Grey Iricson pointed the colossal blade of his sword directly at Ray and Shaden, the two Haven Royal Academy students struggling to remain upright under the crushing pressure that emanated from him.
"99th?" Ray's voice trembled with a fear born of the unknown. His eyes were wide with horror. "How can the 99th complete ethereal warrior be this powerful?"
"Who even is this guy?!" Shaden echoed, her expression mirroring Ray's panic. "Weren't we supposed to face Silver Iricson?"
In the royal box, King Eldran shot to his feet, unable to believe what he was witnessing. The shock of the moment was so overwhelming that he failed to notice the laughter of Glynn Belkarn beside him.
There couldn't be two 99th complete ethereal warriors. Realization struck the king like a thunderbolt—this man was none other than the long-missing 9th complete ethereal warrior, a decade-old mystery unraveling before the eyes of the entire kingdom.
The audience, however, was far less discerning. They cheered wildly, their excitement fueled by the sudden twist in the tournament rather than any understanding of the warrior's true identity. They had come to expect the unexpected in every Interacademy Ethereal Combat Tournament, and this one was no exception.
"Grey, this isn't what we planned," a voice echoed in the air.
"It's fine," the boy replied quietly, his voice laced with a strange calm. "I need to get used to living again..."
"Won't take too long."
In an instant, Grey launched himself across the arena, his body a blur of raw power and heat. Ray Scarlet reacted instinctively, twisting his trident to summon a formation of hydro swords that materialized above him. With a swift motion, he unleashed them all at Grey. At the same moment, Shaden's ethereal arm activated, freezing the swords into deadly icicles capable of turning a man into a statue upon contact.
But as the icicles closed in on Grey, they instantly melted into harmless water.
Shun stood by, merely observing, his thoughts more occupied with the enigma of Grey Iricson than the battle itself. He knew this man neither wanted nor needed his assistance.
"Dawn Slash!" Grey's voice rang out as he brought his sword down in a powerful vertical strike, the very air around him trembling into pale nothingness.
Before Ray could fully process what was happening, Grey's blade cleaved through his body, slicing him cleanly into two halves—both made entirely of water.
But Grey knew the battle was far from over. The water stains on the ground transformed into spikes, launching themselves at him from all directions.
With a simple swing of his sword, Grey deflected the spikes with ease, watching as the water reformed into the figure of Ray Scarlet, his previous arrogance and price now replaced with desperate determination and fear.
"Shaden!" Ray's voice was hoarse, his reddened eyes wide with fear.
The air around Grey began to boil, the atmosphere warping under the intense heat. Grey's movements were briefly hindered, just enough for Shaden to close the distance.
"Absolute Zero!" Ray and Shaden shouted in unison, their expressions a mix of relief and exhaustion.
Every water particle around Grey erupted into icy energy, freezing everything in an instant, including Grey Iricson himself. The once-triumphant warrior now stood immobilized, encased in a statue of ice—a testament to the duo's seemingly unbeatable combination.
Ray and Shaden turned toward Shun, weak smiles tugging at their lips. "It's over..." Ray murmured in relief, unsure whether he was talking to Shun or himself.
"A surprise, but not enough to obstruct our path to victory."
Even King Eldran's expression shifted to one of disappointment. He had witnessed the incredible capabilities of a top 10 complete ethereal warrior, but this display fell short of those expectations.
After all, Grey Iricson might just be another 99th complete ethereal warrior, wielding nothing more than the advantage of mystery.
But Shun remained unmoved, sensing something within the frozen statue that made his very soul stir with excitement.
As Ray pointed his trident at Shun, a crack appeared on Grey Iricson's frozen form. The barely audible sound was magnified by the silence that had fallen over the crowd.
Ray turned back toward Grey, but before he could fully react, the ice exploded with flaming intensity, shrouding the arena in a thick, mysterious mist.
"Grey?" Ray's voice trembled, once again unsure whether he was talking to the figure before him or himself.
But the figure emerging from the explosion was not Grey.
This person had silky grey hair that fell to their shoulders, a body that was lean yet muscular, and a face so stunning it seemed to defy description. Every word of praise for beauty seemed inadequate, as if they had been crafted solely to describe this person. Their face was the very embodiment of perfection, captivating to all who beheld it, regardless of gender.
"My name is Gemini Iricson," the figure spoke, their voice both enchanting and peculiar, as if two voices were speaking in harmony.
Only Shun caught the subtle echo of Silver within that voice.
"Ninth complete ethereal warrior."
"Blade of Harmony."
Ray glanced at Shaden, who wore a grim smile. His ethereal arm had reached its limit after using "Absolute Zero." It could still function, but their ultimate combo was no longer an option.
But Ray refused to surrender.
He had been a nobody before awakening his complete ethereal arm. On that day, he realised that his life was about to change forever. The envious stares, the genuine respect, and the power and privileges he had gained as the strongest ethereal warrior of his generation, had filled him with a determination to keep it that way.
Ray roared into the sky, his eyes turning a deep blue, his hair transforming into undulating waves that mirrored the ocean's fury.
Heavy rain began to pour from the heavens, distorting Ray's face as it mixed with his tears of frustration.
"Oceanic Heaven!" he screamed, summoning a towering spiral of water above his hand, stretching toward the very sky.
The storm raged with relentless fury, and some of the younger audience members began to weep in fear.
But King Eldran and the other complete ethereal warriors knew, even this was no match for someone as formidable as the ninth complete ethereal warrior.
Gemini Iricson held a long, slender sword, embodying both the strength of men and the precision of women.
With a graceful motion, they swirled the sword around their body, drawing a perfect circle in the air.
Unlike Ray's desperate scream, their words were soft and definitive, barely loud enough to be heard over the howling storm.
"Dawnset Slash."
With that one strike, the world seemed to split in two.
Heaven and earth, fire and ice, male and female—and tragically, Ray Scarlet's mortal body—were all divided by the gentle stroke of Gemini's blade.