First Win

I didn't know what to expect when I left the arena. The crowd chants, and attention had already shifted focus, now directed toward the next battle. But I still felt my body warm, as if the battle's adrenaline hadn't fully dissipated yet.

The more I walked down the corridors, the more the sounds of the arena faded behind me. But what mattered was that my mission there had been accomplished. I had won the first battle, and now I just needed to focus on the next ones. It was just the first step, the path to the grimoire was still long.

Darin and Lyra were waiting for me right at the exit, and as soon as they saw me, they smiled, as if my victory meant more to them than it did to me.

Darin was the first to run toward me, nearly knocking me down with an enthusiastic hug.

"I told you you'd win!"

A few tears flowed down his face, a genuine demonstration of emotion that caught me by surprise.

"Why are you crying?" I asked.

"Can't I get emotional with my friend's victory?"

Lyra watched the scene from a distance, but, tired of the drama, approached and gave Darin a light tap on the head.

"There's no need for so much drama," she scolded him, though a corner of her lips was slightly curved.

"S-s-sorry."

Darin stopped crying immediately, going rigid after her glare. They really seemed closer somehow. Lyra now acted with much more naturalness around him, even if he still became completely stiff.

But I couldn't deny that seeing the two of them like that was reassuring. As if, little by little, everything was returning to normal.

After Darin gave me some space following Lyra's tap, she approached me.

"Congratulations on the win. But remember, it's only the first."

Typical of her. Lyra was much more focused, as expected from the current tournament winner.

And it wasn't strictly necessary for her to say that. I knew it was just the first step, there was much ahead. But still, that recognition, coming from her, warmed my heart. It was proof that all the sweat poured out in training had not been in vain.

But amidst the celebration, I missed a familiar face. Then, I noticed a friendly silhouette hidden in a corner, with a characteristic hood trembling slightly.

"What are you doing hiding there?" I asked as I came closer.

"I-it's not like I was too embarrassed to go up to you guys and stayed here listening to the conversation!"

The excuse was as transparent as river water, especially when she pulled her hood down, trying to hide her blushing cheeks.

"Come on, come here."

Before she could refuse, I took her hand and pulled her closer to the group. To my surprise, she didn't resist. The embarrassment of being exposed must have been greater than the urge to hit me, so she followed without protest.

Upon approaching the others, however, shyness overcame her completely. She practically hid behind me, offering an almost inaudible greeting.

"H-Hello," Nina said, unable to maintain eye contact.

Darin, of course, didn't waste time and was the first to speak, with a wide smile.

"Hi, Nina! You must be happy with the result, right? It was with your help that Haru got this far."

Lyra nodded, her serious expression giving way to a gentle look. "He improved a lot in training. I doubt he'd be here if it weren't for you."

The direct compliment, coming from the winner, made Nina's ears visibly twitch under the hood.

"It... it was nothing. He put in the effort too," she mumbled, pulling the fabric tighter. But a micro-smile, almost imperceptible, escaped her lips. It was obvious that she was happy with the recognition.

Nina's reaction was funny, a complete contrast to the ironic and aggressive girl from our training sessions. But beyond her shyness being an amusement for me, that scene filled me with deep gratitude. I was there, surrounded by everyone who had somehow helped me reach that first victory. And, unlike who I would have been in my past life, being surrounded by those people... wasn't bad at all.

Darin then, in an explosion of enthusiasm, hit me on the back.

"We have to celebrate Haru's first victory! How about we go to that bakery near the school?"

I thought the suggestion would be met with indifference, until Lyra, completely changing her posture, began to sway her body slightly, looking at her own feet.

"You mean... the one with the Sweet Mist and Light-Root cakes?"

The change in atmosphere was instant. A completely new side of Lyra had just been revealed. Darin turned red as a tomato, holding his breath so he wouldn't explode with happiness.

"The mandrake milk cake is really good too..." Nina added timidly.

That was the cue Lyra needed. She leaped toward Nina, grabbing her hands with shining eyes. She bounced lightly in front of her. Nina tried to evade in shock, but Lyra's enthusiasm was relentless.

"I knew you were on my team!"

Turning to me and Darin, still holding the hands of a now stunned Nina, she announced: "So it's decided! We're going to celebrate Haru's victory by eating cake!"

Lyra left first, dragging Nina, who shot me a look of despair. But before I could say anything, she quickly sketched a smile, blushing even more inside the hood. In that moment, I knew everything would be fine.

Somehow, that scene warmed my heart in a way the victory in the arena hadn't. Unlike the solitary win in the combat, that moment shared with them felt infinitely more rewarding. As if the grimoire, in the end, wasn't the only reward I was seeking.

"Come on, Darin," I said, nudging my companion next to me, who still seemed to be processing Lyra's outburst of cuteness. "Or we're going to get left behind."

We ran to catch up with them, with Darin yelling, "Wait for us!" with his messy hair flying in the wind.

And in that moment, with my friends ahead of me and the promise of a sweet cake, I knew that as long as I had them by my side, I would have the strength to face any round of the tournament ahead.