Six Kingdoms: The Chosen Six

The final match of the quarterfinals had finally arrived.

In the main stands, Damian sat with his friends, Lucien, Liam, Tessa, Rin, and Elric. Although the atmosphere seemed calmer than before, the shadows of Elric's battles against Brakth and Ragnar's against Vellia loomed large. The students' usually lively conversations had now turned to solemn whispers.

But now, all attention was focused on the center of the arena.

"FINAL MATCH OF THE FINAL 8!

FROM THE EAST SIDE: RANK 7 — KAELITH SNOWVEIL!"

The name was greeted with cheers and applause from the ranks of second-year students. Kaelith emerged from the east side of the arena and began walking to the center of the arena.

"AND FROM THE WEST SIDE: RANK 2 — RYGAR ARDENT!"

The cheers immediately erupted, louder than before. Even the third-years, who were usually reluctant to watch, were seated in solemn postures, their eyes fixed on the arena.

Rygar stepped in from the opposite side. There were no gestures. No small talk. His eyes were sharp.

Both fighters stood in their places.

"Begin!"

The crowd's voices immediately erupted, and they both rushed to attack simultaneously.

Kaelith raised her wand, and instantly, three thin vortices of wind formed around her body. A wind aura enveloped her, forming a transparent protective barrier that moved with her steps.

Kaelith read the airflow around Rygar, sensing the changes in pressure with her every movement. With wind magic, she could gauge the direction of an attack before it arrived.

As she moved, she swung her wand, firing spiral blades of wind at Rygar.

Rygar was growing irritated as he was being pressured by Kaelith's relentless attacks. With a single swing of his hand, flames erupted from the ground beneath his feet. A wave of heat exploded upward, scorching the arena's surface.

Kaelith responded quickly. She formed a spiral wind shield around her body, creating a barrier between her and the scorching flames.

But the shield only lasted five seconds.

The air hissed. The wind broke.

Rygar's magic was too powerful, and Kaelith had to jump back before her body was burned by the next blast.

This fight was unequal in raw power. But Kaelith remained calm.

She wasn't a fighter who won with one blow. She won with a plan.

The fight continued in the center of the arena, but in the stands, Liam shook his head slowly, his eyes fixed on Kaelith, who was starting to be pushed back by Rygar's attacks.

"She won't last long," he commented gravely.

Lucien, sitting next to him, didn't take his eyes off the arena. His fingers moved over his notebook, but his voice was sharp.

"Kaelith isn't a close-range fighter. If she gets too close... she's finished," Lucien said gravely.

They all knew it. One misalignment, and Kaelith's support magic wouldn't be enough to save her from Rygar's flames.

And the distance between them... was closing.

The battle reached its climax.

With a short shout, Rygar Ardent leaped high into the air. Red magical light enveloped his axe as he swung it down with full force.

BOOM!

As soon as his axe hit the ground, a circular wave of fire spread rapidly from the point of impact, incinerating much of the arena's surface.

Kaelith reacted quickly, leaping high to avoid the scorching blast. In midair, she fired a single wind attack spell, shaped like small spikes, aimed directly at Rygar.

But Rygar was ready.

He raised his hands, conjuring a thick shield of fire that withstood the attack with ease. Then, leaving no room for evasion, his body was engulfed in flames and shot forward.

CLANG!

The fiery slash from his axe struck Kaelith's protective barrier. The sound of shattering rang out. An explosion erupted as the defensive magic shattered completely.

Thick smoke enveloped the arena. The audience held their breath.

As the smoke began to clear, Kaelith was seen sitting on the ground, trembling, breathing heavily. Her eyes were half-closed, barely able to stand.

Instructor Van walked to the center of the arena, looked down at the two fighters, and then raised his hand high.

"Kaelith Snowveil is eliminated. Rygar Ardent advances to the semifinals."

Cheers erupted immediately, but amidst the excitement, the faces of the first-year students looked more fearful than joyful.

They had all just witnessed a top-notch battle between two of the strongest individuals in the school.

The match was over, but the atmosphere in the stands was still tense. The fire in the arena hadn't completely died down, and the heat still wafted up to the stands.

Tessa stared ahead with wide eyes. Her breath hitched slightly as she whispered, "He's too fast..."

Rin, sitting next to her, shook her head slowly. "Kaelith is a 7th-ranked student... but even she couldn't last more than three minutes."

Among them, Damian sat silently. His hands gripped the sides of the chair. His eyes were fixed on a lone figure in the center of the arena.

Rygar Ardent stood tall amidst the still-smoldering flames.

He didn't cheer.

He didn't raise his arms.

He didn't show any victory.

He just stood there. Silent.

Then... he stared at the stands.

Specifically, at Damian.

That night, the sky above Zephyrus was filled with stars, but the mood on the dormitory balcony was heavy.

Damian sat with Liam, Elric, and Lucien. The night breeze blew gently, but not enough to cool their minds, preoccupied with the thoughts of tomorrow.

Elric leaned his back against the wall, his arms folded. "He's different. Rygar is… not just strong, but… dominant."

Lucien, sitting beside Damian, nodded slowly. "He never looked out of breath. "Even when he was under constant attack from Kaelith, Rygar's expression didn't change."

Damian stared up at the sky for a moment, then lowered his head, his voice low.

"Can I win against him?"

Silence fell over the balcony for a few seconds, until finally Liam gently patted Damian on the shoulder.

"We will help Master Damian as much as we can," he said calmly. "Whatever happens… Master Damian is not alone."

And that night, without another word, they sat together, waiting for morning.

The next morning, the atmosphere in the Zephyrus cafeteria exploded with excitement. Students from all grades filled every corner of the room, most of them gathered around the main projector screen, which was beginning to glow brightly.

The sound of the main speaker echoed throughout the school.

"HERE'S THE OFFICIAL ZEPRYHUS TOURNAMENT SEMIFINAL BRACKET!"

Instantly, the large screen in the center of the cafeteria projected the matchup list:

SEMIFINAL MATCHUPS

Damian Kade vs. Rygar Ardent Brakth Runebreaker vs. Ragnar Brimeclaw

The explosion of reactions was inevitable. The cafeteria atmosphere turned into an open debate.

"Rygar vs. Damian?! Damn, that's a battle of the top tier!" shouted one of the second-year students, his eyes wide.

"I'm not sure anyone can hold Rygar back," said another, "but Damian has surprised us so many times... so there's always a chance."

"Brakth versus Ragnar?" whispered one of the first-year students. "Ragnar surprised everyone with his strength yesterday, but now he's up against Brakth, the strongest person in this school, if you're talking about pure raw power."

Several instructors passing by only glanced at the screen briefly and then left, but it was clear they were paying attention.

At one of the cafeteria tables near the window, Damian sat with his friends, his face calm, but his eyes focused. He said nothing.

Amidst the bustle of lunch, one table in the corner of the cafeteria seemed quieter than the others. Damian sat with Liam, Elric, and Lucien. Their trays of food remained half-touched. Their minds were not on lunch.

Heavy footsteps sounded from the entrance. All conversation in the room slowly died down.

Rygar Ardent appeared, walking slowly with two of his friends. Their gazes were fixed on Damian.

As they approached the table, the tension in the air shifted.

Rygar stopped in front of Damian. His posture was straight, his baritone voice even but firm.

"So... you'll be my opponent tomorrow?"

Damian stood slowly. His movements were calm, but inwardly, his breathing wasn't as relaxed as his face.

"Are you afraid?" he replied softly. Provoking Rygar.

A cold aura began to envelop Damian's body. The air around him dropped several degrees.

Rygar didn't flinch. Instead, heat began to radiate from his body, a faint flame hovering in the air around him.

The air in the cafeteria suddenly became heavy. Several nearby students held their breath.

Lucien, Elric, and Liam also stood up, ready to do whatever it took if the situation worsened.

Rygar's friends gripped the hilts of their weapons, their eyes never leaving Damian and his group.

But suddenly, Rygar chuckled.

"Hah." His voice was hoarse and deep. "I like your courage. You're worthy of being my opponent."

He turned and walked away.

"See you tomorrow."

Without further provocation, Rygar and his two friends left the cafeteria.

But the temperature in the room had still not returned to normal.

Some students hadn't even realized they were still holding their spoons in the air.

Because in those few seconds, the cafeteria had nearly caught fire and frozen solid at the same time.

That night, Damian and Liam's dorm room felt quieter than usual. There was no rustling of strategy papers. No clinking of spoons or unnecessary discussions. Just the gentle breeze outside the window and an unseen tension.

Damian sat on the edge of the bed, his back slightly hunched. Beside him, Liam sat quietly, his hands in his lap, staring at his friend without saying a word.

Several seconds passed before Damian spoke, quietly and honestly.

"I'm… a little scared."

Liam turned his head, his face calm.

"That's natural, Master Damian," he said softly. "But it's not an obstacle that Master Damian can't overcome."

Damian took a deep breath. His eyes glanced to the floor for a moment, then out the window, reflecting the moonlight.

"Tomorrow… will be my toughest fight yet."

Liam smiled a little. Not a smile of ease, but a smile of assurance.

"And I'll be there, by Master Damian's side."

Damian finally smiled back. It was brief, but sincere.

"Let's get this over with."