The battle that had just taken place was no longer just a mere competition—it had turned into a brutal fight for survival. The clash of swords, explosions of magic, and the agonized screams had been etched into the minds of the spectators. Aria's uncontrolled, almost reckless reactions sent a wave of unease through the crowd. Some watched in horror, questioning how those destined to be heroes could fight with such ruthless abandon, while others reveled in the savagery unfolding before them.
After the match, both Aria and Seraphina were taken out of the arena, and it was soon announced that Seraphina had been placed in intensive care and would not be able to participate for a while. A temporary silence hung over the arena.
As Max tried to process everything that had happened, Lucy approached him.
"Max… is this what you meant when you said Aria was a major threat?" she asked quietly.
Max frowned, turning to her. "What do you mean?"
Lucy took a deep breath before continuing. "I don't know much about her, but I've heard rumors from my father. She used to be… someone else. Something happened to her, something that changed her completely."
Max looked at her, waiting for more details, but Lucy herself wasn't entirely sure. "What happened in Aria's past to make her like this?" he wondered.
"Her past… it wasn't kind to her," Lucy said, her voice tinged with sadness. "Her father never treated her like a daughter, but rather as a burden. He abused her, humiliated her… And the worst part? He kept repeating the same words over and over: 'You must pay for your sins.' When my father found her, he said he saw something in her eyes… something that had burned out. Since then… no one really knows what goes on inside her. When my father found out, he personally went to see Aria's father. When he returned, he brought Aria with him and told me that from now on, we would live as siblings."
Lucy hesitated for a moment before finishing, "I don't know how much of this is true… but 'You must pay for your sins'—it sounds exactly like something her father would have told her."
The weight of those words sank into Max like a heavy stone. A dull ringing in his ears gradually escalated into a deafening roar. Aria… what kind of hell had she lived through? Even with his eyes closed, he could feel the remnants of her pain, the scars left by a past she never chose. They were fighting to be heroes, yet some of them had been victims long before they ever set foot in the arena. His pupils constricted. A chill ran down his spine. It was horrifying to think about—how painful it was to hear these words, let alone to have lived through them.
Just then, the booming voice of the announcer echoed across the stadium, snapping everyone back to the present.
"NEXT MATCH: ELYSIA VERSUS GALE! LET'S GIVE THEM A BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE AS WE KICK OFF THIS INCREDIBLE FIGHT!"
The crowd roared to life again. Max tried to push his thoughts about Aria aside and focus on the match, but they clung to his mind like shadows.
Gale and Elysia stepped onto the battlefield, facing each other. Elysia was a girl with long violet hair, cold eyes, and a gothic aesthetic. In her hand, she wielded a sword forged from pure darkness, pulsating with radiant purple energy. Gale, on the other hand, stood surrounded by a swirling wind current, his presence sharp and agile.
"Since when did we have a girl like that in our class?" Rex muttered, his expression thoughtful.
Tension filled the air. After the previous match, everyone understood that these battles could end in bloodshed.
The signal for the fight rang out.
Gale lunged forward with astonishing speed. He moved so fast that he vanished from sight, appearing in front of Elysia almost as if he had teleported. He prepared to deliver a lightning-fast punch, but Elysia, anticipating his move, raised her sword in defense.
"Your reflexes are pretty good. Are you really in our class? You don't seem familiar," Gale asked, echoing Rex's question.
"You don't need to see me… I've always been here," Elysia responded cryptically.
Her pupils dilated, then suddenly, she stopped moving. Her eyes turned pitch black, and her body became translucent.
In an instant, she dashed forward, her sword shrinking in length but gaining immense speed. Even Gale, with all his agility, was momentarily caught off guard.
Elysia unleashed a flurry of attacks at an incredible speed, but Gale managed to dodge each one.
"WIND SLASH!"
Gale unleashed massive crescent-shaped slashes of wind, but they passed straight through Elysia's body.
She was a ghost.
Realizing this, Gale swiftly flew to the other side of the arena, putting some distance between them. Elysia followed, her movements just as relentless. He needed time—time to analyze her weakness.
Then, he noticed it.
Elysia's existence wavered between reality and illusion, shifting like a shadow caught in the wind. One moment she was solid, the next she was intangible, vanishing like mist only to return with the sharpness of a blade.
The real danger wasn't her speed or strength—it was her unpredictability.
She switched between her solid and ghostly forms so rapidly that it was nearly impossible to track. However, Gale, someone who lived by speed, had caught on to the pattern.
The moment he finished formulating his plan, Elysia reached him again. She struck, but Gale had already made his move. He feigned another retreat, just like before. This time, however, he was waiting for the exact moment she turned solid.
Then, he countered.
"AIR CUTTING KICK!"
A powerful crescent of wind erupted from his kick, slicing through the battlefield. It was so strong that the wall behind Elysia split in half.
Yet, the attack had passed right through her.
Elysia turned to him, her haunting eyes narrowing.
"You figured out my ability," she murmured. "You're terrible at pretending."
As she spoke, her ghostly body shifted unnaturally, her head tilting to the side in an unnatural motion. Long, shadowy claws erupted from her fingertips and plunged into Gale's arm.
He screamed in agony as black veins spread from the wound, a searing pain consuming his body. Within seconds, he collapsed to the ground.
Elysia returned to her normal form, an ambiguous smile gracing her lips.
"Do ghosts get upset when they're noticed?" she whispered to herself. Then, looking down at Gale's unconscious body, she continued, "I suppose they do."
A triumphant announcement echoed through the arena, accompanied by thunderous applause.
"AND THE WINNER IS… SPECTRAL BLADE ELYSIA! LET'S HEAR IT FOR HER!"
Gale had only lost consciousness from the pain. Medical staff rushed onto the field, lifting him onto a stretcher and carrying him away. Meanwhile, Elysia calmly returned to the stands, rejoining her classmates.
A strange feeling washed over Max.
Aria's past.
Elysia's eerie presence.
Gale's agonized screams.
Being a hero in this world wasn't just about strength.
If he was going to reach the top, he had to be ready to lose something in return.