Dark clouds loomed in the sky, signaling a storm—a fitting backdrop for the memories of the Third Holy War. In a dimly lit chamber, an unknown magician stood before a lifeless body, chanting an incantation. Magic energy twisted around the corpse, seeping into its form. Suddenly, the body twitched—its fingers clenched—and a deep, echoing breath filled the room.
The magician fell to his knees, pressing his forehead to the ground.
_"Lord Erebus…"_
Erebus exhaled, his crimson eyes glowing with raw malice.
_"Hmph. You, of all people, claim to have power surpassing the Four Elders?"_
The magician trembled.
_"Deepest apologies, my Lord. I could not resurrect you at full strength."_
Erebus closed his fist, feeling his limited power.
_"I can feel that. How much time do I have?"_
_"Only 5% of your strength, for two or three minutes. After that, you will disappear again."_
Erebus smirked. _"That's enough."_
Raising his hand, he activated a forbidden skill—Destruction for New Creation.
A pulse of pure annihilation erupted from his body, consuming the battlefield. Cities crumbled, the sky darkened, and a suffocating force spread across the land—a message of destruction.
Just as humanity began to lose hope, three figures descended:
- Lord Raven, the First Elder.
- Rosalie, the Second Elder.
- Asher, the Third Elder.
Their eyes locked onto Erebus, the embodiment of devastation. But before they could react— The battlefield fell silent. The strongest beings in history had been defeated effortlessly.
Despair rippled through the humans. This war was lost. Until—
Lord Raven smiled.
Rosalie's breath caught. She knew what he was about to do.
_"Rosalie… don't marry anyone,"_ Raven whispered.
Then, he activated his ultimate skill.
A technique that required absolute sacrifice.
Asher, realizing the cost, poured all his magic energy into Raven, ensuring the ritual's success.
In two minutes, the resurrection collapsed. Erebus turned to dust—but at the cost of Raven's life.
His final smile remained, even in death.
Rosalie stood frozen. Asher's body disintegrated, vanishing into oblivion.
And with that—the war ended.
5,000 years later, in a small country, a seven-year-old boy sat by a window, staring at the invitation in his hand.
_"An S-Rank Tournament…"_ he murmured.
The door opened, revealing the mayor.
_"Lord Raven, did you call for me?"_
Raven nodded.
_"I must go to the tournament. Prepare everything."_
The mayor bowed.
_"Of course, my Lord. But… may I ask something?"_
Raven raised a brow.
_"Why did you choose to be reborn in a poor family in a small country?"_
Raven's expression remained unreadable.
_"A lesson. The Elders treat both rich and poor equally."_
The mayor's eyes widened in admiration.
_"Your greatness knows no bounds, Your Highness."_
Meanwhile, Zero sat alone, deep in thought.
_"What if Lord Raven cannot use his full power in a child's body?"_
Master Lee's voice echoed in his mind.
_"Stop asking stupid questions. Lord Raven might attend the tournament as our special chief guest. But Leo—do not embarrass us with dumb questions."_
Zero exhaled, staring at the sky.
_"I need to meet him."_
Leo grinned at Ardy.
_"Hey, can I call you Ard?"_
Ardy ignored him.
_"Fine. I'll call you Ard anyway. Alright, Ard?"_
_"Shut up."_
Leo smirked. _"Oh, by the way, what's this tournament?"_
_"An S-Rank battle. It happens every year. It's a team fight between top-ranked students."_
Ardy nodded, processing the information.
_"Interesting."_
---
In her palace, Ruka Akagiri stormed into her father's chamber.
_"Father! I am only 18, and you've already arranged my marriage?!"_
Emperor Ryujin Akagiri sighed.
_"Our agreement stands, Ruka. You can continue training even after marriage."_
_"That's not what I mean, Dad! And… I found him!"_
Ryujin's eyes narrowed.
_"You found your dream boy?"_
Ruka hesitated.
_"Yes."_
_"Is this a scheme to cancel your marriage?"_
_"Absolutely not."_
_"What's his name?"_
_"Ardy."_
Ryujin leaned forward.
_"Fine. Invite him next weekend. I want to meet him."_
Ruka froze.
_"What?!"_
_"Is there a problem?"_
_"No… umm, nothing."_
She walked to her room, panicked.
_"How do I convince Ardy?!"_
Next day in the class master Lee stood before his students.
_"Today, I teach you Etheral Conflux. It is neither a spell nor a special skill—it is different."_
_"If you lack high mana reserves, it will drain your lifespan or even kill you. Do not use it recklessly."_
The classroom fell silent.
_"Focus on two things—your magic energy and spiritual energy. Spiritual energy is your soul's raw force. Combined, they create a domain of destruction."_
_"Understand? Class dismissed. Train well—three days remain until the tournament."_
Leo sighed dramatically.
_"Ard! Sorry, I couldn't go with you today!"_
_"I didn't ask you to."_
_"Anyway, I downloaded a dating app. I have a date!"_
Ardy frowned.
_"Didn't you say you loved Eno?"_
_"That's nothing. You don't even need a girlfriend, Ard."_
_"I am fine."_
Just then, Ruka arrived.
_"Ardy, can we talk?"_
_"No."_
Leo elbowed him.
_"Idiot! Yes, you can!"_
_"Not you, Leo. Just Ardy. Alone."_
Leo grinned.
_"Go, bro! This is your golden chance!"_
_"No. I'll pass."_
Ruka softened her voice.
_"Please… just five minutes."_
Ardy sighed. _"Fine."_
Leo whispered as he walked away.
_"Don't change teams."_
When Leo left, Ruka exhaled.
_"My father is forcing me into marriage. But I want to continue my studies. So, I lied—I told him I oved someone."_
Ardy raised an eyebrow.
_"Can you pretend to be my boyfriend?"_
_"No."_
_"Please! Help me!"_
Ardy hesitated. He remembered a flashback—someone had once begged him the same way.
_"Fine. But why me?"_
Ruka flushed.
_"You are the strongest and most handsome person here."_
_(Narration: Ruka loved Ardy, but her ego kept her from admitting it.)_
_"What's next?"_ Ardy asked.
_"Tomorrow, we go on a date. We need to act real so my father believes us."_
Ruka blushed.
_"Giv…ve me your number."_
Ardy handed her his phone.
The next day, Ardy arrived at the meeting spot.
Ruka was already there.
She looked… nervous.
And so, their deception began.
---