Three days before the festival, Leonardo stood in front of Kenny's door, hesitant but determined. He knocked firmly, and the door creaked open, revealing Kenny's bored expression.
"What do you want, kid?" Kenny asked, crossing his arms.
"I want you to train me," Leo said without hesitation.
Kenny raised an eyebrow. "Train you? What makes you think I'd bother?"
Leo smirked. "Because if you do, I might actually give you a good fight one day."
Kenny blinked, then let out a booming laugh. "A good fight, huh? You've got guts, I'll give you that. Fine, kid. Let's see what you're made of."
The training began in earnest. Kenny pushed Leo to his limits with grueling physical exercises—sprints through sand, lifting boulders, and sparring sessions that left Leo gasping for air. During one of their breaks, Leo asked about Kenny's power.
"You never use magic or ether," Leo noted. "What's your attunement?"
Kenny leaned against a rock, his grin fading. "I don't have one."
Leo's eyes widened. "What?"
"When I was born, my sigil didn't attune to anything. It's rare, but it happens," Kenny explained. "But instead of dying from the imbalance, my body adapted. My sigil strengthened my physical form to create equilibrium. That's why I'm the strongest man in Etris—well, right behind Maestro Evengarde Rest, anyway."
Leo stared at Kenny in awe. "That's incredible."
"Yeah, yeah. Enough talk. Back to work, kid."
The day of the festival arrived, and the capital city of Etris was alive with energy. Massive crowds filled the streets, cheering as four royal carriages rolled into the city. Each carriage bore the crest of a Maestro, and the fourth belonged to the Lord Regent and Maestro Evengarde Rest.
As the Maestros waved to the people, Leo, Velvet, Rajin, and Kounéli made their way to the colosseum, nerves bubbling under the surface. The tournament was about to begin.
The first challenge was a written exam, which the four of them aced with ease. The physical exam came next, where each participant was ranked from D to S based on their performance.
Velvet: B+
Kounéli: B
Rajin: A
Leonardo: A-
Finally, the ether exam began. Each participant charged an ether calculator to measure their power.
Kounéli went first. The floating ball turned red and displayed a score of A-.
Velvet followed, their ether turning the ball bright blue, with a score of A.
Rajin stepped up, his lightning energy turning the ball yellow and earning him an A+.
Finally, Leo approached. The calculator spun and shook violently before glitching out. When it finally stabilized, it displayed a glowing S.
The crowd murmured in amazement as the results were announced. The four of them had qualified for the tournament.
As the Maestros took their seats in the colosseum, the first match was announced: Kounéli Atsáli vs. Ray Ishel.
Kounéli stepped into the arena, his gaze fixed on his opponent. Ray Ishel was a tall
Ray darted forward with impressive speed, throwing a straight punch aimed at Kounéli's face. Kounéli sidestepped effortlessly, analyzing Ray's movements. He crouched, scooped up a handful of pebbles, and hurled them with uncanny precision.
Ray raised his gauntlets to block, the small rocks bouncing off harmlessly, but the distraction allowed Kounéli to close the gap. Kounéli landed a swift punch to Ray's ribs, forcing him to stumble back.
"Not bad," Ray muttered, grinning.
Ray countered with a spinning kick, forcing Kounéli to retreat a few paces. Before Kounéli could close in again, Ray conjured a series of wind projectiles and launched them. The swirling blades of air cut through the arena, forcing Kounéli to weave and dodge.
A few blades grazed Kounéli's arms, leaving shallow cuts. Gritting his teeth, Kounéli surged forward, using the rubble scattered across the arena to his advantage. He slid under Ray's next attack, grabbing his arm and slamming him into the ground with raw strength.
Ray groaned but quickly retaliated, unleashing a burst of wind from his body that sent Kounéli skidding backward. The two combatants paused for a moment, both catching their breath.
"You're fast," Kounéli admitted. "But speed alone won't win this."
Ray smirked. "Who said I'm relying on speed?"
He clenched his fists, conjuring twin wind gauntlets that shimmered with concentrated ether. The crowd erupted in cheers as Ray charged forward, his movements enhanced by the wind attunement.
The two clashed in a brutal exchange of blows. Each punch sent shockwaves rippling through the arena. Kounéli's fists struck like hammers, while Ray's attacks were razor-sharp and unrelenting.
Their duel dragged on, leaving both fighters bruised and battered. Kounéli's breathing grew heavier, but his resolve remained firm.
"I'll end this now," Ray declared, stepping back and channeling all his remaining ether into a massive blade of wind. The weapon shimmered dangerously, crackling with power.
Kounéli took a deep breath, his crimson eyes glowing faintly. "Then I'll show you what I've got."
For the first time, Kounéli activated his attunement. Blood-red ether swirled around his body, pooling into his fists. The crowd gasped in awe as the raw power of Bloodrend manifested before their eyes.
Ray hesitated for a split second, but it was all Kounéli needed. Both fighters dashed forward, their weapons colliding in a blinding explosion of ether. The arena shook as dust and debris filled the air.
When the smoke cleared, Kounéli stood tall, blood dripping from his knuckles. Ray lay unconscious at his feet, his wind blade shattered.
The referee raised Kounéli's hand. "Winner: Kounéli Atsáli!"
The crowd roared in approval as Kounéli exited the arena, his expression calm but his heart pounding.