ONLINE: Blades of Eternity

The battlefield was far from over.

Kaelen, Lila, and Morris stood amidst the ruins of the Dragonyx group, their breathing heavy yet steady as their resolve is unshaken.

But the moment Althea fell…

The entire battlefield shifted.

The hunters became the hunted.

A dangerous gleam flickered in the eyes of nearly every remaining competitor.

They could smell blood.

Hundreds of competitors, all from different academies and noble families, turned their sights toward the trio.

Among them—

The Devouring King and the elite forces of Valen Military Academy, their weapons drawn.

Battle-ready warriors from the Dawning of Magic Academy, their spell circles glowing.

Power-hungry noble heirs and Royal chosens like Alaric and the rest, licking their lips at the opportunity.

They all wanted one thing—

The multicolored fruits left behind by the Dragonyx family which is a large amount for a such a family to have.

And Kaelen's group was the biggest obstacle left.

"Seems like things are about to get worse" Kaelen suddenly muttered with a darkened look on his face.

Amongst the chaos, there were a few who had no interest in fighting though—

Kelvin still ignored the battle entirely, greedily plucking fruit after fruit from an isolated corner of the massive tree, uncaring of what was happening.

"How many do we have now?"

"Three hundred"

"Hmm, that should be good enough, now let's see how we can get out of here"

Kent, Rafeala, and Sylphie had already gathered a good amount of fruits and were looking for a way out instead of fighting.

Aric Alexandria could also be seen taking a bag from a lifeless body which shockingly is Magnus Ferrum as the bag is full of the fruits. Then right after, he muttered to himself. "That should be enough"

But the rest?

They were ready to pounce.

> BOOOOOM!

But just before the wave of competitors could charge forward—

A colossal golden barrier erupted around Kaelen, Lila, and Morris.

"What—?!"

The competitors skidded to a halt—

Eyes widening in shock.

At the center of the barrier stood Charlotte, her massive shield raised high, glowing with divine energy.

"Divine Shield: Absolute Bastion!"

The golden light spread like an impenetrable dome, protecting them from the impending assault.

And she wasn't alone.

Before the barrier could even fully form—

Figures emerged from the battlefield.

Forbes arrived first, his thin yet solemn sword still dripping with the blood of his last opponent.

Valir came next, a smirk on his lips, mana surging around him like wildfire as he wieldded his twin daggers playfully.

Sofia moved into position, her elusive scepter radiating a brilliant light.

Guinevere, now conscious, stood up tall, her eyes burning with determination.

Ethan was the last, also wielding his twin daggers while his mist mana swirled around him as he joined the circle.

"Seems like everyone's against us," Forbes muttered, gripping his sword.

"Then let's give them hell," Valir smirked, one of his twin daggers dancing around his fingers.

"No matter what, we stick together," Guinevere added, standing beside Kaelen.

Outside the barrier, the competitors eyed them like wolves.

Inside, Kaelen and his newfound allies stood ready.

A storm was coming.

And only one side would make it out alive.

The moment Charlotte's golden barrier flickered into place, the battlefield erupted into chaos.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The barrier shook violently as attacks rained down from all sides.

A menacing figure stepped forward from the Valen Military Academy's forces.

The Devouring King, the towering leader of the Valen military academy whom is clad in obsidian armor, brandished his Abyss blade, swirling with devouring magic.

With a single step, he slashed at the golden shield—

"Aegis Cleave."

A black crescent arc erupted from his sword, crashing into the barrier.

BZZZZZZT!

Charlotte gritted her teeth as the impact sent golden ripples across the dome, but the barrier held firm.

"Tch. Still standing?" the Devouring King muttered, his eyes gleaming with hunger.

He raised his sword once more—

"I'll carve it open."

Meanwhile, a slimy, inhuman figure crept toward the barrier.

The Slime Harbinger, a mysterious mage covered in a shifting, gelatinous substance, extended his fingers, sending transparent ooze slithering across the barrier's surface.

His slime magic allowed him to bypass physical obstructions by seeping through cracks.

"Hehehe… barriers don't work against me."

The ooze writhed and twisted, searching for an opening—

ZAP!

The slime was instantly repelled by golden lightning!

"ARGH!" The Slime Harbinger recoiled, parts of his slime burning away.

Charlotte smirked.

"Divine Shield negates all foreign magic. Nice try."

Meanwhile, the rest of the competitors—those desperate for the Dragonyx fruits—launched every kind of attack imaginable.

Massive ice spears.

Flaming meteors.

Compressed wind blades.

Earth-shattering fists of stone.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The golden dome rumbled under the combined force, but it did not falter.

Kaelen, watching the storm of attacks outside, turned to Forbes, who was standing beside him.

"What the hell is going on?" Kaelen asked. "Why is everyone suddenly out to kill us?"

Forbes sighed, gripping his sword tightly.

"It's because of the mana fruits."

Kaelen raised an eyebrow.

"Mana fruits?"

Forbes nodded toward the multicolored fruits in their possession, the ones that had belonged to the Dragonyx family before Kaelen's group defeated them.

"These fruits aren't just valuable. They're the key to getting out of here."

"Whoever has enough of these fruits will be transported to the final location—where the Battle Crown is."

"And how many do you need exactly to get transported away from here?" Kaelen hurriedly asked with a shocked look on his face.

"A hundred per person. And right now, if we combine what the Dragonyx had and what we have, we now have more than a thousand of them" Forbes answered with a grim look on his face.

Kaelen's eyes darkened.

So that's why everyone is after them.

They weren't just enemies anymore.

They were the biggest obstacle standing between everyone and the Battle Crown.

Morris cracked his knuckles.

"Then that just means we need to hold out."

Lila smirked coldly.

"Or… kill everyone in our way while we find out how we can use these mana fruits to get out of here."

Guinevere's flames flared up, and Valir's aura surged.

Charlotte adjusted her shield.

Forbes grinned.

"Heh. Well then, let's see who lasts longer."

The barrier would not hold forever.

And when it fell…

All hell would break loose.

Meanwhile, back in the grand coliseum of Valoria, where the Battle Crown rested upon a majestic pedestal, The VIP section was still as tense as ever as everyone in it now had their entire attention on the viewing

Seated among them was the royal elf, a figure of noble bearing and unquestionable lineage, clad in intricately woven silver robes adorned with ancient elven runes.

But at this moment, his composure was utterly shattered.

His hands trembled violently, his normally serene face twisted in disbelief. His emerald-green eyes were locked onto the image of the battlefield, where a certain girl wielding a massive shield was standing her ground.

"This… This is impossible…!"

His exclamation cut through the air like a blade, causing several nobles and high-ranking figures around him and even those at the Sub Vip section to turn in surprise.

"Why—why is she using that magic?!"

His voice was tinged with both shock and outrage.

"That magic should have been lost to time! No one outside our bloodline should even know of it! And yet—there she is, wielding the power of an Ancient Elven Shield!"

The entire VIP section stiffened at his words.

A few nobles exchanged glances, whispering among themselves. Ancient Elf Magic? Lost to time?

The implications were monumental.

Even the First Magi raised an eyebrow in intrigue, while the war-hardened generals from the Valen Military Academy instinctively clenched their fists.

As for Castenada and Marel, they surprisenly had a calm look on there faces as they just observed the situation in the pocket dimension because they knew that if they tried to explain, things will only get worse.

Who was this girl? And how did she have access to magic long thought to be erased from history?

Before the tension could escalate further, a powerful yet calm voice intervened.

"Lord Veyren, be at ease."

The speaker was none other than King Alexandria himself, his regal presence commanding immediate attention.

His expression was firm but composed as he looked toward the enraged royal elf.

"The convention is reaching its final moments. This is not the time for disruptions."

He leaned forward slightly, his sharp gaze unwavering.

"I promise you—once the event is concluded, I will personally provide you with a valid explanation."

"Along with a proper apology gift."

The elven noble, Veyren, gritted his teeth.

"An apology gift? You think that will make up for—"

He stopped himself, taking a deep breath.

Even in his rage and disbelief, he knew that making a scene now would be unwise.

A high elf of his stature could not afford to lose control in the presence of so many influential figures.

"…Very well."

He exhaled sharply, forcing himself to calm down.

"I shall hold you to that promise, King Alexandria."

"And I will try my best to fulfill it" King Alexandria said with a light smile on his face.

And then, the tension in the room eased slightly, but not completely.

Many silent questions remained.

Yet amidst all of this, a lone figure observed the scene with hidden amusement.

Seated in the shadows, his regal form exuding a quiet authority, Kael Dragonyx, the esteemed head of the Dragonyx family, smirked.

His golden eyes glowed faintly, his mind turning over the situation with mild amusement.

'What a fool.'

He had already guessed the truth behind the girl's power.

Unlike this overly prideful elf, Kael knew very well that the world was far larger than what the elven race arrogantly believed.

And now, a supposed "lost magic" had resurfaced—not through an elf, but through a human girl.

'How ironic.'

Kael rested his chin on his fist, watching both the battlefield and the increasingly frustrated Veyren.

'I wonder… how much more of your so-called "lost magic" is waiting to resurface?'

His smirk widened.

The world, after all, was full of surprises.