System: Daily login!!, jackpot on the first day!!!

The night passed uneventfully, and everyone returned to their rooms to continue their rest.

And just like in their previous destination, Taufik and his family would spend a full week in the Blue Dragon Kingdom.

But on the third day, something unexpected and interesting took place.

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"…Are you sure about this?"

Aksara stood at one end of a wide, open field, his eyes narrowed at Rashid, who stood opposite him. The morning sun cast long shadows across the grass, and a light breeze carried the scent of dew and distant flowers.

Around the edges of the field, Taufik, Akh'sha, and a few others watched with quiet anticipation.

"Yes," Rashid replied, his gaze unwavering. "I want to know how strong I am... And I want to know how strong you are. Please... fight me"

Aksara exhaled slowly, closing his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, the usual calm in his gaze had shifted into something sharper... Focused, determined.

"If that's what you want," He said softly, "then let's do it. But… Are you sure you want to fight in that humanoid form?"

"I am"

"…Bare hands?"

"No," Rashid answered. With a smooth, almost effortless motion, he raised his hand. A swirl of cold mist gathered around it before forming into a sleek, glimmering blade of pure ice.

The weapon shimmered in the sunlight, its edges razor-sharp and humming faintly with magic.

"I'll fight using this," He said, gripping the ice blade firmly.

"…Alright," Aksara said calmly, drawing his Ninjato in one fluid motion. The blade caught the light, gleaming with quiet menace.

"A dragon who fights with a sword… Interesting," He added with a slight smirk, his eyes studying Rashid with growing curiosity.

Then, Aksara glanced toward his father.

"Father, can you be the judge?"

Taufik stepped forward, placing himself between the two combatants. His presence alone shifted the atmosphere, calm yet commanding.

"…Very well," He said, his voice relaxed. "This is just a friendly match, so no need to hold back. There are no special rules, use whatever techniques or powers you want, do whatever you wish…"

He paused, his smile turning just a little strange, a glint in his eye.

"…Even if one of you dies, I'll bring you back. So don't worry too much, ahaha~"

Both Aksara and Rashid stiffened slightly at his words, unsure whether to laugh or take them seriously.

Then, with a flick of his fingers, Taufik conjured a glowing coin from thin air. He held it up between them.

"I'll toss this coin. When it hits the ground… the match begins"

"…Alright," Aksara nodded, his stance sharpening.

"…Let's begin," Rashid echoed, gripping his ice sword with both hands.

*Cling*

The coin spun through the air, catching the sunlight with each turn.

Time seemed to stretch.

Then-

*Clink!*

The coin hit the ground.

And the world exploded into motion.

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The coin had barely settled before Rashid lunged forward, ice blade sweeping in a swift horizontal arc.

Aksara met it with a clang of steel, parrying the strike with his Ninjato as sparks flew from the impact.

Rashid pressed in, fluid and relentless, his strikes like crashing waves.

Each swing of his blade sent cold mist trailing behind, chilling the air.

Aksara danced back, then pivoted, ducking low before launching a counterstrike aimed at Rashid's ribs.

But Rashid twisted, water surging from beneath his feet in a spiraling burst. It lifted him upward like a geyser, dodging Aksara's blade and giving him aerial advantage. From above, he slashed downward, his ice blade glowing faintly blue as it gathered magic.

Aksara raised his sword and called out in a low voice, "SwordMagic: Light Form... Radiant Fang!"

His blade ignited with golden light, clashing against Rashid's descending strike. The impact exploded in a shockwave of light and frost, blowing dust and steam across the field.

They both landed several meters apart, boots skidding through grass and dirt.

"... Not bad," Aksara muttered.

"I could say the same," Rashid replied, raising his sword again.

Water coiled around Rashid's feet, and in the blink of an eye, he surged forward, his movement a blur, aided by flowing currents beneath him. He spun, feinting left, then struck from the right with precision.

Aksara barely blocked the blow, the force sliding him backward.

"SwordMagic: Earth Form... Stone Echo!"

He slammed his Ninjato into the ground. A pulse of brownish-gold energy rippled out, and stone pillars erupted from the earth like jagged fangs, attempting to trap Rashid in a crushing pincer.

But Rashid's body melted into a stream of water, slipping between the rocks and reforming a few feet away, laughing.

"You'll have to do better than that!"

He thrust his hand forward, "Tide Spear!" And a massive spear of compressed water launched from his palm, tearing through the air.

Aksara sidestepped, just barely, the water blast cutting a trench into the field behind him. He retaliated instantly.

"SwordMagic: Light Form... Flash Bind!"

His blade pulsed, releasing a flare of blinding light. Rashid flinched, eyes squinting, just enough for Aksara to close the distance.

A sharp series of slashes followed, each one glowing with searing light. Rashid raised his ice blade, blocking and deflecting, his arms trembling under the weight of Aksara's assault.

But then Rashid roared, not in pain, but in exhilaration, and his aura exploded outward, deep blue and thrumming with draconic power.

Water surged around him like a living serpent, forming a spiral shield that absorbed Aksara's next strike.

Rashid swung, "Glacier Rend!"

A wave of jagged ice burst forward.

Aksara planted his foot.

"SwordMagic: Earth Form... Granite Wall!"

A thick wall of earth rose to meet the ice, and the two magics collided violently, stone cracking, ice exploding into mist.

When the fog cleared, the two stood across from each other, both breathing heavily, but grinning.

Neither had landed a decisive blow.

Yet.

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"…So he can use ice, just like Anugerah, huh?" Taufik muttered, eyes focused as blades clashed and magic erupted across the field. "He's not bad. Where'd he learn to fight like that?"

Beside him, Akh'sha crossed his arms, watching the duel with quiet pride.

"He taught himself," He said with a faint smile. "You remember how much he admires you, don't you? Instead of fighting like most dragons... With raw power, claws, and breath, he chose to wield a sword. Just like you"

Taufik's brows rose slightly.

"It's unusual," Akh'sha continued, "but when he fights that way, he unknowingly becomes the strongest among his generation. Maybe that's why he challenged Aksara… Not just to measure himself, but to prove he's worthy of the path he's chosen"

Taufik nodded slowly, arms folded.

"And the ice?"

Akh'sha glanced at Rashid as he swept his sword through the mist, water magic swirling like a storm.

"For some reason, many of the younger Blue Dragons can use it now," She said thoughtfully. "It wasn't always like that. I suspect the emergence of Wyrmheart might be responsible. That ancient blood… It's changing things. Who knows what else it's awakened"

Taufik said nothing for a moment, watching the two boys clash again, light and ice, water and stone, youth and pride.

Then, a small smile crept across his face.

"…Interesting"

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The ground was scarred with cuts, craters, and scorched frost. The once lush field now steamed under the pressure of clashing elements.

Aksara dashed forward, his body a blur of motion. His Ninjato glowed faintly with layered enchantments, light and earth woven together.

Each step he took cracked the soil beneath him, empowered by raw magic and precision.

Rashid met him head-on, his ice blade reforging itself with every clash, trailing freezing mist. The air between them snapped and hissed, light flaring, ice cracking, steel ringing.

*CLANG!*

Aksara's blade slid along Rashid's, deflecting the strike with a twist of his wrist, then...

"SwordMagic: Light Form... Solar Divide!"

A burst of radiant energy exploded from Aksara's blade in a wide arc, a crescent wave of golden fire.

Rashid's eyes narrowed.

"Tide Shield!"

Water surged up around him like a fortress, crashing against the solar blade with a blinding flash of steam. The two forces fought for dominance in midair, light scorching water, steam billowing out in all directions.

From the sidelines, Taufik let out a low whistle. "They're serious now"

Akh'sha didn't answer. His eyes narrowed slightly, not in concern, but calculation.

Rashid dashed through the steam, twisting mid-air. He spun and landed behind Aksara, an ice blade arcing toward his back in a blur.

But Aksara didn't even turn.

He whispered, "Earth Form... Stone Lash"

The ground behind him erupted. A whip-like tendril of hardened stone surged upward, slamming into Rashid and knocking him skyward.

But even in mid-air, Rashid roared, his body flashing with power.

Draconic runes glowed faintly beneath his skin.

"Azure Spiral... Frost Reign!"

A freezing vortex erupted around him, and the sky itself seemed to respond. Rain turned to sleet. The battlefield grew cold. Shards of ice spun around him like blades.

Aksara looked up, eyes narrowing.

"Tch…"

He raised his blade vertically, pressing a hand to the flat edge.

"SwordMagic: Light Form... Lumen Veil"

A barrier of interwoven light and earth formed around him, shielding him as the ice storm crashed down.

Shards tore at the shield, slicing into the ground, freezing patches of grass, and turning dirt into brittle crystals.

And still... Aksara stood tall within the radiant veil, waiting for the storm to fade.

When the last shard fell, he stepped forward.

"…You're strong," He said, voice calm but eyes burning. "But I'm not done"

He lifted his sword once more.

"SwordMagic: Light and Earth Fusion... Heavenpiercer Fang!"

The blade erupted with brilliant light, its edge surrounded by hardened earthen plates that sharpened into a jagged, divine lance.

From above, Rashid's eyes widened.

He smiled.

"Now that's what I wanted to see"

And then, they clashed again.

This time, the impact split the earth.

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