CHAPTER 7: THE DRAGON AND THE WOLF
Lisa, Sakura, Yuta, and Shinji were completely shocked after hearing Reina's answer.
AN S-RANK.
For a few seconds, nobody said anything.
Then Lisa finally broke the silence.
Lisa: "Whoa... I knew you were strong, but you're an S-Rank?"
She stared at Reina with excitement.
Then another question came to her mind.
Lisa: "Then what about the Grand Master? Is he an S-Rank too?"
Reina shook her head.
Reina: "No."
Lisa tilted her head.
Reina: "He's a level above S-Rank."
Sakura's eyes widened.
Sakura: "But you said there are only four ranks."
Reina: "There are."
She continued.
Reina: "C-Rank, B-Rank, A-Rank, and S-Rank are the four official Mana Ranks."
Reina paused for a moment.
Reina: "However, there are a few exceptional beings who manage to reach a level beyond S-Rank."
Everyone listened carefully.
Reina: "After pushing themselves beyond their limits and reaching a state of enlightenment, they can awaken to a new level."
Her voice became serious.
Reina: "S+ RANK."
Yuta's eyes widened.
Yuta: "S+ Rank..."
Reina nodded.
Reina: "Only a small number of beings across all of Heaven's Light have ever reached that level."
Sakura leaned forward.
Sakura: "Then how does someone become the Grand Master?"
Reina smiled faintly.
Reina: "That's where it gets complicated."
She continued.
Reina: "S+ Rank beings from across Heaven's Light can participate in a special competition."
Her expression became serious.
Reina: "THE GRAND MASTER COMBAT."
The others listened closely.
Reina: "The competition consists of three different tests."
She raised one finger.
Reina: "The first is a written examination."
A second finger.
Reina: "The second is one-on-one combat between the S+ Rank participants."
Then a third finger.
Reina: "And the final test..."
Her eyes narrowed.
Reina: "A duel against the current Grand Master."
Yuta stared at her.
Yuta: "That sounds like a very long process."
Reina nodded.
Reina: "It is."
She looked out the window.
Reina: "Becoming the Grand Master isn't easy."
Her voice became calmer.
Reina: "The Grand Master is responsible for guiding the future generations toward the right path."
She smiled faintly.
Reina: "And being the Grand Master also means becoming one of the busiest people in Heaven's Light."
Reina's expression became serious again.
Reina: "The highest authority in Heaven's Light belongs to the Grand Master."
Shinji looked confused.
Shinji: "Wait a minute."
Everyone looked at him.
Shinji: "I thought the Lionhart Family was above all the other families."
Reina nodded.
Reina: "The Lionhart Family is the head of the seven great houses."
She continued.
Reina: "But the Grand Master and THE ORDER were created to keep all seven families in check."
Her voice became firm.
Reina: "No family, not even the Lionharts, is allowed to misuse its power."
Lisa thought about everything she had learned.
Then she asked another question.
Lisa: "Then who is stronger?"
Reina looked at her.
Lisa: "A Mystic Berserker... or the Grand Master?"
For a moment, Reina remained silent.
Then she answered.
Reina: "The Grand Master is one of the few beings capable of giving a Mystic Berserker a real fight."
Lisa's eyes widened.
Reina: "But..."
Everyone waited.
Reina: "If a Mystic Berserker reveals their True Form..."
Her expression became serious.
Reina: "Nobody can match them."
Lisa stared at her.
Lisa: "True Form?"
Reina nodded.
Reina: "Yes."
She looked thoughtful.
Reina: "But I only know a few things about it."
Reina: "There are very few records regarding the True Forms of Mystic Berserkers."
Lisa wanted to ask more questions.
But before she could—
OUTSIDE THE MAIN HALL
A figure suddenly appeared in front of the Main Hall.
It was none other than Ichiro Katsu.
THE WOLF BERSERKER.
He wore a traditional robe, and in his right hand, he held his sword.
The moment Ichiro saw Arman—
His eyes sharpened.
A grin appeared on his face.
Then—
SWOOOOSH!
He charged forward.
His sword flashed through the air.
Arman immediately noticed him.
CLANG!
Arman summoned his own sword and blocked the attack.
The two blades collided.
Ichiro's sword was completely white.
Arman's, however...
Was the complete opposite.
It was pitch black.
The two Berserkers stared at each other.
Then Arman smirked.
Arman: "Is that how you greet a friend?"
Ichiro smiled.
Ichiro: "It's the best way I know."
Arman pushed his blade against Ichiro's.
Arman: "I guess you want me to whoop your ass again."
Ichiro's smile widened.
Ichiro: "It's been eight years since then."
The two stared at each other.
The desire to fight was obvious in both of their eyes.
Suddenly—
Grand Master Leon rose from his throne.
Grand Master Leon: "You two."
His voice echoed throughout the hall.
Both Arman and Ichiro looked toward him.
Grand Master Leon: "If you want to spar, do it at the training grounds."
Ichiro lowered his sword.
Then he looked back at Arman.
Ichiro: "What do you think, Alan?"
A challenging smile appeared on his face.
Ichiro: "Are you up for a challenge?"
Arman smirked.
Arman: "Bring it on."
He rested his sword on his shoulder.
Arman: "I'm ready to kick your ass any day."
Ichiro laughed.
Ichiro: "Then let's see what the mighty Dragon has been doing for the past eight years."
Kim suddenly stepped forward.
Kim: "That's a great idea."
Everyone looked at him.
Kim: "Why don't the rest of us participate too?"
Arman immediately turned toward him.
Arman: "Oii!"
His eyes widened.
Arman: "Are you guys trying to kill me?"
The Berserkers laughed.
The Grand Master nodded.
Grand Master Leon: "It's a good idea."
Everyone became quiet.
Grand Master Leon: "There are many new recruits this year."
He looked toward the Berserkers.
Grand Master Leon: "Watching the Berserkers spar will surely motivate them."
Audrey Alan nodded in agreement.
Audrey: "Indeed."
He looked toward the other family heads.
Audrey: "All the Heads of the Houses are present today as well."
Arman sighed.
Arman: "Fine."
Everyone looked at him.
Arman: "I'm ready."
Then he pointed at Ichiro.
Arman: "But today..."
A smirk appeared on his face.
Arman: "I'll spar with Ichiro only."
John immediately protested.
John: "We want to spar with you too."
Lloyd quickly looked at him.
Lloyd: "You meathead!"
John frowned.
Lloyd: "Do you want Sir Arman to die from exhaustion?"
Arman glanced at Lloyd.
Lloyd was Arman's biggest fan.
John crossed his arms.
John: "He's a Berserker."
John: "He can handle it."
Angela shook her head.
Angela: "No."
She looked toward Arman.
Angela: "He'll get exhausted if he spars with all of us on the same day."
She smiled.
Angela: "We can spar with him during the EON Festival."
Kim's eyes widened.
Kim: "That's right."
He looked toward Arman.
Kim: "You returned at the perfect time, Alan."
Arman raised an eyebrow.
Kim: "The EON Festival begins two weeks from today."
Arman's eyes lit up.
Arman: "The EON Festival?"
A grin appeared on his face.
Arman: "That'll be fun."
Grand Master Leon: "Ahem."
Arman immediately turned toward him.
Arman: "Oh, right."
He scratched the back of his head.
Arman: "Grand Master, you were about to announce something."
The Grand Master sighed.
Then he raised his hand.
Mana began gathering around him.
His Mana spread throughout the Main Pavilion, amplifying his voice so that everyone could hear him.
His voice echoed across the entire city.
Grand Master Leon: "TODAY IS A VERY AUSPICIOUS DAY FOR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US!"
People throughout the Main Pavilion stopped what they were doing.
They looked toward the source of the voice.
Grand Master Leon: "OUR HERO..."
His voice grew louder.
Grand Master Leon: "THE ONE WHO LED US TO VICTORY IN THE BATTLE OF UTOPIA..."
Arman stood silently.
The Berserkers watched him.
Grand Master Leon: "HAS FINALLY RETURNED!"
The entire Main Pavilion fell silent.
Then—
Grand Master Leon: "TO CELEBRATE THE RETURN OF ARMAN ALAN..."
His voice thundered across the city.
"THE DRAGON BERSERKER!"
Cheers began erupting from every direction.
But the announcement wasn't over.
Grand Master Leon: "A SPECIAL SPARRING MATCH WILL TAKE PLACE!"
Everyone froze.
Grand Master Leon: "THE DRAGON BERSERKER..."
Arman's eyes moved toward Ichiro.
Ichiro grinned.
Grand Master Leon: "VERSUS..."
The entire city waited.
"THE WOLF BERSERKER!"
"THE MATCH WILL TAKE PLACE AT THE TRAINING GROUNDS..."
"IN TWO HOURS!"
For a moment—
Silence.
Then the entire Main Pavilion erupted.
"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"
The Dragon had returned.
And in two hours...
He would face the Wolf.