The warmth in Noah’s chest disappeared.
Just as quickly as it had come.
He remained staring at the ground.
Laura stood beside him.
"What did you feel?"
Noah shook his head.
"I don’t know."
Damien approached after noticing their expressions.
"What happened?"
Noah pointed toward the arena floor.
"For a second, I felt something underneath us."
Damien frowned.
"Under the arena?"
"Yeah."
Damien crouched and placed his palm against the stone.
He closed his eyes.
A few seconds passed.
Nothing.
He opened them.
"I don’t detect anything."
Noah frowned.
"I felt something."
"I believe you."
Damien stood.
"But Hildgard’s mana network is enormous. There could be hundreds of magical structures beneath this city."
Laura looked toward the arena.
"Maybe it’s part of the tournament."
Noah shook his head.
"No."
"Why?"
"I don’t know."
He looked at his hand.
"But Ragnarok reacted."
Laura’s expression changed.
She knew what that meant.
They returned to the Valhalla residence.
Most students were already celebrating the first event.
Eric had somehow acquired an enormous plate of food.
"Finally!"
He sat at the dining table.
"Victory food!"
Sophia stared at him.
"We came third."
"Exactly."
Eric pointed his fork toward her.
"That’s a victory."
Luna sat quietly nearby.
Damien joined them.
Noah sat down.
Laura took the seat beside him.
For several minutes, everything felt normal.
Eric talked about his fight with the Jotun contestant.
Sophia described the obstacle course.
Damien discussed the other academies.
Luna listened.
Noah mostly ate.
It was strangely peaceful.
Then Eric looked at him.
"So..."
Noah glanced up.
"What?"
"That thing with your eyes."
The table became quiet.
Noah paused.
Eric’s expression wasn’t joking anymore.
"You sure you’re okay?"
Noah nodded.
"I’m fine."
Eric frowned.
"You always say that."
Laura looked at Eric.
"He’s telling the truth."
Eric looked between them.
"...Okay."
He returned to his food.
"But if something weird happens, tell us."
Noah smiled.
"I will."
Eric nodded.
"Good."
And just like that...
The subject disappeared.
No interrogation.
No pressure.
Just friends.
Later that night...
Noah couldn’t sleep.
He stood by the window.
Hildgard’s three moons illuminated the city.
The Crimson Moon painted the rooftops faintly red.
The Blue Moon reflected against the distant mountains.
The Scarlet-Violet Starlight Moon shimmered above the clouds.
Noah stared at them.
Three moons.
Three strange sensations.
He didn’t know why the sight bothered him.
Then...
A notification appeared.
[External resonance detected.]
Noah’s eyes narrowed.
"Again?"
The notification disappeared.
Another appeared.
[Ragnarok response: Minimal.]
Noah stared.
"Why are you reacting to this place?"
No answer.
He looked toward the arena.
Then toward the distant forest.
Something was pulling at his instincts.
Not strongly.
Just enough to make him uneasy.
Across Hildgard...
Laura stood alone on a balcony.
She looked at the three moons.
Her expression was distant.
A memory surfaced.
A room.
A younger version of herself.
A voice.
"You have to become stronger."
Another voice.
"Again."
Then pain.
Laura opened her eyes.
The memory disappeared.
She pressed a hand against her chest.
"Not tonight."
She looked toward the Valhalla residence.
Noah’s window was still illuminated.
She smiled faintly.
Then looked back at the moons.
For some reason...
Their presence made her uneasy too.
Meanwhile...
At the Elementro residence...
Daniela stood before a window.
She had been thinking about Noah for hours.
She raised her hand.
A faint glow surrounded her eyes.
Her perception activated.
For a brief moment...
She could remember Noah’s energy from the arena.
The orange fire.
The deeper layer.
That strange maroon core.
Daniela’s expression became serious.
"It isn’t just fire."
She lowered her hand.
"Then what is it?"
A voice came from behind her.
"You still haven’t figured it out?"
Daniela turned.
Reinham stood at the doorway.
"No."
Reinham folded his arms.
"Then fight him."
Daniela blinked.
"What?"
"You’re trying to understand his power."
He walked closer.
"Fight him."
Daniela smiled.
"You want me to test him?"
"I want to see what happens."
Reinham’s eyes gleamed with competitive pride.
"If Noah Blackwood is hiding something..."
He looked toward the city.
"I want to know too."
Daniela laughed softly.
"You’re obsessed with winning."
"Of course."
He turned toward her.
"I’m here to make Elementro number one."
His voice became louder.
"I didn’t come to Hildgard to stand beneath Asgard."
Daniela smiled.
"That’s definitely you."
At Volstra...
Alcris sat alone.
A collection of tournament reports lay before him.
He had already reviewed the first event several times.
Noah’s movement.
His flames.
His reaction.
His sudden change.
Alcris closed his eyes.
His perception activated.
For a brief instant...
He remembered Noah’s energy.
He could almost see it again.
Power flowing through Noah’s body.
A normal pattern.
Then...
A second pattern.
Deeper.
Far more violent.
Alcris’s eyes opened.
"...There you are."
He smiled.
"You’re hiding something."
He reached for a blank sheet.
Then wrote:
NOAH BLACKWOOD
Underneath it:
Visible ability: Fire
Secondary structure: Unknown
Internal flow: Abnormal
He stopped.
Then added one final line.
Potential: Undetermined
Alcris stared at the page.
He smiled.
"Interesting."
A knock came at the door.
Alcris quickly closed the notebook.
"Come in."
A Volstra student entered.
"The next event has been announced."
Alcris looked up.
"What is it?"
"Individual combat."
A small smile appeared on Alcris’s face.
"Perfect."
The next morning...
The announcement appeared throughout Hildgard.
A gigantic magical projection illuminated the sky.
EVENT TWO
INDIVIDUAL COMBAT
The city erupted.
Students gathered around public projection crystals.
Spectators filled the streets.
The arena prepared itself.
The battlefield transformed into several separate circular platforms.
One-on-one.
No teams.
No formation.
No hiding behind allies.
Just two contestants.
One winner.
Noah stood beneath the Valhalla banner.
He looked at the arena.
Eric stood beside him.
"Well."
Eric cracked his knuckles.
"This should be fun."
Damien looked at the tournament board.
"Matches haven’t been revealed yet."
Sophia smiled.
"Hopefully we don’t fight our own academy."
Luna quietly added:
"That would be awkward."
Noah laughed.
Laura stood beside them.
Then the tournament board flickered.
Names began appearing.
One after another.
The crowd grew louder.
Then...
Noah’s eyes stopped.
His name appeared.
NOAH BLACKWOOD
Across from it...
A name he recognized.
JORDAN NETHEM
The crowd exploded.
Eric’s mouth fell open.
"No way."
Sophia stared.
Damien adjusted his glasses.
"That’s a high-profile opening match."
Laura looked at Noah.
Noah remained silent.
Across the arena...
Jordan saw the same announcement.
His royal smile slowly appeared.
He looked toward Noah.
Then laughed.
Not quietly.
Not politely.
The sound carried across the arena.
"Finally."
Lightning crackled around his fingers.
The crowd roared.
Jordan raised his chin.
"Let’s see if fifth place can survive."
Noah looked at him.
A tiny flame appeared around his hand.
Orange.
Steady.
Controlled.
His expression remained calm.
"Let’s see."
Above them...
The three moons faded beneath the morning sky.
The second event had begun.
And this time...
There would be nowhere to run.