Heavens Reflected

Benedict and Atropos had gone into the mock-war as underdogs, being one person short of a full team. Even worse, someone paid people to try to get them removed or killed in the starting moments of the event. They hadn’t accounted for the amount of pain Benedict could handle or how determined he and Atropos were to win.

By the time the mock-war was reaching its end, the pair had secured themselves enough points to be two of the top scorers. The event was pushed to finish and ended up slanted against them, so they didn’t have a chance to earn the top spot on their own merits. However, when the dust settled, they’d still stolen the top spot through “wartime diplomacy.” The top-place finish earned them a Sphere for Benedict and skills for Atropos that would help them during the next semester’s tournaments.

In the pause before the delving tournament, the two of them reunited with Sadie to take a small vacation. The retreat was good for all of them, leading to them agreeing to try dating as a triad. It would have to wait until after their next semester started, but there was a lot of hope in their hearts.

When the delving tournament came, Benedict and Atropos pushed as hard as they could, going after the Rank 4 Pocket— a Rank above their own. It was tough, but they excelled, overcoming injuries as they went. The Pocket was stingy with its rewards… until their very last delve, when a Death Sphere fragment dropped for them, something that Atropos’ bloodline desired.

When everything was done, Atropos finally figured out what her bloodline was: Nid Root Dryad. Tied firmly to both Poison and Death, she was worried, but hopeful about her future. Benedict’s bloodline still refused to let itself become known, but his two Spheres were Regeneration and Blood. That information, along with his AI, Cell, were his only hints.

Even with the tournaments being over, there was a week of celebration that they were forced to attend. It wasn’t all bad, though, as their friends Victor, Hanz, and Franz were there with them. More than that, they made friends with Rebba Terita and her friends, Hilda Coldshove and Dalia Lancer. They also found an old adversary in Vessa Coldtooth and her group, who wouldn’t let their loss in the mock-war go easily.

Just before they headed back for their second semester, they had a two-on-two duel with Vessa and her ally, Skipper. Benedict pushed himself hard, taking wounds that would drop most people, but his Durability stat let him power through the pain. In the end, he was the last one standing, as even Atropos had been ruled out.

With the points they’d accrued through the tournament and duel, they managed to not only get the Resistance skills they wanted, but also Atropos’ Sphere and a Might Sphere for Sadie. They were ready to return to the Academy, but even more than that, they were ready to start their relationship with Sadie.