CHAPTER 28: THE BATTLE BEGINS

The tournament herald raised his voice to the maximum, the echo crossing the entire coliseum.

"THE AURORA TOURNAMENT BEGINS... NOW!"

Immediately, chaos broke out in all the arenas. Screams, heavy footsteps, clashing spears, youths charging at each other without thinking twice. The sound of weapons colliding echoed throughout the coliseum.

But there was a single arena where this was not happening.

The youths hesitated. Their eyes, in sync, turned to the same point in the arena.

It was at that moment that, suddenly, in the stands, a voice rang out loudly among many others.

"Wait there... Is that a child?"

The comment echoed, quickly spreading among the other spectators.

"It’s true! Why is there a child in the arena?" Another shouted even louder.

"He doesn’t even look ten years old yet!"

"How can they let a child participate like this?!"

Murmurs intensified, turning into more shouts. Parents pointing, children widening their eyes, seeing someone like them in the middle of the arena.

Some laughing mockingly, others furrowing their brows in doubt, and some worried about the child’s safety.

In just a few moments, the entire audience was looking at him.

Kyrian, until just before, had been mixed in the center of the crowd, unnoticed. But now he was being clearly seen.

Small, cold gaze, messy dark black hair falling across his face. And with a spear larger than him strapped to his back.

In the stand reserved for the royal family, the princess leaned her body forward, eyes wide.

"Brother... how? He’s even smaller than me. How is it possible for him to be there? Was there a mistake? Who is he?"

The prince did not take his eyes off the arena. With a smile, he said carelessly.

"Calm down, you are a princess, remember that. It’s not a mistake. And you don’t need to worry, he’s not an ordinary child."

"He is the new member of the Royal Order. The others should be worried about themselves."

The princess’s eyes widened even more in surprise, but she fell silent, saying nothing more. Her eyes were fixed on Kyrian. Trapped in curiosity.

In the arena, most of the competitors hesitated, not daring to act first against a child. But then...

A youth began walking toward Kyrian. He was tall and robust, taking several confident and disdainful steps. He didn’t even grab the spear on his back.

He clenched his fist until he reached Kyrian. Then he raised his hand, going straight for Kyrian’s shoulder.

"Don’t blame me, kid. But this place is not for chil—

He didn’t have the chance to finish his sentence, for Kyrian raised his arm, grabbing the youth’s hand as it approached him. With just one upward pull, the youth felt his body lift from the ground.

Unable to do anything, his body was sent flying out of the arena by Kyrian.

Then, silence.

A heavy silence took over the arena and the stands.

Kyrian sighed, it was a waste of time. His eyes scanned the arena, seeing dozens of youths frozen, confused, and incredulous.

Then without hesitation, Kyrian advanced.

He ran straight into the densest area, his steps echoing firmly in the arena. The spear cut through the air at extreme speed.

The first youth didn’t even understand what happened before the spear struck his waist and hurled him out.

The second tried to block, but the spear shaft hit his neck, knocking him out and making him fall to his knees.

In seconds, another collapsed, spitting air, unable to breathe or rise again.

Another was struck by Kyrian’s kick in the chest, flying as if he were nothing. Kyrian went easy on him so his bones wouldn’t break.

The fifth tried to retreat, but Kyrian spun the spear in a circle, the shaft whistling like cutting wind, striking his leg and knocking him from the arena before he could scream.

In a matter of seconds, five participants had been expelled or incapacitated.

The audience exploded in murmurs.

"What the hell... is that kid!?"

"Is this something someone that age can do? How can there be so much strength in such a small body?"

"A freak!" Someone suddenly shouted, and the word soon spread like a brand. But not in a bad sense.

In the arena, the others instinctively retreated. They looked at their weapons and at each other before looking at Kyrian.

One of the youths then raised his voice.

"We mustn’t underestimate him, he has already proven his strength. Facing him alone would be foolish. Let’s join forces and eliminate him first!"

The silence lasted only a moment. Then, dozens of heads nodded.

Kyrian watched them with interest. A brief smile appeared on his face.

’I think I kind of like this situation. Me against everyone. This is something only the strong can face, isn’t it?’

"Come! All of you are against me. Only then will it be fun."

The tournament herald, after approaching Kyrian’s arena, upon seeing things were going to be more interesting there, suddenly heard the boy’s words.

"DID YOU HEAR THAT? THE BRAT SAID HE WANTS TO FACE EVERYONE ALONE, AND THAT ONLY THEN WOULD IT BE FUN!"

The audience’s expression changed immediately. First silence, until they understood what was said. And then...

Applause along with euphoric screams.

"BRAT! BRAT! BRAT!"

The entire coliseum shook.

’Tsk, I have a name, idiots.’

Kyrian thought, then advanced.

His feet struck the ground quickly, the spear moving as a natural extension of his body.

He spun, blocked, and pushed. Each strike deflects attacks and knocks someone down without wasting time or unnecessary movements.

Each movement extremely precise, his eyes catching everyone’s movements. A group of three tried to surround him.

He lunged at the one in the center, dodged to the right at the last moment, struck the ankle of one, spun the spear, and hit the chest of another with the tip of the shaft. And, with one last push, hurled the third out of the arena.

He did not stop, advancing toward other opponents with a cold smile, with no intention of stopping anytime soon.

***************************************

While the entire coliseum watched the tournament unfold, chaos was slowly, silently spreading elsewhere.

In the capital, the city was busier than ever.

Civilians walked with neutral faces, mixed in the crowd. But when they randomly met in certain alleys, their looks changed.

They moved in discreet groups toward two places...

Meanwhile, around the coliseum, people entered as if they were spectators.

In the already crowded stands, many civilians suddenly began leaving little by little with heavy faces. As if coerced.

Soon, the places where citizens had originally been were occupied by unknown faces, without anyone noticing. A portion of the crowd, close to the nobles and the royal family, was no longer made up of the same people as before.

**********************************

At the lake, General Harken and Kael stood side by side in an isolated area.

"The brat will be fine?" Harken asked, eyes still fixed on the water’s reflection.

Kael then gave a short laugh.

"You don’t need to worry about him. He was trained by Rurik. That boy is a genius. This will be nothing for him."

"Right. We must focus on ourselves." Harken said as he gripped his spear.

************************************

In the castle, in the throne hall, Elyria was sitting with her back resting against the throne in silence.

Her fingers touched the tip of her spear, her skin so resistant it would be difficult to injure.

"He is probably finishing off all the other children in the tournament." She said suddenly.

The king, hearing this, burst into loud laughter, his voice echoing through the hall.

"Hahaha! I look forward to meeting this boy your family speaks of so much. Rurik, Harken, the counselor... and even you, Elyria."

The next instant, the hall’s door was flung open. A guard ran in, his face smeared with sweat, running straight toward the king.

"Majesty! We are being invaded!" He kept shouting, approaching the throne more and more.

"They are already—

He couldn’t finish.

A dry sound cut the air, and the man only felt a wind on his neck before his consciousness disappeared.

A spear pierced through his neck and came out the other side of his head, lodging into the hall’s floor.

The body collapsed as a hidden dagger scattered on the floor, falling from the clothes of the now corpse.

In the corner of the hall. A fat man wearing the Royal Order’s cloak lowered the arm he had used. His expression was cold.

At that moment, Elyria rose. Stepping out from behind the throne with a smile.

"Looks like it has begun. We have some guests."

A noise then came from all sides. Glass shattered. The great hall’s windows exploded as several assassins entered all at once.

And then the serene hall turned into the chaos of a battlefield.