High in the bustling stands of the Grand Bout, two unassuming figures sat among the roaring crowd.
To any passing spectator, they looked like ordinary locals enjoying the spectacle. Astrath had taken the appearance of a refined middle-aged scholar — neat dark hair, streaked with calm white eyes behind simple glasses, dressed in a modest but well-made gray tunic. Ostrid had chosen the form of a jovial, slightly portly merchant in his late fifties — silver hair tied back messily, silver eyes twinkling with mischief, wearing a colorful but worn vest over a simple shirt, a half-eaten skewer of roasted meat in one hand and a mug of ale in the other.
They blended in perfectly.
Ostrid cheered loudly as another match ended in a spectacular finish, pumping his fist with genuine enthusiasm.
"Hah! Did you see that counter?! These southern warriors really know how to put on a show!" he laughed, taking a big swig from his mug. "Watching events like this is always worth the trip. The raw energy, the desperation, the occasional miracle… nothing beats it."
Astrath sat back more calmly, a faint, elegant smile on his lips as he watched the arena below. He took a small bite from a skewer of spiced meat, chewing thoughtfully.
"Indeed," he replied, voice smooth and composed. "Something is refreshing about seeing mortals push their limits. It reminds one of simpler times."
Ostrid grinned, leaning back in his seat. "Simpler times? Speak for yourself. I still remember when these lands were nothing but warring tribes. Now look at them — thriving, building cities, holding grand tournaments. The South is surprisingly peaceful compared to the other regions. No endless wars, no constant void incursions. They actually get to live a little."
Astrath nodded, eyes drifting across the vibrant crowd. "True. Lady Phoenix has carried not only Crimson Reach, but the entire southern region on her shoulders ever since that terrible dispute years ago. The way she maintains balance despite the weight… it is admirable. Few could do what she has done and still carry themselves with such grace."
Ostrid chuckled, wiping grease from his hands. "She's a tough one. Most rulers would have crumbled under half that pressure. But here she is, still guiding them all."
Their conversation drifted naturally as another match began below.
Astrath's gaze shifted toward the medical area. "Speaking of surprises… that young boy from 'that' race achieved something remarkable today. His first real feat on a stage like this."
Ostrid laughed heartily. "At least he didn't have to face one of the real monsters right away. Still, watching a fledgling awaken like that… it brings back memories."
They fell quiet for a moment, reflecting.
"The vampires, the white dragon, the gate opening…" Astrath murmured. "So many pieces are moving at once."
Ostrid nodded, his playful tone softening slightly. "And then there's Indura. Currently trying to awaken his second core, circulating mana like a novice. It's almost funny, considering how different he was a long time ago. Seeing him like this — relaxed, curious, almost innocent — is strangely entertaining."
Astrath's white eyes flickered with quiet amusement. "He has no idea yet. But the warrior approaching the outskirts of Crimson Reach… Things are beginning to align… whether correctly or not is another matter."
Ostrid glanced down toward the participant waiting area, his silver eyes piercing through walls as if they weren't there. He focused on Indura, who sat calmly with eyes closed, attempting to cultivate.
"Do you think the dragon's fate and choices will change this time?" Ostrid asked, tone turning more thoughtful. "I almost feel bad for the one who smiles at everything and finds the world so curious. But he doesn't have a choice. He must be the one to turn the tables on the system. After all… we just need to give him a reason to act."
Astrath chuckled softly, leaning back. "And what if he finds out about all this? The direction we're guiding him toward?"
Ostrid smiled, taking another sip of ale. "It will be fine. But when that day comes… perhaps his fate will truly be on the line."
Astrath became quiet for a moment, the noise of the crowd swirling around them. Then he asked, almost gently, "And your son? He is very conflicted, chasing after beings far greater than he is now."
Ostrid chuckled, a warm, fatherly sound. "He's fine. That's simply how he is. He will find his way back. I trust him."
Astrath raised his hands slightly in a graceful gesture, as if conceding. "If you say so."
The two beings continued watching the Grand Bout, snacks in hand, looking like nothing more than two ordinary spectators enjoying the show.
But their eyes saw far beyond the arena.
Somewhere far away, the outskirts of Crimson Reach lay quiet under the bleeding red sky.
A vast stretch of rocky plains and scattered ruins stretched between the city walls and the wilds beyond. The wind here was gentle at first, barely stirring the dry grass and dust.
Then it changed.
The breeze picked up, swirling faster, carrying a low, unnatural hum. Dust began to rise in thin spirals. The air grew thick, charged, as if the sky itself was holding its breath.
A violent gust tore across the plains.
From the sky, a figure plummeted like a falling star.
BOOM.
He crashed into the ground with earth-shaking force, carving a deep crater where he landed. Dust and debris exploded outward in a wide ring. The shockwave rolled across the empty land, flattening grass and cracking stone.
The warrior rose slowly from the center of the crater.
He stood tall and steady now, all signs of his previous bruises and exhaustion gone. His dark orange eyes scanned the horizon with sharp focus. His long black-and-orange hair shifted in the dying wind. The obsidian rings on his biceps, wrists, neck, and ankles gleamed faintly. The twin orange-and-obsidian daggers remained strapped securely across his back.
He flicked his ears, picking up the distant roar of the coliseum and the faint shouts of the city beyond the walls.
Finally… he thought, exhaling deeply. I don't remember the Crimson Reach being this far. The journey felt endless. But it doesn't matter now. I'm closer. I must reach her. Lady Phoenix needs to know what's coming.
He rolled his shoulders once, feeling the power return to his limbs.
Replenish on the way. No time to waste.
Sparks of crackling orange electrical energy suddenly erupted from his legs. The ground beneath his feet fractured in spiderweb patterns as raw power surged through him.
He bent his knees.
Then he leaped.
The force of his takeoff left a massive crater behind, sending another shockwave rippling across the plains. He became a blur of motion — a streak of black, orange, and crackling lightning cutting through the air toward the towering walls of Crimson Reach.
The wind howled past him. The city grew larger with every heartbeat.
He was coming.
And the south had no idea what kind of storm had just arrived at its doorstep.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the outskirts.
Jin found the cave deep in the jagged hills outside Crimson Reach, far enough from the city that the roar of the Grand Bout was nothing more than a distant echo.
The cave was narrow at the entrance but opened into a surprisingly spacious chamber. The walls were dark, veined with faint glowing crystals that cast a soft, cool light. The air was still and cool, carrying the faint scent of damp stone and old earth. A small underground stream trickled along one side, the only sound breaking the silence. It was the kind of place where one could disappear for days without the world noticing.
He set his new staff against the wall and began laying out his materials with careful precision.
First, a complex rune array etched into a flat piece of purified obsidian. Then three high-grade monster cores — each one pulsing with dense, raw mana. A small vial of shimmering silver elixir, he had risked his life to obtain from the depths of a particularly vicious dungeon. And finally, a rare starleaf herb, its leaves glowing with faint star-like patterns, harvested from a floating island weeks ago.
Jin sat cross-legged in the center of the rune array. He lit several black candles around him, their flames steady and unnaturally still. With a wave of his hand, he raised a soundproof barrier around the chamber, sealing the space in perfect silence.
This has to work, he thought, silver eyes focused. I've wasted too much time already. If I can push my core to the next level… I won't be helpless anymore.
He began the process.
First, he placed the three monster cores at the points of the rune array. Mana flowed from them into the obsidian lines, lighting them up with a soft hum. He carefully crushed the starleaf herb, mixing its glowing sap with the silver elixir in a small stone bowl. The mixture hissed and sparked, releasing a sweet, metallic scent.
He tried to channel the liquid into the array.
The first attempt failed almost immediately. The mixture destabilized, releasing a burst of wild mana that scorched the ground and forced him to suppress it quickly. Jin clenched his jaw, frustration flashing across his face.
Again… I always mess up the ratio at this step.
He tried a second time, adjusting the proportions carefully. This time, the mixture stabilized, glowing with a steady white light. He guided it into the rune array, watching as the lines brightened.
He closed his eyes and began to circulate his mana.
His body glowed with a faint white light as he drew the prepared energy into his core. He could feel it — the core responding, slowly expanding, the rings around it beginning to shift and realign.
Steady… breathe… merge the flows… don't force it…
For a moment, it worked. His body lifted slightly off the ground, levitating as the energy coiled around him. A new ring began to form around his core, spinning slowly at first, then faster.
But then the memory hit him.
A figure with golden eyes staring down at him, a blade buried in his chest. The weight. The silence. The overwhelming presence.
Jin's focus shattered.
The ring destabilized. His body dropped back to the ground hard. The energy backlashed, sending sharp pain through his meridians. He coughed, blood flecking his lips.
Damn it… not again.
He had tried this process ten times before. Each failure had cost him weeks of preparation — hunting rare ingredients, risking his life in dungeons for elixirs. This was his best chance yet.
He took off his shirt, exposing his scarred torso, and tried again.
This time, he pushed harder. His silver eyes glowed brightly. The energy surged. His body lifted once more, levitating higher. The ring around his core spun wildly, then stabilized. Another ring began to form, orbiting the first.
Yes… this is it… just a little more…
His muscles shifted and tightened. Old impurities leaked from his pores in dark streams. His body grew slightly, becoming denser, stronger. The mana in the cave began to coil toward him, drawn in like a vortex.
But the pain came suddenly — tremendous, bone-deep agony as he forced his body to evolve at an accelerated rate. Bones snapped and rebuilt. Muscles tore and reformed. He gritted his teeth, blood leaking from his mouth as he tried to contain the rampaging energy.
This chance cannot be wasted… I can't go back to hunting for another elixir… I have to push through…
He shouted, flame mana bursting out of him in a wild surge. The cave shook. Dust fell from the ceiling. A flame ring formed around his levitating body, spinning wildly. He forced the two rings around his core to merge, each second hitting him like a hammer.
The rings collided.
For a moment, everything went white.
He opened his eyes in an endless space filled with stars and distant galaxies. He was naked, floating in the void, his core pulsing with new power.
Finally… I made it…
Then he was pulled back violently.
Jin opened his eyes in the cave, his body crashing to the floor. The glow faded. The rings shattered.
He lay there for a long moment, breathing hard, frustration burning in his chest.
"So close…" he whispered, voice raw. "I was so close…"
He stared at the ceiling, conflicted thoughts swirling.
Will I ever return to my peak? Can I even have a chance to remove the evil that has invaded this world?
He stayed there for a while, letting the disappointment settle. Then he slowly got up, packed his remaining materials, and walked out of the cave.
The vast lands of Chaos stretched before him — distant, floating islands hovering in the red sky. He walked forward a few steps, then stopped.
He looked up.
The sky above twisted faintly. Small sparks of lightning danced in the atmosphere.
Jin's silver eyes widened in shock as he felt a familiar, crushing pressure descend.
It can't be…
The red sky above Crimson Reach began to shift.
What was once a steady, bleeding hue slowly twisted into something unnatural. Small swirls of darker crimson formed high above the coliseum, faint threads of lightning dancing within them like veins beneath skin. The air grew heavier, charged with an invisible pressure that made banners flutter uneasily and caused distant birds to scatter in panic. It was subtle at first — just enough to make people glance upward with faint unease — but the sky was clearly preparing for something far greater.
Below, the Grand Bout raged on without pause.
The crowd's energy remained electric, cheers and roars rising with every clash in the arena. Fighters bled and rose, the people fed on the spectacle, oblivious to the gathering storm above.
In the waiting area, Indura sat calmly in a quiet corner, eyes closed, posture relaxed yet perfectly upright. Red mana swirled gently around him in slow, controlled currents as he circulated it through his body.
After several failed attempts, a small breakthrough had finally come.
He opened his eyes and smiled faintly to himself.
Managed to absorb some after all those failures. It's only a little… but the effort paid off.
He stood up smoothly, rolling his shoulders once.
"I truly am perfect," he murmured with quiet amusement, a hint of self-mocking humor in his voice.
He turned to look around the waiting area.
Every other warrior present lay unconscious — slumped on benches, sprawled across the floor, breathing shallow. The faint red mana he had leaked during his cultivation had been too much for them.
Indura chuckled softly.
"No one can even truly comprehend my existence… perhaps I am too perfect."
He laughed lightly to himself, then exhaled, eyes bright with anticipation.
"I am ready."
The announcer's voice suddenly boomed across the entire coliseum, filled with theatrical flair.
"THE FIGHTS HAVE BEEN SPECTACULAR TODAY! BUT ARE YOU READY FOR MORE?!"
The crowd roared back in a deafening wave.
"YES!"
"BRING IT ON!"
The announcer grinned, voice rising to a fever pitch.
"THEN LET US CONTINUE! THE NEXT MATCH… FROM CRIMSON REACH… THE ONE REGISTERED UNDER A NAME THAT CARRIES WEIGHT AND MYSTERY… THE CRIMSON SOVEREIGN… INDURA!"
The crowd murmured in confusion at first, whispers spreading like wildfire.
"Who is the Crimson Sovereign?"
"Never heard that title before…"
"Sounds arrogant… who dares call themselves Sovereign?"
Indura stepped out of the waiting area and into the arena entrance.
The moment he appeared, the crowd's murmurs died down. He walked forward with perfect calm, hands clasped behind his back, long crimson hair flowing slightly in the wind. His golden eyes scanned the stands with quiet curiosity, carrying an effortless, regal presence that made the entire coliseum feel smaller.
Indura stopped at the edge of the arena sand, breathing in the charged air. Steam rose faintly from his mouth as he exhaled, a wide, satisfied smile spreading across his face.
They should be ready… for they are about to witness perfection.
Someone in the crowd shouted, "It's the red-haired guy!"
Another stood up. "That's him! The one who did all those insane workouts!"
The murmurs grew louder, turning into a wave of excitement and confusion.
Lady Phoenix, seated in the VIP box, had her cheek resting on her palm. She watched him, thinking idly about the strange name.
Indura… that name sounds familiar. Red crimson hair… golden eyes… that calm demeanor… that presence…
Her thoughts froze.
Her eyes widened in genuine shock. She sat upright, hand slowly moving to cover her mouth.
Dragon Ki—
A single white glowing feather drifted down in front of her eyes.
The moment she saw it, instinct screamed.
"EVERYONE DOWN—!"
Crimson fire erupted from her body.
Dozens of massive magic circles unfolded across the sky in an instant, overlapping one another as layer after layer of phoenix barriers formed above the coliseum, spreading outwards over the whole city. The arena darkened beneath their crimson glow.
The crowd froze in confusion.
"What's happening—?"
"Why is Lady Phoenix—"
Indura rolled his shoulders once, then his neck. "Alright...who will be my opponent?" he said with mild amusement.
Then the sky above cracked open.
A voice, cold and divine, cut through the heavens like a blade.
"Divine Judgment."
For a fraction of a second, the world turned black and white.
Then, a thunderbolt the size of a hundred mountains descended from the torn sky — a colossal pillar of blinding white lightning wrapped in holy fire and divine wrath. It blasted straight toward Crimson Reach with cataclysmic force.
Indura slowly looked up at the descending pillar of divine lightning.
His golden eyes widened slightly.
"…Oh?"
The smile on his face deepened.
BOOOOM.
The impact was apocalyptic.
The multi-layered phoenix barriers flared violently, cracking and shattering under the overwhelming power. Shockwaves erupted across the land, evaporating nearby hills, turning beasts to ash, and flattening mountains in the distance. The blast expanded into a massive sphere of white light, lighting up the entire atmosphere like a second sun, refusing to fade.
Above the chaos, a being hovered in brilliant, holy light.
Six massive wings of pure white energy flared behind its back. It wore ornate, glowing armor that seemed forged from starlight and divine gold, yet corrupted with faint dark veins running through it. Its face was hidden behind a radiant helmet, but its presence radiated absolute authority and cold judgment.
It looked down at the destruction below and murmured in a voice that carried across the sky:
"You thought you could warn them… Titan. But I am here now… to fulfill the end of your resistance. Dark Haven will reclaim what was denied."
The Grand Bout had been interrupted by something far greater.
And the south was no longer safe.