The Winner is… Arthur
A stunned silence gripped the arena. The weight of Arthur's victory settled in, disbelief evident on every face.
Then—
Clap.
A slow, deliberate clap broke the silence. Felix.
Ronan followed suit, and within moments, the entire crowd erupted into applause. Some clapped hesitantly, still processing the unexpected outcome, while others cheered outright.
From the elevated stands, the captains of the Sword Mage Order observed with keen interest. One of the female captains leaned back with an amused smirk.
"That was some brilliant use of ice magic."
Another captain nodded, crossing his arms. "He used his opponent's magic against him. A dangerous gamble, but it paid off."
Arthur stood motionless on the stage, his breath steadying as his stats flickered before him.
New Ability Unlocked: Clear Crystal.
His eyes lit up. He clenched his fist, feeling a rush of excitement.
His blade shimmered—then faded into mist. In its place, Hyorinmaru materialized in his dragon form, floating onto Arthur's shoulder with his usual regal composure. The small ice dragon exhaled, a cold mist forming around him.
"Good job." His voice was calm, almost begrudging, but there was an unmistakable note of approval.
Arthur grinned, reaching up to pat Hyorinmaru's head—only for the dragon to turn away with a huff.
Garrick stepped forward, his voice booming.
"The next match—Seraphina Luminara versus Garold Stormweaver!"
Arthur stepped down from the stage just as Seraphina approached. Their shoulders brushed lightly in passing.
Seraphina's steps faltered.
A strange sensation ran through her, familiar yet unplaceable. A scent? A presence?
She turned back.
Arthur met her gaze, his expression neutral. "Sorry," he said casually, then offered a small nod. "Good luck."
Without waiting for a response, he continued toward the crowd.
Seraphina hesitated for a second longer, watching him go. What was that feeling…? she wondered. Shaking it off, she exhaled and stepped onto the stage.
Between Friends and Fools
Arthur reached Felix and Ronan, who were both grinning.
Felix clapped a hand on Arthur's back. "That was insane! How did you even come up with such a good but risky strategy?"
Arthur scratched the back of his head, smiling sheepishly. "Honestly? I just went with my gut."
Felix chuckled—then stiffened, his gaze snapping toward Arthur's shoulder. His eyes narrowed at the floating ice dragon.
"What is that lizard doing with you?"
Hyorinmaru flicked his tail sharply. His cold, draconic eyes narrowed.
"Arthur, shall we silence him too?"
Felix recoiled slightly. "It… talks?!"
Arthur laughed, waving a hand dismissively. "Relax, Hyorinmaru." Then, with an amused grin, he teased, "Why are you so hot-headed today? Even when I fought Damon, you were more eager to take him down than I was. And at home, you're always acting like you don't care about the world of the living."
Arthur deepened his voice, mimicking Hyorinmaru's usual detached tone.
Thwack!
Hyorinmaru's tail smacked him across the face.
Arthur stumbled back, clutching his cheek. "Oww—hey!"
Felix burst into laughter, but his amusement quickly faded as he noticed something.
Hyorinmaru was no longer paying attention to them.
The small dragon's sharp gaze was locked onto someone across the arena.
The Head Captain.
And the Head Captain… was staring back.
For a brief moment, the air around them grew tense, like a frozen battlefield before a storm. Neither moved. Neither spoke.
Arthur blinked in confusion. "Hyorinmaru? What's wrong?"
The dragon's icy aura flickered slightly before he finally turned away. "It's nothing."
Felix frowned but let it slide. He patted Arthur's shoulder again. "You sure got stronger. I look forward to seeing you fight again."
Arthur smirked. "Same. But first, let's see how Seraphina does."
They turned their attention back to the stage.
Seraphina vs. Garold Stormweaver
Garold stepped forward, a confident smirk tugging at his lips. His stance was relaxed, casual—as if this was nothing more than a warm-up.
"Listen," he said smoothly, rolling his shoulders. "I don't like fighting girls. I don't want to hurt you, and I definitely don't want to lose to you. So I'll make this quick."
He stomped his foot.
"Stomp— Iwagiri!"
The ground trembled violently. Cracks spiderwebbed across the stage as jagged rock erupted upward, fusing together into a massive, brutal blade. The weight of the earth itself surged through Garold's weapon, its edges rough yet deadly. He hefted it effortlessly, leveling it at Seraphina.
"I'll just bury you," he sneered, dashing forward with crushing force.
Seraphina… remained still.
Calm. Unmoving.
Then—
She whispered.
"Illuminate… Tenmei."
Light cascaded from the sky.
Golden radiance descended like a divine decree, piercing through the clouds, illuminating the battlefield in an ethereal glow. The sheer intensity bathed the entire arena in celestial brilliance, and from that light—a blade began to form.
It materialized slowly, every fragment of golden luminescence converging into shape. A sheathed sword, gleaming with holy radiance, hovered in the air before her. The very presence of the weapon made the air feel lighter, as if gravity itself bowed before its sanctity.
Garold stopped mid-charge, his smirk faltering.
His grip on his massive stone blade tightened as he took a step back, his amusement shifting into something sharper—caution.
Then, shaking his head, he steadied himself. "Hah! Nice light show, but you're still just standing there." He exhaled, rolling his neck. "Alright then—"
He kicked off the ground, stone blade raised high.
"I'm ending this NOW!"
The earth cracked beneath his charge, raw force propelling him toward her.
Seraphina raised her hand—and wrapped her fingers around the hilt of her blade.
"You're slow."
Garold blinked—
And she was gone.
No—not gone. Just too fast to be seen.
The battlefield blurred. For a brief second, the very space around them warped—like a flicker of a shooting star in broad daylight.
Then—
Seraphina was behind him.
She never even drew her blade.
A moment of silence stretched between them.
Then—
She let go of her weapon.
The blade, still sheathed, hung motionless in the air for a heartbeat before gently descending toward the ground. The movement was almost peaceful, an execution so refined it felt effortless.
Seraphina continued walking past Garold—toward the crowd.
Without turning back, she spoke softly.
"It's over."
A thin line of red appeared on Garold's shoulder.
Drip…
Drip…
Blood trailed down his arm.
His legs locked. His stone blade—the one he had boasted about moments ago—crumbled into dust.
Then, his knees buckled.
He collapsed.
The entire arena… went silent.
Arthur's hands unconsciously clenched into fists.
"Even my Clear Crystal wouldn't have been fast enough to reflect that…" he murmured.
Hyorinmaru, still perched on Arthur's shoulder, watched the scene with mild disinterest. His cold voice broke the silence.
"She moved at the speed of light. You couldn't see her because you are nowhere near her level."
Arthur exhaled sharply, his gaze still locked on Seraphina's retreating figure.
She's strong.
The captains of the Sword Mage Order murmured amongst themselves. One of them smirked.
"As expected from the God of Light's daughter."
Garrick stepped forward, his voice carrying through the air.
"Winner—Seraphina Luminara!"
The crowd erupted into cheers.
Arthur exhaled slowly, his grip loosening.
Felix, standing beside him, let out a low whistle. "Damn… she's on a whole different level."
Arthur nodded silently.
Seraphina reached the edge of the stage, the golden light of her blade flickering away as she stepped down, expression unreadable.
Garrick's voice rang out once more.
"Next match—Felix Arden versus—"
And the tournament continued.