My Soul card is a Reaper-Chapter 1026: Dreams of the Past: The World Tournament (Part-4)

"Just challenge whoever gets the scroll to a one-on-one fight. We can put our 1 million as a part of a wager." Eon answered.

"Hmm..." As Rael was taking her advice rather seriously, Vidura continued to speak.

"As the winner of the past tournament, the Lightning Academy already moved to the knockouts. Following the customary rights given to the hosting kingdom, Team Kauravas has also entered the knockouts by default. The remaining 17 teams are divided into four groups of three and a group of five teams. The winner of each group will proceed to the knockouts. As for the group with five teams, the top 2 will proceed." 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

As the hosting kingdom, the Kuru Dynasty was granted two entries. The Kauravas and Taxashila Academy. The former was selected for the knockouts, while the latter would compete like the rest.

The groups were then announced, not for the students but for the spectators. The academies were already informed of their opponents a week ago to make preparations.

Whether deliberate or coincidence, Heavenly Academy was placed in Group 1 alongside Taxashila Academy and the Academy of Ellondria.

Vidura's voice rang out once more. "Let the tournament begin!"

The crowd erupted into roars of excitement.

The stage was set.

And soon, the battles would begin.

The air was thick with tension as the Kauravas—the infamous royal team of the Kuru Dynasty—stepped into view. Their presence alone was enough to draw attention. Dressed in dark crimson combat uniforms adorned with golden embroidery, they exuded arrogance and power.

At the center of the group stood Duryodhana, the eldest prince, his arms crossed as he surveyed the gathered warriors. His sharp eyes held the weight of authority, a man accustomed to being feared and obeyed.

To his right was Dushasana, his most trusted brother and right-hand man, the one infamous for his cruelty but blindly loyal.

Behind them, five more princes—all part of the 101 siblings of the Kuru royal family. Each of them carried themselves with the air of nobility, their expressions a mixture of amusement and disdain.

The moment their eyes fell upon Arjuna and Bheema, their smirks widened.

"Well, well," Dushasana drawled, stepping forward with an arrogant tilt to his chin. "If it isn't the bastard sons of Pandu, still clinging to their foolish dreams of glory."

Bheema's fists clenched. His muscles tensed, rage simmering beneath his skin.

"Watch your tongue, brother," Arjuna warned, placing a hand on Bheema's shoulder, attempting to keep him from lunging. "We have no interest in trading insults."

Dushasana smirked, tilting his head. "No interest? Then why are you here? Oh right—you are trying to prove that you aren't still beneath us."

The Kauravas laughed, their voices echoing through the arena corridors.

Bheema growled, stepping forward. "Say that again, and I'll rip that smug face off your skull!"

"Please stop it. Eldest Brother will not be happy." Arjuna's voice was calm but firm. He knew his brother's temper well. Engaging in a fight here would be pointless. Hence, he had to use Yudhisthira's name to calm him down. Just like Dushasana's loyalty toward his eldest brother, Bheema would never go against their eldest brother.

"Listen to your brother, you overweight buffalo," Duryodhana sneered, intending to escalate the situation on purpose.

Bheema's knuckles cracked as his body trembled with suppressed fury. He was almost losing his control, but then a voice cut through the air. "I don't know what your name is, but you will depart this world in exactly five days from now. If I were you, I would start spending more time with my loved ones."

Silence.

Every head turned.

It was Rael.

His voice had been calm, almost casual, but the weight behind it seemed as if it sent a ripple through the space and struck Dushasana's soul. His dark eyes were cold and unreadable.

Dushasana froze for a second, his smirk faltering before twisting into a scowl. "What did you just say?"

Rael didn't blink. "I said you will die in five days."

The other Kauravas stopped laughing.

Even Duryodhana's expression darkened as he turned his full attention to Rael. "Are you threatening to kill my brother in front of my eyes?" Duryodhana asked, his voice deceptively calm.

Rael tilted his head. "I'm just stating a fact. The day of the knockouts... that will be the day he dies, and you will be too helpless to do anything about it."

A heavy stillness settled over the corridor. The Kauravas weren't used to being challenged. Dushasana took a step forward, his aura flaring. "You insignificant northerner—!"

But Duryodhana raised a hand, stopping him.

His eyes locked onto Rael, studying him carefully. "You talk too much," Duryodhana said. "And those who cannot control their tongues often meet... unfortunate ends."

Rael smirked. "Is that a threat? How predictable."

A flicker of amusement passed through Duryodhana's gaze. "You're an interesting one," he admitted. "But you should know—this is not your fight. Do not interfere in matters beyond you."

Rael's expression didn't change. "Arjuna is my friend."

Duryodhana's eyes narrowed slightly at that response. "Then you will fall with him."

A slow, deliberate glance swept over Eon.

Duryodhana chuckled, shaking his head. "Is this really the Heavenly Academy's representative team? Accepting a little girl on your team? I should remind you all that we only don't raise our hands against a girl who isn't an Arcana Master. So, if you want to hide under her skirt, be my guest."

The Kauravas laughed once more.

Rael's eyes turned sharp as a blade. He was prepared to spar a war between the kingdoms right there and then, but Eon grabbed his arm, stopping him from making any reckless move. She then looked at Duryodhana and smirked. "I guess blindness indeed runs into your family. Your father couldn't see the world while your eyes were blinded by stupidity and arrogance."

Duryodhana's smirk left, and a deep frown replaced it; everyone on Rael's around glanced at Eon, thinking the same thing. "This girl never fails to provoke others."

"Very well, girl," Duryodhana said in a deep voice, killing intent flashing in his eyes. "Stand in the storm meant for another, and the lightning will not spare you."

With that, the Kauravas turned and left, not intending to wait there anymore. But the weight of the confrontation lingered.

Bheema finally exhaled, cracking his neck. "I hate those bastards. I'm this close to punching him." After a brief pause, he glanced at Eon and slowly spoke. "Thank you."

Eon shrugged. "It's fine. I hate people like him." Rael added. "Yeah, if it was Camelot, we would have beaten him by now."

Then Rael shifted his attention, staring at the backs of those princes. One of them, Dushasana, had a strong aura of death around him.

*

The roar of the crowd echoed through the colossal arena as the first match of the tournament was announced. It was between the Heavenly Academy and Taxashila Academy.

The eight representatives from each side gathered just outside the battle platform alongside their instructors, and one of them stepped onto the platform.

From the other side, a 15-year-old stepped onto the platform. Beowulf sent Arjuna to the battle, taking Rael and Eon by surprise.

Arjuna stood on one end of the battlefield, his grip tightening around his legendary bow, Gandiva. His dark eyes burned with unwavering determination.

Across from him, Karna stood tall, his presence commanding respect. His golden armor gleamed under the sunlight, a power that made him nearly invincible. He wielded Vijaya, a celestial bow that's just as legendary as Gandiva.

For the audience, most of them were locals, so it was incredibly difficult to determine who should they support. The locals still refer Arjuna's father—Pandu, as their real King. Arjuna was their beloved prince. On the other hand, Taxashila Academy is representing their land, fighting to protect their pride. And Karna was the captain.

The tension in the air was indeed suffocating.

"Begin!"

BOOM!

The ground exploded beneath them as both archers dashed backward, instantly conjuring arrows between their fingertips.

TWANG! TWANG!

Arjuna's fingers released his first arrow at inhuman speed. Karna's response was just as quick.

CLANG!

Their arrows collided mid-air, sparks flying as they shattered from the force.

Neither hesitated.

The sky darkened with arrows, both archers firing at blinding speed, moving fluidly and effortlessly. Each shot aimed to kill—not a single one wasted.

Karna smirked. "Still using old tricks, Prince?"

Arjuna didn't answer. Instead, he spun mid-air, releasing five arrows in succession, each coated with divine energy.

Karna narrowed his eyes. "Not enough."

He twisted his bowstring and fired a single piercing arrow—it split all five arrows in half before streaking toward Arjuna's chest!

Arjuna barely dodged, feeling the arrow graze his shoulder. A thin line of blood appeared.

The crowd gasped. The first hit.

As Arjuna glanced at his injury, Karna chuckled. "You are strong but not as skilled as me, prince."

Arjuna tightened his grip over the bow handle, his Gandiva bow glowing up in divine energy. "We'll see about that, Karna." His aura flared, golden light erupting from his body.

Without hesitation, Arjuna leapt back and notched an energy arrow in a blur, his fingers moving so fast they were nearly invisible to normal citizens. The Gandiva hummed with divine power as the string was drawn.

TWANG!