The Bone Fortress pulsed with stormlight. Three months had passed since Kai’s ascension shook the wastelands, since the name of the Skeleton King was whispered in every corner of the continent. Three months of silence.No armies had marched. No cities had burned. The world had waited with bated breath, terrified of the storm to come — and nothing happened.But in the depths of the fortress, the storm had never been still.Far away, in the crystal halls of the Elven Royal Academy, the First Prince Calyth stood at the head of the training grounds. His emerald armor gleamed in the morning light, his sword humming with ancient runes.Beside him, Lirael, the Second Princess, smirked as she twirled a dagger. Her eyes glittered like knives, sharp and merciless.“Elven champions!” Calyth’s voice rang across the grounds. Hundreds of students paused in their drills to listen. “Four months remain before the International Academy Tournament. Four months to sharpen your blades, your arrows, your m

In the crystalline spires of the Elven Royal Academy, dawn painted the halls in silver light. The sound of arrows slicing air and blades clashing on enchanted steel echoed across the vast training grounds.Calyth, the First Prince, stood at the head of his squad, emerald sword glowing with ancient runes. His armor shimmered faintly, each movement calculated and exact. Beside him, Lirael, the Second Princess, twirled her daggers with deadly grace, every flick of her wrist a whisper of blood yet to be spilled.“Four months have passed,” Calyth said, his voice carrying over the clash of steel. “The Skeleton King has returned. The humans whisper of him as though he is already a legend. But this tournament will not belong to humans.”His gaze swept the squad, sharp as a blade. “It will belong to the Elves.”Lirael smirked, stepping forward. “Do not underestimate the others—especially him. If Kai is truly what they say he is, then he may stand among us as a rival. And rivals… must be cut do

Far away, under the canopy of ancient crystal trees, the Elven Royal Academy burned with activity. The grounds glowed with enchantments that traced constellations into the night sky, guiding every strike and spell.Calyth, the First Prince, stood at the front of the arena, his emerald sword humming with power as he cut through a line of conjured illusions. His precision was absolute, every swing as flawless as the polished crystal towers behind him.Lirael, the Second Princess, watched with her dagger spinning idly between her fingers. Her sharp smile never wavered as she assessed each student with eyes like blades.“Elven champions!” Calyth’s voice thundered across the grounds. “Four weeks remain. You have been chosen not only for skill, but for discipline. Do not forget—you carry the weight of the Elven Kingdom with every strike.”The students bowed low, then returned to their drills with renewed ferocity. Arrows glowed with starlight, striking targets with pinpoint accuracy. Blades

The capital of the Human Kingdom had never seen such splendor.From its gates to the high spires of the cathedral, banners hung in endless rivers of color. Sigils of every nation snapped in the autumn wind: the emerald leaves of the Elves, the crimson moon of the Vampires, the golden anvil of the Dwarves, the claw-and-fang of the Beastmen, the blazing sun of the Humans, and — more feared than all — the obsidian crown of the Dragons.The streets overflowed with citizens. Merchants abandoned stalls, priests left temples, soldiers stood at rigid attention along the avenues. Even nobles craned their necks from high balconies, straining to see.Because today was the day.The Parade of Representatives.Not merely tradition, but history itself. Every decade, the International Academy Tournament began with this march — the champions of every race revealed to the world in ceremony, their names etched into memory before a single duel was fought.But this time, the air was different.Because the

The chains of the oath still glowed against Kai’s wrist, stormlight hissing where lightning had fused with the sigils. The Arbiter’s crystal mask tilted, and for a fraction of a breath, even that timeless voice faltered.“…So sworn.”The words settled like the toll of a bell, final and binding. Yet no one in the coliseum mistook what they had just witnessed.The Skeleton King had not simply sworn the oath. He had nearly broken it.Prince Calyth’s hand tightened on his sword hilt. The emerald runes hummed, reflecting the stormlight that still shimmered across the sky. Outwardly, his face was a mask of calm nobility, the perfect prince. But beneath, unease curdled like rot.His chains almost shattered the Arbiter’s seal… No one should be able to touch that binding. Not even I.His eyes flicked sideways to his sister.Lirael’s smirk was sharp enough to cut glass. She leaned lightly on her dagger, posture relaxed, eyes glittering with something like delight.“Beautiful,” she murmured, so