The plains stretched endlessly beneath a restless sky, tall grass swaying in waves as the wind swept through it. Clouds moved slowly overhead, thick and heavy, hinting at an oncoming storm. In the middle of all that emptiness stood Reider—hands in his pockets, posture relaxed, expression unreadable.
His crimson eyes scanned the horizon, absorbing every detail with his usual quiet detachment.
"So this is where I'm supposed to meet Juno…"
The thought drifted through him with that same calm seriousness he always carried.
A faint sound of footsteps brushing through the grass reached his ears.
Reider turned his head.
A figure was approaching from the distance, walking with an unhurried but powerful stride. As the wind parted the grass, the man's silhouette grew clearer—tall, broad-shouldered, wearing simple but sturdy armor. A massive greatsword rested across his back, nearly as tall as he was.
Juno.
Sharp green eyes narrowed slightly as he got closer, inspecting Reider without a word. His messy dark brown hair shifted with the wind, giving him a rugged, battle-hardened air despite his youth.
He stopped a few meters away.
They stared at each other.
Said nothing.
The wind spoke for them, blowing hard enough to ruffle their clothes but not their expressions.
Reider blinked slowly.
"You're Juno?"
Juno nodded once. "You must be Reider."
Another long pause.
Stillness returned, awkward yet tense.
Reider's gaze drifted aside.
"…So."
Juno scratched the back of his neck.
"Yeah… so."
The silence stretched on, strange in how neither of them knew what to do with it.
Finally Juno broke it, eyes sharpening just a bit.
"I heard you're strong."
Reider shrugged.
"I guess."
Juno's eyebrow twitched.
"That's not an answer."
Reider met his gaze fully this time.
"You want to test it?"
That earned the faintest smirk from Juno.
In a single motion—smooth and practiced—he drew his greatsword, letting its weight settle into his grip.
"Yeah… I do."
Reider exhaled slowly and rolled his neck.
His aura stirred, faint tendrils of force twisting subtly around him.
Juno's eyes narrowed as he tightened his grip.
The wind shifted.
The field suddenly felt much smaller.
Reider took one step forward, eyes glinting with razor focus and something close to excitement.
"Okay."
Juno moved first.
In a burst of speed far faster than his size suggested, he charged forward and swung the sword downward with brutal force.
Reider sidestepped before the blade even reached him.
The ground split, dirt exploding upward where he had stood.
Juno twisted, following the motion into a horizontal slash.
Reider ducked low, sliding along the grass with effortless fluidity.
His hand brushed the earth as he moved, eyes glowing faintly.
Juno grinned.
"You're fast."
Reider rose from his slide, dusting off his gloves.
"You're not bad."
Juno charged again.
This time, when the massive blade came down, Reider didn't dodge.
He caught it.
With one hand.
The shock traveled through the ground, cracking the earth beneath their feet. Juno's eyes widened—real shock breaking through his calm.
What kind of strength is that…?
Reider tilted his head.
"You're not fighting seriously yet."
Juno jumped back, landing lightly despite the sword's weight. His expression settled into something sharper, more focused.
"Maybe not. But I am now."
Then his aura detonated.
Blue energy burst outward from his body, whipping the grass violently, surrounding his sword in a fierce glow.
Reider stood still, watching with calm eyes as his own aura rose—dark, dense, and storm-like, cracking the ground beneath him as it spiraled upward.
Wind howled between them.
Energy clashed in the air, warping it.
The plains trembled.
Reider stepped forward.
"Show me."
Juno vanished.
He appeared again only when he was a blade's length away, faster than before, sword glowing bright blue as he swung upward.
A crescent of raw energy tore through the field, slashing toward Reider.
Reider raised his arm just in time—
The impact hit him full-force.
Dust and wind exploded around him in a violent wave.
Inside the shockwave, Reider's arm hardened instinctively, but cracks formed on his skin from the power behind the strike.
It actually hurt.
"That… actually hurt."
As the dust settled, steam rose off his arm. He lowered it, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
Juno stood with his sword resting on his shoulder, waiting.
Reider stepped forward, aura spiraling violently around him.
"You're strong."
Juno smirked, silent.
Then Reider vanished.
A shockwave boomed behind him.
In the next instant he was in front of Juno, fist already flying.
Juno blocked with his sword, but the force pushed him sliding backward, carving deep trails into the grass.
They stood apart again, wind dizzying around them.
Juno laughed softly.
"You're not bad either."
Reider smirked back—and shot forward again.
Their movements blurred into a storm of motion.
Punches.
Sword swings.
Shockwaves splitting the ground.
The sky darkening overhead.
Reider dodged a downward strike that shattered the earth, sliding along the crater's edge. He was breathing harder now, a light sheen of sweat forming, but his eyes gleamed with something rare:
Enjoyment.
"Apart from Vael… he's the only one who's pushed me this far."
He cracked his knuckles.
His aura shifted—dark with streaks of light flickering through it.
The sky responded instantly.
Clouds spiraled overhead, thunder rumbling.
Juno tightened his grip.
"Guess you've been holding back too."
Reider nodded.
"If I don't, you'll win."
Juno blinked—genuinely surprised—but the smirk returned.
"Glad you noticed."
Reider lifted his hand.
Mana gathered instantly—wind, lightning, raw force funneling toward his palm, growing denser and brighter until the air hummed under its weight.
Juno's sword pulsed with blue energy, glowing brighter, growing larger.
The field shook.
Reider looked at him, deadly serious.
"You're strong enough to kill me if I'm not careful."
Juno grinned.
"Same goes for you."
They charged.
Reality cracked behind them as their power tore through the field. When their attacks met, the explosion of light lit up the sky, shaking the earth, forming a massive crater around them.
Grass flattened outward in all directions.
From far away, three familiar silhouettes watched the shockwaves ripple across the plains.
Eryndra shielded her eyes.
"What kind of monster fight is that?!"
Back inside the crater, both fighters skidded back, breathing heavier but smirking faintly.
Reider lowered his hand and bowed his head slightly.
"You're stronger than me."
Juno's eyebrows lifted.
"That's the first time someone's said that to me and meant it."
Reider's smirk grew just a little.
"You earned it."
The storm overhead calmed slowly, clouds parting as the winds eased.
They stood across from each other—no longer strangers, no longer opponents.
Two warriors acknowledging each other.
The wind passed between them gently now, carrying silent respect.