---
Chanting and cheering filled the 9th Division headquarters. Nearly all members had gathered out front to witness the showdown.
"This rarely happens. I bet this will be thrilling," one said in the crowd.
"Yeah, but I doubt it'll last long. Look at that guy—I'm sure I could do a number on him," another replied.
The first guy shoved him. "Remember, he's the demon kid."
"Trust me, that won't mean a thing in this fight," the other said, rubbing his shoulder.
"Now listen up!" Captain Verest shouted. "The rules are simple—fight with everything you've got. First one to get knocked out loses. Understand?"
"Yes, sir!" they both replied in unison.
Verest backed away to give them space. "I want a clean and fair match. I'm just joking—there's no such thing as a fair fight. Ready? Begin!"
The instant the fight started, Alex heard a familiar ding. Bad news, usually.
[COMBAT ENCOUNTERED]
[NEW QUEST]
[WIN CURRENT FIGHT]
[REWARD: UNKNOWN]
'I don't know if I should be happy or sad, but I'm definitely motivated.'
Saint blitzed behind Alex, crossing the space like he'd teleported, and dropped an axe kick toward his head.
Alex reacted just in time—blocking with his arm—but it barely helped. The impact sent him flying backward. He rolled, stood, and dodged another crushing blow that cratered the ground where he'd just been.
'There's no way I can beat this guy like this. I have to use it.'
[UMBRAL AETHER ACTIVATED]
"Finally! What were you waiting for?!" Saint shouted, eyes glowing white, a grin spreading across his face. Let's see what the demon kid's got.
[SKILL LIST]
Shadow Walking – LVL 1
Grants the user shadow-cloaked feet and increases speed by 30 points for 3 hours.
'Let's test how good my first skill is. I'm forever grateful to the Shadow Walker.'
[Shadow Walking ACTIVATED]
Speed – 7 [+15] [+30]
Everyone watching could feel the Umbral Aether.
Alex charged. He moved so fast the world blurred around him, attacking purely on instinct. From thin air, Saint's Aether materialized into a barrier—but Alex's boosted stats broke through. His punch landed clean across Saint's face, blood spraying as Saint dropped to one knee.
'That punch really packed a load.'
[STRENGTH – 27 [+15]]
"Not bad for a rookie," Saint said, wiping blood from his mouth. "But you'll need more than that to knock me out." His eyes glowed white again.
'Saint, don't do anything stupid,' Captain Verest warned silently.
"I've never seen him this focused," someone whispered.
"Same. Not since he became captain five years ago," another said.
Blades of pure Aether shot at Alex, but he dodged each one with ease.
'He's gotten faster… is it the Umbral Aether, or that dark shadow around his legs?' Saint analyzed mid-fight.
Saint blitzed again, this time forming a massive Aether spear that moved faster than light—unseen by most of the crowd.
Alex barely dodged, but a surge of Aether erupted beneath him, slamming into his body and launching him upward.
His stamina plummeted from 90% to zero. His vision dimmed.
'I can't… pass out now.'
He forced more Umbral Aether into his stamina, burning through every ounce of willpower.
'I need to end this fast. I can't hold Umbral Aether much longer.'
Mid-air, Alex twisted, pulling a sword from his inventory. Channeling everything into it, he dived down, ducked under Saint's guard, and sliced across his chest.
Saint hit the ground hard. The basic-tier sword shattered from the overload.
[WARNING]
Before Alex could even read the next message, darkness swallowed him—he passed out.
Saint slowly stood again, his wounds closing as if nothing had happened. He retrieved his white robe, slipping it back on casually.
"Good fight, Saint—but you lost that one. He's quite something," Captain Verest said quietly, walking beside him.
"Someone take him to the Aether Health Center!" Verest commanded as both men disappeared inside.
---
At the 5th Division headquarters, inside a training room, a girl slammed her fists against a reinforced metal punching bag until the timer hit zero.
"Haa… haa…" she breathed heavily.
'I need to get stronger. What happened to Nev is my fault. And that Alex… how did he survive the Shadow Walker? I don't know how to feel about him, but I have to stay cautious.'
The door opened, and a messenger stepped in. "Lady Belladonna, Grandsmith Roy has completed your Katana repair. He requests your presence at the Smithgrounds."
"Finally," Ivy said, grabbing her towel.
'After this, I need to talk to my father. He has a lot of questions to answer.'
---