Location: Royal Academy – Nightfall, The Training Spires
Kael stood alone at the top of the spire, the wind whipping around him.His hand trembled slightly—not from weakness… but from the relic Velcia had given him.
A ring, forged in forgotten fire.Inscribed in divine runes.And humming with a terrifyingly familiar power.
"This belonged to the Goddess of War, didn't it?" he whispered.
Velcia appeared behind him, arms crossed. "She gave it to me once. When I was your champion. Now I give it back to you."
"You'll need it."
Flashback – Thousands of Years Ago
A battlefield. A sky split in half by divine fury.A young Velcia, bloodied and bruised, knelt before a celestial being with armor made of starlight.
The Goddess of War.
"Protect the God of Chaos," she said, placing the ring into Velcia's hand.
"For even in madness, he is the one who can save creation."
Back to Present
Kael stared at the ring, then slid it onto his finger.
Suddenly—
BOOM!
A shockwave erupted from the spire, waking the entire academy.
Golden and crimson symbols danced across Kael's body.His aura flickered—no longer just magical… but divine.
From within, a voice echoed.
"One fragment restored. Six remain."
Velcia smiled softly. "Welcome back… my god."
Meanwhile – The Training Grounds
Zara, Mira, Rayna, Selene, Evelyne, and Velcia all gathered in the training arena for the first official team combat test. The mood was… tense.
Rayna: "We're training together now?"
Mira: "She tried to kill us two days ago."
Velcia: "You're weak. I'd never waste real effort on you."
Zara stepped forward. "Enough. Kael chose all of us. That means we either fight as one—"
She flared her spear with flame.
"—or I burn the doubt out of you myself."
Everyone smirked, even Velcia.
Evelyne, under her breath: "Maybe they'll get along after all…"
Kael's Return
Kael entered the field mid-sparring, surrounded by golden winds.
Everyone turned.
The air around him shimmered with newfound pressure.
He raised his hand—and in an instant, the spell shields across the training grounds shattered.
Mira blinked. "He just broke third-tier barriers… without a chant?"
Selene stared. "His divine energy… it's merging with his human mana."
Kael looked at the team. "Let's train."
"Because when the tournament begins, they won't be fighting just us…"
"They'll be fighting what we're becoming."
Later That Night – Dorm Rooftop
Evelyne sat beside Kael, legs swinging over the edge.
"You're changing," she said. "You feel more like… your old self."
Kael: "And I hate that I don't know if that's a good thing."
Evelyne leaned in close, her voice a whisper.
"Then let me be the one to remind you who you really are."
Before he could react, she kissed him softly on the cheek and walked away.
"Goodnight, Kael. Try not to destroy the sky again."
Meanwhile… In the Temple of the Forbidden Flame
A cloaked figure knelt before a twisted throne.
"My lord… Kael has begun awakening. The relic has returned to him."
The figure on the throne—horned, ancient, and laughing softly—opened its eyes.
"Then it begins."
"Let the gods prepare."
"Because the boy they cast down… is climbing back."