The hallway of the dorm C-7 echoed with the sound of hurried footsteps.

Finn was practically jogging down the corridor, his boots thudding on the polished wooden floor as he skidded to a halt in front of Arthur’s room. He didn’t even bother knocking.

“Hey Arthur!” he shouted, already a little breathless. “We’re gonna be late for the ceremony if you don’t hurry!”

There was a pause, and muffled shuffling from within.

“Alright… wait a second.”

The door creaked open and Arthur stepped out.

Finn blinked for a second, before giving a low whistle. “Damn, you actually look like a proper student for once.”

Arthur chuckled hearing that, as for most of the time last month they have been in their training uniform mostly, preparing for the competition.

The academy uniform suited him, tailored sharp at the shoulders. Primarily deep navy blue, with silver trim lined the jacket edges, and the crisp white shirt beneath added a sense of old-school elegance. A black tie sat neatly under a light gray vest, completing the ensemble. On his chest, embroidered in fine silver thread, sat the insignia of Velcrest Academy, an eagle mid-flight, its wings outstretched above an open book.

Arthur tugged slightly at the collar. “Still hate ties though.”

Finn grinned and patted his back. “Come on, Leon’s waiting.”

They walked briskly toward the dorm exit and found Leon standing there under the shade of the trees that lined the courtyard. He looked sharp as ever, hands in his pockets, and hair combed neatly back.

Leon gave them a once-over. “Finally. I was starting to think you’d decided to sleep through the ceremony.”

Arthur shrugged. “I was considering it. You know how I feel about speeches.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Finn said, rolling his eyes. “But this one’s different. The principal’s giving the speech, and they’re announcing the official match schedule.”

That made Arthur pause.

It had been a month since his run-in with the Hollow Crown, and aside from Alistair’s cryptic warning about Elaric, things had been eerily quiet. Like a storm building up behind a curtain of calm.

Till now Elaric hadn’t caused him any trouble, which he was thankful for.

Kai had returned a few days after that, quietly. Arthur hadn’t pried into where he’d gone. It wasn’t his place. If Kai wanted to tell him, he would. And honestly, Arthur respected the boundaries between them.

Still, he hadn’t missed the brief flicker of surprise in Kai’s eyes when he saw Arthur’s growth.

Their training sessions had resumed in full force after Kai’s return.

Kai drilled him on every aspect of Chi, controlling the flow, expanding it into constructs, compressing it to a lethal edge. And Arthur, for all his natural talent and otherworldly strength, still had a long way to go.

It had taken more than twenty brutal days of sparring, before Arthur finally landed a clean hit on him.

Kai hadn’t said much. But the faint, proud smile on his usually impassive face had said everything, although Arthur was not happy about it, since it took more than three weeks to land a proper hit on him, but Kai seemed quite proud with Arthur’s achievement.

It had to be known that Kai had experience of more than a thousand years under his belt, so what Arthur achieved within just twenty days was monumental to him.

After that they continued their training session with much more ferocity. 

The bond between them had grown stronger too as mentor and a student, with a quiet mutual understanding.

Selene also visited him a couple of times asking him to show her the technologies of his world, he even gave her a wrist band which acted like a phone to contact him and stored a huge amount of anime for her to watch. 

Selene became an instant fan of anime as she watched, and her favorite was an anime where a boy went on an adventure to become the king of pirates with his quirky and loyal crew. 

And he even fought with Steve again, though the results were the same even when his strength increased immensely, this time he was able to at least fight for a few minutes longer. 

And in between those days, Arthur had slipped back to his own world.

He had begun teaching his team, Elena, Leo and Samir about Chi, guiding them through the basics, explaining the logic behind it, and watching as their own talents awakened in response. Bit by bit, he was building something greater than himself. He was laying down the groundwork for a future that could fight for itself.

And now that a month has passed in Thyrandel it was finally time for the competition to start.

Arthur exhaled as they reached the wide steps leading toward the auditorium. A breeze swept through the courtyard, rustling the flags of Velcrest Academy that hung from tall poles. Students in uniform gathered in clusters, excited whispers filling the air.

Some were nervous, while some were confident. Some are just eager to test their strength.

Leon glanced back as they walked. “You are really participating right? You didn’t seem too interested at first.”

Arthur gave a slight nod. “Well I thought why not, I might not get the chance again.” A few days ago Arthur had finally decided to participate in the competition and see it for himself.

“Fair enough,” Leon replied.

They passed through the massive open doors of the auditorium, its wide arching ceiling lit by mana-lanterns that glowed brightly. The seats were already filling, and instructors lined the walls in ceremonial robes.

The stage at the front stood tall, draped in royal blue banners. A podium sat at its center, and the air hummed faintly with an anticipation that was almost electric.

Arthur settled into a seat next to Finn and Leon. His eyes scanned the rows ahead of him, and saw Eva, Natalya and others already sitting there.

Most of the students here were hungry for something, either fame, strength, validation, or building a legacy.

…

As murmurs filled the massive auditorium, Arthur leaned back slightly in his seat and whispered silently in his mind.

‘Status’

A familiar blue panel appeared before his vision. Rows of numbers and skills lit up one after the other.

//——————–//

[STATUS]

Name: Arthur Sully

Designation: ECHO

Mage Rank: 3rd Circle

Martial Arts Rank: Master

Age: 27

Height: 6’3″

Mana: 525,000 Units

Chi: 1.46 M Units

Strength: 293.2 Kilotons

Speed: 2019.5 m/s 

Durability: 593.6 GPa 

[ABILITIES]

[Reactive Evolution] [Superior Regeneration] [Toxin Immunity] [Gene Lock] [Technopathy (Lv3)] [Energy Absorption (Lv4)] [Mana Manipulation (Lv4)] [Chi Manipulation (Lv4)] [Lightning Manipulation (Lv4)] [Pain Tolerance]

[SPELLS]

[Mana Bullet] [Mana Shield] [Telekinesis] [Mana Bomb] [Telepathy] [Silent Step]

[TECHNIQUES]

[Heaven’s Breath] [Astral Flow Technique]

//——————–//

Arthur stared at the numbers and lines, his gaze drifting across the updated stats. The jumps were noticeable.

He had also got his hands on more attributeless spells with the help of Rhys. Though they would not add to his combat strength by much, but they were great additions to his arsenal of spells as a mage. He had also been able to improve his mana manipulation and lightning manipulation skills by another level last month.

As he was mulling over his stats just then, a ripple of murmur swept across the auditorium, the student’s attention snapping toward the stage.

Arthur turned his head and saw the principal had finally arrived at the stage.

The principal, a tall man, dressed in deep gold and black ceremonial robes, stepped onto the platform. His long white beard was neatly combed, and behind his glasses, his eyes gleamed with both power and scrutiny. Despite his age, there was a quiet, commanding presence to him, the kind that could make a rowdy auditorium fall silent without needing to say a word.

As he reached the podium, he adjusted the mana-crystal embedded mic and spoke into it, his voice amplified and clear across the hall.

“Good morning, students of Velcrest.”

A chorus of murmured replies followed, some enthusiastic, others nervous.

The principal continued, his voice measured and calm.

“As many of you already know, today marks the beginning of one of the most important events of your time here at the academy, the continent wide tournament ‘The Dominion Ring’. A time-honored tradition that not only tests your strength and intellect, but the very spirit you carry.”

A wave of silent tension washed over the room, as every pair of eyes sharpened.

“The first part of the tournament,” he said, “will be held right here on academy grounds. Our goal is to determine the top fifty students, ten from each academic year.”

Gasps rippled through the crowd.

“That means,” the principal said, “only ten of you from each year will move forward.”

Finn let out a low whistle. “Yikes. That’s… a lot of people to beat.”

Arthur didn’t reply, his eyes still fixed on the principal.

“The matches will be conducted throughout today,” the principal continued, “in a battle royale format, and the last ten still standing in the arena will be declared winner. Winners will then be taken to represent Velcrest Academy for the Inter-Academy Tournament… hosted in the capital of the Stellara Kingdom.”

Arthur’s brows rose slightly. ‘A different kingdom, huh?’

“There will be rewards and prizes, of course,” the principal said with a mild smile. “Money, rare artifacts, and elixirs for the winners of the competition.”

Students started to murmur in excitement.

But then the principal raised a single hand.

“However,” he said, his voice growing firmer, “those rewards pale in comparison to something that has been prepared this year.”

Everyone went still.

“The top five thousand students in the tournament, regardless of their year, will be granted access to something… far more valuable.”

He paused for dramatic effect, letting the silence drag just long enough.

“A reward that may shape the course of your entire future.”

Students started to discuss what the final reward was that was so important. Even some instructors exchanged knowing glances.

Arthur’s eyes narrowed slightly.

The principal didn’t elaborate further. He simply nodded and concluded, “Prepare yourselves. Give it your all, and remember, your journey starts today.”

He stepped back after completing his speech.

A staff member at the edge of the stage clapped his hands. “All students! Please proceed in an orderly fashion with your assigned instructors toward the arena complex!”

The students instantly stirred, voices bursting like a dam breaking, shoes scuffling against the stone floor as hundreds of students stood, forming lines, chattering anxiously.

Arthur turned to Finn and Leon.

“Top five thousand?” Arthur asked, tone skeptical. “That’s a small number compared to the number of students the continent has.”

Leon gave a low chuckle. “Yeah, but the prize must be something massive if they’re being so cryptic.”

Finn looked at them both, eyes glinting. “Do you think it’s like a treasure vault? Or… some kind of rare technique?”

Arthur shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. We’ll find out when we get there.”

Leon nodded. “Let’s focus on getting through the first round. Ten per year is going to be hell.”

Finn’s lips tugged into a grin. “Well. I’m not planning on getting knocked out early. Let’s form a group and support each other, I believe others would do the same.”

Arthur and Leon nodded, hearing Finn. They then started walking toward the exit, their steps in sync with the crowd. A sea of young fighters, each one dreaming of rising above the rest.

***

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