Skyward Blade

Chapter 4

The next day arrived with the warmth of the sun seeping through the academy's windows. It was supposed to be a day of rest after the intensity of the Gliding Competition, but I wasn't surprised when Eiji found me in the training yard, eyes already burning with another challenge.

"Kirito," he called out, a wooden practice sword already gripped tightly in his hand. "Let's settle this once and for all."

I sighed, knowing that for Eiji, nothing was ever settled. He was always itching for another fight, always pushing to prove himself. I don't know if it was because he wanted to impress Asuna or just wanted to beat me, but either way, I could see it coming from a mile away.

"You still sore from yesterday?" I asked, picking up my own practice sword.

Eiji gritted his teeth. "You got lucky with that dual-wielding trick. Let's see how well you do today without any surprises."

I shrugged, stepping into the training ring. It wasn't like I could turn him down-not when the other students were already gathering around, eager to see another duel. Eiji was good. I had to give him that. He trained harder than anyone else, and his swordsmanship was sharp. But his temper always got the better of him.

The fight started quickly, Eiji coming at me with a flurry of strikes. I parried, feeling out his rhythm, watching for an opening. His swings were aggressive, but predictable. He pushed forward, gritting his teeth as he tried to force me back, but I held my ground.

"Is that all you've got?" I asked, smirking a little.

That only made him angrier. His attacks grew wilder, less controlled. I sidestepped one of his swings and moved in, using the momentum to knock his sword from his hand. Before he could react, I had the tip of my blade pointed at his chest.

"Yield," I said, keeping my voice steady.

Eiji stared at me, his breathing heavy, frustration clear on his face. For a moment, I thought he might keep going, but then he lowered his gaze, stepping back in defeat.

"Fine," he muttered. "You win. Again."

The crowd around us cheered, though I could see Eiji wasn't too happy about the outcome. Still, he didn't say anything more as he stormed off, leaving me standing there, the victor once again.

Later that afternoon, I found myself wandering the academy grounds, trying to shake off the lingering tension from the fight. Asuna found me sitting on the steps outside one of the courtyards, her usual smile lighting up her face as she approached.

"Another victory under your belt, huh?" she teased.

I chuckled. "Yeah, but I'm starting to think Eiji's never going to give up."

"Maybe he just likes the challenge," Asuna said, sitting down beside me. She glanced up at the sky, which was clear and bright, the sun shining down on the floating islands that made up our world. "It's a beautiful day. Want to go gliding with me? It's been a while since we just... had fun."

The idea was tempting. I could feel the tension in my shoulders, the weight of the training, the constant rivalry with Eiji-it was all starting to pile up. A break would be nice. And besides, spending time with Asuna was always something I looked forward to.

"Yeah," I said, standing up and offering her my hand. "Let's go."

We grabbed our gliders from the storage racks near the academy's launchpad. The winged contraptions, sleek and lightweight, were our main way of getting around the islands. They were fast, agile, and could soar through the skies with ease. Asuna strapped hers on with a practiced hand, and I followed suit.

We took off into the sky, the wind rushing past as we soared above the islands. It felt good to be free from the weight of training, from the pressure of becoming a Sky Knight. Up here, with nothing but the open sky around us, it was easy to forget about everything else.

Asuna flew beside me, her laughter carried on the wind as we swooped and dipped through the air. "You think you're ready for the next competition?" she called out over the wind.

I grinned, catching her gaze. "Most definitely. I've got it in the bag."

She rolled her eyes but smiled, knowing full well how confident I could be. "Well, you better keep practicing that new art of yours. Dual-wielding is impressive, but it's going to take more than that to stay at the top."

I glanced down at the two swords strapped to my sides, feeling the weight of them. "I think it's coming along nicely," I said, drawing one out and flipping it in my hand for show. "Still needs work, but I'm getting there."

We flew in silence for a while, enjoying the peace and the view of the islands below us. The gliding competition was coming up soon, and while I was confident, there was always a part of me that knew anything could happen. But right now, none of that mattered.

Suddenly, the sky began to darken. At first, it was subtle, the light dimming just a little. But then, the clouds rolled in, heavy and ominous, casting long shadows over the islands. The wind picked up, gusts tugging at our gliders.

Asuna pulled up beside me, her face worried. "What's going on?"

"I don't know," I said, scanning the horizon. The sky had been clear just moments ago, but now it looked like a storm was brewing, the clouds swirling unnaturally.

"We should head back," she said, her voice urgent.

I nodded, and we angled our gliders toward the academy. But before we could get far, the wind roared, and out of nowhere, a massive tornado materialized in front of us, its violent winds tearing through the sky.

"Asuna!" I shouted, reaching out for her as the wind tore us apart.

The force of the storm was too much. It tossed us like ragdolls, pulling us in different directions. I could see Asuna struggling to control her glider, her face pale with fear. I reached out, desperate to grab her hand, but the wind was too strong.

Our fingers barely grazed each other's before she was ripped away, her body spinning out of control as she disappeared into the swirling clouds.

"Asuna!" I screamed, trying to dive after her, but the wind caught me, too, throwing me off balance. I fought against it, my glider bucking wildly as I tried to regain control, but it was no use. The storm was too powerful.

Everything went dark.

I awoke sometime later, my head throbbing and my body aching. I was lying on the ground, my glider shattered beside me. I groaned, pushing myself up to a sitting position, blinking against the harsh sunlight.

Asuna.

The memory of the storm came rushing back, and I scrambled to my feet, searching the skies for any sign of her. But there was nothing. No storm, no clouds-just the clear blue sky as if nothing had ever happened.

"Asuna," I whispered, panic settling into my chest. Where was she?

And then, just as I was about to call out for her again, the memory of the dream from the night before came flooding back-the voice, the warning. The sword... the flames... the darkness rising from the surface.

Something was coming. Something far worse than a storm.