The arena remained silent.
Victor Graves stared at the broken remains of his battle axe.
“I…
lost?”
He had been defeated without landing a single hit.
The referee raised Kael’s hand.
“Winner: Kael Ardyn!”
Only then did the audience finally erupt.
“How did he do that?!”
“He didn’t even use a summoning skill!”
“Was that really a C-Rank Talent?”
Kael ignored the cheers and quietly stepped off the stage.
“One match down.”
“Two more until I qualify for the Elite Class.”
Back in the waiting area, several students instinctively moved aside as Kael passed.
Not because they respected him.
Because they no longer understood him.
Mira hurried over with sparkling eyes.
“That was incredible!”
“You won with one attack!”
Kael smiled.
“It wasn’t that impressive.”
Astra immediately complained inside his mind.
“Master, lying is a terrible habit.”
“Be quiet.”
“No.”
“People will think I’m talking to myself.”
“That sounds like a you problem.”
Kael sighed internally.
“Why is my first Divine Sword so troublesome?”
Elsewhere…
Inside the academy’s VIP lounge…
The professors replayed the match using a mana projection crystal.
Again.
And again.
Professor Roland frowned.
“He never enhanced his body with mana.”
Professor Elena shook her head.
“Impossible.”
“No first-year student can move like that.”
The Headmaster quietly watched the recording.
Then…
He noticed something.
“Pause.”
The image froze.
Kael’s wooden practice sword had touched Victor’s axe for only an instant.
Yet…
A microscopic silver aura surrounded the blade.
“So…”
The Headmaster whispered.
“You used mana after all.”
“But only for one thousandth of a second.”
Mana control at that level…
…belonged to legendary heroes.
Not academy freshmen.
The afternoon matches continued.
One after another.
Students displayed flashy abilities.
Exploding fireballs.
Lightning spears.
Stone walls.
Healing magic.
The crowd roared after every battle.
Kael simply watched.
Then…
His expression changed.
The tournament bracket updated.
His next opponent appeared.
Round Two
Kael Ardyn
vs.
Lucien Ashcroft
Kael froze.
“Lucien…?”
His heart skipped a beat.
That name shouldn’t exist.
He immediately searched his memories.
Nothing.
No Lucien Ashcroft had ever attended this academy.
No future hero.
No future villain.
No guild master.
Nothing.
He didn’t exist.
Astra sensed his confusion.
“Master?”
Kael narrowed his eyes.
“History has changed again…”
“Or…”
“Someone else returned with me.”
Meanwhile…
A young man stood beneath a large oak tree outside the arena.
His jet-black hair swayed in the wind.
His golden eyes remained closed.
An elegant black sword rested at his waist.
Several students whispered as they passed.
“That’s Lucien.”
“They say he defeated three instructors during the entrance exam.”
“I heard even nobles avoid provoking him.”
Lucien slowly opened his eyes.
A faint smile appeared.
“So…”
“He really came back.”
No one heard him. Enjoying the story? Read on at novelping.com.
Except the old man standing in the shadows nearby.
The mysterious elder frowned.
“Who are you talking to?”
Lucien chuckled.
“Myself.”
Of course…
That wasn’t true.
Inside his mind…
A cold masculine voice echoed.
“The Sword Archive has awakened.”
“Its Master has returned.”
Lucien’s smile widened.
“I know.”
“And this time…”
“…our game will have a different ending.”
The announcer’s voice echoed across the stadium.
“Next match!”
“Kael Ardyn!”
“Lucien Ashcroft!”
Thousands of students looked toward Arena Three.
The atmosphere immediately became tense.
Even before either fighter entered…
The mana in the air became strangely heavy.
Kael walked onto the stage.
Lucien approached from the opposite side.
The moment their eyes met…
Time seemed to stop.
Kael’s pupils contracted.
“He knows.”
Lucien smiled calmly.
“So do you.”
Neither had spoken.
Yet both understood.
This wasn’t their first meeting.
It was merely…
Their first meeting in this timeline.
The referee looked between them, confused by the oppressive silence.
“Both contestants ready?”
Neither answered.
The sky above the academy suddenly darkened.
Far within the Infinite Sword Archive…
The sealed black sword trembled violently.
A voice, colder than death itself, echoed through the endless void.
“Two beings who defy destiny…”
“How amusing.”
“Perhaps this world will finally be worthy of my blade.”
The referee dropped his hand.
“Begin!”
At the exact same instant…
Kael and Lucien disappeared from where they stood.
A sonic boom exploded across the arena.
To Be Continued…