The sun was high over the Skyviolet Arena, casting a golden light on the battle-scarred field. Days had passed since the second semifinal round began, and now only eight contestants remained. Zend had fought battle after battle some grueling, some swift but none compared to the opponent he now faced.
His name was Kael Drayven a silent, sharp-eyed fighter with an Aether unlike anything Zend had encountered: a pair of mirrored bracers known as the Twin Echoes. These bracers could reflect both physical and magical attacks at half their original power, a dangerous ability in skilled hands.
As Zend stood on the stone platform, the air thrummed with energy. Spectators leaned forward in their seats, sensing the weight of the coming clash.
"Begin!"
Kael charged forward, fists glowing with silver light. Zend barely had time to extend his needle into blade form before Kael's first strike landed a crushing blow that sent Zend sliding back across the arena floor.
He's fast… and strong.And worse he can counter most of my attacks.
Zend narrowed his eyes, holding his stance. He needed to find an opening.
He flicked his needle-blade forward, weaving it through the air with telekinetic precision. Kael deflected it easily with one of his bracers, sending it careening back toward Zend at a dangerous angle. Zend ducked, the acidic weapon narrowly missing his cheek.
A second attack came a spinning kick enhanced by the mirrored Aether. Zend blocked it just in time, but his arm went numb from the impact.
I can't win by brute force... I need to outthink him.
The battle wore on. Zend created distance, launching his Aether from afar and controlling it with finesse, but each time Kael used the Twin Echoes to redirect the attack. Zend's body ached, his mana waning. The crowd watched in tense silence, sensing the desperation in Zend's movements.
Then Zend spotted it.
A slight hesitation.
Kael's left bracer, the one he used less often, had a faint crack along its edge. It was subtle but Zend saw it when one of his needle strikes had hit awkwardly earlier in the fight.
There's my chance.
He faked a charge, drawing Kael's attention to his right. At the last second, Zend spun and launched his blade at the weakened bracer guiding it with his mind, accelerating it with a sudden surge of mana.
Kael raised the damaged bracer to block
CRACK!
The bracer shattered under the acidic pressure, the force breaking through and striking Kael's shoulder. He stumbled back, blood seeping from a deep cut.
Zend didn't hesitate. He leapt forward, flipping through the air and slamming his needle-blade into the ground next to Kael's foot acid splashing up and forcing Kael to jump back off balance.
Zend raised his weapon to Kael's neck.
"Yield," he said, voice calm despite the pain in his limbs.
Kael stared at him for a moment then nodded. "You win… barely."
The crowd erupted into wild cheers. Zend stepped back, breathing heavily, adrenaline fading.
He had done it.
He was in the final four.
From the stands, academy instructors exchanged impressed glances. His name was now on every list, every whisper.
And deep inside, Zend knew
This is only the beginning.
The air in Skyviolet City shimmered with excitement as the sun dipped below the horizon. The announcement had spread like wildfire:
"The Grand Final Tomorrow!"
For the top four, the night brought not celebration, but pressure. And for Zend, it meant preparation.
Back at the lavish guest residence provided to the finalists, Zend stood in a quiet training courtyard behind the building. His breathing was steady, focused. The bruises from his last match still ached, but his mind burned with purpose.
Chris stood beside him, already warmed up. Despite his usually playful demeanor, tonight he was serious he knew how much this meant to Zend.
"We don't have much time," Chris said, rolling his shoulders. Sparks danced across his palms. "Let's make it count."
Zend nodded, summoning his Aether from his Soul Chamber. The black-colored needle emerged, then instantly extended into its new blade-like form. He held it in midair with light telekinesis, letting it float before him like a poised viper.
"Alright," Zend muttered, eyes focused. "I need to control this better. Faster. Sharper."
Chris stepped back, raising a barrier of lightening-imbued air. "Try to strike through this without touching the sides."
Zend inhaled, and the needle twitched in the air.
Then it shot forward. Not fast enough. It scraped the edge of the barrier and rebounded off.
Zend clicked his tongue. Again.
He adjusted, focusing on compressing his mana flow more tightly into the telekinesis thread. The needle struck again closer, faster but still lacked precision.
Over and over, they trained. Chris occasionally launched small arcs of lightning, forcing Zend to dodge while maintaining control of the floating weapon. It was relentless, exhausting but it pushed Zend's instincts further with every minute.
Around 9:45 PM, Zend dropped to his knees, panting.
"Maybe it's too soon…" he muttered.
Chris sat beside him, sweat dripping down his forehead. "You're almost there. Just think what if your blade isn't just a blade, but something more fluid? Not stiff… adaptable."
Zend's eyes widened slightly.
Not stiff… adaptable…
He rose again, and this time, instead of holding his Aether in a fixed form, he visualized it as something liquid, like a ribbon of shadow with mass and intent.
He extended the needle into a long whip-like form then condensed it in midair into a compact dagger. Then extended it again, mid-flight, like a striking serpent.
It moved like a living thing fast, precise, silent.
Chris stared, astonished. "…You just figured out variable-length telekinesis."
Zend smirked. "I did."
They trained a little more this time with Zend weaving in and out, changing his needle's length mid-strike. A weapon that could be a dagger, a spear, or a thread… all controlled by one mind.
By 10 PM, they both collapsed on the ground, staring up at the starry sky.
"Tomorrow's the final," Chris said with a grin. "We might even end up fighting each other."
Zend chuckled. "If we do, don't go easy on me."
"I never do."
The night wind was cool against their tired skin. For a moment, there was only silence, broken by the distant hum of Skyviolet City's magical towers.
Tomorrow would decide everything.
But tonight they had sharpened the blade.