Petra was still tired because she had stayed up late last night, but that didn't mean she could slack off!
Clap! Let's go!
The room shifted into motion!
-
The beds were badly made, the towels were grabbed, folded, and not cleaned, someone complained about missing clothes, and someone else insisted that they had gotten no sleep, which was naturally Jillian! Overall, the packing process was a morning mess!
Petra shuffled off to wash up, still half-asleep, humming something under her breath.
By the time she came back—
The smell hit her in the face!
Breakfast was plated out and waiting! The table in the dining room was already set. Lilly moved quickly, adjusting the bowls and cups, while Luna placed dish after dish down one by one, steam rising from each plate. They didn't need to speak, these two had already adapted to Luna's 'disability'. (Mute)
Petra dropped her little butt down into her seat and immediately began eating. Around her, the others settled in as well. Some were still groggy, others were already chatting, and the atmosphere was calm and comfortable, the kind that only came after a long night.
Then—
Rose paused mid-bite.
She glanced around the table before looking at Petra and rolling her eyes. "So~," she asked casually, "what do you want to do once we get back?" This was important, because time was limited.
The room quieted down, and all heads turned to the little master.
There were two months till the third calamity began, and if it was anything like the explosive opening that came with the second calamity, then time was running out.
Petra tilted her head, thinking.
"Well," she said, counting with her fingers…
"Mm, mm, mm! I wanna go to the zoo!"
Several people looked up in confusion.
Did Llynun even have a zoo?
It did, but…
"The big one," Petra added. "With the Leviathan Cub!"
None of them had heard about such a thing before…
So then, where did Petra hear about it…?
She kept going. "Then maybe visit the academy? Mm, yeah! Just to take a look..." She paused. "Mm, and I need some new clothes, Hmm… I'll go take a look at the good stuff, I know where to find it! yeah-yeah!" Petra nodded to herself as the other girls contemplated what the 'good stuff' actually was…
One needed to remember that Petra's definition of 'good' didn't necessarily mean the same thing as everyone else's.
Petra smiled.
After breakfast, things moved a bit faster...
The girls packed their bags and checked their supplies. After one final check by Mell, who was the most reliable one, confirming everything was collected and nothing was forgotten, the courtyard slowly emptied as their voices drifted into the distance, fading in the morning wind.
They packed up and left…
* * *
Front of the resort—
The checkout process was simple and quick. After they paid, the clerk bowed, their coins changed hands, and the keys were returned. There was no nonsense, just the soft sound of rain dripping from the eaves as they passed the deserted morning lobby.
They gathered in the open space just outside the entrance of the main hall.
Petra stretched, then yawned.
She suddenly made a sound.
"Oh, right," she said, as if remembering something important.
She raised one hand and snapped her fingers.
Poof!
A cloud of mental energy swirled around her hand, then unceremoniously reformed into a centipede-like doll, with rounded legs and big black eyes. It looked at Petra, blinked, and began floating through the air like a long kite, circling her body, and awaiting instructions.
"Mm, we're leaving soon..." Petra said casually. "You can come back now, we're ready to go."
The centipede doll lowered its head obediently, nodded, then disappeared.
While the girls were waiting for their 'transportation' to arrive, they all set down their bags and loitered around lazily. Just as Petra was getting bored, that was when good old Arthur conveniently arrived! He stood a short distance away with his two 'students', appearing to be leaving as well!
To Arthur's right—
Merlin stood upright and composed, his posture perfectly straight and alert. Despite the damp air, his robes were immaculate, with not even a single crease out of place! His expression was restrained and sharp, with his eyes fixed forward, and his face carrying a quiet, unmistakable pride. A silver monocle rested over one eye, and beneath his arm, he carried a stack of thick, silver-bound books. He radiated pure arrogance, and nothing about him resembled the man from the night before.
To Arthur's left—
Pen Tibon stood there—or rather… a shadow of his former self did! Petra hadn't noticed it clearly the night before, no, that wasn't right... She just hadn't bothered to look, but now that she actually paid attention, it was obvious.
His condition had deteriorated. Compared to the last time she had seen him, he was noticeably thinner. His shoulders were hunched, and he had dark circles under his eyes, which were heavy and completely unconcealable. His posture radiated an extreme sense of exhaustion, the kind that didn't come from a single sleepless night, but from a very, very long period of insomnia.
Either way, his body was failing. Petra could tell at a glance, because in the field of biology, she didn't need more than that! If he continued like this, he likely had a year or two at most! This was the look of someone who had trained too hard, thought too much, and slept too little for far too long.
What a pity…
Petra actually had high hopes for him. One had to know that to survive the poison from back then, he needed an unbreakable will that far exceeded that of normal people!
What a shame…
He would have made a great test subject…
She hummed, suddenly wondering how his sister was doing!
Maybe she should ask!
Mm…
No, maybe next time.
-
Surprisingly, Pen was the first to step forward…
To Petra's surprise, he nodded his head. "Petra," he greeted her calmly. Why didn't she remember telling him her name? Perhaps it was Arthur. Indeed, he had learned from Arthur who Petra truly was, and if it weren't for his circumstances, perhaps he would feel blessed for having the opportunity to benefit from such a persons 'grace.'
Unfortunately—
After his simple nod, he stepped back, and his expression flattened.
—Things were different now…
Seeing the cold pen, Arthur shook his head and decided to take the opportunity to ask, "What's your plan for the Third Calamity?" This was naturally directed at Petra.
Petra tilted her head. "Mm?" She didn't understand what he meant.
What plans?
How could she possibly know that!
She thought for half a second, then, "Mm, survive," she said simply! It was a throwaway answer, but she felt it was better to give this kind of person an answer rather than dismiss him. "'Win', hm, maybe break something important!" Petra said these words with such confidence that even Arthur had to pause for a moment, because he genuinely couldn't tell if she was joking or not…
She wasn't!
Shiver! Arthur didn't visibly react, but he shook his head. "I see," he replied in a casual tone.
They couldn't exactly be called friends, especially after the whole 'ripping out his eye' thing, but they weren't enemies either. For someone with the status of a hero, losing an eye wasn't as big of a deal as most would assume. There were ways to recover, and Arthur hadn't gone too far in Imai, so because of Petra's indifferent nature, their relationship settled into something… more neutral. It was still tense, yes, but not openly hostile! He could speak to her without fearing she'd kill him on the spot. This was possible because Petra was just that weird!
He still believed Petra should fulfill her role as a hero, which hadn't changed, but instead of trying to force it again, he chose a steadier approach this time.
Back in Imai, he had skipped that step entirely. He had panicked because he couldn't manipulate or predict with his ability. He couldn't steer the conversation, and that loss of control had unsettled him more than he realized at the time. That was why he had made such a reckless move.
In the end, losing an eye wasn't a tragedy, it was a wake-up call…
-
At the same time, a short distance behind them—
Merlin turned towards Noah.
"Yesterday! Your attack..." Merlin called out in a loud voice. "I want to fight again! That was a sneak attack! This time, fight like a man!"
Noah's eyes narrowed.
He—she felt that Merlin wouldn't give up if she refused…
"Are you sure? You can't beat me."
"You don't know anything," Merlin snapped back with cold eyes.
He took a step forward.
"I challenge you," he said loudly. "If I win, you'll come back with me!" He pointed aggressively at Petra, "You'll leave her and return to reality! This nonsense needs to end here!"
Petra blinked innocently.
Merlin's voice rose, shifting into something more fervent, almost manic, "You're throwing away your future for a lie! For chaos! For something that will destroy you and everything around you! We're already at the third calamity! There's no time! The world doesn't work the way she wants it to! She's just a stupid brat! Someone has to fix what's broken, and if that's me, then I'll do it!!"
As Merlin stomped his foot, Arthur suddenly sensed danger—
Petra felt her temples throb. She raised her very literally 'pink' claw, and—
Arthur jumped, instantly reacting—
Swoosh! He stepped over to Merlin with one large step, blurring in the air as he moved, then pulled him back by the crook of his neck! His figure was swift! "No," He 'scolded', looking at Petra like she was some sort of naughty dog.
Petra sniffed, her eyes awkwardly turning to the side.
Merlin stared at his teacher, confused about what had just happened. "Master—"
He felt as if Arthur had just broken his momentum for no reason.
Arthur ignored him, his gaze remaining fully locked on Petra. "I like my student as 'he' is."
Silence...
Petra slowly lowered her hand, blinked a few times, then shrugged. She dispelled the 'pinkness' that was leaking from her hand, before turning away and walking back to the other girls.
Behind them—
Merlin shook off Arthur's hand and stepped forward, continuing what he was doing.
"Noah!"
Noah pursed his lips.
"I'm starting," Merlin spat coldly.
This time, Arthur didn't stop him. Not only did he step back with Pen, but Petra also watched from the side with the other female servants.
The air shifted as the two childhood friends faced each other.
Following a gust of fresh morning air, the duel was decided...
-
Noah, stepping forward, slipped off her outer robe one shoulder at a time, and let it fall to the ground.
Underneath, she wore a simple short-sleeve shirt, with loose, baggy pants that were cut off just 'below the knees, ending in wrapped shins and thick leather boots. It was a bit unorthodox, but the outfit was loose and easy to move in. When asked to make the outfit, Lilly insisted on it, muttering something about 'mobility' and 'not letting the enemy grab onto loose fabric'.
In the end, the outfit suited her very well!
Across from her, Merlin raised an ornate silver wand, roughly thirty centimeters long.
He flicked it through the air in impossibly precise patterns, his fingers following in 'timed taps' as glowing blue runes bloomed one after another. These runes mixed with the mana in the air, forming extremely unique spell circles that layered together, overlapping and modifying each other in rapid succession, transforming and producing a series of magic matrices that orbited his body.
The air became heavy, even sparking where the spiritual energy from the two individuals clashed.
They had two completely different combat styles…
Noah fought with her hands and feet. She was a close-range type with an extremely direct combat style, and a frighteningly fast foot. This was not her original fighting style, rather, this was something she had developed after spending so much time in the Verdelith Castle.
Merlin, on the other hand, was a mage, and a truly monstrous one of that! The early levels of the Mage Pathway depended on many things, but it was unique in the aspect of relying heavily on the practitioner's innate talent rather than the practitioner's early accumulation. This meant that a person who could understand the rune language and quickly recreate it had a large advantage!
When they finished preparing, both of them paused in place.
They looked at each other, then, after Merlin frowned at Noah's seemingly 'incorrect' combat style—
Clap!
Boom!
Following a sudden and abrupt clap from Petra, they exploded forward, instantly starting their duel!
* * *