The dust settled briefly in the arena before a fresh storm of chaos erupted. Thirty remaining candidates and Jordan surrounded Alden, their auras flaring like dying embers in the presence of a raging inferno.
Alden's sharp gaze landed on Jordan, who had managed to slip behind another group. He raised his sword slightly, preparing to strike him down. But before his blade could move, three candidates jumped in between, deflecting his strike.
Jordan scrambled back, barely holding his smirk. "Tch... thanks, guys."
Alden's lips curled. "Cowards hiding behind numbers."
He calmly walked forward, as if strolling through a park, eyes tracking each movement around him. He began slicing through the resistance—not with brute force, but with elegance. Every motion was clean, refined, and artistic, as though his sword were painting strokes of destruction.
"That swordplay… it's unreal," one candidate whispered.
Jordan's heart raced. Cold sweat ran down his spine.
"He's... using Resonance?" Jordan's mind screamed.
Resonance—a phenomenon only Advance-rank and higher wielders could access. It allowed them to synchronize with their elemental affinity to amplify their attacks exponentially.
It wasn't just fire, wind, or water anymore; it was a way to becoming closer, becoming one with that element. The phenomenon could only be achieved when a wielder deeply connected with their elemental nature, and trained to mold their mana to echo that affinity.
For Alden, it was fire.
"Impossible… He's Advance-rank?" Jordan's face turned pale.
Desperate, the remaining candidates shouted, activating artifacts. A sphere formed in the sky, glowing violet.
BOOM.
A crushing gravitational field descended.
Alden's body was slammed into the ground, unable to move. Dozens of attacks were hurled at him, some landing with explosive force. Bruises formed on his body, but his gaze remained calm.
His lips twitched. "Alright… this is annoying."
His eyes darted across the field.
Think, Alden. You've dealt with worse in the simulations.
Suddenly, he poured mana into his core, igniting a burst of flame under him. It wasn't flashy—just enough to create a pressure burst and twist his body. Simultaneously, he used a minor deflection technique with his sword, redirecting one of the attacks toward the artifact sphere.
CRACK! The artifact flickered.
With a fiery surge, Alden roared.
"Burn."
Flames erupted in a dome, and the gravity field shattered. Candidates stumbled back.
But before they could recover—
FWOOOSH!
Alden dashed forward, clashing with four candidates in rapid succession. Just then, another wave of candidates lunged at him.
With a snap of his fingers, his fire resonance ignited like a wildfire.
A wall of flame surged in all directions.
Some candidates got pushed back. Others were burned to crisp. Then came Jordan, his wind affinity finally kicking in.
"Let's see you block this!"
Blades of wind slashed across the field, and some struck Alden's shoulder and side, leaving clean cuts. But the fire around Alden intensified.
He smirked.
"Barely a scratch."
The air grew heavy.
Alden cut down two more candidates with precise blows, then suddenly paused, letting out a maniacal laugh.
"WONDERFUL! Now this is what I call a fight!"
Jordan gritted his teeth.
Alden pointed his sword at him. "But… I'm still disappointed. There are forty-one of you, and none of you have given me a critical injury. Do you realize how sad that is?"
He turned to Jordan with a teasing grin. "Especially you. Sneaking in little wind slashes, then hiding like a squirrel. Are you auditioning for a circus?"
Jordan's face turned red.
Alden sighed dramatically. "Let's get serious. For real."
He held his sword horizontally. Fire spiraled around it.
"Sovereign Blade Style."
A burst of aura enveloped the arena. His sword glowed crimson and gold.
"First Strike: Radiant Dusk."
BOOOOOOOOM!
A blinding light exploded from his blade. Eight candidates were thrown into the air and landed unconscious, eliminated on impact.
Only eighteen remained. And Jordan.
Every remaining candidate stared at Alden in horror.
Even Jordan took a step back. "No… he's a monster."
He turned to the others. "Attack him. All of you. If you don't… your families will suffer. You know the rules of Simon County don't you."
The others hesitated, looking at each other.
Alden narrowed his eyes.
"…He's threatening them," he muttered.
The candidates reluctantly raised their weapons, advancing.
Alden's expression softened.
"...Tch. I was having fun. But this?"
He ignited his fire resonance again—this time not with violence.
With precision and care, he knocked each candidate out with controlled blasts of heat and wind pressure. One by one, they collapsed.
"Be thankful," he said, standing amidst the smoke. "This benevolent warrior has spared your futures."
"I hope mother is watching she would be so proud of me."
He even wiped imaginary tears. "Look at me, such mercy!"
When he turned around—
"…That bastard's gone, isn't he?"
Jordan had disappeared.
"Coward!" Alden shouted into the sky. "You dragged your family name through the mud, humiliated yourself on global broadcast… and STILL didn't land a real hit? PATHETIC!"
He glanced at the knocked-out candidates.
"…Don't worry, folks. He was a clown. You were just the backup dancers."
He checked his EVOband.
Ranking: #5 / 1,000,000
Points: 4950
"FIFTH?! I'm the greatest genius of Crestvale, and I'm not first?!" He fake gasped.
Then, with a dramatic bow to the empty air:
"I humbly accept my silver medal in the war of mortals. Truly, I am magnificent."
---
Across the World – Broadcast Reaction
Screens across EtherNet lit up with Alden's battle. Commentators lost their minds.
"Did you see that strike?! That's Radiant Dusk, the sovereign-style opener!"
"Impossible! He's sixteen!"
Crowds screamed. Nobles gathered in lounges, sipping aged wine. Commoners watched from local cafés and their house.
In Zenith Academy's Student Council Office…
Alicia von Crestvale rolled her eyes while sipping tea.
"As expected of my little brother," she muttered.
Then, with a smirk: "Still, I would have beaten him half to death myself if he got eliminated after bragging like that."
---
Crestvale Duchy – Inside the Manor
Lady Serena von Crestvale clapped her hands, watching her son onscreen.
"That's my Alden! So fiery!"
Duke Reynard von Crestvale sat with a stony expression, sipping aged whiskey.
"Hmph. He needs to refine his footwork."
Serena leaned closer, eyes glinting. "Oh? But look at that little smile on your face."
"I'm not smiling."
"You are. Admit it."
"I am not."
"You're proud of him."
"…Tch."
"You're beaming."
"I will revoke your EtherNet access."
"Still smiling."
---
Avaloria central hospital – Lily's room
Lily sat on her bed, gripping her EtherPad tightly.
Her eyes weren't on Alden.
They were on her brother.
Alex.
On screen, he stood confidently against a mid-Advance rank beast, sword in hand, cloak fluttering.
She blinked.
"…Looks like that stupid brother of mine has finally lost it ?"
Her heart pounded. Her eyes were filled with worry despite saying that.
The scene froze as the monster lunged and as alex was about to attack.