Her musical notes tried to blast the threads away, but this time, the other ends of the threads were all anchored to the ground beneath her feet. When the soundwaves hit them, the threads merely trembled slightly, their energy entirely absorbed by the floor.
Meruru gritted her teeth and recalled all her remaining notes, attempting to use one last sonic resonance to force a breakthrough.
But Lightweaver didn't give her the chance.
She appeared at Meruru's side. With a gentle flick of her finger, threads of light as thin as hair wound around from behind, binding Meruru's wrists and staff.
The threads restricted her joint movements just enough without being too tight, and the thread on her staff wrapped around it lightly without trying to disarm her.
Other threads had quietly slipped around her waist at some point, suspending her entire body in midair—preventing her from falling, yet keeping her from flying away.
Meruru tried to struggle, only to find herself gently cradled like she was in an invisible hammock, unable to muster any strength.
She looked down at the neatly arranged threads on her body.
Her face instantly flushed bright red, the color spreading from the tips of her ears all the way down to her collar. Even her hand gripping the staff began to tremble slightly.
“...W-What do you think you're doing?!”
She tried several times to break free from the threads, but the threads of light seemed to be alive. Every time she moved, they adjusted their angles, maintaining just the right amount of restraint.
She looked up to glare at Lightweaver, her lips quivering several times before she finally managed to squeeze out, “What on earth are you smiling at...?”
“I'm not smiling.”
Lightweaver tried to pull down the corners of her mouth, but she simply couldn't keep a straight face.
“You clearly are! Put me down!” Meruru struggled again. The thread on her staff swayed gently with her movement, and the gemstone at the tip flickered, as if protesting on behalf of its master.
Lightweaver finally couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle.
“Isn't the match still going? I was just thinking, your soundwaves made my ears ring earlier. So, I decided to change tactics this time and make it so you can't use your staff.”
As she spoke, she tightened the threads slightly. Meruru was pulled forward a fraction, the ornaments on her outfit swaying gently with the movement.
“I said we should pull our punches! Not—not like this!”
Standing on the ground with her arms crossed, Lightweaver looked up to admire her handiwork.
She pulled her phone from her pocket and snapped a photo of Meruru suspended in the air.
A crisp, pleasant shutter sound echoed.
“What did you take a picture of—Lightweaver! Delete that!”
“Nope~ This is my trophy.”
“Don't you dare! If that photo gets out, I'll write a report to the Association about how you held back on purpose today, attach the entire combat log, and let everyone know that Lightweaver is a pervert who likes to tie people up and take pictures of them!”
Lightweaver raised an eyebrow and turned the phone screen toward her.
In the photo, Meruru was gently cradled in midair by the threads of light, her staff tilted to the side, her expression a perfect mix of embarrassment and shock.
Of course, Lightweaver had no intention of leaking the photo.
The lighting was perfect, and the composition was excellent.
Even the folds of Meruru's fluttering skirt were just right. It was a rare, once-in-a-lifetime trophy.
She would keep it to admire later, or perhaps use it as leverage if she ever needed to negotiate with Meruru.
“It's a great photo. I'll print out a copy and give it to you when I get back.”
Slipping her phone back into her pocket, she raised her right hand and gently closed her fingers.
The threads of light binding Meruru's wrists, waist, and staff unraveled simultaneously, dissolving into fine specks of light that scattered into the air.
Meruru experienced a brief moment of weightlessness as the threads vanished, her skirt blooming outward in midair.
Landing gracefully, she adjusted her skirt and smoothed out her slightly askew accessories one by one.
Only after making sure everything was back in place did she stand up straight.
With her head lowered, her long hair obscured most of her face, leaving only a lingering blush on the tips of her ears visible.
She remained silent for a long moment before looking up. Her expression had returned to her usual composed smile, though a trace of the embarrassment from being suspended in midair still lingered.
“But this is only the first time. I'll win next time.”
“Sure, I'll be waiting.” Lightweaver retracted all her threads of light, turning to walk toward the exit of the training ground.
After a few steps, she noticed Meruru wasn't following. She glanced back over her shoulder.
Meruru stood where she was, wiping the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand and tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear.
“Wait a minute, you're just leaving like that? Since you're rarely at the Association, at least let me buy you a cup of coffee. Besides, after what you just did to me, a cup of coffee isn't too much to ask, is it?”
“What I just did... You make it sound like I bullied you.”
Lightweaver turned around. Meruru was smiling at her, a hint of mischief in her eyes.
Lightweaver slipped her hands into her pockets and tilted her head.
“Sure, I don't have anything else to do today anyway. Where is the Association's café?”
“On the second floor. The atmosphere is much better than the chain stores outside.”
Meruru quickly caught up, stepping into the elevator side-by-side with Lightweaver.
As the elevator doors closed, she suddenly remembered something and added, “By the way, what do you like to drink? An iced Americano? Or a latte? I can order for you in advance.”
“No... No thanks.”
Lightweaver waved her hand. It wasn't that she was being polite.
She would never turn down free food.
It was just that she didn't know what she wanted to eat yet.
Meruru nodded and didn't press further.
The outcome of this spar had actually been somewhat unexpected...
Meruru had watched videos of her battles before, and had seen her instantly dispatch an Erosion Body in a fire escape with her own eyes. She knew Lightweaver was strong.
But actually standing opposite her, feeling those threads of light closing in from all directions, the sheer pressure was completely different from watching it on a screen.
Meruru glanced sideways at Lightweaver walking beside her.
What she cared about more was that Lightweaver could have clearly suppressed her from the very beginning, yet had deliberately dragged out the match.
She wanted to gauge my strength, but she also didn't want me to lose too embarrassingly.
Such a thoughtful consideration was a stark contrast to her usual cold and casual exterior.
The elevator doors opened on the second floor. Walking half a step ahead of Lightweaver, she pushed open the glass doors of the café and pointed toward a corner seat by the window.
The table sat right under the shade of some ivy vines, keeping it out of the direct sun while offering a view of the setting sun slowly sliding down the glass facade of the Association building.
“Let's sit over there. That's my personal spot.” She waited for Lightweaver to slide into the cushioned booth against the wall before taking a seat opposite her.
Picking up the menu on the table, she handed it to Lightweaver. “Their caramel latte is a signature, and the cheesecake is quite good too. If you want something savory, the sandwich combo is a great deal.”
Lightweaver took the menu and flipped through it, her gaze pausing on the dessert page.
“Do you usually eat here?”
“Occasionally. I'll come sit for a bit after training, sometimes with Seina.”
Rate on N.U.
