The month passed swiftly, and the grand coliseum roared to life.

  It was time.

  The Summit of the Kings—a continental tournament held once every ten years—had returned. Teams from all across the realms, each led by princes, champions, or guild elites, gathered to test their strength. Among them stood Kazuki and his party—Elara, Garron, Rinara, Drake—and now, all eyes were on them.

  Round One: Elemental Arena

  The first round featured terrain constantly shifting between fire, ice, and earth. Opposing them was the Frostbite Legion—a team specializing in ice-element magic.

  Rinara countered their spells with rapid-fire incantations, while Kazuki moved in close, his blades slicing through the summoned walls of frost. Garron and Drake teamed up, destroying the enemy frontline. Elara created barriers that nullified wide-range attacks, allowing the team to advance.

  Victory was swift.

  Round Two: Beast Gauntlet

  A massive arena filled with summoned monsters. Their opponents—The Crimson Talons—used beast familiars.

  But Kazuki didn’t hesitate. “Come forth,” he whispered.

  In a flash of dark energy, dozens of ranked soldiers materialized—now with glowing blue outlines and obsidian armor. His dark army overpowered the beasts.

  Kazuki smiled as the last creature fell. “Next.”

  Round Three: Magic Control Trial

  This time, it was about spell accuracy and mana efficiency.

  Elara and Rinara shone brightest—threading mana through complex rings mid-air, countering enemy mages with grace and precision.

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  They passed with the highest score recorded in years.

  Round Four: Full-Scale Team Battle

  The final match before the finals. Their opponents: The Imperial Crown Guard from Valrosh Empire.

  Their captain wielded a thunder glaive, raining down lightning.

  Kazuki matched him spell for spell. He activated Elemental Fury, casting chains of spells—fire, wind, and dark—combined with surgical precision. The army overwhelmed them with pincer tactics.

  Cheers erupted as the Crown Guard conceded.

  Final Round – Versus Kairyuuha

  The coliseum fell silent as Kairyuuha walked onto the field.

  He stood opposite Kazuki—taller now, draped in shadows, his eyes glowing with unspoken power.

  A gust of wind swirled as both released their aura. The very sky trembled.

  Then Kairyuuha spoke in Japanese,

  「ようやく来たな。お前に提案がある。」

  (“You’ve finally come. I have a proposal.”)

  “If you win, I’ll tell you everything. Your past, the shattered veil, the truth. But if I win... I take the Crimson Sigil for a day.”

  Kazuki said nothing—but his aura roared in agreement.

  The battle erupted.

  Both vanished from sight—clashes echoed like thunder, and shockwaves cracked the arena floor.

  Kazuki was knocked back. He gritted his teeth, drawing his Demon Blades.

  Kairyuuha smirked, unsheathing a blade of identical design.

  「その剣は元々、俺の物だった。」

  (“That blade was originally mine.”)

  With no hesitation, they clashed again—light and shadow colliding mid-air.

  Kazuki began chanting—“Non-Elemental: Atomic Vortex.”

  A roaring swirl of compressed power burst forth, vaporizing half the stage.

  Kairyuuha’s upper body was disintegrated—

  —but he regenerated instantly.

  “Impossible,” Kazuki muttered.

  Kairyuuha raised his hand. “Explosive Fire Dragon of Ruin,”

  —but his was twisted—purple flames, a dark dragon roaring across the sky.

  Kazuki countered with Elemental Fury at full power—but Kairyuuha deflected every spell with a single hand, his energy shield untouched.

  Kazuki gritted his teeth and used Dimension Forecast—a sealing dimension.

  But Kairyuuha smiled.

  “Dimensional Vortex: Cosmic Destruction.”

  The air twisted. Reality tore.

  Kazuki’s dimension shattered—he was pulled into Kairyuuha’s.

  Kazuki floated, eyes wide in shock.

  「俺の勝ちだ。」

  (“I win.”)

  Outside, a black sphere collided with a larger one—engulfing light in darkness.

  The shockwave resembled a galactic eruption.

  The coliseum trembled.

  When the light faded, Kazuki lay defeated. Kairyuuha stood tall—untouched.

  He raised a hand—and disappeared, teleporting behind Kazuki’s friends. With a pulse of aura, he knocked them all unconscious without touching them.

  The crowd could only watch in fear.

  Kairyuuha walked toward Kazuki’s body and knelt.

  He whispered, “Just one day... I’ll return it. But until then, the Crimson Sigil belongs to me.”

  He vanished.