Chapter 400: The Beginning Of The End [LXII]

“Bro, what was that technique just now?!” As soon as Aestrea got out of the arena, Kael instantly bombarded him with questions.

“That thing with the finger snap, can you teach me?!”

He circled around Aestrea as he spoke, hands waving wildly, eyes shining with excitement as if he had just discovered a new obsession.

Aestrea simply sighed and shook his head.

“No.”

“Huh?” Kael stopped mid-step.

“It’s special to me.”

He didn’t explain further, but he didn’t need to.

Both Kael and Tyrian caught the slight sadness in his expression.

The faint excitement faded from Kael’s face, replaced by something more careful, while Tyrian’s eyes narrowed slightly as he studied him.

“Is it related to the world you came from?” Tyrian asked after a short pause.

“Indeed.” Aestrea hesitated for a brief moment, then nodded.

“Mhm… then I won’t dig into it anymore.” Kael scratched the back of his head and let out an awkward chuckle.

Although he was quite an idiot, he was still sensible enough.

The three of them walked for a bit in silence, the noise of the arena slowly fading behind them.

Eventually, Kael broke the quiet again, his voice noticeably less energetic than before.

“So… what now?” he asked, frowning slightly. “We don’t have classes, no missions, no training schedules… it’s just the same stuff every day.”

“It does feel repetitive.” Tyrian nodded in agreement.

Truthfully, those days have been very boring to all of them, as they were practically repeating whatever they did yesterday.

Almost as an infinite cycle.

Aestrea looked at them, and seeing those thoughtful expressions, he also fell into a trance.

’The time here passes a lot faster than in my world. I wonder how long are they going to take to ascend? I’ve made sure to let the ascension gates open to all of them, and interrupted the descent from the other side.’

He looked at the palm of his hand where a transcendent blue gate materialized, and seeing that there were no changes whatsoever, he let out a small disappointed sigh.

With a small shake of his head, he dismissed the thought and let the gate fade away.

“How about we go for a trip?” Kael suddenly suggested.

Both Aestrea and Tyrian looked at him.

“A trip?” Tyrian repeated.

“Yeah! Just us three. A proper guy’s trip!” Kael grinned, his usual energy snapping back into place.

“You sound way too excited about that,” Aestrea raised an eyebrow.

“Because I am!” Kael pointed at them dramatically. “Think about it. No fighting. No rankings. No gods staring at us like we’re walking disasters.”

“…That actually doesn’t sound terrible,” Tyrian considered it for a second, then nodded slowly.

Aestrea hummed thoughtfully.

“Where would we even go?” Tyrian asked.

“Isn’t it obvious? Dragonborn City!” Kael’s grin widened.

Aestrea blinked.

“Of course that place!” Kael exclaimed.

“It’s perfect. Hot springs, divine water parks, amusement districts, combat-free zones, and even that human island survival simulation everyone talks about. We can actually relax for once!”

“Pffttt! You just want to mess around,” Tyrian let out a small laugh, shaking his head.

“And you don’t?” Kael shot back.

Aestrea listened quietly, then nodded once.

A short trip wouldn’t hurt, and really, he had been fighting against multiple opponents, so he really needed to relax a little.

He would just need to explain things to Lunara and Olivia.

“I’m in.”

“YES!” Kael’s eyes lit up instantly.

He threw both fists into the air.

“Then it’s decided! Tomorrow, we head out!”

Tyrian sighed, though there was a small smile on his face.

“But… what do we do now?” he added after a moment, frowning. “We can prepare our stuff for tomorrow in five minutes at most.”

Sure, they had plans for tomorrow, but not for today!

“…Huh,” Kael froze mid-celebration.

“So basically, we have the rest of today completely empty,” Tyrian continued, rubbing his chin, ”

The three of them stood there in silence.

Five seconds passed.

Kael’s eyes slowly lit up in a way that immediately made Tyrian uneasy.

“…I have an idea.”

“That sentence alone is already concerning.” Aestrea glanced at him.

“Relax,” Kael waved him off.

“This is probably… harmless. Probably.”

“Probably?” Tyrian echoed.

Alright! First order of business: food!” Kael ignored him and clapped his hands together.

“Food?” Aestrea blinked.

“You fought all day,” Kael said matter-of-factly. “And I watched all day. Which is mentally exhausting. So we eat.”

“…I guess that makes sense.” Tyrian sighed.

And just like that, the three of them found themselves heading toward the academy’s commercial district instead of the dorms.

The streets were lively despite the late hour.

Students wandered around in small groups, stalls floated magically above the ground, and glowing signs advertised everything from enchanted snacks to questionable alchemical drinks.

Kael immediately dragged them toward a food stand that was releasing thick clouds of steam and a spicy aroma.

“Three inferno skewers!” he declared.

“Those are—” Tyrian winced.

“—extremely spicy,” Aestrea finished calmly.

“Exactly.” Kael grinned.

Minutes later, they were seated on the edge of a fountain, each holding a skewer that was literally glowing red.

Tyrian stared at it as it had personally offended him.

“…I hate you,” he muttered before taking a bite.

Instant regret.

“WHY!!!!” he coughed, eyes watering.

“WHY DOES THIS EXIST?!”

“Bro, your face!” Kael was already laughing so hard he nearly dropped his skewer.

Chomp~

“It’s decent,” Aestrea calmly chewed his food.

Both of them stared at him.

“You’re not even sweating.” Kael squinted.

“I’ve eaten worse,” Aestrea replied honestly.

Truthfully, there were foods spicier than this on earth, and he, of course, had tried a lot of them.

That somehow made Tyrian feel even more wronged.

After Tyrian finished his food with tears dripping out of his eyes, Kael didn’t even give him the time to breathe before changing targets.

“Dessert,” he announced firmly.

That single word sealed their fate.

They were dragged from stall to stall, Kael stopping at anything that looked even remotely strange or colorful.

Sweet pastries filled with glowing cream, floating sugar cubes that melted on the tongue, frozen treats that shifted flavors with every bite, he wanted all of it.

Aestrea accepted everything calmly, tasting each one without much comment, while Tyrian tried to keep track of how many sweets they had eaten and gave up halfway through.

“I’m going to regret this,” Tyrian muttered as he took another bite anyway.

Then came the drinks.

They weren’t alcoholic, at least according to the vendors, but that did very little to reassure anyone.

Bottles swirled with mist, cups changed color when shaken, and one drink emitted a low humming sound for reasons no one could explain.

Kael’s eyes shone brighter with every discovery.

“Oh, we’re definitely trying this,” he said, already paying.

“Kael, that one is bubbling,” Tyrian pointed out.

“Exactly.”

Before either of them could object, Kael had already shoved cups into their hands, grinning like a man fully aware he was making terrible choices.

He took the first sip without hesitation.

“…Huh,” he paused.

“Why does this taste like lightning?”

Tyrian stared at his own cup in despair. Aestrea watched them both for a moment before taking a small sip himself.

“It’s not lethal… at least,” he smiled teasingly.

“That’s not comforting,” Tyrian groaned at his words.

Still, they drank it.

At that point, resistance was pointless.

Kael surged forward through the district like an unstoppable force of bad decisions, dragging them along by pure enthusiasm alone, and somehow, despite all logic, none of them stopped him.

Until… they reached an illusion arcade that seemed impossible to miss.

The entire building pulsed with shifting light, its walls warping like water as images played across the surface with heroes clashing with monsters, cities crumbling, labyrinths forming and collapsing in seconds.

Sounds leaked out every time the doors opened: explosions, steel clashing, crowds cheering, beasts roaring.

Kael stopped walking so suddenly that Tyrian almost walked into his back.

“…Boys,” Kael said slowly, his eyes glowing with excitement.

“I have found heaven.”

Aestrea glanced at the building, then at the line of people entering and exiting with wildly different expressions, some laughing, some pale, some visibly shaking.

“This place simulates combat illusions,” Aestrea hummed thoughtfully.

“Say less,” Kael replied.

“We’re doing it.”

“Define ’doing it.’” Tyrian frowned.

“Free-for-all.” Kael turned around and jabbed a thumb at his chest

“Absolutely not. Not with Aestrea here!” Tyrian’s eye twitched.

Too late.

Inside, the arcade was even more chaotic.

Platforms hovered in the air, each one holding a glowing circle inscribed with runes.

Staff members shouted instructions, illusion specialists monitored panels, and challengers stepped out of illusions, either celebrating victory or questioning their life choices.

A bored attendant looked at the three of them.

“Team battle, solo run, or internal match?”

“Internal,” Kael said instantly.

“Us versus us.”

“…You’re sure?” The attendant blinked.

“Yes.”

“…Alright,” the man shrugged. “Rules: no killing intent, pain dampened to sixty percent, illusion bodies only. Winner is the last one standing or highest score.”

“You’re going down.” Kael cracked his knuckles.

“We’re both going down…” Tyrian exhaled slowly.

Aestrea stepped onto the platform without a word.

The world vanished.

A moment later, they stood in a ruined city beneath a crimson sky.

Broken buildings leaned at odd angles, ash drifting through the air. The ground trembled faintly, as if something massive moved far below.

“Oh, this is sick.” Kael whistled.

Before anyone could respond…

BOOM!

A shockwave blasted through the street as Kael launched forward, fist wrapped in crackling energy.

“No prep time?!” Tyrian shouted.

“That was the prep!” Kael laughed.

Aestrea shifted sideways, letting the punch tear past him and crater a wall behind. He moved calmly, almost lazily, stepping onto falling rubble and flipping over Kael’s shoulder.

“Too slow.”

“Say that again!” Kael spun around, grinning widely.

Tyrian stayed back, his eyes narrowing, as his hands were already conjuring some kind of glowing sigils.

“You two are idiots,” he muttered.

The air shimmered.

Illusionary chains burst from the ground, snapping toward both of them.

Aestrea twisted midair, grabbing one chain and yanking, ripping the magic apart. Kael wasn’t as lucky as three chains wrapped around his waist, and slammed him against the pavement.

“Ow—HEY!” Kael yelled.

“That’s cheap!”

“That’s called strategy,” Tyrian snapped, sweat already forming.

“Try using one.”

Kael flexed.

CRACK.

The chains shattered.

“Oh come on!” Tyrian cursed.

Kael lunged again, but this time Aestrea didn’t dodge far.

He met him halfway, palm against fist.

BOOM!

Both were pushed back.

Kael slid across the street, boots grinding sparks. Aestrea skidded only a step before stopping.

“…That felt personal,” Kael muttered.

Tyrian didn’t give them time.

A phantom tower formed behind him, dozens of illusion cannons locking on.

“Eat this.”

The sky lit up.

Aestrea moved.

He ran straight toward Tyrian, weaving between beams that tore buildings apart. Kael stared for half a second.

“…Show-off,” he growled, charging from the side.

Aestrea jumped, grabbed a falling beam of debris, kicked off it, and flipped over both attacks at once.

He landed behind Tyrian and tapped his shoulder.

“You’re out.”

A burst of light, and Tyrian vanished from the illusion.

“WHAT?!” Tyrian’s voice echoed from outside.

“That was barely two minutes!”

“Skill issue!” Kael laughed loudly.

Aestrea turned just in time to block Kael’s kick.

They clashed again, their fists of energy colliding with each other, creating multiple shockwaves ripping the street apart.

Kael was laughing the entire time, fighting harder with every exchange.

“Come on!” Kael shouted.

“Use more! I know you can!”

“…Really?”

Aestrea stepped inside his guard and struck once.

Kael froze, and then the illusion shattered.

“…Huh.” Kael reappeared outside, blinking.

The attendant looked at the results panel.

“…Winner: Aestrea.”

“Alright. Alright. One more,” Kael stared at him, then burst out laughing.

“We are not doing one more,” Tyrian groaned.

Before anyone could argue…

Clink!

The illusion lights flickered, and the floor started humming.

And the attendant’s expression suddenly changed.

“…Uh,” he said slowly.

“That’s… not part of the program.”

The arcade lights dimmed, and suddenly, the whole space started shaking as the walls around started changing as if they had entered another illusion.

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