The arena trembled beneath their feet as Kael and Harrond launched into their final clash, fists driving forward with every ounce of strength they could muster.
When their blows met—
BOOOOM!
The Null Spell dome didn't just flicker this time. It shattered.
Glass-like fragments of light burst outward as if the very fabric of magic was breaking apart. A deafening shockwave surged through the arena, throwing dust and debris into the air, shaking the stone stands, and making the crowd stumble from the sheer force. Nobles grabbed at railings, soldiers braced their shields against the invisible quake, and even the princesses leaned forward, wide-eyed, as their hair and dresses whipped violently in the turbulent wind.
The mage who had cast the Null Spell collapsed to his knees, gasping in horror."It… broke. That barrier—wasn't supposed to break!"
At the epicenter stood Kael and Duke Harrond, both unmoved, their fists still pressed against each other, the ground beneath their feet spiderwebbed with cracks. The sheer raw force radiating from their bodies had undone a spell designed to suppress magic—and neither of them had used even a trace of it.
Harrond's expression shifted from thrill to grim awareness. He took a deep breath, then slowly stepped back, lowering his fists.
"That's enough," he said firmly, voice cutting through the ringing aftermath of the shockwave.
Kael straightened, lowering his guard but not breaking eye contact. His mask hid his expression, but the faint tilt of his head betrayed his curiosity. "Stopping already?"
Harrond let out a short laugh, shaking his head. "If we continue like this without the Null Spell's cage, the entire training grounds—no, half the district—could end up rubble. One shockwave was enough proof." He gestured to the fractured ground around them and the stunned silence of the crowd. "I won't risk turning the Mining Capital into a battlefield just to test our limits."
The onlookers erupted into frantic murmurs. Words like "monster," "inhuman," and "unbelievable" spread through the nobles and soldiers alike.
Kael, however, remained calm. His body relaxed, the tension leaving his frame as he acknowledged Harrond's decision with a slight nod.
Harrond stepped closer, his towering frame looming, but his voice was low enough for Kael alone."You… are something else. That strength of yours isn't natural, and I can't tell if it's a gift or a curse. But I know one thing—" His eyes glinted like steel. "—the Empire will remember this day."
The air remained heavy with the echo of their clash. Even with the duel ended, the aftershock of what they had just witnessed hung over every soul present.
Silence blanketed the training grounds in the wake of the shattered Null dome. The crowd, still reeling from the shockwave, exchanged hurried whispers as the two titans parted.
The princesses were the first to recover. Princess Elira rose from her seat, her expression calm but her eyes sharp, betraying both awe and concern. "To think the Null barrier itself could not contain them…" she murmured.
Princess Selene leaned forward, hands clasped tightly in front of her chest. "Sister… did you see it? His strength—Kael's strength—was on par with Duke Harrond's. Without magic." Her voice trembled with excitement, but also with a subtle undertone of unease.
Elira's gaze shifted to Kael, who stood composed behind his mask, not reveling in the attention nor demanding recognition. That, more than his overwhelming strength, left her unsettled. Such power, hidden behind indifference…
The nobles in the audience were less composed."Who is that masked man?""Is he even human?""Not even the Duke has made a Null dome collapse before—this is beyond frightening!"Some whispered in awe, others in fear, but all agreed on one thing: Kael was no ordinary ally of the princesses.
Sara, still seated nearby, lowered her masked face as though to conceal her expression. Beneath the cold exterior, however, her heart pounded with a storm of emotions. Pride surged in her chest—he's unmatched… the man I've chosen to follow will never be broken by this world. Yet alongside that pride came worry. The stronger Kael grew, the more enemies he would draw. The more the abyss and its schemes would hunger for him. She clenched her hands beneath the table, whispering in her heart, I'll stay by you. No matter what.
Duke Harrond, having called the duel to a halt, addressed the gathering with his usual commanding presence. "The spar was only a demonstration of skill, not a fight to the death. Consider yourselves fortunate—you've just witnessed a clash few men in the Empire could survive."
His words restored order to the shaken crowd, but the murmurs persisted, and Kael's silent figure at the edge of the ground became the centerpiece of all speculation.
That evening, the capital stirred with new life.
Preparations for the Annual Foundation Day event began in earnest. Lanterns were raised, banners unfurled, and nobles' mansions filled with guests as carriages poured in from every corner of the empire. The once-quiet streets of the Mining Capital bustled with the arrival of merchants, guild leaders, and representatives of surrounding provinces. The city's heart was alive, its forges glowing brighter than ever as the people honored the founder who had raised this capital from stone and ore centuries ago.
Within the grand mansion where the princesses resided, servants rushed in and out, preparing for ceremonies and welcoming visiting nobles.
Most notable, however, were the arrivals of the Empire's other four backbones. Lords and generals, draped in their banners of power, stepped into the city under watchful eyes. Each arrival carried with it a wave of tension, the kind only those who shaped the Empire's future could bring.
But one name was absent.
Lord Gravemont—the master of shadows and whispers—did not appear at the Annual Function of Foundation Day. Instead, rumors swirled among the nobles that Gravemont had excused himself on grounds of "urgent matters." Few suspected the truth: while the Empire celebrated, Gravemont was already moving to seek out the masked man himself, using the festival as the perfect decoy for his intentions.
And somewhere in the slums, where Umbra and the assassin leader still watched the warehouse, the abyss's shadow stirred.
The city prepared for celebration. But beneath the songs and banners, the storm had only just begun.
Night fell heavy upon the Mining Capital. The bustling streets and distant forge-fires dimmed into silence, leaving only the muffled echoes of late celebrations and the whisper of the mountain winds.
Inside the mansion provided for the princesses and their retainers, Kael finally rested. His mask lay upon the side table, and for once, his features were softened by sleep. The burdens of war, plots, and abyssal corruption weighed heavily upon him by day—but now, in the stillness of night, his breathing was calm.
Sara entered quietly. She should not have been there, she knew, but her feet moved of their own accord, her heart beating faster with each step closer to his bed. The mask she always wore to hide her identity lay in her hands, trembling slightly. She gazed at him—this man who had carried burdens beyond imagination, who stood unflinching against empires, abyss, and dragons alike.
He doesn't even realize… she thought, her chest tightening. Every time he takes a step forward, I feel further behind. If I don't… if I don't close this distance, will he leave me behind forever?
Slipping silently into the bed beside him, she pressed close. The warmth of his presence startled her, but she didn't pull away. Instead, she slowly reached for his hand, guiding it toward her chest—seeking not lust, but a bond. Something deeper.
Kael's eyes flickered open instantly. His instincts should have flared with warning, but they didn't. Not with her. He turned his head, meeting Sara's flushed face in the faint glow of moonlight.
"Sara…" his voice was low, steady, but his gaze held a rare softness.
Her lips trembled. "I—I don't know why I end up here every night. Maybe it's me. Maybe it's… her." She tapped her chest lightly, hinting at the Phoenix bloodline within. "But I… I don't want to keep hiding. Not from you."
Her body leaned closer, her breath warm against his cheek. The air between them grew taut, charged not with mana or killing intent, but something far more human.
Kael could feel the Phoenix stirring—the ancient will that had confessed its favor earlier. Her fire resonated with Sara's emotions, amplifying every heartbeat, every fleeting touch.
But Kael, ever composed, reached out and gently brushed a strand of her hair back, his hand resting against her face. "You don't need to force yourself," he murmured. "You're already by my side. That's enough."
Sara bit her lip, her heart torn between relief and frustration. "But it's not enough for me…" Her words came out in a whisper as she pressed her forehead against his, the Phoenix's heat flickering faintly through her eyes.
For a fleeting second, her lips hovered dangerously close to his. But before she could move further, Kael shifted his arm and pulled her into an embrace—firm, grounding, protective.
She froze, her face buried against his chest. His heartbeat was steady, unshaken even by her boldness.
"We'll walk this path together," Kael said quietly. "Don't rush. When the time comes, there won't be doubts. For now, just rest."
Sara's eyes stung, a mix of embarrassment, longing, and a strange peace. Her fingers curled into his shirt as she whispered, "You always make it so hard to hate you…"
The Phoenix's flame receded within her, leaving only her own emotions as she fell asleep in his arms—her mask forgotten at the bedside, her heart a storm of warmth and confusion.
Kael stared at the ceiling for a long while, silent. He hadn't pushed her away. He hadn't allowed her advance either. Instead, he chose the middle path—the path that would keep her close, but safe. Yet deep down, even he knew that this bond, fragile as it was now, was changing.