The air in the arena trembled with each collision of fists and energy. Dust drifted in lazy swirls, disturbed only when shockwaves rippled outward from the two combatants at the center.

After explaining to the others about Solen, Khael let out a slow sigh, shoulders relaxing for the first time in minutes.

Solen stood with one hand resting on his hip, burnt-silver eyes following every movement in the fight below. His crimson cloak swayed gently in the breeze, tattered edges brushing the ground.

"This is interesting," he remarked casually, as if watching a friendly spar rather than a clash of prodigies.

(You are really carefree, Master…) Khael thought, his jaw tightening.

Ceyla crossed her arms, irritation evident. Her gaze never left the fight, but the corner of her mouth twitched in frustration. She still hadn't forgiven Solen for arriving so late.

Lin, however, glanced at Solen and felt an odd warmth spread through her chest. His presence was like a steady flame in the chaos, something that made her feel safer without reason.

Kirell, Sill, and Theryrs stood with the elders at the opposite sideline. Their eyes flicked between Solen and the combat, their expressions betraying both awe and caution.

Up on the ridgeline, Shadow Guards Ko and Li observed in silence. A bead of sweat slid down Ko's temple.

(If we move on him… we're going to die.)

Li's knuckles whitened, sharing the same thought.

Meanwhile—

The clash raged on. Juno's breathing was heavy, his shoulders rising and falling, but his eyes burned with resolve. His boots skidded over the cracked stone floor as he steadied himself. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.

"You are really strong," Juno said with a grin, spitting a crimson streak onto the ground.

Braggen exhaled through his nose, rolling his shoulders back. His hand glowed faintly green, petals of light swirling as the small cuts on his arms sealed shut.

"You too," Braggen replied, his tone calm, almost amused.

The air between them felt like it could shatter at any moment.

Juno straightened, his stance shifting. The ground beneath his feet cracked slightly as a surge of energy built inside him.

"I guess I have to be serious now… using all my power."

Braggen's lips curved into a dangerous smirk, his own aura flaring.

"Hoh… show it to me."

Dust lifted from the cracked courtyard floor, curling in the air like pale smoke. The distant hum of spiritual energy grew louder, a deep vibration that rattled the loose tiles along the walls. Every watching eye from the Elders in the shade to Solen standing with casual indifference was fixed on the two figures in the center.

"Fifth Gate… OPEN!!!"

Juno's shout ripped through the stillness like a blade.

A shockwave burst outward from his body, flinging loose leaves and grit into the air. The faint, invisible dome of Shinrei pressure pressed against the skin of everyone present, making even veterans shift their stance.

Braggen's green-tinged aura wavered under the sudden weight. His pupils narrowed, but his smirk didn't fade.

(This pressure… This… from a 13-year-old boy?)

A low whistle came from somewhere in the crowd quickly silenced when Braggen's eyes flicked toward the sound.

Juno took a step forward. The ground beneath his sandal cracked, spiderweb lines running outward from the point of contact. His muscles tensed, his breath steady despite the surge of raw power burning inside him.

"You've got three years of experience over me… let's see if it matters."

Braggen rolled his shoulders, his own Shinrei blooming brighter, the green hue swirling like spring leaves caught in a storm.

"Experience… will always matter."

They vanished.

The clash came mid-air, a sharp boom echoing across the courtyard as their fists met. The force blew their hair and sleeves back, Braggen's longer reach forcing Juno to twist mid-punch. Juno's foot planted against Braggen's knee, using it as leverage to spin behind him.

Braggen ducked, heel sweeping low crack! shattering another stone slab.

Juno jumped, twisting to slam a kick toward Braggen's shoulder, but the older fighter caught his ankle and flung him across the ring.

Juno hit the ground, rolled twice, and came up already rushing forward.

(He's fast… faster than me if I let him control the pace.)

Braggen met him head-on, their strikes a blur palms deflecting punches, forearms blocking kicks, knees colliding in mid-step.

The air between them rippled from the rapid exchange. Braggen's calm, precise movements contrasted with Juno's aggressive bursts of speed. For every heavy strike Juno threw, Braggen absorbed or redirected it, his experience reading each movement before it landed.

"Not bad," Braggen grunted between blows. "But you're wasting energy—"

"I have more than enough!" Juno cut him off, slamming his fist into Braggen's ribs. The impact made the older boy stagger half a step, his expression hardening.

Braggen's Shinrei flared suddenly, vines of green light coiling around his arms as he seized Juno's wrist.

"Let's end this round."

With a powerful yank, Braggen pulled Juno forward, pivoting into a knee strike aimed for his gut only for Juno to twist, forcing the blow to graze his side instead of landing clean.

The crowd murmured. Even Solen's eyes narrowed slightly.

Juno's thoughts sharpened like a blade. (Too close… no holding back now.)

He planted his foot hard into the fractured ground, the Fifth Gate's raw power roaring through his veins like an unleashed torrent. The air around him wavered with heat and pressure, every muscle fiber screaming with unleashed potential.

Braggen's steady stance faltered as Juno's figure blurred then vanished before reappearing on his flank with a bone-rattling spinning kick. The shockwave cracked the arena tiles, forcing Braggen to cross his arms in a guard that skidded him several meters backward.

Braggen's breath hitched. (His speed… doubled? No… tripled.)

Juno didn't let him breathe his fists became a storm, each blow carrying enough force to make the stone floor dent. Braggen's blooming green aura flared desperately, vines forming shields and whips to parry the strikes, but each impact made his arms numb.

Ceyla's eyes widened. "That's… not just raw strength. He's weaving precise strikes in that frenzy."

A final downward elbow shattered through Braggen's vine-guard, slamming into his shoulder with a sickening crack. The man grunted, staggered and for the first time looked genuinely pressed.

Braggen's jaw tightened. "I admit I underestimated you… You are strong…"

Then his tone dropped, calm but laced with menace. "...But I've been hiding mine."

The green aura around him suddenly condensed, turning darker, denser, almost black—the vines retracting into his body before exploding outward in jagged, thorn-covered tendrils. The air shifted, carrying the faint scent of iron and earth.

Solen's gaze sharpened. "hoh… the Bloom Affinity… is evolving"

Braggen raised his hand, the thorns writhing like living blades. "Echo art Bloom: Predator's Embrace."

To be continue