It had been a full week since Elias began training Stella.
She was weak at first, slow, stiff, unfamiliar with every stance. But what she lacked in strength, she made up for with unshakable focus and consistency.
"Your posture's improved a lot," Elias said, circling her. "One last lesson from me."
Stella's eyes lit up, alert and attentive.
"If you're up against someone with more advantages than you—stronger, faster—how do you react? Where should your mind be?"
Without a beat, Stella answered, "Focus on their movement. Watch their eyes. Think like them."
Elias smiled, but shook her head gently. "Good thinking. But that only works if you're on equal ground. Or if you have a solid grip on the situation."
She stepped back and looked Stella in the eyes. "But if you're facing someone way stronger... you have to think in reverse."
Stella furrowed her brows. "Reverse?"
"Yeah. Picture it like this," Elias explained. "Imagine you are the stronger one. The dominant force. You'd try to read your opponent, right? Predict what they're thinking. You'd expect them to panic, to play cautious, to make predictable moves."
Stella nodded slowly.
"Now flip it. You're the weaker one. Your enemy will be trying to read you like that. They'll assume you're scared, desperate, defensive."
"So..." Stella murmured.
"So if you act exactly the way they expect, you've already lost. But if you throw that expectation off, move like you don't care, strike where it seems impossible, think outside your fear, you take control, even when you shouldn't have it."
Stella's eyes sharpened, something clicking in her expression.
Elias grinned. "That's how you fight someone stronger. Make them play your game, even for a second, and that second is enough."
Elias threw a sword, a real one this time. "Alright. One last spar with me."
Stella caught it mid-air and dashed forward without hesitation, aiming straight for Elias's neck.
"Well," Elias said as she vanished from the path of the strike, reappearing behind her, "if this were Ray or the others, I'd be decapitated. But you underestimate your sister, Stella."
Stella smirked. "That's exactly how I thought you'd react."
In a flash, she swept low, knocking Elias's feet out from under her. Elias hit the ground hard, landing on her knees, then her butt.
"Ahh... You really get the best out of me," Elias said, looking up with a proud smile.
"Hehe. That's because you're a good teacher." Stella grinned and offered her hand to help her up.
But just as Elias took it, a sharp, piercing whistle echoed through the air.
Elias snapped to alertness. "This isn't good."
"Why?" Stella asked, already bracing herself.
"That's the emergency call."
---
A few minutes ago, while Stella and Elias were still training—
Joseph had already recovered and was back in top shape. But Ray… he still hadn't fully healed. Ever since he burned through too much mana to save Joseph, his body had been struggling to catch up.
Even so, the team had gathered for a meeting—this time to plan their next move.
Ray sat at the head of the table, face pale but voice steady. "The last mission to retrieve the dead artifact was a failure." He let out a long sigh. "And now… it's confirmed. That artifact is under Egotheon's control."
Silence hung in the air. Shame flickered across everyone's faces as they recalled their performance.
"But what matters most," Ray said, eyes scanning the group with warmth, "is that you all made it back alive."
He smiled soft, like a father proud of his children despite the mistakes.
Then suddenly, his expression shifted.
So did Von's.
They both felt it, a dark, dangerous presence creeping into the room like smoke.
A voice came from beyond the door.
"I heard you've been sniffing around for something that belongs to me. Even dared to touch my people. How… ignorant."
The door creaked open, slow and deliberate.
"Long time no see… Fallen One."
A figure stepped inside, his body cloaked in a swirling black aura, a crow perched on his right shoulder like a second set of eyes.
"I haven't had a peaceful night's sleep since our last meeting," the man continued. "So I thought... why not return the favor? A gift, worthy of what you left me."
Every breath in the room caught. No one moved.
He walked in, calm but brimming with cold fury.
"Remember me?" he said. "And this left eye?"
He tapped his eyepatch. Von blew out an emergency whistle to let Elias know the situation.
"Egotheon!" Ray growled, standing despite the pain.
Egotheon unleashed a massive gust of wind that tore through the entire hideout. The structure shook violently, and both Wendy and Joseph were sent flying from the force.
Elias and Stella, still on their way back, felt the shockwave ripple through the ground beneath them. Though they were a distance away, Stella's eyes locked onto a figure up ahead—one she instantly recognized.
Her heart clenched.
She remembered that face. Egotheon.
Her mind flashed back to the tragedy a few weeks ago,standing in front of her school, helpless, as Lumine disappeared right before her eyes. She had screamed for help then. Screamed beneath the shadow of the great statue of Egotheon that stood unmoved as if deaf to her pain.
Rage boiled up from deep inside her. Tears slipped down her cheeks. She charged forward, emotions roaring in her chest. Elias chased her from behind. "Stella, wait!"
But before she could get far, Von appeared in front of them, blocking her path. "You know this isn't a fight you can win, right?"
Stella froze.
Her anger cracked, giving way to something deeper. Sadness. Confusion. Questions flooded her mind.
Why didn't Egotheon help Lumine? Why did he let one of his own followers die? Are all the Seven like this...?
Von turned to Elias, his voice serious. "Elly, take her out of here. Don't let her get anywhere near Egotheon. And grab Wendy and Joseph too—this is way above your level."
His words pulled Elias out of her daze. She straightened, eyes sharp again.
"What about you and Ray?" Elias asked. "He's not in good shape."
Von gave a faint smirk. "Don't worry. It's Ray we're talking about."
And with that, Von vanished again.