Blood ran down both fighters. Arden's face was covered in crimson streaks, and dark red liquid dripped from Targus's ears. But neither of them intended to back down.
Victory — was the only option.
Only one could stand tall in the end.
Targus rose slowly, the rage in his eyes still burning. He grinned through the pain.
"Little fox… you really got stronger.
Did you actually surpass your old limits?"
And without waiting for an answer, the Viking charged in, laughing — the sound echoing across the arena like a war cry.
Arden lifted his guard—
But immediately coughed up blood.
"Kh… damn it…" he rasped.
That was when Targus slammed his foot into Arden's chest, launching him backward like a ragdoll.
The Viking then leaped high into the air, pushing off the ground.
His massive frame descended like a meteor.
Boom.
The earth shook as he landed.
A cloud of dust burst into the sky, swallowing the battlefield.
"Can't see a thing, Master," Kasumi muttered, squinting.
"Anyone see anything?" Elian asked, trying to peer through the white mist.
The dust slowly cleared…
And then — a silhouette.
One stood atop the other.
"That's… Arden," Akito said softly.
All eyes turned to the battlefield.
There, in the heart of the shattered arena, Arden stood tall — on top of Targus's unconscious body.
The axe-hammer lay off to the side.
The Viking's eyes were rolled back — no pupils in sight.
He was completely out cold.
A moment later, Arden let out a faint, tired smile — and collapsed beside him.
Behind that ending was a storm of pain, dust, and pure resolve.
When Targus came crashing down, Arden dodged at the last second — but was hit with several brutal strikes in the process.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
He was nearly finished. But he didn't retreat.
On the fifth strike, Arden stumbled back—
Targus assumed he was done…
That was his mistake.
Arden took the hit to his chest—
And instantly activated:
"Fang of Deception."
He dashed toward the scar on Targus's side…
But his hand hit the Brunhild Shield.
The barrier flared. Arden froze — just for a second.
That was enough for Targus to grab him by the neck and lift him into the air.
The pressure tightened—
But Arden had been waiting for this.
A sudden kick — right to the beard.
The grip loosened. The shield shattered.
Arden pushed off Targus's face, spun mid-air, and poured everything he had into one final blow — right to the Viking's head.
The giant collapsed.
And didn't get back up.
"…What a fight," Akito exhaled.
"Winner of the final clash: Arden!" his voice rang out across the arena.
"Well done," Elian said warmly.
"You pointy-eared freak… you know how to surprise people," Kenshi chuckled.
Sometime later, Arden slowly opened his eyes.
Soft white light surrounded him.
The air felt fresh — like after rain.
All the Guardians were seated nearby, including Targus, now awake and lazily rubbing the back of his head.
The moment Arden woke, the Viking grinned wide.
"Fox… you were stronger than me this time.
But next time, I'm not losing."
Arden gave a faint smirk in return.
Just then, a system message flashed in front of Akito's eyes:
[Enter Guardian's Name]
[___________]
"Arden," he whispered, typing the name in.
The system responded at once:
[Name confirmed. Guardian registered.]
[Unlocked: Special Guardian Trial]
[Ready to begin the Trial?]
[Yes] [Later]
"We'll hold off for now," Akito said, glancing at Arden.
"As soon as you recover — we're going in."
Arden smiled.
But in his eyes… was something deeper than joy.
A silent victory.
He had proven that he could do it.
That he was worthy.
"You've proven that you deserved that second chance more than I did," Elian said with a kind grin.
"Well done."
"I'm glad you showed what you're really made of," Akito added with quiet respect.
At that moment, Aurelia stepped up to Arden.
She gently touched his chest — activating a healing light that wrapped around his body, closing wounds and mending everything inside.
"Thank you, Aurelia," he whispered.
She just smiled.
"No need to thank me. I just want you to be ready for the Trial."
Within minutes, Arden's body was fully healed.
The pain was gone.
The bones were whole.
His strength returned.
He sat up, took a deep breath — and locked eyes with Akito.
"So… Akito.
Shall we begin?"
Akito smiled and opened the system interface.
His fingers hovered…
And pressed.
[You selected: Yes]
[Beginning Special Guardian Trial: Arden]
In an instant, the world around them twisted.
They were transported to a new location — deep within an unexplored realm.
An enormous waterfall thundered down into a crystal-clear pool.
The air was wet and cool, full of life.
Everything bloomed.
The water whispered as it flowed.
Only the sound of the waterfall broke the silence.
Then — a message appeared:
[Objective: Defeat — Akito, Warden of the Guardians]
(For Arden)
"…What?" Arden whispered.
But before he could react —
Akito vanished.
Arden suddenly found himself alone, inside the waterfall.
An energy barrier closed in around him — no way out.
The system locked everything except battle mode.
He turned.
Near the wall of cascading water… stood Akito.
But it wasn't the one he knew.
A perfect copy —
But the eyes… were pitch black.
No pupils.
Just void, swallowing light.
"What the hell is this…?" Arden thought.
The Dark Akito didn't wait.
He raised both hands — and summoned the Blades of Chaos.
The world changed.
The waterfall suddenly reversed direction — water rushing upward.
Time itself seemed to turn back.
Stones tore from the earth and floated mid-air.
Cracks spread across the ground, glowing with strange light.
The entire space trembled.
What kind of place is this…? Arden tried to think—
But it was too late.
The dark version was already behind him.
"What?!" Arden twisted around —
But he was too slow.
A devastating blow struck his head.
He didn't even have time to block.
His body crashed into the wall of water — hard as stone.
Water exploded in all directions.
The air shuddered.
Arden coughed, lifting his bloodied face.
His vision blurred.
But he stood up anyway.
"Skill Activated: [Lapeta's Impulse]!"
A sudden burst.
Lightning-fast.
He dashed in and struck with full force — a direct hit to the chest.
But…
Dark Akito blocked it with one hand.
Effortlessly.
Without even flinching.
He didn't move an inch.
"He reacted that fast… and blocked it like nothing…"
"Is Akito… really this strong…?"
Arden's heart raced.
This wasn't just a fight.
This was a trial —
At the edge of what was humanly possible.
[Noxveil]
Hey there, reader!
If you've made it this far, thank you so much. I'm writing this story in Russian and translating it into English — so I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Even one small comment gives me huge motivation 💬💙
Let me know who your favorite character is so far!