The skies above Astradel—the floating nation of the mage nobility—were always clear.
Clouds drifted like rivers beneath its hovering palaces, while towering crystal spires reflected endless streams of arcane light.
Yet beneath all that grandeur lay a law as unyielding as the sky itself:
> "Fate is law. Love, will, and even life must bow to the prophecies of the ancestors."
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⚙️ Riku's Disguise Plan
In a cramped underground inn hidden within Astradel's cloud city, Riku, Kaela, Noire, and the girl they had recently rescued—Lyria—were plotting something audacious: infiltrating Astradel's Grand Magic Tournament as a forged noble.
"This tournament isn't just about magic duels," Noire explained, spreading a map of the arena across the table. "It's also a political engagement market. The winner gains the right to choose their own status… including rejecting or accepting a fated betrothal."
"And you want me to win so we can annul Lyria's engagement?" Riku raised an eyebrow.
Kaela smirked. "You know, saving a runaway princess through a magic duel? This is peak classic harem style."
Lyria stayed quiet for a long moment before finally speaking softly, "If you really can defeat them… I will give you Astradel's System Core."
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🎭 The Disguised Noble Enters
Noire forged an identity for Riku: Lord Silvayne, heir of an ancient western mage clan. She even embedded a custom code into Astradel's system so Riku could pass the noble bloodline verification.
By the time they reached the grand tournament plaza, hundreds of young nobles had gathered—flowing dresses, enchanted robes, and lavish staves glittered under the light.
Among them, Riku's future opponents revealed themselves:
Grail von Falis, heir of the Celestial Thunder Clan
Elsetta Miraglen, the undefeated mage of time
And of course, Rayan Azure—Lyria's arrogant, handsome fiancé, utterly convinced that fate was on his side.
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⚔️ First Battle
In the opening match, Riku faced a member of a great earth-mage clan.
His opponent warped the battlefield into towering stone walls and shattered the ground with tremors. But Riku simply stood still. When the enemy unleashed a full-force strike, Riku activated a copied skill from a dungeon's earth dragon.
> [Skill: Titan Scale Skin – Enhanced]
[+ Defense ×3 | + Shock Absorption]
With a single counterblow, he tore the arena apart and sent his opponent flying out of bounds.
The crowd was stunned. Who exactly was this "Lord Silvayne"?
---
🌪️ Meanwhile in the Stands
From the nobles' balcony, Lyria watched, her eyes glimmering.
"I knew he was strong… but why does my heart feel so heavy?" she murmured.
Kaela nudged Noire. "You see the system numbers going up?"
Noire nodded, bringing up the shared emotional link display:
> [Lyria → Affection Level 2]
[Emotion: Admiration & Safety]
[Fate Rewrite Potential: 42%]
"If he wins the finals and cancels Lyria's engagement," Noire whispered, "the entire prophecy system of Astradel will start to collapse."
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⚔️ Second Battle – The Time Mage
Riku's next opponent was Elsetta, a mysterious girl who could halt time for three seconds.
He dodged her attacks—until suddenly, he stopped. Elsetta snapped her fingers. Time froze.
"You can't move, 'Lord Silvayne.' I know the truth. You're no noble."
But just as she reached out to eliminate him, Riku moved.
"...!? You… can move in frozen time?"
"No. I just borrowed something from your last opponent."
> [Skill Copy: Chrono Pulse Delay – Partial]
Delays the effects of time magic by 0.5 seconds for one action.
One strike was all it took—Elsetta fell.
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👑 Final Match – Rayan Azure
At last, Riku stood in the final arena. Across from him stood Rayan, the arrogant prince and Lyria's fated fiancé.
Rayan stood like a god, wrapped in sky-blue magic.
"If you lose," he said, "fate will proceed as it should. And Lyria… will be mine."
Riku gave a thin smile. "Then let's break that fate."
The battle erupted—sky magic clashing with copied spells, celestial lightning against dragon shadow, noble pride against the will of a so-called trash.
With Noire manipulating the system from the stands and Kaela feeding him covert magical boosts, Riku struck Rayan down, shattering the fate symbol floating above the arena.
[Betrothal Fate: CANCELED]
[Winner: Lord Silvayne (Alias: Riku)]
[Lyria Emotional Rewrite Rights: GRANTED]
---
💖 Chapter End – Feelings and Vows
Backstage, Lyria approached Riku.
"You fought an entire noble clan… for me."
"I don't know if this is love or debt," she admitted, "but I want to stay by your side."
The system's notification flashed before Riku's eyes:
[Lyria officially joins as Third Heroine]
[Rewrite Path: 3 of 7 Active]
[Harem of Broken Fate – Stability: 85%]
Riku looked at the three heroines who now stood with him.
To him, this wasn't just about romance it was about building a world where fate was no longer a prison.