Crossfire Ascension

The dining room in the cottage was humble—clay walls warmed by embedded rune filaments, polished wood floors that had clearly seen more feet than polish, and a long lacquered table that had once belonged to a traveling merchant, according to Papa. Mystic remained outside in her full form, curled just beyond the back window, fins pulsing gently in the wind.

But that didn't stop her from participating.

At the far end of the table, my father and I kept slipping dry fish snacks onto miniature cloud trays. Mystic had sneakily conjured them from her belly mist and zipped them, unseen, through the narrow window slit. Lufei, perched on the sill, acted as lookout.

By the fifth tray, my mother caught us. She didn't say a word—just leveled a single look. A soft inhale. A slow exhale. That was enough.

Papa stopped mid-scoop. I gave a sheepish shrug. Mystic's next tray hesitated in the air, then retreated with exaggerated shame.

Maxius, perched on a high beam, watched the entire operation unfold with the cynical scorn of a food critic who hadn't been bribed.

Maxius (grumbling): "This is favoritism."

Lufei (deadpan): "You're just mad you don't float snacks to the ceiling."

Maxius (whispering, horrified): "You think I can't? I've been restraining myself."

Mystic's cloud tray twitched just as Ka Sanni stepped into the dining area. She didn't say anything. Just one silent look.

Mystic's tray immediately reversed course and returned to the kitchen shelf without a sound.

Maxius: "Death glare level: maternal. I respect it."

⸻

We all settled at the low table—cushions, folding seats, woven floor rugs. Zhou and Kai sat to my right, Jin Minhe across from me, Min Zhao at the end. Papa took the seat nearest the tea tray. Mystic had curled up beside the back wall, her cloud-form smaller than usual but still pulsing with low, playful energy. Lufei circled once, then curled beneath my chair. Maxius… narrated every dish from his perch.

Maxius: "Roasted winter yam, root glaze. Bold. Confident. I give it nine feather flares."

Ka Sanni: "Eat or be quiet, bird."

Zhou (grinning): "I like her."

⸻

Between mouthfuls, the table buzzed with replayed scenes, laughter, and gentle ribbing.

Kai Shi: "That move you used against the Ironback kid? Straight-up savage."

Zhou: "You mean the bounce-feint? That was Fan's second favorite counter today."

Jin Minhe: "Nah, that would be the blade drop she did on Li Yao. The ambush flank."

Min Zhao: "Precision was clean."

Papa looked between them, clearly trying to follow.

Fan Yangwei: "All these names… My girl really fought that many?"

Me (chuckling): "Ten total. But the real test was the Su Cheng match. Got dissected, honestly."

Ka Sanni (softly): "You came back with your limbs and a pass in hand. That's what counts."

The table fell quiet a moment. I took a sip of tea, letting the warmth center me.

Zhou: "So what's next, Yumei?"

⸻

Me: "Definitely rerouting and adjusting. A lot of flaws. A lot to sharpen."

I nodded once, sharply.

"We're starting with flexibility drills and heightening the bond. Mystic and I are going out—remote camping, wilds training, full-weather practice."

Mystic, outside, blew a small puff of cloud mist in approval.

Me: "I also need to visit Master Sun in Denmark City. I've got growing issues to handle. Literally—before Mystic outgrows our entire province."

Zhou (raising a brow): "That serious?"

Me: "Worse. Commander Qian and Principal Renshu gave notice—Mystic's going to be an active academy asset, but not on campus. She'll be part of the Ten-Port Elite and I've got to get my teleportation license."

Kai (whistles): "That's high-level Fed work."

Me: "Yeah. And it means steady pay."

I glanced toward Papa.

"So I'm sending half my earnings back. This house… it deserves to be more than it is."

Fan Yangwei (blinking): "You don't have to—"

Me (firmly): "I do. I'm still a kid. I've got 57,200 Federation Coins in my account. I don't need all that."

My father leaned back, stunned. My mother froze mid-pour of tea.

Then he burst into laughter.

Fan Yangwei: "Ha! You really are your grandpa's granddaughter."

I tilted my head.

Me: "Which grandpa?"

My mother cut in smoothly.

Ka Sanni: "One you'll hear about in due time. But not tonight. Tonight, your friends are here. Tonight, we eat."

I nodded, but the curiosity simmered. Lufei chirped from the sill. Maxius flared one of his golden feathers in acknowledgment.

⸻

That was when the topic turned again.

Zhou glanced down at the secret realm pamphlet he'd pulled from his sleeve.

Zhou: "Realm opens next week. You all prepped?"

Papa stiffened.

Fan Yangwei: "You're going?"

I unhooked the medals from my sash, laying them out on the table—gold, bronze, and the polished Federation stamp of beast combat certification. Then I slid the envelope of earnings forward.

His eyes scanned the medals. The envelope. Then back to me.

Fan Yangwei: "You're sure?"

Me (sharp nod): "Affirmative. That's the deal. She needs room to stretch."

Mystic nudged my shoulder gently with her fin. Only I could hear her quiet voice in my mind.

Mystic (whispering): I like your village.

I smiled.

Me (quietly): "She said she likes it here."

Ka Sanni brought out the final dish—honey lotus soup with steamed pearl grains. Her only comment?

Ka Sanni: "No more secret trays."

Mystic (rumble, to me): She scares me.

Me: "She scares all of us."

Everyone laughed.

⸻

Then Ka Sanni turned to Jin Minhe and, by extension, his ever-hungry panda.

Ka Sanni: "Since you're joining her for wild training, you'll be learning restraint."

Jin Minhe (blinking): "What do you mean?"

Ka Sanni (stern): "Discipline. Starts with you. Continues with your beast. Because in the secret realm, death isn't a theory—it's a door. A breath too late. A beast out of line?"

She tapped the table once.

"Your death. No one else's fault."

Jin's panda froze mid-snack.

Lufei quietly moved behind my chair, huffing low as if in agreement. Mystic didn't respond aloud, but I felt her approval settle in my chest like thunder.

Ka Sanni (softer): "This path you've chosen is real. You want to walk it? Then no mishaps."

⸻

Outside, the night deepened. Rune lanterns flickered along the path, casting soft light on familiar wood and stone. The stars above were visible here—no towers, no steel clouds.

Just air. And peace.

For now.

Tomorrow, we'd plan for the unexpected.

But tonight?

Tonight was for full plates, safe ground, and the people who made second chances feel like home.

⸻

After dinner, the group moved outside, drifting naturally toward the stone bench and hanging lights that circled the outer garden. The air was cool, soft with wind, and the scent of crushed herbs lingered where Ka Sanni had dried mint and mountain sage.

Mystic rested her great head near the garden beds, fins tucked. Lufei leapt between the fenceposts like a show-off gymnast, and Maxius swayed lazily from the crooked wooden windchime frame, pretending not to listen even though one golden eye was cracked wide open.

Zhou: "I still think the backflip from Kai was exaggerated."

Kai (defensive): "It happened!"

Min Zhao (smirking): "You screamed like a scorpion tail hit your soul."

Kai: "Combat spirit cry."

Jin Minhe (deadpan): "It was more of a squeal."

Laughter echoed out into the starlit road.

⸻

As the laughter died down, I checked the time and stood up, brushing imaginary dust from my pants.

Me: "Alright. I'll be staying here the night. Leaving early morning to make the train in time for homeroom."

The others groaned in disappointment.

Me (pointing): "But all of you—curfew. No breaking it. I'm dropping you off at your doorsteps."

Kai (protesting): "C'mon, it's three whole hours before check-in!"

Zhou (grinning): "We've got time to hang out!"

Min Zhao (muttering): "Don't be that senior…"

Jin Minhe was standing behind me, frantically waving his hands in a stop-talking motion, eyes wide in warning. The others didn't notice.

It was too late.

I turned, slowly.

The "off-duty" look left my face.

Me (serious): "You want to be unmarriageable? Uneducated? What are you going to do with three hours? Scroll beast memes and forget everything you learned?"

Dead silence.

Me: "Did you upload your training data? Transfer today's match logs? Review your reflex timings? Did you even digest today's battles? Reflect on your mistakes? Meditate to rebalance your qi? Adjust your beast bond techniques?"

No one answered.

I wasn't done.

Me: "Did you track the tugs in your link when your beast hesitated? Did you correct sync mismatches? Can you honestly say you're progressing—not just performing, but growing?"

Maxius dropped off the windchime post and stood silently behind Mystic, who was now quietly hiding part of her face behind a shrub. Lufei crept behind my ankle and refused to make eye contact.

Me (voice sharp): "If I can fit all that in between ten matches, two meals, a teleport, and a lecture from my mom, then you better be three hours early so you can shower, digest, review, and meditate before bed. No excuses."

I stepped forward slightly, arms folded.

Me: "And tomorrow? I'm picking everyone up. Early. No exceptions. If I have to come get you—"

Every beast in the garden froze mid-breath.

Even the cloud under Mystic flinched.

My alter ego—the one reserved for missed drills and laziness—was terrifying enough that even Lufei, who once gnawed on a live soul-crystal, began to tremble behind my leg.

Me (flatly): "You don't want me to come get you."

⸻

Zhou, Kai, and Min Zhao stood up immediately.

Kai (saluting): "Respectfully requesting early drop-off, Team Captain."

Zhou (mumbling): "I need to study frame-by-frame right now."

Min Zhao (to his beast): "We gotta meditate—like now."

Jin Minhe nodded solemnly, arms crossed. His panda, still holding a rice dumpling, carefully placed it down on a nearby tray like it was offering tribute.

Mystic just rumbled faintly and rolled to one side, trying to look like she was asleep.

I sighed, gave them all a sharp nod, and gestured toward the road.

Me: "Mount up. Let's get you home."

They scrambled to Mystic's back faster than I'd ever seen.

Tomorrow, we'd go back to work.

But tonight, they'd sleep early.

Because no one—not beast, not friend, not combatant—wanted to poke the storm twice.