The coliseum fell quiet for a moment. Then, the referee's voice echoed across the arena.
"Next match—Orion Lysander versus Darian Velros!"
Arthur blinked, narrowing his eyes.
"…Orion's up?"
He leaned forward, a weird feeling in his chest.
"This tournament is going too smooth," Arthur muttered. "Something's not right."
Hyorinmaru's cold voice echoed in his mind.
"You feel it too, don't you?"
Arthur nodded slowly.
"Yeah. We're winning too easily… no one's even breaking a sweat."
"Don't overthink it," Hyorinmaru said. "Just look."
Arthur followed Hyorinmaru's gaze—straight to the Velundria Kingdom's head captain. Despite his kingdom losing three matches, the man was… smiling.
"…Why's he smiling?" Arthur whispered. "Is this what they were planning?"
"Even if we guess, we won't know until it happens," Hyorinmaru said. "Stay sharp."
Arthur's thoughts were cut off as cheers erupted for Orion. Everyone wished him luck. Arthur raised a hand and called out,
"This is my first time seeing you fight. Don't let me down."
Orion looked back with a grin. "I won't," he said, then turned and walked toward the stage.
The moment he stepped into the arena, the air grew heavy.
Darian Velros was already waiting—tall, armored, and smirking like he'd already won.
The referee raised his hand.
"Begin!"
Both fighters took their stances. Darian pointed his blade forward.
"Burn… Hibashira!"
Flames roared to life, wrapping around his sword like a living serpent of fire. He dashed forward, blindingly fast.
Orion's eyes widened—he didn't have time to activate his Shinsei.
Clang!
He blocked with his regular blade, but Darian's flaming strikes kept coming.
"I won't give you the chance to manifest your sword!" Darian roared, leaping high.
"Fire Magic: Flame Slash!"
His sword ignited like a comet. Orion crossed his blade to defend—
CRACK!
—the blade shattered.
The fiery slash landed clean.
Orion crashed to the ground, unmoving.
Gasps filled the arena.
Damon jumped to his feet in the audience. "You've gotta be kidding me… He lost?!"
He yelled, fists clenched. "Get up! After all that talk about getting stronger, you fall like this?!"
Darius grabbed his arm, holding him back. "That's enough!"
Arthur stared, eyes wide.
"I can't believe it. Is this what the Velundria captain was waiting for?"
He looked back at the smiling captain. His stomach turned.
But then—
Orion moved.
He pushed himself up, blood dripping from his mouth. He coughed hard, like he was choking—
Then he vomited.
The crowd recoiled in disgust. But it wasn't just vomit.
"…Did he just… shed his skin?" Nathaniel said from the stands, eyes narrowed.
A wet thud echoed as Orion's former body collapsed beside him.
Standing tall now was a different Orion—eyes wide, pupils slit like a snake. His tongue flicked out unnaturally long.
He grinned.
"I didn't want to show this side of me…"
He raised his broken sword and whispered,
"Strangle… Orochimaru."
The blade twisted, writhing like it was alive. It transformed into a long, snake-like sword, hissing with a sinister aura.
Darian growled. "You should've stayed down!"
He charged again, furious.
But this time, Orion smiled.
CLANG!
He blocked it effortlessly—then pushed Darian back.
Orion pointed his snake blade forward. "Let's end this."
Darian raised his weapon to defend, but—
STAB!
The snake blade shot forward, elongating mid-air—straight through Darian's side.
Blood sprayed as Darian gasped. "You… your blade… it stretches…?"
Orion leaned closer, licking the blood off his blade. "Too late to notice."
Darian collapsed to his knees.
"I can't kill you," Orion said with a grin. "So say it. Give up."
"…Never," Darian snarled. "This fight isn't over."
Orion's eyes sparkled, twisted with excitement.
"You're perfect prey…"
The sword slithered out of his hands—transforming into a real snake. It wrapped around Darian, coiling tighter and tighter.
"Say it," Orion whispered, touching Darian's face. "Or I'll make you."
The snake squeezed.
CRACK!
A bone snapped.
Darian screamed.
"Don't die on me," Orion said, voice low. "I want you to feel it. Writhe. Wallow. SCREAM!"
CRACK!
Darian cried out again, his body twisting in agony.
Up in the stands, the students watched in horror.
Damon's voice trembled. "Is… is that really Orion?"
Seraphina stepped beside him. "You were closest to him, weren't you? Don't tell me you didn't know."
"I didn't," Damon said. "I swear. He never acted like this…"
Arthur clenched his fists. "This tournament… it's revealing who we really are."
He looked at Orion below, his eyes dark.
"Which one is the real you…?"
Down below, Darian's screams grew weaker.
Finally, he croaked out—
"I… give up…"
The referee hesitated.
"…Darian Velros has surrendered! Orion Lysander is the winner!"
The crowd didn't cheer. They just watched—frozen.
But Orion didn't stop.
He grinned darkly. "But I'm not done yet…"
"Withdraw your weapon or be disqualified," the referee warned.
"My pleasure comes first," Orion growled, turning back to Darian. "If pain is all you can offer… then give it all to me!"
The snake squeezed again.
CRACK!
Darian went limp.
"Hey… are you dead already?" Orion tilted his head. "What a waste. If you can't scream anymore—then at least serve as food."
The snake opened its mouth, ready to devour Darian—
SLASH!
The snake's head flew off, cut cleanly.
Nathaniel appeared in a flash, knocking Orion out cold with a sharp strike to the neck.
"That's enough."
Eldric rushed in, carrying Darian's broken body away.
Nathaniel dragged Orion back toward the students. The captains watching from above looked shaken.
"…Is that the kind of Sword Mage we're raising?" Garrick muttered.
"Someone that twisted…"
Nathaniel dropped Orion to the ground.
Callista knelt to heal him, but Nathaniel raised a hand.
"Not yet. Don't calm him down."
He turned to the rest.
"For now… let him sleep."
Silence hung in the air.
Then—
DONGGG!
The arena bell rang again.
The referee's voice echoed once more.
"Next match—Riven Stormbane versus…"