The room smelled like sex despite the open window.

Kael ignored it. Isabella seemed to be trying to as well, though her left eye twitched every time the wind shifted wrong.

The three of them sat around a small table near the window, cold food from room service spread between them. Kael ate mechanically, fueling his body without tasting anything. Aria picked at her food. Isabella didn’t eat at all.

"The wildcard match ended an hour ago." Isabella’s voice was all business. "Sylvan Star won the sixth spot. They’ll join the other five academies in the final round."

Kael paused mid-bite. "Silas lost?"

"Imperial lost to Neon Abyss. Three-two." Isabella’s expression tightened. "Only their vice captain won his match. Everyone else lost."

Kael set down his fork.

Silas. Peak Mana Heart Rank 3. One of the most powerful cultivators in the same realm. He’d seen her fight during the Hevaria mission. Watched her dismantle opponents with calm, brutal efficiency. For her to lose...

"Their vice captain." Kael’s voice was flat. "Who?"

Isabella’s jaw tightened. "A woman named Vespera Bloodworth. Mana Heart Rank 4."

Rank 4. Kael filed the information away. That’s above everyone in our academy.

"She destroyed Silas." Isabella’s voice carried something cold beneath the professional surface. "Completely. It wasn’t even close. The gap between Rank 3 Peak and Rank 4 isn’t supposed to be that large. But this Vespera... her bloodline allows her to convert life force into combat power. The longer a fight drags on, the stronger she becomes. Silas was winning in the first minute. By the third minute, she couldn’t touch Vespera."

Kael absorbed this silently. Convert life force into power. That’s not just a technique. That’s a bloodline ability that fundamentally shifts combat dynamics. If I face her in the final round, I need to end it fast.

"The final round." He changed the subject. "What do we know?"

Isabella pulled a holographic projector from her storage ring and activated it. A three-dimensional map appeared above the table, showing a massive ruined city—crumbling skyscrapers, collapsed highways, overgrown streets, a dead metropolis that had been abandoned for reasons no one remembers.

"The final round is an all-out battle royal." Isabella pointed to different sections of the city. "All six qualifying academies send seven students each. That’s forty-two participants total, including the wildcard academy."

The hologram shifted, showing the city in greater detail. Barricades. Collapsed buildings perfect for ambushes. Open plazas that could become kill zones. Sewer systems that could serve as highway networks.

"They’re all teleported simultaneously into the abandoned city. Eight-hour time limit." Isabella zoomed in on specific zones. "Final ranking is based on two factors: the academy with the most students alive at the end, and the academy with the most kills."

Kael’s eyes narrowed. "Kills. Not points. Kills."

"Killing is allowed." Isabella’s voice was clinical. "Anyone who dies in the city will be resurrected outside the city, I think on the stadium. The safety protocols that protected us in Round Two will be active, but extraction only triggers on death, not injury. You can be wounded, crippled, unconscious—all without being removed from the field."

Kill without consequences. Kael filed this away. That changes the risk calculation significantly.

"There’s more." Isabella zoomed in on dark zones on the map. "Apart from the forty-two participants, the IGF has seeded the city with Mana Heart-wide beasts and criminals. Large numbers of them. They’re not there to make the round easier. They’re there to increase available kill counts."

Beasts and criminals. Kael’s mind raced. Targets that don’t reduce academy standing when killed. Free points. That’s either a trap or a gift depending on how you use it.

"Let me make sure I understand." Kael rested his jaw on his hands, elbows on the table, eyes unfocused. "Some people might try to hide. Find a secure location and wait out the eight hours."

"Correct." Isabella nodded. "But the commentator’s exact words were: ’The IGF has seeded the city with various Mana Heart-wide beasts and Mana Heart criminals in large numbers. Killing them can help increase kill counts. The city is designed to prevent camping. If you hide, the beasts and criminals will eventually find you. And if another academy finds you first..."

"They’ll kill you for free points." Kael finished. "Forcing engagement whether you want it or not."

"Exactly."

Silence settled over the table.

Kael stared at the holographic city without seeing it. His mind was running scenarios. Seven participants per academy. Forty-two total. Six academies. Eight hours. Beasts and criminals scattered throughout.

Who do I bring?

Cassian. Obvious choice. Time manipulation made him the most dangerous fighter in terms of pure combat ability. But his body was his weakness. Prolonged use of his ability caused physical damage. In an eight-hour battle royale, he’d need to pace himself carefully.

Karacus. The strongest raw fighter in the academy. Dragon-kin physical stats that only get more terrifying in sustained combat. He could hold a position against overwhelming numbers indefinitely. Essential anchor point.

Yenna. Her frost could control terrain, create kill zones, force enemies into killing fields. In a city environment, she could freeze entire city blocks, turning the terrain itself into a weapon.

Mason. War God bloodline. The longer he fights, the stronger he becomes. In an eight-hour battle royale, he becomes exponentially more dangerous over time. Early deaths are his weakness. He needs to survive long enough for his bloodline to activate fully.

Rooley. The one wildcard nobody expects. Summoner with a starlight fox and other beasts. In a city environment with plenty of shadows and hiding spots, a summoner can be devastating. His summons can scout, harass, assassinate, and multiply his effective combat power by a factor of Five or more.

Himself. Obvious. He was the captain. He had the most versatile kit. And he needed the individual ranking points to unlock whatever the System has waiting.

And finally, Caelan. That sword genius was going to be useful for this round.

Seven. Me, Cassian, Karacus, Yenna, Mason, Rooley and Caelan.

The best lineup. The strongest possible combination of versatility, raw power, control, and exponential growth. Every position serves a specific purpose in the battle royale format.

But it meant leaving people out.

Rue would understand. She was smart enough to see the logic. But it would still sting.

Sage would be happy. Afterall, she was a lazy girl.

Aria would stay behind. The final round was different—pure combat, pure killing. Her light and shadow abilities were devastating, but she was still MH Rank 1. In a battle royale with Rank 3s and Rank 4s running around, she’d be a liability.

Isabella would also stay. She’d lost her match. Her portals were useful but limited by her cultivation gap. Same logic.

"Kael?" Isabella’s voice pulled him back. "Did you hear me?"

"I heard everything." He sat up straight. "I need to see the whole group."

The Heaven’s Gate section of the hotel buzzed with tension.

Twelve faces turned to face Kael as he entered. Some were eating. Some were meditating. Rooley was playing with his starlight fox in the corner, the small creature glowing with soft silver light. Sage was draped across a couch, looking more relaxed than she had in weeks.

Kael moved to the center of the room.

"The final round starts in five hours. Seven participants per academy. Battle royale in an abandoned city. Eight-hour time limit. Kill count and survival determine rankings."

His eyes swept across the group.

"I’m announcing the seven fighters going to the final round."

Silence. Everyone leaned forward.

"Caelan."

The swordsman nodded.

"Karacus."

The dragon-kin didn’t react visibly. He’d already known.

"Yenna."

"Cassian."

Cassian sipped his tea. "Obviously."

"Mason."

Mason grinned, rolling his shoulder. His eyes burned with anticipation.

"Rooley."

Rooley’s head snapped up from playing with his fox. "Really? I actually get to—"

"Don’t make me reconsider."

Rooley’s mouth snapped shut. His starlight fox chirped.

"And myself."

Kael’s voice was calm.

Nobody complained.

Not because there was nothing to complain about, but because the logic was undeniable. This was their strongest possible lineup. Every position served a purpose. Every fighter complemented the others. Any objection would have been obviously, embarrassingly wrong.

Sage collapsed deeper into the couch, tails curling around herself, a genuine smile spreading across her face.

Finally, some fucking rest from this stressful tournament.

"We’re not going to hide. We’re not going to play defense. We’re going to hunt." His silver eyes gleamed. "Every beast, every criminal, every enemy participant we find becomes points. Every kill strengthens our ranking. And anyone who comes for us..."

His smile turned cold.

"Dies."

The room was silent.

"Get some rest. Prepare your equipment. Check your techniques. We move in five hours."

Kael turned and walked toward his room.

He needed to think.

The final round wasn’t just a fight.

It was a war.

Time quickly passed.

The Commentator’s voice echoed through the stadium, carried by mana-infused speakers that left no corner untouched.

"Would the selected seven from each academy please step forward onto the podium."

Kael moved with the other Heaven’s Gate representatives, his gray-silver eyes sweeping the remaining participants. Forty-two students. Six academies, seven each. Iron Nexus. Empyrean Celestial. Astral Zenith. Heaven’s Gate. Syvlan Star Academy of the elves. Neon Abyss Academy. The numbers had thinned considerably from the original roster. Blood, elimination, and broken ambition had carved them down to this.

The Commentator had been replaced by a middle-aged man with a trimmed beard who spread his arms wide as he explains.

"Each of you has been assigned points based on your value and performance thus far. These points will appear on your bracelets momentarily."