The deafening roar of thousands of spectators echoed throughout the colossal Arashi Arena.
Every seat was filled.
Every flag bearing the crest of the Kingdom of Ryūgū fluttered proudly beneath the clear morning sky.
Countless Elementalists from every corner of the kingdom had gathered for a single purpose—
To witness history.
The Grand Shōtotsu.
An event that had not been held since the era of the legendary Third Grand Elementalist, Arashi Ryūgū.
Standing high upon the royal platform overlooking the arena, King Yogan Ryūgū surveyed the sea of hopeful competitors below him.
His royal cloak swayed gently in the breeze.
His voice, amplified by Elemental Arts, reached every corner of the enormous stadium.
"As I said..." King Yogan declared proudly.
"Only sixteen Chīmas will advance to the next round."
The competitors immediately became silent.
Everyone listened carefully.
"The first round shall be..."
He raised one arm dramatically.
"...a Chīma Showdown."
A ripple of excitement spread across the arena.
King Yogan smiled before continuing.
"A showdown where teamwork..."
"...the determination to win..."
"...and the mastery of your spells..."
"...will determine whether your Chīma survives."
His words carried immense weight.
No one doubted him.
Not after seeing the seriousness behind his eyes.
Then...
Without warning...
The sky above the arena shimmered.
A gigantic circle of light expanded across the heavens.
Gasps echoed from every direction.
"What is that?!"
The enormous magic circle continued growing until it completely covered the stadium.
Then...
BOOOOM!
A breathtaking holographic projection suddenly materialized above King Yogan.
The audience collectively gasped.
It wasn't merely an illusion.
It was a complete three-dimensional model of the Kingdom of Ryūgū itself.
Every district...
Every mountain...
Every forest...
Every river...
Even the royal palace itself...
Everything had been recreated in astonishing detail.
It floated majestically above the stage like a miniature world suspended in the heavens.
Ryūsei's eyes widened.
"...No way..."
Kasai stared with his jaw hanging open.
"That's..."
Shadow couldn't hide his amazement.
"It's the entire kingdom..."
Even veteran Elementalists watching from the audience were speechless.
The level of precision was unbelievable.
King Yogan gestured proudly toward the floating map.
"As you can all see before you..."
"This is a complete replica of the Kingdom of Ryūgū."
The spectators continued admiring the enormous projection.
"It was created..."
"...by none other than..."
King Yogan smiled.
"Ryūshi Ryūgū."
A loud murmur swept through the stadium.
"The Crowned Dragon of Creation?"
"So the legends were true..."
"He really existed..."
"Wait..."
"I thought he disappeared centuries ago!"
Before the whispers could settle...
The projection suddenly changed.
Instead of displaying the kingdom...
The hologram now showed Ryūshi himself.
He appeared exactly as he looked today.
Smiling brightly.
Cheerfully waving toward the audience.
"Hello everyone!"
He laughed while scratching the back of his head.
"I hope you enjoy today's Grand Shōtotsu!"
The stadium exploded into confusion.
Ryūsei's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
"W-W-W-Wait..."
He pointed toward the projection.
"RYŪSHI?!"
Shizen sighed while folding his arms.
"...Honestly..."
"I'm not even surprised anymore."
Kasai looked toward him.
"You're not?"
Shizen shook his head.
"I mean..."
"He's literally the Crowned Dragon of Creation."
"If anyone could recreate an entire kingdom..."
"It'd be him."
Ryūsei slowly looked toward the spectator seats where Ryūshi sat innocently waving back at the hologram.
"...You seriously made all this?"
Ryūshi simply grinned.
"It was a fun project."
Jikan pinched the bridge of his nose.
"You always say that after creating something absurd."
Catherine giggled quietly.
"That's Ryūshi for you."
King Yogan waited for the audience to calm before continuing.
"Now then..."
"It is time to explain the mechanics of the first round."
The holographic kingdom slowly rotated above him.
"Each Chīma will be transported..."
"...to different locations within this replica."
The map zoomed inward, revealing countless districts scattered across the kingdom.
"No two teams will begin at the same location."
"This means every Chīma must adapt to unfamiliar surroundings from the very beginning."
The competitors exchanged serious glances.
King Yogan continued.
"Once you are transported..."
"You will have exactly one hour."
"One hour to fight."
"One hour to survive."
"One hour to prove yourselves worthy."
A heavy silence settled across the arena.
King Yogan smiled confidently.
"So..."
"Go wild."
A loud cheer erupted.
"But..."
King Yogan raised one finger.
"Do not hold back out of concern for damaging your surroundings."
The holographic city shimmered.
"The battlefield you will enter..."
"...is merely a replica."
"No civilians."
"No real homes."
"No lasting destruction."
"You may unleash your full strength."
"It is your time to shine."
Excited murmurs spread throughout the competitors.
Kasai grinned.
"Finally."
"No need to worry about breaking buildings."
Shadow nodded.
"That's actually reassuring."
King Yogan's expression suddenly became stern.
"Now then..."
"For the official rules."
The atmosphere immediately changed.
"First."
"Killing is strictly prohibited."
His voice echoed throughout the arena.
"If any Elementalist intentionally kills another participant..."
"Their Chīma shall be immediately disqualified."
"And once the Grand Shōtotsu concludes..."
"They shall face judgment under the laws of the Kingdom."
Nobody objected.
The punishment sounded severe.
"Second."
"Blackmail..."
"...is also strictly prohibited."
The audience became quiet.
"If any participant attempts to manipulate another through threats involving family..."
"...reputation..."
"...or hostage-taking..."
"They shall likewise be disqualified."
"And receive severe punishment."
Shadow nodded approvingly.
"They really thought of everything."
Shizen smiled.
"What did you expect?"
"This isn't an ordinary tournament."
"It's a national event."
King Yogan continued.
"Third."
"The use of illegal drugs..."
"...forbidden enhancement techniques..."
"...or unlawful enchantments..."
"...is absolutely prohibited."
"If anyone is found guilty..."
"They shall be imprisoned immediately."
The competitors instinctively swallowed.
Even Kasai looked serious.
"No one's messing around..."
King Yogan paused.
Then smiled.
"There is..."
"...one final rule."
Yuki blinked.
"...Wait."
"There's more?"
The audience became completely silent.
"To balance the overwhelming advantage held by Dragon Sages..."
"The Sage Council has approved a new regulation."
A wave of curiosity spread through the arena.
"Beginning today..."
"...alliances..."
"...between Chīmas..."
"...are officially permitted."
The audience erupted.
"What?!"
"Seriously?!"
"You can team up now?"
Ryūsei looked toward his friends.
Kasai whistled.
"That changes everything."
Sora nodded thoughtfully.
"They've made this much more complicated than a normal Shōtotsu."
Shizen crossed his arms.
"I suppose it's fair."
He looked around at the countless competitors.
"Dragon Sages naturally possess greater power than ordinary Elementalists."
"Allowing alliances gives everyone a chance."
Kayosha smiled.
"It'll make strategy just as important as strength."
King Yogan raised both hands once more.
"Now then..."
"You must be wondering..."
"How exactly do you qualify for the next round?"
Every competitor leaned forward.
The holographic kingdom shifted again.
Red markers suddenly appeared across forests...
Villages...
Ruins...
Mountains...
Every corner of the battlefield.
"There are Demons scattered throughout the replica."
Gasps spread across the arena.
"Each defeated Demon rewards points."
The markers began changing colors.
"F-Rank Demons..."
"...ten points."
"E-Rank..."
"...twenty."
"D-Rank..."
"...thirty."
"C-Rank..."
"...forty."
"B-Rank..."
"...fifty."
Kasai's eyes sparkled.
"...That's a lot of Demons."
King Yogan smiled.
"But..."
"We decided to make things even more interesting."
The hologram zoomed toward a single location.
A massive crimson marker appeared.
"There exists..."
"...one..."
"...A-Rank Demon."
The entire arena erupted.
An A-Rank Demon?
Even veteran Elementalists watching from the audience looked surprised.
"If your Chīma defeats the A-Rank Demon..."
"You will immediately secure a place in the next round."
Ryūsei's heart pounded.
An automatic qualification...
It was an incredible opportunity.
But...
It also meant...
That Demon would undoubtedly be terrifying.
King Yogan wasn't finished.
"You may also earn points..."
"...by defeating other Chīmas."
Silence returned instantly.
"However..."
"You must defeat both members."
"If even one remains standing..."
"No points shall be awarded."
Kasai narrowed his eyes.
"So it's all or nothing."
King Yogan nodded.
"And once you defeat them..."
"You shall claim..."
"...every point..."
"...they possess."
A loud gasp swept through the competitors.
"Winner..."
"...takes..."
"...all."
The atmosphere changed immediately.
This wasn't simply hunting Demons anymore.
Every Chīma had become a walking treasure chest.
Shizen quietly exhaled.
"...This is going to be difficult."
Ryūsei looked toward him.
"It means..."
"We can't completely trust anyone."
Shizen nodded.
"Exactly."
"Every alliance could become a betrayal."
Every team would constantly weigh risk against reward.
One mistake...
Could cost everything.
Ryūsei clenched his fists.
"...This really is the Grand Shōtotsu."
King Yogan looked across every participant.
"You have one hour."
"Use every second wisely."
His voice became louder.
"Fight."
"Adapt."
"Survive."
Then...
He spread both arms wide.
"I..."
"...King Yogan Ryūgū..."
"...declare..."
"...the Grand Shōtotsu..."
"...officially..."
"...begins!"
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!
A colossal magic circle ignited across the heavens.
Golden rays of light descended like pillars from the sky.
One by one...
Every Chīma standing upon the Dragon Sage Tablet became enveloped within brilliant light.
Ryūsei instinctively looked around.
Kasai raised a fist.
"Let's do this!"
Yuki grinned confidently.
"No holding back."
Shadow cracked his knuckles.
"This'll be fun."
Kayosha smiled toward Ryūsei.
"Good luck."
Sora tightened her grip on her weapon.
Shizen simply nodded.
Ryūsei smiled back.
"...See you all on the battlefield."
The light intensified.
At the Spectator's Area
Ryūshi blinked in surprise.
"...Jikan?"
"...Catherine?"
"What are you two doing here already?"
Jikan stretched lazily before taking a seat.
"We finished patrolling the kingdom."
He sighed.
"Unfortunately..."
"The Corrupted Elementalist is still nowhere to be found."
Catherine nodded.
"So we figured..."
"We'd watch the tournament while keeping an eye out."
She looked toward the enormous rays descending upon the competitors.
"...Ryūshi."
"What's that strange light?"
Ryūshi smiled.
"That's a large-scale teleportation spell."
His eyes reflected the golden pillars illuminating the arena.
"Right now..."
"Every participant is being transported..."
"...into the battlefield."
Catherine watched silently.
"...So it begins."
One after another...
The pillars vanished.
The Dragon Sage Tablet became completely empty.
Not a single participant remained.
Thousands of spectators collectively gasped.
"They're gone!"
"It really teleported everyone!"
"Amazing!"
Then...
The sky shimmered once again.
Dozens...
Hundreds...
Of floating holographic screens suddenly materialized above every section of the stadium.
Each displayed different areas of the battlefield.
Forests...
Mountains...
Cities...
Ancient ruins...
Every Chīma could now be observed in real time.
The audience erupted into thunderous excitement.
The Grand Shōtotsu had finally begun.
And somewhere within that enormous replica of the Kingdom of Ryūgū...
The battle for the next generation had officially started.
The moment the brilliant rays of teleportation vanished, silence fell over the replica of the Kingdom of Ryūgū.
The once peaceful streets, forests, mountains, and abandoned districts that made up the enormous battlefield had become a war zone.
The Grand Shōtotsu had officially begun.
Every Chīma had been scattered across the replica at completely random locations.
No one knew where their allies had gone.
No one knew where their enemies were hiding.
And somewhere within the sprawling battlefield lurked hundreds of Demons waiting to be defeated.
Above the arena, invisible magical devices observed every movement, transmitting the battle to the enormous holographic screens floating throughout the Arashi Arena.
Millions of eyes watched.
Not a single battle escaped the spectators.
One Hour Before the End of the First Round
A gentle breeze swept through the empty streets of one of the replica city's districts.
Ryūsei slowly opened his eyes after the teleportation.
"...Looks like the Grand Shōtotsu finally began."
He glanced around the deserted surroundings.
Stone buildings lined both sides of the road.
The architecture perfectly resembled the real Kingdom of Ryūgū.
Even the smallest details had been recreated.
Ryūsei couldn't help but smile.
"Ryūshi really recreated the entire kingdom..."
He scratched the back of his head.
"I better start hunting some—"
His sentence abruptly stopped.
A low growl echoed through the empty street.
Then another.
And another.
Ryūsei slowly turned around.
From every alley...
Every rooftop...
Every broken window...
Pairs of crimson eyes appeared.
One...
Five...
Ten...
More continued emerging.
Soon, the entire street was filled.
Ryūsei found himself completely surrounded.
Large black wolves slowly stepped into view.
Their bodies burned with dark crimson flames.
Their claws scraped across the stone pavement.
Long fangs dripped burning saliva that hissed whenever it touched the ground.
Their eyes never left Ryūsei.
They moved together.
Perfectly synchronized.
Like experienced hunters.
Among them stood one particularly enormous Hell Hound.
Its body was nearly twice the size of the others.
The flames covering its body burned brighter than the rest.
It released a deep growl that caused every other Hell Hound to lower themselves into attack positions.
Ryūsei smiled.
"...Looks like they've saved me the trouble of finding Demons."
These were Hell Hounds.
E-Rank Demons.
Demons infamous throughout the Elemental World for overwhelming their prey through numbers rather than individual strength.
Individually...
They were manageable.
But together...
Entire squads of inexperienced Elementalists had fallen victim to their relentless pack tactics.
Every Hell Hound answered to its Alpha.
And judging by the massive beast before him...
Ryūsei had walked directly into the territory of an entire pack.
At the Spectator Area
The enormous holographic screen shifted.
One of the floating displays zoomed toward Ryūsei's location.
Thousands of spectators immediately leaned forward.
Professor Hex folded his arms confidently.
"Hello, maggots!"
His booming voice echoed across the commentator's platform.
"I'll be your commentator for today's Grand Shōtotsu!"
Standing beside him, Professor Volt adjusted his glasses before smiling toward the audience.
"And I'm Professor Volt."
"I'll be assisting Professor Hex with today's commentary."
The crowd applauded enthusiastically.
Professor Hex pointed toward Ryūsei's screen.
"As you can clearly see..."
"Ryūsei Ryūgū has barely been teleported..."
"...and he's already surrounded by an entire pack of E-Rank Hell Hounds."
Professor Volt nodded.
"That's certainly an unfortunate start."
"Most participants would try avoiding packs that large."
Near the front-row seats, Catherine unconsciously clasped both hands together.
"...Grandpa..."
Although she had witnessed Ryūsei's strength during their sparring match...
Watching him fight inside the Grand Shōtotsu felt entirely different.
This wasn't training.
This was a real competition.
Back at the Arena
The Alpha Hell Hound released a thunderous roar.
"GRRRAAAAHHHHH!!"
Instantly...
The entire pack charged.
The ground trembled beneath dozens of paws.
They attacked from every direction simultaneously.
One from the front.
Three from behind.
Several leaped from rooftops.
Others rushed from narrow alleyways.
There wasn't a single escape route.
Ryūsei slowly exhaled.
"I better finish this quickly..."
His right hand rose calmly.
Brilliant white particles gathered around his palm.
"Meteor Dragon..."
The surrounding air shimmered.
"...Photon Blade."
A dazzling white sword materialized within his grasp.
Its blade radiated pure Meteor Dragon energy, illuminating the narrow street like a second sun.
The Hell Hounds didn't hesitate.
They continued pouncing.
Closer.
Closer.
Closer—
Ryūsei smiled.
"Meteor Dragon..."
A brilliant white aura suddenly erupted around his entire body.
"...Photon Assault!"
The aura wrapped around every muscle.
His breathing sharpened.
His senses heightened.
His physical abilities skyrocketed.
Then...
He vanished.
No explosion.
No dramatic burst.
Only a faint gust of wind remained where he had stood.
The Hell Hounds continued flying through the air.
For a brief second...
Everything appeared completely normal.
Then—
One by one...
Their bodies split cleanly apart.
Every single Hell Hound.
Including the Alpha.
Each had been sliced perfectly in half.
The pieces crashed onto the street moments later.
The spectators hadn't even seen Ryūsei swing his sword.
The only evidence that he had moved...
Was the quiet sound of his blade returning to its resting position.
Shing.
The white aura surrounding him slowly faded.
Ryūsei glanced toward the fallen Demons.
"That should suffice..."
"...for a couple of points."
A magical notification appeared before him.
Ryūsei Ryūgū has earned 240 Points.
At the Spectator Area
Professor Volt blinked several times.
"...Am..."
"...Am I seeing what I think I'm seeing?"
He stared blankly at the floating screen.
"Did those Hell Hounds..."
"...just die..."
"...while they were jumping?"
The audience looked equally confused.
No one had witnessed Ryūsei's attack.
Professor Hex rolled his eyes.
"Idiot."
He pointed toward the score display.
"Check the point bars."
Professor Volt quickly looked.
"...Two hundred..."
"...forty points."
Professor Hex nodded.
"Exactly."
"He killed every Hell Hound."
"So fast..."
"...that not even these magical observation screens properly captured his movements."
A ripple of astonishment spread throughout the audience.
"Incredible..."
"Was that swordsmanship?"
"I didn't even blink!"
"He's ridiculously fast!"
Near the lower spectator section...
A small scarlet-haired girl clapped excitedly.
"Papa!"
Meisai looked toward her father with sparkling violet eyes.
"Ryūsei's really powerful, isn't he?"
Beside her, Akanishi smiled proudly.
"He certainly is, sweetie."
But deep inside...
His thoughts drifted elsewhere.
Akanishi's Thoughts
Compared to what he's accomplished before...
These Demons are nothing.
Akanishi remembered that terrifying battle.
The battle against the S-Rank Demon.
He had knew Ryūsei standing alone against a monster that should have annihilated entire battalions.
Yet...
The young Dragon Sage had emerged victorious.
Compared to that nightmare...
An E-Rank Hell Hound pack truly posed little threat.
Across the battlefield...
Explosions continuously erupted.
Lightning illuminated distant mountains.
Columns of fire reached into the skies.
Winds tore through forests.
Ice covered entire lakes.
Every Chīma was already fighting desperately for survival.
Far north of Ryūsei's location...
Yuki landed gracefully atop a frozen cliff.
Several grotesque figures emerged from the surrounding mist.
Dark-robed Demons carrying twisted staffs floated above the ground.
Purple smoke leaked from beneath their hoods.
Their hollow eyes glowed sickly green.
Cursed Shamans.
C-Rank Demons.
Masters of curses, misfortune, and spiritual attacks.
Without hesitation...
Yuki drew back her bow.
Cold air instantly gathered around the arrow.
"Ice Dragon..."
Snow began swirling violently around her.
"...Blizzard Blast!"
She released the arrow.
It streaked through the sky like a beam of frozen light.
The instant it struck—
BOOOOOOM!!
An enormous iceberg exploded outward.
The freezing shockwave engulfed every Cursed Shaman before they could cast a single curse.
Within seconds...
The battlefield had transformed into a frozen wasteland.
The Demons remained trapped forever inside crystal-clear ice.
A magical notification appeared.
Yuki Ryūgū has earned 840 Points.
Spectator Area
Professor Hex whistled.
"Looks like our Ice Princess has become even stronger."
Professor Volt smiled.
"You said it."
"I'm certainly glad she's fighting beside us..."
"...and not against us."
The audience applauded.
Elsewhere inside the replica kingdom...
Battles erupted everywhere.
Some Chīmas hunted Demons.
Others searched for the elusive A-Rank Demon.
And some...
Had already begun targeting fellow competitors.
Deep inside an abandoned marketplace...
Sandā and Melody sprinted across shattered rooftops.
Sandā looked around impatiently.
"Hey, Melody!"
"Have you spotted the A-Rank Demon yet?"
Melody shook her head while continuing forward.
"No."
"Just focus on gathering more po—"
A blazing fireball suddenly screamed toward her.
"LOOK OUT!"
Without hesitation...
Sandā extended one arm.
"Lightning Dragon..."
Electricity exploded around him.
"...Thunderbolt Strike!"
A brilliant bolt of lightning erupted from his palm.
The two attacks collided violently in midair before exploding into countless sparks.
Melody looked toward the source.
Standing atop a ruined building...
A familiar figure slowly lowered his smoking hand.
Flick Blaze.
"So..."
Sandā narrowed his eyes.
"You've got some nerve attacking my teammate..."
"...Flick."
Flick smirked arrogantly.
"Since when did you care about anyone?"
"I thought you were a lone wolf."
Sandā shrugged.
"I am."
"But unlike you..."
"...I'm not an idiot."
Without another word—
Sandā disappeared.
He rushed forward with incredible speed.
Flick barely managed to leap backward.
"Tch!"
He immediately raised both hands.
"Fire Art..."
"...Flame Bullet Barrage!"
Dozens of blazing fireballs erupted toward Sandā.
Yet...
Sandā calmly weaved between every projectile.
Not a single flame touched him.
As he dodged effortlessly, he chuckled.
"You can't blame me."
"You did lose..."
"...to that so-called F-Rank loser."
Flick's face twisted with anger.
"Shut up!"
Before he could launch another spell—
Sandā suddenly appeared directly before him.
His hand shot forward.
CRASH!
He grabbed Flick by the face.
Then slammed him violently into the stone pavement.
The impact cracked the ground beneath them.
Melody immediately understood.
"Right."
She extended her hand.
"Melody Dragon..."
A soft, melodic aura flowed from her fingertips.
"...Harmonic Bind."
Beautiful streams of glowing energy wrapped themselves around Flick's body like countless ribbons.
His arms froze.
His legs refused to move.
"W-What?!"
"What is this?!"
"Why can't I move?!"
He struggled desperately.
The glowing restraints only tightened further.
Sandā crouched beside him.
"It's pointless."
He placed one hand atop Flick's head.
"Now then..."
His voice became frighteningly calm.
"You're going to tell us everything."
"Where's your partner?"
Flick glared defiantly.
"As if I'd tell you!"
Sandā sighed.
"...Wrong answer."
Tiny arcs of blue lightning crackled around his fingertips.
They slowly spread across Flick's forehead.
The electricity wasn't lethal.
Just enough...
To remind him what real pain felt like.
"AAAAAGHHH!!"
Flick screamed as the current surged through his body.
Sandā's expression never changed.
"You should answer quickly."
The lightning around his hand intensified.
"Otherwise..."
He looked up toward the cloudy sky.
"...you might experience..."
Thunder echoed in the distance.
"...what happens..."
"...when a real thunderbolt..."
"...comes down from above."
Flick's confident expression finally disappeared.
For the first time since the Grand Shōtotsu had begun...
Fear filled his eyes.