Azarel steps into the heart of the Interdimensional Academy, only to discover the game has already begun—and he may be the prize.
**
"The sword chooses the hand that dares to rewrite fate."
— Inscription on the Trial Gate of the Third Realm.
The moment Kayn—once Azarel—crossed the shimmering barrier of the Interdimensional Sword Academy, time warped.
Not forward.
Not back.
Sideways.
The sky fractured like glass, revealing a tapestry of floating continents, impossible stars and spirals of colorless light. Beneath his feet, the marble cracked with each step, humming to the rhythm of something ancient watching him.
A notification blinked in the corner of his vision:
[Warning: Fate Node Detected – Temporal Anomalies Active]
Decision branches are now irreversible.
Kayn gritted his teeth. "So this place really is a trap dressed as a trial."
Behind him, hundreds of new recruits streamed through the dimensional veil—some wide-eyed, some trembling, others already arguing with invisible System Guides. But none had what he had:
The Supreme Sword System.
And none were cursed with his memories.
He wasn't here to make friends.
He was here to find her.
Lyana.
But before he could begin his hunt, a voice thundered across the sky.
"WELCOME, INITIATES OF THE INFINITE PATH!"
The voice was a fusion of a thousand echoes. A being shaped like a man made of flowing ink and fire descended from above, his body filled with flickering stars and shifting runes. His name was etched into reality itself:
Headmaster Vahrak the Eternal Cut.
Kayn narrowed his eyes. That name—it existed in the Old Timeline, before the collapse. Vahrak had stood neutral back then. But here… things felt off.
"Each of you has been chosen by the Will of the Realms!" Vahrak boomed. "Your talents are but potential. Your survival, uncertain. Only one will become the next Sword Sovereign of the Multiverse."
A silence fell.
Then the massive platform beneath them split into nine floating discs, separating the students randomly.
Kayn didn't resist as his platform floated toward the Nexus of Blade Selection.
The ceremony had begun.
**
The Blade Oracle
A hall opened before him. It wasn't built—it was grown, from bones of extinct star-beasts and the roots of trees that fed on moonlight. Swords hung in stasis across the walls, whispering like lost souls.
[Quest Triggered: Blade Selection Trial]
Choose a weapon. Be chosen. Fail, and be unbound from the Path.
The other students—dozens of them—moved quickly, testing swords, shouting at Guides, begging for compatibility.
Kayn walked forward slowly, ignoring them.
He didn't need a sword.
He was a sword.
And yet…
He stopped before a rusted, broken blade mounted beneath a plaque:
"The One That Shouldn't Exist"
[??? Artifact Detected – Compatibility Unknown]
Do you wish to attune?
The system blinked wildly.
WARNING: Multiversal Paradox Risk: 97.8%
This weapon has no registered timeline. It is linked to the Legendary Consort of the Forsaken One.
Proceed?
His heart skipped.
Legendary Consort... Lyana?
"Confirm," Kayn whispered.
The world convulsed.
**
Memories Not His
A flood of images assaulted him—
A woman with silver eyes and braids woven from starlight, standing atop a burning throne.
Her hand reached for him—no, his hand, once—bloodied, broken, but still reaching.
A whisper: "I will find you… across every world."
Kayn dropped to one knee.
This wasn't just any sword.
This was her sword.
Suddenly, a scream echoed behind him.
A student had touched a false blade. He disintegrated into particles of cosmic data, his scream digitized and archived in the Academy's Memorial Stream.
[Alert: 1 of 312 Initiates Eliminated. Blade Trial in Progress.]
"Focus," Kayn growled to himself. "You're not a pawn anymore."
He gripped the rusted blade.
It pulsed.
Not with power.
With recognition.
They Know Who You Are
The ground split open as a new figure entered the chamber. Cloaked in obsidian robes, eyes glowing with forbidden knowledge.
A name flashed over their head.
[Zerith – Heir of the Void Cult | Hidden Quest Antagonist (SS Rank)]
"Impossible…" Zerith sneered. "You were supposed to remain locked beneath the Fifth Timeline."
"You know me?" Kayn asked coldly.
"I know what you were." Zerith's voice cracked reality like a whip. "Azarel. The God of the End. You don't belong here."
And then he attacked.
**
Trial of the Sword — Duel of Past and Present
Kayn barely dodged as black flames erupted around him.
System alerts screamed in his mind:
[Unauthorized Duel – Forbidden Skill Detected: TIME RIP: VOID SCISSOR]
Zerith's sword extended like a serpent, ripping through layers of space.
Kayn activated his own System:
[Ability Fusion: Mirror Phase + Reversal Stance]
Combining offensive mimicry with adaptive defense…
The rusted sword in his hand pulsed again. This time, it hummed—not with violence, but with… longing?
He parried the incoming strike—and his blade SHATTERED.
Or so it seemed—until every shard hovered mid-air, then spun into a new form.
[Artifact Transformation: "Echo of the Legendary Vow" – Mythic Tier]
Zerith froze. "That sword—!"
Too late.
Kayn struck forward, his eyes no longer cold—but burning with resolve.
Their blades clashed—and time bent.
A burst of light erupted, sending both combatants flying.
But only one stood up.
Zerith coughed blood, staring at the spectral mark glowing over Kayn's chest.
[Legendary Bond Detected – Synchronicity: 3%]
"Connection to the Legendary Bride partially restored."
"She's… awakening," Kayn muttered, stunned.
He didn't know how. But she was reaching out—through the weapon itself.
**
Cliffhanger Ending: Puppet or Master?
Just then, a shadow fell over the chamber.
Not from above.
From within.
The Sword Oracle itself began to tremble. A voice—not of a person, but of the Academy—echoed with mechanical wrath:
"AZAREL… YOU BROKE THE BALANCE."
Walls cracked. The rusted sword vibrated violently in his grip. The Academy rejected him now. But he didn't care.
He had proof now. Lyana was close—alive, awakening, and watching.
The System flickered with a final message as the platform began to collapse:
[Forced Transfer Engaged – Next Zone: Astral Duel Grounds – Rank S Deathmatch Incoming]
Your presence has activated a Forbidden Thread of Destiny. All eyes are now upon you…
Kayn smiled through the chaos.
Let them watch.
He would not be their puppet.
He would become their reckoning.
And as the world fractured once more, he whispered:
"Lyana… I'm coming for you."
**
End of Chapter 12
Next Chapter Teaser – Chapter 13: Forbidden Skills and Ancient Secrets
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