Little Cat

There was a commotion around the bulletin board, with students anxious to find out the fate of the competitors still remaining in the tournament. Beside me, Darin talked non-stop, firing off speculations like a machine gun.

"Surely you're going to get someone easier this time, Haru. Maybe even someone from our year. Then you just need to repeat what you did in the first fight."

I wanted to share the same optimism, but contrary to what he thought, the first fight had been anything but easy, and a cold feeling in my spine told me that things wouldn't be so simple.

When we got close enough to see the pairings, I couldn't immediately find my name. It was Darin who pointed it out to me, further down the list.

Haru vs Roderick.

His arm froze in the air. The initial enthusiasm turned to a genuine expression of concern.

"Roderick? 'Stone Wall'? This is terrible," he whispered, pulling me away from the crowd. "He's a second-year. An earth magic specialist."

"Is he that dangerous?"

Knowing Darin, he could very well be exaggerating. Could Roderick really be that much stronger than my first opponent?

"His fighting style is focused on defense. Almost no one can penetrate it."

"But I trained with Lyra. Isn't she stronger than him?"

Darin crossed his arms, and a look of frustration appeared on his face, accompanied by a lone tear that he quickly wiped away with his fist. Dramatic as always.

"As much as I hate to admit it, defensive warriors like him are the worst opponents for fighters like you and her."

"Why?"

"Because he only defends, waiting for the right moment to attack. And he only needs one single blow to win." Darin sighed. "I don't know the details, I just know the same thing everyone does, that no one breaks his defense."

No one breaks it?

Darin's words were not encouraging. And even with his habit of exaggerating, this was concerning. He had expanded my view, if I was going to face him, I needed to be prepared.

But staying there, speculating with Darin, wouldn't get us anywhere. He didn't understand all the nuances of Roderick's combat, and I didn't know how he fought. We didn't have the necessary elements to create a plan.

It was then that an image came to mind. Lyra, during our training, with her analytical gaze and the way she studied my movements. She, besides being strong, was a strategist. And, as the winner, she probably knew Roderick.

The conclusion was clear. I needed to find an expert on the matter.

***

After searching for a while, I found Lyra in the cafeteria, sitting alone in a corner. Her hands were wrapped around a cup of tea on the table, and she was staring out the window, so distant that she didn't even notice when I got closer.

"Lyra?"

She blinked, coming back to herself like someone waking from a daydream.

"Ah, Haru. Hello." Her smile seemed like a quick reflex, almost a disguise for her surprise.

"I need your help. My opponent was just posted. It's Roderick."

This time, the reaction was instantaneous. Her eyes narrowed, as if the warrior Lyra had taken over her body again.

"Roderick. 'Stone Wall'. Interesting." She tilted her head, analyzing mentally. "He's simpler than he seems, Haru. His strategy is all about defending until his opponent gets tired, then he does a single decisive blow."

"What should I do then?"

She paused, taking a sip of tea.

"His weakness isn't the defense itself, but what he hides behind it. His mobility. When he's defending, he can't move."

"But if he doesn't move and only defends, how am I going to beat him?"

"Your focus shouldn't be on him, but the ground." Her eyes sparkled. "Since he uses earth magic, he needs to be connected to the ground. If you cause instability in the terrain, he'll be forced to drop the shield to rebalance, opening a small window for attack."

I felt a weight lift from my shoulders, and while relieved, I realized how much of a genius Lyra truly was. She not only knew the opponent but transformed a fearsome monster into a solvable puzzle. Roderick no longer seemed so terrifying.

"It's a matter of timing, not brute force. And you have the speed for that," she concluded.

She took another sip from the cup, and the strategic sparkle in her eyes faded. That distance returned to her. She was no longer looking at me, but at the cup. The disconnect was too obvious. The real Lyra was somewhere else.

"Lyra... are you okay? You seem... distant."

Her face flushed instantly. Her fingers drummed on the side of the porcelain.

"I'm fine... It's just..." She lowered her voice to an almost inaudible whisper, as if confessing a crime. "Haru, a silly question. Darin... did he... by any chance mention anyone he... likes?"

I almost choked on my own air. This was what had made the invincible Lyra so distracted? The woman who had transformed a fearsome opponent into a trivial target thirty seconds ago was now nervous because of Darin?

And as much as I knew he liked her and felt the temptation to provoke them, I couldn't just tell her. It was something the two of them needed to sort out on their own.

"Darin?" I repeated, trying to sound disinterested. "No... he never said anything about that. Why?"

"Nothing! Forget it!" she said, jumping up. "Good luck with Roderick. Remember, timing."

Before I could say anything else, she turned and practically fled, leaving behind her cup of tea and the most unbelievable of revelations.

I stood there, trying to process everything. The fight against Roderick seemed like a smaller problem, almost trivial, compared to what I had just discovered. I needed to tell someone, and there was only one person I could share such a crazy story with.

***

The central courtyard of the school was strangely quiet that afternoon. The lively buzz of students had decreased, leaving room only for the golden light of late afternoon.

It was in this calmness that I spotted Nina. With her back to me, kneeling on the grass, she was completely absorbed with a small gray-furred cat. She let out a soft, almost imperceptible laugh when the kitten tried to chase a dry leaf she was shaking.

The scene was so unexpected and... cute that, for a second, I forgot why I was looking for her. I stood still watching, and a silly smile spread across my face. It was a side of her that wasn't normally visible.

"I thought you only enjoyed yourself by hitting me."

She turned around, startled, like a child caught in the act. Her face flushed instantly, and she tried to disguise it, throwing the leaf away.

"I... I was just checking if this animal wasn't a magical monster in disguise. It's a standard safety procedure," she lied, avoiding my gaze. The cat approached her legs, purring.

"Of course, I understand. He looks very dangerous."

I sat down next to her, and she gave me a sideways glance, but didn't complain when the cat jumped onto my lap.

"What do you want, Haru? Did you come to bother me because you found out your opponent is difficult?"

"Actually, it's two things. One of them is exactly that."

I explained about Roderick and my conversation with Lyra. To my surprise, Nina listened attentively.

"Hmph, if you do that and remember that earth magic and defense consume a lot of energy, even you could defeat him."

The cat jumped back onto her lap. She patted him gently.

"And what was the other matter?"

"The second matter is Lyra."

"Lyra?" she asked, surprised.

Then, I told her everything. About her being distracted, the question about Darin, and her sudden escape.

Nina's reaction was better than I imagined. Her eyes widened, and she covered her mouth to suppress a laugh.

"That explains a lot... Hmph, I don't know why anyone would fall in love like that."

"Right?" I laughed quietly. "But it's kind of... cute."

"Don't use that word," she said to me. "It's... unexpected."

We were silent for a moment, watching the sunset. The anxiety about the fight seemed a little more distant. It was good to have her nearby.

As we said goodbye, in front of the girls' dorm, Nina seemed to stumble over her words. "G-good luck against Roderick."

But before I could answer, a figure with a rigid posture emerged from a shadow, leaving me paralyzed.

Kael. Mira and Brann.

My gaze met theirs. This time, however, there was something different in their expressions. It wasn't just hatred or contempt. There was a calculating interest, a more personal challenge. Kael showed no reaction, just stared intensely at me, making the air feel instantly cold.

The comfort of the moment with Nina evaporated. My hand instinctively went to my pocket, feeling the amber crystal. I knew their objective there was anything but friendly. And that, quite possibly, they were looking for trouble.