Back in Solstice City, Mel stood on a hoverboard, hovering steadily in the air. Rue held up a camera, adjusting the focus before pressing the record button.

  “Entry for the Sky Jousting Tournament—take one!” she announced.

  Mel swallowed hard—being recorded wasn’t something he was used to. But he shook off the nerves and faced the camera with confidence.

  “Hey, my name is Melanthius Shadowbane—King of Atlantis and son of Merlin Shadowbane.” He spoke with a steady voice, letting the name carry its weight. “I believe I’d make a strong addition to the tournament because of my weapon mastery.”

  To demonstrate, he twirled a sword at blinding speed, the blade flashing as it spun effortlessly between his fingers. Then, with a calculated flick, he let the sword drop to the ground. Without hesitation, Mel jumped off the hoverboard—yet instead of falling, he soared through the air.

  “I can fly.”

  He weaved through the sky, executing loops and rapid turns before gracefully landing back on solid ground.

  “I also created two martial arts styles: the Hidden Cloud Techniques and Lightning Web Kung Fu.”

  He followed his words with a swift Hidden Cloud kick, his movements fluid and precise. Then, extending his finger toward a nearby boulder, he channeled his second technique—thin strands of electric webbing coiled around his fingertip before he unleashed a devastating one-inch punch. The boulder cracked on impact.

  Mel exhaled and looked into the camera, his expression steady. “I’ll see you in the tournament.”

  Rue stopped recording and shoved the camera into her backpack. “Can I go now?” she asked, her tone sharp with irritation.

  Mel picked up his sword and secured it in his back holster. “What’s wrong?” he asked, frowning.

  Rue let out an exaggerated groan. “Oh, nothing’s wrong, Mr. ‘We can’t be together, Rue, I’m too dangerous for you.’”* She mocked, crossing her arms.

  Mel sighed, rubbing his temple. “I was just saying… Last time, I got you paralyzed. You almost got hurt by Varziel. Why can’t you ever understand when someone’s just trying to protect you?” His voice carried frustration, but as soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted them, clamping a hand over his lips.

  Rue stiffened, her fists clenching at her sides. “Whatever. Stay away from me.” She turned on her heel and stormed off.

  Mel exhaled heavily, rubbing his wrist. “I’m sorry,” he muttered, though she was already gone. Shaking his head, he stepped back onto his hoverboard, refocusing on his flight patterns.

  As he soared through the air, a familiar voice caught his attention.

  “Entry for the Sky Jousting Tournament—take one!”

  Mel raised an eyebrow. That was Clyde’s voice.

  Curious, he followed the sound, flying toward the source. In a clearing within the forest, he spotted Clyde holding a camera, recording Lance as he stood on a hoverboard, introducing himself.

  Mel landed smoothly and walked up to them. “Lance? What are you doing?!” he asked, bewildered.

  Lance barely spared him a glance, rolling his eyes. “Training for a tournament, obviously.”

  Mel glanced around, then narrowed his eyes. “Who are you talking to like that, Lance?” His tone was a mix of amusement and warning.

  “You!” Lance shot back. “I can do whatever I want.”

  Mel blinked, momentarily caught off guard. “Still mad at me, huh?” He crossed his arms. “Well, if you do compete, that means you’ll have to fight me… my student.” He tapped Lance’s forehead teasingly.

  Lance smacked his hand away. “Oh, I will. And I’ll be way better than you.” He jabbed a finger against Mel’s forehead in return.

  Mel scoffed, a smirk tugging at his lips. “Alright, fine! But you’re not taking my little brother.” He gestured toward Clyde. “Come on.”

  He turned to leave, but before he could take a step, Lance grabbed Clyde’s arm.

  “No! Clyde’s with me.”

  Mel blinked, then let out a short laugh. “Clyde? With you?” He turned to his brother, expecting him to brush it off.

  Instead, Clyde sighed and met Mel’s gaze. “Sorry, big bro. Lance needs me.” He patted Mel’s chest before stepping back toward the camera.

  For a moment, Mel just stood there, expression unreadable. Then, he exhaled sharply and gave a small, proud smirk. “Alright! We’ll see.”

  Without another word, he kicked off the ground and let the wind carry him away.

  Mel landed beside his hoverboard, swiping through his phone as he uploaded the video. “Lance won’t be able to enter anyway… but honestly, I kind of hope he does.” A small, proud smile tugged at his lips.

  Before he could dwell on the thought, a shadow loomed over him. He looked up—and immediately stiffened.

  Lucy stood there, staring down at him with those dead, hollow eyes.

  “O-oh… I forgot about our sparring session,” he muttered, hurriedly standing up.

  “That’s cool,” she said, her voice completely devoid of emotion.

  Mel swallowed hard. He barely had time to brace before Lucy launched a devastating punch toward him. He crossed his arms, blocking just in time, but the sheer force sent a painful tremor through his bones.

  “Has Jake been recovering alright?” he asked, wincing.

  Lucy responded with a brutal kick aimed at his leg. Mel barely dodged, stepping back just in time.

  “He’s fine.” Her tone remained eerily flat as she struck again, this time wielding a pair of arnis sticks. Mel barely managed to unsheath his sword in time, intercepting the flurry of blows.

  “My dad’s a wreck, though. His wife beat everyone up and ran off. Logan disappeared, and nobody’s seen him since. So now… I’m alone.”

  The words hit harder than her strikes. Mel gritted his teeth, deflecting each attack.

  “You sure you want to fight instead of talk?” he asked, his grip firm on his sword.

  Lucy shrugged. “You don’t want to fight?”

  Mel sighed, still blocking. “I do, but…”

  Lucy moved to strike again, but before she could, Mel closed the distance—wrapping his arms around her.

  Her arnis sticks slipped from her hands, clattering to the ground. Her lip quivered, her breath hitching, but she kept her hands stiffly at her sides, unmoving.

  “Stop being so sappy!” Lucy growled, wrapping her arms around Mel before slamming him into the ground.

  But before impact, a cloud materialized beneath them, cushioning the fall.

  Lucy didn’t waste a second. She sprang to her feet and unleashed a flurry of rapid punches.

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  Mel countered by conjuring small clouds at each point of impact, softening every blow. The strikes still landed, but the force behind them faded into harmless bursts of mist.

  Mel gently grabbed Lucy’s wrist, stopping her as she trembled. Her sobs grew heavier, raw with emotion.

  “Why did she have to leave?!” she choked out. “Was I not good enough?! I know I didn’t hug her much, but… I didn’t think she’d want me to! I—I thought she’d love me anyway!” She buried her face into Mel’s chest, gripping his shirt tightly as if afraid to let go.

  Mel closed his eyes, feeling the weight of her pain. He rested a hand on her back, speaking softly but firmly.

  “You couldn’t have changed her mind, Lucy. A child resenting their parents? That’s just a phase. But a parent abandoning their child… that’s unforgivable. That’s on them, not you.”

  His words hung in the air, and Lucy’s sobs slowly quieted, though her grip remained tight.

  Mel’s phone beeped and he checked it.

  Dear Melanthius Shadowbane,

  We are pleased to inform you that your application for the Sky Jousting Tournament has been accepted. Your demonstration of weapon mastery, aerial mobility, and unique combat techniques has met the tournament’s high standards.

  As an official contestant, you are required to report to Zephyrreach, the renowned Skybound City, within 4 days to complete your registration and undergo preliminary assessments. Please bring your own equipment, as the tournament will not provide personal weapons or hoverboards.

  Failure to arrive on time will result in forfeiture of your spot.

  We look forward to witnessing your skills in the arena.

  Tournament Committee

  Sky Jousting Championship

  —————————-

  Mel read the message and immediately jumped in excitement. “Yes!” he exclaimed.

  Lucy pulled back slightly, blinking in surprise. “What?”

  Mel grinned and turned his screen toward her. “I got accepted into the Sky Jousting Tournament!”

  Lucy glanced at the message and nodded, but instead of celebrating, she whined softly, leaning against him as if silently asking him to keep holding her.

  Mel hesitated for a moment before an idea sparked in his mind. “You should come with me!” he suggested. “It’ll help take your mind off everything that happened.”

  Lucy hesitated, her fingers gripping his sleeve. “Are you sure? I’ve never gone anywhere without Logan before…”

  Mel nodded firmly. “Of course! It’ll be fun. A new place, new experiences—you deserve that.” He scrolled down the message. “We’ll even get our own room. I’ll make sure to ask for two beds, obviously.”

  Lucy exhaled, then gave a small nod. “I guess I’ll come…” She glanced at the message again. “So, the city is in the clouds?”

  Mel shrugged with a smile. “It’s a big world, Lucy. Might as well see how wonderful it can be.”

  Suddenly, Lance strolled over, clapping slowly with a smug grin. “It is a wonderful world—because I got accepted too!” He struck a rockstar pose, flashing his acceptance letter.

  Mel narrowed his eyes, smirking proudly. “Well, with me competing, you don’t stand a chance.”

  Lance rolled his eyes. “Big talk. But how exactly are you planning to get there?”

  Mel tilted his head up confidently. “I’ll fly, obviously.”

  Lance crossed his arms. “And what about Lucy? She can’t fly.”

  Mel’s cockiness instantly faltered. “Uhh… well, I’ll carry her!” he declared.

  Lance shook his head, unimpressed. “Thirty thousand miles? Yeah, good luck with that. I, on the other hand, come from a rich family—so I just rented an airship. Yep, they exist.” He smugly held up his receipt.

  Mel drummed his fingers against his sword hilt, clearly annoyed. With a reluctant sigh, he turned toward the transport station. “Guess we’ll have to take a carriage…” he groaned, recalling his last experience—when he arrived late, was forced to drive Lance’s car, and crashed it.

  Lance grinned, adjusting his jacket. “We’ve got four days to prepare, anyway. Good luck, sensei.” He waved before walking off.

  Lucy looked up at Mel. “What are you gonna do for the next four days?”

  Mel unsheathed his sword, twirling it once before resting it on his shoulder. “Wanna help me train?”

  Lucy smirked, pulling out her arnis sticks. “Absolutely.”

  Meanwhile, eighteen other contestants from across the world read their acceptance letters, each reacting in their own way.

  “Intriguing,” murmured a tall, bearded man as he hovered effortlessly above a canyon, the wind rustling his cloak. His hoverboard hummed beneath him, cutting through the clouds like a phantom.

  A young woman in ornate golden armor smirked as she leaned against a colossal greatsword embedded in the ground. “Looks like I’ll finally have some real competition,” she mused, fire crackling at her fingertips.

  Deep within a dense jungle, a masked figure perched atop a tree branch, twirling a dagger between their fingers. Their crimson eyes gleamed through the shadows. “Sky jousting, huh? Let’s see how they handle me up there.”

  On a distant island, a massive warrior pounded his fists together, causing the very earth beneath him to quake. “Good. I was getting bored.” His voice rumbled like thunder as he crushed a coconut with one hand and drank from it.

  Across various landscapes—soaring cities, frozen tundras, and vast deserts—each of the eighteen chosen warriors prepared themselves for the grand tournament ahead.

  The next day, Mel stood on his hoverboard, his eyes focused as Lucy charged at him, her arnis sticks raised. She struck with precision, each blow fast and sharp. Mel skillfully dodged and parried, his body fluid as he weaved through the attacks, but he couldn’t shake the weight of Lucy’s emotional turmoil, which seemed to fuel her aggression. He blocked a particularly hard swing, pushing her back, but she came at him again, relentless.

  As the day wore on, their sparring grew more intense. Mel pushed himself to sharpen his reflexes and reactions, while Lucy fought with a fury that had a raw, desperate edge. Despite her grief, her determination didn’t waver, and it pushed Mel to his limits. Each session left them both covered in sweat and breathing heavily, but there was a quiet progress. Lucy was slowly finding focus again, though the emotional tension remained.

  By the third day, their training had evolved. The intensity of their sparring had settled into a rhythm, and Mel began incorporating more aerial maneuvers, utilizing his hoverboard to simulate flight in combat.

  After their intense training session, Mel and Lucy wandered through the bustling mall in Solstice City. As they passed brightly lit storefronts, Mel veered off toward a women’s clothing store, casually browsing the aisles. Lucy, with her hair tied up in a ponytail using a scrunchie, watched him with an arched eyebrow. “Why are we here?” she asked, her voice tinged with curiosity.

  Mel pulled a sleek dress from a rack and then set it back down, moving on to a pair of stylish shoes, only to toss them aside as well. “I want you to have nice clothes for Zephyrreach,” he said, nonchalantly adding a few items to the cart. “And honestly, you could use them. You wear sweatpants and bandage wraps all the time.”

  Lucy shrugged, unimpressed. “Whatever,” she muttered, before her attention shifted to the bras on the next aisle. Without hesitation, she tossed a few into the cart. Mel, still distracted, glanced over and froze, his face instantly turning red. “Oh, right. Do you know what size you need?” he asked, his question completely oblivious to how it came across.

  Lucy’s cheeks flamed, and she quickly covered her chest, giving him an incredulous look. “Why would you ask a woman about her bra size?” she asked, her voice a mixture of surprise and embarrassment.

  Mel’s face turned even redder as he realized his mistake. “Oh, no! Sorry! I didn’t mean—” He stammered, backing away slightly. Lucy just rolled her eyes, a faint smile tugging at the corners of her lips. “You’re hopeless,” she muttered, but it was clear there was no ill will.

  They continued to browse, Mel adding more clothes to the cart with a slightly sheepish expression. After a while, he glanced at her and asked, “Have you and Yasmine ever gone shopping?”

  Lucy’s eyes wandered to the clothes, her expression distant. “Of course, she was amazing at it. I just… never really knew how to show love to anyone, not in the way people expect,” she muttered, her voice tinged with sadness. Mel’s heart gave a soft pang at her words, but he didn’t comment, sensing the weight of her grief.

  Without another word, they proceeded to the checkout. The atmosphere between them was quiet, but there was a comforting silence, as if they both understood something unspoken.

  Moments later, in Mel’s dorm room, Lucy sat cross-legged on his bed, watching as he laid out an array of legendary weapons before them. Each one gleamed under the dim light, radiating an aura of history and power.

  “The rules say it doesn’t matter what weapons you use, as long as you don’t kill anyone,” Mel said, inspecting the deadly collection. “Thanks to Shieka, I basically have this tournament in the bag. Be careful, though—some of these are so sharp they could probably cut you just by looking at them.”

  Lucy picked up a pair of nunchaku, their hilts adorned with intricately carved fangs. She gave them a light swing, feeling their balance before setting them back down. “Legendary indeed,” she muttered.

  Mel scanned the selection before his eyes landed on a pair of sais with dragon fangs as their blades. He picked them up, gave them a quick flourish, and stabbed forward. Instantly, blue fire erupted from the tips, crackling in the air before fading. A satisfied grin spread across his face. “Yep, these are the ones.” He spun them expertly before sliding them into holsters on his pants.

  Lucy leaned against the headboard, grabbing her bag. “How are we even getting there?” she asked.

  Mel pulled out his black card, flipping it between his fingers. “I have enough money for one carriage ticket to Zephyrreach, but it must be more expensive since it’s a foreign country,” he muttered with a sigh. “Maybe Lance will let us hitch a ride with him.”

  Lucy rubbed her arm absentmindedly. “Tomorrow’s the day, right?”

  Mel nodded. “Yeah. The tournament is structured like this: twenty contenders. The competitions will be held every two days. Some will be one-on-one elimination matches, while others will require us to find something for points. I guess they want me to explore the city while competing. Sounds like it’ll be fun.”

  Lucy hummed in response as Mel conjured a bed of clouds, the soft mist swirling as it formed into shape. “You can take my bed tonight,” he offered before hopping onto his cloud, instantly sinking into a comfortable sleep.

  Lucy watched him for a moment, the rise and fall of his breathing steady and peaceful. Biting her lip, she lay down and closed her eyes, letting exhaustion finally take her.