The morning of the tournament began… surprisingly normally.
No nerves.
No sense that something special was supposed to happen today.
I woke up just like any other day over the past few months.
Light streamed through the narrow dorm window.
Somewhere in the courtyard, I could already hear the voices of those who had woken up, who, like us, lived by one simple rule:
get up early-if you want to survive.
I just lay there for a few seconds, staring at the ceiling.
Then I exhaled lazily.
"Alright…"
I raised my hand.
"Bond."
It wasn't necessary to say it out loud; a single thought was enough, but I was just so used to it.
Familiar symbols appeared before me.
They had changed noticeably over the past three months.
Name: Oscar
Mana Core: Flame
12/1000
Soul Attributes:
- Integrity: 10/100
- Resonance: 9/100
- Depth: 12/100
Essence: Ashen Wanderer.
Understanding: 19/100
Epithets:
Fierce Defiance
Ashen Blood
Favourite of Fortune
Terror of Kings
I stared at the lines for a few seconds.
Core Flame.
Three months ago, I had Spark.
I smiled quietly.
"Not bad."
Rilay would definitely say something like this right now:
"Oh, you've practically become a supporting character, Oscar!"
I ended the Bond.
I had to get up anyway.
When I stepped out into the hallway, Scarlett was already waiting by the door.
She always got up earlier.
Today she was dressed as usual: simple townspeople's clothes, her hair neatly tied back, her expression calm.
She looked at me.
"Good morning."
"Mm-hmm."
I yawned.
"The tournament?"
Scarlett smiled slightly.
"Yes."
We walked down the dormitory stairs. We'd been living here for three months already, and we still hadn't had any neighbors…
We walked in silence for a few seconds.
Then I stopped.
Scarlett looked at me.
"Again?"
I nodded.
"Yes."
I took a breath.
And let the Essence manifest.
Dark armor settled over my body like a second skin.
The mask appeared last.
Inside it, embers smoldered as usual.
Scarlett watched calmly.
She'd seen this hundreds of times before.
I closed my eyes.
And focused.
Find.
At first, I thought of my sister.
Then of my parents.
Mana slowly flowed from the core.
The mask grew brighter.
I opened my eyes.
An ashen thread appeared before me.
Thin.
Fragile.
It stretched out…
and dissolved into the air after a couple of meters.
As always.
I stood there for a few seconds.
Then I sighed.
The Essence vanished.
Scarlett didn't say anything.
She never said anything at moments like this.
I shrugged.
"Well…"
"Attempt number… I don't even know which one anymore."
We started walking again.
After a few steps, Scarlett said quietly:
"You still think you'll find them."
I thought for a moment.
"Yes. Since the thread is starting to work, that means their bodies are at least somewhere out there."
Then I added:
"Until my core reaches the Abyss level."
Scarlett looked at me.
I shrugged.
"Even if the thread doesn't show anything then…"
I fell silent for a moment.
"So… there's no point in looking anymore."
Scarlett nodded.
No pity.
No consolation.
Just an acknowledgment of the facts.
And that was exactly what I needed.
A few minutes later, we walked into the tavern.
Rilay was already sitting at a table.
And eating.
A lot.
A lot.
Orpheus sat across from her with the expression of someone trying to understand the physical laws of the world.
"How do you…"
He looked at her plates.
"How do you fit all that inside you?"
Rilay shrugged.
"Magic."
Karina sat nearby and laughed quietly.
When we approached, Rilay raised her hand.
"Oh!"
"Our main characters have arrived!"
Orpheus looked at us.
"Are you ready to make fools of yourselves in front of the whole town?"
Scarlett sat down calmly.
"We're ready to fight."
Rilay pointed to the window.
"Have you even looked out the window?"
I looked around.
And only then did I realize that the city had truly changed.
There were far more people on the streets.
Flags.
Crowds.
Noise.
Karina said:
"The tournament is almost like a festival."
"The whole Citadel comes out to watch. Although there's plenty of entertainment here, people try to write books, paint…" There are even sports matches like soccer, but none of that is as exciting as watching people with superpowers fight.
Orpheus let out a quiet chuckle.
"Wonderful. Making a fool of myself in front of as many people as possible-what could be better?"
Rilay grinned.
"Don't worry."
"If you lose gracefully, people will applaud."
He looked at her.
"Thanks."
"That's very reassuring."
I sat down at the table.
Scarlett looked at everyone.
"There's about an hour left until the start."
Karina nodded.
"The teams are already gathering in the arena."
Rilay stood up abruptly.
"Then what are we waiting for?!"
She slammed her fist on the table.
"Ash Storm is heading to the arena!"
Orpheus sighed heavily.
"The gods…"
"Please…"
"Let's at least not get humiliated in the first round."
I looked at the team.
Three months ago, we were just a random group of people.
Now… we were a team.
And today, the entire Citadel of Hope was about to see what the Ash Storm was capable of.
By the time we reached the central district of the Citadel, it was clear-today, the city was alive with the tournament.
The streets were packed with people.
Residents, merchants, artisans, and Awakened from various guilds. Some were already arguing over bets, some were selling grilled meat and sweets, and some were simply following the crowd toward the arena.
Rilay was walking ahead of us, almost skipping.
"I love events like this."
Orpheus looked at the crowd.
"It seems to me that half the city has come to watch us get beaten up."
Karina smirked.
"Don't be so dramatic."
"At best, only a third of the city will see it."
I shot Orpheus a sidelong glance.
"Where's your spirit? You could use a little optimism."
He just grunted in response.
Scarlett walked calmly, as always, as if everything happening were just another ordinary workday.
And then we came out to the arena.
And I stopped.
It was enormous.
A gigantic stone bowl built right into the center of the district. The arena sloped downward, and high stands rose up around it.
Thousands of people.
Flags.
Heralds.
The noise was so loud that we almost had to shout to talk.
Orpheus said quietly:
"Well…"
"Now I'm absolutely sure."
"We're definitely going to lose here."
Rilay slapped him on the shoulder.
"Don't worry."
"I'll look cool while it's happening."
We walked up to the registration tables.
Before we were allowed into the arena, each of us was given a small metal bracelet.
It looked strange.
A thin plate with ancient symbols.
Scarlett took hers and examined it closely.
"An artifact."
I frowned.
"What's it for?"
The senior tournament organizer explained calmly, as if he'd said it a hundred times before.
"These devices were found deep within the fortress.
"Presumably, they were used by the ancient civilization that built the Citadel."
He pointed to the bracelets.
"When the wearer is about to take fatal damage, the artifact activates."
"The blow is absorbed."
"The bracelet is destroyed."
"The fight is considered over for that participant."
Scarlett blinked.
"So. . .
"We can't be killed?"
"Not while the artifact is active," replied the administrator.
I looked at the bracelet.
"Why not give these bracelets to the Awakened on raids, instead of wasting them on entertainment?"
The man looked at me and said calmly.
"First, we aren't wasting them; they break down and recharge in about 12 hours. Second, their protective effect is limited to this arena; outside of it, they're just a trinket."
I nodded and put on the bracelet.
The metal grew warm for a second.
Then the symbols on the surface glowed faintly.
Scarlett said quietly:
"So, it's serious, but no deaths."
"Convenient."
Rilay smirked.
"Excellent."
"You can shoot at almost full power."
Orpheus looked at her.
"The word 'almost' scares me."
After check-in, we were led to the waiting area.
From there, we could see the arena and the stands.
Crowds kept pouring in.
Announcers were shouting out the names of the teams.
I noticed movement on the central platform.
A tall figure in a cloak appeared there.
The crowd immediately buzzed.
Aurelion.
The ruler of the Citadel.
I turned to Karina, who had been in the Spire longer than any of us and yet wasn't born here.
"Karina, why did the people here in the Citadel choose something like a King? Wouldn't it have been better to put someone strong in charge? Aurelion doesn't look like a strong Awakened, and then there's his strange name…"
Karina looked at me in surprise.
"Why are you suddenly interested in this?"
"Just because."
I shrugged. Then Karina continued.
"It's all because of him."
She pointed her finger toward the sky, where the construct hung motionless.
"Ever since the first people reached the Citadel and conquered it from the monsters that were here." The first ruler of the citadel was able to awaken the construct and bind it to his blood; essentially, this made him the most important person in the Spire. At least, they say that as soon as the people carrying the first ruler's blood disappear, the construct will shut down, and it's unclear if it can ever be turned on again. So everyone just accepted the fact that the city has a king; Aurelion doesn't do anything wrong."
She thought for a moment.
"Actually, as a ruler, he's pretty good and cares about the citizens; he's also the most protected person in the Spire. Probably…"
I nodded.
"Understood."
Aurelion raised his hand.
The noise gradually died down.
His voice echoed throughout the arena.
"Citizens of the Citadel!"
The stands erupted in applause.
Aurelion waited a few seconds and continued.
"Each of you knows that life in the Spire is hard."
The crowd gradually quieted down.
"We live in a world where danger awaits us beyond the walls."
"Where monsters are stronger than humans."
"Where every day is a struggle for survival."
He paused.
"But with each passing year…"
"Life becomes a little easier."
He swept his arm across the arena.
"Because there are heroes among us."
"The Awakened, who venture beyond the walls."
"People who brave danger for the sake of others."
Applause rose again.
"Today, these warriors will gather here!"
"To show their skill!"
"To test their strength!"
"And to find out which of them is worthy of being called the Citadel's strongest warriors!"
The crowd roared.
Flags soared.
Shouts, whistles, applause.
Rilay looked as if she were about to burst with excitement.
"THIS IS. JUST. INCREDIBLE."
I muttered:
"Now I understand why people bet on this."
Aurelion raised his hand.
"Let the tournament begin!"
The announcers immediately began shouting out the instructions.
"First stage!"
"1/1024 of the tournament!"
"Team Iron Blades!"
"Against Team Ash Storm!"
Rilay instantly turned to us.
"Oh!"
"That's us!"
Orpheus sighed.
"Of course."
"Why not? The opening match is ours…"
Scarlett stood up calmly.
"Let's go."
We stepped onto the arena.
The sand crunched under our feet.
The crowd roared around us, like a living sea.
I looked across to the other side.
The other team was standing there.
Four of them.
Two heavy fighters.
An archer.
And a mage.
One of them smirked.
"Newbies. Looks like it'll be easy."
Rilay smiled.
She summoned her Essence.
Behind her appeared the massive cannon of the Thunder Archer, and the air around her sparkled with lightning.
"Arrogance is a warrior's greatest enemy, and a sure path to death."
Orpheus activated his golden armor.
Scarlett calmly summoned her rapier.
Karina raised her hand-thin streams of wind and a soft glow of light flared around her.
I felt a mask appear on my face.
Ashes smoldered quietly inside it.
The herald raised his hand.
The arena sand was warm beneath my feet.
The roar of the stands hummed around me like a distant sea. Thousands of voices merged into a single continuous hum, in which it was impossible to make out individual words.
But as soon as the herald's command rang out-
"Begin the fight!"
Everything vanished.
Only the opponents remained.
And the command.
I immediately noticed Scarlett lean forward slightly. To an outsider, it was almost imperceptible, but I already recognized that gesture.
She was taking control of the fight.
"Orpheus, center."
"Rilay, long range."
"Karina, stay in the back."
Short.
Clear.
No unnecessary words.
Orpheus took a step forward.
His golden armor flashed with a soft glow as he activated his primary ability.
Light swept across the arena.
I felt a familiar pressure-the pull of aggression.
And the enemies felt it too.
"Ha!" one of the heavy fighters smirked. "The shield wants to go first?"
He lunged forward.
A second heavy fighter followed suit.
The archer on their side was already drawing his bow.
The mage raised his hand; fiery sparks began to swirl around his fingers.
"Oscar, left flank," Scarlett said calmly.
I nodded.
And immediately used Ash Step.
For a split second, the world turned gray.
My body seemed to dissolve into a cloud of ash.
Then I found myself back in the arena-already to the side.
The archer noticed the movement.
"He's flanking!"
The arrow flew from the bowstring.
I raised my hand.
A gust of wind knocked it off course.
At that moment, the first shot rang out.
BOOM.
Rilay's cannon flared with a burst of pure mana.
The energy projectile struck the mage directly.
He barely had time to raise his shield.
The explosion threw him backward.
The stands roared.
"O-O-O-O-O!"
Rilay beamed.
"The first one's down!"
But the heavy fighters had already reached Orpheus.
One struck with an axe.
The other with a massive hammer.
Both blows landed on the golden armor.
Orpheus didn't even flinch.
He smiled.
"My turn."
He struck with his shield.
A stream of water burst from the air like a whip and struck one of his opponents in the chest.
The man staggered back.
Scarlett was already there.
I barely had time to notice her rapier flash.
A precise thrust.
The weak spot between the plates of armor.
The fighter cried out.
At that moment, his bracelet flared up.
Light.
A crack.
The artifact shattered into tiny fragments.
The herald instantly announced:
"The first contestant is out!"
The crowd erupted again.
"Quick…" I muttered.
But the fight wasn't over.
The enemy archer fired again.
Three arrows.
Simultaneously.
I leaped forward.
Ash Step.
My body dissolved into ash once more.
I appeared right in front of him.
His eyes widened.
"What..."
I struck with my blade.
But the archer was faster than I'd expected.
He rolled backward.
At that moment, the mage finally recovered.
"Enough!"
A fireball flew from his hand.
It was heading straight for me.
"Oscar!" Karina shouted.
But she was already in action.
A gust of wind knocked the spell off course.
The fireball veered off to the side and exploded in the sand.
The mage cursed.
And then Rilay's second shot rang out.
BOOM.
The projectile struck his shield directly.
This time, the bracelet couldn't hold.
It flared up and shattered.
"The second contestant is out!"
Now there were two left on the field.
The archer.
And the last heavy fighter.
He realized what was happening.
"Damn."
He lunged at Rilay.
The right decision.
But too late.
Scarlett intercepted him.
Her rapier moved like lightning.
A thrust.
A parry.
Another strike.
Orpheus joined in from the side.
The shield struck the fighter in the shoulder.
He staggered.
I appeared behind him.
Ash Step.
He tried to turn around.
But Scarlett had already found the spot.
The rapier went right under the shoulder guard.
A flash.
The bracelet shattered.
"The third contestant is out!"
Only the archer remained in the arena.
He looked at us.
Then at the stands.
Then at his team.
And said quietly:
"Well… that was quick."
He raised his hands.
"I surrender."
The herald raised his hand.
"Victory for the Ash Storm team!"
The stands erupted in applause.
Rilay raised her gun in the air.
"YEAH!"
Orpheus exhaled.
"Alright."
"It wasn't that bad."
Karina smiled.
Scarlett just nodded.
I looked at the shattered bracelet of one of our opponents.
Then at the crowd.
The first fight was over.
The following battles…
to be honest, all blended together into one long din for me.
The arena.
The screams from the stands.
The sand beneath my feet.
We were winning.
Sometimes quickly. Sometimes a little longer. Sometimes the opponents even made us work up a sweat, but not a single battle felt truly dangerous.
Rilay gradually stopped holding back and fired with increasing power.
Orpheus grew more and more confident in his role as a shield.
Karina tirelessly healed wounds and unleashed light and wind upon our enemies.
Scarlett… simply led us forward.
And I was getting better and better at the Ashen Step.
But everything changed when we stepped into the 1/32 stage arena.
The crowd was already much louder.
Only the strong teams remained.
I knew right away-these ones would be a problem.
Five of them.
Three melee fighters.
Two archers.
One of them was light, almost acrobatic. His armor was thin, and two short blades hung from his back.
He moved too easily.
Scarlett said quietly:
"Dangerous."
Orpheus frowned.
"Archers in the rear."
"So the plan is the same?"
Scarlett nodded.
"Orpheus holds the front."
"Rilay presses the rear."
"Karina provides support."
"Oscar, the flank."
I nodded.
The herald raised his hand.
"Begin the battle!"
And everything went wrong almost immediately.
The archers fired simultaneously.
Six arrows.
Not at Orpheus.
At Karina.
"Karina!" I shouted.
She was already trying to turn invisible.
Her body dissolved into thin air.
But that fast fighter… just turned his head.
And ran straight toward her.
I saw a strange light flash in his eyes.
"He can see her!" I screamed.
Too late.
He appeared beside her, like a shadow.
A blow.
Her bracelet flashed.
A crack.
The artifact shattered.
When Karina's bracelet flashed and shattered, I realized-things had gone wrong.
Very wrong.
"One member of the Ash Storm team has been eliminated!" the announcer's voice boomed.
The archers immediately shifted their focus to Rilay.
I lunged toward them, but the agile fighter appeared in front of me as if he'd materialized out of thin air.
Blades struck from above.
I barely managed to parry.
"You're looking the wrong way," he smirked.
I clenched my teeth.
He was too fast.
Behind me, Rilay's shot thundered.
BOOM.
One of the melee fighters barely managed to get out of the way. A wave of mana knocked him back, but he held his ground.
And at that moment, arrows struck Rilay.
The first-in the shoulder.
The second-in the chest.
A flash.
The bracelet cracked.
"The second member of the Ash Storm team is out!"
"Damn it!" Orpheus exhaled.
He activated his radiance even more intensely.
Golden light flared around him.
All three melee fighters charged straight at him.
That was exactly what they wanted.
To break our center.
Blows rained down one after another.
Orpheus's shield crashed into the sand.
It held.
But not for long.
A heavy axe pierced his defense.
The bracelet flashed.
"The third member of the Ash Storm team is out!"
Now there were two of us left.
Me and Scarlett.
Five opponents.
It was too many.
I looked at her.
She looked at me.
Not a word.
She just nodded.
And we moved at the same time.
Scarlett charged into three melee fighters.
Her rapier flashed like silver lightning.
I used the Ash Step.
The world turned gray.
I emerged from the ash right next to the archers.
They reacted instantly.
Arrows flew toward me.
I parried one.
The second grazed me.
The third slammed into my armor.
The bracelet flashed, but held.
I lunged forward.
One archer tried to retreat.
Too late.
My sword struck his guard.
A flash.
The bracelet shattered.
"One team member eliminated!"
The second fired almost point-blank.
I dodged.
Ash Step.
I appeared behind him.
A strike.
His bracelet cracked too.
"Another team member eliminated!"
The crowd roared.
Now there were three left.
And Scarlett was holding them off all by herself.
I saw one of the fighters almost land a blow on her with his axe.
She stepped aside.
A thrust with her rapier.
Spot on.
Right under the armor plate.
A flash.
The fighter's bracelet shattered.
Now there were two.
The agile one.
And the last heavy one.
The heavy one lunged at her.
I rushed in to intercept him.
The wind hit him in the chest.
He slowed down.
Scarlett took advantage of it.
Her rapier went right under his helmet.
A flash.
"Another contestant is out!"
Now…
there were two against two left in the arena.
Me.
Scarlett.
And the agile fighter.
He looked at us.
Then he smiled.
"Finally."
He burst forward.
Scarlett met him first.
Their blades clashed.
But he was too fast.
He slipped past her guard and struck.
A flash.
Scarlett's bracelet cracked.
She stopped.
The announcer declared:
"The fourth member of the Ash Storm team has been eliminated!"
Now there were just the two of us left in the arena.
Me and him.
The crowd roared.
He twirled the blades in his hands.
"So it's you."
"The last one."
I slowly raised my sword.
The mask on my face glowed.
Ashes swirled quietly around me.
"Looks like it…"
He vanished.
I didn't even see the movement.
My instincts sounded the alarm.
I stepped into the Ashen Step.
A gray world.
I emerged from the ashes… and his blade missed me by a centimeter.
He was surprised.
"Oh."
"So I'm not the only one who's fast."
He attacked again.
A strike.
Another.
Another.
I could barely keep up with his attacks.
His blades moved like a storm.
One strike got through.
Pain flared in my side.
The bracelet lit up…
but didn't break.
I jumped back.
Breathing heavily.
He tilted his head.
"Stubborn."
I looked at him through my mask.
And for the first time in the fight…
I smiled.
"Just learning."
I stepped forward.
An ash-colored step.
But this time I didn't step beside him.
I stepped behind him.
He began to turn.
Too late.
I put everything into the strike.
Fire.
Wind.
And all my remaining mana.
The blade sliced through his defense.
A flash of light.
His bracelet…
shattered.
For a second, the arena fell silent.
Then the announcer shouted:
"Victory for the Ash Storm team!"
The stands erupted.
I stood there, breathing heavily.
The mask on my face slowly faded.
Scarlett was already walking toward me.
Orpheus and Rilay were cheering from the edge of the arena.
Karina was smiling.
Scarlett stopped beside me.
She looked at me.
And said calmly:
"Good job."
I exhaled.
We had just made it to the round of 32 in the Citadel tournament.