The battlefield had barely cooled from the last match, but the energy in the Dreamforged Arena was only rising.
After the chaos of mirrored clones and unraveling illusions, the students of Umbravale were given a brief reprieve. A soft hum rolled across the platform, followed by the familiar system chime.
"Initiating Phase Two: 1v1 Duels. Competitors will be chosen per bracket rotation. Stand by."
Kieran stood still, arms folded, eyes on the shifting arena. The reflective battlefield dissolved, replaced by a circular stone platform suspended above a sea of clouds. Smaller. Sharper. Focused.
"Think they'll call us first?" Calla asked.
"No," Rei muttered, stretching his neck. "We've made too much noise. They'll want to set the tone with someone else."
He was right.
"Duel One: Auric Bastion versus Verdelain Academy."
From opposite sides of the arena, two figures emerged through the ethereal mist.
On the left: Kael Vennar, Auric Bastion. His armor shimmered with faint golden energy, plated over a calm, lean frame. He walked like a blade drawn halfway—silent, but sharp.
On the right: Marra Syl, Verdelain. Cloaked in robes stitched from plant fibers, a chain of thorned roots coiled loosely around her arm. She didn't walk. She drifted.
The spectators hushed. This wasn't a loud battle waiting to happen. It would be a test of precision, patience, and hidden brutality.
---
The system flared: "Begin."
Kael didn't move. Not yet.
Marra twitched her fingers. Vines slithered across the ground like snakes, darting for Kael's legs.
He exhaled. One step—measured—and the vines stopped mid-motion. Locked. Time-glitched.
"Aether Lock," Rei muttered, watching intently. "He freezes motion."
Marra hissed and changed tactics, sending a volley of thorned roots at his back from every direction. Kael pivoted, tapping the air with open palms. With each motion, the incoming strikes slowed—then reversed slightly.
It was like fighting in a memory.
But Marra wasn't done. She closed the gap, pulling a long sickle from her robe. The blade glowed with green-gold light.
Kael ducked, twisted, and let the weapon pass his shoulder.
Then he moved.
One clean strike—open palm to her chest—released a pulse that shattered her balance. Her vines recoiled. Her feet slipped.
Kael didn't press the attack. He just waited.
Marra launched herself again, faster this time.
Kael met her step with silence. The moment her blade fell—
He was gone.
Not teleported. Just... repositioned.
Like he'd never been where she aimed.
With a flick of his wrist, a golden sigil bloomed at her feet. Her vines curled upward and bound her arms in a cocoon.
The system rang: "Victory: Kael Vennar."
---
Muted applause followed. This wasn't a flashy win. It was clinical. Ruthless.
"He never overcommits," Talon noted.
"No wasted movement," Selene added.
Rei rolled his shoulders. "Reminds me why I hate controlled fighters."
Kieran didn't speak. His gaze remained on Kael, who bowed once and walked off the platform without a word.
In the instructor's viewing box, murmurs passed quietly. Even Victor, seated on the upper rail, tilted his head with faint curiosity.
But not at Kael.
At the flickering shimmer across the platform floor.
Something was wrong with the arena. Again.
---
The system chimed:
"Next Match: Frostgarde Academy versus Thornmere Institute."
Kieran relaxed slightly. Not his turn. Not yet.
But the tension lingered.
From here on, the fights were no longer about teamwork.
They were about survival.
---