World Arena.
The thunderous roar of the crowd shook the colossal arena ... citizens from across the Empire gathered, their excitement palpable for the most prestigious tournament's grand finale.
Energetic music blared through the speakers, while scenes of past battles replayed on the massive screens ... each moment highlighting the brilliance of the two warriors about to clash:
Frey Starlight vs. Snow Lionheart.
This final felt more like a storybook clash than a mere competition.
A battle between a hero and a villain, drawn in broad, unmistakable strokes.
Both fighters had carved their legends into the tournament with traits that fit those archetypes perfectly.
No one had seen this final coming.
From the moment the brackets were drawn, the world had expected a duel between Daemon Valerion and Snow Lionheart.
They had guessed half right.
The anomaly ... the unexpected miracle ... was Frey.
His rise to the finals felt surreal, a series of victories stitched together by sheer, stubborn will.
And yet, here he was.
The stands overflowed to capacity.
Every seat taken, every eye focused on the battlefield.
Even students from the senior divisions had come to witness the peak of the Empire's youngest generation.
Among them, Ellen White lounged comfortably, an impressive mountain of snacks cradled in her arms.
"It's about time," she said, smirking.
As if answering her, the sky-bound screens flashed:
Countdown to the finals — five minutes.
Five minutes until everything would be decided.
Meanwhile, in the Empire's vast betting circles, the tension was electric ... the stakes had soared to heights unseen.
Despite the excitement, no one could deny the disparity between the finalists.
Even a child could see it:
Snow Lionheart was on another level entirely.
Current Rank: One stood at the peak of Rank B, while the other lingered at the top of Rank C.
Elements: One was a monster who commanded them all; the other wielded only darkness.
Dueling Skill: One had reached the fifth level, while the other stood at the fourth.
Combat Style: It was the only category where people sensed a close match .. Frey's technique was no joke ... but even that was far from enough.
No matter how many possibilities they imagined, the crowd could only see one victor ... And his name is Snow Lionheart.
In the Starlight Family's section…
Carmen sat beside Ada, both silent as they watched the preparations unfold.
Ada's face was carved with anxiety.
"His opponent is Snow Lionheart," she whispered bitterly.
The final boss.
The Empire's shining champion.
Knowing her brother's stubbornness, Ada couldn't shake the dread coiling in her chest.
Could Frey even survive this battle, let alone win?
Carmen, usually quick to offer sharp remarks, said nothing.
Even she hesitated this time.
Frey had shown them many miracles.
He had revealed hidden depths and secrets few could have imagined.
And yet, despite everything...
Could he really stand against this?
After witnessing Snow Lionheart in the earlier rounds, Carmen realized something chilling ... she hadn't felt this kind of overwhelming presence since Abraham Starlight himself.
The very memory left her rattled.
Thus, she couldn't choose a side, couldn't even summon a prayer of hope.
The betting closed.
Snow Lionheart 99% — Frey Starlight 1%.
The numbers were brutal.
That 1% wasn't faith.
It was madness.
"It's time."
Ivar's voice echoed across the arena, carrying an air of solemnity.
And at once, all attention turned to the center of the battlefield.
...
...
...
-Frey Starlight's POV-
The light at the end of the tunnel.
That was what I had been chasing all this time .. a single, thin thread of light.
And now, I stood before the end of that tunnel.
I walked forward slowly, the brightness growing until it overwhelmed me, drowning me under the spotlight above and the thunderous roar of the crowd.
For a moment, I simply stared at the arena around me.
The stage had been magically expanded since the last time, giving us a vast battlefield to unleash our strength.
The crowd was at the peak of its excitement.
They cheered wildly, their eyes all focused on the figure standing at the far end of the arena.
Clad in his white armor adorned with gold.
"Snow Lionheart."
They screamed his name.
I moved forward as well.
His golden, vibrant eyes met mine — the dead, black eyes that mirrored no life at all.
We were reflected in each other's gaze.
He looked serious, with none of his usual easygoing demeanor.
Snow Lionheart wouldn't accept defeat today.
That much was painfully clear.
Standing between us, Ivar Valerion wasted no time.
I could feel my heart pounding violently with every slight movement the Headmaster made as he prepared to give the signal to start.
All my skills ..
Everything ..
To the absolute limit!
Tension flooded through me.
I was ready to pounce the very moment the signal was given.
But I froze when the golden-eyed youth suddenly spoke.
"Frey, before we begin... can I ask you something?"
"What?"
"What does it mean to you? This match... the whole Victorid?"
I hadn't expected that question at all.
But I answered plainly.
"It means everything to me."
"I see. That's why you fought so desperately to reach this point."
Snow drew his slender sword, gripping it firmly in his right hand.
I mirrored him, drawing my own blade.
"We're alike, Frey Starlight."
Those words, coming from him…
"Alike? In what way exactly?"
I neither denied it nor agreed — I simply replied vaguely to the hero who continued speaking words I hadn't anticipated.
"Both of us... neither of us can afford to lose today."
With a faint smile, I gathered my dark aura.
"You're right."
He too had his reasons ... perhaps even deeper than mine ... for why he couldn't afford to lose.
I knew that.
Even when it came to the sheer will to win, Snow wasn't inferior to me in any way.
But even so... I would win, no matter the cost.
"Begin!!"
The signal was given.
It was the beginning of the end.
"Ascension."
Hawk Eyes. Phantom Steps at maximum output.
I drew out as much of my SSS rank Dark Aura as I could.
I lunged at him with everything I had.
Unleashing the strongest strikes from my Ten Thousand Steps of Shadow.
And with frightening precision — he moved too.
Wielding Starlight Aura, the very element once famed among the Starlight family itself.
We clashed in an instant.
The moment our blades collided, sparks exploded outward violently.
I could feel the overwhelming weight of his sword pressing against mine.
With Ascension, which crushed all emotions and allowed me to fight at my peak, my violet-glowing eyes sought even the slightest gap, attacking from every angle imaginable.
Each deceptive strike ...which should have been impossible to predict ... was blocked, deflected cleanly one after another.
Boom!
The first heavy collision sent shockwaves throughout the arena as Snow deflected my sword.
Boom!
He read through every feint I attempted, parrying each one with ease.
Boom!
Another explosion erupted as Dark Aura collided violently with Starlight Aura, my assault crushed under a superior force.
The impacts rang out repeatedly, both of us moving so fast that only afterimages were left ... even though we hadn't budged from our spots.
We were locked in a whirlwind of swords, every clash sending arcs of fire into the air from the sheer force of friction.
The fire ignited fiercely around us, almost without us even realizing it.
It was terrifying.
Terrifying beyond belief.
This was my full power.
The absolute peak I could reach without Balerion.
Waves of relentless darkness, cutting arcs from my sword ..
Everything was blocked with flawless precision.