“Wanna punch me?” Josun teased, offering his jaw forward.

                  A storm of emotions threatened to rend my mind to shreds.

                  The words bubbled at the edge of my lips as I glared at Josun, like hot lava popping, burning me as I held them in.

                  I thought of my parents. Of how hard they’d worked to get us here, to give us this life. I couldn’t throw it away like this, but…

                  "I—"

                  "Enough!"

                  The essence in my hands dispersed in a sudden torrent of wind, my hair whipping across my face as I turned toward my sister's best friend, Rinna.

                  “I issue you a Grand Challenge!” Rinna shouted.

                  Josun smirked. “What’s your stake?”

                  “Leave her and her sister alone," Rinna replied.

                  Josun burst out laughing.

                  “You know, using a Grand Challenge as a threat is punishable by—”

                  “It’s not a threat,” Rinna interrupted, his voice resolute. "I'm serious. If I win, you will respect their family as Aleksarians. And you will leave their family alone."

                  Josun stopped laughing, cocking an eyebrow.

                  “Wait—” I said, desperate to intervene.

                  "Why would you possibly issue a Grand Challenge over that?" Josun asked, his eyebrows twisting in confusion. "I thought you wanted to join the Royal Knights. If you lose—"

                  "It’s because I want to join the Royal Knights that I must do this," Rinna replied flatly. "I must wield my blade to uphold justice."

                  "Justice?" Josun sneered. "Rin, we've been friends for our whole lives, and you want to issue me a Grand Challenge over this? Are you serious?"

                  "I am," Rinna said, his eyes darkening.

                  "You'd… throw our friendship away? Just like that?" Josun asked, his voice growing quiet. "Is this how little you value—"

                  "The value of justice is also self-evident," Rin replied. "It's not just about what happened here, today. It's about how you've treated them for years. Your unfounded hatred toward anybody you suspect to be a refugee."

                  Josun swallowed as I looked between the two, my voice stuck in my throat, my bow dangling limply from my fingers.

                  "Rin," he pleaded, "come on, it's fine, I'll leave them alone, let's just drop—"

                  "It's not fine," Rinna replied, a ferocity in his golden eyes. “Do you accept my challenge?”

                  Josun's smile left his face, replaced by an expression that looked almost… solemn.

                  "Fine," Josun replied. "I accept."

                  It was quiet and hot as the entire town gathered around the village square. The air was dry, and the sun blazed down from above. Its radiant light refracted through Pearl's Crystal, causing blades of color to dance across the ground in shimmering patterns.

                  In the middle of the square stood Rinna and Josun, their bodies stiff like statues, covered in leather armor, sweat glistening on their brows. Both their families were there too, looking on nervously.

                  Unlike normal duels, Grand Challenges were public spectacles with stakes enforced by Aleksarian Law.

                  Murmuring erupted amongst the crowd as the village Elder stepped forth.

                  “Declare your name and stake!” the Elder announced.

                  “Rinna of Velandt!” Rinna declared. “My stake is a public and formal apology from Josun, and for him to show respect toward Haevynne and her family as is their—”

                  “Josun of Velandt,” Josun replied, his eyes blank. “The exile of Rinna.”

                  “Exile?” Rin repeated.

                  Josun nodded. “Regardless of the outcome, I never want to see your face again. Either you leave Velandt, or I will.”

                  The Elder looked between the two, his face flooded with disappointment and disbelief.

                  “That a Grand Challenge should be levied for such trivial matters—”

                  “It’s not trivial,” Rinna interrupted, holding Josun’s gaze. “One's ability to live with pride, with her head held high, is no trivial matter."

                  Murmuring spread through the crowd like a blaze of fire through dry grass.

                  “Very well,” the Elder sighed, as the crowd ushered down again. “Rules of engagement, determined by Rinna: Weaving only. Sword, spear, and shield skills only. Verbal declaration of attack. No fatal strikes. Forfeit from depletion of essence only.”

                  “You may be an idiot, but at least you’re not a coward,” Josun muttered bitterly. “You chose weaving only even though I've always been the superior weaver?”

                  Rinna narrowed his eyes.

                  “Justice will make itself known in the outcome of this match,” he muttered.

                  "Justice," Josun replied, with vitriol, "is only as strong as the blade that champions it."

                  I instinctively moved toward my sister, and she wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

                  “Both parties ready?” the Elder asked.

                  “Ready,” Rinna said.

                  “Ready," Josun confirmed.

                  The Elder stepped back and the two combatants breathed in deeply.

                  Beads of sweat formed on my palms as I watched them. It should've been me in the arena. This had all started because of a conflict between me and Josun over my sister, so…

                  Why was Rin's fate on the line?

                  “Fight!” the Elder declared.

                  “Spear!” Josun shouted, before the Elder had even finished.

                  In a blazing flash, an amber spear ripped through the air, impaling Rinna’s shoulder in a blast of fire.

                  Rin grunted, staggering back.

                  “You have no honor!” Rinna exclaimed, regaining his composure.

                  “Sword!” he roared, as he charged toward Josun.

                  Threads of golden sunlight swirled down from above, the fibers wrapping together into the shape of a blade as it condensed in his hand. Once within range, Rinna swung the golden blade, arcs of electricity crackling as it cut through the air.

                  Josun moved with surprising agility, dodging out of the way as the golden sword collided into the ground and exploded into a burst of lightning.

                  “Spear!” Rina shouted, following up his attack with another, his essence reforming into a polearm as swung it in a wide arc.

                  “Sword," Josun replied calmly.

                  Josun parried the attack with an amber blade of his own.

                  As the weapons clashed, an intense light radiated outward. I could see the gold and amber essence swirling together, pulsing and roaring as they struggled against one another, like two flames competing for oxygen.

                  A smirk grew across Josun’s face as Rinna’s spear wavered.

                  “Shield!” Rinna called as Josun overpowered him.

                  A disk of golden essence manifested just in time, blocking the attack, but shattering from the force as the impact sent both combatants reeling backward.

                  “Not bad,” Josun said, rolling his neck and shrugging his shoulders. I could see the muscles in his arms and legs flexing.

                  Josun turned his head toward me, and for a moment, our eyes met.

                  The look in his eyes made my skin crawl.

                  “Eyes on me!” Rinna shouted, forming essence in his hands. He launched a golden javelin at Josun like a bolt of lightning. “Spear!”

                  Josun took a single step to the side, the spear slicing through the air in front of him and spiraling out of control, dissipating into a wave of golden static essence. The crowd of spectators gasped as they cowered back.

                  “Halt!” the Elder roared. “Rule violation, penalty strike!”

                  Silence rippled through the air, and suddenly everyone grew still.

                  I could hear my own heart beating, like a flag fluttering in the wind.

                  The two contestants stared at the elder, their faces frozen in disbelief.

                  Finally, Rin spoke.

                  “For what!?” he demanded, throwing his arms up in the air.

                  “Your attack made before the declaration,” the Elder explaining. “I'm awarding one penalty strike to Josun.”

                  “I declared it!” Rinna argued.

                  "This is not a debate!" The Elder roared, and Rin fell silent once more. "One penalty strike, from Josun."

                  Josun nodded as he approached, his boots crunching against the dry dirt.

                  I could see Rin's jaw clenching, the muscles in his face straining, his eyes darting back and forth as he tried to think of a way out.

                  “Justice,” Josun said, amber essence forming in his hand. He wove a sword, bigger, brighter than before. I could see the immense heat bleeding from the weapon, warping the air around it. "See your precious justice, in action."

                  I leaned against my sister as Rin shut his eyes, bracing for the attack.

                  It was over in an instant.

                  Josun struck with blinding swiftness, his amber sword slicing through the air faster than I could see, erupting in a roar of flame.

                  And then, a moment later, Rinna’s body crumpled to the ground, a blistering hot shockwave rippling through the air from the ferocity of the strike.

                  I couldn't believe my eyes.

                  Rin had lost.

                  “Winner by essence depletion!" the Elder declared, "Josun of Velandt!”