A Step Towards Identity

Aria's body hit the ground with a loud thud, a sharp groan escaping her lips as she struggled to get up. The pain from the deep wounds in her arm and abdomen seemed to paralyze her for a moment.

She bit her lip hard as her green eyes focused on the opposing figure. As she lay on the ground, she could feel the weight of her helplessness crushing her.

Like an immense rock.

With each step Yuka took towards her, she felt her body tremble.

Was she fearing this battle?

Those wounds reminded her, bringing back memories of the past that enveloped her in discomfort and fear.

It was impossible for her to forget how she came close to death five years ago during "The Great Collision."

"Is this really all you've got? Well, I expected as much," Yuka taunted with a smile before changing to a serious and cold expression, "Trash remains trash."

She raised her right hand, ready to deliver the finishing blow to Aria. Her mind was a battlefield of conflicting thoughts, swirling like a turbulent storm. Fear whispered in her ear, warning her to retreat and protect herself from an apparently unbeatable opponent.

Blood emanated from her lip as she clenched her teeth. The feeling of helplessness carried her against her will, like the tide with a boat without a sail.

In a swift motion, Yuka executed a downward strike with her fan as Aria watched.

But the movement became slower and slower, as if the world was passing briefly in slow motion. Time seemed to decelerate before Aria until it came to a complete halt. Stillness, calmness, the sensation that overwhelmed her reminded her of something she had experienced before.

[Lumis:...]

[Lumis: I see you're in a predicament again.]

"....!"

"Lumis? Is that you?"

It was the first time she had heard his voice since the incident at the temple. She hadn't forgotten the tattoo on her shoulder, but she had come to believe that if she wasn't in other dimensions, he wouldn't react in any way.

[Lumis: Of course.]

In front of Aria in the time-stopped world, a white and adorable ball of fur appeared – the image of Lumis, but this time with a strange crown on its head.

[Lumis: Why are you limiting yourself? I noticed it from the beginning, you... are not letting the Astraforge flow.]

He spoke softly as he circled around a Yuka who seemed more like a statue.

[Lumis: When the Astraforge awakens, it fuses with your body and mind, forging a unique energy that belongs only to you, one that has something the normal Astraforge doesn't possess: an identity. This identity is what you've seen that girl use.]

Lumis glanced at the fans Yuka held in her hands.

[Lumis: It's the unique manifestation of the Astraforge. But if your mind closes, you will be unable to tap into the full power of these abilities. It's connected to your emotions, to your mind.]

The creature took several steps to stand in front of Aria, looking directly into her eyes.

[Lumis: If you fear it, you will be unable to harness your true power. Embrace the power, embrace yourself.]

Aria stared at Lumis, her eyes wide open and her heart pounding rapidly in her chest.

His words echoed in her mind over and over again, and Aria felt the fear and helplessness that overwhelmed her beginning to yield to the strength of her will.

Memories of the past came to her mind, of how hard she had fought to become such a skilled ballet dancer, or how much she had struggled to protect her sister after the death of their parents. She had come close to death on more than one occasion, but she never stopped.

[Lumis:...]

[Lumis: That's better, I prefer that expression on your face.]

He said as he looked at Aria's face. Devoid of fear or sadness, only brimming with energy and determination.

[Lumis: I don't have much time left; the amount of energy I have is too little. But at least, I'll alleviate the pain of your wounds for five minutes. If you don't end this battle before that time is up, you'll lose.]

With those words, Lumis would be enveloped in a white light before entering Aria's body again. Once more, she felt the energy of something strange merging with her body, but this time she accepted it with a smile.

...

Time began to flow again for Aria. Her green eyes focused on Yuka's figure, seeing how her sharp blades descended rapidly upon her.

A loud crash, an enormous cloud of dust covered part of the battlefield, and both Hilda and the guild leader watched expectantly what was happening.

"Did she... kill the newcomer?"

"Yuka is so strong... it's terrifying."

The spectators didn't know what to think in that moment, as all they could see was the purple-haired girl maintaining a mocking smile on her face.

Her hand moved delicately to the side of her head, running her slender fingers through her hair, clearing her vision. Her gaze rose to the spectators, but mainly to where both Hilda and the guild leader stood.

"Only me," Yuka murmured to herself.

Suddenly, a powerful burst of energy shook the entire place, causing panic among the spectators. The released energy was so dense that it was almost palpable, creating a strange sensation in their bodies and leaving everyone utterly stunned.

Yuka turned around in astonishment, watching as the dust dissipated, revealing a silver-haired young woman standing tall and composed, facing her with an astonished gaze.

"H-How? Tch, I see you're not giving up, but that makes it more fun," Yuka said as she assumed her stance again.

On the other hand, a friendly smile appeared on Hilda's face. A glance from the guild leader indicated that he somehow expected a similar outcome. Curiosity grew within the man, revealing an ambitious expression.

Aria could feel the energy surging within her, the Astraforge responding to her emotions and intentions. The radiant and silvery aura surrounding her body gave her an ethereal glow, rendering her untouchable in Aria's eyes.

[Éclat d'Élan (Flash of Impulse) has been activated]

That message would appear in front of her, but Aria's eyes were focused on Yuka's body.

Her calm and serene expression would be broken by a joyful and energized smile.

"This is the real me," she would say, taking a step forward, causing Yuka to tense up momentarily, "I won't hide anymore."

In the blink of an eye, Aria's body would completely disappear from Yuka's sight, leaving her in surprise.

The next thing Yuka would feel was an extreme pain on her right side. One, two, three, five ribs were broken in less than a second. Her body reacted to the damage before her gaze could capture the movement.

Yuka would be sent flying against one of the arena walls, causing a small explosion of dust and debris.

The place fell into silence; astonishment had paralyzed everyone present. For the first time since the confrontation began, Yuka displayed an expression of incredulity and fury.

She would spit blood as her body trembled intensely; the pain was unbearable.

"I-it can't be... this trash dared to hurt me," she said in a mix of disbelief and confusion.

Aria, however, reappeared in the center of the training ground. Her hair gently waved, and her eyes shone brightly with that silvery glow as she looked at Yuka.

"So light..." she muttered to herself, "Yes, I want to keep dancing with my Astraforge," she expressed before smiling at Yuka.

Yuka's face turned reddish as a grimace filled with anger and disdain took over.

But once again, Aria's body disappeared.

"Not this time!" Yuka thought as she pulled her face back, narrowly avoiding a kick that came dangerously close to her face.

In that instant, she swung her fan downward, not caring if she had to cut Aria in half with its blades as long as it kept her father's attention on her.

But her attack failed miserably. Aria had dodged to the left of Yuka in the blink of an eye.

Another side kick was performed, and the impact of Aria's heel caused six ribs on Yuka's left side to break instantly.

A cry of pain was released by Yuka, who spat blood as her mouth, lips, and chin were covered in that reddish liquid.

The pain was paralyzing her; she had received too much damage in such a short time. However, her face displayed an expression full of anger and displeasure. She wouldn't give up so easily, and her next move made that abundantly clear.

"A trash like you!" she said as blood escaped her lips with each word, "You won't defeat me!"

A diagonal slash was attempted, but Aria dodged it by moving to the side.

Aria's eyes widened when she noticed something after that movement...

Now, the distance between them was three meters.

How had he drifted so far away?

"What the heck?" Aria said softly before wincing from the pain in her chest.

She knew she couldn't waste time and give Yuka another chance to attack. The Astraforge within Aria intensified, especially in her feet.

There they were, silver ballet shoes with their long laces fluttering in the wind, much like her pale hair.

Her ballet shoes shone with a celestial radiance, leaving a trail of silver flashes in the air with each movement she made.

She moved at high speed towards Yuka, trying to catch her off guard again, but Yuka raised one of her fans, opening it wide as if she were about to fan it forward.

"You're finished!" Yuka said, lowering the fan.

But that's when her hand was stopped.

Aria stopped instantly when she noticed a new figure in the arena. With that purple hair like Yuka's and the blindfold; it was the guild leader.

What was he doing there?

"Yuka... were you planning to destroy the entire place along with Aria?" he said in a relaxed tone, wearing a gentle smile on his face.

Yuka's body continued to tremble, completely intimidated by that cold voice speaking directly to her.

"I-I..." Yuka's voice sounded broken and weak before she fell to her knees.

"I-I'm sorry, Papa," she said with a tone of sadness, like a child being scolded, but it seemed like much more than that.

The guild leader made a hand gesture, and a group of people in special uniforms began to make their way towards them.

"Congratulations, Aria, you're in Nightfall," the guild leader said with a friendly smile on his face, but it was evident that his dark emotions were escaping from the facade he had created.

Aria felt somewhat intimidated by his presence, but her body would be the first to give in. Her eyes slowly closed until she was about to fall...

But fortunately, she was caught by a tall, familiar redhead.

"Oops! I guess you've given it your all this time, just what I wanted to see," Hilda said, aware that Aria probably couldn't hear him at that moment.

"Who would've thought you'd be able to use 'Forging' without needing me to explain how it works," Hilda said as she carried Aria like a princess, "You truly are more amazing than I expected," she concluded, following the group that had arrived into another room.