The arena remained deathly silent for several seconds before the crowd erupted into a frenzy of deafening cheers. The roar of applause and screams of disbelief drowned out all other sounds, as if angels themselves had descended to shower the First Combat Zone with euphoria.
Every spectator was electrified.
Many had supported Kael from the start, anticipating his victory—but none had imagined this.
Who had ever heard of Kael mastering summoning magic?
No one.
After his duel with Korgoth, the consensus was that Kael specialized solely in fire magic. Between his mutated spells and Silver Star Sigil-level incantation speed, achieving such prowess in one discipline already seemed miraculous, requiring immense dedication.
Yet here he stood, wielding summoning magic—and conjuring a spirit so formidable that even Ethan and Dylan furrowed their brows, sensing genuine threat.
Cruy's summoning mastery had dazzled the crowd, but Kael had eclipsed him entirely. The Chieftain-tier Green-Eyed Giant, a pinnacle of Cruy's craft, had been rendered helpless before the Nine-Tailed Firefox, stripped of even the will to fight.
No one had anticipated Kael's utter domination over Cruy.
"This is insane… Since when did Kael master summoning magic?!" Finn blurted, staggered by the revelation of his classmate's hidden depths.
Among the onlookers, none looked grimmer than the Golden Lion. It was now clear that Kael would be his final opponent in the First Combat Zone—the others posed no threat. But the Nine-Tailed Firefox's display had visibly rattled him, his face darkened like stormclouds.
"By the gods! Such formidable summoning magic! Classmate Kael has unveiled yet another layer of his unfathomable power! Who in the First Combat Zone can possibly stop him now?!" Vesper's amplified voice thundered, igniting the crowd into a unified chant: "Kael! Kael!"
Tens of thousands roared his name, their voices shaking the arena. In this moment, even Ethan's brilliance paled beside Kael's radiance.
The Golden Lion, watching the frenzy, stormed off with a darkened expression, retreating to train.
Kael savored the adulation—no one despised praise—but he remained grounded. This momentum would soon pit him against the Golden Lion, last tournament's runner-up.
His gaze drifted to Cruy, collapsed from summoning backlash. In truth, he owed Cruy gratitude. Without witnessing Cruy's duel with Carlos, he might never have explored summoning magic or confronted his own limitations.
Summoning demanded immense mental and mana reserves—a hurdle for most mages, but child's play for Kael.
Though constrained by rules, his Nine-Tailed Firefox teetered on the edge of Seventh Rank, a "pseudo-Seventh" entity capable of threatening true Seventh-Rank powerhouses.
"That boy never ceases to astonish," chuckled Zorath the Silent from the royal viewing box. When Kael's Firefox obliterated Cruy, the stoic councilman had slammed the railing in exhilaration. Now that was cathartic.
"Lord Zorath, you seem acquainted with this Kael?" inquired a royal from the Kingdom of Keya, masking curiosity. Zorath, a heavyweight in the Sacred Council, mingling with a freshman?
Zorath grinned, sharp as a blade. "Drop the act. I know your scheming. Hands off—he's the Sacred Council's recruit!"
The Four Great Empires often scouted talent during the tournament, but the Council's dominance left them scraps. At Zorath's declaration, imperial representatives exchanged bitter smiles.
Legs propped arrogantly, Zorath reveled in triumph. That boy's a credit to us all.
As Kael exited the arena, the crowd's roars persisted, drowning out the next match entirely.
Such was the allure of the tournament—or perhaps Kael's summoning magic had utterly captivated them!
Spotting Finn and Amelia in the crowd, Kael approached.
Finn gaped at the still-roaring spectators. "Kael, you're officially famous now. Did you see the Golden Lion bolt? He probably pissed himself and ran off to train!"
Kael smiled. The Golden Lion remained a fearsome opponent—last tournament's runner-up, even if Dylan had since surpassed him. Complacency wasn't an option.
Three more victories, and Kael would face him. The remaining matches posed little threat; some opponents barely reached mid Fifth Rank. The clash with the Lion was inevitable.
"Let's go," Kael said. Praise was gratifying, but priorities were clear.
"Senior!"
A petite girl bounded over, her gemlike eyes sparkling like a beggar glimpsing gold. Grace—Kael's self-proclaimed junior—clutched his robe, her face alight with awe.
"Your summoning magic was amazing! Teach me!" Her obsession with spells bordered on fanaticism.
Kael sighed inwardly. Since the tournament banned Fifth Rank+ scrolls, Grace had lost her first match but adopted cheerleading with zeal.
"Reach Sixth Rank first," he said flatly.
She pouted but eventually nodded.
As the group walked, Finn and Amelia shared their own victories. Finn's Seventh Combat Zone luck held—few worthy rivals—while Amelia, a Seventh Rank powerhouse, bulldozed her bracket.
"Hm?" Kael stiffened, sensing scrutiny. He turned to find a group of mages, men and women alike, watching him. Their robes bore embroidered tulips, marking them as members of a notable faction. Their gazes lingered, assessing.
"They're from Southern Card Academy," Finn muttered, his gaze locked on a female mage among them. "That's Jessica, their star enchantress. Met her at an exchange banquet once." His tone dripped with admiration—Finn never forgot a beautiful face.
True enough, Jessica stood out: a well-proportioned figure, delicate features, and an air of elegance rare even among mages.
Kael, however, remained indifferent. Compared to Amelia, she paled.
Meanwhile, the Southern Card men openly gaped at Amelia and Grace, their expressions slack with awe.
"What are you staring at? I'll gouge your eyes out!" Grace snapped, puffing up like an angry kitten. The men flushed, hastily averting their gazes before retreating.
"Southern Card Academy…" Kael narrowed his eyes. The academy ranked second among the Four Great Academies, a perennial rival to his own Yanhua Academy.
"Probably here for the exchange program," Finn explained. Every year, during Yanhua's Grand Tournament, rival academies dispatched envoys to observe—and scout weaknesses.
"Southern Card, huh." Kael memorized their faces. They'd watched his match intently, their interest in him unmistakable.