Shadow versus Aster.
With Vael out, only four champions remained: Aster, Shadow, Lucia, and Zara. Leonida didn't wait for the crowd to calm before calling out, "Aster! Shadow! You're up!" Shadow let out a sigh and stepped forward.
Aster rolled his broad shoulders before stepping forward to face him.
Their eyes met in a long, unbroken silence.
Aster was the first to speak.
"So, all I have to do is hit you?"
Shadow tilted his head ever so slightly.
"If you can."
Aster's grin widened. From her throne in the stands, Leonida leaned forward.
"Begin!" Aster lunged.
The arena floor split under his first step, and Shadow's eyes widened just a bit.
Fast.
A massive fist slammed directly into his chest.The shockwave sent dust swirling through the arena. But Aster's fist— slipped right through him.
Shadow's form wavered like a dark haze.
Aster blinked.
"Huh?"
He swung another punch.
Nothing.
Tried again.
Still nothing.
Each blow slipped right through Shadow's intangible body.
Aster scowled.
"So that's your style."
Shadow materialized a few meters away.
Aster glanced toward the stands, spotting Leonida. She smiled and motioned for him to go on. With a sigh, he charged forward once more as Shadow phased away.
Aster's fist passed through him—
but this time Aster didn't stop.
His foot crashed down, his massive frame twisting as another strike came without pause. Then another. The arena trembled beneath the unending barrage. Shadow kept slipping through each blow, but his face grew steadily more focused. Aster showed no sign of letting up. Not even a little.
Fine.
Darkness coiled around Shadow's arm. He waited for Aster to commit to another strike, slipped through the incoming fist—then solidified. His palm hit Aster's chest. Nothing. Shadow blinked. Aster glanced at his own hand, then back at him. Shadow struck once more. Darkness exploded.
Aster shifted—just half a step.
Shadow blinked.
"…You've got to be kidding me."
Aster smirked.
"My turn."
Shadow phased instantly as a massive fist swept harmlessly through his head.
The clash went on.
Aster couldn't touch Shadow.
Shadow could barely move Aster.
One was overwhelming physical force.
The other couldn't be physically touched.
An unstoppable force—against an immovable object.
Minutes dragged by with no progress from either side. Eventually, Leonida stood up, clearly irritated.
"Alright."
The fighters kept going.
Her eyebrow twitched.
"I said alright!"
Her voice echoed through the arena, making both finally glance her way.
Leonida lifted both hands.
"Draw."
Aster blinked as Shadow exhaled in relief.
Leonida gestured between them.
"He can't hit you."
Then she pointed at Aster.
"And apparently, you can't be moved."
Aster crossed his arms with a smug pride.
Shadow rubbed his wrist.
"Neither wins, neither loses."
Leonida leaned back into her throne.
Lucia stepped into the arena, her stride steady and sure. Across from her, Zara approached wearing that same unnerving smile. Behind Lucia, her four tails fanned out. For years, Zara had tormented her family—Raven, Silver—everything she held dear. Now the one responsible stood right in front of her, and Lucia's fingers curled tight.
Finally.
It was time to teach this nutjob one very simple lesson.Her family was off-limits.
Zara tilted her head. "You seem upset for some reason." Lucia stayed silent.
Leonida raised her hand.
"Begin!"
Lucia burst into action.
Foxfire flared from all four tails, sending a massive wave of pale flame rushing toward Zara. Her eyes widened, and she thrust both hands forward as darkened water surged up from the arena floor.
The two elements clashed, sending steam billowing through the air. Still, Lucia pressed on—more foxfire, hotter, denser. The water around Zara began to boil away, and her smile quickly disappeared. "What—?"
The darkened water shifted into mist, and Lucia strode right through it. Zara barely leapt back as a flaming tail whipped past her face, only for another to come from the opposite side. She ducked, but Lucia's palm was already following.
Zara crossed her arms before being hurled backward, skidding across the stone as she landed. Lucia kept advancing without a pause, her movements sharp and merciless. Foxfire drifted around her four tails like pale stars. Silver stood by in silence, while Julie leaned toward June and whispered, "…Mom's angry."
June kept her eyes locked on Lucia.
"Very."
Zara wiped the blood from her mouth and let out a laugh.
"There you are."
Her hand went to her waist. Metal hissed as a segmented blade snapped into place, her snake sword. Water mana coiled along its length, weaving between the segments like a living serpent.
Lucia's eyes narrowed as Zara charged. She unleashed another wave of foxfire, blazing forward, but Zara swung her snake sword, water spiraling around it. The flames struck, and steam burst into the air. Zara pushed through, undeterred. Another flame came, and she sliced through its path. Again. And again. Fire and water clashed over and over in a relentless rhythm.
The arena vanished in thick clouds of steam as Lucia's four tails swayed through the haze. Zara's eyes flicked left—nothing. Right—still nothing. Then, without warning, fire burst from beneath her. She leapt just as Lucia emerged from the mist, driving her palm into Zara's stomach.
Zara twisted with the hit as Lucia's tail smashed into her side, sending her skidding across the arena. She rolled, drove the snake sword into the ground, and came to a halt. From the steam, Lucia appeared, moving at an unhurried pace, four tails trailing behind, each wreathed in foxfire. Zara panted hard, while Lucia looked as if the fight had barely touched her.
"Stay…" Lucia finally said, her voice low. "…away from my family." Raven's eyes narrowed, something about her tone catching him off guard. Zara chuckled. "Your family?" In an instant, Lucia's foxfire flared, and she vanished. Zara's pupils tightened.
The snake sword just managed to block Lucia's strike. She attacked again. And again. With each blow, Zara fell back, water clinging to her blade only to vanish under the heat of foxfire as fast as she could summon it. Gritting her teeth, she dodged a sweeping tail from the side, then another crashing down from above, rolling out of the way. Lucia advanced, but Zara spotted it—a slim chance. She flicked her wrist, and the segmented snake sword curved neatly around Lucia's guard.
Zara's blade sliced upward, making Lucia freeze. A light fabric fluttered free—her veil—drifting lazily toward the arena floor. Her face was suddenly bare. The crowd fell silent. Raven's eyes flew wide, his usual stoic mask breaking. He shot to his feet so fast his chair scraped harshly against the stone. Shadow turned to look at him.
His eyes locked on Scarlet's champion—the face he'd been searching for, the one he refused to forget after all these years. His lips parted. "…Lucia?" She slowly turned her head, and their eyes met. Ten years of searching ended in a single heartbeat. Raven stood frozen, because the woman fighting in the arena was his wife.
Zara's snake sword clanged against the stone, and a heartbeat later, she hit the ground too. After a drawn-out clash of foxfire and shadowed water, her defenses finally crumbled. Her water mana was drained, her movements sluggish, and Lucia never gave her the space to recover. Zara made one last attempt to stand, her arm shaking before giving out, and she collapsed unconscious. Lucia stood a few meters away, chest heaving, faint wisps of foxfire curling around her four tails before fading. Leonida raised a hand. "Zara can no longer continue. Lucia wins." It was Lucia's second victory.
Before the crowd could even react—
"Lucia!"
Raven was already on the move.
He leapt from the stands and landed in the arena.
Lucia froze. For the first time since her veil had fallen, she truly saw him. Raven looked different in countless subtle ways, but it was still him. A decade vanished in an instant.
He stepped toward her.
"Lucia…"
Her lips parted.
"Raven—"
A figure dropped between them—Scarlet.
Raven barely registered her before her fist slammed into his face.
He was sent flying out of the arena. Shadow caught him just before he crashed into the stands, though the force still pushed Shadow back several steps. Raven lay there, staring blankly at the ceiling. Scarlet calmly adjusted her sleeve. "Save that for later." Lucia's gaze fixed on her mother, but Scarlet wouldn't meet her eyes. The tournament wasn't over yet.
Leonida watched the scene with a raised eyebrow before turning back to the arena. Zara's second loss meant her elimination, just like Vael before her. Only three champions remained: Lucia with two wins, Aster with one win and a draw, and Shadow with the same record. Rising from her throne, Leonida called out, "Lucia." The champion turned to face her. "You're the only one with two victories. Vael and Zara are out, while Aster and Shadow are tied."
Leonida motioned toward the pair.
"You've earned the right to pick your next opponent."
Lucia's eyes went to Shadow first.
He'd been an ally to Raven for years, and facing him now wouldn't achieve anything.
Her attention then moved to Aster—
the towering bull demon who stood quietly at the arena's edge.
Lucia had already made up her mind.
"Aster."
Without hesitation, Aster stepped into the arena. The stone floor seemed to shiver under his steps as he stopped across from her. Lucia's four tails fanned out slowly, while Aster sank lower into his stance. Unlike Vael, he didn't charge in. He'd seen her fight before. He knew what her foxfire could do.
Leonida raised her hand. "Begin."
For a few long seconds, neither moved. Flames of foxfire curled around Lucia's tails. Aster's muscles tensed. The crowd held its breath, waiting for the clash.
Lucia met his gaze, and the foxfire faded away. Her tails eased as she spoke. "I surrender." The arena fell into complete silence. Aster's posture softened, while Leonida stood frozen, her raised hand betraying a shift from anticipation to confusion. Lucia repeated evenly, "I surrender. Aster wins." This wasn't from exhaustion or fear—she had chosen him, and now she was intentionally granting him the victory.
Leonida slowly lowered her hand, mentally reviewing the tournament rules. Lucia had surrendered, giving Aster his second victory, fair and square. Her eyes drifted to her brother, who looked just as unsure as she felt. He had joined the tournament as her champion, and now, without even throwing a punch in the final match, he'd won it. Finally, Leonida spoke up. "By surrender, the victory goes to Aster." The crowd murmured in response.
The weight of those words rippled through the arena—Aster had won. Lucia stepped back without a hint of regret. She'd never entered for the throne. She'd faced the opponents she wanted, taken down Vael, and finished her fight with Zara. And when the decision of Sien's next ruler finally landed in her hands, she made her choice.
Leonida glanced between Lucia and her brother, still clearly baffled by how suddenly it was all over. Then she lifted Aster's arm high. "The victor of the succession battle…" Her voice rang out across the domain. "Aster." The arena exploded with cheers. Aster stood still, unmoved by the noise. The gatekeeper who had spent years at the entrance of Sien Domain had walked into the arena as his sister's champion—only to walk out as its new Demon King.
Lucia turned away without a word. There were more pressing matters to deal with now. Across the arena, Raven was already back on his feet, and this time, Scarlet still stood between them.