Linking Stars

"Don't you think what were doing is going a little too crazy?" Takumi pointed out, his tone casual.

"What do you mean, boy?" Liene replied softly, almost teasing, her voice light and playful. "Isn't it fun?"

"Fun?!" Takumi raised an eyebrow, incredulous. "Well, apart from the fights, you know..." He shrugged, his tone starting off casual, but the frustration in his voice slowly grew. "We're standing on an elevated floor, several meters above where we were before! Not to mention that everything's going crazy because the floor is crumbling around us!" He yelled, his frustration bubbling over as the tension in the air thickened. "I don't think this is fun!"

Suddenly, the ground quaked, nearly throwing them off balance. Takumi dropped to one knee, facing away from Liene, positioning the blade of his scythe in front of him just in time to block a rogue wave of fire. The heat singed him, leaving a burn as he winced from the pain. Liene immediately cast a spell, green light swirling around the burn and healing it slowly. She gave a nonchalant shrug and pinched a strand of Takumi's hair that had caught fire, causing him to jolt in surprise.

Liene chuckled lightly, her voice airy and unbothered. "Well, it is a bit dramatic, I suppose. But maybe the floor's just... giving us a new perspective, hmm?"

"Dramatic? Oh, great. So now we're on a flying floor? Can't wait for the emergency exit… I'm sure it's just a trapdoor labeled 'good luck,'" Takumi quipped, rolling his eyes as his frustration mixed with a touch of sarcasm.

Suddenly, a massive, tree-like hand extended toward them, its grotesque fingers reaching out with terrifying speed. Takumi and Liene reacted just in time, diving in opposite directions, narrowly avoiding being caught. The hand slammed into the ground between them, and they quickly turned toward its source: a student casting magic, their arm stretched out like a twisted branch. Takumi raised an eyebrow, utterly flabbergasted.

"Things are just getting weirder and weirder..." Takumi muttered, still trying to process the scene.

Then, from the top of the tree-like arm, a creature crawled into view. It was a Nekara—cat-based and inhuman in its agility, with sharp, twitching ears and claws that dug deep into the tree arm. Takumi stood in stunned silence as the Nekara dashed across the arm with terrifying speed, holding a stiletto in hand—a thin, sharp blade designed for precision strikes. Liene's eyes widened in recognition, and she instinctively drew her blade, ready for the fight. 

Before Takumi could react, Liene was already charging forward, her blade flashing in a swift arc to parry the Nekara's strike. She maneuvered expertly, using her opponent's momentum to redirect both blades toward the tree arm. The impact sent shockwaves through the arm, causing the student controlling it to gasp in pain. The tree-like appendage shook violently, sending shockwaves that threw students off balance. Some dodged, while others were knocked aside by the spinning tree arm.

"Geez, what the hell is going on..." Takumi commented, flabbergasted as he shook his head

"Boy!" Liene yelled, her tone less soft and more commanding

"Yeah, yeah... I know..." Takumi responded, binowsts of her plan 

With the arm flailing wildly, Takumi's eyes locked onto his opening. He darted toward the massive limb, leaping onto it with precision. The erratic movements of the arm made him stumble slightly, forcing him to press his palm against the rough, woody surface to stabilize himself. His scythe remained extended at his side, its blade gleaming with anticipation as he regained his posture.

Sliding down the trunk-like appendage, his grin widened with every passing second, confidence radiating from his stance despite the chaos around him. The student controlling the arm finally noticed his approach, their eyes widening in shock as Takumi bore down on them like an unstoppable force.

"Looks like I'm really branching out!" As Takumi slid down, he smirked.

Liene, still locked in a fierce exchange with the nekara, deftly parried each of its rapid attacks. Despite the intensity, she couldn't suppress a chuckle at Takumi's atrociously bad pun. Her amusement was short-lived as the tree-like student swung its massive arm upward, violently shaking Takumi off.

He was sent flying through the air, flailing in shock for a moment. But then, a sly grin spread across his face mid-air. With a flourish, he revealed a detonator in his hand and pressed it without hesitation. A series of explosions erupted along the arm—revealing the bombs he had placed earlier during his slide. The blasts traveled in a chain reaction, each one tearing apart sections of the arm, until the final explosion near the student's shoulder sent them flying backward.

The student crashed onto the ground unconscious as Takumi landed smoothly, scythe in hand. With a smug grin, he performed an exaggerated, slow bow: one arm pressed to his chest in a fist, the other stretched outward holding his weapon. 

Meanwhile, as Liene and the nekara locked eyes in shock, Liene seized the moment. With a swift kick, she launched the nekara upward and immediately pulled her blade's tether as she leaped. The momentum propelled her higher, flipping gracefully in the air before delivering a powerful kick from above. The nekara slammed into the floor with a resounding thud, instantly knocked unconscious.

"Well, that was a thing..." Takumi muttered, walking up to Liene's side as they both glanced toward the duo they had just defeated, now disappearing back to the bleachers.

"Definitely is..." Liene replied softly, her tone light and agreeing.

Takumi darted his eyes toward her, only to find her already looking back with a soft, teasing smile. Flustered, he quickly shifted his gaze forward, while Liene subtly glanced away in the opposite direction, her smile lingering but now hidden from his view.

"Stop making me like you..." he grumbled, his tone annoyed but tinged with nervousness.

"In any case, we better move, boy," Liene said, pointing toward the edge of the floor, which was rapidly crumbling closer.

"Yeah..." Takumi nodded, and without another word, they both rushed away together.

Meanwhile, as the edges of the floor continued to crumble and the clock above ticked down to five and a half minutes remaining, the number of students dwindled to sixty as another duo vanished, teleported back to the bleachers.

Kazuki and Claire sprinted forward, the crumbling floor chasing them like an unrelenting predator. Claire's eyes flickered around, catching glimpses of chaotic battles amid the destruction. Magic of every element streaked through the air—fiery explosions, shimmering barriers, and bolts of lightning crackling like falling stars. Weapons clashed with masterful precision, enhanced by mana to create dazzling, star-like attacks.

The arena was alive with chaos—a symphony of power, desperation, and skill. Claire let out a deep sigh, her breath heavy with exhaustion and unease, as the intense scene blurred around her.

Pairs of students emerged, forcing them into battle. Kazuki moved with unflinching calm, his blade cutting through the air in swift, calculated strikes. Occasionally, he unleashed stellar skills that demanded minimal effort, flipping and sliding through attacks, his eyes remaining emotionless. 

Meanwhile, Claire crouched at a distance, her bow in hand. She fired an arrow at charging students to her right, disarming their weapons with precision, before pivoting to her left. She tilted her bow vertically, intercepting incoming arrows and spears mid-flight. In one fluid motion, she nocked two arrows and released them, hitting her targets with uncanny accuracy whilst taking few small brief glimpses upon Kazuki at times. 

Her gaze briefly flicked to Kazuki.

"A lone wolf away from the pack," Claire mused, her inner voice carrying a mix of observation and dry amusement. "Pretty accurate..."

Without missing a beat, she reached for more arrows, momentarily lowering her bow before turning sharply. A flock of summoned crows swooped toward her, but she dispatched them with pinpoint accuracy, each hit reducing a crow to faint black dust. The metallic clinks of spent arrows echoed as she dropped her bow and drew her sword, barely in time to parry an attack from the summoner.

Their blades clashed, the force locking them in a tense standstill. Claire gritted her teeth, her arms trembling as she struggled against the summoner's strength.

"Crap…" she muttered, straining to maintain her ground.

Before she could react further, Kazuki's blade struck between their locked swords from behind her. The force sent Claire stumbling back as the summoner lost balance, staggering to the left. With quick precision, Kazuki knocked the summoner unconscious with the hilt of his sword. The foe collapsed and vanished, teleported to the bleachers.

Claire shook her head, startled. She glanced at Kazuki's back, his figure still and unyielding, like a machine.

"Uh… Thanks," Claire said awkwardly, her tone hesitant. "I could've handled it, though…"

Kazuki didn't reply or even glance at her. He remained silent, unmoving.

Claire shifted uncomfortably, lowering her gaze. Her lips pressed together as she gripped her bow tightly, words failing her in the growing silence.

Her instincts kicked in as she snatched an arrow from her quiver, twirling it deftly between her fingers before nocking it. Spinning to her left, she aimed at the figure approaching from behind—only to find herself face-to-face with Takumi. He froze, hands raised high, a nervous grin plastered across his face.

"Whoa, whoa! Easy with the arrow, Claire," Takumi said, his tone a mix of nervousness and forced calm. "Geez, you're awfully aggressive today…"

Behind him, Liene stood with her arms crossed, one eyebrow arched in faint amusement.

Claire let out a deep sigh, her grip on the bow loosening as she lowered it. Exhaustion weighed heavily on her as she bent forward, groaning softly. Takumi awkwardly scratched the back of his head, exchanging a quick glance with Liene, whose expression silently mirrored his embarrassment.

"Been worse," Claire muttered, her voice tinged with weariness as she leaned into her knees.

"You looked worse back at the bleachers," Liene teased gently as she stepped forward, her tone light and playful.

Claire rolled her eyes, letting out a faint chuckle as she shrugged. "Yup, just catching my breath while my teammate does his thing, capisce?" She tilted her head upward, stealing a glance at them. "So, what's the deal? Coincidence, or were you two stalking me?"

"Definitely the latter," Takumi replied with a shrug, his grin widening.

"Figures…" Claire groaned, shaking her head slightly.

Liene's gaze flicked to the timer above, her lips curling into a smirk. "Only a couple of minutes left. Care for a duel?"

"Eh?!" Claire shot upright, her voice cracking in surprise. "You're kidding, right? I'm this close to just throwing myself off this platform."

"Well," Liene said slyly, her tone as soft as her smile. "Let's ask him then." She nodded behind Claire, her eyes glinting mischievously.

"Him? Wha—" Claire squealed, spinning around in alarm.

As Claire turned, she jolted with a startled squeal, caught entirely off guard. Standing before her was Kazuki, still as motionless as a statue. His long black coat swayed gently in the breeze, his hair shifting slightly, yet his eyes were devoid of emotion—cold and unreadable.

"Errr…" Claire mumbled, her voice faltering, nervousness locking her words in place.

"So, what's it gonna be, Stoneface?" Liene teased, her tone light and mocking, a playful grin tugging at her lips. She reached for her kyoketsu shoge, spinning the weapon effortlessly by its rope, the curved blade flashing as it twirled in a fluid, almost hypnotic motion.

Kazuki remained silent, as Claire had expected. Still, his lack of response only deepened her pout, frustration flickering in her expression. She leaned forward slightly, her posture tense and uncertain, watching him intently. Liene, in contrast, looked utterly at ease, her grin widening as her spinning weapon created a soft whirring sound in the air.

Takumi, standing a little further away, glanced nervously between Liene and Kazuki. His fingers tapped a restless rhythm against his waist, his unease growing with every passing moment. 

"Well, I suppose that silence isn't exactly a no," Liene mused, her voice carrying an amused lilt as her grin turned almost predatory.

Without warning, Liene hurled the spinning kyoketsu shoge toward Kazuki, the weapon slicing through the air with precision. Kazuki's reaction was instantaneous. In a sharp, fluid motion, he unsheathed his sword and swung it upward, deflecting the incoming blade with a ringing metallic clash. The impact sent the shoge's blade snapping back toward Liene, who caught it effortlessly by the rope, the entire exchange executed as though it were a rehearsed dance.

Both Claire and Takumi jumped at the sound, their eyes wide with shock. Claire's gaze darted between Kazuki and Liene, her mind racing to process the sudden confrontation. Takumi, meanwhile, stepped back cautiously, muttering under his breath, "Uh… that escalated fast."

Liene's grin widened further, her eyes sparking with challenge. "Well then," she said, her tone laced with excitement, "Let's see how much that stoic act of yours can take you."

Kazuki didn't respond. His gaze locked onto her, calm and unwavering, as though the encounter was nothing more than a routine sparring match.

"Well, I guess I don't have a choice then…" Claire sighed, standing up straight as she quickly drew an arrow. Takumi turned slowly toward her, his eyes narrowing as she released the arrow with precision. He barely dodged, the arrow grazing past him with a flash.

"Oh, so this is how it is now…" Takumi said, his voice tinged with friendly hostility. A grin spread across his face as he smoothly drew his scythe from his waist. With a swift mechanical sound, the weapon extended to its full size. Takumi slammed the scythe into the floor with a forceful strike, sending a shudder through the arena.

Suddenly, the floor quaked beneath them. Both Claire and Takumi staggered slightly but managed to stay on their feet. Their eyes instinctively darted around, taking in the view of the crumbling edges of the arena as they grew clearer in the distance. Around them, the chaotic clash of duels continued, with about thirty students locked in combat.

Seizing the opportunity, Claire quickly strapped her bow to her back and unsheathed her sword with practiced ease. Without hesitation, she charged toward Takumi, her movements fluid and determined. Takumi barely reacted in time, raising his scythe to block her attack. The metal rang out as her sword met the blade of his scythe, but Claire pushed forward relentlessly, her eyes locked on her target.

The battle rages on as Liene and Kazuki continue their intense duel, with Liene throwing her blade toward Kazuki with rapid precision. He parries each one effortlessly, his movements fluid and almost robotic. Liene, using her agility, flips sideward and twirls her blade mid-air before throwing it again. The moment she catches it, her palm presses onto the blade, imbuing it with magic. A green glow pulses from her hands, flowing into the weapon before she slams it into the ground. Instantly, large roots emerge, crawling up around them like wild vines. Kazuki simply observes, his gaze flat and emotionless, before striking a stance—his blade resting against his back, the hilt gripped firmly in his outstretched hand, ready for anything.

Meanwhile, Claire and Takumi are locked in their own standoff, their blades clashing in the midst of the chaos. Takumi breaks the tension with a grin and a playful remark, "Heh, don't ya think we're moving a little too fast?"

"Wha—? Huh?" Claire stumbles over her words, her face turning bright red, momentarily thrown off by Takumi's teasing.

Takumi, sensing her flustered reaction, smirks and continues, "Don't ya think we should go on a date first? Maybe dinner? Don't want to rush things."

"I... I don't... Huh?" Claire's confusion deepens, her movements faltering. The distraction weakens her push, making her vulnerable.

With a swift smirk, Takumi lowers his stance, sweeping her legs from under her. Claire gasps in surprise as she stumbles, nearly losing her balance. But in one fluid motion, she presses her hands to the floor and flips backward, using her momentum to spring back to her feet. She quickly sheaths her sword and draws her bow, nocking an arrow and firing it towards Takumi.

Takumi, seeing the arrow coming, leaps back just in time, narrowly dodging the shot. Claire lands gracefully, her footing a little shaky, but she manages to regain her balance. Takumi steadies himself, reaching for one of his devices, a small smirk playing at the corners of his mouth.

"Well, color me impressed. Guess I need to start taking you seriously... or at least pretend to." Takumi mutters to himself, his gaze never leaving Claire.

Claire darted sideways, her feet skimming the unstable ground as she fired a volley of arrows toward Takumi. He dodged each one with ease, weaving through her shots with a grin. In one swift motion, he pulled a metallic cuboid device from his waist, activating it with a faint hum before tossing it in Claire's path. She dashed past the device, realizing too late as thick blue lightning surged from it, latching onto her arm. 

The electric current halted her momentum, pulling her slightly backward as she struggled to break free. Claire gritted her teeth, planting her feet firmly as Takumi sprinted toward her, scythe outstretched. With a sharp tug, she wrenched her arm free, the lightning tether snapping as she twirled from the force, stumbling. She narrowly evaded a slash from Takumi's scythe, leaping back in time to avoid its deadly arc.

"So, how about it? Dinner tonight, somewhere in town?" Takumi teased, his tone light but his movements unrelenting.

Claire, seeing through his attempt to distract her, smirked. "Nah, sorry. I've got my priorities straight right now, capisce? " she quipped, her voice tinged with mockery as she sidestepped his next attack.

Takumi pressed the offensive, his strikes calculated but playful. Claire continued to evade, her movements fluid despite her inexperience. As she leapt back again, her fingers deftly reached for three arrows from her quiver. In one smooth motion, she flipped over Takumi, nocking the arrows mid-air. Landing behind him, she stood poised, her bow drawn and ready.

"Though," she added with a confident grin, "if you'd asked me to an amusement park, I might've considered it. Too bad—you missed your chance."

The tips of her arrows glowed with a brilliant white light as she released them in unison as she used her stellar skill—Astral Arrow. The arrows streaked toward Takumi with incredible speed, forcing him to raise his scythe just in time. The impact sent him skidding backward, his boots grinding against the floor as he absorbed the force of the attack. Claire smirked, satisfied with her precision—until she noticed a metallic ball tumbling toward her feet.

It landed with faint clinks, emitting a high-pitched beep. Before Claire could react, the device erupted in a flash of red light, releasing a thick plume of smoke that enveloped the area. She coughed, her vision obscured, her grip tightening on her bow as she tried to steady herself.

From within the haze, Takumi's voice echoed, still playful. "Looks like I'm not the only one with a few surprises. Who knew?"

Liene darted around Kazuki, gripping the hook end of her kyoketsu shoge. With a deft motion, she hooked it onto one of the towering roots she had conjured earlier. Using it as leverage, she swung herself forward, grabbing a smaller branch mid-air to propel herself closer to her opponent. Kazuki stood still, his sword resting casually in his hand, his gaze locked on her as she maneuvered around him with precision and speed.

The massive root she had hooked onto quaked violently before surging downward, slamming into Kazuki's position with a resounding crash. The ground shook, debris and cement particles billowing into the air in an explosive cloud. For a brief moment, silence followed the chaos.

Then, through the smoke, Kazuki leapt high into the air, his movements effortless, his expression unchanging.

"Heads up," Liene's voice called out softly from behind, tinged with amusement.

Kazuki turned mid-air, his cold gaze meeting her playful smirk as she twirled her kyoketsu shoge, charging toward him. She swung her blade in a swift arc, aiming to catch him off guard. But with minimal effort, Kazuki parried her strike, his blade meeting hers with a precise, almost casual deflection. The force of the clash sent her weapon spinning away, and for the first time, Liene's confident expression wavered, giving way to a brief flicker of surprise.

Both combatants landed on the massive root that had struck the ground moments before, standing at a measured distance from one another. Kazuki stood motionless, his stoic demeanor unshaken, as though the encounter was of no consequence. Across from him, Liene adjusted her grip, pulling her blade back into her hand with practiced ease. Her brow furrowed slightly, a mix of mild annoyance and growing intrigue glinting in her eyes. 

"Well," Liene muttered under her breath, a grin slowly forming, "aren't you full of surprises."

At the same time, the tension in the air thickened as Claire squinted through the dense cloud of smoke. Her eyes burned with every effort to focus, any further widening threatening to sting unbearably. She stood alert, scanning her surroundings while instinctively glancing over her shoulder. Strapping her bow onto her back, she unsheathed her sword with a swift motion. Slightly crouched, her hands gripped the hilt firmly, holding the blade defensively in front of her as she steadied her breathing. 

"Claire..." Takumi's voice drifted eerily through the smoke, taunting and drawn out, like the villains in those movies she used to watch with Rose. His words slithered around her, sending a chill down her spine. "...There is no escape..." 

Her muscles tensed as she sensed movement. With practiced precision, she spun toward the source, her blade raised high to intercept the incoming strike. But instead of meeting steel, her blade cut through nothing but air. 

From the opposite direction, Takumi burst out of the smoke with a devilish smirk, his scythe slicing sideways. He had baited her into turning the wrong way. 

"Ack!" Claire gasped, her voice cracking with pain as the strike connected with her side. 

Faint cyan mana particles shimmered along her body, forming a thin barrier that absorbed much of the blow. The scythe barely grazed her skin, but the sheer force of the attack sent her stumbling. Claire was blasted out of the smoky cloud, skidding across the ground until she stopped just short of the crumbling edge of the arena. 

"Wha—?" she muttered, disoriented as she tried to process the attack. 

Her eyes flicked to the unstable ground behind her, panic threatening to surface before she snapped her attention forward. Takumi was already in mid-air, his scythe raised high, ready to strike again. 

"Hello!" he called out with a mocking cheer. 

"Gah! Geez!" Claire cried out, her voice cracking as she rolled sideways, barely evading the downward slash. 

Takumi's blade smashed into the ground near the edge, the impact causing more of the arena floor to crumble. He pivoted instantly, leaping toward her again as she scrambled to her feet. 

Takumi thrust his scythe forward in a calculated strike. Claire raised her sword just in time, the clash of steel ringing out as the force drove her backward. Her boots skidded against the floor, bracing herself against his relentless push. 

Then, a massive crash echoed nearby. 

"Eh, what was that?" Claire muttered, confused, her eyes darting toward the sound. 

Both Claire and Takumi glanced to their left, drawn by the flurry of movement. Kazuki flew backward through the air, his blade deflecting every rapid swing of Liene's kyoketsu-shoge. Her attacks were relentless, her movements dazzling as she spun and darted, twirling gracefully while launching roots from the ground to strike him. Kazuki's emotionless gaze never wavered. He dodged the roots effortlessly or cleaved through them with precise swings of his sword, his form fluid and composed. 

With a final parry, Kazuki landed smoothly, skidding slightly before positioning his blade in front of him in a low stance. Liene smirked as another massive root erupted from the ground, her mana pulsating through it. She balanced atop the root with one foot, her other leg resting gracefully against her knee. Around them, a few duos of students paused their sparring to watch, intrigue and awe flashing across their faces. 

"You're reckless, aren't you?" Liene said, her soft voice carrying a teasing edge as she tilted her head, smiling. 

"I suppose." Kazuki's reply was barely audible, a monotone murmur. 

"Oh? So you speak. Have I impressed you somehow?" Liene's smile widened as her curiousity grew. 

Kazuki's gaze flickered upward to meet hers—blank and unchanging. He didn't reply, his silence unsettling. Claire's chest tightened, her teeth gritting as unease crept through her. Why was she worried? Kazuki had faced worse—hadn't he? Yet something about this gnawed at her, distracting her from Takumi. 

Takumi's smirk brought her back to the moment. "Losing focus, Claire?" he taunted, pushing forward with renewed vigor. Their weapons clashed violently, sending both skidding backward before charging at each other again. 

Meanwhile, Liene launched herself from the root, unleashing a furious barrage of strikes. Her blade glowed bright green, mana-infused, as she performed her stellar skill: Whirling Assault. She darted around Kazuki with near-incomprehensible speed, flipping and twisting as she hurled her blade, tethered by its string, in rapid arcs. Each throw and swing blurred into streaks of green light, her movements mesmerizing yet deadly. 

"Heh, am I overwhelming you?" Liene teased, her soft voice laced with ego. 

Kazuki remained silent, his expression unreadable. 

Then her confidence faltered. Her eyes widened as she realized what the crowd, including Claire and Takumi, now saw: Kazuki wasn't struggling—he was parrying. Every attack, no matter how fast or complex, met his blade with equal precision. His movements, while appearing defensive, flowed like water, adapting effortlessly to her strikes. 

She flipped over him, her blade streaking toward his back, but Kazuki pivoted smoothly, intercepting her attack mid-air. His blade glowed bright gray, mana surging through it to match hers. Each deflection sent faint sparks of mana cascading through the air, his swings faster and more fluid than before. 

"Just who are you?" Liene's voice broke, trembling with fear as her relentless barrage slowed. 

"Someone who's not important," Kazuki replied, his tone flat, as he stepped forward. 

In a flash, he caught her blade by its handle, gripping it with his gloved hand. Liene flinched, instinctively stepping back, but Kazuki didn't hesitate. With a burst of mana, he charged like lightning, his movements a blur as he prepared to use his stellar skill. 

His sword flashed in a precise, straight slash, cutting through her mana with a sharp whistle. He pivoted seamlessly, unleashing a mirrored strike from the opposite side. Each motion flowed with deadly precision, shattering her defenses and depleting the last of her mana. Liene faltered, her stance broken as she crumpled to the ground in defeat.

In the heat of her own duel, Claire caught a fleeting glimpse of the aftermath. Her breath hitched as she processed the effortless dominance Kazuki had displayed. The sheer extent of his power left her stunned, her focus wavering for just a moment.

Takumi smirked at the opportunity. Not one to let a distraction slip by, he subtly reached for his pouch, his movements calculated as he prepared his next move.

Liene collapsed to the ground, her body trembling, her strength sapped. Around them, gasps echoed through the crowd. Kazuki stood over her, his expression as unreadable as ever. He glanced briefly to his side, his gaze brushing to his before settling forward again. 

Liene's eyes widened in shock and disbelief as she looked up at him, unable to move. It was just unbelievable.