Cecilia Thorne, Princess of the Galat Empire, stepped forward.
"Hold on, you two. I'm curious… how did he do it? Is he bluffing?" she asked, genuine curiosity flickering in her eyes. "Please, just wait."
Nyx and Rin reluctantly lowered their weapons, watching me with caution.
Cecilia continued, "Now tell us, Ashen. How did you really reach here? Even if you used tricks… I'm all ears."
I smirked. "Fine."
"The Whitehounds — I beat them both. Took them head-on. First, I took down Eren fair and square. Loona? I was about to finish her too, but someone else swooped in and stole the elimination."
I pointed upward. "Seraphina. She was hiding in a tree, waiting for your battle to end. Planning to backstab the last one standing. I don't like cowards."
[System: Hero… aren't you going too far?]
I ignored the message and went on.
"She was strong, no doubt. Managed to land a few hits. But I overwhelmed her. She got eliminated, fair. Then came Liora—ambushed me, completely emotional. Like a virtual divorce drama when a wife catches her husband cheating."
I laughed bitterly.
"She was strong too. But in the end? I won."
I looked at all three of them.
"I guess that answers your questions. So tell me—are you coming one by one… or all together?"
[System: Cecilia is looking at you with growing respect.]
Nyx narrowed her eyes. "I don't know if you're lying… so let's test it."
Her wand crackled with energy. Rin's blade radiated light.
[System: Nicely done, host. Side quest cleared.]
[DING! Side Quest Completed]Reward Granted: Lightning BarrageBonus Perk: Mana-Body Sync Boost – Mana and physical coordination increased by 20%
A surge of energy rushed through me, syncing my muscles and mana like never before.
"I guess I have a chance after all."
I raised my hand. "Arise, my army!"
From the virtual shadows emerged:
Doggo (D-rank, black-furred battlehound with glowing eyes)
Lizardmen (D-rank, armored brutes)
Kobalts (E-rank, agile and savage)
I grinned. "And let the rest of the fallen be remembered… except that goblin who ruined my last ambush."
I stepped forward.
"Three vs one? That's unfair, don't you think?"
Rin smirked. "Didn't you claim you were strong? Why afraid now?"
"Oh, I'm not."
"Shadow Echo!"
Ten virtual clones of me shimmered into being. Now it was thirteen vs three.
"Doggo, take on Nyx. My clones and I will handle Rin. Cecilia…" I met her eyes. "You're mine."
"CHARGE!"
The Battle Begins
Doggo leapt at Nyx, who raised a protective barrier. His claws shimmered with virtual darkness, slicing through her magical defenses.
"What even is this creature?" she gasped. "He's cute—and terrifying!"
Cecilia danced between shadows like royalty on a battlefield, her rapier gleaming with frost.
"Winter Waltz," she whispered.
A vortex of ice spun around her, deleting two shadows in a flash of frozen code. Another tried to flank her, but she shattered it with a precise thrust.
"Nice tricks," she muttered. "But tricks only get you so far."
Meanwhile, I was toe-to-toe with Rin.
Our blades clashed in flashes of virtual steel and radiant light.
CLANG! CLANG!
He was strong. Focused. Trained. But I was unpredictable—sharp, fast, layered in shadow.
"Why do you fight?" he asked, dodging a strike.
"To remind the world that I exist," I replied.
With a boom of radiant energy, he blasted me back across the arena. I skidded, health bar flashing yellow.
My clones rushed to intercept, but he cut through three with brutal efficiency.
[System: HP at 48%. Caution advised.]
I wiped my lip and grinned.
"Echo Shift."
Three clones swapped positions with me mid-air. I reappeared behind Rin—slashing.
CLANG!
He barely turned in time to block, but I nicked his shoulder.
Meanwhile, Nyx had figured Doggo out.
"Time to bring the storm!"
She unleashed a cyclone spell, catching Doggo mid-air and launching him across the field. He skidded, but got up—tail wagging, determined.
"Okay… that's terrifying," Nyx muttered.
Back at Cecilia's end, she shattered another clone with a pirouette slash. Only two remained.
She looked at me as frost coated her gloves.
"I hope you have more than shadows."
I raised my blade.
"I've got something better. Hope."
[System: Combat recording complete. All moves are now archived for skill replay.]
The battle raged on—but somewhere deep down, we all knew…
This was more than a game.This was legacy.
And only one of us would make it to the finals.