The skies thundered with joy. Horns blazed across the clouds, and birds danced to the rhythm of the wind.
The Royal Capital overflowed with people. The grand stadium swelled to its peak, filled with nobles, citizens, and adventurers from every province.
At the center stood the six remaining teams.
Each one waved to the roaring crowd—Team Crimson at the front. Helion, now more confident but still humble, bowed with poise.
"HELION!!" children screamed from the stands.
"The light he carries is brave!"
"With him, the kingdom will be safe!"
"Team Crimson!!"
Spectators erupted in praise.
Others shouted for their own champions.
"Draven! Noah!"
"Team Silver! Team Pearl!"
Excitement churned like a storm above them.
Then the energy shifted. A hush swept through the crowd as Arion, one of the four Arch Captains, stepped forward onto the grand stage.
The projection crystals locked on him.
"Thank you all," Arion began, his voice clear and steady. "To the people of the Arch Kingdom, and to the six remaining teams—congratulations."
Applause followed, thunderous and proud.
"But now," he said, raising a hand, "the second round of the Royal Draft… will begin."
The crowd stilled. Contestants leaned in. Everyone waited.
Arion's eyes glimmered.
"The rules are simple."
He paused.
"Take the crystal… from your opponent."
Murmurs began.
Then he continued—calmly, but with a spark.
"Your opponent… will be one of the four Arch Captains."
Gasps swept through the stadium.
All eyes locked on the projection.
You could feel the shock ripple through the contestants—some stiffened, others widened their stances. Fear, awe, tension.
Arion grinned and crouched his shoulders in a relaxed stance.
"That's right," he said. "Each team will work together to take a crystal from a captain. We won't hold back. Neither should you."
The crowd exploded in cheer.
"Unbelievable!"
"They're fighting the captains!?"
"This is going to be legendary!"
High above, in a booth near Vlad Valden, Zeyr leaned back with a grin.
"Well," he chuckled to Syrus beside him. "Didn't see that twist coming."
Syrus smirked without answering.
Back in the arena, Arion continued.
"Since there are six teams… and only four captains… Syrus and I will each battle two teams."
The projection screen lit up with rotating names—then locked in with a flash.
Team Silver vs Captain Arinelle (Forest Terrain)
Team Pearl vs Captain Axel (Mountain Terrain)
Team Crimson vs Captain Arion (Open Field)
Team Gold vs Captain Syrus (Coastal Cliff)
Team Amethyst vs Captain Syrus (later)
Team Sapphire vs Captain Arion (later)
Arion lowered his hand.
"That settles it."
"You'll return to the same terrains as before. Rules from round one still apply."
"But don't expect mercy," he added, his tone sharper. "This will test your coordination, instincts, and power more than anything before."
He smiled wide now.
"Good luck. You'll need it."
Then—
"Let the second round… begin!"
Hyper beams surged into the sky and descended upon each team.
Team Silver and Arinelle vanished to the forest.
Team Pearl and Axel vanished to the mountain cliffs.
Team Gold and Syrus vanished to the coast.
Team Crimson stood firm as the beam encased them—transporting them to the wide, open field.
The wind was soft, the land flat, but tension hung thick in the air.
Helion, Zezzy, Liena, and Yuri landed on their feet, immediately forming up.
Zezzy snapped into command.
Same as before
"Yuri, defense!"
"Helion, offense!"
"Liena, support and movement!"
"I'll focus on the crystal—leave it to me!"
The team nodded in sync.
Then the wind shifted—and Arion appeared.
He stood a short distance away, the chain-wrapped crystal dangling from the scabbard at his hip.
Helion's breath caught.
The pressure was instant.
He gripped his chest.
This mana…
It's… overwhelming.
Zezzy unsheathed her sword. The air around her sparked.
Liena activated her mystical eyes—green light pouring from her irises as she scanned Arion's aura.
Yuri knelt low, plunging his staff into the ground, roots forming quickly in response to his spell.
Arion tilted his head slightly, a smirk on his lips.
"I've been looking forward to testing one of the teams myself."
The crystal gleamed at his side.
"Well?"
He raised an eyebrow.
"Are you going to stand there trembling… or show me what you've got?"
Back at the stadium, the crowd was captivated—eyes locked on the projection screens, not a single breath wasted. The tension was thick, the air alive with anticipation.
Up at the podium, where the Arch Captains once stood, four new figures now occupied their places.
The Vice Captains.
A wave of murmurs rippled through the crowd.
"It's rare to see the Vice Captains here…"
"They're usually stationed far beyond the kingdom on elite missions…"
Each of the four stood tall, cloaked in their house colors—silent, watchful, emanating quiet authority.
From a private balcony above, Zeyr narrowed his eyes, recognizing them instantly.
A small grin tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"Well, if it isn't Vice Captain…" he murmured.
Before he could finish, a sudden explosion roared through the arena—projected live from the coast.
Team Gold. Against Syrus.
Renza unleashed a blast of searing heat across the coast horizon, the screen rippling from the intensity. Syrus, completely unfazed, launched into the air with lightning-like agility, his blade gleaming in the sun trailing an ice blue aura, as wind tore behind him.
The crowd gasped. The Vice Captains didn't flinch.
Zeyr leaned forward slightly, his gaze sharp.
"This is going to be interesting…"
His attention shifted again—this time to another screen.
The open field.
Team Crimson. Facing Arion.
Helion and the others stood ready, the pressure on their shoulders growing by the second.
Zeyr watched quietly… then spoke to himself, almost like a whisper only the wind could carry.
"Stay sharp, Helion. Arion is the craftiest of us all."
Helion gripped the hilt of his sword, still sheathed across his back. With a flash of light, he drew it cleanly—its glow immediate and radiant.
His voice rang out across the field:
"Spirit Skill: Solstice Glow!"
Arion smiled as the light reflected in his eyes.
"That's it, boy… Let's see that light."
Zezzy wasted no time.
Streams of compressed water launched toward Arion, each shot aimed with precision—but they missed the crystal dangling from his scabbard.
"First Form: Pressure Resin!"
She unleashed a larger, heavier blast—this one slower, but pulsing with dense force.
Yuri followed up, planting his staff into the ground.
"Spirit Skill: Transmute!"
The earth beneath Arion turned to bubbling mud, pulling at his footing.
Above them, Liena flew high into the air, green light in her eyes. She extended her arms—
"First Form: Temporal Air!"
A massive current of wind came crashing down from above, adding pressure to the already unstable ground.
"Helion! Now!" they all shouted.
Helion shot forward, his body turning into a streak of light across the open field. He closed in fast, sword at his side, eyes locked on the crystal swaying from Arion's hip.
But Arion's expression changed—his smile fading into cold focus.
"This might've worked on the others…"
His voice was calm—too calm.
"…but sadly for you—"
A surge of mana exploded from his body.
He drove his blade into the ground—
"Second Form: Bloom Surge."
A pulse of mana burst into the soil—silent for just a heartbeat.
Then—
BOOM.
From the ground, massive roots and vines erupted with terrifying speed. They spiraled and twisted violently, consuming the terrain. The mud turned back to solid earth. The wind collapsed under the weight of the growth.
The field was no longer open.
It was now a living jungle.
Vines whipped out in all directions—
Lashing toward Helion, Zezzy, Yuri, and Liena like serpents hungry for prey.
Back at the stadium, the crowd was thunderous—cheers rising and falling like waves.
"ARION! You're amazing!"
"Test their might!"
Others turned their attention to the projection showing the coastal battlefield—
Team Gold vs. Captain Syrus.
Syrus moved like a phantom across the shore—his blade a blur of motion, clashing, dodging, and striking all at once.
He weaved effortlessly through Team Gold, with his sword emerging frost, countering each of their coordinated attacks with masterful swordsmanship.
Draven's spears of steel erupted from his armor—dark and jagged, part of his Spirit Skill: Armor Eater.
But Syrus was always a step ahead.
"Armor Eater, huh?" he muttered, deflecting a spear with a twist of his wrist.
"You'll need more than that."
With a flick of his hand, ice javelin constructs formed in midair—sleek and sharp, glowing with pale blue energy.
He launched them without hesitation.
"First Form: Frost Construct!"
They tore through the air toward Renza, just as he gathered flames in his hands, preparing to unleash a fiery blast.
BOOM!
The javelins struck the ground beside him—exploding into mist and frost.
Renza stumbled back, his fireball dissolving before it could form.
"He's too fast!" someone in the stands shouted.
"They can't keep up!"
Syrus drifted across the battlefield—untouched, unstoppable.
His control. His speed. His precision.
He wasn't just fighting Team Gold.
He was dominating them.
The crowd shifted once again—now fixated on the next battlefield.
Team Pearl vs. Captain Axel.
The projection lit up with streaks of light as Axel zipped through the air, soaring above the mountain terrain with impossible agility. He twisted and dove, effortlessly dodging twin torrents of water launched by Geno and Gena.
Clipso stepped forward, his aura sparking with tension and storm. His eyes sharpened—this time, he wasn't holding back.
"First Form: Shattering Storm!"
A surge of lightning and wind roared from his hands—more focused, more powerful than anything he'd unleashed so far. His intent was clear. This was no longer about testing strength. This was war.
Lily followed up, her sword dancing through the air in elegant spirals.
"First Form: Nectar Mix – Spun Powder!"
A glowing yellow mist pulsed from her blade, whirling through the air like pollen caught on a breeze—guided, drifting toward Axel with precision.
But Axel… smiled.
With a sudden burst of energy, he launched straight down from the sky.
BOOM!
His foot struck the earth—and the impact shattered the ground beneath.
A massive shockwave exploded outward, slamming into all four members of Team Pearl. The combination of wind pressure and raw force sent them flying back across the battlefield.
As the dust cleared, Axel stood tall—his figure steady, his expression calm.
"You'll need more than that… if you want to challenge my magic," he said, tightening his stance.
"Weight Manipulation."
Lily's eyes widened—fear creeping into her face.
"Weight… what?"
Clipso gritted his teeth. A nervous grin cracked his face.
"He can make himself as light as air… or as heavy as a mountain."
Geno and Gena exchanged a tense glance. Gena clenched her fists.
"He doesn't even use an elemental spirit," she whispered.
Geno spoke quietly, jaw clenched.
"That's arcane magic…"
"This is the power of an Arch Captain."
And then, the crowd shifted to the final projection—
Team Silver vs. Arinelle.
Gasps echoed through the arena as the screen displayed Arinelle moving effortlessly across the battlefield. She dodged every sword strike from the fury of the silver-clad knights without even drawing her blade.
Graceful. Untouched.
Each motion like a dance.
Then—
Noah Million, standing calmly on the sideline, finally raised his arm.
His golden armor gleamed—light catching on its polished surface—as his voice rang out:
"Spirit Skill: Rainbow Aura!"
A radiant shimmer of color exploded from his body—three bands of light forming above him:
Red. Blue. Green.
He chose red.
With a swift motion, he extended his hand—
A blazing blast of fire erupted forward, roaring across the field toward Arinelle.
She didn't flinch.
Instead, she lifted one finger.
"Spirit Skill: Glass Beast."
The ground beneath Noah trembled—
And with a sudden eruption, a massive glass-like worm burst upward, jaws wide.
Noah's eyes narrowed.
He raised his hand again, and this time the green aura above him pulsed.
Wind coiled around his body.
A forceful gust whipped down like a hammer, slamming the creature back into the earth, shattering bits of crystal into the air.
He smiled at her—calm, assured.
Across from him, Arinelle's golden-blonde hair flowed in the air like silk.
Her dazzling pink armor, sculpted and elegant, shimmered under the battlefield light.
Now, finally—
Her sword was drawn.
And her eyes locked onto Noah Million with focused resolve.
Each team now faced their own challenge.
The crowd roared, chanting the captains' names with thunderous pride.
Pressure filled the air.
Every squad knew—this was more than a test of power.
It was about strategy, survival, and the will to rise against giants.
Each team's eyes locked on the same goal—
Take the crystal.
Endure the captain.
And prove they belonged.
Linx, the phoenix, soared across the sky—its feathers trailing streaks of vivid fire, casting flickers of light across the stadium dome.
High above, in one of the private observation booths, Zeyr Chrono leaned forward, arms folded, eyes narrowed as the challenges unfolded below.
Beside him, Loken, the white wolf, sat silently—watchful and still.
Zeyr gave a small smirk.
"This turned out to be a pleasant surprise…"
His voice was calm, yet edged with excitement.
He glanced down at the projections, watching each team clash against a captain's overwhelming power.
"Let's see how they all hold up, against the Arch Kingdoms ultimate challenge".