The stadium shook with every impact.
Raze and Voxen were no longer fighting like students.They were fighting like two forces of nature colliding—metal evolution against engineered perfection.
The crowd stood on their feet, unable to blink.
"Is this really a PRELIMINARY match!?"
"They're going to break the ARENA!"
"Someone stop them before they kill each other!!"
But neither fighter even thought about stopping.
◆ ◆ ◆
Voxen's Awakening Falters
Voxen's body glowed again—his left forearm shifting into pure tungsten carbide,his shin morphing into light titanium,his shoulder flickering with osmium.
But something was wrong.
The metal flowed… slower.
More uneven.
More unstable.
Professor Celeste's eyes widened.
"He awakened too fast… his body can't handle the transitions yet."
Bam leaned forward.
"Voxen… you idiot… you're pushing yourself too far!"
Astra watched silently, her expression unreadable.
But even she saw it.
Voxen's newly awakened power was still raw.Untamed.Barely under his control.
And it was taking a toll.
His breathing grew rough.His steps heavier.His stance wobbled.
Yet his eyes—
blazed brighter than ever.
"I… won't… lose…"His voice cracked, but his spirit didn't.
◆ ◆ ◆
The Blow That Shook the Stadium
Raze charged forward, batons ready—but Voxen roared and threw everything into one last attack.
His entire right arm turned into a shining silver metal—denser than steel, faster than titanium, harder than tungsten.
A rare alloy only prodigy-level metal users ever attempted—
"PHASE STEEL—!!"
He drove it forward with everything he had.
The air split.
The ground trembled.
The shockwave blasted outward like a burst grenade.
BOOOOOOOM—!!
The entire stadium shook.
Shields around the arena flickered.
Students cried out as dust blasted across the seats.
"HE GOT HIM!!"
"That strike could BREAK A HERO BOT!!"
"RAZE—!!!"
The impact hit dead center on Raze's chest.
And—
Raze… did not fall.
A crater formed beneath him.
Cracks radiated outward like spiderwebs.
But Raze remained standing—knees bent, heels sliding, but standing.
His suit glowed faintly—Abyss Alloy plates absorbing and dispersing the insane impact.Nanotechnology cushioning the shock through internal dampeners.
But even so—
Raze's ribs screamed in pain beneath the armor.
He coughed once, metallic taste in his mouth.
If I take another hit like that… I'll break something.
◆ ◆ ◆
Voxen Reaches His Limit
Voxen stumbled back, panting violently.
His metalized skin began fading—
from silverto grayto flesh.
His knees buckled.
His vision blurred.
The final strike had cost him everything.
"I… I can still… fight…" he tried to say.
But the words dissolved into air.
He swayed—
—and collapsed forward.
Raze caught him before he hit the ground.
The referee immediately raised a hand.
"VOXEN HALE IS UNABLE TO CONTINUE!!WINNER — RAZE ARCWELL!!"
The stadium didn't just cheer—
they exploded.
Thunderous applause shook the air.Students screamed until their voices cracked.Even teachers stood and clapped.
But it wasn't for Raze alone.
It was for Voxen too.
◆ ◆ ◆
A Standing Ovation
Voxen lay unconscious, chest rising and falling.
Despite his defeat, he had fought like a warrior.
Like someone who refused to bow to destiny.
When medics rushed forward to help him,the entire stadium rose to their feet—
and applauded.
A standing ovation.
"For Voxen! He awakened in the middle of a fight!"
"That kid has the heart of a hero!"
"He didn't give up even when overpowered!"
"And Raze… fought him with no Nexas… unbelievable…"
Emotion rippled across the arena.
Astra smiled faintly.
"That was a good fight."
Roger was crying and screaming at the same time.
"VOXEEEEEEEN!! YOU'RE AMAZING BROTHER!!"
Bam wiped his eyes like he wasn't crying.
"I swear I'm not emotional…"
Rain clapped softly, tears shimmering.
"He really gave it everything…"
Celeste exhaled in relief.
"They both did well."
But only the principal noticed something deeper.
◆ ◆ ◆
The Untapped Power
Principal Ricardo Leonel watched Raze step back, catching his breath.
The arena floor was cracked beneath him.Smoke still rose from the crater.
But…
There was something wrong.
Raze's suit—the Abyss Alloy reinforced version 7 combat suit—had only shown maybe…
30% of its true features.
No radiation had been released.No enhanced burst systems activated.No reinforced armor plating engaged.No full-sync mode.
Raze had fought Voxen—
with the mildest version of his power.
Leonel exhaled.
"So… Roland wasn't wrong."
He clasped his hands behind his back, expression serious.
"When he demanded I let a Nexasless boy into the Hero Department… I thought he'd lost his mind."
He looked at Raze—who stood tall despite exhaustion.
"But after seeing that match… I understand."
His voice lowered.
"The Arcwells… truly produce monsters every generation."
◆ ◆ ◆
The Tournament Moves Forward
The announcer's voice thundered again:
"THE PRELIMINARY ROUND OF THE DAWNFORGE TOURNAMENT… HAS OFFICIALLY CONCLUDED!!"
Stadium lights flared.
Fireworks burst overhead.
Cheers rolled like waves.
The remaining contestants gathered in the arena.
Astra.Rain.Roger.Raze.Selene.And others who survived the brutal first stage.
The principal stepped forward for a final speech.
"Today, we witnessed power… will… awakening… and evolution."
He looked at the participants one by one.
"But the tournament is not over.After a one week break —the REAL battles begin."
Students shivered.
The entire academy buzzed with electric anticipation.
◆ ◆ ◆
Raze stood beside Voxen's stretcher as medics carried him out.
He whispered quietly:
"You fought well. You earned this victory as much as I did."
Voxen, barely conscious, smiled weakly.
"Kick the next guy's ass… okay?"
Raze nodded.
"Always."
As the cheers continued to echo around him—
Raze Arcwell, the powerless boy in a world ruled by gifted ones…
had just shaken the world again.