The horizon blazed with crimson light as the sun dipped behind Eldoria's mountains. Shadows stretched long across the cracked stone of the Central Arena. A hush fell over the crowd of thousands. All eyes fixed on the two figures standing at the heart of the coliseum.
Rael Ramos.
Raiden Valenhart.
Both undefeated. Both prodigies. But only one would leave this arena as victor.
Rael stood tall, cloak swaying in the wind, Solstice Edge sheathed across his back. His aura simmered beneath the surface—contained but potent, like magma waiting to erupt. Across from him, Raiden exhaled slowly, drawing his family heirloom—Tempest Fang, a gleaming celestial longsword etched with runes. Notably, his second blade was absent.
> Raiden (thinking):
I know I can't win. He hasn't even used his full strength yet. But… I'll fight anyway. Not to win. But to prove I can stand in the same world as him.
He tightened his grip. The crowd leaned in.
The gong sounded.
---
Round One: Technique vs. Restraint
Raiden moved first, feet gliding across the stone like a dancer's. His blade came down in a blur—precise, deliberate. Rael blocked with Solstice Edge, steel singing as sparks scattered into the wind.
Raiden pressed on, a storm of elegant strikes, each flowing into the next. His swordsmanship was textbook perfection—every form from the Valenhart school executed with masterful intent.
Rael didn't counter. He parried, stepped, observed. Testing.
> Rael (thinking):
He's faster than expected. Disciplined. Calm. No wasted movement. But…
Their blades locked. Rael's golden eyes met Raiden's steel-gray.
> Rael (softly):
You're holding back.
> Raiden (grim smile):
So are you.
---
First Awakening: Ember Ascension
Rael stepped back—and ignited.
FWOOM.
Golden-orange flames burst from his body, spiraling upward like a phoenix's wings. The arena's temperature surged. Flames licked at the air, coiling around him in a radiant blaze.
First Awakening: Ember Ascension.
Power multiplied fiftyfold. Reflexes sharpened. Strength surged. Every heartbeat echoed with mana.
The tiles beneath his feet cracked from the pressure. Students gasped. Professors in the stands raised protective barriers.
Raiden lowered his stance, unfazed.
> Raiden (thinking):
Even like this… I won't flinch. Not now.
Rael vanished.
Raiden barely raised his blade in time.
CLANG.
Rael appeared behind him, flames swirling from his slash. Raiden countered, foot sliding back. He flowed between strikes, dodging with millimeters to spare. His blade cut arcs through flame, redirecting raw power with technique alone.
Their duel painted streaks of fire and silver across the battlefield. One fought with divine pressure. The other, with human resolve.
---
Raiden's Strike – The Blade That Cuts Sky
Rael surged forward again, slashing high. Raiden ducked, pivoted, then launched a diagonal strike across Rael's shoulder.
Blood scattered.
Rael halted. Surprise flickered in his eyes.
> Rael:
Impressive.
> Raiden:
You're not untouchable, Rael.
Raiden inhaled deeply. His aura compressed—sharpened. Light coalesced around his blade.
Form 7: Sky Severance.
A technique few Valenharts had ever mastered. A single step. A single swing. The air split.
Rael raised Solstice Edge.
BOOOOOOM.
The two forces collided. Fire and wind exploded outward, blinding light engulfing the arena. The stands shook. Stone crumbled.
---
Final Exchange
Smoke billowed. The crowd held their breath.
As the dust cleared, Raiden stood—sword cracked, arm bleeding, chest heaving.
Rael stepped forward, flames dimmed, eyes alight with golden power. His cloak was torn, left arm scorched—but he was still standing.
> Rael:
This is your limit… but your resolve surpasses most I've fought.
Raiden lifted his broken blade one last time. He charged.
Rael didn't hesitate.
CRACK.
Solstice Edge struck. Raiden's sword shattered completely.
The impact sent him crashing into the arena wall. He slid down, groaning, conscious but drained.
Rael approached and extended a hand.
Raiden looked up, breathing hard. A bitter smile touched his lips.
> Raiden:
You held back.
> Rael:
Yes. But you still pushed me further than anyone else.
> Raiden:
Good.
He grasped Rael's hand. The crowd roared in thunderous applause.
---
A Rift in the Sky
Just as Rael helped Raiden to his feet, a strange sound tore through the air—like metal screaming.
Everyone froze.
CRACK.
The sky shattered like a mirror—fragments of reality peeling away. Black lightning danced across the heavens.
A rift opened above the coliseum.
From it descended a monstrous figure—horned, armored in obsidian flesh. Chains writhed from its back like living serpents.
He landed like a meteor. The stone stage buckled. Silence turned to terror.
> Greed:
"The boy who killed Pride… I've finally found you."
Gasps rippled through the audience. Professors rose to their feet, casting defensive spells. Raiden's eyes widened.
Rael stared forward, golden aura slowly reigniting.
> Rael (thinking):
Four months of training… I've waited to test my full control over the Second Awakening.
> Greed (smirking):
"You're tired. Bleeding. Good. Makes the hunt more fun."
Black fire erupted around him, flooding the coliseum. Shadows surged as the sky darkened.
The air turned to ash.