Normally, Kael would have dodged, letting his enemy exhaust himself.
But today…
Something felt different.
The Mooncore Seed pulsed beneath his ribs — slow, heavy, almost… warning him.
Raven's blade tore through the air, black flames hissing like serpents.
Kael shifted at the last second, the attack grazing his shoulder instead of cleaving through his chest.
The impact still sent a shockwave through his body.
The crowd roared.
"Did you see that?! Raven almost ended it in one strike!"
"He's serious today…"
Raven didn't stop.
He pressed forward relentlessly, attacks raining down like a storm.
Each strike carried killing intent — far beyond what was acceptable in a school tournament.
Kael's eyes narrowed.
He's not trying to win…
He's trying to kill me.
Their weapons clashed again.
Steel screamed.
Black fire splashed across the arena floor, melting marble.
From the VIP stands, several professors stood abruptly.
"That level of mana output… he's exceeding regulation limits!"
"Why hasn't the barrier system intervened?!"
High above them, hidden within a shadowed balcony, a cloaked observer touched a small crystal device.
The arena's protective arrays flickered — then stabilized again.
Disabled.
No one noticed.
Back in the ring—
Raven's grin widened unnaturally.
"You're disappointing me, Prince," he sneered."I expected more from the rumors."
Kael said nothing.
He was watching.
Listening.
Feeling.
There was foreign energy mixed within Raven's aura.
Dark.
Corrupted.
Familiar.
A memory stirred deep inside Kael's soul — chains, judgment, fallen divinity.
His heartbeat slowed.
So it begins…
Raven suddenly leapt back.
For a brief moment, the arena went still.
Then—
A voice echoed from the entrance tunnel.
"STOP THE MATCH!"
Heads turned.
A figure sprinted onto the field — armor partially fastened, breathing hard.
Rowan.
Kael's ally.
His friend.
His expression was filled with panic.
"Kael — get out of there!" Rowan shouted."It's a trap!"
Confusion rippled through the audience.
Raven clicked his tongue.
"…Too late," he muttered.
The ground beneath Kael exploded.
A hidden formation circle ignited in crimson light, chains of energy erupting upward and wrapping around his limbs.
Gasps erupted across the stadium.
"What is that?!"
"A sealing array?!"
Kael's eyes widened slightly.
The chains burned against his skin — not physically, but spiritually.
They were targeting his core.
His power.
His soul.
Raven walked forward slowly, black flames coiling around him like living creatures.
"You really thought the tournament was about students competing?" Raven said quietly.
He leaned closer.
"This entire event… was designed for you."
Silence fell over Kael's mind.
Pieces connected instantly.
The prophecy.
The Mooncore Seed.
The Fallen Ones.
And then—
Rowan reached him.
For a brief moment, relief flickered across Rowan's face.
"I'm sorry," Rowan whispered.
Kael frowned slightly.
"…For what?"
Rowan's hand moved.
A dagger appeared.
And before anyone could react—
He drove it straight into Kael's side.
The blade pierced deep.
Time froze.
The crowd screamed.
Aria's voice rang from the stands.
"KAEL!!!"
Rowan's hand trembled violently as he held the weapon in place.
Tears filled his eyes.
"They'll kill my family… I had no choice…" he choked.
For several seconds…
Kael didn't move.
Didn't speak.
Didn't even breathe.
Then—
The Mooncore Seed exploded with silver light.
Power surged through his veins like a rising tide.
Ancient.
Immense.
Terrifying.
The sealing chains began to crack.
Raven's confident expression faltered.
"…What?"
Kael slowly lifted his head.
His eyes were no longer human.
They shone with cold, luminous silver — like moonlight over an endless abyss.
A pressure descended upon the arena.
Students collapsed.
Professors staggered.
Even the sky above darkened slightly.
Kael spoke.
His voice carried something vast behind it.
Something older than empires.
"You chose… the wrong target."
The chains shattered.
And for the first time since his rebirth—
The Fallen God began to awaken.