The stadium fell into a suffocating silence as Kael stepped onto the white marble floor. The scent of ozone and expensive incense from the Gods' balconies felt like a mockery to the boy who had smelled nothing but rot and sulfur for months.
"Silence!" the Announcer's voice boomed, though it shook slightly. "The contestant is... Kael, former scion of the Iron-Blood Clan. He claims a right to the Trial through the Law of the Returned."
High above, General Marcus gripped the armrest of his throne so hard the stone cracked. Beside him, the High Priest whispered, "It is impossible. No one survives the Abyss without mana. He is a ghost, an illusion."
"I am no illusion," Kael's voice rang out, cold and rasping, amplified by the silent power of the System.
Reid, Kael's cousin, stepped forward from the clan's rank, his golden armor shimmering. "You should have stayed in the dirt, cousin. To come back here is to ask for a second death. I'll finish what the Abyss started."
Reid didn't wait. He signaled the start of the duel by erupting in a pillar of golden flame. He lunged, his spear a blur of heat and light. "Heaven's Strike!"
Kael didn't draw his sword. He didn't even move his feet.
[Skill Activated: Vanguard's Domain]
[Mana Suppression: 50%]
[Target: Reid. Rank: Platinum. Status: Weakened.]
As the spear point reached Kael's throat, the golden flames suddenly sputtered and died. The crowd gasped. Reid's face twisted in confusion as his mana pool felt like it was being drained into a void. Kael reached out, caught the spear shaft with one hand, and squeezed. The reinforced steel snapped like a dry twig.
Kael's fist connected with Reid's chest plate. The 'Iron-Grade' armor shattered, and Reid was sent flying across the arena, crashing into the stone wall.
"First," Kael said, his silver eyes scanning the Iron-Blood balcony. "Next."