Two days.
Two explosive days that shook Lionel Academy from its foundations.
Astra's immediate dominance.Rain's icy creativity.Roger's miracle comeback.Selene's shocking upset.
The Dawnforge Tournament had already become the most talked-about event in Nexara—and yet the tournament was only halfway finished.
Students whispered, teachers analyzed, and spectators filled the streets buzzing with predictions.
But the true storm had not arrived yet.
Because the final match of the first round… was tomorrow.
Raze Arcwell vs Voxen Hale.
◆ ◆ ◆
Days Three to Six — Hero Class Keeps Winning
The next four days passed in a streak of intensity.
Hero Class vs Auxiliary Cadets.
Match after match.Round after round.And to the surprise of no one—the Hero Class proved why they were considered elite.
They didn't win easily.
Some struggled.Some were pushed back.Some had close calls.But not a single one came close to defeat.
Gray was forced to lift more weight than ever to counter a shockwave user.Mira barely won after copying naomi's ability beforehand.Alren expanded his frost range beyond what he thought possible.Felix fought half-blind yet still outsmarted his opponent with sound alone.Naomi calmly defended against brutal attacks before gently tapping her opponent out.
Even the instructors whispered:
"This generation… is monstrous."
But even while the academy cheered for each victory—
everyone's eyes kept drifting toward one name on the match schedule.
The final battle. The final student.
Raze Arcwell.
◆ ◆ ◆
Voxen Hale — The Silent Threat
In a small apartment on the east side of Nexara…
Voxen Hale stood in the center of his training room, sweat dripping from his arms that were now shaped like polished black stone.
He exhaled slowly.
Then struck the steel training pillar—
KRAK!
The metal bent inward.
He transformed again.This time into tungsten—the densest substance he could safely mimic.
Another strike—KRNNNCH!The pillar shook.
His arms reverted to flesh as he stepped back, breathing heavily.
His mother entered the room, worry written across her face.
"Voxen… it's late. You should sleep."
He didn't look up.
"My opponent is an Arcwell, Mom."
"You don't need to prove anything—"
"Yes. I do."
His voice trembled—not with fear, but determination.
"When people see the name Arcwell, they think of money… influence… perfection.When they see me, they think—auxiliary cadet. A normal boy."
He tightened his fists.
"I won't be a stepping stone. Not tomorrow."
His mother sighed softly.
"Then fight with everything you have… and come home safe."
Voxen nodded once.
He wasn't afraid of Raze Arcwell.
He was afraid of being forgotten.
◆ ◆ ◆
Raze Arcwell — A Different Kind of Preparation
Meanwhile, inside the Arcwell estate—
Raze stood in the underground training room wearing his newly adjusted combat suit.
Deep blue.Flexible and reinforced.Fitted with stabilizers and shock absorbers.And laced with micro-layered Arcsteel mesh.
His breath fogged the visor momentarily.
On the weapons rack beside him lay two short batons.
Not blades.
Those weren't allowed.
And more importantly—
Raze refused to risk harming his opponent.
Luna walked around him, inspecting the suit.
"This should sync better with your movement now. You've trained enough for the adaptors to respond instantly."
Raze tested his wrist—it flowed perfectly with the suit's motion.
Then he picked up the batons.
They were made of:
85% Arcsteel.9% hyper-dense carbon reinforcement.6% trace Abyss Alloy.
Just enough of the forbidden metal to strengthen the core,but not enough to draw attention.
His father stood watching quietly.
"You could have used your blades."
Raze shook his head.
"Not against a student. We're both here to learn, not destroy each other."
Roland smiled.
"You're responsible… that's good.But Voxen Hale will hit hard. Very hard."
Raze nodded.
"I know."
Lily peeked from behind Roland's leg.
"Beat him, Raze! You're super cool!"
Raze laughed despite himself.
Luna crossed her arms, smirking.
"If you lose, I'll train you twice as hard."
"I already suffer enough…"
"Exactly."
They both laughed.
But beneath that warmth, Raze felt something tightening in his chest.
Not fear.
Not anxiety.
A promise.
To stand his ground.To show the world what a powerless human could become.To prove that his family didn't need to protect him anymore.
He looked at the batons again.
No blades.No Astral Edges.Just him.
And his will.
◆ ◆ ◆
Reactions Across the Academy
Elsewhere in Nexara—
Astra floated above her roof, legs crossed, golden hair waving in the night breeze.
"Tomorrow… I want to see his limits."
Bam punched a tree stump in his backyard, splitting it.
"Raze better give Voxen hell."
Rain sat beside her bed, hands clasped.
"I hope… he doesn't get hurt."
Roger juggled three apples with a cocky grin.
"My boy's about to cook harder than me."
Gray simply stared out his window.
"…He'll surprise everyone."
Even the teachers whispered amongst themselves.
"Arcwell's skill is terrifying.""Voxen is the strongest auxiliary student in decades.""That match might be better than Astra's."
The whole academy buzzed.
Because tomorrow… anything could happen.
◆ ◆ ◆
The Night Before the Storm
Raze stepped onto the balcony of the Arcwell estate.
The city stretched before him.The stadium lights glowed in the distance.The sky was clear—perfect for the fight ahead.
He clenched his fists.
"Tomorrow… I'll show them."
His suit hummed faintly.
"I'm not powerless."
The wind answered with silence.
"And I'm not afraid."
◆ ◆ ◆
Tomorrow — Raze Arcwell steps into the arena.
The strongest auxiliary cadet.
The boy with no Nexas.
Two paths converging.
Two destinies clashing.
And the world would finally see—
What a human without Nexas can truly become