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The Royal Academy's Combat Arena thrummed under the morning sun, a colossal coliseum of white marble ringed by tiered seats packed with noble heirs, professors, and fluttering banners of a dozen kingdoms. Mana barriers shimmered, preventing stray spells from turning spectators into collateral. Aiden Blackwood strode in at the center, silver hair gleaming, violet eyes scanning the two hundred elite students arrayed in formation. His black-and-silver academy uniform—tailored with wolf-crest embroidery—hugged his perfect frame, aura subtly dominating the space.
Dean Valeria Frost stood on the podium, her platinum hair catching light like frost, glacial blue eyes sweeping the crowd. "Today's trials sort wheat from chaff. Pairings are random; survive three rounds to claim Elite status. Blackwood—you face first."
**[System Scan: Arena Layout - 5 Zones. Current Threats: Lucius Vorne (A-Rank Swordmaster, Poison Specialist). Position: 3 o'clock. Abilities: Venom Edge (Corrodes armor), Shadow Feint. Weakness: Panic under pressure, mana addiction. Cult Ties: Confirmed. Harem Updates: Lirael (98.5%), Fiona (98.2%), Kira (99%). Poison Plot: Vial in Lucius' gauntlet - Neutralize Priority High.]**
Aiden smirked inwardly. *Lucius wants to play dirty? Game on.* His harem flanked the stands: Elara with healing kits, Sylva arrows nocked, Sera fists clenched. Beside them, the new prospects—Lirael with elven grace, Fiona's ice aura chilling the air, Kira's scales glinting—watched hungrily.
First round: Aiden vs. a burly B-Rank orc prince, Grimgor, wielding a war-axe that cleaved stone in demos. "Human pup! I'll mount your head!" Grimgor roared, charging with earth-shaking stomps.
Aiden stood still. The crowd gasped as Grimgor swung—the axe halted inches from Aiden's face, frozen by invisible wind chains. **[Reality Bend: Kinetic Lock.]** Aiden flicked a finger; gales hurled Grimgor into the barrier like a ragdoll, unconscious before impact. 2.1 seconds.
Cheers erupted. "Monster!" "SS-Rank prodigy!"
Dean Valeria nodded faintly. "Winner: Blackwood. Next: Group melee. Survive the pack."
Fifty students unleashed chaos—fireballs, lightning chains, summoned beasts clashing in a storm of elements. Aiden waded through like a god among ants. **[Omni-Analysis Active: 47 Foes Scanned. All C-B Rank. Collective Weakness: Overlapping spells cause feedback.]** He clapped—shockwave disrupted mana flows, knocking out twenty in a blink. The rest swarmed; Aiden blurred, palm strikes crumpling armor, wind blades disarming without kills.
Lirael loosed covering arrows from the stands, her silver-green hair flowing as she cheered. "Magnificent!" Fiona conjured ice ramps for allies, eyes locked on Aiden. Kira bellowed, shattering a rival's shield with raw strength—impressing him back.
**[Quest Progress: Academy Domination 1/10. Harem Bonds Rising.]**
Round three: Lucius Vorne stepped forward, smirking under tousled gold hair, emerald eyes glinting malice. A-Rank heir to a marquisate, clad in poison-green armor. "Blackwood. Your luck ends here." He drew a slender rapier, green ichor dripping— the vial shattered on command, mist spreading.
The crowd coughed; weaker students collapsed twitching. Lucius lunged, feints blurring into a venom storm. "Cult sends regards!"
Aiden inhaled the mist—system neutralized it to EXP. "Blood Lord fanboy? Boring." He vanished, reappearing behind Lucius. One chop to the neck—paralysis. Another to the wrist—rapier dropped. Lucius thrashed wildly; Aiden pinned him, aura compelling truth. "Talk."
Gasping, Lucius spilled: "Slade funds us... undercity altars... ten sacrifices nightly. Blood Lord needs duke blood—your father's next!"
**[Intel Acquired: Cult Progress 18%. Lucius Subjugated - Ally Potential: Low, but Useful.]**
Dean Valeria intervened as Aiden released him, healed but humbled. "Blackwood wins undisputed. Elite status granted—all three trials flawless."
The arena roared. Aiden's harem rushed the field. Elara hugged him tight. "Unharmed, my lord!" Sylva and Sera high-fived, pride swelling.
But the new trio closed in like magnets. Lirael curtsied, emerald eyes sparkling. "Your power rivals the World Tree. Walk with me?" **[Bond: 99%. Initiation Prompt.]**
Fiona thawed, offering a frost crystal. "Teach me that disruption. Impossibly elegant." **[Bond: 99%.]**
Kira grabbed his arm, muscles flexing. "Spar me tonight—no holding back." **[Bond: 100%. First New Member.]**
Aiden grinned, aura sealing it. "All of you—welcome to the fold." Passive charm wove loyalties; by sunset, they were his: Lirael whispering elven secrets, Fiona melting in private lessons, Kira wrestling playfully into blushes.
**[Harem Expanded: Lirael, Fiona, Kira Acquired. Total: 6/∞. Aura Upgrade: Group Synergy Boost.]**
Post-trials banquet in the grand refectory overflowed with platters of phoenix roast, mana wines, and bards singing Aiden's feats. Dean Valeria pulled him aside. "Your strength... unprecedented. The king summons you tomorrow. But whispers of cults plague us—trust no one."
In the elite suite that night, luxury reigned: steaming baths scented with roses, mana-lit chambers adjoining Aiden's master bedchamber. The harem gathered—Elara organizing, Sylva scouting windows, Sera/Kira sparring lightly, Lirael/Fiona debating spells. Bonds deepened over wine; subtle affections bloomed—hands lingering, laughter intimate, promises veiled.
**[System Alert: King's Summons - Opportunity for Duchy Power Boost. Hidden Threat: Undercity Altar Raid Tonight? Y/N. New Target: Royal Princess Elowen (S-Rank Healer, Harem Pot: 95%).]**
Aiden stood at the balcony, violet eyes piercing Eldoria's glittering sprawl. Undercity glow hid altars slick with blood—sacrifices mounting. Lucius, chained in the academy cells, had cracked the web wider. *Harem at 6, academy owned. King's court next. 96 chapters to total supremacy.*
But as stars wheeled, a cloaked figure watched from shadows—royal insignia flashing. Ally or deeper cult pawn?
**To Be Continued!**