With a few coughs, a pair of steaming, charred hands—scorched black by the magic cannon—emerged from a pitch-black spatial rift. The blackened arm hooked the rift’s edge. As it lifted, a white-haired girl with messy hair poked her head out.

Having gained leverage, Night Frost shot out from behind the rift. Silently, she returned the golden cup in her hand to her spatial box—the very Blood Cup she’d claimed from Blood days ago.

After brief study, Night Frost and Eye Orb discovered the Blood Cup could hold fresh blood. Whoever drank it would temporarily gain the blood owner’s abilities. Fresher blood meant greater power and longer duration.

Night Frost stored Moon Owl’s blood within it.

Spatial magic—how many dreamed of it! Yet the Blood Cup granted effortless access to its wonders.

Azure’s magic cannon truly packed devastating force. Even with dragon scales and full effort, Night Frost couldn’t withstand it. To survive a blast imbued with "Ultimate" power would leave anyone half-dead.

Her only option: drink the blood, tear open space, evade the blast. Her plan was sound—but newly acquired spatial power was clumsy. She hadn’t expected the cannon’s shockwave to shatter spatial barriers.

Night Frost was inevitably caught in the crossfire. Fortunately, her dragon scales and resilient physique blocked most damage. With barrier fragments shielding her, she emerged largely unharmed—though far from presentable.

Azure noticed the Blood Cup instantly. Understanding dawned: Night Frost hailed from the Twelfth District; the earlier "tiger-swallows-wolf" scheme… but why did "swallowing the wolf" fail? Seeing Night Frost and the Zone Fifteen Guardian, it clicked—one betrayed, the other wasn’t human, but a "Dragon." A certain victory overturned in an instant.

Azure’s deduction was flawless. Night Frost’s intervention reversed the Twelfth District’s defeat.

Having defeated Blood, Night Frost claiming the Blood Cup was inevitable. Azure felt not a trace of surprise—only inevitability.

The cup held Moon Owl’s blood. That blood granted spatial magic. Combined with a body tough enough to endure Azure’s cannon? Night Frost surviving was only logical.

Yet she *had* won. Even the "Dragon" wouldn’t block that blast head-on. In that moment, Night Frost’s power surpassed the Dragon’s. Snapping back to reality, Azure realized how feeble her past enemies truly were.

She raised her wand. Mana ran low—but not combat-crippling. Though her reserves were insufficient, the wand drew power from magic stones: replenishing her mana while condensing part into magic bullets.

Aiming at Night Frost, Azure froze. A figure emerged behind her. An invisible wind blade, already detached from the Zone Fifteen Guardian’s arms, shot toward Azure.

Azure conjured a mana shield—but the wind blade shattered it with a single sweep. *This* was Azure, who had surpassed Cantata Three and stepped into the Ultimate Realm!

Her magic cannon fired. Weaker than before, yet demanding Night Frost’s full focus.

Array patterns flared across Night Frost’s skin. A Crimson Gold Lance materialized in her palm. Behind her, the Zone Fifteen Guardian fully emerged from the spatial channel. Night Frost subtly adjusted the lance. Blooms of flame met the magic bullet. Rapid impacts triggered an explosion mid-flight.

Seizing the opening, the Guardian armored herself in wind. She’d realized it: Azure’s realm had advanced, but her mana capacity and flow remained unchanged. Her baseline was still pitifully low. Only the wand was elevated.

Azure saw through her thoughts. She swiftly inserted a magic stone into the thigh-mounted device. *How could she leave only one path?* This was her true mana replenisher—converting stone mana seamlessly into usable power.

Her body wasn’t a mana source. It was a trigger. A living magic cannon launcher.

["Total internal mana volume: insufficient. Unqualified."]

Azure’s first time on the aptitude platform. Hand placed. Only those three words echoed back.

She stared at her dim magic stone, walked out dazed. The empty street confirmed it—her family had no use for a magically deficient reject.

Long ago, tests revealed her mana volume and capacity fell far below Magic Maiden standards. Her mother excelled. Her grandmother too. Generations of brilliance—except her.

Not irreparable. Raise her capacity; she could still become a mediocre Magic Maiden. Mana, like height, might grow with age… until it plateaued.

But hers never expanded naturally. Only the portions her family manually forced open.

On test day, she fell short by mere cubic centimeters.

Unworthy.

Her mother abandoned her. Left on the streets, a Magic Maiden took her in, scolding Azure’s mother—until beatings taught her to stop hoping.

["It’s alright not to be a Magic Maiden. You can live well. You’re smart… smarter than anyone."]

Her guardian held up a perfect-scored paper. *This* was Azure’s gift. Magic was just a flaw.

["No. I will learn magic!"]

Azure insisted. She’d become an exceptional Magic Maiden—to shame her family, make them regret discarding a genius.

With her guardian’s help, she studied. Spells came easily. But her mana ceiling doomed her—reciting the simplest magic spell drained her.

["Channel that brilliance elsewhere. You could be a brilliant scientist, a teacher…"]

["No. I will be a Magic Maiden!"]

No persuasion swayed her. Scientists, teachers—mere mortals. She chose magic.

*Fall? Rise. Hit bottom? Retrace your steps.* Her creed.

Four years to attain First Symphony. One more to reach Cantata Two. Her guardian wept, believing effort moved heaven.

["You are exceptional—more than anyone I’ve ever met."]

Azure didn’t hear it. She wondered: *Do gods exist?*

["Do gods truly exist?"]

Her decent strength earned her a spot in the new Order Keeper reserve squad. That week, she met Crimson, Mane Yellow, Jade. They formed a team.

["Stop that cold face—it’s unbecoming! You’re pretty. Smile more, yeah?"]

Crimson said it daily. Azure disliked the distraction. Yet Crimson’s warmth drew everyone—especially Mane Yellow.

Jade loved quiet music. When Crimson annoyed her, Azure retreated to Jade’s room to study.

["You *do* smile. Crimson’s right—you look lovely."]

["I do not!"]

Jade giggled behind her hand. Azure buried her face in the quilt. *Teasing me again… I’m in my twenties!*

After a mumbled reply, silence. Jade’s fingers touched the keys. Melodious notes filled the quiet room.

A year later, Year Four of the New Calendar: a request to subdue the Mud King. He’d seized District One, drowning it in misery.

Crimson led the charge against a Mud King avatar. Azure fired her cannon—but mana exhaustion struck fast. A single slap sent her flying.

["Hurry—give me your hand!"]

Dizzy, Azure reached instinctively. Crimson pulled her from the rubble.

["Still have strength?"]

Azure nodded. She checked her makeshift mana-conduction device—her own crude prototype to conserve power.

["I don’t need saving! I can stand."]

Clearer now, Azure rose. Crimson smiled softly. Mane Yellow and Jade regrouped, eyes locked on the looming Mud King.

["We can’t win. Retreat soon."]

["Leave if you want. I won’t stop you."]

["Then show them our full power!"]

["Um… I’ll do my best!"]

Mane Yellow, Jade, and Azure placed hands on Crimson’s back. Three mana streams surged into her. A four-colored magic cannon blast pierced the Mud King clean through.