CHAPTER 38: The Thirty-Eighth Fracture

I glanced over at Karna.

“So you’re telling me one of their students uses devil powers—yet he’s on the same team as two girls whose abilities might reach into god-tier territory? What kind of academy is that?”

Still hovering, Karna slowly descended to the ground.

“Yeah… that school’s a weird one. And I thought we were dysfunctional.”

He gave me a look.

“Shut up,” I said flatly.

Karna chuckled, floating just low enough to be annoying.

Across the arena, a sharp voice rang out—loud, biting, impossible to ignore.

“Shut up, Valkor!”

All of us turned in that direction—Lyra included.

It was Elunara. Even without raising her voice again, her presence overtook the team. She was clearly the leader.

“You’ll fight Sukara if it’s chosen by the heavens,” she said, her tone cold and absolute. “Only God can guide your path. If it’s meant to be, then it will be.”

She paused, a cruel smile curling at the edge of her mouth.

“I wouldn’t mind watching you crush someone else in the meantime.”

Her words dripped with sadistic poise.

Vodyanoy said nothing. His silence was more unsettling than any threat.

Selkira flicked her hair, voice airy and mocking.

“Honestly, I don’t care who we fight. It’s not like this academy’s much of a challenge. We may not be ranked the strongest—”

She leaned forward slightly, her smile sharp.

“—but we’re definitely not the weakest. Unlike them.”

Before any of us could respond, a pulse of magic surged through the center of the arena. A brilliant flare erupted—light bursting like a divine signal between the teams.

Two figures stepped forward from the smoke.

Lyra… and beside her, another woman.

Her name was Xena.

But she didn’t walk—she arrived. Every step radiated nobility and raw power, like the battlefield itself bowed in acknowledgment.

She stood with the poise of a queen and the strength of a knight, clad in deep midnight-blue armor etched with silver filigree. Her breastplate shimmered—regal, yet weathered from war. A layered indigo battle dress flowed beneath, embroidered with noble crests and lunar markings. A high collar framed a glowing sapphire pendant at her throat. Silver gauntlets bore ancient runes. Her hair, braided and flawless, trailed behind her like a royal banner.

At her side hung a longsword, its black velvet sheath crowned with a pommel shaped like a sovereign’s sigil.

She didn’t serve a throne.

She was the throne, wrapped in steel.

Behind Lyra stood Avalon & Yuuka.

Her long blue hair was tied in a side ponytail, swaying like silk in low gravity. Her eyes caught the last light of dusk and made it theirs—sharp, unreadable, like moonlight on dark water.

Her outfit shimmered with crystalline-blue layers and shifting fractal glyphs. A high collar gleamed like shattered glass held together by will. Semi-transparent sleeves ghosted past her wrists. Her corset—ceremonial and armored—looked like it had been forged from starlight.

Hex-rings drifted around her ankles like planetary orbits.

A staff-spear pulsed beside her, flickering between forms—undecided on the kind of violence it wanted to bring.

Above her head hovered a broken crown of glass and starlight.

“SUKARA!!!” she shouted as she ran toward me—and jumped.

“What the shit?!” I yelled, arms flying upward as she latched on.

Yuuka just stood there laughing.

Saaya tried to drag her off, but an invisible barrier blocked any contact.

“GOD, your ability is SO annoying!” she yelled.

Avalon wrapped around me tighter and smirked.

“Your reactions never get old,” she said, glancing at Saaya.

Still holding onto my arm, I looked at her.

“I was wondering where you were. We all changed for the arena, but it looks like you’re still wearing what you had on when we first met.”

She shrugged. “I doubt I’ll be fighting. But even if I was, I could take down their whole academy myself.”

All four students from the other school glared at Avalon.

She met their looks and raised her chin.

“What? You four want a shot at me? I’ll take you all on. Don’t think I didn’t hear what you said about my team earlier. What was it? We were the weakest of the four academies?”

She scoffed. “Please. If anything, your school’s the weakest.”

Tension spiked. The air between both sides seemed ready to combust.

“That’s enough,” Lyra said.

I looked around, then turned to her.

“Where’s their substitute fighter?”

Lyra answered, calm but with a hint of irritation.

“They don’t have one. They insisted the four they brought are more than enough. They claimed bringing a fifth would be unfair. After all… magic is ‘stronger than science,’ or so they say.”

“Is that so…” I muttered, staring toward Valkor.

He smiled back—eyes gleaming with bloodlust.

Then Principal Xena clapped once, loud and sharp.

The tension snapped like a stretched wire.

“Save it for the arena,” she said. “Both sides, to your corners.”

We exchanged one last round of glares before turning away.

“Avalon,Yuuka” Xena added, “go with them.”

They both nodded and followed behind Karna.

Lyra turned toward Xena.

“Shall we begin?”

Xena gave a short nod.

“Yes.”