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Valeria\'s grip tightened momentarily on her Zweihander, her gaze steady on him. She could feel her heart swelling, not with pride, but with a subtle contentment. Somehow, his acknowledgment made her victory feel more grounded, more real.

"You knew," she said, her tone neutral, though there was a faint edge of accusation in her words. "You knew what was holding me back."

Lucavion\'s smirk deepened, though his eyes softened slightly. "Heh? How could I not when it\'s written all over you? Every time you took a swing, every time you hesitated—it wasn\'t your blade\'s fault, Valeria. It was yours. Or rather, your doubts\'."

She huffed softly, averting her gaze for a moment. She didn\'t want to admit it aloud, but he was right. He always was.

Lucavion\'s eyes flickered down to her side, where blood seeped from her wound, staining her armor. His expression shifted, the teasing air giving way to something far more serious. Without waiting for her permission, he stepped closer, reaching into his spatial ring.

"Hold still," he murmured, pulling out a small vial filled with a shimmering blue potion.

Valeria raised an eyebrow but didn\'t move. She watched as he uncorked the vial with practiced ease and poured the liquid gently over her wound. The potion glimmered faintly as it seeped into her skin, cool and soothing, its magic knitting her torn flesh together with an efficiency that spoke to its quality.

Lucavion\'s hand hovered over the wound, his fingers tracing near the edges, radiating a faint warmth that sped up the process. To her surprise, it didn\'t hurt. Instead, his touch was firm but careful, deliberate yet strangely gentle. .net

"You can finally reach the fourth star now, can\'t you?" he said, his voice low, almost a whisper. His gaze didn\'t leave her wound as he worked. "With this, the thing holding you back is finally gone."

Valeria\'s breath hitched slightly at his words. He wasn\'t wrong. The newfound clarity coursing through her, the steady hum of her mana—it was all a testament to the truth of his statement. She felt as though she could break through the star level right there in the moment. But she also knew the risks of rushing such an important transition.

Lucavion glanced up, meeting her gaze with an intensity that made her pause. "Don\'t rush it," he said, as if reading her thoughts. "Star-level breakthroughs require more than just power. You need to be ready. Stable."

She nodded once, her expression composed but her mind racing. "I know. I\'ll prepare."

For a moment, neither of them spoke. His hand lingered a second longer on her side, ensuring the potion\'s effects were complete before he finally stepped back.

"Efficient," Valeria muttered, her eyes flicking to his hand before returning to his face. There was no teasing in her tone, just quiet acknowledgment.

Lucavion\'s smirk returned, though it was softer now. "I do my best."

Valeria let out a soft exhale, her shoulders easing just slightly. She felt lighter, not just physically, but in a way she couldn\'t quite put into words. The golden light around her flickered faintly as if echoing her inner calm.

"Thank you," she said quietly, the words simple yet sincere.

Lucavion chuckled, turning slightly as if to leave but pausing just long enough to glance back at her. "There is no need to thank me. I didn\'t do anything special."

Valeria\'s eyes lingered on him, her expression calm, though her thoughts churned beneath the surface. She knew better than to argue.

\'No, of course, you wouldn\'t see it that way. You never do.\'

Her gaze dipped briefly, catching the faint glimmer of the potion residue still clinging to his fingertips before returning to his face.

\'But that doesn\'t make it any less true, does it? Every word, every action, even the way you treat life like some reckless game—it all carries weight. Whether you realize it or not.\'

She straightened slightly, allowing her posture to settle into one of quiet composure.

\'You were always there, weren\'t you? A quiet force, shaping my path in ways I never understood until now. Watching you, training beside you, even enduring your insufferable comments—all of it.\'

Her thoughts paused, softening.

\'It was all part of the reason I was able to stand in that arena today.\'

The thought made her chest tighten, a strange mix of gratitude and resolve swelling within her. Whether Lucavion knew the effect he had or simply moved through life oblivious to it didn\'t matter. At the end of the day, his presence had shaped her, pushed her, forced her to see beyond her limits. And for that, she would always be grateful.

But as her eyes traced the faint smirk still tugging at his lips, she understood something else.

\'You\'re not the type to accept that kind of acknowledgment, are you? It\'s not about the credit for you. It\'s just who you are.\'

She allowed a small smile to touch her lips, brief and subtle enough that it might have been missed. "If that\'s what you prefer," she said softly, almost to herself.

Lucavion tilted his head, his expression unreadable, though his gaze sharpened as if catching something unsaid. But he didn\'t press her. Instead, he stepped back further, giving her space as his tone turned light again. "Good. Wouldn\'t want you getting all sentimental on me, Lady Olarion."

Valeria huffed softly, shaking her head, the faintest glimmer of amusement crossing her features. "Not a chance."

But even as the words left her lips, she tucked away her thoughts, sealing them tightly where they belonged.

\'Fine. You don\'t need to know, Lucavion. You don\'t need to hear it from me.\'

Her gaze lingered on him a moment longer.

\'But I\'ll carry it with me. Every word, every lesson, every infuriating smirk of yours. Because they matter, even if you won\'t admit it.\'

And so, she let the silence settle between them as the faint golden light around her flickered again, a quiet echo of the clarity she now carried. With a small nod, she turned away, leaving Lucavion leaning casually against the wall, his presence as steady and constant as ever.

After all, she needed to ready herself for the breakthrough that she would be going through today.

\'Before the fight….Tomorrow, I need to make sure.\'

Valeria\'s steps echoed softly as she made her way down the quiet corridor, the cheers of the crowd fading into the distance. The weight of her Zweihander, though familiar, felt heavier now—not from exhaustion, but from the realization of what lay ahead. She tightened her grip on its hilt, her thoughts sharpening as she replayed the events of the day.

\'Zerah was strong, but she wasn\'t at the peak. A 3-star like me. That\'s the only reason I was able to endure as I did.\'

She clenched her jaw, her pace steady as her mind churned.

\'But now, only the strongest remain. The semifinals will bring challengers unlike any I\'ve faced before. I can\'t stall anymore.\'

She ticked off the names in her head, her gaze fixed forward.

\'Lucavion, Varen, Lira, the Monk…\'

Each name carried weight, their reputations preceding them.

\'All of them have reached the fourth star. Their strength isn\'t just in their techniques or their discipline—it\'s in the sheer difference of power that comes with advancing to that level.\'

Her shoulders tensed briefly before she forced them to relax.

\'I was fortunate to face Zerah, but fortune won\'t carry me any further. If I want to stand a chance—no, if I want to win—I have to break through.\'

The thought sent a ripple of anticipation through her, mingled with a trace of apprehension. A breakthrough wasn\'t something to take lightly, especially between star levels. Preparation was everything; it wasn\'t just about reaching the next stage of power, but stabilizing it, mastering the surge of energy and the heightened connection to her mana.

She paused at the doorway to her quarters, her hand brushing the frame. The golden light from her earlier revelation still flickered faintly within her, but she knew it wasn\'t enough. Not yet.

\'Tomorrow. I need to be ready.\'

As she stepped inside, her thoughts sharpened further. She began laying out her plan in her mind.

\'The enlightenment today—it\'s already started the process. My mana feels different, more refined, more alive. But I\'ll need to focus, meditate, and ensure my energy is stable before I make the push.\'

Her eyes drifted to her Zweihander as she set it down gently against the wall. Its blade, dulled by the day\'s battle, still gleamed faintly in the lamplight. It had carried her through countless trials, a steadfast companion, but she knew that tomorrow, it wouldn\'t be enough to rely on her weapon alone.

Her thoughts wandered briefly to the opponents she would soon face. Lucavion\'s smirk flickered in her mind, as did the memory of his confident stance during their previous matches. His strength wasn\'t just physical—it was in the way he read his opponents, the way he seemed to see through every façade and weakness. She frowned.

\'He\'s already beyond me. And the others…\'

She recalled Varen\'s commanding presence, Lira\'s fluidity, and the Monk\'s quiet, unnerving strength.

\'They\'ll all push me further than I\'ve ever been pushed before.\'

But as daunting as the thought was, a quiet determination burned within her.

\'I\'ve come too far to stop now. I\'ll stand among them—not just as a knight, but as an equal.\'

She sank to the floor, crossing her legs and closing her eyes. The steady hum of her mana filled her senses as she began to focus inward, the world around her fading. She visualized the bottleneck she had carried for so long, that invisible wall that had kept her from advancing. And now, she saw the cracks forming in it, illuminated by the golden light of her resolve.

\'Tomorrow,\'

she thought again, her focus narrowing to a single point.

\'I will break through. And I will stand among the strongest.\'

The room fell silent, save for the faint rhythm of her breathing as she began her preparation.