Chapter 42: Chapter 42 – The Double-Date (3)

The sun filtered through the canopy, casting dappled shadows along the forested trail.

The mountain path wasn’t steep, just long enough to get the blood flowing but gentle enough for casual conversation. The scent of pine and wildflowers filled the air, and the occasional chirp of distant birds completed the peaceful atmosphere.

Luca walked at the front, his mind half-focused on the direction—and half-prepared for the moment they’d reach the hidden piece.

At his side, Aurelia had already taken the liberty of linking her arm through his. Bold and proud as ever, she leaned into him slightly with each step.

“You’re warmer than I expected,” she remarked offhandedly.

Luca tried not to panic. “…I guess… thanks?”

She smirked. “It’s not a compliment. You’re making me sweat more.”

“That’s not fair!”

Behind them, Lilliane was walking in perfect sync with Aiden, only a hair’s breadth of space between them. She kept glancing at his arm, clearly thinking about copying Aurelia.

Her fingers twitched.

She inched a little closer.

Then back again.

Then closer—

But she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Instead, she clasped her hands behind her back and walked stiffly beside him.

“…It’s nice here,” she said, attempting small talk.

Aiden gave a quiet nod. “Yeah. Quiet.”

Encouraged, she added, “I read somewhere that walks like this are good for… bonding.”

Aiden turned to her with a slight blink. “Really?”

Lilliane froze like a statue. “N-No! I mean—yes! But—not like that! Just… like, friend bonding!”

Aiden simply nodded again, unbothered. “Sounds good.”

Meanwhile, Luca glanced back at the two and whispered to Aurelia, “I think she’s going to explode.”

Aurelia chuckled. “She’s trying too hard. It’s cute.”

Luca sighed and pressed forward, leading them off the main trail and toward a thicket partially hidden behind overgrowth.

“Wait,” Aurelia said, squinting. “You sure this is the right way?”

“Yeah,” Luca replied, brushing a branch aside. “It’s just off the main path. No worries.”

Moments later, the trees parted—revealing a small natural clearing and a cave entrance carved into the side of the mountain. Faint moss glowed gently around its edge, and cool air wafted out from its depths.

“A cave?” Aiden asked.

“Looks cozy,” Aurelia said, already stepping forward.

“Let’s rest here for a bit,” Luca said quickly, gesturing them inside. “It’s still a while before sunset, no need to rush.”

Lilliane crossed her arms. “You tired already?”

“N-No, no. Just… you know, pacing,” Luca said, awkwardly laughing.

Aurelia raised an eyebrow, suspicious. “Pacing, huh?”

He scratched his cheek. “Gotta savor the moment, right?”

To his relief, everyone nodded in agreement.

And with that, they all entered the cave—unaware of what was waiting inside.

The cave was darker than it looked from the outside. Jagged rocks framed the tunnel like teeth, and the further they walked in, the colder the air became.

Aurelia’s eyes scanned the walls, her hand resting lightly on the storage pouch.

“This cave seems to go really deep…” she muttered.

Luca, walking just behind her, rubbed the back of his neck. “Ahh… yeah, it does. Weird, right?”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Weird, huh?”

Luca offered a weak chuckle and quickly looked away.

They pressed onward.

But then—

ROOOAAAARRRR!!

A guttural, deafening roar erupted from within the shadows ahead, echoing through the walls like thunder.

Everyone froze. A blast of fetid air rushed toward them—hot, foul, alive.

They quickly retrieved their weapons from the storage pouch.

A second later, something massive stepped from the gloom.

It had the body of a bear, but grotesquely enlarged—its limbs were bloated, its fur scorched in patches, its eyes burning like coal. Obsidian spikes jutted from its back, and its mouth opened wider than nature intended, filled with rows of jagged, dripping fangs.

A corrupted beast.

The moment they saw it, their hands went to their storage rings—

Flash! Flash! Flash!

—drawing weapons in practiced but slightly shaky motions.

Except Aurelia.

She was already standing in front, her spear spinning in a smooth flourish before she crouched into a ready stance, eyes sharp and eager.

Luca immediately noticed the contrast.

Aiden, Lilliane—they were good. But good in drills. Good in theory.

The beast let out another roar and lunged.

Aiden raised his sword and tried to parry—but his timing was a fraction off, and the impact sent him sliding backward.

Lilliane fired a burst of mana from her staff—but flinched and overcorrected when the beast shifted.

Luca slashed with his twin sabers, but the impact on his hands pushed him backwards instead.

Ahh… I should’ve guessed. Aside from Aurelia, the rest of us… we don’t have much real life fighting experience.

His mind flashed back to their confrontation with Emeron.

That was probably their 1st time fighting with everything on the line.

I didn’t realise it before cause I used to control them from the keyboard, where real life experience didn’t matter much.

But this is real life now, sigh.

We’re not ready yet… but we have to learn.

Luca gritted his teeth, raising his hand and weaving aura into his sabers..

Suddenly—

A loud CRACK echoed.

He turned and saw Lilliane stumbling, the beast’s massive claw about to crash down upon her.

“No—!” Luca dashed forward and tackled her out of the way.

They rolled over rocky ground, and Luca instinctively cupped the back of her head to protect her.

They finally stopped—Luca pinned on top of her, breathless and panting.

“You okay?” he asked, eyes wide.

Lilliane’s face was deep red. “Y-Yeah… b-but could you—get off? Please?”

Luca blinked.

“Oh—OH. Right. Sorry!”

He quickly scrambled off, helping her up.

Aurelia, meanwhile, hadn’t moved from her front-line position. She was analyzing the beast’s movement, waiting.

As the others regrouped, Aurelia twirled her spear once—and then dashed in.

“Everyone, spread out!” Luca shouted, regaining composure. “Give her room!”

The corrupted beast reared up, letting out another roar—

But Aurelia was faster.

Her spear glowed.

Crimson flames licked the silver shaft as runes pulsed down its length, her mana boiling around her like a wildfire.

She leapt, spiraling mid-air, and thrust her spear forward—

“—Blazing Nova Thrust!”

Her voice rang like a war drum.

A fiery spiral shot from the spear’s tip, coiling around it like a dragon.

And then—

BOOOOM!!

The impact landed dead center in the beast’s chest. Fire exploded outward, consuming the cave in red-orange brilliance.

The creature screeched—then cracked—then shattered into scorched dust and steam.

Silence fell.

The cave, moments ago filled with rage and fury, was now lit only by the embers drifting in the air.

Everyone stared at her.

Panting, her stance steady, her spear still glowing.

“So that’s how it looks,” Aiden murmured.

Lilliane had stars in her eyes.

Luca collapsed onto a nearby rock, his legs giving out.

“…What the hell was that…?” he muttered between breaths. “The technique looks so much powerful in real life ”

Every weapon has the techniques related to it, the so called special attack, which is suitable for the weapon and wielder, every family has it, and of course the stronger the technique the stronger the family, and it was the Drayden family’s technique.

He glanced toward Aurelia, who stood tall, the flames finally fading.

She turned to the group and smiled.

“So? Wasn’t that fun?”

They all groaned at once.

And slumped to the ground—sweaty, bruised, panting—but victorious.

The echoes of the fallen beast’s growls still lingered in the air, the remnants of their battle settling like dust in the dim cavern.

Aurelia rested her spear on her shoulder, eyes narrowed as she scanned the eerie, torch-lit space. A faint glow shimmered from deeper within—beckoning.

“That thing was guarding something,” she said, flicking back her hair. “Let’s go see what it was.”

The group pushed forward, careful with their steps. At the far end of the cave, nestled on a stone pedestal cracked with time, lay a book—its leather binding dark and worn, with a golden emblem of twin blades crossing each other.

Luca’s eyes widened.

There it is. The hidden piece.

Before he could step forward, Aurelia was already there, reaching out with casual confidence and lifting the book from the pedestal.

She examined the cover, flipping it open briefly. Her gaze slowly turned… to Luca.

“You really do attract things like this, don’t you?”

She squinted. “A Twin Saber Technique manual? What are the odds?”

Then, without warning, she tossed the book toward him. Luca scrambled to catch it—and did.

“I hope this is just a lucky coincidence,” she said, her voice suspicious, edged with playful danger. ” Her smile was sugarcoated steel.

Luca laughed nervously, clutching the book. “N-No, totally random. Total fate. Stars aligned. Destiny stuff.”

Aiden looked toward him. “You’re the only one who uses twin sabers. It makes sense you should take it.”

Lilliane nodded. “Yes… he should have it. It… suits him.”

Luca sighed in relief and gently cradled the book like it was a newborn kitten made of gold.

Aurelia still eyed him, but her suspicion softened. She chuckled and nudged his arm with her elbow. “You’ve got some luck, I’ll give you that.”

Suddenly, Lilliane’s voice echoed through the cavern.

“There’s a path over here.”

Everyone turned. At the far end, nearly hidden behind thick moss, was a narrow opening.

One by one, they followed it through—emerging moments later into open air.

The world exploded in color.

They stood on the mountain’s peak.

Below them, the academy grounds stretched like a map, bathed in the warm, orange hues of twilight. The sun dipped low behind jagged peaks in the distance, scattering gold and crimson across the sky. The wind was cool and gentle, carrying with it a deep silence, untouched by the chaos of the world below.

It was… perfect.

For a single breath, everyone forgot their worries.

Then—

“Y-YOU… YOU!!”

Aurelia’s scream shattered the peace.

Her face redder than any apple. hands clenched, staring directly at him like he’d just proposed marriage and slapped her in the same sentence.

“How… did I end up getting in such situations…?!”

His voice echoed in his mind, as his soul nearly left his body.

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