughter remained.
"You truly are a strange person."
The silver-haired young man tilted his head.
"I've been told that before."
"I believe it."
Her smile widened.
"Most people choose between kindness and ruthlessness."
The noblewoman pointed toward him.
"You somehow combine both."
Kel considered.
Then nodded.
"That sounds efficient."
Valeryn laughed again.
The audience looked confused.
The opposing team looked concerned.
Very concerned.
Meanwhile—
Far away beneath Scarder Lake.
Seiren's voice echoed through their connection.
"You realize what you've done, correct?"
Kel focused on the battlefield.
"No."
The goddess sighed.
"You spent five minutes convincing her you're compassionate."
A brief pause followed.
"Then immediately explained how to torture your opponents into surrendering."
Kel frowned.
"That's not torture."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Explain."
Kel answered honestly.
"They will surrender before serious injuries occur."
The goddess became silent.
Several moments passed.
Then—
"Unfortunately..."
Another pause.
"That actually makes sense."
Kel felt victorious.
Seiren felt concerned.
Meanwhile—
Across the battlefield—
The opposing mage swallowed nervously.
She looked toward her teammate.
The dagger user looked back.
Both had heard the conversation.
Every word.
The protective arena amplified sound surprisingly well.
An unfortunate design choice.
The mage slowly spoke.
"...Did he just announce his strategy?"
The dagger user nodded.
"I believe he did."
The mage stared.
"Shouldn't I feel relieved that they're holding back?"
The assassin thought carefully.
Then answered honestly.
"I somehow feel more nervous."
The mage nodded immediately.
"Same."
Very much same.
Because the confidence required to openly announce such a strategy felt terrifying.
Meanwhile—
The instructor watched from the sidelines.
His arms folded.
His expression unreadable.
Though one corner of his mouth twitched suspiciously.
The assistant instructors beside him appeared equally entertained.
One finally spoke.
"Aedon Flinth is unusual."
The instructor nodded.
"Extremely."
The assistant crossed his arms.
"He treats combat like a puzzle."
Another nodded.
"Most students focus on defeating opponents."
"Aedon focuses on controlling outcomes."
The observations continued.
Meanwhile—
The battle finally resumed.
Valeryn took a step forward.
Lightning flowed around her sword.
This time controlled.
Restrained.
Measured.
Exactly as requested.
The noblewoman glanced sideways.
"Aedon."
Kel looked toward her.
"If this plan fails..."
Her smile became dangerous.
"...I'm blaming you."
The silver-haired young man nodded.
"Fair."
Then—
They moved.
BOOM!
The stone arena cracked beneath their feet.
The two launched forward simultaneously.
Like twin bolts of lightning.
The spectators erupted.
The battle instantly transformed.
Before—
Valeryn had fought aggressively.
Kel had supported from range.
Now—
Both entered close combat.
The soaked battlefield amplified every movement.
Every step.
Every spark.
The dagger user immediately intercepted Valeryn.
Steel collided.
CLANG!
Lightning surged.
A small shock traveled through the assassin's body.
Not enough to injure.
Not enough to incapacitate.
Just enough.
The girl immediately jumped backward.
"AH!"
The audience laughed.
The reaction was almost comical.
Meanwhile—
The mage raised her staff.
A spell circle appeared.
Then—
Kel arrived.
Far too quickly.
The sword intercepted the staff.
CLANG!
Another harmless electrical pulse traveled through the weapon.
The mage squeaked.
Actually squeaked.
Then stumbled backward.
The spectators laughed harder.
Even Valeryn almost lost her concentration.
Because somehow—
The battle was becoming ridiculous.
The strategy worked.
Far too well.
The opposing team remained fully capable of fighting.
Yet every clash punished them slightly.
Tiny shocks.
Tiny surprises.
Tiny moments of discomfort.
Again.
And again.
And again.
The pressure accumulated.
Not physically.
Mentally.
The dagger user attempted another assault.
Valeryn intercepted.
Shock.
Retreat.
The mage attempted another spell.
Kel disrupted it.
Shock.
Retreat.
Neither side suffered serious injuries.
Yet frustration slowly accumulated.
The audience loved it.
The instructors loved it.
Even Valeryn began enjoying herself.
Far more than she should.
Eventually—
The noblewoman realized something.
Aedon wasn't simply strong.
He wasn't simply intelligent.
He understood people.
Understood pressure.
Understood psychology.
The strategy wasn't designed to defeat opponents physically.
It was designed to exhaust their will to continue.
The realization impressed her.
More than she wanted to admit.
The battle continued.
Lightning danced.
Steel clashed.
Water crackled.
The crowd cheered.
And standing beside her amidst the storm—
Valeryn found herself smiling.
Because for the first time in quite a while—
She wasn't carrying a team.
She wasn't leading alone.
She wasn't compensating for weaker partners.
Instead—
She had someone fighting beside her.
Someone who understood the battlefield differently.
Someone strange.
Someone irritating.
Someone suspiciously talented.
And somehow—
That made the battle far more enjoyable than victory itself.