Aethon and Lyraen stepped onto the battlefield.
Every gaze in the arena locked onto them. Conversations died out, breaths held. This was the fight everyone had been waiting for.
And then—
The City Lord arrived.
Lord Valyrex, the Adept of the Essence Aspect, took his seat.
For him to appear now meant only one thing.
This battle was that big of a deal.
Lyraen Cyrenth stood with a calm, unshaken gaze.
Aethon, on the other hand, carried the look of someone intent on proving himself—on validating his Stellar Aspect cognition. Within the Vaelorn Clan, he was often spoken of as different. His clan primarily cultivated the Tides Aspect, and his path placed him firmly in the minority.
Because of that, his training had always been different.
And today was his chance to justify it.
Lyraen made the first move.
Flames condensed in his palm, shaping into a burning arrow, which he released from long range.
"Oh—Flame Arrow."
Aethon saw it coming and didn't move.
He activated his defense—Stellar Steel: Withheld—and took the attack head-on.
Boom.
An explosion swallowed him, smoke billowing across the battlefield. The crowd leaned forward, eyes fixed on the haze. Aethon had taken the flame attack directly—something few had expected.
The smoke slowly dissipated.
Aethon's figure was revealed—standing unharmed.
"Not a single scratch…""During practice, that attack shattered my defense and burned me badly.""That's insane…""Steel Aspect… it really is the strongest when it comes to defense."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd, awe replacing disbelief as eyes locked onto Aethon's unscathed form.
It was Aethon's turn.
Steel began forming along his hands, crawling up to his forearms as he activated his attack art. At the same time, his movement method flared—steel layering beneath his boots, reinforcing his steps.
He surged forward.
His speed spiked as he slid and weaved across the battlefield, narrowly avoiding several of Lyraen's flame attacks. A few still landed, but his defense held as he maintained all three functions—attack, defense, and mobility—simultaneously.
The strain was immediate.
His body resisted, but only barely.
This is too much, Aethon thought.Soon the steel will lock around my feet and I'll lose control.The defense can last a little longer… that's good.
His gaze sharpened.
I need to land this attack now—or I lose the advantage.
He ignored the pain in his feet and pushed his movement even further.
With a sudden burst, Aethon appeared right in front of Lyraen.
"Woah—did you see that speed?""I thought the Steel Aspect was bad at movement!""He's faster than Lyraen—!"
Aethon swung, a steel-coated fist aimed to shatter Lyraen's ribs.
But before it could land, a wall of flames erupted between them.
The steel on Aethon's arm melted instantly.
Worse—the molten steel flowed back, clinging to his bare skin, searing his hand as it burned.
Pain tore through him.
Aethon clenched his jaw and endured it. He hadn't taken a recovery elixir—he had spent that slot on physique instead. Now, his enhanced body was the only thing preventing his hand from being ruined entirely.
Still, the damage was done.
He had lost the steel on one arm—and paid the price for it.
"What—how is his flame wall so strong?""Damn it… he planned this from the start."
Aethon's breathing grew heavy.
I can't move anymore. The mobility is strained… it'll take time to recover my speed.
He was aware of every gaze on him—his father's most of all.
It's fine, he reassured himself. I still have my defense. He won't break through it. I'll stall and recover.
Then—
Aethon's pupils shrank to pinpoints.
Lyraen raised his hand, flames spiraling and condensing. Another Flame Arrow formed—but this one was vastly larger, denser, and far more violent than the first.
Lyraen smiled.
"Haha… have a taste of this."
He released it.
Aethon activated his defense instantly—but it didn't matter.
The steel barrier was pierced in a heartbeat.
Flames engulfed him. His body was set ablaze as the arrow tore through, stopping just short of his heart.
The arena erupted in shock as Aethon collapsed, burning.
The medics rushed in immediately, wasting no time. This was the son of a clan leader—hesitation wasn't an option.
Healing arts flared as they worked to save him.
All eyes then shifted to Lyraen, gazes filled with awe and admiration.
Without a word, Lyraen turned and walked off the stage, his hands clasped behind his back.
The Cyrenth Clan Leader lifted his head, pride clear in his expression.
"This child… is truly a talent."
The next battle was announced, and everyone's eyes shifted to the board.
Rhea vs. Serayne Cyrenth.
A ripple went through the crowd.
"Wait—she's Lyraen's sister.""Oh… then we already know how this ends.""Very well…"
Expectation settled in before either of them even stepped onto the field.
Chronis and Serayne stepped onto the field.
"Hmph. Cognition Aspect," Serayne scoffed inwardly. Luck favors me.I'll finish this quickly and have Big Brother congratulate me.
She moved first.
A fireball condensed instantly and shot toward Chronis.
Chronis activated her mobility art—Cognition: Predictive Gale.
The world shifted.
Two seconds into the future unfolded in her mind. The trajectory. The timing. The follow-up Serayne hadn't even thought of yet.
She moved before the attack truly existed.
The fireball missed empty air.
Chronis appeared directly in front of Serayne, then pivoted in the same motion—her body turning, leg rising—
A cross back kick slammed into Serayne's temple.
The impact was clean. Brutal. Final.
Serayne didn't even get the chance to activate her defense.
Her body lifted slightly from the ground before collapsing, unconscious, at Chronis's feet.
Silence fell over the arena.
"What—what just happened?""That girl—over there—huh… what??""She didn't even use an offensive technique…""She just used her body—and landed that devastating a blow?"
Voices overlapped in disbelief.
Even Lord Valyrex raised his eyes slightly, interest flickering across his expression. The clan leaders stiffened, attention sharpening.
Mila stood frozen, her jaw slowly dropping.
And somewhere nearby, Kael Tharos felt a chill crawl up his spine.