Chapter 18: Shadows and the Witch
The aftermath of the arena's red portal left the Aelthar Academy tournament in stunned silence. Students, nobles, and visiting knights whispered about the mysterious figure who had appeared from nowhere, crushed the Crimson Veil, and reshaped the battlefield. Only one person remained calm: Cael Renard, quietly nibbling on a snack at the back of the courtyard, expression bland.
At his side stood the Witch of Creation, her magic radiating a soft, golden aura. She had observed Cael's power firsthand and was intrigued not only by his overwhelming abilities, but by the calm, composed boy behind the unstoppable force. A subtle curiosity blossomed into fascination… and perhaps something deeper.
"Your control… it's unlike anything I've ever seen," she whispered, watching the shadows pulse around him.
Cael glanced at her, faintly smiling. "I protect what matters. That includes you."
Meanwhile, across the city, Kryos Valen met with nobles and kingdom elites, their faces grim. "The boy isn't just a participant," Kryos said, voice tight. "He destroyed the Crimson Veil, controlled the arena, and neutralized threats before they even acted. He's… beyond comprehension."
Plans began forming: alliances, traps, and investigations. If Kryos wanted to confront Cael, he would need more than brute strength he would need intelligence, magic, and strategy… though even that might not be enough.
Back at the academy, Cael's Umbra Circle quietly assisted him, controlling shadows around the city to prevent collateral damage. They had grown even stronger, seven of them now capable of rivaling elite soldiers of any kingdom.
The next challenge arose immediately. Another group of visiting nobles attempted to assert dominance in a duel, testing their strongest students against the "background boy."
Cael's expression remained bland as he stepped forward. Yet when he did, his aura flared again, more terrifying than before.
All-Range Atomic: His power now extended across the arena, controlling every particle in motion.
Dimension Warp: Cael reshaped the battlefield, creating zones that trapped opponents or allowed him to appear anywhere.
Absolute Shadow Dominion: Shadows became living extensions of his will, immobilizing, striking, and defending simultaneously.
Voidstep & Temporal Shift: He could appear, strike, and disappear across distances and even slightly bend perception of time for enemies.
Witch-Aided Fusion: With the Witch of Creation's assistance, Cael amplified his abilities, bending reality around him even further.
In the ensuing battle, Cael defeated opponent after opponent without visible effort. Shadows immobilized the strongest princes, illusions disoriented the elite mages, and atomic bursts neutralized all attacks before they landed.
The Witch of Creation watched, awe and admiration mixing with something warmer as she realized Cael was not only unstoppable he was unshakably calm, even amidst chaos.
Kryos, observing from a distance, gritted his teeth. "If this is a single boy… no one in the kingdoms can oppose him."
By the end of the day, Cael returned to the back of the courtyard, expression bland, as if nothing had happened. The tournament records would note him as the unexpected winner, a quiet noble boy whose abilities were underestimated but the truth was far greater.
The Crimson Veil lay shattered, the Witch of Creation intrigued and subtly aligned with him, and the kingdoms had begun whispering of a shadowy force unmatched by any knight, mage, or prince.
As shadows stretched across the city at dusk, Cael whispered softly to himself:
"The kingdoms believe in heroes in the light.
The Devil's cult fears the Phantom in the shadows.
And I… am the All-Range Atomic.
No one, not even Kryos, can touch me."