Location: Imperial Arena — The Main Battlefield
The dawn of the second day of the Grand Festival Tournament was ablaze with excitement.
The matches today were different.
Today was the real first round — where true bloodlines, forbidden techniques, and ancient grudges would collide under the cheering gaze of the empire.
Kael Solaris stood atop the grand battlefield, his black cloak fluttering like the wings of a crow ready for slaughter.
He was no longer just the "Useless Prince."He was now the dark horse, the anomaly, the threat no one could predict.
And that made him dangerous.
The Matchups
Magical projectors lit up across the arena, announcing today's duels:
Kael Solaris vs. Leonar Vermillion — A top-ranked noble son wielding flame magic and brutal swordsmanship.
Zara vs. Lady Cecelia Highthorn — An arrogant duchess's daughter who looked down on commoners.
Mira vs. Varick Duskblade — A cold genius specializing in shadow illusions.
And many more.
The stands roared.
Bets were placed.Schemes were whispered.
Noble houses sharpened their knives — not literally, but politically.
Today's matches were not just about winning.
They were about sending a message.
Kael's Battle: Blood and Flame
Leonar Vermillion stood arrogantly across from Kael.
His armor burned with enchantments.His twin swords gleamed with captured dragonfire.He was a proud heir of the Vermillion Clan — famous for their ruthless domination.
"You should forfeit, Kael," Leonar sneered."I'll make this painless if you beg."
Kael didn't answer.
He simply drew a plain black dagger — small, unimpressive — and smiled coldly.
The referee gave the signal.
The world exploded into fire.
Leonar unleashed a blazing storm, a roaring inferno that devoured the battlefield.
Spectators screamed.
Even judges flinched at the overwhelming magic.
But when the flames cleared…
Kael stood untouched.
Not a single hair out of place.
His black dagger shimmered with ancient runes — absorbing the fire like a bottomless abyss.
"Impossible!" Leonar shouted.
Kael moved.
Faster than sight.
He appeared behind Leonar, whispering:
"Your flames are pretty."
With one smooth strike, Kael shattered Leonar's enchanted armor, knocking the noble son unconscious with a precision blow to the neck.
Silence.Then chaos.
The crowd erupted, half in awe, half in terror.
The nobles' faces twisted in horror.
Kael didn't just win.
He humiliated one of the Empire's most powerful bloodlines — and he did it casually.
Mira and Zara's Victories
Meanwhile, Mira unleashed her true power for the first time:
She summoned ghostly wolves made of shadow and flame, overwhelming Varick Duskblade with a terrifying storm of fangs and illusions.
Zara fought with dazzling speed and cunning, using martial arts that twisted Lady Cecelia's magic back against her — defeating the arrogant duchess's daughter in front of her horrified family.
The harem girls were no longer hidden.
They were stars rising in the blood-drenched skies of the Empire.
New Eyes Watching
In the imperial royal box, powerful figures whispered among themselves:
The Second Princess, known for her calculating mind, now watched Kael with sharp interest.
The Grand Duke of the East, once Kael's enemy, now stroked his beard thoughtfully.
Foreign emissaries, sent from rival kingdoms, scribbled frantic notes about the "Solaris anomaly."
And in a private VIP room…
Princess Aurelia Nightshade watched with a smile sharp enough to cut steel.
Her newest ally — Kael Solaris — was doing exactly what she had hoped:
"Shake the very foundations of the Empire."
An Unexpected Invitation
As Kael exited the battlefield, victorious but coldly silent, a cloaked girl stepped into his path.
She wore the emblem of the Imperial Academy — a rare platinum crest.
Her eyes glowed with ancient power.Her silver hair shimmered under the sun.
She was Aria Moonveil, the hidden heir of a lost celestial clan.
"Prince Kael," she said softly, her voice carrying like the wind through the crowd."Would you grant me… a private meeting after the tournament?"
Her cheeks reddened slightly, but her gaze remained fearless.
Another powerful girl — another key to Kael's destiny — had appeared.