The Tokyo Dome was packed. The air hummed with the collective mana of thousands of spectators, JAA officials, and the "Big Three" guilds. At the center of the arena, the Japanese and Korean rookie delegations stood face-to-face.
On the Japanese side, Kaizer stood at the far end of the line, looking every bit the "Low-C" Physical Reinforcement user. On the Korean side, the rookies were led by Kang-Jun. Even in the bright stadium lights, the floor around the Korean S-Rank seemed to soak up the sun, turning gray and cold.
Rin Kusanagi stood on the elevated VIP platform, her blue eyes scanning the line. She was looking for a leak, a sign, anything to confirm her suspicion of Kaizer.
The Massacre of the Rookies
The "Friendly Spar" began. It was a 5-on-5 elimination match. The first four Japanese rookies—mostly B and C-ranks—were systematically dismantled by the Korean team. The Koreans weren't just winning; they were humiliating Japan, using high-tier magic to toy with their opponents.
"Next," the announcer called, his voice shaky. "Japan's final representative: Kaizer Gold."
A wave of laughter and whispers ripple through the Korean side. "A C-Rank? Is Japan out of soldiers?" one Korean rookie sneered, stepping forward. He was a B-Rank Flame User, his hands already wreathed in roaring fire.
Kaizer stepped into the ring. He didn't draw a weapon. He didn't even take his hands out of his pockets.
"Contractor," Paimon whispered, her voice trembling with excitement. "Show them the weight of the throne. Let the dog of Malice see who truly rules the dark."
Kaizer activated Heart of the Warlord.
He didn't release his mana. He released his Presence. To the audience and the JAA, nothing changed. But to anyone with a connection to the Underworld—to Kang-Jun and his hundreds of wraiths—the world suddenly turned upside down.
The Korean Flame User lunged, a massive fire-fist aimed at Kaizer's face.
Kaizer didn't dodge. He simply looked at the boy.
"Kneel," Kaizer muttered.
He used Dominator's Touch, projecting a Level 100 "Soul Pressure" through the link of the Heart of the Warlord.
The Korean rookie's fire didn't just go out; it imploded. The boy hit the floor as if a mountain had been dropped on his spine. He wasn't just defeated; he was catatonic, his mind shattered by the brief glimpse of a Sovereign's true form.
Kaizer did this four more times. One by one, the Korean rookies stepped up, and one by one, they collapsed before he even touched them. To the crowd, it looked like a "Mental Interference" skill.
But to Kang-Jun, it was a nightmare.
The First Contact
From the sideline, Kang-Jun began to tremble. His "Wraiths"—the hundreds of slaves in his shadow—were screaming in his ears. They were trying to retreat, burrowing deeper into the concrete to hide from the "Entity" standing in the ring.
Kang-Jun looked at Kaizer. He didn't see a student. He saw a titanic, multi-eyed silhouette of Paimon looming over the entire stadium, her shadow hand resting on Kaizer's shoulder.
'What... what is that?' Kang-Jun's breath hitched. 'I am an S-Rank. I serve the Lord of Malice. Why am I... afraid of a child?'
The announcer called for the final match: Kaizer Gold vs. Kang-Jun.
The stadium went silent. This was what everyone had waited for. Rin Kusanagi leaned forward, her hand on her katana, sensing the shift in the atmosphere.
Kaizer turned his head slightly, his eyes flashing a deep, abyssal violet that only Kang-Jun could see. He beckoned with a single finger.
"Come, dog," Paimon's voice echoed directly into Kang-Jun's soul. "Let us see if your Malice can stand against my Conquest."
Kang-Jun took one step toward the ring, and his legs buckled. The sheer weight of the "Level 100" bluff Kaizer was projecting hit him like a physical blow. He realized that if he stepped into that ring, his own shadows would turn on him to please the "True King."
"I... I forfeit," Kang-Jun rasped, his voice cracking.
The stadium exploded in an uproar of confusion. An S-Rank forfeiting to a C-Rank? It was unheard of.
The Price of the Lie
Back in the locker room, Kaizer collapsed against a wall, his body drenched in cold sweat. His mana was completely drained. Projecting that much pressure at Level 18 was like trying to hold back a flood with a paper shield.
"Well played, Prince," Paimon manifested, looking at him with genuine respect. "You terrified him. He thinks you are an ancient god hiding in a human husk."
"It won't work twice," Kaizer panted, clutching his chest. "He's a predator. Once he goes back to his hotel and realizes I didn't actually do anything to him, he'll realize it was a bluff. He'll come for me tonight."
Kaizer looked at his status screen.
[CURRENT LEVEL: 18] [URGENT: YOU MUST REACH LEVEL 30 TO SURVIVE THE COMING NIGHT.]
"I need to grind," Kaizer hissed, standing up. "Now. Before the sun sets."
Suddenly, the door to the locker room swung open. Rin Kusanagi stood there, her blue eyes sharp enough to cut glass.
"A C-Rank doesn't make an S-Rank forfeit by 'luck', Kaizer," she said, shutting the door behind her. "Tell me the truth, or I'll kill you myself before the Koreans get the chance."