I stretched as I stepped into my room, the familiar quiet a balm after the adrenaline of the arena. The battle with Ian had been no walk in the park, even though I hadn't fought at my full capacity. My three Ancient-grade artifacts were still in storage, their absence leaving me to rely solely on my martial skill and magic.
Ian, though. He was strong. Stronger than the Ian described in the novel at this same point in time. If he faced Ren Kagu from the original story now, I was certain Ian would come out on top.
"Butterfly effect," I muttered to myself, letting the thought settle.
The students of Class A weren't just exceptional talents destined to scrape into the lower tiers of Radiant-rank. No, they had the potential to stand as transcendent-level geniuses, individuals capable of shaping the future. But the problem wasn't their talent—it was their complacency.
They'd always believed they were destined for greatness, and because of that belief, many of them had never pushed themselves to their absolute limits. They didn't think they needed to.
I had changed that.
Lucifer was the first domino. My near-victory against him had shaken his confidence just enough to push him further, unlocking his second Gift years ahead of schedule. That breakthrough had spurred Ren into action, unwilling to be left behind. From there, the dominoes fell, one by one, until the entire class had elevated themselves to a level that eclipsed their original trajectories.
Ian, for example, was far stronger now. Strong enough that I'd been forced to use almost everything in my arsenal—barring God Flash, Luna's manifestation, and Stellar Cascade—to win. And the only reason the fight had felt manageable at all was because his family's Grade 6 art, Legend of Prominence, played directly into my skill set.
My Tempest Dance Technique, though only Grade 5, was perfectly suited to counter the first movement of Ian's art. And Hollow Eclipse? It was devastating against the second and third movements. Still, there had been moments in the fight where the ease of my victory teetered on a knife's edge.
I sighed as I sat on the edge of my bed, flexing my hands. "I need to stop relying on Mind's Aegis so much," I muttered.
During the fight, I'd refrained from spellcasting altogether. Not because I couldn't, but because I'd grown too accustomed to splitting my focus with Mind's Aegis. The technique allowed me to divide my consciousness into multiple streams, each dedicated to a different task. It was invaluable in multi-layered battles, but it had made me lazy, reliant on the ability to juggle complexities instead of simplifying them.
My thoughts drifted to Lucifer. He wouldn't be an easy opponent, not anymore. The massive gap I'd once created between us with my mind metamorphosis had narrowed over time. But even so, I knew I'd still win. I had to.
I leaned back against the headboard, staring at the ceiling. "Lucifer versus Jin…" I mused aloud. "No point in watching that. Lucifer's obviously going to win."
Jin might be strong—his necromantic talent and combat prowess were undeniable—but Lucifer had grown into something else entirely. His second Gift alone made him a nightmare to face, and Jin didn't yet have the tools to counter it. Their fight would be a spectacle, but the outcome was clear.
The other matches, though? Those were worth my attention.
Cecilia versus Ren. Rachel versus Seraphina.
Cecilia was fascinating. Thanks to her mind metamorphosis, she was almost on par with the current Ren. She wouldn't win—the gap between them was still too large—but she'd give him a challenge he wouldn't soon forget. Her epithet, Crimson Witch, was already beginning to feel inadequate. In time, she would rise to become the Zenith of Magic, surpassing even Archmage Charlotte.
Then there was Rachel and Seraphina. That match was harder to call. Rachel's strengths lay in her versatility and support abilities, which had earned her the epithet Saintess. Seraphina, on the other hand, was an offensive force of nature. Her moniker, Ice Empress, wasn't just for show. Her precision, her mastery of ice magic with her swordsmanship—it was like watching the sharp edge of winter itself descend upon her opponents.
I smiled faintly, imagining the clash. The two of them were wildly different, and yet, in their own ways, equally terrifying.
My gaze shifted to the window, the faint glow of Mythos Academy's distant lights casting shadows across my room.
The Sovereign's Tournament was shaping up to be everything I'd hoped for—and more.
As I'd anticipated, the second match concluded swiftly. Jin Ashbluff had given it his all, of course. The current Jin was nothing short of monstrous—a necromancer whose abilities far exceeded the expectations set by his age or rank. He'd even gone so far as to summon a 7-star soul, undoubtedly captured during his ventures in the Western Continent. But despite his talent, his resilience, and his ingenuity, he'd faced an insurmountable wall.
Lucifer.
Lucifer Windward was more than just a swordsman. He was the better swordsman, the one with a higher mana rank, a deeper well of experience, and, most crucially, the Gift that set him apart. Jin had fought valiantly, but the gap between them was too wide, and the inevitable conclusion came quickly.
The third match, however, promised something entirely different.
Cecilia Slatemark versus Ren Kagu.
I leaned forward in my seat as Cecilia ascended the stage, her crimson dress flowing like liquid fire with each confident step. Her gaze was calm, her movements poised. She radiated a quiet determination that told everyone watching: I belong here.
Across from her, Ren Kagu stepped into the light. His white hair gleamed under the arena's glow, his expression neutral yet focused. He moved with the precision of a predator, each step deliberate, each shift of weight calculated. This was going to be a battle worth watching.
'It won't be easy for Ren at all,' I thought, studying him carefully.
Cecilia wasn't just a prodigious spellcaster or a princess of the Slatemark Empire. She was a survivor, someone who had stood alongside me in a life-or-death battle against the Paladin of Void. That experience had tempered her like steel in a forge. It wasn't something one could see, exactly, but it was there—in the way she carried herself, in the unshakable confidence behind her every action.
The announcer's voice rang out, signaling the start of the match.
Cecilia didn't waste a moment. Seven-circle spells burst into existence around her, each brimming with raw, destructive potential. Without hesitation, she launched them at Ren, the air crackling as her magic cut through the arena.
'It's different,' Luna's voice echoed in my mind, her tone contemplative.
I nodded slightly, agreeing with her. Against the Paladin, Cecilia had relied on overwhelming force, spamming spell after spell in an attempt to distract him while I focused on dealing the damage. Here, her approach was entirely different. Every spell she cast was deliberate, each one connecting seamlessly with the others. It wasn't brute force—it was artistry.
Ren exhaled, and the space in front of him fractured. The red chains formed by Cecilia's spell unraveled mid-air, diverted harmlessly away from him.
'So, he's mastered that already,' I thought, my brows furrowing slightly.
The Kagu family's signature spell was a technique that bent space around the user, a defense both elegant and terrifying. Only Ascendant-rank members of the family, those blessed with the trifecta of space, time, and gravity affinities, and the Gift of God's Eyes, could wield it. And here Ren was, employing it with the ease of a seasoned master.
But Cecilia was far from finished. Her spells shifted, the patterns adjusting mid-air as though they had minds of their own. She was testing him, probing his defenses, adapting with each failed strike. Her crimson mana pulsed like a living entity, coiling and striking like a serpent.
Ren responded with equal precision. He stepped forward, his fist tightening as the air around him seemed to ripple.
Then he punched.
The force of his strike didn't come from his arm—it came from the universe itself. Space warped, and a gravity well erupted at the center of the stage, pulling Cecilia toward it with merciless force.
The first movement of Void Fist: Gravity Collapse.
The crowd murmured as they watched the phenomenon unfold, the sheer weight of the gravity well bending the arena's light and sound. Even the ground cracked under its pull, small fragments of stone lifting into the air as though desperate to escape its grasp.
Cecilia gritted her teeth, her feet sliding across the floor as the well tried to drag her in. But she wasn't panicked. With a flick of her wrist, a complex web of crimson runes formed beneath her feet. The gravitational pull lessened as her spell counteracted the force.
And then, she retaliated.
A column of searing crimson fire erupted from her staff, streaking toward Ren with terrifying speed. He dodged, but the fire wasn't her main attack. Beneath the flames, threads of mana coiled time and gravity itself. Ren's eyes widened as he realized the trap too late, the threads tangling around his legs and anchoring him in place.
Cecilia capitalized immediately, another seven-circle spell forming in her free hand. A construct of light and flame formed into a massive spear, glowing with the heat of a miniature sun.
She hurled it.
Ren roared, his mana flaring as he unleashed the second movement of Void Fist: Gravity Crush. The air around him fractured, the shards of broken space scattering like shattered glass. The spear collided with the fractured space, exploding in a blinding flash that sent shockwaves rippling through the arena.
When the light faded, both combatants were still standing. Ren was breathing heavily, sweat dripping down his face, but his stance remained firm. Cecilia looked equally composed, though her eyes burned with a competitive fire.
This wasn't just a match of strength or skill. It was a battle of wits, of adaptability, of sheer willpower.
And it was far from over.