The morning of the semi-final arrived beneath a crimson sunrise that painted the skies of the Imperial City in shades of blood and gold.

For the first time since the National Championship had begun, the capital no longer treated the event as entertainment.

No one called it a festival anymore.

No one referred to it as a competition between academies.

Because today, the empire itself would witness a collision between two futures.

One represented the order that had ruled the continent for generations.

The other represented something unknown.

Something rising too quickly.

Something dangerous.

And as dawn spread across the horizon, the entire Imperial City awakened with restless anticipation.

---

The streets surrounding the Grand Imperial Arena became overcrowded long before the gates officially opened.

Massive noble convoys rolled through the central roads beneath fluttering family banners, their enchanted wheels glowing faintly against the stone streets. Merchant guilds hurriedly established temporary market stalls near the outer districts, selling everything from commemorative crystals to replica beast emblems modeled after the tournament’s most famous competitors.

Every rooftop overlooking the arena had already been occupied.

Every inn within several kilometers was completely full.

Even nearby trade routes slowed under the weight of incoming travelers hoping to witness history firsthand.

The city breathed differently today.

Heavier.

Tighter.

As though the entire empire was unconsciously holding its breath.

Groups of citizens gathered around projection arrays replaying highlights from previous battles.

Lion Solvaris crushing opponents beneath overwhelming golden flames.

Aether calmly dismantling Shadowfen Coven’s mental domain.

Every discussion eventually turned into the same argument.

"Lion possesses overwhelming power. Skygate cannot win a direct confrontation."

"You said the same thing before Shadowfen."

"Royal authority exists for a reason."

"And yet Aether hasn’t even shown everything."

Arguments spread through streets, taverns, plazas, and noble estates alike.

The empire had divided itself into two camps.

---

Lion’s supporters stood firmly behind tradition. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Royal officials, military commanders, elder nobles, and long-established academies believed imperial supremacy was inevitable. To them, Lion represented stability. Order. Authority.

The rightful future ruler of the empire.

Someone born to stand above others.

Meanwhile, Skygate’s supporters gathered from entirely different backgrounds.

Independent tamers.

Smaller academies.

Common citizens.

Young beast masters who had grown tired of hearing that strength could only belong to those born into power.

To them, Skygate represented possibility.

A rising force that had shattered expectations repeatedly.

And at the center of it all stood Aether, the anomaly no one fully understood.

The quiet young man whose calmness disturbed people more than arrogance ever could.

---

Above the Imperial City, giant golden projection arrays illuminated the morning sky.

The official semifinal announcement rotated endlessly through the heavens.

---

**National Championship – Semi Final Match**

### Skygate Academy

**VS**

### Imperial Royal Team

---

Every time the message appeared, cheers erupted from one side of the city while nervous silence answered from the other.

Even distant provinces had paused normal activity to observe the battle through transmission arrays.

Military officers delayed training drills.

Regional academy students gathered inside public halls.

Young tamers argued passionately over predictions while instructors watched with troubled expressions.

Because this match no longer belonged solely to the tournament.

It had become symbolic.

And symbols possessed power beyond simple victory or defeat.

---

The Grand Imperial Arena itself had transformed overnight.

Ancient barrier pillars now surrounded the battlefield completely, towering structures etched with glowing runes that pulsed faintly beneath the morning light. Additional protection arrays spread across every entrance and spectator section, creating overlapping layers of defensive formations powerful enough to contain catastrophic spiritual collisions.

Several elder tamers personally supervised the reinforcement process.

That alone revealed how seriously the empire viewed today’s battle.

Because if even one thing went wrong—

If Lion lost control.

If Aether revealed too much.

If hidden powers interfered.

The consequences could spread far beyond the arena itself.

The air around the battlefield carried a strange tension.

Not fear.

Expectation.

Like the moment before lightning strikes.

---

Inside Skygate Academy’s preparation hall, silence dominated the atmosphere completely.

No one joked.

No one relaxed.

Even Valen, who usually filled every room with noise and reckless confidence, remained seated quietly beside the wall.

Metal scraped rhythmically against stone as he sharpened the edge of his gauntlets with deliberate movements.

Not because the weapons required sharpening.

Because repetition calmed his instincts.

Because if he stopped moving, the pressure building inside his chest would become too obvious.

The Titancrest Fangbear rested behind him like a mountain of fur and muscle, its golden eyes half-open as it observed the room with quiet aggression.

Across from him, Liora studied several battlefield projections spread across the strategy table.

Her expression remained calm as always, but subtle tension lingered beneath her composure. The Moondream Hare floated silently near her shoulder, occasionally releasing faint pulses of moonlight while reacting to her unstable thoughts.

Only Rowan stood near the entrance, arms crossed heavily over his chest.

The instructor looked more exhausted than usual.

Not physically.

Mentally.

Because he understood better than anyone how dangerous this match truly was.

And at the far side of the room—

Aether sat perfectly still.

Eyes closed.

Breathing steady.

The Spirit Fairy hovered peacefully beside him, releasing faint particles of pale-blue light that drifted lazily through the air. Near his feet, the Flame Sovereign Pup rested quietly, though traces of crimson-gold fire occasionally leaked from its fur like embers struggling to remain contained.

Even the Fallen Succubus remained silent today.

Which somehow felt more unsettling than her usual teasing.

She leaned against the far wall in partial shadow, crimson eyes half-lidded as she watched Aether quietly.

Waiting.

---

Finally, Rowan broke the silence.

"Listen carefully," he said slowly.

The room immediately focused on him.

His gaze moved across each member of the team before settling briefly on Aether.

"This is no longer a simple academy battle."

His voice carried unusual heaviness.

"Political pressure will exist. Crowd pressure will exist. There may even be interference we cannot predict."

Valen stopped sharpening his gauntlets.

Liora’s fingers paused over the battlefield projections.

Rowan continued calmly.

"You have all already proven yourselves beyond expectation. No matter what happens today, Skygate Academy has already changed how this empire views strength."

Then his expression hardened slightly.

"But once you enter that arena..."

His eyes sharpened.

"You fight only for yourselves."

For several seconds, silence lingered.

Then Valen cracked a grin.

"Well," he said while rolling his shoulders, "that’s the easy part."

The tension inside the room eased slightly.

Only slightly.

Even Rowan allowed the corner of his mouth to twitch upward before he finally turned and left the chamber.

The moment the door closed, silence returned once more.

---

Aether slowly opened his eyes.

Golden light flickered faintly beneath his pupils before fading again.

Inside his mind, countless calculations flowed continuously.

Lion’s advantages.

Imperial Royal Team formations.

Energy reserves.

Possible hidden beasts.

Unknown tactical variables.

Every battle recording he had observed replayed within his thoughts in perfect detail.

Lion possessed overwhelming advantages on paper.

Higher tamer level.

Superior equipment.

Access to imperial resources.

A full team trained specifically for battlefield domination.

And perhaps most dangerous of all—

Adaptability.

After their previous encounters, Lion had changed.

His aggression had become more controlled.

More deliberate.

That made him significantly more dangerous than before.

Aether understood that clearly.

Meanwhile, his own advantages remained difficult to quantify.

The Heaven Eye.

Superior synchronization.

Unpredictable combat flow.

The hidden existence of the Fallen Succubus.

But even with those factors, one truth remained unavoidable.

This would be his hardest battle yet.

Not because Lion was stronger.

Because the battlefield itself had become larger than the arena.

Too many eyes watched now.

Too many forces moved beneath the surface.

---

Far below the arena complex, hidden corridors stretched through darkness beneath ancient stone foundations.

Cloaked figures moved silently through those tunnels.

The hidden faction had accelerated operations significantly overnight.

Their infiltration had already reached deeper than ever before.

Not through violence.

Through placement.

Several lower-level arena attendants had quietly disappeared during the previous evening.

Minor barrier operators replaced.

Observation crystal routes subtly redirected.

Nothing obvious.

Nothing detectable through ordinary inspection.

But enough.

Enough to create opportunities later.

One cloaked figure knelt beside a glowing formation panel while whispering quietly.

"Outer observation access secured."

Another responded immediately.

"Maintain concealment. Do not interfere unless ordered."

Their leader stood deeper within the shadows.

Watching.

Thinking.

The events during Shadowfen’s defeat had changed everything.

"He is connected to something beyond the lower realm," one figure murmured carefully.

"And today," another added, "he may reveal more than intended."

Silence followed.

Then the leader finally spoke.

"Observe everything."

The temperature in the chamber seemed to drop slightly.

"Especially the humanoid entity."

No one questioned the order.

Because after witnessing the destruction of Shadowfen’s mental domain, none of them underestimated the danger anymore.

---

One hour before the semi-final, the participants finally moved toward the preparation corridors beneath the arena.

The noise from outside thundered through the stone walls like a distant storm.

Millions of voices blended into a constant roar powerful enough to shake the corridors themselves.

Every step toward the battlefield carried enormous weight now.

Skygate Academy walked through the eastern passage in complete silence.

Valen cracked his knuckles repeatedly.

Liora maintained calm breathing patterns.

Aether walked at the center with steady, emotionless composure.

Then—

At the central intersection corridor—

Both groups stopped simultaneously.

The atmosphere froze instantly.

Skygate Academy.

Imperial Royal Team.

For one brief moment, even the distant crowd noise seemed to disappear.

---

Lion Solvaris stood at the front of the royal team wearing white-and-gold combat armor etched with ancient imperial sigils. Golden energy pulsed faintly across the surface of the armor like flowing sunlight, emphasizing the overwhelming pressure surrounding him naturally.

Behind him stood the empire’s elite young tamers.

Disciplined.

Calm.

Dangerous.

Every single one radiated strength far beyond ordinary academy competitors.

But Lion ignored everyone else completely.

His gaze locked directly onto Aether.

The pressure between them intensified immediately.

Not spiritual.

Intentional.

Like two opposing forces testing each other silently before collision.

Lion stepped forward slowly.

"You’ve caused quite a disturbance," he said calmly.

His voice carried confidence without needing volume.

Aether looked at him quietly.

"You speak too much."

Valen immediately turned away to hide his grin.

Several royal guards stiffened visibly.

One even reached instinctively toward his weapon before stopping himself.

But surprisingly—

Lion smiled slightly.

Interesting.

No fear.

No attempt at diplomacy.

Only indifference.

That irritated him more than hostility would have.

"You know what I dislike most about people like you?" Lion asked.

Aether said nothing.

Lion continued anyway.

"You rise too quickly."

Golden spiritual energy flickered faintly around his body, causing the corridor temperature to rise noticeably.

"You begin believing talent alone changes status."

His eyes sharpened.

"But reality always corrects arrogance."

The pressure intensified sharply.

Several nearby attendants stepped backward unconsciously.

Even Valen’s expression darkened slightly.

But Aether remained completely unmoved.

For several seconds, he simply looked at Lion calmly.

Then he answered.

"You misunderstand something."

Lion’s smile faded slightly.

Aether’s golden eyes reflected faintly beneath the corridor lights.

"I never cared about your status."

Silence.

Heavy silence.

Because those words carried something worse than insult.

Indifference.

To Lion, who had spent his entire life standing above others, that calm dismissal struck harder than open provocation.

Golden energy surged briefly around him.

The corridor trembled faintly beneath the pressure.

And behind Aether’s shadow—

Something ancient almost stirred.

A faint crimson flicker.

A whisper of overwhelming predatory intent.

Only for an instant.

But enough to make several royal beasts tense instinctively.

Before the situation escalated further, Liora stepped slightly between them.

Not protectively.

Strategically.

"Save it for the arena," she said calmly.

Lion’s gaze shifted toward her briefly before returning to Aether.

Then he spoke quietly enough that only nearby people could hear.

"When this battle ends..."

Golden light flickered behind him like a rising sun.

"I will show you the difference between a rising flame..."

His eyes narrowed slightly.

"...and the sun itself."

Then he turned away.

The Imperial Royal Team followed immediately behind him without hesitation.

The moment they disappeared around the corridor corner, Valen snorted loudly.

"He definitely practices speeches."

Even Liora almost smiled faintly.

But Aether remained thoughtful.

Because beneath Lion’s arrogance—

His pressure had changed again.

Sharper.

More controlled.

Far more dangerous.

---

Inside the final preparation chamber, Aether spread a battlefield projection across the strategy table.

Golden lines illuminated the formation map of the Grand Imperial Arena.

Valen crossed his arms impatiently.

"So what’s the plan? We hit harder than they do?"

"No," Aether answered immediately.

His gaze remained fixed on the battlefield layout.

"They expect direct suppression."

Liora understood instantly.

"If we challenge their rhythm directly, we lose initiative."

Aether nodded once.

Then he pointed toward several strategic zones around the arena projection.

"Phase one," he said calmly. "Defensive observation. Force Lion to reveal formation structure first."

Valen frowned slightly but listened carefully.

"Phase two. Liora disrupts battlefield positioning while you pressure their support tamers."

Liora’s eyes sharpened as she followed the tactical flow immediately.

Then Aether’s finger stopped over the center formation point.

"Phase three. Flame Sovereign Pup isolates Lion’s main beast."

Valen exhaled slowly.

"And after that?"

For the first time, Aether hesitated slightly.

Only slightly.

Then his gaze shifted toward a separate formation sketch near the edge of the table.

White-gold lines.

Compressed energy pathways.

The unstable fusion technique.

"If necessary..."

His voice remained calm.

"We end it immediately."

Liora’s expression changed subtly.

Because she understood exactly what he meant.

That dangerous technique.

The unstable fusion layering between the Spirit Fairy and Flame Sovereign Pup.

Even testing it carried enormous risk.

Using it in actual battle could trigger catastrophic backlash if synchronization failed.

But neither of them questioned the decision.

Because Lion would not allow restraint forever.

And everyone in that room understood it.

---

Outside, the Grand Imperial Arena shook continuously beneath endless cheers.

Projection arrays illuminated the skies above the empire.

The world watched breathlessly.

Inside separate battle corridors—

Two futures walked steadily toward collision.

Lion Solvaris.

Aether.

Royal authority against rising anomaly.

Tradition against unpredictability.

And deep beneath the arena—

The hidden faction prepared carefully within darkness.

Because today, regardless of who claimed victory—

Something far greater than the tournament itself was about to change.