The day the Dawnforge Tournament resumed, Lionel Academy felt like a fortress.
Pro heroes patrolled every hallway.
Drones hovered in tight formations.
Titanheart himself stood near the central tower, his mere presence enough to silence a crowd.
But despite the tension hanging over Nexara like a cold cloud…
the stadium was packed.
Students filled the seats.
Reporters whispered into cameras.
Teachers scanned the perimeter with sharp eyes.
And on the holo-screen, the first match of the resumed tournament appeared:
RAIN LANCELOT vs ALREN FROST
A murmur rippled through the arena.
"This will be a technical fight…"
"Both have precise element control."
"Rain's offense versus Alren's defense!"
Raze exhaled softly.
Rain's first match back—and against Rank 8.
She needed to stay calm.
◆ ◆ ◆
Entering the Stage
Alren Frost stepped onto the arena first.
Dark blue hair tied back neatly.
Pale eyes calm and unreadable.
A faint mist followed his movements as he walked, the air chilling subtly in his presence.
He wore thick gloves—both to protect others from accidental frost and to control his power better.
Despite coming from a family of powerful ice-users…
Alren was labeled the weakest.
His Nexas, Frostfield, let him freeze moisture in a 15-meter radius.
No ice storms.
No blizzards.
No destructive power.
Just calm, controlled freezing.
But Alren trained harder than almost anyone.
Rain Lancelot entered next—light blue hair tied in a loose braid, water swirling gently around her fingertips like it was greeting her.
Her eyes shone with quiet determination.
Astra smiled faintly from the stands.
"She grew stronger."
Raze nodded.
"She has."
Roger shouted, "RAIN, FREEZE HIS BUTT!"
Astra bonked him on the head immediately.
◆ ◆ ◆
The First Exchange
The announcer raised his arm.
"BEGIN!"
Rain moved first—
water forming instantly from moisture in the air, spiraling into two liquid blades.
She dashed forward with clean footwork.
Alren inhaled.
The air around him dropped suddenly.
FSSSH—!
A 15-meter radius frostfield erupted around him, freezing the ground in a perfect circle.
Rain's steps skidded slightly, but she adjusted, pivoting off the ice.
Alren raised his palm—
Rain's blades froze mid-flight, turning solid and dropping like glass.
He spoke calmly.
"You won't bypass my radius easily."
Rain smiled softly.
"You don't need flashy powers to be strong."
Her voice was almost gentle.
Then she flicked her wrist.
Water vapor burst into existence—dozens of tiny droplets swirling around her.
Alren narrowed his eyes. He tried to freeze them—
But Rain moved faster.
She melted them into vapor, scattered them across the field…
And—
FWIP—FWIP—FWIP—
froze them into razor-thin ice needles surrounding Alren's radius.
The crowd gasped.
"Her control…!?"
"She changed states instantly!"
"Rain's speed improved!"
◆ ◆ ◆
Precision vs Stability
Alren pressed his palm to the ground.
His frostfield expanded with a sudden pulse—
**CRACK—!!**
Ice pillars erupted along the ground, blocking Rain's advancing path.
Rain changed tactics instantly, turning her liquid blade into mist.
Alren's frost tried to grab the vapor—
But Rain heated it slightly, preventing it from freezing.
A dance of temperatures.
Rain's fine control versus Alren's stable freezing radius.
Each time Rain attacked—
- Alren froze the path ahead
- Formed ice barriers
- Created slick terrain to slow her
Each time Alren countered—
- Rain changed water states
- Molded it into shapes
- Manipulated the battlefield moisture
Their clash wasn't explosive.
It was beautiful.
Graceful.
Technical.
Precise.
◆ ◆ ◆
Alren's Resolve
In the arena's chill…
Alren remembered his father's words.
"You have more potential than you realize."
He never believed them.
He trained to prove his father wrong—
to prove that he really was the weakest Frost in generations.
But today…
as Rain pushed him harder than anyone had before…
a spark lit in his chest.
He exhaled sharply.
"Rain… I won't lose."
His frost radius intensified.
The ice pillars sharpened.
The air became dangerously cold.
Even Rain shivered slightly.
◆ ◆ ◆
Rain's Breakthrough
Rain inhaled deeply.
Her mentor once told her:
"Water adapts. If you're losing—change form."
She raised both arms—
Water vapor spiraled around her, forming a thin mist across the entire field.
Alren tried to freeze it—
But Rain was already moving.
She shaped the mist into—
A dome.
A sphere of vapor that flowed like silk.
Inside Alren's frostfield, moisture was dense—his own power enhancing hers.
Rain's eyes sharpened.
"Thank you, Alren. This environment… helps me."
The sphere collapsed inward—
Then—
**FLASH—!!**
It froze instantly into hundreds of tiny reflective shards, catching sunlight and blinding Alren.
He shielded his eyes—
Too late.
Rain surged forward, water spiraling around her arm, condensed into a rotating whip of liquid force.
"Flow Strike!"
BAM—!!
The blow shattered Alren's frost barrier and knocked him onto the frozen ground.
He struggled to rise—
But the referee's hand shot up.
"ALREN FROST IS UNABLE TO CONTINUE—
WINNER: RAIN LANCELOT!"
◆ ◆ ◆
Aftermath
Cheers filled the stadium.
Rain exhaled deeply, her breath forming soft mist.
Astra clapped with sincere admiration.
"She did wonderfully."
Roger screamed, "RAIN YOU BEAUTIFUL WATER GODDESS!"
Luna smacked him again.
Raze watched Rain approach Alren and offer her hand.
Alren hesitated…
Then accepted it.
Rain smiled gently.
"You weren't weak, Alren. Your control is amazing."
Alren lowered his head, eyes softening.
"…Thank you."
It was the first time in the tournament someone called him strong.
Rain returned to the group, cheeks flushing as everyone applauded her.
Raze gave her a warm nod.
"You earned it."
Rain's heart fluttered—but she simply replied:
"Thank you. I'll work even harder."
◆ ◆ ◆
The first match of the resumed tournament ended with an elegant, tactical victory—
and Rain Lancelot stepped forward as a true contender.