The moment the stranger took his first step—
The Border shattered.
Not physically.
Conceptually.
Kael suddenly felt gravity disappear.
Up.
Down.
Left.
Right.
None of them existed anymore.
Only the stranger remained at the center of an endless sea of darkness.
"...Now."
The stranger's calm voice echoed across the void.
"...Show me why the God Slayer Blade chose you."
Silence.
Kael slowly raised his sword.
The blue-black flames surrounding the blade burned brighter than ever before.
His heartbeat became steady.
His breathing slowed.
His mind emptied.
The fear inside him...
Vanished.
"...I'm done asking questions."
He pointed the God Slayer Blade toward the stranger.
"...If you know everything..."
"...Then defeat me."
For the first time—
The stranger smiled.
Not with amusement.
With approval.
"...Good."
"...A God Slayer should never hesitate."
BOOM!!
Without warning—
The stranger disappeared.
Kael's instincts screamed.
He twisted sideways.
A black fist passed just centimeters from his face.
The shockwave alone split the darkness behind him.
"...Fast!"
Kael countered immediately.
SLASH!!
The God Slayer Blade cut through empty space.
The stranger had already vanished again.
Another strike came from above.
Kael blocked.
**CLANG!!**
The impact sent him crashing hundreds of meters across the Border.
He dug the blade into the black surface to stop himself.
"...He's overwhelming..."
The ancient voice spoke.
"...Do not chase him."
"...Make him come to you."
Kael closed his eyes.
He remembered every lesson.
Every battle.
Every defeat.
Against monsters.
Against humans.
Against beings far stronger than himself.
He had always survived by adapting.
Not by overpowering.
He smiled.
"...Then let's adapt."
The stranger attacked again.
This time—
Kael didn't move.
He waited.
Three meters.
Two meters.
One.
"...Now!"
His body exploded forward.
Instead of blocking—
He stepped inside the stranger's attack.
The God Slayer Blade pierced toward his chest.
The stranger's eyes narrowed slightly.
"...Interesting."
He tilted his body.
The blade missed his heart—
But—
SLASH!!
A long cut appeared across his shoulder.
Silence.
A single drop of crimson blood fell into the darkness.
Ripple...
Ripple...
Ripple...
The Border shook violently.
Far away—
Back in the Human Realm—
The sky cracked.
Massive storms formed above the academy.
Every kingdom across the continent looked toward the same point in the heavens.
Even ancient monsters sleeping beneath mountains slowly opened their eyes.
"...Blood..."
One ancient dragon whispered.
"...The blood of the Beyond One..."
Inside the Border—
The stranger looked at his wound.
Then at Kael.
"...You've become the first person..."
"...To wound me in over ten thousand years."
Kael remained silent.
His breathing had become heavier.
That single strike had consumed nearly all of his mana.
The stranger noticed immediately.
"...Your body can't sustain that power."
"...Not yet."
Kael smirked.
"...Then I'll just grow stronger."
The stranger laughed softly.
"...Exactly the answer I expected."
Suddenly—
The chains surrounding the Border disappeared.
The pressure vanished.
Everything became calm once again.
Kael frowned.
"...You're ending the fight?"
"...No."
The stranger looked toward the endless darkness above them.
"...Someone is coming."
A deep vibration spread across the Border.
Unlike before—
This pressure wasn't calm.
It was violent.
Ancient.
Hungry.
CRAAAAACK!!
A massive tear opened across the darkness.
From within it—
Countless crimson eyes slowly appeared.
One.
Ten.
Hundreds.
Thousands.
Watching.
Waiting.
The ancient voice inside the blade suddenly roared.
"...Impossible!"
"...They found this place!"
Kael tightened his grip.
"...Who are they?"
The stranger's expression finally became serious.
"...The Watchers."
"...The beings who erase every God Slayer before they reach their true potential."
The crimson eyes blinked together.
The entire Border trembled.
Then—
A hand emerged.
It wasn't made of flesh.
Nor stone.
It was formed from pure darkness.
Its fingers were larger than mountains.
Slowly reaching toward Kael.
The stranger sighed.
"...Looks like our conversation ends here."
He stepped forward.
For the first time—
His overwhelming aura exploded without restraint.
BOOOOOOOM!!
The Border shook so violently that reality itself began to crack.
Kael's eyes widened.
"...This power..."
"...You've been hiding this all along?"
The stranger didn't answer.
He simply raised one hand.
"...Return."
His voice carried absolute authority.
The gigantic hand stopped moving.
Then—
To Kael's disbelief—
It began retreating.
The crimson eyes trembled.
As if...
They were afraid.
The stranger slowly turned toward Kael.
"...Listen carefully."
"...Because I won't repeat this."
Kael remained silent.
"...The path you've chosen..."
"...Will force you to fight enemies that even gods fear."
"...Grow stronger."
"...Not for revenge."
"...Not for glory."
"...But because one day..."
He looked directly into Kael's eyes.
"...Everything you love..."
"...Will stand behind you."
"...And only you..."
"...Will stand before them."
The Border started collapsing.
The academy battlefield slowly came back into view.
Kael felt his consciousness being pulled away.
"...Wait!"
"...Who are you really?!"
For the first time—
The stranger smiled.
A lonely smile.
"...When your blade reaches its final form..."
"...Come find me."
"...Beyond the Last Realm."
Everything shattered.
WHITE LIGHT—
...
Kael's eyes snapped open.
He was back on the battlefield.
Rex immediately ran toward him.
"KAEL!"
Lyra let out a sigh of relief.
"You idiot... don't ever disappear like that again."
Aurora stared at him.
Then at the God Slayer Blade.
Her expression slowly changed.
"...It evolved..."
The blade looked different.
Its dark surface now contained thin silver patterns that hadn't existed before.
A new symbol glowed near the hilt.
The system suddenly appeared before Kael.
**[Hidden Trial Completed.]**
**[The One Beyond Realms has acknowledged you.]**
**[God Slayer Blade – Second Seal Released.]**
**[New Skill Unlocked: Realm Sever.]**
**[Warning.]**
**[The Watchers have become aware of your existence.]**
**[Your survival probability has decreased.]**
Kael stared at the final line.
Then—
He smiled.
"...Good."
Rex blinked.
"...Good?!"
Kael slowly placed the evolved God Slayer Blade on his shoulder.
"...That means..."
"...I'm finally walking the right path."
Far above the academy—
Hidden beyond the clouds—
Thousands of crimson eyes opened once more.
Watching.
Waiting.
Smiling.
The war had not begun.
But destiny...
Had already chosen its next God Slayer.
**End of Chapter 31**