Semi Final

The sun dipped low in the sky, casting long shadows across the arena.

The eerie golden light seemed to heighten the tension that hung thick in the air as Arakaki and Komatsu stood poised for battle.

Arakaki’s long sword glinted under the fading sunlight, and beside him, Komatsu’s twin blades shimmered in readiness.

Across from them, Dandi, a fellow long sword wielder, locked eyes with Arakaki.

They had joined the academy together, and the sight of him stirred a mixture of excitement and tension in Arakaki.

Dandi had always been skilled—perhaps even more than Arakaki, at least in terms of grades.

Next to Dandi, the woman with a rapier stood poised, her stance graceful, but the way she gripped her weapon gave Komatsu pause.

Whoever she was, she was no amateur.

Their opponents—Dandi and the rapier-wielding woman—looked calm, almost unnervingly so, as if they were in complete control of the battlefield already.