Boundless Chronicles

Chapter 45: The Spires of Aethelgard, VI

The sky-bridge dissolved into a pillar of white light, delivering the party onto the open summit of the Fifth Spire.

They stood on a broad circular arena of polished black marble suspended beneath the open sky. Thousands of feet below, the cloud layer churned in grey swirls, while high above, the golden arches of the Capital's transit rings hummed with atmospheric power.

At the center of the arena floated the Fifth Keystone Seal, a radiant golden orb illuminating the sky-platform.

Three figures stood before it.

At their head was Crown Cadet Gerald of the First Capital Academy, a tall man clad in dragon-scale plate armor. He held a massive six-foot greatsword in his right hand, its blade crackling with deep purple lightning ether. Beside him stood two heavy tower-shield guardians bearing the crest of the High Council.

Gerald had already claimed two sub-seals from the lower Spires. He turned his cold, golden eyes toward the bruised party as they stepped onto the marble arena.

"Julian Falcrest," Gerald said, his voice echoing across the platform. "I expected you to be eliminated in the first tower. To think you climbed to the apex on the backs of common vagrants."

Julian gripped the hilt of his gilded broadsword, his boots sliding on the slick marble.

"Gerald... the top cadet of the First Academy."

"Your father's trade leases expire today, Julian," Gerald said, raising his heavy greatsword. "Surrender your Trial badges, and I will spare your retainers."

"We didn't climb five thousand feet of obsidian stone to hand you our badges," Noël said, Stepping forward.

Blood had dried along his vest, and his left arm throbbed from his broken ribs. But his right hand held his Aethelgard combat blade firmly at his side.

Gerald looked down at him, his lip curling in contempt.

"A Tier 1 archivist clerk who relies on spatial tricks. You think your spatial Steps will work against a dragon-scale stance?"

"Gideon. Elara. Take the left shield guardian," Noël ordered flatly.

"Understood!" Gideon shouted, his rapier igniting with bright solar ether.

Gideon and Elara lunged toward the left guardian simultaneously. Gideon's rapier thrust forward like a golden beam, forcing the guardian to raise his shield, while Elara swept her Radiant Lancer spear low, Striking his ankle joint.

Sparks flew across the black marble as the left flank erupted into a clash of steel.

Gerald fixed his eyes on Noël and surged forward, his boots cracking the marble floor. His heavy greatsword Swept down in a vertical slash, purple lightning scorching the air.

The strike was too fast to dodge cleanly through footwork alone.

Noël didn't use Void-Weaver's Tread.

He Stepped inward, angling his body forty-five degrees and raising his Aethelgard combat blade to deflect the flat side of Gerald's sword rather than block its edge directly.

Kaaa-shing!

The collision sent a shockwave through Noël's right shoulder. The heat of the purple lightning singed his coat sleeve, forcing his boots back three feet across the smooth marble.

Gerald didn't pause. He pivoted on his heel, using the momentum of his heavy blade to launch a horizontal strike aimed at Noël's neck.

Noël ducked low, the hum of lightning grazing his hair, and drove his right elbow into the side of Gerald's dragon-scale knee armor.

Thump!

Gerald flinched, his stance wavering. But his Scale armor absorbed most of the impact. He roared and brought his left gauntlet down in a heavy hammer-fist aimed at Noël's Spine.

Kack!

Noël raised his left forearm to guard, but the difference in their physical Strength sent him Skidding sideways. He hit the marble and rolled, blood spilling from his lip as his injured ribs flared with pain.

[Health: 44%]

[Physical Stamina: 31%]

"Noël!" Lyra cried from the rear lines.

She pulled a flash grenade from her pouch and hurled it into the air between Gerald and Noël.

Pop-bang!

A blinding flash of white light exploded over the arena, momentarily obscuring Gerald's vision.

Gerald growled, Shielding his eyes with his gauntlet.

That brief opening was all Noël needed.

He opened his left eye fully. His pupil burned with deep violet light as the Gyre Eye Scanned Gerald's dragon-scale armor. Through his vision, the joint beneath Gerald's right shoulder plate appeared unsealed. It was a tiny flaw where the Scale plates overlapped to allow sword rotation.

Noël closed the distance on foot, lunging beneath Gerald's recovering stance.

'Void-Weaver's Tread.'

Pft!

He executed a spatial Step of just two feet, shifting his position directly into Gerald's inner right armpit.

Gerald anticipated a rear teleportation and swung his greatsword backward behind his hip.

It struck empty air.

"What?!" Gerald gasped, realizing his mistake.

Before he could pull his blade forward, Noël drove the point of his Aethelgard combat knife into the unsealed shoulder joint of Gerald's Scale armor and twisted it.

"Gaaaaah!"

Gerald staggered, his lightning ether sputtering out. His right arm went limp, and the heavy greatsword dropped onto the marble floor with a thud.

"Julian! Gideon! Now!" Noël bellowed.

Gideon disengaged from the shield guardian, leaping across the marble floor like a Streak of white gold. Julian charged alongside him, both their swords aimed at Gerald's chest plate.

"Solar Thrust!" Gideon roared.

"Falcrest Strike!" Julian bellowed.

Kaaa-bang!

Both blades pierced Gerald's chest plate simultaneously. White-gold solar heat and physical force erupted through his core armor.

Gerald let out a strangled gasp. His knees buckled beneath him as his Stamina bar hit zero.

Tiiiing!

[Entrant 'Crown Cadet Gerald' has been eliminated from the Trial!]

Gerald's body dissolved into green teleportation light, leaving his broadsword behind on the floor. The remaining two shield guardians lowered their weapons and raised their hands in defeat before vanishing from the Trial.

Tiiiing!

[Main Trial Clear!]

[Regional Qualification Trial: 'The Spires of Aethelgard' COMPLETED!]

[Final Ranking: 1st Place: Team 'House Falcrest Auxiliary']

[Sponsorship Contract Fulfilled!]

[Official Capital Pathfinder Registration UNLOCKED!]

[Reward: 30,000 Tribute Tokens]

[50% Instance Salvage Claimed: 24,000 Tribute Tokens]

[Current Tribute Balance: 137,900]

Noël collapsed onto his knees, resting his hands on the cold black marble as he breathed heavily. Blood dripped from his chin onto the stone, but his health bar stopped flashing red as the victory regeneration protocol activated.

Julian dropped his broadsword, Staring at the glowing golden orb of the Fifth Keystone Seal.

"We... we actually took first place..."

Gideon sheathed his silver rapier and walked over, extending his hand to Noël.

"Get up, Noël. We have a Capital to enter as registered Pathfinders."

Noël took Gideon's hand and pulled himself to his feet. He wiped the blood from his mouth and adjusted his vest.

Tally flew out from his vest pocket, its monocle spinning rapidly as it waved a glowing blue registry certificate.

"Boss! We are officially Tier 1 Registered Capital Pathfinders!"

Noël looked out over the vast expanse of the Middle Ring district visible through the cloud gap below.

"Let's claim our certificates," he said flatly, turning toward the glowing golden Seal. "We've kept the Capital waiting long enough."