When Kael found himself alone with Tenko, the air felt heavier—like both of them were waiting for the other to speak first.
Kael crossed his arms.
"...You're not going to tell him, are you?"
Tenko stiffened, little blue body trembling.
"You… you know?"
Kael sighed. "Yeah. A creature like you can't train a heavenly being past Level 9. If you keep pushing Ueki, you'll die. You know that, right?"
Tenko's eyes widened in panic. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out.
Kael placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I'll tell him."
"W-wait—!" Tenko reached out, but Kael was already turning toward the door.
He inhaled sharply.
"UEKI!" Kael shouted across the yard.
From inside the house, a familiar voice responded immediately.
"Yeaaah?!"
Ueki jogged outside, cheerful as always, wiping sweat from his forehead.
"What's up, Kael?"
Kael didn't waste a second. He explained everything—Tenko's limit, the danger, the truth behind the heavenly contract. Each word made Ueki's eyes tremble more and more.
When Kael finished, silence swallowed the air.
Then—
"TENKOOOOOOO!!!"
Ueki rounded on the little celestial creature, face flushing with anger and worry. Tenko flinched, shrinking in on himself.
Kael watched quietly.
This scene…
It played out almost exactly like the anime. But seeing it happen in front of him—real emotions, real fear—hit far harder.
Tenko stared at the ground.
"I just… wanted to help. I thought I could push further. I didn't want to be useless…"
The shaking in his voice cracked something inside Ueki.
Ueki took a step forward.
"Idiot… Don't you get it? You matter to me. I don't want your help if it means you disappear!"
Tenko froze.
Ueki's voice softened, overflowing with sincerity.
"You're important. More important than some number or level. So don't decide things alone. We're a team, right?"
Tenko's eyes glistened as his head slowly lifted.
"U…Ueki…"
A small, relieved smile tugged at Kael's lips.
This was the heart of Kosuke Ueki—
the reason this boy wins, even when logic says he shouldn't.
After the emotional storm calmed, Kael walked forward and patted Tenko gently.
"See? Don't sell yourself short so fast. You're more than you think."
Tenko sniffled, nodding quietly.
For a moment, the world felt simple—
a group bound by sincerity, trust, and the kind of warmth Kael rarely allowed himself to feel.
But the tournament loomed ahead.
And soon, trust alone wouldn't be enough.
…
The day finally arrived.
The familiar messenger of God stood before Ueki's team once again, wearing the same farmer-style hat and the same unreadable expression.
"Please choose an ice cream," he said calmly, as if announcing the fate of nations.
Ueki had already stuffed one into his mouth.
Meanwhile, Sano, Rinko, and Ai were still debating like their lives depended on it.
"Vanilla!"
"No, chocolate!"
"What about mint?!"
In the end—
just like in the anime—it somehow devolved into a bizarre "elimination round" where choosing the wrong ice cream didn't eliminate you…
but sent you straight into Round 3.
Kael still found it dumb.
Weird.
And very on-brand for this universe.
"Alright, everyone aboard."
The messenger tipped his hat—literally—and the team was pulled into the sky, soaring high above the human world, clouds streaking past like white paint across a blue canvas.
They landed at the tournament venue with a soft thud.
A towering gate stood before them, opening slowly with a deep, echoing rumble.
"Welcome, Kosuke Ueki's team," a voice boomed.
Kael's eyes sharpened.
He scanned the teams gathering inside.
Four other teams.
Faces both familiar and wrong.
And among them—
An anomaly.
A person who shouldn't be in this timeline.
Someone out of place.
The hairs on Kael's arm rose.
Another distortion. Another intruder.
Click.
Kael shifted instantly—dodging the sudden flash.
A camera shutter.
A little kid stood in front of him, grinning, holding a tiny toy camera.
"Ah—sorry! This kid likes taking pictures of everything!"
An older man jogged over, bowing his head repeatedly.
The child bowed too, eyes sparkling with innocent curiosity.
Kael's expression didn't soften.
He knew that face.
He'd seen it somewhere—
not in Law of Ueki…
but in a different world entirely.
Before he could focus further, the air trembled.
A presence descended like a divine weight.
A figure materialized in radiant light.
"I am the Celestial King."
The voice was regal, echoing through the hall.
"You five teams will compete in the Third Round. For the record, two teams have passed directly into the Fourth Round—Roger's team and Li Ho's team."
Gasps murmured through the arena.
Kael's eyes narrowed.
Roger's team.
Li Ho's team.
He scanned past the names—past the titles—and into the aura of each group.
Both teams were small.
Only three members each.
But the pressure they emitted didn't lose to anyone in the room.
Not even Kael.
Strong. Too strong for normal candidates.
Another anomaly.
Or several.
Kael exhaled slowly.
This world was being invaded more aggressively than he expected.
Distortions. Foreign bloodlines. Anomalies hiding among the candidates.
If he didn't act carefully, the plot he vowed to protect—
could unravel completely.
…
The Celestial King raised a hand, light rippling across the arena as dozens of floating screens appeared overhead.
"Now then," he began, voice echoing with heavenly authority,
"allow me to explain the rules of the Third Round."
Every candidate, including Kael, instinctively straightened.
This was the moment that would shape everything.
"The Third Round will be conducted as a league match.
Each team will face every other team once.
Victory will grant points.
Defeat will subtract points.
At the end of all matches, the top team will advance."
The arena erupted in whispers.
A league system meant endurance. Strategy. Survival.
And it meant Kael would have a chance to observe all the anomalies one by one.
Perfect.
The Celestial King extended his hand once again.
A golden tablet appeared in the air, spinning gently before revealing glowing words:
FIRST MATCH
Kosuke Ueki Team vs Grano Team
Ueki clenched his fists with determination.
Ai sucked in a breath.
Sano grinned.
Rinko's eyes sharpened.
Tenko floated nervously.
Kael simply rolled his shoulders, bone humming quietly beneath his skin.
Grano.
A name Kael remembered very well from the story—
but the presence he felt now…
…was much heavier than the Grano from canon.
He could feel it.
A foreign pressure.
A foreign resonance.
Another anomaly.
Kael stepped forward, lips curling in a slow, dangerous smile.
"Looks like our warm-up is over," he said quietly.
"Ueki… stay sharp. Their team is not normal."
Ueki nodded.
And as the announcer's voice thundered—
"ALL MEMBERS OF UEKI TEAM AND GRANO TEAM,
PROCEED TO THE ARENA!"
—Kael walked with them, sensing the countless eyes, distortions, and unknown dangers sharpening their gaze on him.
This wasn't just a match.
It was the first battlefield of a multi-world war he never asked for—
but one he was already knee-deep in.