As the candidates settled into the First-Year Campus plaza, a man in long, dark-blue robes approached the center of the gathering. His bearing was upright, his aura steady, and his voice carried effortlessly across the crowd.
"Welcome to the Capital City Academy," he began, his tone formal but not unkind. "I am Professor Kaelen, responsible for overseeing your first year."
The murmur of conversation died instantly.
"Our Academy has stood for more than a hundred years," Kaelen continued. "We exist to nurture the greatest talents of the Solar Eternus Empire, to temper raw ambition into true strength. It is our hope that among you, the next genius will arise—someone who can bring honor and glory to this sacred institution."
He let the words settle before moving on.
"To begin your journey, we will hold the traditional First-Year Tournament."
Excited whispers rippled through the crowd.
"Every year," Kaelen explained, "only the top-ranked individuals from each regional trial are invited to participate. Through combat, we determine where you stand among your peers—for rankings are everything here."
He paused, a slight smile playing at the corner of his mouth.
"Normally, we have ten top candidates. However, due to a tie in one of the trials, there are eleven this year."
Kaelen lifted a small, crystal sphere. Inside, names floated in luminous script.
"We will now conduct the pairing lottery. Ten will fight in the first round. One of you will receive a bye to the second round."
The sphere began to spin, the names swirling within it like stars caught in a whirlwind.
Eryon and Alice stood silently among the chosen, their expressions steady. Around them stood the other elite candidates—individuals they had silently noted days before.
There was the massive, stone-faced brute with arms like carved granite. A silver-haired girl whose presence exuded silence and danger. A narrow-eyed youth who radiated eerie calm. The twin brothers with matching blades and mirrored discipline. And above them all, the golden-haired genius whose cold gaze could pierce through armor.
With a soft chime, the crystal sphere came to a halt. A single name glowed brighter than the rest:
Vaen Solarius.
"Vaen Solarius receives a direct pass to the second round," Kaelen announced.
The golden-haired prodigy didn't react. But everyone else felt the weight of his name—and his terrifying presence.
Kaelen then raised a hand, and the sphere released the first-round matchups in pairs, floating in golden script above the stage:
Match 1: Eryon Solaris vs. Kor Valor
Match 2: Alice Dawnmere vs. Nyla Ves
Match 3: Kaen Voss vs. Dareth of the Iron Fangs
Match 4: Selar and Soren (Twins) vs. each other
Match 5: Miren Vale vs. Thalos Ren
"These are your opponents," Kaelen said calmly. "You have two days to prepare. Use them well. The arena will not show mercy, and neither should you."
Tension and excitement coursed through the elite candidates as they stared at the names.
The tournament had officially begun.