The morning was quiet, even though the crowd's voices filled the stadium. In the hallway behind the arena, Damian stood still. His hand clutched the Setsu'ryū sheath tied to his waist, his breathing slow, but his mind was constantly racing.
From the end of the hallway, the sound of footsteps echoed softly.
Nero Valtzreid emerged from the end of the hallway. His gaze was fixed squarely on Damian. There was no anger. No smile. Just a gaze that seemed to press down on Damian.
"We fight... finally," Nero said, his voice low and even.
Damian nodded. "Yes."
Nero stepped closer, stopping directly in front of him.
"If I win," he said slowly, "you must admit I'm stronger than you and you must give me something I've never received from you."
Damian furrowed his brows. "What?"
"Your respect."
There was a moment of silence. Damian stared at him for a long moment, then took a deep breath.
"Okay," he replied. "But if I win, you have to be my friend. From now on. No matter what happens, you have to stop being the one facing everything alone."
Nero was silent. There was no reaction on his face.
Until finally, one word came out.
"Deal."
Cheers erupted throughout the stadium, filling the arena with an energy that nearly drowned out the main broadcast.
"THIS MORNING! OPENING MATCH OF THE FINAL EIGHT!"
"ON THE EAST: THE COLD CHILD OF THE NORTH, THE ICE BENDER — DAMIAN KADE!"
The name was greeted with shouts and applause that echoed from the stands.
"AND ON THE WEST: THE UNTOUCHABLE SHADOW, THE SHADOW BENDER NERO VALTZREID!"
"THESE ARE THE STRONGEST OF THEIR AGE, AND HERE THEY WILL PROVE WHO IS THE STRONGEST AMONG THEM!"
The cheers turned into a mixed bag—awe, tension, and a hint of fear from those who knew Nero's reputation.
In the center of the arena, two figures stood facing each other. But the air seemed to have shifted.
From Damian's side, a chill began to creep into the air, settling like a frozen mist. From Nero's side, darkness seemed to slowly creep in, his body emitting a dark aura around him.
The two opposing elements, ice and shadow, pressed against each other even before the fight began.
Damian gripped the hilt of Setsu'ryū with one hand. Opposite him, Nero clenched his palm, and the shadows began to respond.
The referee raised his hand.
"Begin!"
The fight began with an explosion of noise from the crowd, but in the center of the arena, all that could be heard were footsteps, magic, and clashes.
Nero shot out first, his body momentarily disappearing, leaving a shadow clone behind. Damian reacted quickly. He spun around, freezing the area around him, creating a cold mist that instantly froze a section of the arena.
Nero's shadow slowed. But only for a moment.
In an instant, Nero's true form appeared from above, slashing down with a sword formed from shadow.
CLANG!
The attack was blocked by Setsu'ryū. A metallic sound echoed, and the vibrations from the impact rippled across the entire surface of the arena.
There was no time to pause.
The two exchanged blows. Swift slashes, magic, and reflexive movements collided. Each blow sent waves of mana cracking the surface.
The ground beneath them began to crack, white and black lines imprinted as traces of their power.
The fight had only just begun, and the arena was beginning to transform into a true battlefield.
Zephyrus Arena – Spectator Stand
Cheers and shouts filled the air, but this time it wasn't just excitement, but shock.
In the front row of the stands, several students stood up from their seats, their eyes glued to the arena.
"THIS... IS CRAZY!" one student shouted, his voice almost gone from shouting.
"Those two move like shadows! Who would have thought first-years could do something like this?!" another exclaimed, almost in disbelief.
On the crystal screen projecting the battle from above, Damian could clearly see the instant freezing of almost the entire arena floor, turning the surface into ice.
But moments later, Nero appeared from behind his own shadow, seemingly teleporting undetectably.
"Damian just coated the floor with ice, and then Nero teleported from his own shadow?!" another student muttered, his eyes wide.
Several of the second and third-year seniors watching began to glance at each other. Their expressions were no longer simply curious, but serious. This fight wasn't just a duel between two new students.
This is a show of strength that is starting to challenge the top rankings in this school.
On one side of the stands, Damian's friends watched unblinkingly. Attack after attack in the arena made the atmosphere around them tense.
Tessa stood up from her seat, her eyes wide.
"That... isn't school-level anymore," she said quietly, almost in disbelief.
Beside her, Rin remained silent. Her mouth was slightly open, but no words came out. Her eyes were fixed on the movements of the two figures in the center of the arena.
Lucien, who sat with his arms folded, narrowed his eyes. His gaze was sharp, not out of fear, but out of understanding what was happening.
"They're reading each other's patterns," he murmured. "This is a battle of two strategies, not just a contest of strength."
Elric sighed and chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.
"If Damian loses, I'll treat you all to dinner," he said with a grin. "Damian can't lose because he's the second strongest person in this school after me."
Liam, on the other hand, didn't smile. His gaze was straight, full of conviction.
"Master Damian will win," he said calmly. "He wasn't fighting to defeat Nero. He was fighting… to earn his respect."
No one responded.
But in that silence, everyone agreed, this fight was more than just a match.
The battle was reaching its climax.
Damian and Nero continued to attack each other, ice and shadow colliding in a magical explosion that shattered the air. Damian formed a spiraling ice formation that trapped Nero within a tall crystal column. The structure gleamed beautifully and was deadly.
However, from within, shadows began to stir.
Nero manipulated the darkness beneath his feet, and in an instant,
BOOM!
A massive explosion erupted from the center of the arena. The ice shattered, and magical pressure rippled throughout the entire arena.
Damian's body was pushed back. But in midair, he thrust Setsu'ryū into the ground, forcibly halting his momentum. The arena's surface instantly froze over in a wide radius, creating a slippery, reflective layer of ice.
When he looked up, Nero was standing before him.
"You lose," Nero said coldly, his gaze sharp.
Damian smiled faintly. "Not yet."
With a smooth motion, Damian activated the magic he had been preparing. The ice particles floating in the air suddenly coalesced, forming a giant crystal cross. The cross descended from above, directly targeting Nero, shattering the entire arena.
Nero was instantly sent flying backward.
For the first time, he lost his footing.
At that moment, Damian leaped, his movements precise. He slashed straight at Nero's chest, not to injure him, but to freeze his opponent's robes and send him crashing to the arena floor.
BOOM.
The shadow magic faded. The arena fell silent.
Instructor Van stood and raised his arms high.
"Nero Valtzreid eliminated. Damian Kade advances to the next round!"
Cheers erupted. Some stood. Others remained silent, still in shock.
Amidst the melting ice, Damian stood tall, breathing heavily, but his eyes remained focused on the figure before him.
Not as an enemy.
But as a friend.
The ice around the arena began to slowly melt, leaving a chilly vapor hanging in the air. Damian Kade stood before his opponent—his breathing still heavy, but his steps steady.
He extended his hand toward Nero.
Nero stared at him. Silent. His face expressionless, as always.
A few seconds passed.
Then slowly, the hand was taken.
"I lost," Nero said softly, his voice barely audible to anyone but Damian.
Damian smiled faintly, a smile that felt more like relief than triumph.
"And now… we are friends," he said.
There were no cheers. No outburst of emotion.
But for both of them, it was the most important moment.
Zephyrus Arena – Main Corridor
The stone corridor leading to the arena was once again filled with footsteps. This time, Elric Blazekraal stood at the forefront, towering, his body strong.
Behind him, Damian, Lucien, and Liam stood silently, each offering encouragement in their own way.
"You're strong," Damian said, his calm voice filled with confidence.
"But he's really strong," Liam added, his usual honesty.
Lucien grinned slightly. "Don't wreck the arena too badly, okay?"
Elric laughed loudly, his voice echoing down the corridor.
"Don't worry," he said with a wide smile. "I'll make him remember my name."
Without looking back, Elric strode into the arena with heavy, confident steps. A bright light began to illuminate his body as he crossed the corridor's boundary.
And just as his feet touched the arena floor, the bell rang again.
The next fight... began.