Chapter 3: Tournament of Shadows
The Magic Academy's grand tournament was the highlight of the year. Students from across kingdoms gathered to prove their strength, demonstrate their magic, and earn recognition. But this year, the tournament would be anything but ordinary.
The Red Gate incident had already shaken the academy. Rumors swirled: some said a powerful dark force had appeared overnight, others claimed a shadow organization was behind it. Eren, as always, appeared like a background student calm, seemingly weak, unnoticed. But he knew better.
Eren's Strategy
Eren stood with his seven shadows hidden in the wings of the arena.
Kaelen flexed his claws, sensing any sudden threat.
Aeryn tuned her senses to detect magical auras.
Lyssara whispered a prayer to the storm, ready to unleash destruction.
Thalen and Sylveth prepared traps and illusions to manipulate enemy perception.
Orion hid among the spectators, ready to sabotage any unfair tactics.
Vaelith remained vigilant, watching for hidden dangers.
"Remember," Eren whispered, "we show restraint. We appear weak, but strike only when necessary. Let them underestimate us."
The Princesses and Political Tension
Princess Elaria, recently rescued, had returned to the academy to oversee her kingdom's representatives. Another princess from a neighboring kingdom, Princess Selene, had invited Eren to join her private carriage for observation a subtle political move to assess his abilities. Eren accepted, his mind already calculating potential outcomes.
The tournament's first matches began. Students displayed incredible magical talent, some able to summon elemental beasts, others bending reality with illusion and mind control.
But Eren observed quietly.
His 7 shadows acted in secret: countering traps, analyzing opponents, and collecting intelligence.
Every movement Eren made was calculated; he let weaker students shine, losing matches on purpose to maintain his cover.
Red Gate's Influence
Mid-tournament, a tremor ran through the arena. A portal, faintly glowing red, opened at the far end of the field. From it emerged remnants of Umbra Dominion, seeking revenge and testing the academy's strongest students.
Three of Eren's shadows were forced to intervene directly to protect the princesses, appearing as mysterious new challengers.
The Red Gate fragmented, leaking magic that surged into Eren's body. Twenty more of his memories awakened, each unlocking a fraction of Atomic's full power.
Eren's eyes glowed faintly as his internal power surged.
"So much for staying hidden," he muttered. "Let's see how far they'll push me."
The Battle Unfolds
The arena became chaos:
Kaelen tore through monstrous agents with relentless fury.
Aeryn shot arrows that bent around barriers, striking targets others thought protected.
Lyssara clashed with Umbra Dominion mages, her storms canceling their dark magic.
Thalen and Sylveth disoriented opponents with illusions and silent strikes.
Orion sabotaged enemy traps, eliminating ambushes before they could strike.
Vaelith healed allies mid-combat and exposed hidden threats.
Eren himself moved like a shadow, unseen, untouchable, each strike calculated to incapacitate rather than kill. Yet his aura radiated an unstoppable force that terrified even the strongest students.
At the climax, he revealed just enough power to intimidate both the princesses and the spectators. His identity as Atomic remained hidden, but whispers began circulating: "Who is that boy? He's barely noticed, yet his power… it's unmatched."
Aftermath
When the battle ended, Eren returned to the shadows, smiling faintly. His public image remained that of a weak background student, but his shadows and he had fully neutralized the Red Gate's threat at least for now.
"This is only the beginning," Eren said quietly, watching the Red Gate's remnants fade. "Umbra Dominion will come again. The princesses, the kingdoms, the academy… all will learn that shadows are mine to command."
And as night fell, Noctis Veil rose again, unseen, hunting the remnants of evil lurking in the world. Atomic had awakened but the world remained blissfully unaware of the force sleeping in the background.