When the carriages came to a stop in a grand square, Kael stepped down to find himself face-to-face with a massive crowd. The banners of all four kingdoms were flying: the heavily armored knights of the North, the mages of the West in their embroidered robes, and the lightly armored, sharp-eyed assassin trainees of the South...
"Hey, Kael!"
When Kael turned around, he saw a familiar face. Gil from the Northern Academy was walking toward him with a broad smile on his face.
"So you were chosen for the tournament too! How are you, buddy? It's been a long time."
Kael smiled as he shook Gil's hand. "I'm good, Gil. It's great to see you here, safe and sound."Gil's expression grew serious for a moment. "Kael... I never properly thanked you for that day. I know you saved our lives, pulling us out of that chaos..."
"No problem, Gil," Kael said sincerely. "What matters is that we're all here. Where are Ros and Soren? I don't see them around."
Gil sighed and shook his head. "No, they weren't selected. Soren's wounds haven't fully healed yet; he needs to rest..."
"By the way, Kael, look at all this splendor around us, buddy... I've never seen flying ships this close before. Even the people's clothes are kind of strange—it's like we're in a different world."
Once they settled into their quarters, Rota flopped onto his bed and stared at the ceiling.
"Tomorrow's the big day, Kael. No kidding—we're stepping into the same arena as the continent's best talents."
Kael stood by the window, watching the lights of the Central Kingdom.
"You're right. Are you excited?"
"Excited? My heart's literally about to burst out of my chest, but you know what? Seeing you so calm makes me feel better. No matter what happens out there tomorrow, let's not forget we're a team, okay?"
The next day, the atmosphere in the massive arena was indescribable. Tens of thousands of people had packed the area around the arena, their screams shaking the ground. When the team took their positions, Thalendir waved with a smug expression, as if the entire crowd had gathered just for him.
"These cheers... I've finally reached the audience I deserve,"
No one was even looking at him....At that moment, the man seated on a golden throne at the arena's highest point stood up. King Arkonis Thal!
When the King raised his hand slightly, the crowd of tens of thousands fell silent instantly. His voice echoed throughout every corner of the arena thanks to a reflective spell; additionally, the entire arena was being broadcast to the audience via a magical screen.
People across all the kingdoms were watching this grand tournament from their homes and streets. Nerya and Vaelmon, meanwhile, were watching the tournament from the mansion.
"Young talents of the Five Kingdoms, welcome! We have gathered here today not only to compete, but to honor the great wizards and warriors of the future. Be fair, be brave, and push your limits. Today's winner will not merely be a champion, but a part of history. I wish you all the best!"
As the king spoke, Kael's eyes fell upon the figure standing directly to the king's right. Archmage Luminos.
His golden eyes shone like the sun. When Luminos tilted his head slightly and looked in Kael's direction, Kael felt his heart stop for a moment. It was as if time had slowed down. All the noise in the arena fell silent; it felt as though those piercing gazes were reaching straight into Kael's soul.
"Kael...."
"KAEL!"
"Are you okay, buddy?"
Rota's jolt snapped Kael back to his senses. His face was drenched in cold sweat.
"What? No, I'm fine... It's just the crowd..."
"The opponents will be determined shortly; I hope we don't get eliminated in the first round,"
Just then, an attendant brought a silver box to the king's side. When the box was opened, a pure plant emerged, shining like a diamond and radiating a brilliant white aura: "Astra Lumina."
The moment Kael saw the flower, he froze. This was it... The legendary plant he'd planned to search for in the northern ruins—the one that would heal his mother—was right in front of him.
The official made the announcement:
"The prize of this tournament is Astra Lumina! Not only does it lift the heaviest curses, but its pure mana essence also elevates the user to the next level. It's a power source capable of propelling a 4th-ring student to the 5th ring in no time!"
Kael clenched his teeth. "No matter what..." he muttered to himself.
"I have to win this tournament!"
In the far corner, Zephyros furrowed his brows in concern."How did they manage to pull this out of the ruins of the North? Kael... I hope you can keep your composure, son."A huge commotion erupted in the arena as the opponents appeared on the massive magical screen.
First Match: Revia (Eastern Academy – Mage Class) vs. Irina (Southern Academy – Assassin Class)
Irina was one of the Southern Kingdom's dark and agile assassins. The leather armor she wore fit her body perfectly, and her gaze was as sharp as a hunter's.
"Revia... I've heard your name a lot," said Irina, leaning forward slightly and assuming an attacking stance.
"I know you're the Four-Ringed Genius of the East. But this isn't the academy—you'd better not underestimate me!"
There wasn't even the slightest trace of emotion on Revia's face.When the tournament referee signaled the start of the fight, Irina suddenly lunged toward Revia. Revia closed her eyes and spread her mana across the ground. A second later, the glint of a dagger rose from the shadow on her right.
Revia struck her staff against the ground:
"Ice Wall!"
A solid sheet of ice rose exactly where the dagger was about to strike. As Irina's dagger struck the ice, the assassin girl somersaulted backward in mid-air. But Revia didn't give her a moment to breathe.
"Ice Spears!"
Dozens of sharp ice spears shot up from the ground toward Irina. With incredible agility, Irina weaved through the spears, moving like a dancer. Just then, Irina hurled one of the daggers in her hand at Revia. Revia dodged the dagger by tilting her head slightly to the side, but it was a feint.
The dagger began to emit smoke the moment it hit the ground. Irina burst out of the smoke and suddenly appeared right at Revia's feet.
"You're too slow!" Irina said, pointing her other dagger at Revia's throat.
Just then, a faint smile appeared on Revia's lips.
"Freezing Field."
The three-meter area around where Revia stood suddenly dropped to near absolute zero. Just millimeters before Irina's dagger could reach Revia, the assassin's feet were sealed to the ground by ice. When Irina looked down in shock, she saw the ice spreading not just to her feet but up her legs as well.
"W-when...?" stammered Irina.
"The moment you threw your dagger, I had already anchored my power to the ground," Revia said calmly. She extended her staff toward Irina's heart.
"The battle is over!"
Irina couldn't move. Her body had begun to tremble from the cold. The referee raised his hand:
"The winner: Revia from the Eastern Academy!"
As the spectators in the arena leapt to their feet in excitement, Kael and Rota stared at each other, seemingly moved by Revia's brief battle. Thalendir, however, crossed his arms:
"Not bad, but it doesn't even come close to my techniques," he said, refusing to let his pride waver.
When Revia withdrew her staff, the ice melted. Irina collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath. As Revia turned and walked away, Irina called out:
"Next time... I'll shatter that ice, Revia!"
Revia didn't stop; she merely raised her hand slightly and continued walking.The names reappeared on the arena's massive screen:
Second Match: Kael (Eastern Academy – Mage-Knight Class) vs. Melina (Western Academy – Mage Class)
When Kael stepped onto the field, he wore a runic outfit bestowed upon him by Zephyros, and at his waist hung the Anka sword...
"A Mage-Knight?" A murmur rose from the stands.
"Come on, the number of people in that class doesn't even exceed the fingers on one hand."
"Mastering both magic and the sword is nearly impossible!"
Standing opposite Kael, Melina looked both elegant and dangerous in her purple robe. The ruby staff in her hand radiated a warm energy.King Arkonis Thal leaned forward slightly in his throne. His eyes were fixed on Kael.
"A Mage-Knight, you say... Even in the Central Kingdom, their numbers have dwindled this much, so it's surprising that such a young man has emerged from the East. I'm already curious about his abilities."
Luminos, standing beside the king, stared at Kael without moving.
"Luminos, has this young man caught your interest as well?"
Luminos replied without breaking eye contact:
"Yes, Your Majesty... His aura is calm, yet this child reminds me of the stillness before a storm. I, too, am curious to see what kind of duel this will be."
Melina raised her staff into the air.
"A Mage-Knight, huh? An interesting class. But I will never allow you to step into my domain!"
Melina's staff began to glow, and shields of fire were preparing to swirl around her. The referee raised his hand.
"Begin!"
Before Melina could utter a single word, a single "Clang!" echoed in everyone's ears in the arena.Kael was gone. All that remained where he had stood a second ago were a few specks of dust swirling in the air.
"What—"
Melina's pupils shrank in fear. The icy metal she felt against her neck caused her entire body to go rigid.
Kael was right at Melina's feet, his sword hovering mere millimeters from the girl's throat. There was no magic circle in sight, nor any burst of mana. Just raw, unadulterated speed. Kael had lunged so quickly that even the magical screen seemed unable to keep up with him.
Melina's staff fell from her hand. Her heart was pounding in her throat.
Stammering, she asked, "H-how...?" Her voice was trembling;
The thousands of people in the arena seemed to be holding their breath in unison. Not a sound could be heard. Even King Arkonis froze for a moment.After standing frozen in shock for a few seconds, the referee pointed at Kael:
"T-the winner... Kael of the Eastern Kingdom!"
Suddenly, the entire arena shook with a deafening roar.
"What on earth was that?"
"I didn't see a thing! Did he use a teleportation spell or something?"
"How can a human be that fast?"
Even Thalendir had stiffened in his seat.
"That kid... what did he just do?"
Kael sheathed his sword with a heavy thud. Without looking at anyone, he walked away from the center of the arena. His gaze didn't linger on Melina for even a single second; his eyes were fixed solely on that flower high above—Astra Lumina.
The King asked in astonishment:
"Did you see what just happened, Luminos?"
A thin, unsettling smile appeared on Luminos's lips.
"It wasn't physical speed, Your Majesty. He imbued his muscles with the essence so flawlessly that he transformed his body into a bullet."
"It seems the Eastern Academy has unleashed a true monster onto the field."