The Tiger Unleashed

The crowd buzzed with excitement in the Colosseum. Up in the high seats where the captains sat, Garrick leaned forward with a small grin.

"So… we have an assassin among this year's Sage Academy students?" he said, looking at the head captain. "They just keep surprising me."

The head captain, Alaric, nodded slowly, eyes locked on the arena.

"This year's students… they're something else. Each of them holds great potential."

His gaze stopped on Arthur, standing calmly on the battlefield.

Just then, a quiet breeze brushed past them. A black-robed messenger appeared behind Alaric, kneeling.

"Have you gathered all the information I asked for?" Alaric asked.

"Yes, sir," the messenger replied.

"Let's hear it," Alaric said, still watching the arena.

---

Down below, the referee stepped up once again.

"Next match," he announced. "Arthur vs. Kaelith !"

Arthur took a deep breath as he stepped forward slightly. That's when he noticed something—Velundria's head captain, Lord Julius, was walking toward the referee. The two of them began speaking quietly.

Arthur narrowed his eyes.

"He's finally making a move," he muttered.

"It seems so," Hyorinmaru responded, his voice calm but serious.

The referee returned to the center of the arena, holding a scroll in his hand.

"There's going to be a change in this match," he said.

The crowd fell into confusion. Whispers spread quickly.

The referee raised his voice.

"Lord Julius of Velundria has proposed a negotiation. Since Eldoria has won all matches so far, he suggests that this final fight decides the overall winner of the Sage Tournament!"

Arthur's head rang.

"A negotiation… huh?"

Whispers turned into loud chatter across the stadium.

---

Back at the captains' table, Garrick frowned.

"They've really gone and done it…"

Alaric stood calmly as the messenger finished whispering in his ear. He turned his gaze back to the field.

"Fine," he said. "Let's respect Julius's request and have the match."

The other captains looked uneasy.

Garrick leaned closer.

"Are you sure about this?"

"It's alright," Alaric said with a small smile. "The decision has been made."

---

Nobles' Seating Area

The noble table grew tense. Magnus clenched his fists.

"Well played… they've trapped us in a corner."

Drake sighed.

"Who would've thought it would come to this…" He looked over at Julius. "That sly snake."

Draven, spoke next.

"But it seems Alaric agreed to it. We have to trust that he knows what he's doing."

Vaelric added, "This tournament was meant to build peace between the kingdoms. Maybe Alaric is keeping that in mind."

Magnus shook his head.

"So now… all our hopes lie with one person."

He looked at Arthur, who stood quietly on the field.

Drake chuckled bitterly.

"Isn't this ironic? The boy who was once called a fallen noble now carries the fate of the entire kingdom."

Magnus lowered his head.

"Let's prepare ourselves. We may lose this tournament…"

Draven placed a hand on the table.

"We should be patient. Let's watch the match—and accept the results, no matter what."

A moment of silence followed.

Aldric, sitting quietly, looked at Arthur with conflicted eyes.

"Arthur… what are you going to do now? Everything's in your court."

---

Arthur turned to Hyorinmaru.

"You good with this?" he asked.

Hyorinmaru yawned.

"Let's get it over with. Besides… it'll be a piece of cake."

The referee raised his hand.

"Contestants, step into the arena!"

Arthur walked forward.

Garrick nodded.

"He'll be fine. Everything has gone in our favor so far."

But Alaric didn't share the same calm.

"I don't think it'll be that easy," he said. "For Julius to bring this up, it means he's confident in the student he brought."

Garrick stayed quiet as his gaze followed Arthur.

"I just hope he wins this."

---

Arthur stood at one end of the arena. At the other end, his opponent stepped out—Kaelith . He had black hair, brown eyes, and a strong, towering figure.

Arthur's eyes widened.

"That can't be… Is he really our age? He looks more like Zayne's age…"

Hyorinmaru's tone turned serious.

"This isn't good…"

From the stands, Nathaniel narrowed his eyes.

"I didn't expect them to use cheap tricks like this…" he muttered.

He looked at Eldric.

"Are you okay with this?"

Among the students, murmurs spread.

"Will Arthur be alright?" one asked.

Leo stood and replied confidently,

"Relax. We all fought and won. So will he."

The students nodded, trusting in Arthur.

Arthur glanced around. People were smiling and waving at him. He smiled softly.

"Yeah," he whispered. "We can win this."

His eyes shifted to Julius, who still wore a smug smile.

"BEGIN!" the referee shouted.

---

Back up top, Alaric stood with a quiet smile.

"Some may question my decision… but it shows just how much I trust you, Arthur," he said to himself.

He turned to the messenger.

"You can leave now."

The figure disappeared into thin air.

Alaric turned to Aldric with a grin.

"Now… let's see what happens when you release a young tiger from its cage. If we're lucky… we might just witness the birth of a beast."

---

Velundria's Side

Julius sat calmly, legs crossed. Eldric approached, arms behind his back.

"So this was your plan all along?" Eldric asked with a smile.

"I told you it'd be a surprise, didn't I?" Julius replied coolly.

Eldric's eyes stayed fixed on the arena.

"We can't underestimate them. Especially the boy. He manifested his Zeraphim in the real world."

Julius chuckled.

"I took that into account. The bedrock has already been laid."

"He's smart," Eldric added.

"Brains are valuable," Julius said, "but they can also be your downfall."

Eldric frowned slightly.

Julius continued.

"The reason they're so calm… is because they've been winning easily. When the body senses no danger, the brain releases hormones for relaxation. That numbs their battle senses."

He glanced at Eldric.

"Do you understand now?"

Eldric didn't answer.

Julius leaned forward.

"That girl, Lyra, her blade uses sensory magic, right? It attacks the nerves—but not the neurons. Information travels through electric signals. And when there's no stress… the brain tells the body to relax."

Eldric still stayed silent.

"In simpler terms," Julius said, "he can't fight like he normally would. He's too relaxed."

"You're wrong," Eldric said quietly. "He beat Zayne. He's not someone you can underestimate."

"I don't underestimate him," Julius said with a smile. "That's why I picked Kaelith."

"Kaelith?" Eldric asked.

"Maybe you remember him better as Kaelith Drosven."

Eldric blinked, then smiled.

"If he's the one fighting… then we're sure to win, right?"

Julius looked down at Arthur in the arena.

"Who knows? I'm not a fortune teller. Just someone waiting for results."

He leaned back.

"Callista was right. This … is indeed the time for a bountiful harvest."

---

The match had begun.

The crowd held its breath.

The final battle was about to shake the entire stadium.