Chapter 26 – 26: Ready to play

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Alden’s POV

The hum of the hover car was barely audible over the wind slicing past as it zoomed above the glowing skyline of Avaloria.

Inside, Alden von Crestvale sat with arms folded, gazing out the tinted window at the sprawling cityscape.

Under the soft lighting of the vehicle, his sharp features betraying nothing but mild contemplation.

His driver, an older man named Elric, said nothing—he knew better than to interrupt Alden when he was brooding.

Alden, meanwhile, was lost in thought.

Silver hair. Blue eyes. That smirk. That annoyingly confident smirk.

“Tch,” Alden scoffed to himself. “Who even smirks like that after barely dodging a attack?”

He wasn’t annoyed. Of course not. He just found Alex… mildly frustrating.

In a way that made his sword hand itch and his competitive soul burn.

“That guy’s definitely not more handsome than me,” he muttered. Elric raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

Still, there was no denying it—Alex Dragonheart had proven himself to be a worthy competitor.

Their last sparring session had ended in a draw, and it nagged at Alden in a way he didn’t like. Not because he lost—no, they both had held back.

They’d only used sword arts. No mana bursts, no domain techniques, no body enhancements. Pure swordplay.

And even then, the guy had kept up with him.

“He’s strong,” Alden admitted internally. “But that doesn’t mean I’ll lose .”

He leaned back in the seat, eyes narrowing. Something told him Alex hadn’t shown everything either. That thought was both thrilling… and annoying.

Ding.

A notification pinged on his EtherPad.

He tapped it lazily, expecting a news bulletin—only to be greeted by a holo-call.

“Big sis,” he smirked.

“Finally remembered you had a brother, Alicia? Or did the student council president finally take a break from running the world?”

A holographic projection of Alicia von Crestvale flickered to life in the seat across from him.

Her long, white hair was tied in a high ponytail, and her sharp amethyst eyes sparkled with amusement.

“You brat,” she replied, mock-offended. “I’ve been busy keeping Zenith Academy from exploding.

Do you know how hard it is to manage the Shades and student council while fending off marriage proposals from every noble house?”

“Tragic,” Alden deadpanned. “Truly. My heart bleeds.”

“And yet, here you are, ignoring direct family instructions and playing swordsman .”

He rolled his eyes. “I didn’t play. I tested someone.”

“Oh? Do tell.”

Alden leaned forward slightly, his tone serious. “I met someone interesting. Silver hair, blue eyes. Commoner background, supposedly. His name’s Alex Dragonheart.”

Alicia raised an eyebrow. “Dragonheart? Sounds made up.”

“Probably,” Alden shrugged. “But he’s strong. We had a match. It ended in a draw.”

“A draw? With you?” Alicia blinked, looking genuinely surprised. “Using our family’s sword art?”

“Just the sword arts,” he clarified. “We didn’t use mana techniques. Pure skill.”

“And he kept up?” she mused, eyes narrowing. “Interesting.”

“Yeah, I thought so too.”

“Still,” she waved dismissively. “If you didn’t go all out, then it doesn’t count. Don’t flatter the guy yet.”

Alden smirked. “I’m not. I’m just saying he’s not bad.”

“That’s the nicest thing you’ve said about anyone not named Alden.”

“Shut up.”

She laughed, then sobered a bit. “Father’s not pleased, you know. You acting independently, engaging in duels without permission—it’s risky.”

“He’ll get over it.”

“He won’t. Which is why you’ll be training with him personally for the next week.”

Alden groaned, sinking into his seat. “Seriously? ”

“So if you want to settle things with your little sword buddy, do it at the Zenith entrance exam.”

Alden smirked. “That was the plan anyway.”

Alicia gave him a sly grin. “Don’t disappoint me, little brother. If this Alex guy’s interesting enough to catch your attention, he might just be worth watching.”

“He’s not more handsome than me,” Alden added again, just for good measure.

“No one said he was,” Alicia said, barely holding back laughter. “Why so defensive?”

“I’m not.”

The call ended with Alicia blowing him a kiss and logging off. Alden sighed, staring out the window again as the Crestvale Estate came into view.

“Fine then, Alex,” he muttered. “Let’s see who really wins when we both go all out.”

—

Alex’s POV

Seven days left.

Alex stared at the countdown on his EtherPad, the bold red numbers glowing softly in his darkened room.

“Seven days till Zenith Academy entrance exams,” he muttered, tossing the device onto his bed.

He stretched his arms, feeling the subtle but noticeable difference in his body. His internal energy flowed with sharper precision now, his mana circulating smoothly through every meridian. “Advance-rank… low tier,” he whispered, a faint grin on his face. “Still counts.”

His fingers flicked through a small notebook where he’d jotted down his goals—refined control, better endurance, and now… a weapon.

He stood and walked to the window. The city of Avaloria shimmered below like a canvas of neon stars. A gust of wind fluttered through his hair as he looked up at the night sky.

His thoughts drifted to Lily.

He’d visited her several times over the last few days. she was stable now. The advanced care she was receiving from the Etheron Clinic’s elite division ensured she had the best chance of waking up. Each visit reminded him why he was doing this.

For her. For himself. For the unknown future.

He chuckled softly. “It’s almost funny,” he said, returning to his bed. “One minute, I’m just grinding through a VR game… and now, I’m a guy with silver hair, sword skills, and a pending entrance exam in a fantasy-tech world.”

He flopped onto the bed and stared at the ceiling.

“Hang in there, sis,” he whispered, brushing a hand across her forehead. “Big bro’s gonna level up and buy you that stupid chocolate fountain you kept talking about.”

His stomach growled.

“Maybe after breakfast,” he added.

He made himself some eggs and toast, poured a glass of synthetic orange juice, and sat by the window.

The city was alive outside—hover cars, holograms, neon signs flickering in the dawn.

His gaze turned toward the drawer by the wall. Locked inside was a list.

A list of high-grade weapons for sale.

“Seven days. One good weapon. And a plan.”

Alex looked at his reflection in the mirror. His silver hair was a bit messy, his eyes sharper than before.

“Now that all the pieces are in place,” he said with a smirk, “I’m ready to play the game.”

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