Celestial power: the war of realms

Ian, a student from the Supremia realm, he and Sadi faced each other in the arena. Confidence radiated from Ian's expression. He'd heard about Sadi, and as far as he knew, Sadi was nothing special. But he had watched Sadi's previous match, and though it hadn't been the most challenging, Sadi's surprising victory had left him a little unsettled.

Ian offered Sadi a respectful nod, and Sadi returned it with equal calm. Mason looked between the two fighters and, with a steady voice, announced, "The duel begins!"

As soon as the words left Mason's lips, Ian closed his eyes briefly, summoning his weapon: the Starlance Blade. A sharp, brilliant light cut through the air as the sword appeared in his grasp. Its blade glowed with a celestial brightness, resembling a comet's tail as it gleamed in his hand. Forged from rare Celestium metal, found only in Supremia's celestial mountains, the Starlance Blade was known for its devastating power. It could release concentrated beams of starlight energy, piercing the strongest armor and shattering barriers. And with a mere flick of the wrist, it could unleash blinding flashes of light, perfect for disorienting any foe.

Ian gripped the Starlance confidently, the ethereal glow casting a shimmer over the arena floor. His gaze settled on Sadi.

Sadi took a deep, steadying breath, closing his eyes as he prepared to summon his own sword. A soft glow began to radiate from his body, growing brighter with each passing moment. The spectators murmured in astonishment, watching as the light intensified until it seemed like rays were pouring out from him.

Across from him, Ian's confident expression faltered. His eyes widened as he recognized the weapon forming in Sadi's hands—a 10th-level sword of the Draconis realm.

'Impossible.'

Ian thought, shock flashing across his face. How could Sadi, a supposedly low-ranking martial arts student, summon such a powerful weapon? Most competitors could barely summon a 5th or 6th level sword, yet here was Sadi wielding something few in their realm could dream of.

As the light coalesced, Sadi's weapon fully materialized—a blade known as the Scalebound Edge. Its iridescent surface shimmered with shifting colors, its multi-elemental nature reflecting hues of deep crimson, icy blue, and electric white. Forged from fragments of dragon scales, the Scalebound Edge was a rare, multi-elemental sword that could adapt its powers to the wielder's will. At a thought, it could channel fire, ice, or lightning, each element drawn from the essence of dragons themselves.

But the blade's true power was its ultimate ability, Dragon's Breath.

With it, Sadi could unleash a devastating blast of raw elemental energy—fire, ice, or electricity—channeling the fury of a dragon's breath weapon into his strikes.

Sadi opened his eyes, calm and resolute, as he lifted the Scalebound Edge. The crowd had fallen into stunned silence, and even Mason's usually steady demeanor showed a hint of surprise. Sadi's expression was unreadable, his gaze fixed on Ian, who now looked visibly unsettled.

Ian's face darkened as he tightened his grip on the Starlance Blade. He had walked into the arena thinking Sadi would be an easy victory, a mere warm-up.

But this—this was something else entirely. His bravado faltered, and he narrowed his eyes, reevaluating his opponent. Clearly, he had underestimated Sadi, and now, he had no choice but to take him seriously.

A tense silence hung over the arena as Ian locked eyes with Sadi, each sizing up the other with newfound wariness. After a long pause, Ian charged, his energy flaring around him as he sprinted toward Sadi with blinding speed, the Starlance Blade gleaming in his grip.

With a powerful clash, their swords met, the ethereal glow of the Starlance Blade colliding against the shifting, elemental light of the Scalebound Edge. The force of the impact sent a shock wave across the arena, and the crowd erupted into cheers and gasps. Sadi held his ground, shielding himself as Ian pushed forward, attempting to overpower him.

The two moved at incredible speed, their blades flashing in quick succession. Each strike was precise and deliberate, and neither gave an inch as they locked into a fast-paced duel. Ian twisted and unleashed a sweeping arc of starlight from his sword, but Sadi swiftly dodged, his movements fluid as he sidestepped and countered with a diagonal slash. Ian parried, their swords sparking with every clash.

Then, in a swift move, Ian shifted his weight and threw a punch aimed at Sadi's face, a look of fierce determination on his face. But Sadi anticipated the strike. In a split-second move, he ducked beneath Ian's punch, letting it whiz past him. Then, with a powerful twist, Sadi delivered a counterattack—a kick to Ian's midsection that landed with brutal precision.

Ian staggered back, clutching his stomach, his confident expression replaced by one of irritation and pain. But he quickly regained his stance, eyes blazing with resolve. He lunged forward, swinging the Starlance Blade in a series of rapid, sweeping attacks.

Ian gritted his teeth.

Without warning, again Ian lunged forward, his Starlance Blade blazing with radiant energy.

"Let's see you withstand this!" he shouted, slashing his sword in a powerful arc.

Sadi dodged, narrowly escaping the blinding beam. He countered with a swift upward strike, his Scalebound Edge shifting to an icy blue, a chilling aura radiating from it.

"Embrace the cold," Sadi said quietly, unleashing the blade's icy essence. A burst of frost surged toward Ian, freezing the ground beneath their feet.

Ian stumbled back, his footing unsteady on the slick surface, but he quickly recovered. His eyes narrowed with frustration. He did not expect Sadi would unleash the icy essence so quickly.

"You'll need more than tricks to beat me!" he taunted, raising his sword high.

"Starlance, unleash your brilliance!"

A concentrated beam of pure light erupted from Ian's blade, tearing through the air toward Sadi. Sadi braced himself, holding the Scalebound Edge in front of him as the starlight clashed against his blade, but the force drove him back a few steps.

Sadi's gaze hardened.

"You've underestimated me, Ian." He took a steadying breath, his sword glowing with a fierce red hue.

"Scalebound Edge, unleash Dragon's Breath!"

The air grew hot as fire erupted from Sadi's sword, swirling in a torrent of flames that spiraled toward Ian. Ian raised his Starlance Blade in a desperate attempt to shield himself, but the fire was relentless, licking around him, forcing him back.

Gritting his teeth, Ian charged through the flames, swinging his sword wildly. But Sadi was ready. He sidestepped Ian's reckless attack, his movements fluid and controlled. Before Ian could regain his balance, Sadi's blade crackled with electricity, shifting from fire to lightning.

"This ends now," Sadi said, his voice steady. With one swift strike, he brought the Scalebound Edge down, releasing a surge of lightning that coursed through Ian's body, leaving him stunned and weakened.

Ian dropped to one knee, gasping for breath, his grip on the Starlance Blade faltering. Sadi stood over him, victorious, his blade still sparking with residual energy.

As the crowd roared in celebration, Ian's gaze drifted to the towering clock across the arena. His heart sank as he registered the time—barely two minutes had passed. He had been defeated in only two minutes. The realization hit him like a blow, and he looked back at Sadi, his expression a mixture of shock and disbelief.

Sadi, however, remained composed, his face calm as he lowered the Scalebound Edge. Mason strode into the arena, raising his voice above the noise, "The winner—Sadi of the Draconis realm!"

The crowd erupted once more, and Sadi gave a respectful nod to his defeated opponent before turning to step down from the stage.

From the upper rows, Draco watched with a hard expression, his gaze fixed on Sadi. The victory seemed to have caught even Draco's attention, his stern face giving nothing away.

As Sadi walked down the steps, murmurs rippled through the group of competitors gathered below. They stared at him with new respect, some with outright surprise. None of them had expected Sadi, the supposed underdog, to advance this far—let alone win the third tournament match so decisively.

A competitor nearby whispered to his companion, "Did you see that? Two minutes. No one's ever taken down Ian that fast."

Another nodded, eyes wide. "We've been underestimating him… but not anymore."

Sadi felt their stares but kept his head high, meeting their gazes without hesitation. This victory had shifted everything. He was no longer someone to be overlooked; he was a force they could no longer ignore.