Morning: Unwanted Attention and Too Many Envelopes
Yuuji woke up to the soft rustling sound of paper.
Not natural paper. Not the comforting kind that came with books or sandwich wrappers.
This was the ominous kind — the kind that hovered midair, pulsed with enchantment, and practically vibrated with narrative consequence.
[New Notification: Official Tournament Rankings Posted!]➤ Status: You are Ranked➤ Reaction: ???➤ Optional Buff: Strong Tea and Emotional Armor
"…No," Yuuji muttered, burying his face in his pillow. "No, no, no."
But the parchment had no mercy. A second envelope appeared and bonked him gently on the forehead. Then a third.
Yuuji cracked one eye open. "What, are you breeding now?"
Elira, ever poised, sipped her morning tea on the other side of the room. "They arrived ten minutes ago. I decided to observe your reaction for science."
"You're supposed to stop my descent into madness," he said, groaning as the parchment began playing faintly dramatic trumpet music.
She didn't even blink. "You're the reason we're ranked at all."
"I tripped someone."
"You tripped a noble. On purpose. With flair."
"Still not a reason to be on a ranking list!"
Kael poked his head through the door. "I made toast. It's cursed. Want some?"
"Why does this school allow you near a toaster?" Yuuji groaned.
Kael shrugged. "It was looking at me wrong."
[Side Quest Failed: Enjoy a Normal Breakfast]➤ Replacement Objective: Survive Until Midday Without Screaming
Assembly Hall: The Rankings Reveal
As per tradition, the Ranking Announcement took place in Halcyon Academy's central sky-dome, where the ceiling conveniently turned transparent and displayed everyone's business to the entire school.
Yuuji, Elira, and Kael sat near the back. Yuuji had his hood pulled halfway over his face. Elira looked like a gothic queen judging a masquerade. Kael was feeding ghost crumbs to a squirrel that may or may not have been spectral.
A ripple of magic swept the air.
High above, twenty names flared to life in gold script.
INTER-HOUSE TOURNAMENT: TEAM RANKINGS – PHASE ONE
Team 1 (House Aetherlight): 183 pts
Team 3 (House Draconis): 175 pts
Team 4 (House Sylvaeon): 172 pts
Team 8 (House Nocturne): 170 pts
Team 5 (Mixed House): 168 pts...
Yuuji blinked. "Wait. We're Team 5."
Kael tilted his head. "Impressive."
"We're fifth?!" Yuuji hissed. "We almost got crushed by a boss snake and had a team member monologue at it!"
"That monologue was cathartic," Kael said mildly.
Elira, meanwhile, nodded once. "Acceptable. But we'll need to maintain synergy."
Yuuji flailed. "How are we this calm?! This ranking just painted a huge target on our backs!"
[System Alert: Congratulations! You Are Now a Mid-Tier Threat™]➤ Warning: Rival Aggro Probability Increased
As if on cue, Liam Everhart brushed past their row, flanked by his newly formed "redemption team." He didn't say a word. Just offered a single, polite smile.
Yuuji nearly fainted.
"That's not a good smile," he whispered. "That's a vengeance smile."
Kael leaned in. "It has poisoned tea energy."
The Duel Invitation
The moment the assembly ended, Yuuji tried to flee toward the library.
He made it five steps before a crisp magical ripple zipped across the hallway and hovered in front of him like a smug hummingbird.
[New Notification: You Have Been Challenged to a Duel]➤ Challenger: Velis Aldren – Rank 7 – House Sylvaeon➤ Reason: "For the honor of structure, formality, and forest aesthetics"➤ Time: Today. Lunch break. Arena Ward Beta.➤ Audience: Optional (but already gathering)
"...I haven't even eaten anything yet," Yuuji whispered.
A familiar voice purred beside him. "Then allow me to offer you breakfast... and a reckoning."
Velis Aldren stood with arms crossed, wearing a Sylvaeon uniform embroidered with glowing green sigils and nature-themed smugness. Her hair shimmered with chlorophyll-enhanced magic. Her eyebrows looked like they had degrees in passive aggression.
"You disrupted the balance of things," she said. "Liam's fall was a tremor. You are the aftershock. I shall restore order."
"I tripped him," Yuuji said. "He fell over. That's not a tremor—that's just gravity."
Kael leaned over. "Can I write poetry about this confrontation?"
"Please don't," Yuuji muttered.
Duel at Lunch: Chaos Buffet
The Arena Ward Beta was less of a battlefield and more of a magical soundstage. Floating platforms rotated slowly under stasis wards. Spectator stands hovered in concentric rings. Magical lights adjusted for drama. Someone was selling popcorn.
"Who approved the snack vendor?" Yuuji asked, stepping onto the dueling platform.
A cheer erupted from House Nocturne's section.
Kael waved. "I may have promoted you slightly."
Elira walked over and handed Yuuji a focus band. "Try not to die. Our next match is ranked."
"Comforting," he muttered, tightening the strap.
Velis raised her wand. "Begin."
[New Objective: Defend Your Reputation Without Exploding]➤ Optional: Make a Dramatic Comeback➤ Hidden Bonus: Win Without Offending Sylvaeon's Entire Student Council
The duel began.
Velis opened with a flurry of vine-snares and a hard-light projection spell that conjured illusions of thorn-covered terrain. Yuuji ducked, rolled, and retaliated with a counter-field of illusionary fog and a glyph pulse that bounced one of her vines back into her face.
"Oof," the crowd said collectively.
"I call this move 'Flailing Strategically,'" Yuuji muttered.
Velis narrowed her eyes. "You wield chaos without mastery."
"I wield luck without a license!"
Their spells clashed in a burst of gold and green.
Yuuji, panicking slightly, fell back on instinct—and activated a shield rune Elira had snuck into his coat last week. It absorbed Velis's finishing strike and sent a pulse straight back at her.
The spell exploded in a whirl of leaves, confetti, and mild humiliation.
Velis staggered, singed and blinking.
The match ended.
Yuuji stood in stunned silence.
The system chimed.
[Victory! You Have Defeated Velis Aldren in a Formal Duel]➤ Reputation +15 (Mixed Reactions)➤ Affection +1 (Kael: "That was aesthetic.")➤ Affection +1 (Elira: "You didn't disgrace us.")➤ ??? Interest Triggered: Rafe is Watching...
Aftermath: Chaos Spreads
Back in the dorm common room, Yuuji lay face-down on the couch.
"I think I've started a faction war," he mumbled into a pillow.
Kael was upside-down on the ceiling. "They were all already at war. You're just entertaining about it."
Elira passed him a tea cup. "Two wins. Two Houses rattled. And Rafe's watching."
"Yeah, what is his deal?" Yuuji asked. "He keeps appearing like a badly coded dating sim route."
Elira didn't answer.
Yuuji glanced over.
Elira looked thoughtful. Almost... concerned.
"Elira?"
She shook her head. "Keep your guard up."
Yuuji sighed and stared at the ceiling.
[System Notice: Tournament Plot Density Approaching Critical Mass]➤ Incoming: Exhibition Match Selections➤ New Quest: Investigate Rafe➤ Bonus Quest: Try Not to Start Another School-Wide Scandal