Chapter 63: Flames of Ambition
The sun rose over the academy grounds, casting golden light over the towering stadium. Today marked the beginning of the grand tournament—a spectacle that would test strength, strategy, and resolve.
Excitement buzzed through the air like static. Crowds packed the seats, students and faculty alike filling the viewing platforms. Magical projection orbs floated above, ready to broadcast the key matches to every corner of the stadium.
In the center, the battlefield had been split into multiple smaller arenas, each surrounded by protective barriers. Dozens of matches would happen in parallel, overseen by instructors and mages who recorded the results.
From the stands, Lyrian leaned forward, eyes sharp as he scanned the vast grounds. He could feel the pressure radiating from the combatants below—their hopes, dreams, and fears all concentrated into this one moment.
A voice rang out magically across the arena.
"The tournament will last two weeks. It will be divided into multiple rounds. The first phase begins now—open to all registrants. Only the top hundred will advance past the qualifiers. From there, elimination rounds will determine the top sixteen, who will then fight for the championship."
Murmurs erupted in the stands.
"A hundred out of over a thousand?"
"No room for mistakes…"
"I heard Byron's match is happening in Sector 4. He's definitely advancing."
Elyreina sat beside Lyrian, her arms folded, her gaze focused. She didn't respond to the surrounding chatter, only narrowed her eyes as she scanned the competition.
Down on the field, Dorian adjusted his gloves, his expression calm and unreadable. The air around him shimmered faintly—barely noticeable unless one looked closely. Space itself seemed to ripple at his fingertips, bending ever so slightly as if reality struggled to remain still in his presence. His opponent—a brute of a second-year with a tower shield—grunted and prepared his stance, unaware of the danger that came not from brute strength, but from the distortion of space itself.
Not far from them, Reynard stood tall, his black hair tied loosely back. His opponent, a dual-blade fighter, darted in circles around him. But Reynard remained calm, analyzing every movement with laser focus.
Meanwhile, one of the most anticipated matches had just begun—Byron, a high-ranking second-year known for overwhelming flame magic, stepped into the ring. He faced a cloaked, unknown figure—lean, small, seemingly out of place.
"Who's that?" a voice in the crowd asked.
"No clue. Some first-year no one's heard of."
"He's dead meat."
The match began.
Byron immediately unleashed a wave of fire, the arena flashing orange with searing heat. The unknown figure darted sideways, impossibly fast, almost gliding.
He didn't attack immediately. He dodged, weaved, and vanished into thin air—then appeared again, right behind Byron.
A flash of silver cut the air.
Gasps echoed.
Byron stumbled back, his shoulder bleeding—his flame sputtered.
The mysterious fighter pressed the advantage. With eerie precision, they struck again, forcing Byron on the defensive. The crowd erupted. Even the instructors leaned forward.
"What in the world…?" one of the evaluators muttered. "Who is that?"
Lyrian's eyes narrowed. "That movement… it's almost like…" But he didn't finish the thought.
Byron roared in frustration and sent a torrent of fire spiraling across the platform—but it was too late. The cloaked figure had already slipped through the flames and landed a finishing blow to Byron's gut, sending him crashing into the barrier.
Silence fell.
A senior instructor raised his hand. Contestant 102 "Byron " is disqualified. The victor is… Contestant 1172."
Whispers broke out across the stadium.
"Byron lost?"
"To that guy?"
"What kind of technique was that?!"
The figure stepped back, lowered their hood—and revealed nothing. A mask covered the lower half of their face, and they simply turned and walked away without a word.
Lyrian sat up straighter, tension crawling up his spine.
"Who… was that?"
Elyreina said nothing—but her eyes glimmered with intrigue.