The glowing gold leaf on the Tournament of Power Grade flyer shimmered under the dim mana-lamps of Master Satoshi's conference hall. Master Krusal adjusted his spectacles, sweeping his hand over the paper to project high-density mana-holograms of the six registered emblems into the center of the room.
"Six factions," Satoshi muttered, staring at the darkened, silhouette-filled frames floating in the air. "The grand assembly hasn't called a Grade Tournament in over a decade. The world outside is moving faster than we thought."
"Break down the rosters for us, Krusal," Serena ordered, her sharp eyes scanning the shadowy profiles. "We need to know what our kids are walking into thirty days from now."
Krusal nodded, tapping his staff against the stone floor. The first frame lit up.
"Team One is us—the Infinite Archive," Krusal began. "Under Master Satoshi and Master Serena, focusing on structural resonance, ancient literature, and adaptable combat logic."
The second frame expanded, showing the unmistakable silhouette of a middle-aged woman casually resting her arm on a broomstick, surrounded by six younger figures.
"Team Two, the Mind Squad," Krusal explained. "Led by a joyful thirty-five-year-old witch master. She possesses rare innate will-scanning and mind-reading abilities, capable of discerning the absolute intent of her students. Her unit consists of three boys and three girls—a highly synchronized, adaptable team that fights with incredible emotional unity."
The third frame shifted, revealing a massive, heavily armored warrior carrying a young child securely in his arm while standing before a group of iron-clad disciples.
"Team Three, the Iron Fortress," Krusal continued. "Grounded in brute physical conditioning, absolute elemental defense, and impenetrable vanguard shields. Their master is a battle-hardened father who famously brings his young child into the strategic hub, leading his squad with unyielding, protective strength."
"Team Four, the Desert Vanguard," Krusal gestured to the fourth frame, displaying a stern male master flanked by swift, cloaked assassins. "Specialists in high-speed maneuvers, terrain distortion, and high-lethal range pressure."
"Team Five, the Celestial Academy," Krusal said as the fifth frame illuminated a graceful female master holding a young child in her arms, surrounded by disciples floating in pristine arcane robes. "The orthodox peak of pure offensive spellcraft and elemental bombardment. Their female leader manages both her young child and the absolute highest standard of magic literature in the realm."
Finally, the sixth frame flickered to life, showing a wild male master alongside a sharp, commanding woman standing beside him, surrounded by shadowy beast familiars.
"Team Six, the Unbound Tame Beasts," Krusal concluded. "A wild, unpredictable faction led by a master and his sister. They fuse instinct-based martial arts with beast-taming, overwhelming opponents through sheer predatory momentum and synchronized creature assaults."
Serena crossed her arms, her expression dark. "And behind the entire tournament structure... sit the Three Sovereign Elite Masters."
"The ultimate arbiters," Satoshi added softly, a rare look of profound respect crossing his face.
The trio held absolute authority over all six factions:
The High Head: A male grandmaster of crushing magic output and unmatched battle IQ, serving as the supreme commander of the alliance.
The Vice-Head: A brilliant female strategist whose observation skills and tactical vision could read an entire battlefield in seconds.
The Wandering Master: A male powerhouse who completely disdained titles, rank, or political positions. Instead, he spent his life roaming the world, educating isolated talents and observing the balance of magic across the realms.
"This isn't just a friendly match," Satoshi said, turning toward Krusal. "The High Head wouldn't sanction a Grade Tournament unless something massive was brewing. We need to leave for the Sovereign Summit immediately."
"What about Mokshit and the kids?" Serena asked.
"They stay here under Brook, Jessy, and Misty," Satoshi declared. "They have twenty-six days left of their study grind. We will take two days to complete the high-level council discussions at the Sovereign Summit and return to the Archive."
Within hours, Satoshi and Serena departed the valley, leaving the Archive locked in its quiet, intense study routine.
Two days journey away, deep within a dense, ancient forest on the outskirts of the neutral territories, the autumn leaves fell quietly onto a damp dirt path.
A small pair of muddy boots stumbled through the brush.
A teenage girl, her clothes torn and covered in dust, trekked slowly through the thick woods. Her left leg was severely wounded, a deep, bleeding gash staining her trousers dark red with every agonizing step she took. Yet, despite the blinding pain, her grip never loosened on the small hands of her little brother—a young child clinging tightly to her shirt, wide-eyed and terrified.
"Just... a little further..." the teenage girl wheezed, her breath coming in ragged, shallow gasps.
She took three more trembling steps forward, her vision blurring as the blood loss finally drained the last of her strength. Her knees buckled. With a soft thump, she collapsed face-down onto the damp forest floor, her hand slipping from her brother's grip as unconsciousness took her.
The little boy pulled at her sleeve, crying out into the quiet, dark woods, as the shadows of the trees stretched long over their fallen forms.