Royal Academy – Duel Grounds
A crimson moon hovered above the night sky as students filled the dueling arena. Tonight was supposed to be a peaceful sparring session for tournament candidates… until she appeared.
A long coat billowed behind her as her boots struck the marble floor.
Jet-black hair with burning red tips.Eyes that shimmered like a collapsing sun.And an aura that made even senior instructors instinctively step back.
"Velcia Draythorn," whispered Rayna. "That can't be—she's banned from most tournaments for almost killing her opponents."
Zara tightened her grip on her spear. "Why is she here?"
Kael didn't speak.
He knew her.
More than anyone else in the arena… he knew her soul.
Velcia Walks In
Velcia stopped at the center of the ring, looking straight at Kael. She tilted her head with a mocking smile.
"You've gotten weaker, Kael."
Gasps.
He stood, his voice calm. "You remember."
"Every death. Every world. Every promise you never kept."
Zara, Mira, Rayna, and the others all shifted uneasily.Another harem girl? Or a threat?
Kael sighed. "You should leave."
Velcia: "I came to test your resolve. That is all."
She threw down a gauntlet etched with divine fire.
"Fight me. Right here. Right now. Or I'll burn this entire arena to the ground."
Kael vs. Velcia – The Divine Clash
The arena barriers flared as Kael stepped into the ring.
Velcia's power was monstrous—flames of oblivion essence, a rare element capable of erasing matter from existence.
They clashed in a blink, divine sparks dancing in the air.
Velcia's voice rang out between attacks:
"You left me to die in one timeline. Married me in another. In one… I killed you myself. So tell me…"
"Which version of me are you fighting right now?"
Kael didn't respond with words—he struck with divine precision, gently knocking her blade away, and pressing two fingers to her chest.
"The version I never stopped protecting. Even when I forgot your name."
Velcia froze.
Her blade clattered to the ground.
"You… idiot…"
She collapsed to her knees, fists trembling.
The Arena Falls Silent
Zara: "Wait… is she—crying?"
Mira, quietly: "What the hell was their past?"
Evelyne, watching from the shadows: "The Seventh Flame… the one whose fate was bound to Kael's in the oldest iteration. I had a feeling she'd find her way back."
The Team is Complete
Later that night, Kael stood on the rooftop with the girls surrounding him.
"She'll be our seventh," Kael said, looking at the stars.
"You're insane," Rayna muttered.
"You sure she won't murder us in our sleep?" Mira added.
"No," Kael replied with a small smile. "But she deserves her place more than anyone."
🔥 Team Kael – Official Tournament Lineup 🔥
Kael Elarion Veyr – Divine Fragment Holder / ???
Zara Flameheart – Spear Knight / Fire
Mira Nightsong – Assassin / Shadow
Rayna Stormvale – Lightning Mage
Selene Moonveil – Time Archer
Evelyne Veilhart – Timeline Witch
Velcia Draythorn – Oblivion Flame Wielder / ??? Past Fiancée
Meanwhile… In the Kingdom of Eldros
Unknown to Kael, far away in a secret sanctum, a dark entity sealed beneath the earth opened its third eye.
"The Tournament has begun…" it whispered in a thousand voices.
"And the fragments are converging."