The coliseum was alive with thunder.
Cheers shook the stone seats, banners rippled in the wind, and the metallic tang of anticipation filled the air. Andy had faced dungeons darker than midnight, monsters larger than houses, but nothing tightened his chest like the roar of a thousand voices watching him.
His palms were slick against the grips of his battered blades. His heart hammered as if trying to break free. For a second, he almost wished he was back in the suffocating silence of the cave.
Then Nia's presence steadied him.
She walked beside him with her staff in hand, her silver hair glowing faintly in the light. Unlike Andy, she didn't flinch under the stares of hundreds. She carried herself like someone who had been born to command a room, every step calm and deliberate.
She tilted her head slightly, whispering just for him.
"Breathe. They're not the ones you have to fight."
Her voice was like cool water over fire. Andy inhaled, held it, then released. He nodded. "Right. Just us."
Across the arena, their opponents stood waiting: a hulking brute with a warhammer that could crush stone, and a sharp-eyed sorceress whose fingers already sparked with fire. They weren't nervous—they were grinning.
"Too green," someone muttered from the stands.
"Just lucky in the cave."
"She'll regret tying herself to him."
Every word dug into Andy's pride like a knife.
High above, Andrew sat with the nobles in the balcony. His polished armor gleamed, his posture relaxed, his smirk infuriating. He looked down on Andy not as a rival, but as a stain that needed to be scrubbed away.
The guildmaster's voice boomed.
"This is the trial of the Bonded Pair! Andy and Nia—prove your worth!"
A bell tolled.
The brute charged, the arena floor shaking with each step, while fire spiraled from the sorceress's hands in a torrent of flame.
Andy swore and grabbed Nia's wrist, dragging her into a roll as fire scorched the sand where they'd been standing. Heat kissed his skin, searing his sleeve.
"Too close!" he hissed.
"Left!" Nia's voice rang, sharp and steady.
Andy spun, blades flashing up to meet the descending warhammer. The impact rattled his bones, nearly drove him to his knees—until Nia's magic surged through him, light reinforcing his arms.
Their rhythm clicked.
> [Engagement Trial Initiated]
[Task: Demonstrate Combat Synchronization]
[Bond Level: 75%]
Andy blinked at the glowing words—but Nia's voice snapped him back.
"Focus, Andy!"
He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to move. She covered his blind spots with radiant shields, while he struck at every opening she created. Step for step, strike for strike, they aligned.
The mage raised her hands, flames swirling into a fiery spear. Andy's stomach clenched—but Nia slammed her staff down, a dome of starlight erupting around them. The spear shattered harmlessly against the shield.
Andy let out a breathless laugh. "Perfect timing!"
Her lips curved, just slightly. "Of course."
His chest tightened—not from fear, but from something warmer.
"Boost me!" he called.
Nia lifted her staff, light surging into his blades. Fire and water blazed brighter, spiraling together as if alive. Andy lunged, his swords cutting in twin arcs that tore through the brute's guard. Sparks exploded, and the massive warrior stumbled.
The mage shouted, beginning another spell—only for radiant chains to snap from Nia's staff, binding her mid-cast.
Andy didn't hesitate. He spun both blades, crossing them in a brilliant X-slash that erupted in a shockwave of flame, water, and starlight.
The blast sent both opponents crashing to the sand, their weapons scattering.
The arena went silent.
Then the referee raised his arm.
"Victory! Andy and Nia!"
The coliseum exploded with cheers, louder than thunder.
Andy fell to one knee, gasping for breath, his blades trembling in his hands. But when he turned, he found Nia already beside him. She leaned slightly, her staff resting against the ground, cheeks flushed, silver hair plastered with sweat.
Their eyes met—and in that instant, the roar of the crowd fell away.
He managed a weak grin. "We… actually did it."
Her lips curved into a faint smile. "Of course we did."
The warmth in her gaze burned hotter than fire. Andy looked away quickly, afraid she might see the truth in his chest.
Above, Andrew's jaw clenched. His smirk had vanished, replaced with a glare so sharp it could cut steel. His gauntlets tightened on the railing until the metal groaned.
"This isn't over," he muttered. "Not by a long shot."
---
>System Notification
> [Engagement Trial Task 1 Complete]
Bond Progression: 75% → 76%
Reward Unlocked: Engagement Gauge Visible
– Engagement progress can now be tracked.
– Warning: Failure to complete all tasks will result in Bond Collapse.
---
🔹 Aftermath – Backstage
Back in the preparation hall, the noise of the coliseum still rang in Andy's ears. He slumped onto a bench, dragging in deep breaths.
"I thought my arms were going to snap," he groaned.
Nia sat beside him, close enough their shoulders brushed. She gave a small laugh—soft, tired, but genuine. "You held. And you listened. That's why we won."
Andy rubbed his neck, cheeks warming. "…You always know what to say, huh?"
Her smile lingered, softer now, private. "Only when you need it."
Silence stretched—not awkward, but charged. The closeness of her shoulder, the glint of pride in her eyes—it pulled at something in Andy that no battle ever had.
Then—footsteps.
Heavy, deliberate.
Andrew stepped into the chamber, armor gleaming, smirk back in place. His gaze swept the scene—their closeness, their quiet moment—and his expression sharpened.
"Well," he drawled, voice dripping disdain, "you managed to entertain the masses. But applause is fleeting. Nobility is eternal. Remember that, Lady Nia."
His eyes cut to Andy, cold as steel. "And you, commoner—don't mistake a single victory for worth. You'll break before long."
Andy rose slowly, meeting Andrew's glare head-on. His voice was steady, defiant.
"Then keep watching. Because I'm not breaking."
The air between them crackled, like the seconds before lightning struck.
The trial had ended—but the war had only just begun.
---