Ethan leaned closer to Ceris, speaking low enough only she could hear.
"Trial of Oaths... what exactly does that mean?"
Ceris didn't look at him. Her gaze stayed fixed forward, calm and unshakable.
"It's a rite," she said quietly. "Each Candidate and Kingmaker must demonstrate their strength before the court. A show of unity. Of resolve."
She paused, the faintest tension flickering across her otherwise composed features.
"But it isn't only for those here," she added, her voice even softer. "The Trial is broadcast across the region in every noble house, every citizen will be watching."
She glanced at him from the corner of her eye.
"It's not just a ceremony, Ethan. It's a proving ground, seen by the entire world."
Her words struck harder than any weapon.
"It is not about winning. It's about proving you belong."
Ethan swallowed hard, feeling the weight settle onto his shoulders. This wasn't just a fight inside these marble walls. This was a stage and the world was waiting to judge.
A butler clad in formal white and gold robes stepped into the center of the Hall, his voice magnified by a soft arcane spell woven into the polished stones beneath his feet.
"By ancient rite, the Trial of Oaths shall now commence. Kingmakers and Candidates, you shall be called forth to offer your demonstration of strength, unity, and resolve."
He extended a gloved hand toward a raised circular platform ahead a medium-sized arena, its polished stone floor etched with glowing arcane runes that pulsed gently beneath the arcane lights.
The platform stood separate from the main hall, yet fully visible to all nobles and royals watching from behind velvet cordons. The very air seemed to hum, charged with ancient expectation.
"As tradition dictates, those called may choose their method of demonstration. Should they require an adversary, the Hall shall provide."
At his signal, several Royal Knights stepped forward, pressing their hands against the runic floor. In response, suits of gleaming armor empty, yet animated by arcane energy rose from hidden alcoves along the walls. Each armor set stood tall and imposing, their visors glowing faintly with swirling blue sigils.
For a heartbeat, silence reigned.
Then a surge of sound erupted.
From a high balcony overlooking the Hall, a new voice burst forth, bright and electric:
"WELL, WELL, WELL— LOOK ALIVE, FOLKS!!"
The nobles flinched, some glaring toward the source, others merely bemused.
Suspended beside the commentator's stand, a smooth obsidian-colored Sphere spun slowly, its engraved runes now gleaming with activated magic.
The voice continued high energy, commanding attention:
"This is MIKE ECHO of World Echo News, bringing the Trial of Oaths LIVE to every corner of the Capital and beyond!"
"That's right, ladies and gentlemen what you're about to witness isn't just for these marbled halls! It's history in the making, projected across the Grand Plaza as we speak!"
"Every clash! Every strike! Every triumph or stumble — recorded forever!"
"SO, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, our first challengers take the stage!"
"Stepping up to test their mettle Rowan Dawn and his Kingmaker, Reeves, representing House Dawn!! LET'S HEAR IT, FOLKS!!"
Thunderous applause and excited murmurs rippled through the Grand Plaza and echoed faintly into the Hall itself.
"OHHH HERE WE GO, FOLKS!" Mike Echo's voice boomed through the hall and across the Grand Plaza. "House Dawn stepping up with the heat! Look at that swagger!"
Rowan swaggered confidently toward the platform, a wide grin on his face, his heavy sword resting casually against his shoulder. Behind him followed Reeves, calm as a sunset, twirling his revolver lazily with one hand.
They ascended onto the trial platform without hesitation.
Rowan cracked his neck once, then pointed his sword at the waiting animated armor.
"NO FEAR! I LOVE IT!" Mike Echo cheered. "Picking the armored adversaries without even blinking!"
As they stepped onto the platform, the butler gave a slight bow and announced, "Begin whenever you are ready."
Rowan wasted no time. Arcane energy surged through his body, causing his skin to shimmer faintly and his heavy sword to glow with a fierce, bluish light. Without hesitation, he charged forward no words, no strategy discussed.
"WOAH, WOAH, WOAH—SOMEONE'S NOT HERE TO TALK!" Mike laughed. "That's pure Dawn blood right there! ALL IN!"
Reeves, with a resigned sigh, stayed back.
Rowan's focus was clear: he ignored the front-line armored foes and barreled straight toward the backline, where the ranged enemies stood ready to fire.
As Rowan closed the distance, one of the melee-armored suits lunged for him, a heavy blade arcing toward his exposed side.
Rowan didn't flinch.
With a flash of silver and a deafening crack, Reeves quick-drew his revolver, firing a single precise shot. The bullet struck the melee armor's helmet with pinpoint accuracy, blasting it clean off and collapsing the animated suit instantly.
"DID YOU SEE THAT?!" Mike roared. "Reeves with the lightning quickdraw! Covering his boy without even missing a beat!"
Another two armors moved to intercept Rowan.
Reeves didn't miss a beat. His revolver barked three more times, one shot to the knee joint, another to the exposed chest plate, the third to the back of a visor and each enemy staggered, fell, or froze from the impact.
Rowan, undeterred, pressed on through the broken lines, his blade raised high, arcane light trailing like a comet behind him.
"AND ROWAN'S STILL PUSHING! Look at that arcane surge! He's not slowing down, folks he's burning a straight path to victory!"
The more mobile armored suit moved swiftly to intercept him dual daggers flashing, it's footsteps light and calculated.
Reeves, unhurried, raised his revolver and fired three quick shots.
At first, the mobile suit dodged the incoming bullets with fluid ease, weaving past the projectiles without slowing their advance.
Reeves chuckled softly, a glimmer of amusement in his eyes.
In the next instant, the missed bullets shimmered midair then twisted, changing direction with a sharp, unnatural jerk.
Each homing bullet found its mark striking the mobile armors squarely. One in the back, another through the side, and the last piercing the shoulder joint.
The enchanted suit staggered, it's movements faltering under the precise impacts.
"OHH MAN, YOU GOTTA LOVE IT!" Mike whooped. "You dodge once—you dodge twice—and then you STILL get caught! Reeves with the absolute disrespect of homing shots!"
Rowan reached the backlines with a thunderous sprint, where several armored figures awaited him, their arcane rifles leveled in perfect formation.
Each armor fired in unison, a barrage of searing magical shots lancing toward him.
But Rowan's massive sword swept up a gleaming wall of arcane energy and he blocked the incoming blasts with brutal efficiency. His sprint never slowed.
"BLOCKS! BLOCKS! HE'S TAKING EVERYTHING THEY'RE THROWING!" Mike shouted. "THAT'S THE DAWN FORTITUDE, BABY!!"
With a fluid, almost savage motion, he tore through the rifle-wielding armors one after another his blade carving through enchanted metal as if it were paper.
Only one remained.
It turned, rifle raised, aiming directly at Rowan's exposed flank.
Before it could fire, a sharp crack rang out.
A single bullet from Reeves's revolver slammed into the armor's side. Arcane frost bloomed from the impact point, freezing the suit solid in an instant.
The final enemy fell, and the trial platform fell silent.
"AND THAT'S GAME, PEOPLE!!" Mike crowed, his voice ringing over the stunned hush that followed. "House Dawn making a STATEMENT on the very first round!! If you blinked—you missed it!!"
The butler, still composed in his formal white and gold robes, stepped forward once again. His voice, steady and amplified by the stones, rang clearly:
"Next to step forth, House Emberlain."
A respectful murmur rippled through the Hall.
Before the echoes faded, Mike Echo's voice burst back into life, riding the arcane currents with infectious energy:
"AND HERE WE GO, FOLKS! Coming up next, House Emberlain stepping into the spotlight!"
The Echo Crystals flickered slightly, casting a sharp view of the next pair making their way to the arena.
"First up, we've got Auron Emberlain—a true scholar of strategy, a mind sharper than any blade! Quiet on the outside, but let me tell ya, that brain's cooking faster than a forge at midnight!"
"And by his side—brace yourselves—it's Blaze! Black-haired, cocky grin, and carrying one heck of an unusual weapon! Looks like a mean-looking bat strapped across his back—you don't see that every day in a Trial, folks!"
"Brains and brawn, discipline and chaos—it's a wild ride, folks! Let's see what they've cooked up for their Trial!!"
The arena was reset. New animated armors, fresh and gleaming, lined the platform standing silent, waiting.
Auron Emberlain hesitated at the platform's edge, his hands trembling slightly at his sides. His face was pale, his eyes wide, as if the sheer pressure of the gazes from the Hall and the Grand Plaza had frozen him in place.
Behind him, Blaze casually rested his bat across his shoulders. He gave Auron a sideways glance, blowing a quick puff of air between his teeth in impatience.
"Tch. Stop bein' such a wuss," Blaze snapped, voice loud enough to carry to the front rows. "Just tell me what to smash."
Auron flinched but leaned closer, whispering something quick and low. Whatever it was, only Blaze heard it.
The Kingmaker's lips curled into a wolfish grin.
"Heh. Now we're talkin'."
Without warning, Blaze reached into the deep pockets of his jacket and pulled out a handful of rough, uneven pebbles.
"Let's make some noise, yeah?" he said, smirking as he tossed the small stones high into the air.
The pebbles spun upward, a dozen tiny, glinting fragments against the arcane lights.
Without missing a beat, Blaze shifted his grip on the bat and swung.
CRACK—!!
The bat struck one pebble dead-on, sending it hurtling forward with terrifying speed, and as it collided with the nearest armored suit—
BOOM!!
An explosive blast engulfed the front line, the force rocking the platform with a roar of magic and shrapnel.
"HOLY ARCANE CANNONS, WHAT A SWING!!" Mike Echo's voice boomed with uncontainable excitement. "BLAZE JUST TURNED PEBBLES INTO LIVE AMMO, FOLKS!! YOU SEE THAT?!!"
CRACK—!! CRACK—!! CRACK—!!
One after another, Blaze swung—each pebble firing through the air like a meteor, exploding on impact against the incoming armors.
"THIS GUY'S PLAYIN' BASEBALL WITH DESTRUCTION!!" Mike roared. "LOOK AT THAT STYLE! THAT FLAIR! SOMEONE GET THE ARMORERS A NEW SET, 'CAUSE THESE ONES ARE GETTING SMASHED TO BITS!!"
The front line designed to stall and overwhelm was shredded into chaos within seconds.
Blaze spun the bat lazily behind his neck, grinning ear to ear, while the platform shook under the fading echoes of the blasts.
Behind him, Auron clenched his fists tighter, his body still stiff with nerves, but his eyes now burning with a faint spark of hope.
The crowd roared both in the Hall and across the Grand Plaza as House Emberlain made their mark on the Trial of Oaths.
Blaze didn't waste a second.
With a wicked grin, he shifted his grip on the bat then slammed it downward into the platform with a deafening CRACK!
The rune-etched stone shattered under the force, a blast of arcane pressure erupting outward—
"WOAH, WOAH, WOAH—WHAT IN THE HIGH HELLS IS THIS?!" Mike Echo screamed, his voice crackling with excitement. "HE'S BLOWING UP THE FLOOR, FOLKS!! WE GOT LIFT-OFF!!"
The explosion launched Blaze upward like a fired cannonball, shards of glowing stone scattering below him.
For a heartbeat, he hung midair, framed against the dazzling arcane lights.
Then with a roar of laughter he came crashing down straight onto the enemy backlines.
The landing struck with a massive BOOM, a shockwave of dust and debris blasting outward.
Several armored suits, already staggered, were thrown off balance instantly.
Through the smoke, Blaze emerged his bat crackling faintly with raw energy.
"AND HE'S NOT DONE!!" Mike shouted. "HE'S JUST GETTING STARTED!! LOOK AT HIM GO!!"
With a wild swing, Blaze smashed the nearest ranged armor across the chest—
BOOM!!
The impact triggered an immediate explosion, tearing the suit apart in a violent blast.
Another armor tried to pivot and fire but Blaze was faster.
Another brutal swing—
BOOM!!
The second enemy was torn apart, arcane sparks flying like fireworks.
"EVERY HIT'S A FIREWORK SHOW! EVERY SWING—A BATTLEFIELD DEMOLITION!" Mike roared over the roaring crowds. "HOUSE EMBERLAIN CAME TO REMIND EVERYONE—BRAINS AND BRAWN, BABY!!"
Blaze twirled his bat lazily once over his shoulder, grinning ear to ear.
The final ranged enemy, trembling now, tried to retreat but Blaze blurred forward, one last brutal, clean strike—
BOOM!!
The last armored suit shattered under the explosive force, sending arcane shrapnel cascading across the arena floor.
"AND THAT'S A WRAP!" Mike Echo roared, laughter practically dripping from his voice. "BY FAR, FOLKS, THE FLASHIEST, MOST BOMB-TASTIC TRIAL I'VE EVER SEEN ON THIS STAGE! HOUSE EMBERLAIN COMING OUT SWINGING—AND THEY BROUGHT THE WHOLE ARMORY WITH THEM!"
Thunderous applause and excited murmurs rippled through the Grand Plaza and echoed faintly into the Hall itself.
The butler, ever composed, stepped forward once more. His voice, unwavering and clear, carried across the Hall:
"Next to step forth, House Roum."
Another ripple of polite murmuring spread among the nobles.
Before the atmosphere could settle, Mike Echo's voice crackled back to life, full of eager energy:
"AND HERE COMES THE TIDE, FOLKS! House Roum, the storm-chasers themselves, stepping into the arena!"
The Echo Crystals flickered, projecting a clear image of the next contenders walking toward the arena.
"Leading the charge—Olivia Roum, Candidate of House Roum! Boyish, energetic, and with that mischievous gleam in her ocean-storm eyes—this one's born to ride the chaos!"
"And right beside her—none other than Aeris, Kingmaker of House Roum, known as the Anchor herself! Athletic, powerful, and swinging a massive anchor like it's made of driftwood!"
"Adventure meets Tempest! Strategy meets raw arcane fury! THIS is House Roum's spirit at full sail!!"
The crowd shifted with renewed interest, many leaning forward, eager to see what the famed House of the Seas would bring to the Trial.
The arena reset once more, the new batch of animated armors gleaming under the arcane lights.
Olivia and Aeris stepped onto the platform together, both of them wearing the widest grins in the entire Hall, as if the very idea of battle thrilled them to their core.
Aeris casually rested her massive anchor across her shoulder, its heavy form seemingly weightless in her grip. Olivia, meanwhile, moved with a light, springy step, her arcane pistol strapped securely across her chest, her short sword gleaming at her hip.
Without any ceremony, Olivia produced a small bucket of water, splashing its contents directly onto Aeris.
"Thanks, Liv!" Aeris called out with a wild grin, rolling her shoulders as the water seeped into the anchor's runes, causing them to glow faintly with a pulsing blue light.
Without hesitation, Aeris hurled her anchor with a sharp twist of her body; the weapon spun like a monstrous, deadly boomerang toward the front lines.
At the same moment, Aeris extended her hand and with a violent pull, she was magnetized toward her anchor, ripping through the air like a storm-blown ship mast.
Olivia gave a short, laughing whoop and sprinted after her, drawing her arcane pistol in one hand and her short sword in the other.
"AND THEY'RE OFF, FOLKS!" Mike Echo hollered, voice crackling through the Hall and Grand Plaza alike. "AERIS TAKES FLIGHT—AND OLIVIA'S RIGHT BEHIND HER—A STORM AND A RIPTIDE ROLLIN' IN FAST!!"
Aeris landed with a thunderous crash, immediately seizing her anchor and spinning it in a wide, brutal arc. The front-line armors were crushed one after another, shattered apart like driftwood under a hurricane.
Olivia, meanwhile, bypassed the chaos completely, her gaze locked on a dual-dagger armored enemy lurking in the midline.
With that same infectious grin, she closed the distance in a blink.
Her arcane pistol barked three quick shots, striking the armor at its joints wobbling its footing—
And with a fluid pivot, Olivia slashed upward with her short sword—
SHNK!
The enemy fell in a single, clean, and merciless flash.
"DID YOU SEE THAT?!!" Mike bellowed, voice high with excitement. "FLUID! DEADLY! CLEAN AS A TIDAL CUT!! OLIVIA'S MOVIN' LIKE A TRUE DAUGHTER OF THE SEA!!"
The battle didn't stop with their first strikes.
Olivia surged forward, a blur of motion. She dropped low, sweeping her short sword in a clean arc, slicing through the legs of two more ranged armored suits.
The armors staggered, their balance thrown into chaos.
Without missing a beat, Olivia's arcane pistol barked twice—
CRACK! CRACK!
Two precise shots—one at a chest plate, one at a visor—dropping them cleanly.
"SLICKER THAN A SEA SPRITE!!" Mike Echo roared. "SHE'S DANCIN' THROUGH THESE SUITS LIKE A STORM THROUGH SAILS!!"
Before the remaining enemies could regroup, Aeris planted her anchor firmly into the ground, its runes flickering as the last of their stored energy discharged.
With a rumbling roar, a wave of conjured water erupted outward from the anchor, crashing into the remaining armors like a surging tide.
The animated suits, already battered and stumbling, were swept off their feet in a heap of clanging metal.
And in the blink of an eye—
BANG!
Olivia fired a final, clean shot, right through the collapsing cluster, ending the Trial in a spectacular finish.
"AND THAT'S HOW YOU SURF THE STORM, BABY!!" Mike howled, almost losing his voice to excitement. "HOUSE ROUM TURNIN' THE ARENA INTO OPEN SEAS AND TAKIN' HOME THE WIN WITH STYLE!!"
The crowd erupted into thunderous applause, their cheers carrying across the Grand Plaza.