The early matches were a spectacle of diverse talents.
Shuna Lysavelle's shadow magic bewildered opponents, her illusions dancing like ghosts.
Astarotte Sylvarien wielded crystalline frost like a blade, cutting through defenses with elegance.
Piglette Mariglen shocked many by using a powerful pressure-enhancing aura that staggered even the most agile of duelists.
Hestia ignited the arena with wolf-flame techniques, a hybrid of beastkin instincts and structured elemental magic. Her battle with a dragonkin noble ended in a single, flaming strike to the jaw.
But it was Serenil's first match that captured the attention of all.
His opponent?
A cloaked figure in black armor, face covered by an obsidian mask carved with runic glyphs.
No name. No house. No nation.
Just a number: 77.
Whispers filled the stands.
> "Who is that?"
> "Did the Council approve an anonymous contestant?"
> "That aura… it's terrifying."
Serenil stepped into the arena, Voidrender humming on his back like a coiled serpent.
The masked warrior drew a curved blade—one that shimmered with Void-like magic.
A mirror of his own?
The bell rang.
In a blur of black and violet, the two clashed.
Steel met steel, shadow met shadow. The crowd gasped as the arena lit with flickers of anti-light, the resonance of Serenil's Soul Gear matching that of the masked warrior's corrupted mimic.
Blow after blow, their strikes matched in speed and ferocity. Neither gave ground. Neither held back.
Serenil's eyes narrowed.
> "You're not just a random fighter. Who are you?"
The masked one tilted his head, voice muffled but chilling.
> "I am the echo of what you could become."
A pulse of dark energy surged from him—and Serenil was forced back.
From the stands, Hestia gripped her seat. Liselotte bit her lip. Ned and Jon leaned forward, their instincts screaming danger.
And Peter?
He smiled.
> "This is no ordinary challenger. He's been sent here… to test something."
As the round ended in a rare draw, murmurs erupted.
Who was this masked warrior?
And what did he know about Voidrender?