The final section of the course was chaos.
Five enormous platforms floated above a deep artificial ravine.
Between them were narrow bridges that constantly shifted positions.
Contestants from different academies fought for every opening.
A student from Skadi froze an entire bridge.
A Jotun contestant shattered the ice.
A Jazdris student summoned a creature that leapt across the gap.
The crowd roared.
This was no longer a race.
It was a war for position.
Noah landed on the first platform.
Laura landed beside him.
Eric came crashing down behind them.
"That was close!"
Luna landed silently.
Sophia followed.
They were still together.
That mattered.
Noah looked ahead.
The final academy pillars were visible.
Valhalla’s pillar stood near the far side.
Asgard was already approaching theirs.
Elementro was close behind.
"We need to move," Noah said.
Laura nodded.
Then a massive figure dropped onto their platform.
BOOM!
The stone cracked.
A Jotun contestant stood before them.
"Valhalla."
Eric stepped forward.
"Again?"
The Jotun student grinned.
"Again."
Eric smiled.
"Fine."
The two charged.
Their fists collided.
BOOM!
The platform shook.
Noah looked toward the next bridge.
"Laura."
She understood immediately.
They moved.
A contestant from Niflheim appeared ahead.
His hand swept through the air.
A wave of pale mist covered the bridge.
Noah couldn’t see.
"Laura!"
"I’ve got it."
Her violet eyes glowed.
A thin silver aura surrounded her.
The mist parted.
"Go!"
Noah ran.
Sophia and Luna followed.
Then...
A figure appeared above them.
Daniela Vannheim.
She stepped onto the bridge as though gravity didn’t apply to her.
Noah stopped.
Daniela looked at him.
"You’re Noah Blackwood."
"That’s what they tell me."
A faint smile crossed her face.
"I’ve heard about you."
Noah studied her.
"Elementro."
"Correct."
Daniela glanced toward Laura.
Their eyes met.
Something changed.
Neither spoke.
For a moment...
The noise of the arena seemed distant.
Laura stared at Daniela.
Daniela stared back.
There was something familiar.
Something neither could explain.
Daniela tilted her head.
"Have we met?"
Laura shook her head.
"I don’t think so."
Daniela’s eyes narrowed slightly.
"No."
A pause.
"You’re right."
But she still didn’t look away.
Noah looked between them.
"Do you two know each other?"
Both answered at the same time.
"No."
They looked at each other again.
Laura’s expression became cautious.
Daniela’s became curious.
Then Daniela smiled.
"Interesting."
Laura frowned.
"What is?"
"Nothing."
Daniela stepped aside.
"You should go."
Noah hesitated.
"Why?"
Daniela’s eyes briefly moved toward the approaching contestants.
"Because the race is almost over."
She smiled.
"And I want to see how far Valhalla can get."
Noah nodded.
"Good luck."
"You too."
Noah and Laura moved forward.
Daniela remained behind.
Her eyes followed Laura.
Something about that girl...
The energy.
The presence.
The feeling.
It was strangely familiar.
Daniela placed a hand against her chest.
Why?
She didn’t know.
Then she noticed something else.
Noah’s energy.
She activated her perception.
The world changed.
The visible fire surrounding Noah became transparent.
She could see layers.
A normal flame.
A stronger layer beneath it.
Then another.
Something hidden.
Daniela’s eyes widened.
"...What?"
She pushed her perception further.
The deeper layer briefly revealed itself.
A dark crimson core surrounded by burning energy.
Then...
It vanished.
Daniela’s eyes returned to normal.
She smiled.
"So that’s it."
She had only seen a fraction.
But it was enough.
Noah’s visible strength wasn’t his real strength.
His power was hiding something.
Something enormous.
Daniela looked toward him.
"Lower-tier..."
She paused.
Then smiled.
"...or simply concealed?"
Noah suddenly stopped.
He felt something.
He looked backward.
Daniela was still standing on the bridge.
Their eyes met.
For an instant...
Noah felt exposed.
As if someone had looked beneath his skin.
His expression hardened.
Laura noticed.
"What happened?"
"Nothing."
She looked toward Daniela.
Then back to Noah.
"She was examining you."
Noah frowned.
"You noticed?"
Laura nodded.
"I noticed her eyes."
Noah looked forward again.
"Interesting."
The final bridge began moving.
Noah’s group jumped.
The Valhalla pillar was twenty meters away.
Asgard was already there.
Jordan touched the pillar.
BOOM.
A massive golden light erupted.
[ASGARD: COMPLETED.]
The crowd exploded.
"ASGARD!"
"THEY’RE FIRST!"
Jordan turned around with a grin.
He looked directly toward Noah.
"Come on, Valhalla!"
Noah smiled.
"Not finished yet."
Elementro reached their pillar next.
Reinham touched it.
[ELEMENTRO: COMPLETED.]
The crowd erupted again.
Daniela arrived seconds later.
She glanced toward Noah.
Her expression remained unreadable.
Noah’s group was almost there.
Five meters.
Three.
Two.
Eric jumped.
"WE GOT THIS!"
Then...
A blast struck the platform.
BOOM!
Everyone stumbled.
A contestant had attacked from behind.
Laura lost her footing.
"Noah!"
Noah turned instantly.
He caught her wrist.
Her body swung over the edge.
For one terrifying second...
Laura hung above the ravine.
Noah grabbed her arm with both hands.
"Hold on!"
Laura looked up.
Noah’s face was tense.
"I’m not letting go."
Laura’s eyes widened.
Then she smiled.
"I know."
Noah pulled her back.
She landed beside him.
The crowd roared.
Noah’s expression changed.
Something inside Ragnarok stirred.
Heat rushed through his veins.
His pupils briefly darkened.
Maroon.
A faint pink edge.
The flames around his body erupted.
WHOOM!
The attacker froze.
Noah looked at him.
For one second...
Something else looked through Noah’s eyes.
"Move."
The voice wasn’t loud.
But the killing intent behind it was suffocating.
The contestant immediately stepped backward.
Noah blinked.
The flames disappeared.
He stared at his own hands.
"What..."
Laura grabbed his shoulder.
"Noah."
He looked at her.
"I’m okay."
She didn’t answer.
She simply stayed beside him.
The five reached the Valhalla pillar.
Noah placed his hand against it.
A massive blue-white light erupted.
[VALHALLA: COMPLETED.]
The crowd cheered.
Eric threw his arms into the air.
"THIRD!"
Sophia laughed.
Luna smiled.
Damien watched from the observation platform.
Valhalla had finished third.
Asgard first.
Elementro second.
Valhalla third.
A strong opening.
But Noah wasn’t celebrating.
He was staring at his hand.
That voice...
It had been clearer this time.
And for a moment...
He had wanted to listen.
Across the arena...
Alcris had watched everything.
The flames.
The eyes.
The sudden killing intent.
His smile slowly disappeared.
Then returned.
But this time...
It was different.
His fascination had deepened.
So there is something else inside you.
His fingers tightened around the railing.
Ragnarok isn’t simply fire.
He looked at Noah.
Then what are you?
Above the arena...
The Hildgard representative raised her hand.
"The first event has concluded!"
The crowd erupted.
But before she announced the results...
A strange pulse moved beneath the arena.
Noah felt it.
Daniela felt it.
Alcris felt it.
And deep beneath Hildgard...
One of the ancient symbols briefly glowed.
A dragon.
Then disappeared.
Final Ranking
1. Asgard Academy
2. Elementro Academy
3. Valhalla Academy
4. Milgard Academy
5. Volstra Academy
The remaining academies followed.
The crowd continued celebrating.
But among the contestants...
Three people were thinking about something completely different.
Laura was thinking about Noah.
Daniela was thinking about Noah’s hidden power.
And Alcris...
Was thinking about how to uncover it.
The tournament had only just begun.
The cheers hadn’t stopped.
Even after the first event ended, Hildgard’s central arena remained alive with noise.
The results were already being displayed above the battlefield.
FIRST: ASGARD ACADEMY
SECOND: ELEMENTRO ACADEMY
THIRD: VALHALLA ACADEMY
FOURTH: MILGARD ACADEMY
FIFTH: VOLSTRA ACADEMY
The remaining academies followed beneath them.
For Valhalla, third place was a respectable beginning.
For Asgard...
It was expected.
Eric dropped onto one of the benches.
"I’m exhausted."
Sophia looked at him.
"You fought one person."
"One extremely large person."
Luna sat beside them.
"You volunteered."
"I was emotionally pressured."
"No one pressured you."
Eric pointed toward Noah.
"He did."
Noah looked over.
"I didn’t say anything."
"Exactly. Your silence pressured me."
Damien shook his head.
"That’s not how pressure works."
Laura laughed quietly.
For a moment, the tension of the competition disappeared.
Noah looked around at them.
This felt good.
Normal.
Then he noticed Laura staring at him.
"What?"
She hesitated.
"...Your eyes."
Noah’s smile faded.
"What about them?"
"They changed."
He looked away.
"Probably the lighting."
Laura didn’t smile.
"Noah."
He sighed.
"I don’t know."
She studied him for a moment.
Then quietly said:
"Whatever happens..."
She paused.
"Don’t let something inside you make your decisions for you."
Noah looked at her.
Her expression was serious.
"I won’t."
Across the arena...
Daniela stood with Elementro.
Flora approached her.
"You were watching Valhalla again."
Daniela smiled.
"Was I?"
"Yes."
"Which part?"
Flora crossed her arms.
"Noah."
Daniela laughed.
"He’s interesting."
"You said that yesterday."
"He became more interesting today."
Flora looked toward Noah.
"He’s strong."
"That’s not what I mean."
Daniela’s expression became thoughtful.
"I looked through his energy."
Flora frowned.
"And?"
Daniela lowered her voice.
"His power doesn’t make sense."
Flora looked at her.
"Explain."
"His surface output doesn’t match the structure underneath."
"Meaning?"
Daniela stared at Noah.
"There’s something hiding."
Flora’s expression changed.
"How powerful?"
Daniela smiled.
"I don’t know."
That answer seemed to bother her.
"I couldn’t reach the bottom."
A few meters away...
John Gallagher overheard them.
"You couldn’t?"
Daniela looked at him.
"No."
John whistled.
"That’s rare."
Daniela’s smile faded slightly.
"Very."
Meanwhile...
Alcris stood alone near the edge of the arena.
He watched Noah leave with Valhalla.
His mind replayed the moment.
Laura almost falling.
Noah catching her.
Then the flames.
The eyes.
That killing intent.
For one brief moment...
Alcris had felt something behind Noah’s power.
Something vast.
Something that had almost felt alive.
He closed his eyes.
Again...
He felt the heat.
That same sensation from their first encounter.
Burning.
Pressure.
Something beneath the surface.
Alcris opened his eyes.
"...Ragnarok."
The word slipped from his lips.
He didn’t know why he’d thought of it.
He simply knew the feeling.
He had read about countless abilities.
Studied hundreds of magical systems.
But this...
This felt different.
A voice came from behind him.
"Alcris."
He turned.
A Volstra student stood there.
"Are you coming?"
"Yes."
Alcris smiled.
He walked away.
But his mind remained on Noah.
That evening, the contestants returned to their residences.
The first event had ended.
The city was still celebrating.
Fireworks illuminated the sky.
The Crimson Moon appeared between the clouds.
Then the Blue Moon.
Then the Scarlet-Violet Starlight Moon.
Noah stood outside the Valhalla residence.
He looked up.
His hand rested against his chest.
Something felt wrong.
He could feel Ragnarok.
Not angry.
Not unstable.
Just...
Awake.
A system notification appeared.
[Ragnarok synchronization increasing.]
Noah frowned.
"Why?"
Another notification appeared.
[Unknown external resonance detected.]
Noah’s eyes widened.
"External?"
The message disappeared.
Before he could react...
A faint voice entered his mind.
"...Three..."
Noah froze.
"What?"
Silence.
Then another word.
"...relics..."
His heart stopped for a moment.
"What relics?"
Nothing answered.
The voice disappeared.
Noah stared into the night.
Several streets away...
Daniela suddenly stopped walking.
Her eyes widened.
She had felt something.
The same strange energy.
But this time...
It wasn’t Noah.
It was coming from beneath Hildgard.
She turned toward the ground.
"What..."
Flora looked back.
"Daniela?"
Daniela slowly shook her head.
"Nothing."
But she knew it wasn’t nothing.
Deep beneath the arena...
Three ancient symbols appeared.
A dragon.
A serpent.
A bear.
The symbols glowed faintly.
Then...
One of them cracked.
A pulse of energy spread through the underground chamber.
And somewhere in the darkness...
A voice whispered:
"The bearer has arrived."
Noah suddenly looked toward the arena.
His eyes narrowed.
For a brief instant...
A faint maroon-pink flame appeared around his fingers.
Then vanished.
He whispered:
"...What are you?"
The answer came from somewhere deep inside him.
Not the system.
Not Noah.
Something else.
"You already know."
Noah’s breathing stopped.
His eyes widened.
The same voice from his dream.
The same presence.
Dead Zone.
The tournament had only completed its first event.
But beneath Hildgard...
Something had already recognized Noah.
And somewhere in Volstra’s residence...
Alcris sat awake, surrounded by books.
One word was written across the page in his handwriting:
RAGNAROK
He stared at it.
Then smiled.