"Ready or not, here I come."
Ray smiled faintly as he started walking, his footsteps unhurried but deliberate as he went searching for the little ones. Sophia followed behind him in silence, her expression calm and knowing. It was obvious she already knew where the girls were hiding, but she didn't say a word. Ray didn't ask for help either—this was more fun that way.
From their hiding spot, Alice and Arisa heard Ray's voice and immediately stifled their laughter. Their shoulders shook as they giggled, convinced that their hiding place was flawless this time.
Ray walked toward Arisa's room first. The moment he stepped closer, he felt a familiar fluctuation in the air. A formation had been activated.
Ray chuckled softly. Alice's work, he thought.
With a few casual finger movements, runes flickered briefly in the air, glowing before fading just as quickly. The formation unraveled as if it had never existed. Stepping inside, Ray found Alice crouched behind a shelf.
Alice's shoulders slumped instantly.
"Aww! You found me," she said, pouting despite the smile tugging at her lips.
Ray smiled back, then turned and continued searching. He wandered through the corridors before eventually stopping at the cultivation room. The moment he opened the door, his gaze fell on Arisa.
She, too, looked disappointed—but the glimmer in her eyes gave her away. Both girls were smiling. They had enjoyed every second of hiding.
They played several more rounds, taking turns as seeker and hider. Laughter echoed through the house, and time slipped by unnoticed until Ray finally raised a hand.
"Alright," he said, his tone shifting slightly. "I have something to discuss."
All three of them sat around the table. Ray leaned forward slightly as he began, his expression serious but not unkind.
"Have you read the rule book?"
Arisa and Alice nodded immediately—but their faces betrayed them.
Ray gave them a sharp look.
Both girls stiffened, then looked away awkwardly, their embarrassment obvious.
Ray sighed quietly, already knowing the answer. He soon discovered that they were slow readers, almost as if they were still unfamiliar with reading itself. Without saying much, he took the rule book and began reading aloud, his voice clear and steady so they wouldn't miss a word.
They listened obediently, eyes fixed on him. Every now and then, they interrupted with questions, and Ray answered patiently, explaining the rules in detail. Eventually, the questions stopped, and silence settled over the room.
But Ray wasn't done yet.
He looked at them and asked, "First—do you guys have any fighting experience?"
Both girls straightened slightly.
"As you can see," Ray continued, "there's a rule where students from the fighter or sorcerer factions can challenge you to a battle to take over your house. For those strong in alchemy or formation but weak in combat, that's a serious disadvantage."
His gaze sharpened.
"So what will you do? Will you fight to protect your first and second positions?"
Arisa and Alice exchanged a look.
There was something unmistakable there—a competitive spark. From the moment they had met, they had been measuring themselves against one another. Wins, losses… even the hide-and-seek games were silently counted.
They turned back to Ray, eyes burning with determination.
"Of course we will."
Ray smiled.
"I haven't fought either of you, so I don't know how strong you really are," he said. "Why don't you spar? Let me see how you fight."
He paused, then added, "And just because you're friends doesn't mean you should hold back. I'll act as referee. If someone's in danger, I'll stop it. So go all out."
After a brief glance at each other—and reassurance from Ray—they nodded.
They moved to the backyard, where a training ground lay hidden beneath layers of formations surrounding Arisa's house. No one from outside could see what happened here.
Ray observed the space quietly. The academy's favoritism toward top students was obvious. The difference between seventh place and first was immense.
He didn't care.
If he wanted something like this, he could create it himself using formations and talismans. And with three great masters backing him, favoritism would come knocking on his door soon enough.
Alice stepped forward, drawing her sword. Arisa followed, knives flashing into her hands—one in each.
The clash began.
At first, they seemed evenly matched. Steel rang sharply through the air, sparks flashing as weapons collided. But the longer Ray watched, the clearer it became.
Alice wasn't very skilled with the sword.
Arisa gradually gained the upper hand, her movements sharper and more instinctive. Yet the fight remained balanced as Alice began weaving runes into her movements. The formations she had practiced came alive, subtly altering the battlefield.
Ray frowned slightly.
Alice's mother, Alicia, had clearly forced her to learn swordsmanship—but Alice lacked both talent and affinity for it. Worse still, she hadn't even learned sword force. Either she had only recently begun training, or swords were simply not meant for her.
After ten minutes, Ray raised his hand.
"Enough."
Both girls froze and turned to him, breathing heavily, confusion written across their faces.
Ray looked at Alice.
"How long have you been learning the sword?"
She tilted her head, thinking.
"Hmm… about two years?"
Ray nodded, then asked, "Do you like swords?"
Alice shook her head immediately.
"I like formations more," she said honestly. "My mother made me learn the sword so I could protect myself if someone got close. I can't make formations instantly, so… this was supposed to help."
Ray shook his head.
"First—you're wrong," he said calmly. "Formation masters don't need to create formations on the spot every time. We can prepare them in advance using formation disks. Activating them takes almost no time."
He continued, "Only in academy competitions are you forced to create formations with runes. But if you practice until it's instinctive, your formations will be faster than anything."
He turned suddenly.
"Watch."
Ray faced away from Alice and looked at Arisa.
"Attack me."
Arisa nodded without hesitation and charged forward, knives flashing.
Before she could reach him, runes appeared in midair—five, ten at once—instantly forming into a small defensive formation that blocked her strike. At the same time, Ray used her momentum to slip backward, creating distance.
More runes followed, faster and faster, forming layers of protection around him.
Ray chuckled as Arisa continued attacking, unable to break through. Soon, Ray shifted, creating attacking formations as well.
Then he did something unexpected.
Ray deliberately opened a gap and allowed Arisa to enter the protection formation he had created earlier.
The moment she stepped in, hundreds of attacks locked onto her from every direction. She froze instantly, knowing that a single move would result in injury.
Her cheeks puffed up as she withdrew.
"I give up."
Ray turned back to Alice.
"Do you want to be able to create formations this fast?" he asked. "To defend and attack at the same time—by yourself?"
Alice nodded furiously, her eyes shining. What she had seen felt like salvation. No matter how much she trained with the sword, she never improved—but this… this was what she truly wanted.
Ray continued, his tone serious.
"If you want to become a strong formation master like me, you'll need to upgrade yourself. I might be able to help."
He paused.
"But I don't know if it will work. I've never tried this before. I can't promise anything."
"Are you willing to try?"
Alice didn't hesitate.
Her determination hardened. She wanted to stand beside Ray. She wanted strength—not borrowed from a sword, but her own.
"Yes," she said firmly.
Ray nodded.
"We can't start tonight. Tomorrow we have the Venus House meeting with Sister Aries, and classes begin as well."
He added, "We'll do it over the weekend. Be ready. I'll need time to prepare ingredients and make sure everything works."
Night had fully settled by the time Ray said his farewells. There was much to consider—this would be an experiment, one without guarantees.
For now, he needed rest.
Tomorrow would bring house meetings, new teachers, new classmates—and the start of a completely new chapter.
And for the first time in a while, Ray felt genuinely excited for morning to come.