🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋✦ AetherBorne: The Archivus Legacy ✦🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋Â
Day 2 – Training Hall Time
My footsteps echoed softly through the corridor as I walked slowly, dragging my feet not out of laziness—but out of thought.
Still no sign of Freya.
Even Grandpa was missing.
I glanced down at my Aether Watch, the familiar glow pulsing quietly. A part of me wondered… Should I break it? Just a little tap to signal them. They'd appear in an instant, right?
Then, as if echoing through the air itself, I heard Grandpa's voice in the back of my head.
"You're lazy."
Ouch.
Straight to the heart, huh, old man?
He wasn't wrong. But did he have to be so blunt about it? I've got feelings too, you know.
With a half-hearted sigh, I kept walking, letting my thoughts spiral around the absence of the two people who always had my back. Maybe they did go back. Maybe they're already kicking the King Beetle's armored butt as we speak.
The image made me smirk.
Freya suplexing a beetle the size of a house. Grandpa sipping iced tea mid-air while throwing summoned weapons from his Codex like darts.
Yeah. That sounded about right.
Still, a part of me couldn't shake the unease.
Where are they?
I pushed the thought aside as I arrived at the entrance of our designated training hall. The second day of the Aether Clash was always set aside for team prep—getting everyone ready for the intensity of tomorrow's second round.
Tomorrow, we'd be up against Team Horse.Â
Team Horse—our opponent in the second round—was nothing short of formidable.
Leading their charge was Felix Greenwood, a tall, sharp-eyed Britanian with sandy blond hair that always seemed to move with the wind—fitting, since his Aether affinity was wind itself. He was known for being a tactical fighter, someone who didn't just throw punches but danced through battlefields like he was playing chess with gusts. Evasive, strategic, and always composed.
Then there was Yuki Amano, a Niponese prodigy from Senior Class A. Despite her soft-spoken demeanor, she was deadly with her twin revolvers, earning her the codename Gunslinger. Ranked second in her class, Yuki's control over bullet-shaped Aether projectiles gave her insane speed and precision. Some said she could hit a fly from across the arena without breaking a sweat.
Shawn Lee, from Lua'toan, was unlike anyone I'd seen fight before. He didn't use weapons—at least, not in the traditional sense. His martial art, Taichi Shots, looked like flowing water at first glance. But beneath that grace was compressed Aether that could erupt in bursts of force. Each movement packed a rhythmic punch that could send opponents flying.
The fourth member was Camila Duarte—one of the top fighters from Senior Class B.
Amazonian. Loud. And absolutely fearless. She didn't just enter a fight—she dropped into it like a falling star. Camila wielded the Meteor ability, a brutal form of Aether manipulation that allowed her to summon and amplify chunks of rock into kinetic warheads. Each one was enhanced through spatial compression and gravity anchoring—making her less a fighter, and more a walking artillery battery. Watching her fight was like watching the sky declare war. Every step she took was synced to falling stone, every strike timed with explosive force. It wasn't elegant. It was devastating. She was ranked second in our class, and for good reason.
Last but not least, there was Ibrahim Zayed, a mysterious Salahadian with a cloak that seemed to melt into the ground whenever he moved. His ability, Desert Cloak, was more than just illusions—it was terrain manipulation, sand forming mirages and traps around his enemies. He didn't strike hard, but he made sure his enemies were too confused to land a hit.
Together, they were a nightmare team. Balanced. Precise. And efficient.
We were up against a storm of bullets, meteors, wind, and shifting sand—and our only way out was forward.
As soon as I swung open the door to the training hall—
BOOM!
A fireball roared toward me, a blast of heat rushing past my cheeks like an angry greeting.
Reflex took over.
The Codex Nexus flared to life in my right hand with a hum, hovering at my side as I chanted,
"Bookmark v2."
The Codex spun open midair. Its pages flared outward like wings, catching not one—but two fireballs in a flash of light. They were immediately absorbed into the enchanted parchment, their mass and momentum sealed within the Codex like mere entries in a library.
My eyes narrowed.
So we're playing that game, huh?
I hurled a kunai—not at my attacker, but at a 45-degree angle toward the ceiling. The moment it neared the rooftop, I invoked:
"Tempestus Switch."
In an instant, the kunai was swapped with one of the fireballs I'd absorbed. Then, using a second teleportation sigil, I redirected it midair—hurtling it straight back at Sol, who was smirking across the hall.
Sol with his intimidated stand, His body tensed in excitement, cracking his neck with a grin that said finally, something fun. My glare locked onto him—sharp and unfiltered.
I was pissed.
Not seeing Freya.
Not hearing from Grandpa.
And now Sol wanted to play with fire? Fine. Let's burn.
But he didn't take the fireball.
Instead, he spat a fresh plume of flame at it, redirecting the entire mass toward the golden angelic armor that hovered silently beside Claire.
CLANG.
The shield absorbed the blast without flinching. No damage, not even a scorch mark.
Claire, who'd been relaxing on a bench like royalty, stood up—aggravated.
Told you "You're bullying a monster," she snapped at Sol. "You're just lucky your brute force works sometimes."
In the corner, I noticed Haru and Fujimori stiffen, looking panicked.
Sol's aura began to flare. I saw the faint shimmer of his Zoning ability—just like in yesterday's match. A 100-meter radius around him started distorting, heat warping the air. He was charging up.
I didn't flinch.
For the past few days, I'd been training under Uncle Baek, refining my Tempestus Zone. My current radius?
300 meters. Solid and stable.
Sol started to glow brighter. His temperature is rising. The ground under him simmering.
Claire folded her arms, amused. "You're going to blow up the training hall again?"
That's when I broke the tension with a smirk and threw my hands up.
"Sorry, sorry!" I laughed. "Muscle reflex. No one told me there'd be fireworks at the door."
I quietly unsummoned the Codex Nexus with a shimmer of dissolving ink.
I strolled toward the benches like nothing happened. "Hi Haru," I said, patting him on the shoulder. He was still dazed.
"Hi Ms. Fujimori," I greeted, bowing politely.
"Hello," she answered with a calm nod.
Then I waved cheerfully at everyone else.
"Hi Sol, hi Claire… and hi, uh, Golden Buckethead."
The angelic armor turned its head slightly toward me.
I forced a bright grin. "Just came to say hi!"
"Fight me!" Sol shouted, flames gathering in his fists.
But before the challenge could finish—
ZAP.
I was gone.
🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋✦ AetherBorne: The Archivus Legacy ✦🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋Â
"Breathing... that was close."
I let out a long sigh as I looked up at the sky—clear, blue, and impossibly calm. As if there wasn't a world-ending calamity looming over us. As if I wasn't nearly roasted by a fireball for a good morning.
"Seriously, what kind of person says hello with a fireball?" I muttered, dusting off my coat.
Grandpa's voice echoed in the back of my mind—
"You could go toe-to-toe with that flame-headed brat. Maybe even beat him."
Yeah, maybe.
But what's the point?
Aether is like a firecracker—amazing when used right, spectacular even...
But if handled carelessly?
It explodes. It burns. It destroys.
Better to be the loser than to lose someone precious.
That's what I tell myself.
With that thought, I stood and stretched. No point brooding.
Books won't read themselves.
Teleport.
The world shimmered as I slipped into the library, surrounded by the warm scent of old pages and quiet whispers of turning paper. My kind of battlefield.
I tapped open my Aether Message, sending a quick note to Haru.
"What's the damage at the training hall?"
He replied almost immediately.
"After you left? Sol wrecked the training dummies like they owed him money."
"Me and Ms. Fujimori just sat and watched the fireworks between him and Claire. Now we're back to breathing exercises."
"Sol's doing some weight training with the equipment. Claire's... sparring with her armor again. Looks like they're trying to out-intense each other."
I chuckled softly to myself.
Of course they are.
Then I sat down, flipped open a book on Aether manipulation, and whispered:
"Let them clash. I'll read."
Claire in her armor.
I imagined it clearly—the scenario unfolding in my mind like a simulation.
If I were Wei… what would I have done differently?
After shielding the Spear Cannon, the Angelic Armor lunged forward. I immediately summoned my Aether-Forged Nodachi, bracing to parry the strike. The impact rang out like steel on steel—heavy, calculated. But that was just the opening move.
In a flash, Claire popped out from the armor's blindside, slashing toward my neck with speed and precision. She's not relying on her armor to fight alone. Smart.
I activated Tempestus Lumens, teleporting myself to the shattered spear I had used earlier as the base of my Spear Cannon.
I reappeared directly in front of the Angelic Armor. My blade surged with Aether. Galaxy Punch x20—a full-force cannon strike powered by amplified kinetic acceleration.
The impact hit.
The armor reeled back—not flying, but shoved two meters off balance.
Stronger than I thought. Still, that's my opening.
I turned my focus to Claire herself. She had a gladiator-style shield and short sword, nimble and lethal in close quarters. She moved with elegant fluidity, flowing from one stance to another like a dancing blade.
I unleashed Legionarius Divinum.
Dozens of Aether-infused blades of every shape—axes, spears, curved sabers—rained down on the Angelic Armor, keeping it at bay with a ceaseless barrage. But the armor moved like it had its own mind—dodging, deflecting, countering with uncanny precision.
No good. I'll have to finish this fast.
Grandpa's words echoed in my mind:
"A real fight is won with positioning. Take your opponent's mobility and vision, and you control 80% of the fight."
I stepped back and threw a spread of kunai, scattering them around Claire's footing.
Then— Spear Cannon x10 aimed at her side, paired with three more Spear Cannons x20 stacked for chain detonation.
Boom. Boom.
The area erupted into blasts of dust and Aether. Claire's shield absorbed the hit, holding firm—but I wasn't aiming to break her defense.
Zap—Tempestus Lumens activated.
I switched with a kunai midair, appearing behind her as she recoiled from the blast.
Cannon Thrust—a downward stab, amplified by gravitational acceleration, aimed directly at her shield.
Bang!
The blade disintegrated on impact, sending her skidding back again. But she wasn't down yet. She countered with a fierce retaliatory slash, but by the time her sword cut through air—
—I was already gone.
She didn't have time to recover before she noticed another Spear Cannon arcing toward her. She raised her shield—but I was already beneath her.
Zap.
I teleported via the kunai still hovering from earlier.
Bang!—the cannon hit the shield just as I unleashed a Cannon Slash to her legs. If it were real, it would have crippled her on the spot.
But Claire had more tricks.
In a flash of radiant light, a second Angelic Armor emerged—a Phantasm Unit, a copy mirroring her own moveset. It deflected the Legionarius barrage effortlessly while the original absorbed my cannon blast with another summoned shield.
Two armors now…?
Even in my imaginary match, I froze for a second. How many cards does she have?
I shook it off, eyes darting around the battlefield.
I noticed the last floating kunai—still suspended midair, humming with leftover Aether.
Zap.
I blinked behind her again, this time for a 360-degree Slash, aiming for the gap near her neck.
Too late.
The second armor blocked my strike before I could land it.
Damn. She's already recovered.
Two more Spear Cannons fired on instinct, forcing her into defensive posture. She tried to claw her way back in with another slash—but they struck true, throwing her off tempo.
I leapt back, breathing heavy even in my thoughts. My body moved with instinct. My mind… already analyzing.
Two armors. Claire herself. Her phantasm deflects the barrage, while she blocks the rest. This isn't brute strength—it's tactics. Precision.
As I stood amidst the simulation's dust, facing both Claire and her summoned guardian, I whispered to myself:
"She's not elegance... she's war in disguise."
I closed my eyes and focused—Aether Zoning: Tempestus Zone, expanding outward in slow, calculated pulses.
Breathe. Expand. Absorb.
The zone swelled to its limit, tripling the Aether absorption rate. I could feel the very air bend to my will, vibrating with potential. In front of me stood Claire, her Angelic Phantasm glowing even brighter, a radiant gold aura swirling around it.
She's feeding more Aether into it… but—
I narrowed my eyes.
—the shield. It's chipped.
A fracture, barely noticeable to the untrained eye. But to me? It was a crack in her fortress.
I activated Legionarius Divinum: Armory of Gods—a storm of weapons howled to life, swirling like divine judgment. Dozens of Aether-forged blades rained down upon Claire and her phantasm, forcing them into a full defensive stance, turtled behind their shields.
Perfect.
I tossed aside my own shield and sword into the cluttered battlefield.
Tempestus Lumens.
Zap. I teleported through a blade floating in the air, reappearing right in front of Claire—my fist surging with Aether.
Galaxy Punch x20.
BAM. The impact hurled her back, shield screaming under the pressure before the momentum blasted both her and the phantasm apart.
The Angelic Armor retaliated, countering with a punishing downward slash. But—
Zap. Gone again.
This time I left it behind with the Legionarius Divinum: Final Judgement—a colossal greatsword aimed at its chest. Gravity surged as the blade descended, multiple-fold amplified. The Angelic Armor braced—but its knees buckled. It dug its feet into the ground, struggling, but the weight was overwhelming.
Then I blinked again—Tempestus Lumens—switching positions with one of the nearby scattered blades.
Zap. Now in front of Claire again.
Another Galaxy Punch x20, aimed center mass.
She blocked—barely. The shield cracked again, groaning under the pressure. Her body slid several feet, heels digging into the ground, barely holding on.
Zap. Above her now.
I raised my fists overhead, preparing for a devastating Gorilla Smash from above.
Galaxy Punch x20.
Claire raised her sword and shield in a cross block—but it was too much. The shield shattered with a loud CRACK, the sword flung from her grip like a shooting star.
She hit the ground hard, pinned beneath the force of impact.
One last attack—fist glowing, aimed right at her chest.
But just before I could finish—
Disintegration.
The Angelic Armor dissolved into golden particles, vanishing from the battlefield.
I stopped—fist mid-air.
That's enough.
I took a deep breath, exhaled, and smiled to myself.
Just a simulation.
Still, it felt good. Real.
Then—
Brringgg.
The bell rang, snapping me out of my imaginary match.
Right. Class is over.
I stood up, slinging my bag over my shoulder.
Tomorrow—Team Horse.
Same match order. Haru already messaged me earlier to confirm.
Time to rest. Tomorrow, I'll see if the battlefield agrees with my imagination