The battle was already underway, and the roar of the crowd faded into the background as Tori focused on his opponent. The presence of Primordial Observers watching his Fable sent a thrill through his chest. His awakening had been sudden—powerful—but it left him uneasy. He still didn't fully understand what he'd become.
Across from him stood Issac Reevrie, holding back something. Tori could feel it.
A trump card.
He narrowed his glowing golden eyes. "Go ahead and use your Eye of Foresight," he said, mana pulsing through his voice.
Issac blinked. "What is that skill?"
Tori shrugged, stepping into a fighting stance. "I'm not really sure. It's inherited, so maybe it's in my bloodline. But I don't care about that right now. All I care about is beating you."
Issac grinned, mirroring his stance. "Yeah, I feel the same way."
They lunged at each other, their clash sending a shockwave through the stadium. Wind exploded outward, and a thick dust cloud swallowed the arena.
From the stands, Sunless could barely keep up with their movements. His eyes darted across the battlefield, trying to follow the blur of blades.
Beside him, Mica leaned forward, her grin stretching ear to ear. "He's… amazing," she whispered, eyes locked on the dust cloud.
Sunless smiled faintly. "Of course. He's my brother."
The tension in the air thickened. As the dust began to settle, the two fighters emerged—blades clashing, sparks flying like thunder. But something felt off.
Sunless's expression darkened. The mana in the air was shifting—being pulled toward Issac.
He's preparing something big.
"Tori… don't you dare lose," he muttered.
Tori's vision sharpened. He could see the mana gathering around Issac, and the glow in his opponent's pupils confirmed it—Eye of Foresight was active.
He gritted his teeth. Issac could see three seconds into the future. That was his window.
They clashed again, exchanging brutal blows. Issac's sword pierced Tori's arm. Tori retaliated with a kick—but Issac caught his leg, spun him, and hurled him across the arena.
As Issac charged, blade aimed for Tori's stomach, time seemed to freeze.
Tori's eyes flared gold.
He saw everything—mana, movement, possibility. His Authority had awakened.
Then, in a blink, he was back at their standoff. But this time, he had Issac's leg. His blade was poised to strike.
"Had he… rewritten reality?" Issac thought.
System Notification
[ Unknown-Class Authority Detected: Reality Manipulation ] [ The Primordial Observer Poet of Argon is astonished by your Authority. ] [ The Primordial Observer, The Wicked King of Uran, praises your awakening. ] [ A multitude of Primordial Observers are praising you. ] [ Primordial Observer Keon is staring at you. ] [ Achievement Unlocked: Awakening of Authority. Reward: Your Authority. ]
Tori blinked at the flood of pop-ups. "Couldn't give me a skill too?" he muttered.
But there was no time to dwell. Issac pushed him back with a wave of pressure. They both reset, standing tall.
Tori's blade shimmered, as its shape shifted using reality manipulation tori transformed the blade into a Nether Sword. Reality bent around him, warping like heat over fire.
Issac's pressure intensified, crushing the stadium. Professors leapt from the stands, trying to stop the duel—but the boys were already moving.
They dashed forward.
Reality vs. Pressure
The stadium cracked beneath the weight of their clash. Mica's breath caught as the explosion of wind and mana hit the stands like a wildfire.
She was thrown back—but Sunless caught her midair.
"Hold on!" he shouted.
She gripped his hand tightly, bracing against the storm.
Debris rained down. The last thing Sunless saw was the professors diving into the arena, trying to stop the fight.
Then—boom.
A wildfire of mana and pressure erupted, swallowing the stadium.
Sunless's heart pounded. He couldn't see Tori. He couldn't see anything.
For as long as he could remember, Issac had lived in the shadow of his older brother, Isaiah Reevrie—an SSS-class adventurer who had conquered guilds and ruled over islands.
Their parents had pushed Issac to be just like him—cold, cruel, and power-hungry.
But Issac didn't want that.
He wanted freedom. He wanted to choose his own path.
And when he saw Tori—so driven, so passionate—he envied him. He hated him. He admired him.
"I just… wanted to be friends," he whispered, still standing after the dust clouds settled with his clothes tattered and blood dripping off of him.
Tori, lying nearby, on the ground unconscious, lying in a giant crater with a shattered blade next to him.
The battle had ended. Issac had won—but not without cost. Tori's Authority had surged beyond control, and their clash had caused the explosion.
The school buzzed with rumors.
Some students claimed Tori had won. Others insisted Issac was clearly stronger.
But one thing was certain—something had changed.
The head of the school newspaper scribbled furiously, grinning as he finalized the headline:
"Cockroach vs. Ant? No! The Reality Bender vs. The Noble of Pressure."
Unknowingly, he triggered the System.
System Notification
[ Title Gained: The Reality Bender ] [ You have been recognized by the General Ability Studies Academy. Your name is now known throughout the school with a better reputation at least. Congratulations. ]
Tori stared at the message, then let his head fall back onto the infirmary pillow.
A smile tugged at his lips.
What an amazing battle.