The dawn of the combat trials arrived not with a gentle sunrise, but with the sharp, electric hum of activated arena wards. The top twenty-one contenders stood in a secluded preparation chamber adjacent to the main coliseum. The air, once thick with the shared anxiety of the gauntlet, was now laced with a competitive silence. Alliances forged over the past week were being mentally shelved, replaced by the stark reality of one-on-one duels.
Kaelen observed the shift. Alio's usual playful grin was replaced by a focused smirk as he polished a set of throwing daggers. Keijos stood with his eyes closed, undoubtedly running simulations of potential matchups. Drenos simply cracked his knuckles, a sound like grinding stones. Eline and Rei were whispering strategies to each other.
Shine stood beside him, her silver eyes scanning their competition with a noble's assessing gaze. "They will test us for more than just raw power today," she said quietly, more to herself than to him. "They will test our spirit."
As if on cue, a proctor—a severe-looking woman with the telltale scars of a battlemage—entered the room. Her voice was a whip-crack of authority.
"Contenders, attend. The rules of the combat trials are simple. Victory is achieved by surrender, incapacitation, or being forced outside the ring's boundary. Lethal force is forbidden and will result in immediate disqualification and expulsion." Her eyes swept over them, ensuring the point was made. "Your performance will be judged on skill, control, adaptability, and the strength of your will. Now, the final rule. You may use any weapon you bring, but know that the truest measure of a warrior is not in steel they forge, but in the steel their soul forges."
A ripple of understanding went through the veterans in the room. Kaizar grinned, a flash of sharp teeth.
"You will now summon your Soul's Armory," the proctor announced.
A young man near the front closed his eyes, held out his hand, and concentrated. With a flash of amber light, a sturdy, rune-engraved tower shield materialized in his grip.
The proctor nodded. "Your soul weapon is a reflection of your essence. It is unbreakable and grows with you. But a weapon is nothing without the skill to wield it. This is where Combat Boosts manifest."
She gestured to the shield-bearer. "Most initiates possess a handful of Boosts—passive enhancements to strength, speed, or elemental affinity tied to their weapon. The truly gifted may unlock an active ability. It is common for a skilled graduate to have mastered ten."
Kaelen's internal systems whirred.
[Query: Initiate Soul Weapon Summoning Protocol?]
[Analysis: Risk of anomalous data exposure: High. Recommended action: Observe and mimic. Reinforce Veil parameters.]
He watched as, one by one, the others summoned their weapons. Alio's hands were suddenly filled with twin shortswords that seemed to blur at the edges. Keijos summoned a sleek, intelligent-looking bow that glowed with soft light. Drenos let out a low grunt as a massive, stone-headed greathammer thudded onto the floor. Eline and Rei summoned matching, elegant rapiers, one wreathed in a faint frost, the other in shimmering heat.
Shine closed her eyes. A moment later, a beam of pure moonlight solidified in her hand, resolving into a slender, flawless longsword with a guard shaped like intertwined branches. It hummed with a soft, silvery energy.
Then, all eyes turned to Kaelen.
He mimicked the posture of the others, holding out his hands. He focused not on the immeasurable power within, but on the constructed identity. He focused on the concept of a "dedicated, talented human." He focused on the paradox he embodied: the infinite Abyss and the spark of Light that gave it purpose.
The air in the chamber grew deathly still and heavy.
To his left, a vortex of dark purple smoke erupted silently. From it emerged a blade of perfect, matte black steel that seemed to absorb all light, a slender line of absolute darkness—Shin'en.
To his right, a shower of golden light particles coalesced into a semi-translucent, pearlescent wakizashi that glowed with a warm, radiant aura—Hikari.
They appeared cross-drawn in his hands. The contrast was breathtaking. Kaizar's predatory grin faltered. The proctor's pen hovered over her clipboard, her bored demeanor vanished. Shine's eyes were wide with dawning understanding of the profound duality he represented.
The proctor found her voice, making a hurried note. "Now, access your Boost screen. Acknowledge your available abilities."
Kaelen focused inward. A screen only he could see materialized.
[Soul Weapon: Shin'en & Hikari - Status: Veiled]
[Combat Boosts Available:]
[Tier 1: 9 Basic Boosts - Unlocked]
Void Slip (Shin'en)
Luminous Parry (Hikari)
...
[Tier 2: 289 Ultimate Boosts - LOCKED by Limiter Protocol]
The brackets were announced. Kaelen's first match was against a burly beast-kin who favored a brutish axe. The fight was over in seconds. Kaelen used Void Slip to phase Shin'en through a wild swing, unsettling his opponent's spirit, and used the opening to guide him out of bounds with a precise push from Hikari's flat side. Efficient. Unremarkable in outcome.
He won his next match similarly, using the contrasting properties of his blades to control the flow of combat with minimal movement.
He was skilled. He was precise. He was, according to the murmurs in the crowd, a fascinating talent with unique weapons. The facade was holding.
He watched Shine's matches. She was a whirlwind of grace and power, her moonlit sword leaving trails of silver as she seamlessly blended swordplay with flashes of light magic.
The chapter ended with the quarter-finals set. The board shimmered, displaying the next matchup:
Kaelen vs. Kaizar
The Dragonkin cracked his neck, a plume of smoke curling from his nostrils as he shot Kaelen a predatory grin. His soul weapon, a vicious-looking spear wreathed in flame, seemed to thirst for a fight.
The first true test of the facade was about to begin.