In the afternoon, we waited at Niel's place, but Big Sister Wave still hadn't arrived. It had been about 3 hours since the incident. It seemed like being an idol was really tough. A few seconds later, Big Sister Wave showed up with a face that could be said to be quite tired… or maybe very tired. I was quite worried about her since she had been out there for so long. Big Sister Wave's face softened when she saw me, but she frowned again when she saw Lunette and Niel. I followed her gaze and found Lunette and Niel wearing rather annoying smiles.
She said to them, "What do you mean behind your smiles, huh?"
Niel and Lunette answered her at the same time, "No, it's nothing."
Lunette continued with the same smile, "It seems like being an idol is tough, right, Niel?"
Niel looked at Lunette still smiling annoyingly, "You're right, everyone is looking at her like she's someone important."
Big Sister Wave glared at them with a look of dislike for them. Instantly, the two of them became afraid of her. Of course, Big Sister Wave was scary when she was angry. Luckily, she never got mad at me, or maybe she has at the Guild Master's place. I walked over to her and offered her a drink.
"Lunaaaa," she said with her heart moved.
I just tilted my head and said innocently, "Yes?"
Big Sister Wave continued her words by crouching down and hugging me, "Lunaaa, you're the best little sister. Unlike Lunette."
Lunette seemed to dislike it and started to pout, "What do you mean that, big sis?? I'm also a good little sister!"
Big Sister Wave said, "You always cause trouble and make things difficult for me. What kind of good little sister you are?"
Lunette just rubbed the back of her head while smiling while Niel laughed at her while teasing Lunette.
"Niel, don't laugh," Big Sister Wave said to Niel firmly.
Niel was surprised and answered her, "Hey! Isn't your treatment of me unfair?"
"Of course it's unfair, you're nothing to me but my friend," Big Sister Wave answered him.
Niel answered her again, "Not a friend, but a fan."
I think Big Sister Wave has a point. I'm a little suspicious that Big Sister Wave has quite an excessive affection for her little sisters.
Lunette said to Big Sis Wave with a disgusted face, "Wow, she got a sister tendency."
Sister tendency? Well, that's too much of a term for someone who loves their younger sibling, isn't it? I don't know where Lunette learned that from, but Lunette is sometimes weird. Since she was little, she liked to call things with strange names. Big Sister Wave also looked very embarrassed hearing that, her face was a little red. It seemed like she had heard it from Lunette before so she understood what she said. Lunette and Niel just laughed seeing Big Sis Wave's reaction like that.
They smiled widely while saying, "She is so cute!!"
After that, Big Sister Wave hit their heads quite hard and took us home. I was a little surprised, I guess Lunette was quite brave sometimes. The atmosphere there became quite light so it wasn't too stuffy. Since then, Niel seemed to never dare to tease Big Sister Wave again, but Lunette seemed to never give up.
The next day, we trained with Big Sister Wave because it was a holiday. Lunette and I tried out our new swords. Our swords had a futuristic design similar to Big Sister Wave's sword. It seemed like the type of swords we had were a little different. Big Sister Wave's sword was a little heavier, while mine and Lunette's swords felt light. The details of our swords were also quite different, for some reason I preferred my sword in terms of design and usefulness. My sword looked dark blue like the night sky filled with stars.
"Luna, how long are you going to stare at your sword," she asked me with the sword in her hand.
I turned to her and said, "Big sis… sorry…"
Big Sister Wave shook her head while smiling softly and pointed her sword at me. I nodded and did the same. Instantly, her expression changed, as if she was not going to hold back like she usually did. At that moment, the atmosphere suddenly became tense, she did not give me the slightest chance to attack at all. Both of us were very focused on observing each other's movements, no one wanted to make the first move. I started to sweat coldly because of the tense atmosphere.
After a while, both of us were still silent so I took the initiative to take a step forward. When I blinked once, suddenly Big Sister Wave was in front of me. Huh? Illusion? It was impossible, the magic that she used can not produce something like that. Her steps looked very light like a feather without making a sound. I was very surprised by her presence that suddenly appeared in front of me.
Time seemed to stop. My body could not be moved, or maybe it moved so slowly that it felt like it was not moving. On the other hand, she seemed to still be moving to swing her sword. The time was very short, not even a second. She swung her sword and quickly slashed me in the chest. Luckily her sword was still sheathed so it won't hurt me that much. That's what I thought before I got slashed, even though it didn't bleed, being hit by her sword was very painful. That hurt so much!
Time seemed to start again and I was thrown quite far. She really didn't hold back anymore. I don't think I have a chance to win against her. I could only lie on the floor in pain. It was so painful, it felt like I was hit by a wild animal charging at me. The pain made me unable to move and could only groan on the floor.
Big Sis Wave swung her sword in the wind and put it back on her waist before looking at me. She looked very surprised to see me in pain on the floor.
She immediately ran towards me and shouted, "Oh my, Luna!! I'm sorry!! I thought you could avoid it!!"
I groaned in pain on the floor with bruises on my chest. When Big Sis Wave opened my shirt to look at my chest, there were blue marks. It hurt so much, really. She looked so guilty towards me. She was so serious about this sparring match that she forgot that we weren't as strong as her and the fact that she was one of the top 5 in this city.
Big Sister Wave carried me and brought me to a seat on the edge of the training ground. A few moments later, she returned to the training ground. Next was Lunette's turn, she would feel what I was feeling right now. I probably passed out from the painful blow.
"Big sis, I think you did it too much," Lunette said to Big Sister Wave with an awkward smile.
Big Sister Wave nodded and replied, "I guess you're right, I really feel guilty right now."
Lunette asked her again with a serious face, "I think Luna is indeed weaker than me, can't last even 1 second?"
Big Sister Wave stared at her sharply and said, "She's not weak, it's just that she's still too naive. She's even stronger than you."
Lunette seemed to grumble a little annoyed hearing that. I guess she forgot that we never won against her even though we fought her together. My chest still hurts, as if it is haunting me in my dreams.
Big Sister Wave pointed her sword at Lunette now, but what was different was that she turned her face away from Lunette. She looked like she was trying to hold back because she felt guilty towards me.
Lunette sighed and said, "Big sis… You don't have to hold back that much. I can still endure more."
Even so, her eyes looked hesitant because they looked a little… Maybe she was really scared after seeing Big Sis Wave being serious when fighting me. She tried to act brave in front of her. Big Sister Wave kept holding back, unable to look at Lunette because she was afraid that she would end up like me.
Lunette said to her, "I guess I have to prove it by myself, huh?"
Lunette stepped forward and charged towards Big Sister Wave. Big Sister Wave was able to dodge it easily without swinging her sword at all. But there was something different. Lunette seemed to have predicted that and immediately used her leg to kick Big Sister Wave. She was surprised and kicked because she was off guard although it didn't have much impact.
"So, I'm strong enough, right, big sis?" Lunette said proudly to her.
Big Sister Wave was very surprised when she heard that. Lunette sounded like she wanted to say that Big Sister Wave was innocent of what happened to me. She was, but I didn't think about it. If I hadn't passed out, I would have said that.
Big Sister Wave smiled softly and said, "You've grown up."
Lunette acted proud with one hand on her waist while holding her sword in the other.
Big Sister Wave continued in a teasing tone, "But that's not enough, you brat."
Lunette immediately pouted at Big Sister Wave and continued their sparring. Their fight was intense, or maybe not. Lunette tried to attack her many times, but Big Sister Wave couldn't be touched at all. She just seemed to be playing around with Lunette and Lunette looked annoyed with her treatment of her. The fight soon ended with Big Sister Wave lightly hitting Lunette's head, signaling that the fight was over.
A few days later, we went to the academy to start the Phantasia elimination round. When we arrived at school, there were several students who looked at us with unpleasant gazes. Some looked at us with hatred, envy, and dislike. There were also some who looked at us with admiration. Maybe they didn't notice me, they seemed to be paying more attention to Lunette than me. I didn't mind, Lunette seemed very popular at the academy.
All the participants of the elimination round gathered in the academy field. We were explained about what we had to do and the rules we had to follow. In short, this was a team battle between two people against two other people. There were many participants, maybe around a hundred people who participated in this event. Participants would be measured based on their abilities, not participants who survived until the end. But still, if you survive until the end it means that your abilities are sufficient because you have managed to fight against strong people in the academy, whether from technique, magic, planning, or others.
After the explanation was finished, we were asked to immediately find a partner to start this elimination round. My eyes immediately fell on Lunette. I thought about asking Rena or Nio to be my partner, but I wasn't sure if they would be separated this time. I immediately went to Lunette.
I said to her, "Lunette-"
Before I could ask she looked at me with a rather hesitant smile, "Sorry, Luna. I'm already with him."
So Lunette already has a partner. Wait a minute. Then who will I pair up with? There's no one I know anymore. Slowly but surely, all the participants formed pairs. Yes, everyone except me. I went around looking for people who didn't have partners, but I couldn't find any. Maybe one of the reasons was because I was too afraid to ask.
When almost all the students already had their partners, I was still looking. I was about to give up and accept my fate until I heard someone's voice from behind.
"Hey, are you alone?" A male voice was heard from behind.
I turned around and nodded, "Yeah, I'm alone right now."
He pulled my hand and smiled, "Good, now we're going to be an interesting pair, Luna."
How did he know my name? But now that I think about it, it's not strange. Lunette and I caused trouble when we first entered the academy.
Someone said behind us, "Isn't that Leo? He's caused a lot of trouble during his time at the academy."
Another person said, "Isn't that Luna? She also caused trouble during the new school year at the academy."
Someone else spoke again, "Two troublemakers teamed up huh?"
I don't think I caused that much trouble. Back then, it was all because of Lunette, but they made it look like I'm also a problem student. But that's true, I was a little curious about my partner.
"Fufufu… I guess we've become the talk of the academy," Leo said to me.
What had he done in the academy before I entered? I guess I formed a pair with a problematic person.
After a while, the elimination round began. The academy was divided into several arenas. Many had already started their fights. So did the two of us. Our opponent was my upperclassman, looking very strong. However, Leo was also technically my upperclassman.
I turned to him and asked, "What's our strategy? They look strong."
Leo just laughed and said, "They look strong at first glance, but honestly they're not as strong as they look."
Our opponent looked annoyed at his words. He looked like he was really underestimating his opponent, like pouring oil on the fire. I think I'm done for.
"Doubting me? I guess I should show you," Leo answered me as he took out two knives and held them in each hand.
He took a step and moved forward casually. Our opponent immediately took a ready stance when he saw him and readied his weapon. I blinked for a moment and when I looked back I was shocked. Leo? Since when was he in front of the enemy? Just like Big Sister Wave when she fought me.
Our opponent also looked surprised by Leo's movements which looked very smooth and light. When they attacked Leo, he had already dodged and was not in front of them anymore. My eyes couldn't follow his movements, he was already behind the opponent.
"See," he said with a chuckle as if belittling his enemy.
He quickly hit the back of their heads with the back of his knife. He makes everything look so easy. I'm a little curious why no one wants to pair up with him.
The next opponent did the same thing. The next one, and so on. He took care of everything by himself as if it was easy, or maybe it was easy for him. How did he do it? I saw him several times and was sure that the technique he used was the same as Big Sister Wave's.
After three fights he stepped back and said, "Now it's your turn, Luna, I want to see your abilities."
I answered him hesitantly, "My abilities? It's not that interesting actually, why do you want to see it?"
Leo chuckled and said, "Fufufu, it's okay, I want to see my teammates' abilities."
Our opponents immediately attacked us without further ado using their magic. It looked like a bullet. When I dodged to the side, the bullet followed me. I immediately froze it with my magic, but his other partner was already behind me to attack me. Here I was a little confused about what I should do. I activated my magic, instantly my eyes changed again. Then, I immediately covered my feet with ice and blocked his sword that was pointing at me with the soles of my feet.
"Oh," Leo said, a little impressed.
I did the same with my other leg and jumped to spin around and kicked his head from the side with my other leg. Our opponent who was behind looked surprised to see me attacking his partner in a way that could be considered quite extreme.
I looked at his partner innocently enough, or so I thought. His partner who was behind looked quite scared.
"Can you finish it, Luna," Leo asked in awe.
I looked at his partner innocently enough, or so I thought. His partner in the back position looked quite scared.
"Can you finish it, Luna?" Leo asked in awe.
I made some shurikens out of ice and threw it at my enemy. The fight ended fairly quickly, but not as fast as Leo. I kept my sword sheathed from the start without taking it out at all, basically I only attacked using my magic. The next fight was the same as before, continued by us taking turns. There were times when we fought Rena and Nio, but it seemed like Leo didn't want to give in at all.
"Oh, so they're your original partners," Leo said to me.
Rena said to us with an awkward smile, "Please don't go too far with us."
Nio also just smiled awkwardly in the back position.
Leo answered them, "That depends on Luna."
Depends on me? What did he mean? When the fight started I just understood what he was talking about. This was my turn to move forward. Here I was given two choices, attack them like before or give in to them. If I had to choose I would choose the second option, but even if I died Leo would probably slaughter them all by himself. Either way, the result would be the same. Or I could give myself a third option, let them attack me as if they prove that they are strong. Right, I would just take that option.
I moved forward and ran a little, leaving myself an opening and waiting to be attacked. Nio attacked me using his magic in the form of… No effect? He attacked me, right? No, he created a barrier behind and beside me. He probably wanted to limit my movement. Then he shot a light towards Rena, but it didn't seem to hurt her.
Rena dashed towards me at a very fast speed and aimed her knife towards my chest. Luckily I was able to block it with my reflexes using my sword. It was the first time I drew my sword from its sheath in this elimination round. Not to be arrogant, but I think it would have been faster if Leo had attacked and slaughtered our opponents.
Leo speaks, "Ah, so he is an enchanter, huh?
Enchanter is the person who buffs or enhances their teammates, whether their ability or status. Some of them could weaken their enemies' status or movements.
I was surprised by Rena's fast movements. Not as smooth and light as Big Sister Wave and Leo, but it was great. I tried to defend as best I could, this time I really had a hard time. People looked at me and were amazed at Rena's abilities. Why was it that when it was my turn no one was amazed?
"Luna, I'll take this win, okay," Rena asked in a rather arrogant tone.
As far as I know, she is a naughty girl who likes to joke around, but I don't hate her. I nodded and stopped holding back by immediately using my magic to create a mist of ice. Rena looked surprised by my actions and she couldn't see anything now. Nio also looked confused and was on guard. They continued to be on guard as the mist of ice disappeared. They looked confused because I didn't do anything in my favorable situation.
After the fog cleared, they started looking for me in all directions. However, only Leo was seen standing smiling while waving his hand, his eyes looked very annoying like the eyes of a fox in comics.
Rena muttered, "Where's Luna?"
Then I instantly ambushed them from behind by kicking their backs with my feet covered in ice, causing their backs to freeze a little, actually not a little. After that the fight ended with my and Leo's victory. I felt guilty for not letting them win this fight, but even if I lost, Leo would slaughter them.
The next fight began and this time we fought the Lunette couple. I don't want to talk about it because in that fight Lunette and Leo seemed to be having fun. They competed with each other's techniques, abilities, and magic fiercely. Leo used his magic which was something that could stretch and was elastic like rubber, while Lunette used her blue fire magic. The fight could be said to be very lively. They fought fiercely and caused chaos around them. The fight was finally won by Leo.
Leo laughed loudly and said arrogantly, "You're still nothing, huh, Lunette."
Lunette, who didn't accept the result, replied, "One more time! I'll beat you up!"
Leo replied again, "No matter what happens, the result will still be the same, kid. You will still lose to your senior. Hahaha!"
He looked very arrogant and annoying. Similar to Lunette when she achieved something that made her very proud. Then they were called and reprimanded by the teachers. But when they came out, there was no regret on their faces. Instead, they looked very happy and smiled widely. They looked very stupid. That was what happened during the preparation for Phantasia.
Lunette burned the surroundings and made the surrounding area burn, while Leo spread his fire everywhere with his magic to various places. What kind of fight was that? No, maybe it was a real fight.
"Leo, I will defeat you!" Lunette said while using a playful tone.
"Oh? How is this? I'm scared," Leo continued Lunette's joke.
The next day, I walked with Rena and Nio. I expressed my regret for having to fight them during the elimination yesterday. They kept telling me that they didn't mind it, but I still couldn't forget it easily.
We walked in front of the practice room and heard a loud sound. It sounded like, BOOM! We looked at each other and entered the room. When we opened it there was a blue fire that was aimed right at my face.
"LUNA!" Rena shouted loudly.
I quickly ducked to avoid it, but the fire burned a bit of my hair as it passed me. My silver hair now gave off a slight burnt smell because of the fire. Blue fire, I think I know who did it.
We could see Lunette fighting Leo, or rather sparring. It seems like they were still trying to compete. Lunette was a stubborn girl so she wouldn't give in even a little until she got what she wanted.
Lunette shouted at Leo while attacking him, "Now seven points for me and six points for you, right?"
Leo chuckled as he blocked her attack and said, "Fufufu, is your memory weaker than ants? Those seven points are mine, not yours, Lunette."
They continued to exchange attacks happily. How long had they been doing this? I was too lazy to think about it. We walked and ignored them as if nothing had happened.
The next day the same thing happened, and the next. They kept doing it over and over again until they were scolded by the teachers many times. They became the talk of the academy and it embarrassed me. Rena patted my head to calm me down, but still.
They always caused trouble whether I was around or not. Even Big Sister Wave couldn't handle it, she was too free.
Rena approached me and said, "What do you think they'll do next?"
Then Nio said, "Maybe they'll start the next round? Just kidding."
Then we followed them quietly from behind. They looked like they were having a lot of fun on their own as they walked. Leo and Lunette, I think they'd make a good couple but in a bad way.
I said to Nio and Rena, "Let's stop following them and get back to training."
Rena looked at me and said, "Aren't you curious about their relationship?"
I shook my head innocently. As far as I knew, Lunette wasn't a person that interested in getting into a relationship with anyone. Maybe she was a girl, but that was impossible.
Rena sighed and said to me, "You guys just practice, I'm still curious about them."
I replied to her, "I don't think following people is a good hobby."
Then Nio patted my shoulder and shook his head. It seemed like he had given up on Rena. It seemed like when Rena wanted something, she would never give up on it. That behavior reminded me of Lunette but more less than her.
Nio and I trained in the field, more precisely at the back of the school. I tried to teach him basic fighting skills to at least defend herself. Nio did have a weak physique, but his magic control was arguably very good. He was able to control her magic better than me.
"Luna, I can't take it anymore," Nio told me while panting.
He looked very tired and almost collapsed. He didn't have much stamina to get tired even for a moment. I guess he had to do something about it.
I could only smile in surprise and said, "Gosh, how are you going to win Phantasia if you keep doing this? It's only been five minutes."
He fell and lay on the ground while saying, "Thank you, teacher. I love you."
I shook my head and said again, "What teacher. Get some rest."
I think we were getting closer and closer. Our personalities could also be said to be quite similar, maybe that was one of the reasons why we were close. We decided to take a break by joking around and chatting about various things.
He started to talk to me about his dream, which was to find out the origin of magic. Indeed, no one has ever known how and why magic exists in this world. It all seemed normal because people all over the world could use magic. As far as he knows, the first hero used it to knock back the evil beings to keep the balance and became a Homeostasis.
Homeostasis is a living being who dedicates themself to keep the balance and become nature itself. No one knows what happened after you became the Homeostasis, but nature will be balanced again.
From what I heard from Nio, after the first hero became a Homeostasis all races returned to their normal state. There is no record of what happened before they returned to their normal state, but indeed there is a war between races. The dragons back to their lands, the demons back to their world, and the gods back to their islands.
The first hero disappeared after being a Homeostasis using the Book of Origin. His body left no trace after that, even the party members didn't give any information about him.
The surprising fact was, Nio told me that in the beginning magic didn't exist and people had to survive with whatever equipment they had. I was shocked after hearing that. I started to ask myself, "How could I not have thought of something like that?" Doesn't that mean the Book of Origin created magic? So, the first hero created the magic for us? But what for?
Then Nio turned to me and said, "Luna, I want to bring up that book, do you want to hear it?"
Instantly my trauma attacked me again. Even though it wasn't my intention, my blood felt like it was flowing quickly. My heart was beating fast and hard. My vision narrowed little by little and started to get dark. Memories of my father and mother crossed my mind when they died.
Nio just patted my shoulder and said, "No need to force yourself. I don't know why you're always like this when I mention that book, but I won't talk about it if you don't want to."
No, it's not that I don't want to. I want to hear it because I might be able to find out who and why the assassins did it. I really want to hear it, but my body is shivering and sweating because of the fear of trauma. I know I can't keep doing this, but I can't control it.
I said, but it sounded more like a whisper because of my small voice, "I want to hear it."
He shook his head and tried to calm me down. Maybe he was right, I shouldn't have listened to that in my current condition.
At that moment, Rena came along with Luna and Leo. She raised her hand and smiled. It seemed like Lunette and Leo caught her tailing them.
Instantly the atmosphere relaxed and I looked up. Strangely, my condition got better and my body stopped shivering little by little. They smiled at me, noticing my condition which was already fine. Lunette seemed to smile slyly at me as if she wanted to tease me. I was confused about what she was going to do and unconsciously I tilted my head.
"Luna, are you teaching Nio," she asked me.
I just nodded and said, "Yes, why?"
Lunette smiled and said to me, "Want to spar with me? That way Nio can learn a lot, right?"
Everyone in the place was shocked, and so was I. She was seriously asking for a spar? Didn't she already do it with Leo? How can she not be tired after doing that? What a little devil, always bringing me trouble.
Lunette said back to me, "What's your answer, miss? Afraid of losing?"
When I heard that, I tried to stay calm. She knew that I was someone who didn't like to lose in anything even if it was something I wasn't good at. She was very good at provoking her opponents. Finally we got ready to have a spar. I hated myself for being easily provoked.
Nio, Rena, and Leo walked to the side and watched us from the side. Leo and Rena seemed to be enjoying it as usual, but Nio was a little worried about what would happen next.
Leo said to Nio, "Make sure you watch them closely, Nio. They are on the same level from what I've observed, you can learn a lot from this sparring match."
Nio just nodded in agreement with Leo's opinion. Rena shouted and encouraged the two of us who were warming up. Luckily, none of us were carrying weapons.
I asked her, "10 minutes?"
Lunette understood what I meant and proudly said, "What? Of course until one of us loses, what's your reason for only fighting for 10 minutes?"
Damn, this little devil really likes to cause trouble for me. We immediately observed each other's movements. We prepared ourselves, focused, and finally charged towards each other.
Those who were watching looked surprised to see us, except Leo. He always acted relaxed no matter what happened. Rena could be said to be quite excited to watch this. As for Nio, I think she was a little surprised because close combat was not her specialty. It could be said to be quite lively because of Rena's enthusiastic cheers. Leo also sometimes gave commentary on our fights.
We continued to spar, punching and kicking each other. I tried to attack her, but I could only touch her clothes a little. At least I thought it was better than Lunette who couldn't touch me at all. I may be inferior in terms of strength, but in terms of technique, you could say I am superior to him.
The fight was getting more intense, unfortunately no one had been hit directly. Whether the attack was dodged or blocked, we were both fine. At that moment, Lunette activated her magic and attacked me. I was surprised when she suddenly activated her magic. She took advantage of the gap to hit me.
I was thrown and fell to the ground. She's so cunning! This isn't fair! Leo burst out laughing as if he had expected this. Rena laughed too, but not as much as Leo. On the other hand, Nio was paying close attention as if this was part of her lesson.
I shouted to Lunette, "Hey! That's not fair!"
But Lunette answered me, "According to our beloved sister, the world of adults is unfair, and I agree with her."
I'm sure she was referring to Big Sister Wave. Indeed, her behavior when she was with me was different compared to when she was with Lunette. Now Lunette was learning things she shouldn't have learned.
From this point on, our fight became chaotic. We, who had no intention of using magic at first, were now throwing magic around us without thinking about others. Leo, Rena, and Nio were just watching us intently. They were outside the field so our magic wouldn't hit them. We didn't think anymore about what was fair or unfair until we were taken away by the teacher because we were caught. After a while, we found ourselves together with Leo, Nio, and Rena being reprimanded in the principal's office.