"Kuahaha, are you nervous?"

"…."

"Well, that's normal. Even a master like me can't see an easy win here," the old voice continued casually. "I might have to lose an arm or two just to try and take her down."

"…I know."

Stacia answered quietly.

She lifted her gaze toward the large screen above the waiting area, her eyes settling on Rose's image.

Even without having much direct interaction with her, Stacia knew.

Everyone did.

Rose Brilliance wasn't just talented—she was on an entirely different level.

Even people who weren't mages could feel it.

The difference in mana alone was overwhelming, like standing in front of a towering wave while holding a small cup of water.

Stacia herself was considered the golden child of her generation, praised for her growth and potential… yet compared to Rose, it felt almost laughable.

And that wasn't even touching on skill.

Most mages spent their entire lives focused on a single affinity.

Fire, water, wind—choosing one and polishing it until it became second nature.

Learning other forms of magic was possible, sure, but mastery usually came at the cost of spreading oneself too thin.

Rose was different.

She wasn't bound by affinity or attribute. Every form of magic she touched, she excelled in.

Elemental, structural, enhancement—she handled them all with terrifying ease.

Even celestial magic, the kind that dealt with time and space itself, something most mages wouldn't dare approach, was rumored to be one of her specialties.

And then there was her mana heart.

Eight circles.

Just the thought of it made Stacia's chest tighten.

Whether the rumors were exaggerated or not, the fact that people believed it said enough.

On paper, this match was already decided.

There was no strategy, no trick, no miracle that should allow Stacia to win.

She exhaled slowly, steadying herself.

"…Still," she muttered under her breath, her fingers tightening slightly, "I won't run."

Even if the outcome was clear, she would face it head-on.

For his sake—and to be able to stand beside him in the future—she needed to show what she was capable of now.

Yesterday, she would have already given up on this match.

She would have called it impossible, a dead end to her ambition.

But that was before she met the loud old man standing next to her.

"Master Beon…"

"Hm?"

"Aren't you going to leave now?"

"Hoh?" He raised an eyebrow. "After I painstakingly honed you inside my mental realm, you're kicking me out already?"

"It's not like that," Stacia replied calmly. "I do appreciate your help… but it would be troublesome if other students saw you beside me."

"Haha, I suppose that's true." He shrugged. "My presence does tend to invite unnecessary trouble and rumors."

Stacia's eyes narrowed slightly.

As always, the old man—who didn't even look like he was past his mid-thirties—was as noisy as ever.

She had only met him yesterday.

Yet somehow, it felt like she had known him for far longer.

Maybe it was because of the mental realm.

A realm—no, a world—that could be projected onto others, trapping them in a separate dimension where time barely moved.

A technique only true masters could use.

Inside that space, Stacia had been trained relentlessly, her senses sharpened, her limits torn apart and rebuilt.

Their meeting itself had been sudden.

Short.

Almost absurd.

She still remembered it clearly.

"Hey!"

"Who—?!"

"Hahaha, easy there, young princess! Don't point your sword at me. I'm here to help you!" The man laughed shamelessly. "But we don't have much time, so let this master lend you a hand!"

Before she could even react, purple lightning tore through the air.

He had appeared in the middle of her training like a thunderbolt, forcing his way into her space, ignoring her protests, and declaring her his disciple on the spot.

And then—

He trained her.

Brutally.

Thoroughly.

Without mercy.

Their introduction to each other had started there as well.

From that short and chaotic meeting, Stacia had taken in a few key pieces of information.

First—Beon was the head of the Gyeoul Clan, the very origin of the Hidden Blade Technique. A name whispered among swordsmen, but rarely ever seen.

Second—and more important to her—he had once been Riley's master.

There were many other things Beon casually mentioned during her time trapped inside his mental realm: how he noticed her swordsmanship, how her movements perfectly mirrored techniques passed down within his clan despite her having no connection to it, and how rare that kind of instinct was.

But none of that mattered to her as much as Riley.

So, this was the kind of man who trained him…

For Seo's grandfather, he sure was the complete opposite of her.

The thought crossed her mind as she recalled Seo's calm, distant presence—quiet, sharp, and cold like a drawn blade.

Compared to her, Beon was loud, shameless, and impossible to ignore.

Honestly, within this competition, Stacia had wanted to face Seo at least once.

Even though her chances against Seo wouldn't have been much better than against Rose, Seo was still a straightforward fighter.

A swordswoman who ended battles cleanly and decisively.

Seo might overwhelm her in an instant, but at least she could understand what was happening.

Rose was different.

Rose was unpredictable.

Her magic didn't follow common logic.

Her casting speed, control, and sheer depth of knowledge made every encounter feel like stepping into unknown territory.

Against Rose, there was no clear win condition—only survival.

She recalled the words of her future self—the one who appeared from time to time only to leave behind fragments of advice.

Rose is an opponent you must learn from. Quickly.

That was easy to say.

But how was she supposed to learn anything if Rose decided to end the match in an instant?

That was the real problem.

If Rose fought seriously from the start, there would be no room to adapt, no space to observe, no chance to understand her movements or spell structure.

The battle would simply end, and Stacia would be left with nothing but regret.

After thinking it over for a while, she let out a quiet sigh and stood up from her seat.

"Oh?" the old man beside her said, glancing over. "You that excited already?"

"No," Stacia replied calmly. "I'm just organizing my thoughts."

"Heh. You don't need to think too much," Beon said with a grin. "Trust me. Follow the path of your sword and it'll reach where it needs to. And if you just use that… or that…" He waved his hand lazily. "Your chances of winning jump astronomically."

Stacia didn't respond, but she understood exactly what he meant.

The Sun inside her—

the blessing given by her future self—

…and the Burning Wolf.

Either one could push her far beyond her current limits.

Both were powerful.

Dangerous, even.

But they came with risks.

Her future self-had warned her especially about the Sun. Once activated, the laws of causality would begin to take effect.

Things wouldn't simply end when the match was over. Every action would leave a mark; every result would echo forward.

The Wolf, on the other hand, was safer—

or at least, it seemed that way.

Yet even that wasn't guaranteed.

Her recent interaction with the Great Fire Spirit King still lingered in her mind.

It had shown interest in her, that much was clear.

But interest alone didn't mean acceptance.

She wasn't its master.

Not yet.

At best, she had been marked as a potential one.

Still… the Sun was connected to it.

If things truly came down to it, she might be forced to resonate with the Fire Spirit King through the Sun itself—whether it accepted her or not.

That thought made her fingers tighten slightly.

"Ah before I go remember.... don't stare into the light,"

"I know...."

....

Stacia Alger Del Luna.

The Crazed Princess….

For some time now, she had been a constant source of worry for Riley.

She was one of the few people Evelyn had directly interfered with.

That alone made her dangerous—not because she was unstable, but because growth forced by someone like Evelyn never came without a price.

Riley was grateful, in a way.

Strong allies mattered.

But that didn't erase the risks that came with it.

"Ah! Found our seats…!"

Alice's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

She pointed excitedly toward a row near the center, already tugging Snow along.

Riley followed behind the group, letting his worries fade into the background for now.

Once seated, his attention shifted to the stage.

Unlike the earlier matches, this arena was different.

Much larger.

Much sturdier.

Layers of protective magic overlapped one another, reinforcing the barriers until the air itself felt dense.

Even from the stands, Riley could tell how much mana was being poured into maintaining it.

Was it because of who was fighting this time?

Or was the competition nearing its climax?

Either way, the audience seemed relieved. If things got out of hand, at least the arena wouldn't collapse on them.

"Hey, Riley," Alice suddenly said, leaning closer. "Who do you think will win?"

He didn't hesitate.

"Rose."

"Hehe, I think so too…" Alice smiled, then paused. "But…"

"But?" Riley glanced at her.

"Uhm… I think it'd be better if you just watch it yourself."

Riley frowned slightly.

Had something happened to Stacia that he didn't know about?

He already knew she could use the [Hidden Blade Technique]—that alone was abnormal. But Alice's tone suggested more than that.

His curiosity stirred.

Since I trained Stacia myself, for one reason or another… I guess it's only natural.

He leaned back, crossing his legs calmly, eyes fixed on the stage.

Like a master waiting to evaluate his student.

The match was about to begin.

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