They fought like enemies on a battlefield, each strike carrying the weight of pride and fury. Emerald and gold clashed against violet and silver, the platform trembling beneath their duel. The cadets in the stands roared, unable to look away as the best friends traded blow for blow, neither yielding, neither faltering.
Minutes stretched into an eternity. Forty minutes of brutal combat passed, their mechs scarred, their auras burning at the edge of exhaustion. The countdown began, numbers flashing above the Arena as the final seconds ticked away.
With the timer nearing zero, both mechs locked together at the edge of the platform, grappling like titans. Yu Xi’s emerald mech pushed forward, golden aura blazing, while Jian Ci’s violet machine held firm, silver light cutting through the strain. Sparks flew, metal screeched, the crowd screamed as the two warriors fought to hurl each other into the abyss.
The timer hit zero. The match ended in that frozen instant with the two mechs locked in primal struggle, neither victorious and neither defeated.
Jian Ci’s mech disengaged, his grip loosening as he stepped back, chest heaving with adrenaline.
"You put up a fight," he said, voice crackling through the comms.
Yu Xi’s mech straightened, its frame still sparking faintly from the last exchange. "You are lucky there was a timer," he replied, breathless but grinning. "Otherwise, you would be the one off the platform."
Jian Ci chuckled, the sound low and exhilarated. He hadn’t felt this alive in ages. His blood was still singing, his limbs thrumming with energy. This was what he lived for. Their first real fight, and it had been everything he’d hoped for. He wanted to do it again, right now but the match was over. And it was a tie, the first in the academy’s history.
The floating screen above the arena flashed with their names, side by side, both marked as victors. The crowd erupted into thunderous cheers, cadets screaming and stomping, the sound deafening. It was still an exam, technically, but it had felt like the Virelia Mech League finals.
They powered down their mechs and stepped out, sweat-slicked and grinning. The instructor met them at the center of the platform, grabbed their wrists, and raised both arms high.
"Winners!" he shouted.
Fireworks exploded overhead, casting bursts of gold and violet across the sky. Confetti rained down in shimmering waves, catching the light like falling stars. The cadets in the stands were on their feet, jeering and cheering, some chanting their names.
Jian Ci turned to Yu Xi through the curtain of confetti, his smile bright and unguarded. Yu Xi met his gaze, eyes crinkling with warmth, and smiled back.
Jian Ci’s gaze dipped, just for a second, to Yu Xi’s lips. Then lower, to the subtle bob of his throat as he swallowed. Jian Ci’s own throat tightened. He looked away quickly.
Later, as they exited the arena, Jian Ci was cradling the shared trophy like a newborn, planting loud, exaggerated muah sounds on it with every step.
The instructor raised a brow. "We will make you another trophy soon and hand it to you at graduation. We have never had a tie before," he said.
"That won’t be necessary," Jian Ci said, still nuzzling the trophy.
The instructor turned to Yu Xi, baffled. "Seriously?"
Yu Xi shrugged, a small smile playing on his lips. "As he said. It’s not necessary."
The instructor gave them a long, confused look, then sighed and walked off, muttering something about "weirdos in love with their own drama."
As soon as he was out of earshot, Jian Ci slung an arm around Yu Xi’s shoulder, pulling him close.
"So," he said, grinning, "how are we going to share custody of our trophy?"
Yu Xi snatched the trophy from Jian Ci’s hands with a triumphant grin. "It stays with me."
Jian Ci blinked. "No. We have to share it. Fifty-fifty. Either we split it in half, or it spends three and a half days in your room and three and a half in mine."
Yu Xi raised a brow. "You are always in my room anyway. Why move it around?"
Jian Ci paused, then nodded. "Good point. I will just come visit it every day."
Yu Xi smirked. "Or you could get your own. Because this one—" he kissed the spot where Jian Ci had kissed it earlier, slow and deliberate "—is all mine now."
Jian Ci’s eyes widened. "You—!"
Yu Xi turned on his heel and started walking away, smugness radiating off him like heat.
Jian Ci bolted after him. "Let me hold it!"
"Nope," Yu Xi said, dodging. "It’s my turn."
They began to tussle right there in the hallway, laughing and grappling like kids fighting over a toy. The trophy wobbled dangerously between them as they spun and shoved, neither willing to let go. That was the scene the others walked into.
The two champions of the arena, who had just fought one of the most legendary matches in academy history, were now wrestling in the corridor like children, bickering over a shared prize.
Alarna stood at the edge of the hallway, clutching a bouquet and a small gift box, her smile frozen in place. She had come to congratulate her boyfriend, radiant with excitement.
But her expression crumbled as she took in the sight. Leane, standing a few paces behind, watched the smile fall from Alarna’s face. She didn’t say anything. She didn’t need to. The satisfaction in her eyes said it all.
Elias arrived next, blinking at the chaos. "You two, haven’t you had enough in the arena?"
"We will never be done," Jian Ci said, breathless, trying to tickle Yu Xi’s side.
Yu Xi laughed, twisting away before retaliating with a swift arm around Jian Ci’s neck, pulling him into a loose chokehold. "Tap out."
"No!"
Elias raised his hands. "My bad. Carry on."
Just then, Caelus came running down the hall, arms full with an even bigger bouquet, a large gift bag, and a hopeful smile. "Yu Xi! I am glad I am not late!"
The scuffle froze. Yu Xi and Jian Ci both turned to look at him.
Yu Xi’s smile faltered and his body stilled. The trophy hung limp in his hand.
Jian Ci saw the shift instantly. He knew that look, he was very familiar with it. The subtle withdrawal, the flicker of detachment behind Yu Xi’s eyes.
He smirked. "He has to go."
Yu Xi glanced at him, then back at Caelus while whispering, "You think?"
Jian Ci shrugged. "I have seen that look before." Yu Xi didn’t deny it.