The air shattered.
Jax charged, and the force of his movement alone tore through the arena like a physical entity. The spectral flames of his Domain surged with him, the molten walls pulsing in rhythm with his steps.
Kaelen barely had time to raise his arms before the shockwave hit.
BOOM
He was thrown backward, his feet leaving the ground entirely. He crashed into the arena floor, tumbling across the crystal surface.
[–60 HP]
[HP: 148/300]
The crowd erupted into chaos.
"What is that?!"
"Is that a Domain? He actually manifested a Domain?!"
"How does a third-year have one already?!"
Daniel shot to his feet, panic written across his face. He grabbed the shoulder of the fourth-year student beside him. "What's happening? What's a Domain?!"
The upperclassman's eyes were wide, fixed on the manifested forge. "An Aether Domain. It's... it's a metaphysical space unique to each cultivator. A manifestation of their soul and core ability."
"But Jax is only third-year—"
"Exactly." The student's voice was tight.
"Most people don't awaken their Domain until Sentinel Mastery-level the earliest. Some never awaken it at all. But he..." He gestured toward the forge, the spectral anvil, the flames. "That's Level 2. Firmament's Foundation. His Domain has stabilized."
Another voice cut in from behind them—a fifth-year with a gold badge. "There are nine levels to Domain awakening. Level 1 is Nascent Spark, barely stable, flickers in and out. But Level 2..." She shook her head. "The geography becomes permanent. That forge will always be his forge now. And within it—"
"Within it, his abilities are enhanced," the fourth-year finished grimly. "One full grade at Level 2. His A-rank Titan's Grip is operating at peak-tier now. Maybe even AA-rank output."
Daniel's face went pale. "Then Kaelen—"
"Is fighting someone who's functionally more defined compared to him," the fifth-year said quietly. "He might actually actually have a chance, though..."
"You think?" The fourth-year asked.
"Yeah... Isn't he an S rank?"
Daniel could only sigh frustratingly, he had prepared Kaelen but didn't see this coming.
...
In the faculty section, Professor Nyra leaned forward, her golden eyes tracking every movement. Her ears twitched, picking up fragments of conversation from the students around her.
"Remarkable," she murmured. "And concerning."
The instructor beside her... Professor Halvern, a younger combat specialist, looked confused. "Professor Nyra?"
"That boy shouldn't have a Domain yet," Nyra said, her voice low. "Guardian Advanced is too early. Most cultivators require Sentinel masters before the soul is refined enough to manifest one. And yet..." She watched the anvil pulse. "His is already at Level 2. We haven't seen him use this in is previous fights, all fights so far."
"Is the first-year in danger?"
Nyra's tail flicked once. "Undoubtedly. But let's watch him for now. Watch how he responds."
...
Kaelen pushed himself up slowly, every muscle screaming in protest. Blood dripped from a cut on his forehead, obscuring his vision in one eye. He wiped it away with the back of his hand.
[A.E.: 164/350]
[HP: 148/300]
He was running empty. But he wasn't done.
He activated Analytical Scan.
[–5 A.E.]
[AETHER DOMAIN DETECTED]
[Classification: Metaphysical Manifestation]
[?????]
[?????]
[?????]
[?????]
[?????]
It was frustrating he could not see the full information. If he won, he's going to upgrade Analytical Scan.
Kaelen's breath came in ragged gasps.
Jax walked toward him slowly, deliberately. Each step cracked the arena floor. The spectral flames danced around his shoulders, and his eyes glowed molten orange.
"You should yield," Jax said, his voice echoing strangely within the Domain.
"You've fought well. Better than anyone expected. But this..." He gestured to the forge around them. "This is the difference between us. You can't win."
At the edge of the arena, Serene stepped forward, her expression dark. "Jax Hanlay!" Her voice cut through the noise of the crowd like a blade. "Domain manifestation is prohibited in sanctioned duels between students of disparate levels. This constitutes a—"
"It's my fight."
Kaelen's voice was quiet, but it carried.
Serene's eyes snapped to him. "What?"
Kaelen stood fully now, his legs shaking but holding. Blood dripped from his torn uniform. His breathing was labored. But his crimson eyes were steady.
"It's my fight," he repeated, louder this time. "I accepted the challenge. I knew the risks." He looked at Serene directly. "Don't stop it."
The arena went silent.
Serene's expression was unreadable. "You'll lose. And it won't be gentle, his hits currently will be life threatening to you"
"Maybe." Kaelen shifted his stance, raising his fists despite the tremor in his arms. "But I'm not yielding."
In the crowd, Lira shot to her feet. "Kaelen, don't be stupid!" Her voice cracked slightly. "SHe's right... you can't win this!"
Others in the crowd weren't so concerned:
"He's insane..."
"Throwing his life away for pride..."
"Just yield already!"
But Kaelen didn't move. His gaze remained fixed on Jax.
Serene's jaw tightened. She looked between them, then slowly stepped back. "On your head, then." Her voice was cold. "But the moment I judge you unable to continue, I'm stopping it. Understood?"
Kaelen nodded once.
Jax smiled... not cruel, but genuinely amused. "Stupid. But brave." He settled back into his stance. "Come then. Show me what you have left."
[A.E.: 159/350]
Kaelen had 159 aether remaining. Plus the 100 A.E stored in the Aether Chain which he filled last night before the fight.
He had to make every point count.
[Flash Step Lv1]
[–19 A.E.]
Blurring forward, closing the distance in an instant. Jax's eyes tracked him easily, enhanced perception within his Domain allowing him to follow movements that would have been blurs to others.
Kaelen feinted left with Spatial Warp.
[–24 A.E.]
Distorting the space between them, making his approach angle unpredictable. Jax adjusted, but the distortion bought Kaelen a fraction of a second.
He coated his fist with aether.
[Aether Manipulation Lv. 3]
[–3 A.E./sec]
He drove it toward Jax's ribs.
Jax blocked effortlessly, his reinforced arm absorbing the strike without giving an inch. Then he countered... a backhand that caught Kaelen across the chest.
[–45 HP]
Kaelen gasped, the air driven from his lungs. He staggered backward, barely keeping his feet.
[HP: 103/300]
One hit. Just one hit and I'm nearly halved.
He couldn't trade blows. He couldn't outlast Jax. He had to finish this now. Kaelen's hand moved to the Aether Chain on his wrist.
[Aether Chain Activated]
[+100 A.E]
[A.E: 213/350]
The surge of energy flooded his system, sharp and electric. His vision cleared slightly. His legs steadied.
Jax noticed the change immediately. His eyes narrowed. "Using your reserves already? Smart. But it won't be enough."
"We'll see."
Kaelen raised both hands. Aether condensed around his palms, not one technique, but two, forming simultaneously.
His left hand: Spatial Lance
His right hand: Aether Burst
[–38 A.E]
[–29 A.E]
But he didn't stop there.
He overcharged both.
[–100 A.E]
The Spatial Lance in his left hand grew denser, the distortion warping light around it until it became a visible tear in reality, not razor-thin anymore, but thick as a spear shaft, pulsing with compressed spatial energy. The Aether Burst in his right hand blazed brighter, more violent, the explosive energy barely contained.
[A.E.: 46/350]
The crowd went silent, sensing something massive building.
Jax's expression shifted. For the first time since activating his Domain, uncertainty flickered across his face. "What are you—"
Kaelen released both simultaneously.
"HAAAAAA!"
The overcharged Spatial Lance shot forward. It wasn't a streak, but a beam of distorted space that tore through the air with a sound like reality screaming. At the same moment, he triggered the Aether Burst, not as a defensive push but as propulsion, launching himself forward in the Lance's wake.
[Achievement: Skill Synergy Unlocked]
[Skill Synergy: Spatial Breach]
The lance hit Jax's hastily raised guard.
And punched through. Not completely. Jax's Titan's Grip, enhanced by the Domain, reinforced his arms to near-impenetrable levels, but the spatial distortion cracked his defense, sending fissures through his aether reinforcement.
Jax staggered backward, his eyes wide.
Then Kaelen was there, carried by the Aether Burst's momentum. He drove his fist, still coated with residual explosive energy, into Jax's exposed midsection.
BOOM
The explosion at point-blank range sent both of them flying in opposite directions. Kaelen hit the ground hard, tumbling across the crystal floor before slamming into the suppression barrier at the arena's edge. His vision swam. Pain radiated through every inch of his body.
[–35 HP]
[HP: 68/300]
[Warning: Health Point Low]
[A.E.: 46/350]
[Warning: Aether Energy Low]
Jax crashed into the opposite wall, his Domain flickering... the spectral flames dimming, the molten walls wavering. He dropped to one knee, coughing, blood dripping from his mouth.
His uniform was torn. His arms were scorched with burns from the spatial distortion. His breathing was labored.
But he was still standing.
The crowd was on its feet, screaming.
"He actually hurt him!"
"That combination... did you see—"
"How is he still fighting?!"
Kaelen pushed himself up on trembling arms. His body refused to cooperate. His legs wouldn't hold.
[A.E.: 86/350]
Not enough.
He had maybe two more techniques left in him. Jax straightened slowly, his Domain solidifying again. The flames reignited. The anvil pulsed.
"That..." Jax said, his voice rough, "was impressive." He wiped blood from his mouth. "If not for my Domain, that combination would have ended me."
He walked forward, each step deliberate.
"But I'm still standing. And you..." His eyes tracked Kaelen's shaking limbs, his labored breathing. "You're done."
Kaelen tried to stand. His legs buckled. He caught himself on one knee, gasping.
[HP: 68/300]
[A.E.: 86/350]
Empty. He was running on nothing but will.
Jax raised his fist, orange light blazing. "It's over, Kaelen. You fought well. Better than anyone had the right to expect. But—"
"Enough."
Serene's voice cut through the arena like a blade. She stepped onto the floor, her expression severe. "This match is over."
Jax turned to her, confused. "He hasn't yielded—"
"And you," Serene interrupted, her voice cold, "used an Aether Domain. Level 2 manifestation against an Initiate-level opponent in a sanctioned duel." Her gray eyes were hard as steel. "That constitutes a prohibited technique under Academy combat regulations, Section 12, Subsection 4."
The crowd's roar shifted, confusion rippling through the stands.
"Wait—"
"He's disqualified?"
"But he was winning—"
Serene raised her hand, and silence fell. "Jax Hanlay, by use of Guardian-level Domain manifestation against a significantly lower-ranked opponent, you are hereby disqualified from this match."
She turned to face the crowd, her voice amplified. "Victor by disqualification: Kaelen Burn."
The arena exploded.
Half the crowd erupted in cheers. The other half in outraged disbelief.
"That's not fair!"
"He was about to lose anyway!"
"Disqualification?!"
But there were other voices too:
"Did you see that combination attack?"
"He actually forced a Domain user to his limit..."
"A first-year did that to a Sentinel..."
"I knew i bet on the right person."
Kaelen stared at Serene, stunned. His vision was blurring, his body finally giving out.
Then his System chimed.
[PING]
[Side Quest Complete: Victory to the Beholder]
[Rewards Distributed]
[+2700 XP]
[+15 Stat Points]
[Skill Upgrade Tokens x2 (Select two skills to advance one level)]
His wristband chimed:
[Rank Points Earned: +1,237 RP]
[New Rank: Novice —> Bronze Badge]
Kaelen blinked at the notifications floating in his vision. The system... counted it as a win?
He started to laugh, ut was a weak, breathless sound. Then his vision went dark.
The last thing he heard was the roar of the crowd.The last thing he felt was someone catching him before he hit the ground.
Then nothing.
...
Kaelen's eyes opened slowly.
White ceiling. Soft humming of medical equipment. The faint smell of antiseptic and aether-infused healing solutions.
He tried to sit up and immediately regretted it. Every muscle screamed in protest.
"Stay down, you idiot." Sera's voice. Calm. Unimpressed.
Kaelen turned his head slowly. She sat in a chair beside his bed, arms crossed, expression unreadable as always. "How long?" he croaked
.
"Four hours. The medics said you were running on empty by the end. Near Aether exhaustion, multiple fractures, severe bruising, and a mild concussion." She tilted her head slightly. "You're lucky you didn't die."
"Did I... win?"
Sera's expression didn't change, but something flickered in her crystalline eyes. "Technically, yes. Jax was disqualified for Domain usage. The Academy ruled it an unfair advantage."
"But—"
"But you didn't yield," she interrupted. "And you landed hits on a Guardian-level Domain user." She leaned forward slightly. "The entire academy is talking about it. The first-year who forced a Sentinel to use a Domain. The unranked student who earned a bronze badge in one fight."
Kaelen closed his eyes. His body ached, but beneath the pain, something else stirred.
Pride.
"Where's Jax?"
"Medical bay. Different wing. His injuries were... significant." Sera's tone was neutral. "That overcharged Spatial Lance cracked three of his ribs and ruptured his aether channels in both arms. He'll recover, but it'll take time."
Kaelen winced. "I didn't mean to—"
"Yes, you did." Sera stood, adjusting her jacket. "You went for it. You knew what you were doing." She walked toward the door, then paused. "That skill combination at the end. Spatial Lance with Aether Burst propulsion. It was smart."
"It was desperation," Kaelen admitted.
"Desperation that worked." She glanced back at him. "Rest. Your friends will be by soon. Daniel's been pacing outside for the last two hours."
She left, the door sliding shut behind her.
Kaelen lay in the quiet room, staring at the ceiling.
His system chimed softly.
[Status Update]
He pulled up his screen with trembling fingers.
[Name: Kaelen Burn]
[Base Level: 8] (70/1900 XP)
[System Level: 6] (670/1800 XP)
[HP: 300/300]
[A.E.: 350/350]
[Stat Points Available: 49]
[Skill Upgrade Tokens: 2]
[Shop Unlocked]
He'd gained two full levels. From 6 to 8.
And he had upgrade tokens.
Kaelen closed the screen and let his head fall back against the pillow.
He'd won.
Against all odds, against a Guardian-level Domain, against a Jax.
And the system had counted it as a win.
A weak smile crossed his face. Then the door burst open.
"KAELEN!"
Daniel practically fell into the room, followed closely by Lira, whose expression was torn between relief and fury.
"You absolute idiot," Lira said, but her voice cracked. "You could have died!"
"But I didn't," Kaelen said weakly.
"Only because Serene stopped it!" Daniel's hands were shaking. "Do you have any idea... the Domain... he was going to—"
"I know." Kaelen looked at them both. "But I had to see it through."
Lira's silver eyes were wet. "Why? For what? Pride?"
"No." Kaelen's voice was quiet but firm. "Because if I yielded there, I'd always wonder if I could have done more. If I was strong enough." He closed his eyes. "I needed to know my limits. And now I do."
Silence filled the room.
Then Lira sighed and sat in the chair Sera had vacated. "You're insane. But..." She smiled faintly. "You're also incredibly stubborn. I'll give you that."
Daniel collapsed into the other chair, his face still pale. "The entire academy is going crazy. People are saying you're the first unranked student accept a Sentinel's challenge, to fight and win. That combination attack—it's already got a name. 'Spatial Enhanced piercing spear.' Students are trying to figure out how you did it."
"That's a wierd name, it was desperation," Kaelen repeated.
"Well, your desperation just made you famous." Daniel pulled up his tablet, showing social feeds flooded with clips of the fight. "Look at this. 'First-year prodigy forces Domain manifestation.' 'Unranked Chrononaut earns bronze in single duel.' It's everywhere."
Kaelen groaned. "Great. More attention."
"You brought this on yourself," Lira said, but there was warmth in her tone. "Now rest. We'll be back tomorrow." She stood, then paused. "Oh, and Kaelen?"
"Yeah?"
"When I said 'when you win,' I meant it." She smiled. "You did. In your own ridiculous way."
They left, and Kaelen was alone again.
He pulled up his status screen one more time, looking at the skill upgrade tokens.
Two upgrades. Any skills he wanted. There was also the shop. But that was a decision for tomorrow. Tonight, he just needed to rest.
He closed his eyes, and for the first time accepting the quest, he had nothing to worry about.