From deep within the ground, a familiar rumble echoed throughout the stadium—metal gears turning, steam hissing. The earth beneath the center of the arena cracked open, and a circular platform began to rise slowly. On it stood a man in a sharp, brown suit with a tall matching hat and a twisted grin.
The Announcer.
With a dramatic flourish, he threw his arms into the air, and fireworks erupted around him.
"WELCOME BACK, MY WARRIORS!!" his voice boomed across the coliseum, amplified by unseen magic.
"Today is the legendary PHASE TWO! I hope you're all ready—because things are about to get wild!!"
The crowd roared in thunderous excitement. Flags waved, kids screamed, and even the nobles leaned forward with curiosity in their jeweled booths.
The announcer raised a hand to silence the crowd. His voice turned sly:
"So let's get started, shall we!?"
At the very center, a massive pole shot from the ground—and at the top fluttered a pristine white flag.
The announcer clapped his hands, and the crowd went wild again.
"Today's battle is not about brute strength! Not about flashy spells or brute dominance! No…" He spun around and pointed to the flag.
"This time, it's… CAPTURE THE FLAG!"
Gasps erupted across the stadium.
"You cannot win by defeating your opponent. You must seize the flag—and hold it for a full 60 seconds!"
Cheers, whistles, and cries of "LET'S GOOOOO!" filled the coliseum.
The announcer grinned wickedly."Let the show… BEGIN!!"
A horn blared.
The holograms above the arena flared to life, cycling rapidly through names until—
Match One: Dai of the Iron Fangs vs. Rin Talvas
Dai, the beastman warrior with iron scales over his fists, cracked his knuckles and growled like a cornered wolf. Across from him stood Rin, lithe and graceful, with a crimson spear on her back and wind fluttering around her feet.
"Capture the Flag — match one… BEGIN!"
Dai lunged, each step cracking the ground. Rin danced backward, flipping over him and kicking off the flag pole like a leaf in a storm. She snatched it midair — and the 60-second timer lit up in glowing gold.
"59… 58…"
Dai hurled chunks of stone and metal. Rin ducked and weaved like the wind itself, her crimson spear slicing through the air with ballet-like grace. But a single misstep — Dai gripped her leg and hurled her into a wall.
The timer reset.
Now Dai had the flag.
"59… 58…"
Rin gritted her teeth. "You'll have to do better than brute force."
She released a wind burst from her palm, launching herself like a missile, reclaiming the flag in a fierce tackle just as the seconds ticked down.
"3… 2… 1—"
Rin Talvas wins.
Dai grunted and clapped her shoulder. "You fly like a hawk."
Rin smiled. "And you hit like a boulder."
Match Two: Loka the Chained Priest vs. Tess of the Thousand Eyes
The arena dimmed ominously. Loka stepped barefoot into the battlefield, his heavy chains dragging behind him. A divine aura surrounded him, silent and suffocating. Across from him floated Tess, her cloak of eyes blinking in eerie synchronization.
Tess's illusions filled the arena instantly — serpents, spirits, mirror copies, and mirages of the flag.
Loka kneeled.
He did not fight.
He prayed.
His voice thundered:
"No weapon formed against me shall prosper… and every tongue that rises against me in judgment, thou shalt condemn." — Isaiah 54:17
The illusions shattered like smoke in a storm.
A holy chain struck Tess from behind. She gasped, bound in blinding light.
The crowd watched in stunned silence as Loka picked up the real flag — and held it until the minute passed.
Loka wins.
He left the field whispering more scripture:
"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death... I shall fear no evil."
Match Three: Vin vs. Varn
"THE TWINS!" screamed a spectator.
The two stood on opposite sides. Identical twins. Black hair, mirrored tattoos, twin curved swords.
"Let's finish what we started as kids," Vin said, smirking.
"No holding back, brother," Varn replied, his aura pulsing violently.
The bell rang.
Their swords clashed in a blur — flashes of silver, cries of pain, laughter even in the chaos. They tossed the flag between each other like they were playing a childhood game… but it was war.
Vin caught the flag first.
"59… 58…"
Varn teleported behind him, slashing upward. The flag hit the air. Varn snatched it.
"59… 58… 57…"
The timer kept resetting.
Back and forth.
Cut for cut. Step for step. Brothers in the most brutal ballet the crowd had ever seen.
Eventually, bloodied and exhausted, Vin collapsed.
Varn stood — barely — clutching the flag.
"4… 3… 2… 1…"
Varn wins.
He dropped to his knees, tears pouring down his cheeks.
Vin smiled from the ground. "Looks like I taught you well."
Varn hugged him. "I didn't want to win… I just didn't want to lose you."
Match Four: Kuro vs… A Special Entry?!
Just when the crowd thought they'd seen it all, the arena lights flickered… then the announcer's voice boomed again.
"AND NOW—!! A FIGHT YOU DIDN'T SEE COMING!"
Kuro stood, hair brushing over one eye, golden eyes locked forward. He was smiling like he'd been waiting all day for this.
"The East's ruthless prodigy… the wolf without a leash…"
"KURO!"
The crowd roared.
But then…
The lights dimmed again.
The announcer pointed to the sky.
"AND ENTERING LATE — BY ROYAL DECREE… A WARRIOR WHO NEEDS NO INTRODUCTION TO THOSE WHO WATCH THE SHADOWS."
The wind shifted. Silver mist poured into the air like moonlight being spilled.
She floated down from the sky.
"ASTRID VALE!"
My heart dropped.
What?!
I stood up in shock.
That's… the girl from the registration building! The one who warned me about Kuro!
I stared, stunned.
wait she from the royal decree...
Forget that, how is she allowed to enter NOW? Who is she really? Why was she watching the others from the beginning…?
Kuro tilted his head, slightly amused.
She didn't even look at him.
Her eyes scanned the crowd — and paused. On me.
That was no coincidence.
"Something's going on here," I muttered behind my mask.
The announcer's voice cut through the air again — this time, slower… heavier, like even he realized the stakes had shifted.
"And for those wondering — yes, this last-minute entry was not only approved but requested by none other than Her Majesty, Queen Seraphine Vale herself!"
The crowd gasped.
The queen?
her last name is vale, so does that mean Astrid the princess?
"The Royal Court issued the decree just hours ago — citing extraordinary circumstances and invoking the Ancient Right of Blooded Contest — a rarely used but fully sanctioned law allowing the crown to insert a champion into any match once per generation!"
The holograms above flickered to show a sealed scroll, branded with the Vale royal crest — a silver falcon over a moonlit field.
The announcer continued, a mix of awe and confusion in his tone.
"This… is unprecedented in modern history. For centuries, the Vale bloodline has remained politically neutral in the Trials of War. But now — the queen herself has broken that silence, hand-selecting her only daughter to face one of the East's most feared warriors."
Eyes across the arena widened. Whispers turned into roars. Dozens of noble families sat forward in their seats. Some military captains stood in protest. Others sat back, smiling coldly.
Something larger was unfolding — and we were just starting to glimpse it.
In the arena, Astrid touched down gently, boots clicking against the stone. Her silver mist still curling around her feet like it obeyed her. She didn't draw a weapon.
She didn't need to.
Kuro grinned wide now, stepping forward. "So… the Queen sent her little princess, huh?"
Astrid's voice cut clean through the wind, quiet but sharp.
"My mother didn't send me to win, Kuro."
She pulled out her twin blades
"She sent me to warn you."
The crowd fell silent again. Like the air itself was holding its breath.
The announcer whispered into his mic.
"…Match four. Kuro vs. Astrid Vale… begins now."