EndGame: The Successor's Legacy-Chapter 45: Flame

The moment their hands touched the pillar, its light swallowed them. Their consciousness blinked for a moment and in the next instant, they were no longer in the forest.

Instead they stood inside the grand arena of the Academy. Yet, unlike the last time, it wasn’t empty.

Thousands of spectators filled the stands.

Humans, beastkin, elves, dwarves their voices rising in layered waves of excitement. Magical screens hovered high above, projecting their arrival with a brilliant clarity.

A low roar swept through the stadium as the three appeared.

The trio stood inside a glass-walled skybox overlooking the central stage in the arena.

"Um... do we have to fight here now?"

Vian asked, tilting his head slightly, genuinely curious about it rather than being nervous.

"I guess," Adrian replied calmly, eyes scanning the space below. "Though I’ve never heard of it, happening like this before."

His tone suggested that he didn’t particularly dislike the idea of it.

Calix remained silent.

His gaze traced the room carefully, over the reinforced glass, the faintly glowing inscriptions along the edges of the walls, and the large screen mounted to their right.

On the screen their names glowed, with an serene light, there were no ranks assigned just their names displaying on the screen.

’If i leave my name out of it, everything is similar without any contradiction.’

Calix narrowed his eyes slightly, as he thought about it. Then his gaze shifted downward to the center of the arena.

A massive circular ring stood there, seemingly carved from a white stone, while runes lining its perimeter.

"It seems like..." Calix finally spoke, finishing his scan of the surroundings. "We’re going to fight duels."

Vian blinked and looked at him. "Oh? How do you know?"

Calix raised a hand and pointed toward the large circular ring below.

"That made it easy to guess."

Vian followed his finger, spotting the ring now for the first time.

"...Oh."

Silence settled between them again.

Below, the arena lights brightened. The crowd’s anticipation grew heavier.

*****

The silence inside the skybox stretched for some time as the areana was filled with electric apprehension.

A deep vibration rolled beneath their feet.

Down below, the massive circular ring at the center of the arena started to glow.

Ancient runes carved into its white stone surface lit up one after another, thin lines of mana connecting them in an intricate geometric pattern.

The air hummed faintly as the formation activated.

The crowd’s noise, which had been roaring only moments ago, gradually lowered into an expectant murmur.

Then...

The air above the arena distorted.

A thin veil of frost shimmered into existence and she descended without sound.

Long white hair flowed behind her like living snowfall, untouched by gravity. Her Frost-gray eyes scanning the arena with an effortless authority.

The moment she appeared, the entire stadium fell utterly silent...both by her beauty and her presence.

Zyraelle Whitmore hovered high above the dueling ring. Her presence alone commanding supreme obedience.

In the skybox, Calix’s gaze sharpened slightly. Vian also straightened unconsciously, while Adrian’s eyes narrowed by a fraction. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Other skyboxes shimmered to life around them.

One by one, the rest of the surviving candidates materialized.

Theon appeared in a box to their left, brushing imaginary dust off his sleeve as he took in the massive crowd with an impressed whistle.

Lunive also arrived calmly in another, amber eyes scanning the arena below with a noble’s composed curiosity.

Across from them Elowen SilverWillow also came, her crimson eyes glowing faintly as she observed the crowd.

Anaerah appeared moments later as well, golden hair catching the arena lights as she steadied herself.

Thirty-two.

That was all that remained.

Behind Calix, the large screen flickered violently before stabilizing. Statistics rolled across it.

100 qualified for Phase Two.

68 eliminated.

Some had fallen to monsters placed strategically within the forest. Some were ambushed by stronger candidates.

Some failed to reach the pillar in time. Only thirty-two had made it here. Zyraelle’s voice finally echoed across the stadium.

"The first phase of the Entrance Exam has concluded."

Her tone was calm and unhurried.

"The forest phase was designed to test adaptability, endurance, and initiative."

A faint pause.

"Out of one hundred qualified candidates... only thirty-two stand before you now."

The crowd reacted audibly to that number.

Zyraelle continued.

"The candidates who reached the pillar have earned the right to fight for rank."

The screen beside Calix shifted.

Names began rearranging themselves automatically.

Lines connected as brackets formed.

One-on-one matchups.

A structured elimination ladder.

Vian let out a soft chuckle. "So it really is duels."

Adrian didn’t speak, but his eyes remained fixed on the shifting names. Calix also stayed silent, tracing the bracket formation carefully.

"The ranking duels," Zyraelle declared, "will determine your starting position within the Academy."

Her gaze lifted toward the skyboxes.

"No killing."

A faint, almost amused glint appeared in her frosty eyes.

"Also try not to embarrass yourselves."

The central ring flared brilliantly. As Two candidates appeared on the ring. Thus the clashes began.

****

After several duels that Calix found...underwhelming, the energy in the arena had finally shifted.

Most of the earlier fights had been predictable. Overconfident candidates crushed in seconds.

Nervous ones overwhelmed by pressure.

A few decent exchanges but nothing extraordinary.

The crowd cheered anyway. However then the screen shifted.

A new pairing illuminated in bright letters.

Lunive Hailshade.

The arena grew louder instantly.

"Oh, finally," Theon muttered from his skybox, leaning forward slightly.

Calix lifted his gaze.

Below, Lunive stepped into the ring.

Her long amber hair flowed down her back, the white streaks at its ends catching the arena lights like frost at sunset. She stood tall, elegant and composed.

Across from her stood her opponent.

A boy with a wiry frame and sharp cheekbones. His stance was unstable, shoulders tight, jaw clenched too hard. He tried to appear confident but fear was obvious in his eyes.

The difference in presence was overwhelming.

Ring.

The duel began.

The boy reacted immediately. Mana surged beneath his feet as he thrust both hands forward.

The arena floor cracked.

Multiple earthen spikes shot upward in rapid succession, jagged and fast, tearing through the ground toward Lunive like spears from below.

Lunive did not move. She simply lifted one hand and...

Flame bloomed.

A wall of fire erupted before her refined and controlled. As the spikes hit the flames and disintegrated into ash.

The boy’s eyes widened. He pushed harder, as this time a larger and a sharper spike formed.

Lunive exhaled softly.

The wall of flame compressed. Then, it expanded outward in a controlled wave.

Heat flooded the ring, devouring the remaining spike mid-air and forcing the boy to stagger backward.

She stepped forward once.

Fire gathered at her hand, as she flicked her fingers.

A thin line of red-hot flame shot forward. It struck the boy squarely in the chest. His body froze and then fell on the ground unconscious.

Silence lasted for half a heartbeat, then the arena erupted.

Lunive stood alone in the ring, her flames fading as if they had never existed.