Sadi met Thor's gaze; he sighed and finally uttered with a steady and clear voice, "Can you beat?"
"A normal competitor?"
Thor arched his brows in surprise as Sadi gave a counterattack. Sadi, a person known for their timidity and reserved nature, was not particularly talkative. But after that day, Sadi did not hesitate to taunt Thor.
Thor was about to answer him, but he spoke in the middle, his words sharp: "You mentioned that, except for Dimitri and Draco, everyone is normal here."
"Then do you count yourself as a normal one?"
"How dare you compare me with others?" Thor suddenly burst out. His outburst drew attention to other competitors who had been listening to them. They heard what Thor said. Thor's anger was not possible to ignore.
Max, one of the competitors, thought to step in because Thor insulted the others; he spoke out, "Thor, then what do you mean by normal?"
"We come here after working so hard, then complete the challenges. Don't you think you are insulting everyone by calling them normal here?"
Max's words hung in the air. His words had the weight to stop Thor. Thor clenched his fist, tightening his look, giving Max and Sadi an angry look. The judgment of the crowd was apparent. He silently departed from that place without saying a word.
Mason took his position and called out the first name.
"The first competitor is Dimitri!"
The arena erupted with cheers and applause, the expectation thick in the air. The crowd was thrilled to see Dimitri's performance.
He had always been a crowd favorite because of his unmatched skills and power.
The gathering knew that they were about to witness an exceptional event.
With a calm look, Dimitri stepped on the large ground; the field had been changed, designed for the battlefield, as it was going to be a hard challenge. The atmosphere buzzed with enthusiasm.
Dimitri moved his gaze up to the roaring crowd and raised his hand; it was his greeting toward the crowd. The applause slowly quieted down. Manson, standing beside Dimitri with a proud smile. Once Manson used to be his mentor and taught him everything he needed to learn.
Mason spoke out with a smile, "Please, take a note," gesturing to the large glass box filled with small papers.
Dimitri placed his hand in the large glass and took out a blue note. Mason took the note and raised his voice, looking at the crowd, "It's Luca from the Draconis clan."
Luca heard his name; he knew it would be a tough fight against Dimitri. From the Draconis clan, now only two were selected; one was him and another was Sadi. However, Luca realized that he didn't possess the same level of strength as Dimitri, and as a result, he knew he would be leaving there soon. Facing Dimitri in combat was definitely a different thing.
So Lucy thought of going to Sadi and wished him the best of luck.
He called out Sadi.
"Sadi!"
"Just keep in your mind that the pride of the Draconis is in your hand."
Sadi nodded, but he did not discourage his brother; instead, he cheered him up by saying, "Yes, brother. But don't think you are less powerful than your opponent."
"You are strong enough to beat him." His tone was firm and supportive. "Just remember your motive and believe in your strength." Luca slightly smiled; he became touched by his younger brother's words.
He put his hand on Sadi's shoulder; he felt a shimmer of renewed hope.
He was glad that his younger brother talked to him a bit more than other days.
With one last nod towards Sadi, he exited the area. The crowd blasted with applause as he stepped onto the field.
Luca stood in front of Dimitri; their eyes were unwavering, their demeanor steady. The wind swayed, the atmosphere was calm and steady, and only the sound of the wind could be heard as if the earth were holding its breath for what was going to spread out. The arena remained calm in tension.
Dimitri pulled out his fire sword from the sheath; his sword shimmered in the ray of the sun, emitting a fiery shine across the ground. Dimitri's sword, named Burning Agony, had the power to burn the opponent until the person died in the fatal heat.
With a slow motion, Dimitri swung the sword in the thick air.
Luca took a deep breath; his heart raced fast. The confidence he had witnessed in Dimitri's eyes could crush anyone's confidence in a swift. However, Luca made his mind steady, and Sadi's words gave him a bit of renewed hope, which made him believe in his inner strength.
Luca pulled his seasinger sword. His grip was tightened.
His sword also had the power of slashing damage, but still, it had nothing in front of Dimitri's sword. His sword was no match for Dimitri's fire sword. Dimitri earned the sword by his techniques, skills, and winning every challenge.
As the horn blared, Dimitri attacked Luca with a swift movement; it was almost invisible. It seemed Luca only spotted a blurry movement in front of his eyes. He just swung the sword, expecting to meet Dimitri's strike. His sword and Dimitri's sword just clanged, making a loud sound.
The attack made Luca lose balance; the attack was so powerful that it made him go backward, and the wind hit his face. Dimitri took his position; his eyes were steady. He straightened his back, glancing at Luca; the throng was eerily silent, and their breath was steady. They thought Dimitri might blow up Luca with his one attack, but Luca managed to defend himself. Though Luca defended himself at the right time, the force of Dimitri's attack was unbearable. For a minute, his hand became so numb that he could not feel his fingers.
Sadi's eyes narrowed; he was watching them. Judging by his attitude, it seemed that he started feeling a bit stressed about his brother.
Luca flicked his hand and again tightened his grip on the sword. He took a deep breath and switched on the power of his sword through his inner power. The seasinger sword was sparked by a faint blue light. A slight smirk tugged at the corner of his lips, giving Luca a chilly gaze. Luca dashed toward Dimitri in a wind move.
The arena filled with the metal sounds; only all the practitioners could see them with their powerful vision and the intensity of the fight. But the normal crowd could not see anyone, only witnessing something like a flame sparking around.
Latest Chapter
The First Signs
The sun had barely risen over the Sky Temple when Sadi sensed something unusual. The morning air felt heavier than normal, thick with static, as though the realm itself was holding its breath. Surtr hummed faintly across his back, and Drakari’s flames flickered nervously, a signal Sadi had learned to trust.Hiro, pacing beside him, frowned. “You’ve been staring at the horizon for five minutes. Something’s wrong?”Sadi’s gaze didn’t move. “The celestial energy… it’s… unstable.” His voice was low but sharp. “The seal over the Shadow Realm—it’s weakening.”Hiro’s eyes widened. “You mean… the thing we faced earlier?”Sadi nodded slowly. “Yes. But this isn’t just a minor tremor. Something—or someone—is forcing the cracks to widen. I can feel it in the beasts, the ley lines… even the air itself.”Drakari’s roar echoed sharply, and Sadi glanced down at the riverbank. Several beasts that had been roaming peacefully now moved erratically. Their scales shimmered unnaturally, some partially cloa
Secrets of the Shadow Realm
Dawn broke over the Draconis Realm, but the air remained heavy with the remnants of last night’s battle. Sadi stood on the edge of the cliff where the Shadow Realm had briefly bled into their world, Surtr strapped across his back, Drakari’s obsidian cage hovering nearby. The Leviathan stirred in the nearby river, sensing his master’s unease.Hiro stood beside him, arms crossed, his gaze scanning the horizon. “You’ve been quiet since yesterday,” he said, breaking the silence. “You’re thinking about that figure again, aren’t you?”Sadi didn’t reply immediately. He traced a finger along Surtr’s hilt, feeling the hum of its power. “It’s more than the figure, Hiro. That Shadow Realm… it’s not natural. Its energy… it’s older than anything I’ve ever felt. Someone—or something—is using it to manipulate reality itself.”Hiro frowned, shifting his weight. “You mean it’s alive?”Sadi shook his head slowly. “Not alive like us… but aware. It reacts, it adapts. Last night, it tried to drown us in d
Into the Shadow Realm
The cliff trembled beneath Sadi’s boots as the shadows surged again. Surtr blazed in his hands, the fire sword radiating warmth that cut through the unnatural chill of the night. Hiro’s sword hummed with latent energy, his movements precise, controlled, but tense.The cloaked figure hovered above them, its aura twisting the darkness into shapes that clawed at reality itself. “You think your fire and steel can resist the Shadow Realm?” it hissed. “This is not a realm of mortals. This is where gods hide, where powers older than your temple sleep. And soon… they will awaken for me.”Sadi narrowed his eyes. “I don’t care if it’s older than the heavens. I’ve faced the impossible before, and I’ll face it again.”A wave of darkness surged forward. Massive, serpentine shadows rose from the ground, their eyes glowing red like coals. They moved with an unnatural fluidity, slipping between reality and illusion. Hiro stepped forward to intercept, swinging his sword in arcs of precise force. One s
Shadows Rising
The night air in the Draconis Realm was unnaturally still. Even the faint rustle of leaves had vanished, leaving a heavy silence that pressed against Sadi’s senses. He stood atop the cliff, the Sword of Surtr glowing faintly against his chest. Beside him, the golden badge felt heavier than usual, a constant reminder of the responsibilities now resting on his shoulders.“Something’s wrong,” Sadi murmured, tightening his grip on the hilt. His instincts screamed danger, a pulse that he could not ignore. The magical energy surrounding him, which usually thrummed with warmth, felt jagged and off-balance tonight.Hiro appeared silently from the shadows, his expression unreadable. “You feel it too?” he asked, his voice low.Sadi glanced at him, nodding slightly. “Yes. There’s a surge in the elemental nodes… someone is awakening power that should remain dormant.”Hiro’s eyes darkened. “Could it be Draco?”Sadi shook his head. “Not him. This… this is older. Far older than any of us expected.”
The Beast-Caller’s Mark
The moment Sadi entered the Sky Temple’s northern wing, he felt it—the faint tremor of celestial energy lacing through the halls like a heartbeat. It pulsed softly, slow and steady, calling to him. Or warning him. He wasn’t sure which.Behind him, Luca walked with his usual relaxed steps, though his eyes flickered around with barely hidden curiosity. Nowshin moved quietly beside them, hands clasped, her gaze full of worry. Mason led the group, pushing open the old iron-bound door of the chamber where the Leviathan seal had been installed the night before.The room hummed with a strange mix of ancient magic and new tension.Inside, Ethan stood with several high sages. They had formed a circle around the obsidian prism—the one that held the Leviathan. Blue-white energy spiraled across its surface like veins of frozen lightning.But today… something was different.The energy wasn’t calm.It throbbed.It wanted out.Ethan stepped forward. “Sadi. Come.”Sadi swallowed hard and obeyed.As s
The Shadow That Knows His Name
Night fell over the Sky Temple like a velvet sheet, thick and heavy, as if the stars themselves hesitated to shine. The celebration of the ceremony had already faded; the claps, the cheers, the shock—all swallowed by the creeping silence.But peace never lasted long here.Not anymore.Sadi walked across the quiet courtyard leading toward the trainee chambers. The Sword of Surtr hung on his back in a sealed scabbard, its heat muted yet alive—like a sleeping beast aware of his heartbeat.Wind brushed his hair. The sky was clear, but the air felt wrong. Too still. Too sharp.Something was waiting.Something had followed him from the arena.He reached the corridor, footsteps echoing. A soft glow from the lanterns swayed on the walls, casting long shadows that trembled like living things.Sadi inhaled deeply.Someone was here.“Are you going to hide the whole night,” Sadi said calmly without turning, “or is this another test?”A low chuckle answered him.Not human.Not beast.Something in
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