"…"
So you really did pick the softest persimmon to squeeze.
Elric's mouth twitched. Of all people—why did it have to be Faruzan?
He leaned closer to Lumine and whispered, "She's the mentor of those scholars from earlier. The one who spread the rumors about me—the real culprit."
"In the Akademiya, she bullies people with her seniority and does whatever she wants."
Elric let a perfectly-timed trace of resentment show on his face, as if he'd truly suffered some tremendous injustice.
"So I want to ask you—help me stop her."
He placed both hands on Lumine's shoulders and looked at her solemnly.
This is your trial, Lumine!
…Alright, fine. He was actually just testing whether he could issue a quest.
For a split second, Lumine thought she saw a faint blue exclamation mark flash above Elric's head.
And she blurted out instinctively, "Okay. I'll help you."
The moment she said it, her eyes sharpened with vigilance.
Lumine knew Elric's strength—so this girl in front of them must be no ordinary opponent.
"Great, thank you!"
Elric's expression brightened. As long as she agreed, it worked!
Then fine—I'll forgive you for only giving me a Dull Blade.
After accepting Elric's "commission," Lumine raised the Skyward Blade, Anemo surging through her body at high speed.
She sprang forward—
So fast that even Layla didn't have time to stop her.
This is a misunderstanding!!!
Layla desperately wanted to shout it out, but before she could react, the two had already clashed.
"Hm?"
A flicker of surprise passed over Faruzan's delicate face. She didn't understand why this girl had rushed in to attack her out of nowhere.
Kids these days really did everything in a rush—getting involved without understanding anything first.
And they showed no respect for their seniors at all.
Looks like it was time for a proper lesson.
"Hehe… seems like an old fossil like me should stretch her joints with you youngsters a little."
Faruzan's voice hadn't even fully fallen when her figure moved.
The mysterious power from the ruins not only granted her a long lifespan—it also brought countless benefits to her body.
And through those hundred lonely years researching ancient mechanisms, she never neglected to temper her own abilities.
After all, theory alone couldn't convince everyone.
Faruzan smiled faintly. Her Vision flared with dazzling light.
In the blink of an eye—
Their figures crossed midair, Anemo rippling outward.
For a moment, neither gained the upper hand.
But Lumine's mind shifted. She moved to close the distance.
Against an archer, close-quarters combat was the best approach.
A soft green glow wrapped around her body, her speed like lightning.
At the same time, the Skyward Blade in her hand shimmered with a faint trace of Electro.
She meant to get in close—
And break Faruzan in a single strike.
Unfortunately, fast as Lumine was, Faruzan had already seen through her intent.
In their brief exchange earlier, she'd observed Lumine's fighting style—straightforward, direct.
And her strength was astonishing.
Now that Faruzan had managed to open distance, she wasn't about to let Lumine close in again so easily.
Before Lumine could reach her, Faruzan drew her bowstring taut, several arrows suspended at the ready.
Then she kicked off hard, using the recoil to retreat swiftly as her fingers released the string.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh—!
Consecutive Anemo arrows gathered and fired in rapid succession, slithering through the air like snakes bursting from a den, the sound of tearing wind ringing out one after another.
Bang!
Several light explosions sounded as the arrows struck where Lumine had been standing—detonating into thick white smoke.
"Lumine!" Paimon screamed at the sight.
"She's fine."
Elric waved his hand calmly.
By the sacred law of If there's smoke, there's no damage, he was one hundred percent certain Lumine was fine.
Then he watched the battle in the distance with growing excitement.
Ladies and gentlemen—
I love watching women fight the most!
The violent Anemo burst scattered, revealing a Geo star at its center—dark within, swallowing the impact.
"Oh?" A trace of surprise flashed across Faruzan's face. "She used Geo to shield herself in time?"
Lumine had already used three different elements.
And she didn't have a Vision.
Using elemental power without a Vision—and multiple elements at that…
Plus the blonde hair, and the floating white creature…
Faruzan had already guessed who this was.
There was no need to keep fighting.
She shot a vicious glare toward Elric in the distance, already deciding how she'd deal with him later.
So this was Lumine with combo access… impressive.
How long could Faruzan keep up?
Well, no need to think too hard—this kind of event story would definitely end in a fifty-fifty stalemate.
Using the brief pause, Layla finally had a chance to step forward.
She first placed a drowsy Cryo barrier around herself to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.
Then she ran between them and shouted, "Wait! Faruzan-senpai, Lumine—this… this is a misunderstanding!"
Oh no. It's over. Time to run.
The moment Elric saw what Layla was doing, alarm bells rang in his head.
In his calculations, the fight should've escalated until someone—preferably Faruzan—got taken down.
Or until they both ran out of stamina.
He hadn't expected Layla to go this hard—shield up, charging straight into the battlefield.
Run. Run now. Run now.
If he got caught, it would be bad.
Damn it—he should've just bolted from the start. Now look at this.
If they grabbed him, wouldn't he get hit by a "friendship face-breaking punch" from both of them?
He'd only gained elemental power for less than a day—how was he supposed to fight these two?
Pick either one and he'd still lose.
And if they hit him with that friendship face-breaking punch…
That would be beyond doomed.
Elric felt the character already stamped across his face.
So he turned and sprinted.
"Hm?"
Lumine blinked in confusion. She hadn't even had her fill yet.
What was going on today? Every fight ended before she could enjoy it—
Wait. Don't tell me this is another misunderstanding?!
Noticing the strange tension on the field—and remembering Elric's unreliable personality—
"…ELRIC!!!"
The Traveler in cutscenes was usually gentle.
But in this exact moment, she couldn't stop herself from shouting.
"Hehe… so you've finally figured it out?"
Faruzan brushed her hair back, smiling at Lumine with the posture of a senior.
But since you dared stay and watch the show, you'll explain yourself properly.
A cold gleam flashed through Faruzan's eyes. Then a bright emerald radiance lit up around her.
Immediately after, a series of polyhedrons appeared at her side and shot toward Elric in the distance.
"Hm?"
Elric heard Lumine's shout and his heart jolted. He ran without looking back.
But he wasn't fast enough.
In no time, the polyhedrons caught up.
They didn't really hurt him, but they were more than enough to stall him for a moment.
And that was all the time Lumine and Faruzan needed to catch up.
No. Even if I die, I have to act cool!
Elric spun around decisively, sweeping his gaze across them with unwavering eyes, his voice deep and forceful.
"In the Fallen Valley, cold winds blow—
Spring and autumn cicadas sing, and the youth returns…"
…
"Today, my sword points toward the layered clouds—
I refine guys, refine men, and refine the heavens!"
Finally, he turned his back to them, hands clasped behind him, and spoke blandly:
"Simple. I'll just defeat you."
However…
No one treated his sudden madness seriously.
"This time you can't claim you were framed!"
"Regretting it won't help now!"
"Meteorite!"
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