Real Dream: Infinity

Xandra, her face a mixture of disgust and exasperation, crossed her arms and tilted her head slightly. Her tone dripped with irony as she continued, "If it makes you feel better, at least you're a king in something… even if it's at the very bottom."

Martin gritted his teeth, his expression tense as he growled, "That's ridiculous!"

"Ridiculous or not, it's the truth," Xandra replied without blinking, her sharp golden eyes fixed on him. "You don't have a shred of honor in your actions."

Unable to hold back his frustration, Martin pointed a finger at her, like a child defending his side of an argument. "Look who's talking! 'Honor this, honor that,' and yet you attacked me from behind while Therion was shooting arrows at me. Clumsy Knight!"

The memory of her actions made Xandra falter for an instant, but she quickly recovered. "T-that... there's no forgiveness for rats," she stammered, attempting to maintain her firm tone, though her slight stutter betrayed her unease.

Martin took a step forward, waving his hand dismissively as if brushing off her defense. "See?! You took advantage of me too! And not only that, you left me so broken my In took a whole day to recover. That's not what a real knight would do! Fake... clumsy knight!"

The repeated insult sparked a flicker of anger in Xandra's eyes, but before she could respond, Aiden, who had been quietly observing from the stands, decided to intervene. His voice was heavy with sarcasm as he raised it just enough to interrupt them.

"Well, enough of this. Are you two going to fight or not?"

Xandra arched an eyebrow, as if the mere idea of fighting Martin was so absurd it wasn't even worth considering. "Fight him?" she asked, her voice dripping with disdain. "I don't see how I would gain anything from facing him. I've already wasted enough of my time today."

"Are you scared?" Martin taunted, trying to mask his irritation with a challenging tone.

Xandra let out a long, theatrical sigh and closed her eyes for a moment before reopening them. This time, her gaze had an icy glint that made even Aiden sit up straighter in his seat.

"It's not fear. It's laziness," she replied coldly. "But if you really think you can withstand a match against me, fine. I'll give you a quick lesson… and, hopefully, some dignity."

At that moment, Sophia, who had been laughing so hard she could barely breathe, finally managed to get back on her feet. Still wiping tears from her eyes, she said between chuckles, "Please… this is going to be amazing."

Though visibly exhausted, Sophia stepped back a few paces to ensure she was well out of the combat zone.

Martin adjusted his stance, gripping his scythe tightly as a dense, dark aura of In began to surround him. The air around him seemed to vibrate with growing intensity.

"I hope you don't regret this, Xandra."

Unhurried, Xandra unsheathed her elegant weapon, Requiem of Blood, with a smooth, practiced motion. The blade, polished to an almost supernatural gleam, seemed to drink in the light around it, casting a faint crimson glow.

"I'll give you three moves before I end this," she declared with icy composure. "Make them count."

The air grew heavy. It was as if the very atmosphere had paused in anticipation. Every gaze in the training field was fixed on the two combatants. Xandra stood motionless, adopting a relaxed yet lethal stance, while Martin leaned forward, ready to unleash his fury.

The clash began in an instant, but Martin's movements seemed rehearsed and overly dramatic. Xandra watched with a mixture of disdain and curiosity as he spun his scythe in wide, fluid arcs. The blades of In he unleashed sliced through the air with a metallic hum, as though the fabric of space itself was being torn.

Martin grinned confidently. "What's the matter, Xandra? Intimidated by my style?"

Xandra didn't respond immediately. Instead, she sidestepped one of the In blades that whizzed dangerously close to her cheek, slicing off a lock of her hair that fluttered to the ground. She ignored it.

"Is that all? Your In is admittedly hard to detect, but your attacks are far too slow," she replied, her voice coldly calm as she subtly rotated her blade, letting it catch the light of the training field.

Martin growled, his confidence wavering slightly. Switching the scythe to his other hand with a movement that seemed to defy logic, he swung it behind his back before charging at Xandra with a horizontal slash. The weapon's edge cut through the air with impressive speed.

Xandra gracefully stepped back to evade. "Are you really going to waste your three moves on cheap tricks?" she asked, her tone mocking.

Martin pressed on. Spinning on his axis, he used the momentum to launch another blade of In, this time aimed at Xandra's feet. It struck the ground, triggering an explosion of In, dust, and Ferroin fragments that flew in all directions, momentarily obscuring the battlefield.

From the stands, Sophia gasped. "That was a good tactic. He's trying to block her vision to close the distance."

But Xandra didn't seem concerned. Her silhouette moved with precision, even within the uncertainty. When Martin emerged from the gray veil, swinging his scythe toward Xandra's torso, she intercepted it with a minimal yet effective motion from Requiem of Blood.

The clash of weapons echoed like thunder.

"Second move, wasted," Xandra said, her voice calm as her blade deflected the scythe with a sharp strike that forced Martin to stumble back.

He grunted, stepping back to assess his next attack. The scythe trembled with energy, its edges glowing with a dark, razor-sharp In.

"I'm not done yet,2 he growled, charging at her once more.

This time, his approach was more unpredictable. Leaping into the air, he spun his body as if performing an acrobatic trick. The scythe slashed downward in a deadly arc from above, while simultaneously releasing another blade of In at a low angle, forcing Xandra to quickly choose her defense.

For the first time, Xandra smiled.

"Slow."

With an almost casual grace, she spun in place, evading both attacks effortlessly. The blade of In passed within inches of her leg, while the scythe struck the ground, sending sparks flying.

"Third move," Xandra declared, raising her blade theatrically. "You've already lost."

Before Martin could react, Xandra moved. She was so fast that her figure seemed to blur, leaving behind a trail of motion that vanished in an instant. Her blade, Requiem of Blood, sliced through the air with surgical precision, its crimson aura illuminating the battlefield for a fleeting moment.

Martin barely managed to block with the shaft of his scythe, but it wasn't enough. The attack cut into his right hand, leaving a deep gash that spilled blood. The force of the blow sent him stumbling backward several meters, his body shaking.

"Agh!" he gasped, clutching his injured hand, pain radiating with an abnormal intensity.

He tried to channel In to the wound to begin regeneration, but a sharp, cold sensation shot through his arm and shoulder. The energy wouldn't respond—it dispersed as though it was being burned away from within.

Aiden clicked his tongue from the stands. "I told him he didn't stand a chance."

Sophia, now standing beside him, crossed her arms with a smirk. "At least he's brave. Or maybe just stupid."

Back on the field, Xandra lowered her blade, her stance relaxed yet commanding. Her gaze, filled with disdain and boredom, locked onto Martin.

"I warned you. I won't waste any more time on you."

Martin, panting heavily, lifted his scythe with great effort, his eyes glowing with a mix of anger and stubborn determination.

"I'm not done yet!"

Xandra raised an eyebrow, almost amused by his persistence.

"Oh, please. You know just as well as I do that you've already lost. Admit it before I do something that truly embarrasses you."

The training field fell silent. The only sound was Martin's labored breathing as he struggled to maintain his balance. His hand trembled as it gripped the scythe, but it was not just physical pain weighing him down—his pride was shattered.

Finally, he let out a frustrated growl and dropped his weapon, the blade slamming into the ground with a resounding thud.

Damn it... What the hell is this elemental manifestation?

Xandra, though clearly disdainful of him, couldn't help but acknowledge something about his technique. Her expression softened slightly as she spoke in a neutral tone.

"The way you conceal your In is interesting... though you still have a lot to improve."

Martin, who had been staring at his injured hand, raised his gaze with a smile, though it carried a hint of malice.

"Now I understand... it's blood, isn't it? Your elemental manifestation."

The comment made Xandra fix her eyes on him, her golden gaze flashing with a mix of surprise and challenge. It was as if she couldn't believe that he, of all people, had figured it out.

"It's difficult to notice at first glance," Martin continued, his smile widening, "but sensing it is another thing entirely. Your In at the tip of the blade separates, merging with your target's blood and manipulating it as if it were your own. Once inside, it starts burning the In in the area, blocking regeneration as it spreads, causing agonizing pain."

If that were all, I could purify the infected blood by concentrating more In with some effort and move on, but...

He paused, nodding slightly toward the blade of Requiem of Blood, which now seemed to radiate a more intense glow.

"...I can see it. Your blade absorbed the In you burned from me. It's become even more dangerous. A devious ability, as expected from a Xalsin."

The air grew tense at the word, which hung in the atmosphere like a revelation. Xandra nodded slowly, her eyes still fixed on Martin as she replied coldly:

"That's correct."

But you don't know that I can also rip out all the infected blood at once, causing devastating damage, thanks to Requiem of Blood.

From the stands, Catherine, who had been silently observing, leaned toward Aiden with curiosity.

"What's a Xalsin? Is it the name for special weapons?"

Sophia, always eager to chime in, answered before Aiden could open his mouth.

"Exactly. Although their origins... well, I'm not sure I can explain that. Let's just say it's something made directly by Xandra's master."

Catherine nodded, a mixture of understanding and intrigue crossing her face. Though she'd been offered the chance to become an Emergente and eventually form a Core to ascend to Luminar status thanks to her work with Helios Tech, she was still relatively new to this world. Each battle she observed was a reminder of just how extraordinary the competitors at this level were.

Her mind briefly drifted back to the day everything changed for her—a raid by Emergentes during which she had nearly died, only to be saved by Commander Cyclone, who appeared like a raging storm. That event inspired her to train, compete in the public Dominion, and eventually earn her place among the Luminar. However, intricate details like the Xalsin remained a mystery to her.

Back on the field, Martin, now fully aware of why he had lost, bowed respectfully to Xandra.

"Thank you for the match," he said, his tone a mix of humility and determination.

Xandra nodded almost imperceptibly before sheathed Requiem of Blood, the blade seeming to drink in the crimson aura that had surrounded it. Together, they walked toward the stands, where the others waited.

Sophia was the first to break the silence.

"So, Martin? She's strong, isn't she? Though, of course, I put up more of a fight when we sparred," she said, arching an eyebrow with a smug grin.

Martin gritted his teeth, resisting the urge to retort, but eventually shook his head.

"Yes, she's strong," he admitted, with a sincerity that betrayed his newfound respect.

Xandra barely reacted to the compliment. She simply lifted her chin slightly, maintaining her usual cold and confident demeanor.

Aiden, who had been watching her closely, suddenly spoke.

"What's the name of your sword?"