The night had fallen over the world. But the Battle Center pushed the darkness away with a gentle illumination.

  Larna had not seen a streetlight during all these weeks he had walked by its paths. That atmospheric illumination was one more of Battle’s inexplicable miracles.

  He stared at the magical light, walking towards the entrance, to meet with Vale.

  “We should try to hack Battle someday.”

  “...That's too difficult.”

  They ended up seated on a close bench, waiting for their victim.

  “I hate this part,” Vale yawned after taking a look at his interface.

  “Can you teach me how extensions work?” If they were going to wait, Larna preferred to at least entertain himself with something.

  “Just go to the settings.”

  Larna explored the extensions section following Vale's instructions. Until he found what he was looking for.

  *There you are.* ‘Available Battlers’ was an addition to the Battle Interface that showed a list of the current battlers at the Battle Center.

  And it was the reason for them being here so late.

  The plan was based on a rule of the Battle Tournament. It said that every battler had to be in a Battle Center at least fifteen minutes every day.

  Vale checked that extension regularly, and he noticed he had never seen the Rank three at the Battle Center. Even though he was still classified for the tournament.

  “He’s the third rank, right? He’s strong. Why would he come late to hide from the rest?”

  “He must be an unskilled veteran who ended there as a matter of time.”

  It could be possible. He would slowly increase his ranking as those ranked higher than him ascended to the Medium Level.

  *But he is a veteran… shouldn't he be strong?* Larna sighed, realizing it was too late to think about that. He was already seated, waiting for him to appear.

  He focused on the interface again. The extension had been successfully implemented.

  Larna raced through the interface to test his first extension. But when he opened the downloaded extensions section, his forehead wrinkled. Above the extension he had downloaded was another extension.

  *Battle Path?* Larna leaned closer to the interface. *Did I download it by mistake?* A ‘disable’ option popped in, but Larna wanted the description.

  *I see.* Battle Path was an extension that came installed by default. It was responsible for implementing the ranking system and events.

  In summary, the competitive scene of Battle existed thanks to that extension.

  Without it, Battle would just be a place where you could fight using weapons.

  Larna’s interface disappeared as his focus was drawn away by the movement at his side.

  Vale had stood up from the bench and looked down at him with a smirk. “It's time.”

  Larna stumbled to the ‘Active Battlers’ new section of his interface.

  *What's he doing here?!* His throat tightened. It seemed to remember the person who cut it once.

  Stolen story; please report.

  The first rank, Rising Shadow, was present in the Battle Center.

  Larna's eyes shook to the next name. Rank three, Saint—the man they were waiting for.

  Vale gripped Larna's shoulder. “Let's go.”

  Larna took a long breath and let the air out as he stood up. *Don’t hesitate!*

  Although they knew the rank three was at the Battle Center, they didn't know where. So they had to run around to find him.

  *The third is the objective,* Larna repeated to himself. But the unease inside him persisted. With the first and third being present so late, something was clearly happening between them.

  Larna's lungs were starting to ache when Vale stopped. “Let’s… check here,” he gasped, looking at the Battle Stadium.

  The illumination there grew stronger, making the stadium look like a full moon in a star-filled sky.

  They shuffled across the two pillars of its giant entrance.

  To see two persons standing at its center.

  Larna froze, his eyes following a silky black hair that fell freely to a waist, where a void black katana was hanging.

  *I knew it.* Their encounter was inevitable.

  Rising Shadow was talking with a guy who calmly stood in his presence. He has to be third rank.

  The guy had long black hair that descended into a long braid. As Rising Shadow, his hand rested on the hilt of his weapon.

  Both wore identical black kimonos, with an even darker line at their backs.

  Vale nudged Larna with the elbow and gestured towards the seats. They sneaked there, slowly crawling closer to the battlers.

  Larna's heart pounded against his chest as he followed Vale. *Why do I always follow him into these situations!?*

  The top-ranked voices began to turn loud enough to be heard as they crawled closer to them.

  “I expect this is a joke.”

  “It isn't, Kuro. I abandon the clan.” The rank three's voice was firm, totally contrasting with his soft expression. “But even if we are becoming opponents, you can count on me. We'll always be family.”

  Rising Shadow looked away and paused for an awkward silence. “You too.”

  *Are they family? What happens with those family stats?!* Larna sighed, wanting some talent for him.

  “I hope you know what you're doing… I accept your challenge. But you can't face a clan on your own.”

  The Battle Stadium grew silent. Breathing became difficult as the air grew heavy. Larna had the sensation that even blinking would give him away.

  *They are just thinking*, Larna thought, trying to reassure himself. But a cold ran down his spine when the rank three grinned.

  “Haven’t you noticed it?”

  “I did.”

  Larna squinched behind the seats. *They discovered us? What do we do?!*

  He looked at his side, where Vale was peering at the top-rankers from below the seats.

  “W-What do we do?”

  “It’s fine. I have a plan.”

  “Really?”

  “Of course!”

  Vale jumped to his feet and screamed: “We challenge both of you!”

  *What!* Larna fell back. “Are you crazy?!” He muttered, even if talking low didn’t make sense anymore.

  “Didn't we come here to do this?”

  “You really enjoy seeing me nervous."

  With a sigh, Larna pulled himself up beside Vale and looked down at the center of the scenario.

  Then their eyes met. Rising Shadow’s deep black eyes made his fists clench. *I'm back with more levels.*

  The third rank glanced with a smirk at Rising Shadow and back at them. He slowly unsheathed his gray sword; the rustle of metal echoed in the silence.

  Larna and Vale looked at each other and wielded their weapons.

  The battle wave expanded. The seats transformed into a dirty hill that grew darker as it descended into an enormous crater that took the place of the scenario.

  “I’ll go for the rank one,” Vale said, pointing at his chosen opponent with one of his blades. “I want a rematch.”

  Larna nodded and, startlingly, his fists clenched. *I’m not at his level but*… He felt the strength of his grip. *It looks like the try-hard in my want to try it.*

  *It will have to wait.*

  He stared at the rank three and inhaled to try to steady the beats of his heart. The confidence and ease with which the rank three held his sword made it clear. He and Vale were completely wrong.

  A step became a race. Larna's lance and shield swirled up and down as he ran to clash with the Novices Level rank three.