"...Game?"
Seven asked.
The reason as to why he decided to train now was not to show off for his twin brothers, nor it was simply because he wanted to.
But for the Academy's official examinations tomorrow.
After all, he should at least possess a single technique that would perhaps leave the proctor and other examinees in awe.
Of course, waiting until the day before to get serious was peak Seojin-level procrastination.
In all honesty, he had not known the technique belonged to the Archduke in this world. To him, it was just a flashy move from anime and a style he had always wanted to try.
Because really, who would not want a technique that could cut down hundreds of enemies with just a single dash and slash technique?
"Indeed."
Zach unsheathed his sword in a wide arc, stabbed it into the ground, and leaned against the handle.
"Twin tower game.
"It's simple. Choose one of us. If you lose…
Crackle. Cra—
A wave of zaen burst from Zach's body. It spiraled tightly and crackled through the air.
Seven instinctively responded with his own as a cyan glow of zaen escaped his skin, especially around the soles of his feet. It was rough, uncontrolled, and nothing like what he managed when channeling it through his sword earlier.
His zaen leaked rather than flowed.
His single white bracelet glowed faintly in contrast to the two bright tattoos around Zach's wrist.
"...You just have to answer three questions. Not a bad wager, right?"
But he just tilted his head with eyes still on Zach
"And if I win?"
"My, how boisterous, youngest. You—"
"You."
Zach blinked.
"A-Ah… What?"
"What else? I choose you."
For a second, Zach looked like his brain froze. Then he broke into laughter.
"Ahahahaha!
"Youngest, that joke was gold.
"But since you made me laugh, I'll give you one last chance. Choose—"
"Shut the fudge up and raise your sword."
"...?!"
Zach Udiel Hart.
There was a reason why Seven chose him: calculative and hesitant.
Though this twin seemed to always be the calm one, it was by no doubt that calm people are someone who would calculate everything and make the most logical move.
Given that Seven possesses the Præscientia's artifact, seeing a single calculated move in a mere second is better than seeing a wild and a berserk move with countless possibilities.
Step.
Slowly, Seven shifted his feet and tried to balance himself. He guided the zaen radiating from his body— from his soles specifically— up to the wooden sword.
'Focus.'
He thought.
Zach did the same.
Pivoting his heel, Zach rotated his hips just enough to align his stance. He exhaled slowly, steadying himself, before he burst forward with his feet barely touching the ground.
He instinctively raised his wooden sword to block it.
Slash!
But wood was no match against steel and it got cut in half. Still, it gave him a little time to dodge thanks to the second-long vision.
Yet…
Zack was just right behind Zach.
His neck was cut off— or at least in the vision. Thus, he immediately used the hilt of the now-broken wooden sword to block Zack's slash against his neck.
Clang!
Then again, a wood reinforced by zaen is not enough against a steel reinforced with the same.
The wooden hilt split cleanly in half, and the blade grazed the back of his hand and drew a thin line of blood.
Dash.
He dashed backwards to distance himself.
"Fudgers. What was—"
"My, the youngest is such a douche."
Zach interrupted him.
"It's the Twin Tower Game, obviously it needs both towers in play.
"I said you could choose one, but I never said you'd only fight one.
"It means your chosen one leads… and Zack moves exactly as I command."
The moment Zach's smirk faded, Zack moved again.
Seven's body reacted before his mind did. He picked up a fragment of a wooden sword on the ground and raised it just in time to catch Zack's downward slash. The force of the blow sent a shock through his arms, down to his spine.
His boots slid backward across the snow-tainted dirt.
"Fudge—"
Zach was already at his flank.
Seven spinned sidewards and deflected the sword by a soft hook to misguide the trajectory. Pain bloomed across his knuckles as steel scraped skin in which he winced in pain as he stumbled back.
He could see one second ahead.
But in the present, that did not matter as he was being completely overpowered. Zack's fist collided with his ribs, then Zack's boot rammed into his knee from the other side.
He crumpled, catching himself with one hand as he tried to breathe.
Dash.
He dashed backwards to gain distance, but the twins gave him none.
Zach was waiting with a sweeping kick, and it crashed against his temple that knocked his vision sideways, only for Zack to, also, launch a sweeping kick like playing soccer.
Bam! Pam!
Pow!
Zack followed up with three punches right straight to his gut while Zack pinned him using an elbow at his back. He turned to dodge Zack's other punch, only to step into Zach's open palm, slamming him into the ground.
Thud.
He fell to the ground and spat a mixture of saliva and blood, along with air that he could not breathe out through his nose.
Haah…
'I can't win this.
'I can't win this.
'I can't…'
He thought repeatedly.
In all honesty, the term 'win' was non-existent as in the first place, he was at a disadvantage.
It was also his fault for thinking he could win, as maybe it came from the product of being a reader, possessing an artifact to see a second into the future, helped and favored by Eden, and a lot more.
Arrogance.
Perhaps it was because he did manage to hold his ground against an assassin who was also two gates above him back then.
He tried to push himself up.
But Zach intercepted with one kick to the ribs and another to the thigh. They did not give him time to fall. Zack caught him in the air and slammed him down again.
Haah…
He gasped.
He could have won this. But his body would not keep up as everything he saw ahead was impossible to act on. One second was too much when he was losing every moment of the present.
"How does it feel to have no one to protect you?"
Zach asked.
Though this was prohibited, well not until the Archduke came back. Given that Eden made a fuss about the Archduke missing, he must have gone somewhere important.
And that means, by the time the Archduke comes back, Seven would have already left the exiled castle and is now under the Academy.
Or maybe… they could just end his life right now and blame it to the assassins.
And so…
Zack grabbed his collar, slammed a knee into his stomach, then threw him back toward Zach, who did not even move.
Zach just stepped to the side and let Seven fall, facedown in the dirt.
'Get up…'
He thought.
His fingers clawed at the soil as he tried to push himself up, He sent a sloppy punch, but Zach caught it easily, twisted his arm, and sent him crashing back to the ground with a sweep of the leg.
He gasped for breath, half-kneeling, blood trailing down his chin.
He was no longer fighting to win.
He was fighting just to stay conscious.
Clang!
The twins picked up their swords. Though they had always argued with each other due to their differences in nature, their smiles now held the same meaning.
Glow.
Seven's left-eye lit up gold.
But what he could see was not more than a second future vision, in which his neck was cleanly cut off. Not a second, but longer.
"Game over."
The twins said in unison as they swung— swooshed— their swords.
Clink!
Zack's sword slipped from his fingers first. It struck the ground and the sword bounced once before settling in the snowy dirt.
His arm hung limp at his side, shoulder rolled forward. He took a shaky step back and another but his knees buckled. His heel slipped against the dirt, and his whole body tilted forward.
Thud.
He collapsed. Snow scattered from the impact.
Clang!
Zach's sword was next.
His hand trembled, and his muscles locked up for a second before his fingers finally slipped from the hilt. It fell straight down and stuck halfway into the ground beside his boot.
He tried to adjust his stance, but his foot dragged instead of stepping.
Thud.
But he, too, collapsed face-first.