As Kaida descended the slope, her breath finally steadied. The chaos of Tribulation had passed, and for the first time in a while, she let herself relax.
She entered a long pavilion marked with elegant calligraphy—Foundation Establishment. Inside, the atmosphere was calm but bustling. Disciples moved between workbenches and counters—some trading herbs, others meticulously grinding ingredients.
The scent of dried flowers clashed with something sour—creature remains. Even if the beasts had died naturally, Kaida still disliked the smell. She wrinkled her nose slightly, though her expression remained neutral. In the far corners of the room, she saw brightly colored birds perched above glowing arrays—cockatoos, parrots, and others. Some looked at her curiously.
She reached into her dress and pulled out the manual she had received earlier.
On the first page was an illustration of a bird—not an ordinary one. It shimmered faintly, and a line of calligraphy below read:
"Spirit Avian Bond: Creatures who match the cultivator's level may imprint, assist, or refine Qi-based movement."
Kaida narrowed her eyes.
{"So they're linked to stage, not age or experience."}
Her gaze shifted to the birds—ravens, cockatoos, parrots, even hummingbirds. She wasn't sure how to get one of her own, but she didn't mind. She'd let it happen naturally.
She noticed another girl with long white hair. Her clothing matched—like ice. Dark blue leggings wrapped her entire lower body, and her eyes, blue and stoic, mirrored her overall aura. Two swords rested on her hip—not katanas, but actual, practical blades. And on her shoulder: a white raven.
Kaida suddenly felt something warm behind her. The sound of wings flapping caught her attention. She turned—though it would've strained a normal person's sight—and saw feathered wings, small horns, and a tiny body.
{"...A Phoenix-Dragon hybrid...?"}
She raised her arm, and the creature landed softly. Kaida stroked its chest. It chirped in what seemed like happiness.
Some nearby disciples glanced over, confused, but most assumed it was just a phoenix. The girl with the white raven didn't react. Still, Kaida didn't care. She had a suspicion—the girl's features and presence felt familiar, like a relative of Amaris and Ryuken.
{"So..."}
The hybrid nudged her hand softly as what felt like a "contract" formed—not forced, but more like a mutual bond. It didn't feel like ownership.
Then she felt a presence behind her. A malicious aura.
Her eyes shifted, spotting the man from earlier. She remained guarded.
"What do you want?" she asked flatly. Her voice was distant, though her face stayed unreadable.
"What type of bird is that?" he asked, his deep Russian accent unmistakable.
"Phoenix. Call him Vael."
He looked surprised but quickly tried to hide it.
"A name?" he asked.
"Is something wrong with that?"
"N-No." He averted his gaze, suddenly shy.
{"If he was trying to be subtle, he should've suppressed his cultivation. Core Formation."}
His clothing was clean and minimalist—a dark grey, recently dyed. Nothing extravagant.
"Then if you have nothing else to say, leave me alone."
As Kaida stepped away, she felt a hand on her arm. It was firm—calloused.
"…Seriously?" she muttered.
"What did you just say—"
"Leave me alone. I'm still adjusting to this place. I'll talk later."
Kaida didn't need to look to know it was that stoic royal girl.
"No—"
"U-Uhm, Akari, it's fine." Another voice cut in.
Zarathushtra family, no doubt. All of them had Japanese names.
"If you want an apology, just tell me what for."
"For being rude." Akari's tone was clipped and cold. Annoyed. She seemed to be friends with the guy.
"I asked to be left alone. He didn't even ask a question and clearly wasn't going to."
She turned, meeting Akari's gaze—stern and unflinching.
"You know what, sure go ahead, do whatever you were going to do."
Kaida sighed. She wanted to get this over with. She didn't want to continue talking with someone who was so easily hurt by something that was more a dismissal.
"Well, I was going to make you fight me, so shall we do that?"
Kaida stopped. Her eye twitched in annoyance. Yet—her mind spiraled with many thoughts, and one she always kept intrusive was blurted out:
"You'd only be good at fighting in bed."
["Ma'am?? That was wildly inappropriate—BUT ALSO REALLY FUNNY—Cinder.exe is experiencing secondhand embarrassment."]
["Would you like for me to save that as a video to replay it in slow motion to boost your morale?"]
{"No..."}
["Already done—"]
UTTER SILENCE.
"What." Akari looked genuinely stunned. "You serious...?"
"Intrusive thoughts. I didn't mean to say that. Sorry." Kaida actually apologized—and meant it.
"You're... weird." Akari spoke blankly, but a soft smile followed.
{"Is she going to use this as blackmail or something?"}
"So no fight?"
"Obviously a fight. Right now, because of what you said."
Kaida sighed. She followed Akari out of the building, with people staring and whispering to each other and gossiping—talking about how no one's ever done that, especially to a Zarathushtra.
{"Looks like my gut was right—she is a Zarathushtra."}
["Do you wanna know her cultivation realm, or do I need to force you to know?"]
{"She isn't going to expect what I'll do soon, so don't worry."}
["Alright :D"]
Kaida mentally noted the fact Cinder used a smiley face. She didn't care much, but she made a note of it. Finally reaching the arena, she looked at Akari on the other side, holding both the blades—ready to use them. While they were both normal-sized swords—which was impractical—she couldn't deny it looked cool, and Akari probably had experience using them.
The ground made of the concrete but also coated in the raw impure Mana these Cultivators used. Pillars on the side with a sizeable sphere on each of the tips. Presumably used to make sure those who spar don't destroy the surrounding area. It felt somewhat warm. Kaida looked at the clouds as it became stormy, ready to rain.
{"Of course not Pure Mana, They'd die if they tried."}
"Vael, go to my home. Don't want you getting drenched."
Vael tilted it's head, though Kaida tapped it softly with a finger, flying off it went to her home of which was easy to find since Vael could see her Qi Signature.
"Any rules?" Akari spoke calm, her voice in a Japanese Accent with it coming out. She could still see the Malicious Guy watching from the sidelines.
"Just don't cheat and have help from outside unless that's your only way of fighting."
Akari stared her eyes intently looking at Kaida's face. A release of Mana in the shape of an Aura to show pressure yet Kaida stood unbothered.. And in a moment the Qi drained from Akari's body.
{"What?!"} She quickly retracted her aura confused at how Kaida had such good control over Qi that she could simply absorb it.
Kaida stood straight up as Vael flew off, Stretching her arms she was ready for an attack at any point.
{"Considering she's wearing white and those blades it has to do something with either Ice or Yang... I'll be surprised if it wasn't any of those."}
Kaida stretched softly, waiting for a move, though not seeing it Coming anytime soon she would've seen a need to initiate it instead. Akari wasn't dumb just to rush into an attack. She moved her hand conjuring a blade of Qi, a construct now able to be made due to her being at the Foundation Establishment Stage. A fight agains Akari would be Tough, highly improbable due to the fact to the experience this girl had.
She glided forward, the ground beneath her slicker than ice—like flying on air. Yet she slowed down and her blade swung from the side to Akari's hand ready for one decisive slice.
Akari's hand moved quickly, not expecting this much speed. {"I expected her to be fast... But not this fast!"} Her left hand moved the sword to block it, the sound of metal clashing even if one was Qi and the other wasn't metal. She swung the blade to misdirect the attack to let out another attack but-
Kaida's sword seemed harder to move, She twisted it and pushed back, as her blade felt a lot lighter and not as strong unless she put for force it, causing the sword to be deflected but Akari didn't let go. Both moved to slice at each other in a clean moment as their blade clashed once. Their movements were fast, and she could see a flame rising from the blade, like a battery.
Akari's stepped back but made sure she didn't go off the Arena, It didn't mean a loss, it just mean she had lower ground which could be easier to aim for the head. {"..Need something.. Ah-"} Akari swiftly moved a flame arrow flying right towards Kaida, of which Kaida moved to the right, Yet she could see Akari throw her blade in that direction with insane force, Kaida still moving it grazed past but it burned her clothing. Which was made of Water.
["Flames Temperature is extremely, high, equivelent to the Inner core of the Earth's heat. Proceed with Caution Ma'am."]
{"Huh... Thanks Cinder."} Kaida quickly stepped forward, water flowing around her blade as she looked like she disappeared, yet mist surrounded Akari with Kaida speaking while slashing right at her side. "Should've used Qi to sense me."
Akari quickly moved to see where she was after the Mist formed, it looked like it was forming into the cloud, but hearing Kaida's voice she moved to turn behind her and shifted her wrist to use her sword and stop the attack. The blade flew back to Akari, her hand moving and in a swift movement slashing ahead, a larger formation of flame from the sword, increasing it's size with the sizziling heat to cut Kaida, the mist's droplets evaporated and dispersed as it turned into vapor.
{"Heat... Countering the mist, she already seemed battle ready... This just proves it."}
Kaida swiftly moved to the side and then back while jumping up as the blade passed below her. She could feel the heat; it spiked in temperature right under her making her feet feel like they were on summer concrete bearfoot.
The flames disappeared as the blade Akari held in a charred color, still light blue but partially darker.
"I'm only warning you because this is a spar, if we were actually fighting I wouldn't tell you anything."
Akari's hands moved; a hand sign of two fingers pointing up and two fingers against each other bent properly to half it's size, the thumbs reaching towards Akari and connecting as the ground shifted, the air grew warmer and the sky changed to a red hew, like dust.
{"Looks like a Mars dust storm."}
The place increased in heat even more
["Ma'am, the temperature is rising incredibly fast, if you don't regulate your bodies temperature you'll burn alive."]
The Qi within Kaida's body spun quickly around her, the foundation within her grew warmer like the summer but the Mana around her Foundation warding off the heat. Meanwhile her physical body, the skin on her began feeling like they were ready to melt, yet the Qi which now coated around it, her clothing starting to boil and her hair mostly unaffected, but the dark color changed into a lighter color slowly glowing before bursting into giant flames.
{"Well at least she took care of the oil there."}
Akari's Eyes widened seeing Kaida's hair on fire. "What the hell..."
"Don't worry about it, focus on battle."
Kaida swiftly moved her blade swinging directly at her neck, yet it wasn't the sharp part, instead to just knock her out, it was still a spar after all, she altered the force of drag to allow her blade to move as fast as it could. From that the air density lowered at least round the blade and it's velocity increased hitting right at the neck sending Akari flying to the edge of the stage; falling back and hitting the ground being out of bounds. The flaming area disappeared but Kaida's hair was still on fire.
"Dammit..."
Her clothing reformed instantly back into it's original dress with it being a little bigger. Kaida moved her hands as foam, and some powder and something else formed across her hair, she sprayed it for a couple of minutes while Akari was lying down strained and exhausted. The flames now completely gone.
A bright color, Pure white at the tips of the hair, bright blue, light green patches over it. And pure white at the top of her hair.