The tunnel to the arena floor was long, sloping upward, lined with enchanted torches that burned with cold flame. Our footsteps echoed. Ahead, I could see the arena entrance in blinding sunlight and the crowd's roar so loud it was physical.

"Here we go," Seraphina murmured.

We emerged into chaos.

Eighty thousand people screaming with banners waving and magical fireworks exploding overhead in team colors. The noise crashed over us like a wave.

The arena floor was massive, a circular two hundred meters across and the surface was currently neutral stone, but enchantments glowed beneath it, ready to transform into whatever environment the match required.

Across from us, the opposite tunnel opened.

Adrian's team emerged.

Even from this distance, I could see something was wrong with him, Adrian walked too stiffly. His team followed but they weren't coordinated. There was no easy banter and they seems to lack confidence as if they were missing something. They looked like people walking to an execution.

The announcer's voice boomed across the arena, magically amplified to reach every ear.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! HONORED GUESTS! ESTEEMED NOBILITY! WELCOME TO THE CONTINENTAL INTER-ACADEMY TOURNAMENT FINALS!"

The crowd exploded. I had to resist the urge to cover my ears.

"IN THE WEST CORNER: ASTRAL HAVEN ACADEMY! LED BY HADEON RAVANA, THE TACTICAL GENIUS WHO DEFEATED IRONHEART ACADEMY! HIS TEAM! LUCILLE NIGHTSHADE, THE SHADOW ASSASSIN! SERAPHINA VALORHEART, THE HOLY KNIGHT! RAVENNA BLACKTHORN, THE VOID MAGE! AND MARCUS VOIDSTEP, THE MASTER ENCHANTER!"

Half the crowd cheered. The other half booed. It was deafening either way.

"IN THE EAST CORNER: ASTRAL HAVEN ACADEMY! LED BY ADRIAN CELESTIUS, THE GOLDEN HERO, UNDEFEATED THROUGHOUT THE TOURNAMENT! HIS TEAM: ELENA BRIGHTSHIELD, HEALER OF LIGHT! MARCUS ASHFORD, MASTER OF FLAMES! DIANA SWIFTBLADE, THE TWIN TEMPEST! AND THOMAS IRONWALL, THE UNBREAKABLE!"

The crowd's roar redoubled. Adrian had more supporters. Much more. But my team had enough to make their presence known. The referee appeared between us. An elderly woman in ceremonial robes, S-rank minimum based on her aura.

"Captains. Approach."

Adrian and I walked forward and met in the center of the arena. Up close, I could see the exhaustion in his eyes. The doubt and the fear.

"Final chance to forfeit," the referee said formally as if it was ritual, not serious.

"No," Adrian and I said simultaneously.

"Then the rules. Match continues until surrender or incapacitation of entire team. Too lethal force is prohibited. Arena barriers will prevent outside interference. Environmental shifts occur every ten minutes. Any questions?"

"No," we both said again.

The referee stepped back. Raised her hand.

"TEAMS! TAKE YOUR POSITIONS!"

We returned to our respective sides. My team spread into formation.

Seraphina front-center despite her injury. Lucille and I flanking. Ravenna back-center. Marcus rear support.

Across from us, Adrian's team formed up as well. Elena behind Adrian. Diana and Marcus Ashford on the wings. Thomas front.

The crowd fell silent. Thousands of people holding their breath.

The referee's hand dropped.

"BEGIN!"

The arena floor erupted from the enchantments. The stone dissolved into thick forest, the trees shot up from nothing, fully grown in seconds. Undergrowth tangled across the ground. The smell of earth and leaves filled the air.

First environment is Forest!

"Spread formation!" I called. "Stay within communication range but don't cluster!"

My team scattered into the trees. Seraphina moved slower, favoring her leg, but she found a defensive position quickly. Ravenna and Marcus stayed together. Lucille vanished completely.

Across the forest, I caught glimpses of Adrian's team doing the same. But something was wrong.

The trees were too thick. The undergrowth too dense. I couldn't see more than twenty meters in any direction.

This was obvious that it wasn't a normal tournament environment. This was designed to separate teams and to create chaos.

[WARNING: ARENA ENCHANTMENTS COMPROMISED]

[ENVIRONMENTAL MAGIC EXCEEDS STANDARD PARAMETERS]

[ANALYSIS: Someone has tampered with the arena]

[RECOMMENDATION: EXTREME CAUTION]

I felt a chill. Could they really be here already?

The League.

They were already here.

I activated my communication earpiece. "Everyone check in."

"Lucille, position northeast, I see enemies."

"Seraphina, position west-central, no contact."

"Ravenna and Marcus together, position south, clear."

"Adrian's team is splitting up too," Lucille continued. "Diana is coming toward Seraphina's position. Thomas heading east. Elena and Marcus Ashford staying together. Adrian is..." She paused. "Adrian is hunting you specifically and is heading straight for your position."

Of course he was.

"Understood. Engage as opportunities present. Priority is survival over elimination, also something is wrong with this arena."

"Noticed that," Ravenna said dryly. "The mana here tastes like poison."

I immediately spotted movement ahead and I dropped into defensive stance. Adrian emerged from the trees fifty meters away.

We stared at each other across the forest clearing.

He looked exhausted, as if he was haunted by something but his sword was steady and holy light already gathering around him.

"Hadeon Ravana." His voice carried clearly. "Let's finish this."

"Are you sure? You don't look... "

"I said let's finish this." The light intensified around him. "I need to know. What I am. What I can do without backing. Without safety nets. Without destiny protecting me."

I drew my sword and shadow magic rose to meet his light.

"Then let's find out."

He charged.

The clearing erupted in splinters of light and shadow. Adrian's opening strike was pure power with no use of technique. No finesse, just overwhelming force backed by SSS-rank mana.

I dodged, but only barely, his blade cut through the space I'd occupied and kept going, cleaving through three trees before the energy dissipated.

Sweet merciful gods, he was strong.

I couldn't block that and ouldn't parry it either, I could only evade and hope he tired himself out. Adrian spun, struck again. This time I used Shadow Step to create distance to reappeared twenty meters left.

But he only followed without hesitation and closed the distance in two seconds. Another strike and I ducked under it, rolled, came up behind him.

My counter-attack hit his holy barrier and stopped cold. The feedback nearly broke my wrist.

Right. SSS-rank defense too.

"You can't win through power," I called. "You know that, right?"

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