The morning sun rose over Caelhart, gilding the arena's spires in gold. The cheers of thousands rolled like thunder through the air, shaking the very ground. Today was the day, the finals of the Royal Academy Tournament.

The city itself seemed alive. Bells rang from the towers, merchants shouted in the streets, and streamers bearing the colors of the four ducal houses fluttered in the wind.

The air smelled faintly of roasted almonds and hot oil from the vendors outside. Street performers mimicked sword duels for laughing children, while guards struggled to keep the crowd flowing toward the coliseum gates.

Even those who couldn't get in stood outside the coliseum, simply wanting to hear what was going on inside.

From every district, nobles and commoners alike gathered toward the colosseum, their excitement echoing through the stone-paved roads.

The mana barrier shimmered faintly around the coliseum, catching the sunlight in iridescent waves. The vast crowd filled every tier of the stands.

There were the students who had already lost, nobles, knights, the Tower Masters, commoners, merchants, visiting incognito nobles from other kingdoms, and even the Royal Family was present.

Even though they were no longer needed due to the removal of the time limit, on the Judges' seats were three of the four Dukes, and the Principal of the Royal Academy.

In the audience seats where Sir Thalos and the others were sitting, they were holding the banners of the Thorneharts and of Thornefang. Sitting with them was Lucen's new friend Eisen Terre.

The air was electric. Every sound, every heartbeat seemed to converge toward the arena floor, where two names were on everyone's lips.

"Lucen Thornehart."

"Elyra Runescar."

The crowd murmured with restless excitement.

"The ruby-eyed monster against the burning blade. I was already expecting two ducal heirs to reach the finals, but this entire tournament was full of surprises. So who do you think will win?"

"I know that Elyra Runescar is strong, but I just can't imagine Lucen Thornehart ever losing."

"That's true. After witnessing that match between him and Eisen, I don't think anyone in the same generation would be able to defeat him."

"I guess, even among the elite, Lucen Thornehart is above the rest. Truly a monster among monsters."

Not a single person present could imagine Elyra winning the tournament. Most of the bets now were on how long she could last.

The crowd's chatter built like a storm, their excitement a mixture of awe and cruel certainty. High above the arena, in the judges' seats, Duke Kaelvar Runescar was amused.

As of now, he was the only one who knew that his lovely daughter had achieved the third mantle of her aura.

He leaned back in his chair, one hand stroking his chin, sky-blue eyes gleaming with quiet amusement as he watched the stage below.

Seeing as it was already time, the Principal stood up from his seat and spoke using his aura to boost it to make it resound throughout the coliseum.

"Proud citizens of Caelhart and guests from afar." His voice rolled like a calm tide, making the murmurs stop.

"Today is the day we witness the birth of new legends! Today, we see our younger generation move up. They have shown us their resolve, their skills, and their courage! After countless challenges, these two stood above the rest!"

His voice echoed across the vast arena, carried by aura rather than mere sound. Even the restless wind seemed to pause, the crowd hanging onto every word.

"The final match will be fought by these two!" Principal Aldren raised his hand and pointed to the west side of the Arena. "Lucen Thornehart!"

At the end of the stage stood the young man who had been the talk of Norvaegard for the past few months.

The heir of the Iron Duke, the dragon slayer, the ruby-eyed monster, and the most recent moniker, he gained the Ever-Victorious.

He stepped onto the stage with a confident stride and a smile on his face. He was unfazed by the intense cheers of the audience.

The sunlight caught his crimson eyes, making them gleam like twin rubies beneath the arena's golden light. His silver hair shone like moonlight.

His trench coat fluttered lightly in the morning breeze, the Thornefang insignia glinting faintly at his shoulder. This time, he did not enter the stage unarmed like the previous matches, and was holding a Katana. The cheers for him were deafening.

"Lucen! Lucen! Lucen!"

"The pride of the North!"

"The undefeated heir!"

The young man merely raised a hand, acknowledging the cheers with that same calm composure that had earned him both admiration and envy.

The Principal then turned to the opposite side of the arena and raised his hand once more.

"And facing him, Elyra Runescar!"

From the east gate, Elyra stepped forward. Her stride was measured, her presence radiating quiet strength. The moment her boots touched the arena floor, her crimson hair fluttered in the wind.

Her crimson eyes glowed faintly beneath the sunlight. She could feel thousands of eyes on her, some hopeful, some pitying. Every cheer and whisper was a weight pressing on her shoulders. But under that pressure, her heart burned hotter than ever.

Despite everyone thinking she was about to lose, Elyra, the burning blade, also newly nicknamed the fiery flower of the battlefield, stepped onto the stage, believing she would snatch the victory from Lucen's grasp.

The crowd erupted once again, though their cheers carried a different tone, less frenzied.

"Elyra!"

"Do your best!"

"Don't get beaten too fast!"

"Show everyone why you're called the burning blade!"

Elyra stood on the stage, now standing face to face with Lucen, her crimson hair catching the wind, the standard Royal Academy uniform fluttering lightly around her.

Lucen's gaze met hers across the arena. Crimson against sapphire

For a brief moment, the roar of the crowd dulled into silence, as though the world itself held its breath.

The sunlight bathed the two ducal heirs in gold, one radiating overwhelming confidence, the other quiet, tempered resolve.

"Who would have thought our rematch would be set on such a grand stage?"

"Fate is truly unpredictable... This time, I plan on taking the victory." Elyra responded, her hand resting on the hilt of her longsword.

Lucen's lips curved into a faint grin. "Heh, I do look forward to seeing how much you've improved since the last time we fought."

His tone wasn't mocking; it was genuine, edged with thrill. Lucen wanted to see how far Elyra had improved, if she was a little bit closer to the skill she had as a named character in the game.

"I have improved much more than you think. I see that you brought the katana the same as the last match. Do you think I'm not worthy enough for your unique magic?" Elyra spoke; her voice sounded like she was holding herself back.

"No, it's not that I don't think you're worthy, but... I just wanted to see how far you and I have gone from that last match."

"Is that so... Then allow me to show you how far I've reached."

As she was speaking, Elyra's aura burst out, and it was then that everyone saw it, even though it was faint it was there a third mantle.

"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?"

"Is that a third mantle?"

"A fourteen-year-old aura user at the third mantle!"

"A genius among geniuses!"

Those who were confident of Lucen's victory were shaken by the sight of Elyra's third mantle. Quite a few were now betting that Elyra would win this match.

"Heh, it would seem that you have indeed got a lot farther than I expected. Then show me if you could make me use my unique magic."

Lucen provoked her lightly, settling into a familiar stance, the same stance he used before, Battōjutsu.

Lucen then activated the trait, [Acting Adept], using a character who was adept in using the Battōjutsu. He got into a lower stance.

It has been quite some time since Lucen used [Acting Adept] so fully. Elyra was the first to notice that Lucen's demeanor had suddenly changed. The same thing happened in their last match when he used a katana.

A few skilled people in the audience also noticed the sudden change in Lucen's demeanor. His subtle movements, from his breathing to the expression on his face, had changed.

The easy confidence in his stance vanished, replaced by a stillness so profound it was almost suffocating.

His expression softened, his breathing quieted, and the air around him seemed to fold inwards, like a predator lowering its body before the strike.

"Very well, I will force you to use your unique magic." Elyra unsheathed her longsword and got into a fighting stance.

For this final match, the referee was not present; instead, it was the Principal, Sir Aldren, who would make the calls for this match.

He saw that the two were about ready to strike at each other. The two combatants, as well as the audience, were simply waiting for him to announce the start of the match.

Principal Aldren slowly raised his hand, his aura expanding just enough to command the attention of thousands.

The sunlight glinted off the arena's barrier, scattering gold over the two heirs below.

Lucen's eyes narrowed slightly, his fingers brushing the hilt of his katana. The stillness around him deepened, so absolute that even the crowd forgot to breathe.

Across from him, Elyra's aura flared brighter, her hair rippling like scarlet flame, her blade trembling in anticipation. The third mantle shimmered faintly behind her, proof of her defiance against all expectations.

Aldren's voice rang through the air. "Begin."

In that instant, both vanished. A flash of crimson and silver tore through the golden light. A shockwave exploded across the arena, hurling dust and air outward like a storm. Gasps erupted from the stands as the barrier flickered violently.

When the dust began to settle, two figures stood in the center of the cracked stone floor. Lucen had his sword still sheathed, and Elyra had her sword on the ground.

Lucen had redirected her sword, making her blade miss its mark by an inch. The sword drawing speed displayed by Lucen was incredible, and he did so with his aura only at the first mantle. That meant his basic physical body was stronger and faster. It was beyond normal.

Lucen was about to make a second strike, but before he could do so, Elyra swung her sword upward, which seemed to ignite the air. Lucen evaded the strike by backstepping.

The two combatants stared at each other, and in another breath, moved at an incredible speed that those who had no aura or mana could not follow their movements.

The finals had truly begun.