The battlefield changed once again.
The top 20 had been selected—names now carved into the glowing monolith in the sky above the arena. Each one had proven themselves against overwhelming odds.
But now came the final trials—duels to determine absolute ranking.
A single arena. One-on-one battles. Ten duels. Ten winners.
No respawns. No safety magic.
Only strength, wit, and will.
The crowd buzzed with anticipation. Nobles, guildmasters, mercenary lords, and even hidden clan leaders watched from floating platforms above.
And the first names were announced.
> "First Match: Nyssa of Frostspire vs Valeen Arkwright."
Two figures stepped forward.
Nyssa—tall, poised, her skin pale like polished marble. Her mana shimmered with cold elegance. The Frostspire bloodline granted her dominion over Absolute Ice. She had frozen a field of thirty contenders in seconds during the royale.
Valeen, on the other hand, wore a flowing coat of emerald and brass. Her wind-affinity swordsmanship was fluid, graceful—a master of form over force.
"Begin!"
Valeen vanished in a gust. She reappeared above Nyssa with a spinning slash. Nyssa didn't flinch. A dome of pure frozen mana halted the blade mid-swing. With a flick of her hand, ice spirals burst outward, trying to entomb Valeen.
Valeen countered with slicing gusts, dancing between blasts—but her speed began to slow.
Frost was coating her boots.
Her breathing shortened.
"It's already over," Nyssa said coldly.
One final spear of ice burst forward, catching Valeen mid-step and pinning her into the wall with a frozen gust.
> Winner: Nyssa of Frostspire
The crowd murmured. A monster of elegance and control.
> "Second Match: Caelum Varenth vs Jorik Brimshard"
Jorik—a dwarven juggernaut—stood nearly six feet tall with reinforced gauntlets of magma coresteel. His mana churned like a volcano waiting to erupt.
Caelum merely drew his twin blades. No words. No expression.
When the bell rang, Jorik roared forward with a punch that shattered the ground—Caelum was already behind him.
Clink.
One of Jorik's gauntlets fell off.
Blood sprayed.
Jorik turned, swinging wildly—but his shadow betrayed him.
Caelum walked through it, sliced at the knees, then vanished into black mist.
He reappeared standing on Jorik's back, blade to throat.
> Winner: Caelum Varenth
Silent and lethal. The crowd didn't cheer. They were too afraid.
> "Third Match: Riven Duskthorn vs Lira of Verdance"
Two powerful candidates known only by whispers.
Riven, draped in voidlike black robes, hailed from the Forbidden Library. A master of shadow curses and memory seals.
Lira—a nature summoner from the ancient Verdance Grove. Her aura pulsed with life and violent growth. During the royale, she summoned a ten-meter forest wyrm made of vines and thorns.
When they clashed, it wasn't brawn—it was strategy.
Lira summoned armored beasts, but Riven erased their instincts with forbidden incantations.
Roots closed in, but Riven turned them against her, twisting nature itself with dark whispers.
In the end, Lira collapsed, overwhelmed by her own creatures turned hostile.
> Winner: Riven Duskthorn
The Chancellor narrowed his eyes. "That magic is... outlawed in three empires."
> "Fourth Match: Elric Valiant vs Zeiran the Thunderborn"
Now the arena exploded with energy.
Elric strode in, flames of pure celestial energy radiating from him. The Hero of Flame stood proud—cheered by the crowd like a divine heir.
Zeiran, a tribal warrior cloaked in lightning tattoos, carried a giant obsidian hammer. The air around him sparked uncontrollably.
Zeiran charged first.
BOOM!
The ground cratered as hammer met sword.
Elric's system chimed:
> [Challenge Accepted: Defeat a Unique-Bloodline Warrior]
[Bonus Quest: Channel Celestial Ignition - Reward: 50 Points]
He unleashed a dragon of flame—but Zeiran split the sky with a bolt of lightning that parted the fire in half.
The duel shook the arena, literally.
But Elric had the edge. His blade ignited further, burning through air itself.
"Divine Ignition: Solar Rift!"
A line of golden fire carved through the battlefield, and Zeiran—though strong—fell to one knee, his weapon shattering.
> Winner: Elric Valiant
The crowd chanted his name. He bowed, modest yet regal.
In the shadows of the VIP booth, Alaric watched.
No System quests. No theatrics. Just tea and silence.
> "Fifth Match: Ishra Flameveil vs Koro of the Red Sands"
Ishra—cloaked in crimson robes—was known for manipulating blood mana. A terrifying ability that allowed control over wounds, heartbeats, even bloodline skills.
Koro, a beastfolk warrior from the southern dunes, had golden eyes and sand-whirling glaives. During the royale, he singlehandedly buried five contenders under a storm of blades and heat.
Their fight was grotesque and brilliant.
Blood spears flew. Sandstorms raged.
Ishra tried to control Koro's blood—but he drank a vial of desert toxin mid-fight, nullifying the blood trace.
He fought blind, relying on scent and footstep echoes.
In a dramatic reversal, he sliced through her robes—forcing surrender before she could regain control.
> Winner: Koro of the Red Sands
The duels continued, but each of these five had left an imprint:
Nyssa: A walking ice age
Caelum: Death's shadow
Riven: Forbidden magic user
Elric: The hero favored by the world
Koro: Sandstorm incarnate
All destined to cross paths again.
And one thing was certain—
None of them had touched Alaric Thorneveil's throne of quiet power.
Not yet.
Not directly.
But the time was coming.
Next was his fight.
And the world would watch in silence.
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