The semifinal, that one-Pokémon show by Gabite, had crushed in the most brutal way possible the last trace of "maybe I'll get lucky" left in any contestant's heart.
Everyone finally had to face a simple fact.
As long as Shiba was still standing on this stage, there was no suspense at all about who would win the Newcomer Tournament.
Because of that, the finals felt almost absurd.
The moment Shiba's Shiny Metang came out, that flowing, icy metallic silver armor brought with it such oppressive force it felt like the air itself was getting thick.
His opponent, another elite heir from one of Magic City's great families, went pale in an instant.
After symbolically ordering his Pokémon to attack twice—and failing to leave even a faint white scratch on that silver armor—he very sensibly raised his hand.
"I surrender."
Clean and sharp, without a trace of hesitation.
Rather than letting his ace Pokémon flail around in a hopeless struggle and lose all dignity, it was better to preserve at least some face.
And so, amid a strange mix of silence and "well of course" in the air, the curtain quietly fell on the Magic City Newcomer Tournament.
Shiba took the champion's throne in a fashion that allowed for no argument at all—crushing and absolute.
The champion's rewards were shockingly generous.
The huge amount of prize money—enough for an ordinary family to jump a whole social class—was transferred straight into Shiba's account, yet it didn't stir even the slightest ripple in his heart.
To him, it was nothing but a string of digits.
The real prize was that one, unique opportunity—entering the inner vault of the Magic City Trainer Association and choosing a single artifact with his own hands.
With his father Kaito personally accompanying him, Shiba arrived at the steel fortress hidden beneath the city.
Security there was airtight. Elite Four–level Pokémon could be seen patrolling everywhere. The air itself hummed faintly with the vibrations of energy-detection waves.
The person in charge of the vault was an Elite Four-tier powerhouse with white hair and a presence as deep and immovable as a mountain range.
The moment he saw Kaito, his face broke into a warm smile—the kind of attitude you only ever showed to someone of equal strength, or even higher status.
"Congratulations, Champion Kudo! And congratulations as well to Shiba, your fine nephew. Truly, like father, like son."
"Juro-san, you flatter us."
Kaito's smile was as gentle as always, yet carried a weight no one could ignore.
After a few brief pleasantries, Juro personally led Shiba toward the vault where the rewards were stored.
"According to the regulations, the Newcomer Champion chooses their reward from the C-rank vault."
After a complex series of checks, a heavy alloy door slid open in silence. A wave of warm air mixed with countless different energy signatures washed over them.
The interior of the vault was brightly lit. Row upon row of temperature-controlled display cases stood lined up in perfect order.
Inside, treasures that money simply could not buy were arranged neatly.
Evolution items that shimmered with strange light. High-potential Pokémon Eggs that pulsed with powerful life force. There were even a few copied manuals recording rare moves.
"Shiba, you can pick any one thing here you like."
Juro's tone carried a hint of pride as he introduced the place.
Any one of these items, if it spread into the wider world, would spark quite a stir among Trainers.
Shiba's gaze merely swept over them.
His eyes brushed past a Dratini Egg whose life aura was especially vigorous, then over a perfectly preserved feather from Moltres.
His expression stayed utterly calm, not pausing for even a second.
To ordinary Trainers, these were dreamlike treasures.
To him, they were… nothing special.
The heritage of a Dragon-tamer clan had long since made him immune to the lure of so-called Dragon-type Eggs.
And the Prophecy System gave him a perspective on value far beyond that of normal people.
He shook his head. The obvious indifference on his face made the smile on Juro's lips stiffen for a moment.
Shiba ignored it and turned toward him.
"Juro-ojisan, my father should already have spoken with the Association about this."
His voice was calm, but carried a certainty that did not allow refusal.
"I want to apply to pick from the A-rank vault instead."
The moment the words left his mouth, the air seemed to freeze.
For the first time, a troubled look appeared on Juro's face.
"Shiba, that… isn't how the rules work. The A-rank vault is where we keep the Association's highest secrets. Forget a Newcomer Champion—even a regular member of the Elite Four can't go in without a special authorization and—"
He didn't finish.
Because he saw the look in Kaito's eyes.
Kaito was still smiling. But there was no warmth at all left in those deep pupils.
That was a silent pressure—the absolute will of someone at the top, bearing down on someone below.
Every remaining word Juro had stuck in his throat.
In the end, he let out a helpless sigh, like a balloon slowly leaking air.
"Very well."
He nodded.
"Since it's a favor for Champion Kudo, we'll make an exception this once."
So-called rules, when faced with absolute strength and authority, could, in the end, be bent.
The procedures that followed were extremely complex and strict.
Iris scans, genetic sequence checks, psychic-wave pattern verification…
After a dizzying series of identity confirmations and clearance approvals, Shiba finally stood before a massive bronze gate that seemed to breathe ancient air.
The A-rank vault.
This was where Magic City's most precious, most core secrets were kept.
The moment the gate opened, a wave of old, overwhelming energy surged toward him, making Shiba's spirit jolt awake.
The space inside was not large, and the furnishings were extremely simple.
Only a handful of items floated quietly in midair, each sealed within its own energy barrier.
And yet each of those few items gave off a power so intense that even an Elite Four-class Trainer would feel their heart tremble.
Shiba unconsciously slowed his breathing.
He didn't rush forward. Instead, he closed his eyes and sank his awareness inward.
Prophecy System—activate.
His vision changed in an instant.
The colors drained from the real world, turning everything into black and white lines. Objects that contained special energy and future possibilities, however, flared with light of different colors.
White represented the ordinary. Green, the rare. Blue, the valuable. Purple, the epic…
And gold—gold meant legend and myth.
His gaze slowly swept across the entire vault.
A broken ancient longsword, wrapped in a faint purple halo.
A shattered stone tablet, also purple.
A crystal vial containing a single drop of blood, its purple light spearing upward like a pillar.
Each one of these was an epic-grade treasure, enough to change the fate of any Trainer. But Shiba's heart didn't stir.
He was waiting.
Waiting for that one, unique miracle.
Suddenly, his heart started pounding wildly for no reason at all, as if it wanted to break free from his chest.
A light.
From the deepest part of the vault, a gold light exploded upward, dazzling and blinding—like a miniature sun detonating right in front of his eyes.
That glow was so dominant, so pure, that it completely crushed every other purple aura around it into nothing, leaving them dim and washed out.
A golden omen.
Shiba's eyes snapped open, and for the first time, a blazing heat burst forth in his pupils.
The source of that golden light was an ancient scroll, tightly wrapped within a specially tuned energy barrier.
He knew that this time… he'd probably found a treasure that could truly defy the heavens.
(End of Chapter)
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