- Ice Skating Rink -

If the others had finished their fights, then Khun Aguero Agnes was still having a hard time.

Well, his opponent was the sworn enemy of an irregular, someone who he and Rak were having hard time to deal with.... even though he started to feel that their fight against Bam's sworn enemy, Viole, had starting to turn into a competition between the two of them who had yet to awaken their talents.

But the longer he fought, the more he competed with others....... the more he felt that he was losing.

Rocks from the ground were gathered and spun around, concentrating in one center to form a small rock shield to protect him from Viole's second attack that could take his life instantly. The first one had already wounded his back. His back was bleeding and the pain was still there, but if it was only this much, he could endure it.

'Perhaps compared what they had been through, this is nothing.'

As painful as it was, he was more surprised to see that Rak managed to protect him.

"I did it! Did you see that, turtle?! I made a rock!" Rak declared.

Khun sat on the ground while looking at Rak in disbelief, "I... I can't believe it...! You ate a rock and it actually came out?!"

What kind of logic was this? Did this crocodile thought of the side- effect?! But from how healthy he was and how he was capable of bragging, it seemed like this was indeed the method for him to awaken his power!

But there was no way on tower he could just eat ice and summon them!

"Haha! Did you just see that?! I'm different from you turtles!"

'How did he manage to do it before me? How did he manage to do it before me? How did he manage to do it before me? How did he manage to do it before me? This is ridiculous!'

Jue Viole Grace won't give them breaks just because they were his friends or managed to accomplish some things. His target was now Rak who had managed to unlock his power and became more dangerous. He swung his fist towards him and Rak who was drunk on his victory against Khun and regained his confidence, shouted,

"Come out! Rock!"

Unfortunately, nothing came out and he was punched away by Viole.

"Agh!"

"ALLIGATOR!"

Viole had strong physique. Even when he was restrained in using shinsu, he was not someone who they could just look down upon. And especially since Rak had just awaken his abilities, he didn't know how to use them yet. This led him to be punched away by Jue Viole Grace.

And Khun, he noticed shinsu attacks were coming and blocked them with his lighthouse, though he was pushed away and could feel the force.

'...damn it...! Even that alligator manages to accomplish something... this hurts my pride...'

Viole was looking at him calmly, as if he was still seeing him like he was not a threat. Not a threat, compared to the crocodile who he sent flying away with his punch before. To be honest, those golden eyes were looking at him calmly, and as Jue Viole Grace resembled greatly someone who he knew, the coldness within those golden eyes made him felt uncomfortable.

He(she) saw him as his(her) enemy.

'Maybe...'

"It's important to strengthen your strength, to have a healthy body and mind. You have to go and train with us now!"

"I'm.... not sure..."

'I'm the reason why she's slowing down.....'

'I'm the one who's falling behind and struggling to go after it-- because I kept believing they were all meaningless for me.'

"A. A, A. A."

The voice of someone who was no longer by his side, the woman who he had helped to reach the position that she desired, Maria.

"So you skipped class to be here again."

She found him skipping classes just to go for some fishing.

"... wait, you again?"

"Me again...? How many times do I have to tell you? My name is Maria. I'm an older sister to you!"

"Older sister...? Just because we have the same dad doesn't mean you're my older sister. Go away. By that logic, I must have more than three thousand older sisters."

"I am your older sister!" She insisted. "Hey! The teacher says that if I don't bring you back, he's going to fail you on this test!"

Tests were something that he could careless about. The young him had no interest towards climbing tower or risking his life just for something that could result to his death. He refused to fight on something uncertain and unpredictable. Nothing was more precious than life itself.

Inside the tower, someone's own life is very precious, something that he could not get or secure even with all the authority and wealth he had. However, as precious as his own life could be, others' lives appeared to be worthless, cheaper than the grasses. Therefore, in this tower, it was not hard for one to kill another. But it was very hard for one to give his own life. He didn't want to do anything reckless that could cost him everything.

Perhaps for this reason, back then, when he knew that Charlotte was capable of reading the future, he was a bit envious of her ability. Because he only dared to fight and gamble in something he was certain of. And this was the reason why he was mocked by a certain, old and annoying coffee machine back then during the 2nd Floor.

It was so annoying to hear his words back then.

"Struggling to get stronger in order to survive.... it's really pathetic."

They may not be aware of it, or may not admit it, but their lives were so fragile. Their lives were just like a small fire, burning, and waiting to be extinguished.

So why struggle? Why fight in a war that you are uncertain of your victory? Why must you let the flame of your life got extinguished faster just for the sake of your dream, goals, greediness and ambitions?

The fishing rod was shaking.

"Ah! I caught something!"

A fish caught his bait!

"Nice! It's really a big one! I would like to see how that Altaira brat laughs at me now!"

"I don't think in that way," Maria said as she sat next to him.

"Don't interrupt me! This is my first catch in ages! And a chance to show off to that red- eyes!"

His words, however, were ignored.

"I think that struggling to survive... is really beautiful."

"What?"

This woman had a different opinion with him. If the young him thought that it was stupid to fight to survive and to challenge something with the 50% chance or less of winning, then she thought that it was beautiful. It was beautiful to fight even for a moment, to live in the present even when it could kill her.

"It's only when people become obsessed with life... they can really find themselves."

And for a moment, he was distracted, and the fish ran away. Of course, not without breaking his fishing rod.

"Ah! I lost my fish because of you!"

The young him never paid to her words seriously. But slowly as he was growing up and traveling with his current friends, something seemed to have changed. And he was very certain of it.

And this kind of change didn't really feel bad at all. At least, though he was uncomfortable at first, but he was getting used to it.

'It's... beautiful....?'

"It looks like you haven't found something worth struggling for, A. A. Or... maybe... you have to struggle to find that something."

'Maybe... I've now found that something....'

"How about you accept it? That power handed down in your family?"

'But I want something that's more "me".'

"As long as you don't give up, it's not like I will give up as well."

"Damn it!" He cursed again and pulled something from his lighthouse.

It was just an ordinary spear made from metal, but right now, he was holding on it tightly. He was annoyed, but if the crocodile could awaken his ability right now, then he could. He should.

"You are talented, believe me about that."

And even if he couldn't, then he would find alternatives. Unlike Rak and Charlotte who solved their problems with their fists and their hearts, he was the brain of the team. If he couldn't awaken the talent within him, then he would find an alternative way t use his power efficiently.

'It may be impossible to create an ice spear now.... but if I were to infuse the ice shinsu with the spear that dwarf gave me....'

"That Xi means hope."

'That's right. I don't want to struggle without any hope.'

"I also promise, no matter what, I won't leave my brother and my friends."

'What I need is... conviction...!'

"Even if I die, I won't leave you."

He ordered firmly.

He repeated it again.

Maybe because this time, he had made up his mind to trust and accept his own ability, the ice was not only freezing the spear on his hand. But also, it was freezing the ground right on where he was standing and his surroundings.

'So... this is definitely... "my spear".'

"Whew," he let out a sigh in the middle of the frost.

Khun Edahn who was watching their fight from the island where he was sitting with grapes and liquor spoke in earnest, "Wow.... You've awoken your abilities."

Before, he was running away from this sworn enemy. But now that he had awaken his ability, his confidence was slowly returning. He knew that his chances on winning were increasing. Perhaps, it was not that impossible to obtain victory in this battle.

"Let's hurry up and end this," he spoke in his usual calm tone again. "I'm cold."

Rak, seeing that the turtle who he had just laughed upon suddenly awaken his power, could not believe his own eyes. His jaw dropped.

'How that turtle manage to do it before me? How that turtle manage to do it before me? How that turtle manage to do it before me?'

No matter how hard he thought about it, he couldn't find the answer at all!

Worse, when he straightforwardly asked the Blue Turtle how he did that, all he got was mockery from him!

"Haha! Did you see that?" He laughed proudly. "A human being would never lose to an alligator like you! Hahaha! Stupid alligator! Loser! Pathetic!"

But perhaps the person who he wanted to show this power first was neither Rak or the sworn enemy. And Khun Edahn was not the person who he wanted to show this power.

The person who he wanted to show this power was the one who promised to help him as long as he didn't give up for a day.

'I did it, Xi.'

Jue Viole Grace just watched the argument between the two of them. It was getting obvious for him that these two never paid that much attention to him from the beginning. They were busier arguing with each other and preserving their dignities.

".................."

"Damn it!" Rak started to eat all the rocks that he found on the ground. "I'm going to eat more rocks and make one too!"

Without wasting any more moments, he ran towards Khun who had recently woken up his ability.

Khun saw that coming and he won't give him the chance for hurting him again. It won't be that easy this time, he thought as he swung his ice spear and stabbed it to the ground.

The floor suddenly got slippery. Jue Viole Grace had discovered that the ground right where he and his opponent were standing had frozen by his opponent's ice shinsu. And because of that unexpected attack, he slipped on the floor and fell down.

He had underestimated him. And Khun learnt something essential after their fight all these time.

"I should have known... it looks like you can't use the thorn cause you are fake," he spoke. "Still, it will be hard to beat you with force....."

So... he will just have outwit him. That was how he survived this far and even tricked rankers.

"But at least I'll be able to get some fun with you."

Jue Viole Grace activated the [Blue Oar] and tried to escape from above. However, his exit was blocked by Khun's three lighthouses.

"You are trapped from above--"

Fine, if he couldn't escape from above, then he will escape from the sides. However, that exit was also blocked by Khun who threw his spear. And following the spear, ice grew under the direction where the spear went. The ice that grew from the ground became the wall that prevented him from leaving and the three lighthouses became the ceiling.

The ice spear returned to Khun's hand.

"And you're trapped from the sides. So, now, there's nowhere for you to run."

Jue Viole Grace looked at the mastermind of the current trouble he was in.

He tilted his head and smirked in calmness.

From above, Khun Edahn was amazed. This son of his was born extremely intelligent and calculative. One's talent wasn't only measured from his raw power, but from how he could be adaptive and make use of everything he had to trap his opponent, even when his opponent was supposed to be stronger than him in raw power. For this reason, Khun Edahn really found him talented.

≪ ◦ ❖ ◦ ≫

Charlotte wanted to catch her brother and healed him immediately with the wounds on his body. But just when she wanted to do something about it, she heard another call.

"CHARLOTTE!"

Riding the [Blue Oar], Bam went to look for Charlotte while carrying Noah.

"Brother?"

Charlotte who heard the voice of her brother turned around to see her brother. She was very happy to see him and smiled while swinging her right arm for him to see,

"Brother! I'm here!"

Charlotte noticed that the closer her brother was, the more she could see there was someone being carried by her brother. She tilted her head and wondered who that person and realized it was Noah.

'Noah? What's wrong with him?'

It's not until she saw the wound on his chest that she was shocked.

"NOAH!"

'Who hurt him like this?!'

He jumped on the ground and near to Charlotte who ran towards them.

[ Time Manipulation : Time Reverse ]

Together, she healed both Altaira and Noah. Soon enough, their wounds were closing and their energy were recovering.

Charlotte really didn't want to believe her own eyes. The sight of Noah was being at the brink of death... the sight strongly reminded her of when Khun was nearly murdered by Kiseia.

Her hands trembled again. The Hidden Floor seemed to be her nemesis. Why did all bad things just have to happen right there? Her friends nearly died again and again and if things keep going like this, she should go to the hospital to check for her heart's condition.

Broken through the chains sooner than she thought, it didn't seem to affect the power and strength that she had. Even though she had went through an extreme pain, but the strength that she had now made things felt kind of worth it.

And as soon as the two of them were healed, Bam slowly put Noah within the ground.

It took awhile for him to take up after the time was reversed for him. And the same thing happened to Altaira as when he opened his eyes again, he felt his body was much lighter and more energized.

The first thing that he saw was the blue sky made out of the shinsu. As he sat down, he saw his sister, the troublesome main character-- 25th Bam, unconscious Noah........ and Kiseia. Normally, he would have stood up and approached them, mainly to piss them off, but now, he didn't have that interest. He wasn't interested in teasing anyone.

Anan was nowhere around.

It took him a moment to remember that he was the one who stabbed her right at her last moment.

"........................"

He held his breath before allowing himself to fall to the grasses again.

Compared to how the real her died and the guilt that he had to shoulder from it, he thought that this was better. She passed away with a satisfied smile on her face and they had said what they wanted to say. They expressed everything through words and their fists and spears.

Now, there was nothing left to say.

Khun Altaira Rain was fully aware that she was simply a data programmed to believe that she was Anan. That was how he saw all the sworn enemies around here. They weren't real; they were simply programmed to believe that they were who they were. And it was because their actions were so logical and in- character with the real version of them, they appeared to be the real one.

"IT'S NOT LIKE YOU CAN'T! YOU ARE DISTRACTED!"

The words were still echoing within his mind. Charlotte, that little brat, unexpectedly her words were the one that motivated him to keep going on and face all his fears and regrets.

Now, he felt that he had learnt something new.

If one asked what Altaira gained from this trial, then he won't answer strength or new experience. Rather, he had understood what it meant to let some things go.

'When you want to have something, you should be prepared to let some things go.'

He wanted to have victory. And for that victory, he traded all his regrets and fears regarding the past. He didn't severe the ties, though, since they were meant to be remembered in his opinion. He just accepted. He accepted that the past can't change. And since it couldn't change, he was fortunate that Anan, until the last of her breath, never blamed him.

Now, he understood why Anan had to be calculative. It was because she never wanted to get something that she found worthless compared to what she had to sacrifice. In order to get and attain her goal in low price, she could spend days secluding herself in her room to think an extremely calculative and cunning plan.

And another lesson that he had learnt was,

'As long as I still remember her, then she is still alive. Even if it's just within my memories.'

'She wouldn't be forgotten.'

That day, the breeze felt nice for Altaira as he closed his eyes and relaxed himself. For once in a while, he could sleep without worrying about nightmares haunting him.

And Charlotte was too worried about Noah who had came in a condition where he nearly died. She won't be bothering his short nap for awhile. But Altaira really thought that Noah was quite lucky. Fortunately Bam brought him to her soon, fortunately she had the [Time - Manipulation] ability, fortunately he was tough. Otherwise, it would be the end of him.

Noah woke up and saw the brown- haired girl first. And once he had set his eyes on something, it was hard to look away.

"Noah!"

"Charlotte....?"

'Even right now, she's still so distant.'

He tried to reach out his hand to touch her. And Charlotte seemed to understand it as she held his hand and sat next to him.

"Noah...!"

He had reached her, that was what he thought. And the thought that he was finally able to hold her hand, even if it was just for a brief moment, it put a smile within his face. A weak and relieved smile.