The sudden absence of his opponent left him in distraught.
"Why… did he withdraw… sob… I don’t understand… he should’ve been sob… the winner… sob"
As his body laid on the ground, he was crying of tears that he couldn’t understand.
WOM!
[Marcus Renfield has been declared the winner. Congratulations to our new Royal Blade.]
The words echoed through the do, each syllable reverberating in Marcus’s chest.
He blinked, certain he must have misheard.
But the announcent ca again, louder this ti, leaving no room for doubt.
[Congratulations Participant #0,001 you have been granted the title of Royal Blade.]
A surge of emotions washed over Marcus like a tidal wave. He felt joy, disbelief, relief, and an intense sense of responsibility all competing for space in his heart. He had done it. He had achieved his dream and kept his promise to his family.
But as the reality of his victory began to sink in, so too did the toll of the grueling battle.
The adrenaline that had been coursing through his veins began to fade away, leaving behind a bone-deep exhaustion.
"Congrats…"
Those were the words Julian had said to Marcus. It did in fact leave him in shock that he’d do such a thing and would never understand why Julian, his opponent, the one who had pushed him to his very limits, would ultimately concede defeat.
It was an act of selflessness that Marcus had never encountered before, especially in this cutthroat world where ambition and self-preservation reigned supre.
He looked at the spot where Julian had vanished and in that mont, a profound sense of gratitude washed over him.
He had won, yes, but it was Julian who had shown him the true aning of strength, the true aning of victory.
It wasn’t about power or glory, it was about fighting for sothing greater than oneself, about protecting those you loved, about creating a future where everyone could thrive.
Julian, in his final act of sacrifice, had taught him a lesson that no textbook, no training ground, could ever impart.
"Ah… I think I’m gonna pass out-"
Blink…
He felt his head swaying, no longer able to support his weight. As he toppled to the ground, a single tear escaped his eye, trailing down his cheek.
In that tear was contained all the struggle, all the pain, all the determination that had led him to this mont.
It held the mory of his brother’s encouragent, his sister’s unwavering faith, and the weight of his family’s hopes and dreams.
As Marcus’s head touched the cool ground of the arena, that solitary tear fell from his face, leaving a small, glistening mark on the floor.
It was a proof of his journey, a silent tribute to all he had overco.
And then, darkness claid him.
Marcus Renfield, the newly crowned Royal Blade, succumbed to exhaustion, his body finally allowing itself to rest after pushing beyond all conceivable limits.
As he drifted into unconsciousness, the last thing Marcus saw was a vision of his older brother smiling at him from afar.
"B-Brother…"
**
"Hmph… I wouldn’t have thought he was ballsy enough to do it, but to think he’s only a kid amazes ."
As redith walked onto the field to retrieve Marcus Renfield, the new Royal Blade of the Aurean Kingdom, she wondered how unselfish a person had to be to resist the temptation of becoming known not just across the kingdom, but across all continents.
The role of a royal blade may sound simple to the average person, but there was more things a royal blade must do to fulfill the royal family’s expectations they were not rely protectors, but confidants, advisors, and even, at tis, silent observers.
A Royal Blade was expected to be a shadow, anticipating threats before they happen, and ensuring the safety of the royal family at all costs.
It was a life marked by commitnt and dedication, constant vigilance, and the sacrifice of personal desires for the greater good.
A Royal Blade needed to be ready to lay down their life without hesitation, standing as the final line of defense for the royal family against threats from assassins, political rivals, or even monstrous dangers.
This life bore imnse responsibility, demanding unwavering commitnt and sacrifice.
However, for those chosen who possessed the necessary qualities and loyal dedication, it also brought imnse honor and fulfillnt. Being a Royal Blade ant serving a higher purpose, protecting the heart of the kingdom, ensuring the continuity of the royal lineage, and safeguarding the kingdom’s future.
redith approached Marcus’s body, her steps echoing in the now-silent arena.
The boy lay motionless, his chest barely rising and falling with shallow breaths.
His clothes were torn and bloodied, but through it all, he was now one of the most important figures within the kingdom.
As she knelt beside him, redith’s hand began to glow with a soft, ethereal light.
She placed her palm on Marcus’s forehead, channeling her healing magic into his battered body.
The surrounding air shimred with energy as tiny motes of light danced in intricate patterns as the spell took effect.
"Vitae Restauro," redith murmured, her voice resonating with power.
The healing spell flowed through Marcus like a gentle river, nding cuts, soothing bruises, and knitting together torn muscle and sinew.
His skin, scarred by countless injuries, began to smooth over, returning to its unblemished state.
Even the dark circles under his eyes, evidence of his exhaustion, began to fade.
redith watched with satisfaction as the physical signs of the battle disappeared.
She had expected Marcus to move or even open his eyes and greet the world as the newly crowned Royal Blade.
But as the seconds ticked by, he remained unmoving, his eyes firmly closed.
"...?"
A frown creased redith’s brow. This was unusual.
Her healing spell should have been more than sufficient to awaken him from his unconscious state. Sothing was wrong.
With a subtle gesture, redith activated her Mana Insight, her eyes glowing with an otherworldly light.
The world around her shifted, revealing the currents of mana that flowed through Marcus’s body.
"...!"
What she saw made her gasp in surprise.
Marcus’s mana channels, usually a network of constant flowing energy, were completely dark.
It was as if soone had damd a river, blocking the flow of life-giving water.
The mana within Marcus was stagnant, unable to circulate through his body.
"Impossible," redith whispered, her eyes wide with disbelief.
She had seen many things in her long career as a mage and overseer of the Royal Blade Challenge, but this... this was unprecedented.
The precision required to block every single mana point in the body was beyond anything she had ever encountered.
-No, I don’t understand it at all... he’s capable of doing sothing like that even at his age?
Her mind raced back to Julian, the boy who had withdrawn at the last mont.
She had sensed sothing special about him, a hidden depth that set him apart from the other contestants.
But this level of skill, this mastery over the body’s energy pathways, was sothing she would expect from a master combat, not a child.
"Incredible..."
redith mused aloud as she realized that she needed to see Julian again to understand the true extent of his abilities.
A child with such knowledge and skill couldn’t possibly be kept free within arm’s reach; she needed to keep in contact with him in the near future because, as the leader of the inheritors’ organization, she needed future candidates to beco the face of her group.
"But before I can do that, I need to take care of our new kingdom’s blade."
redith cleared her mind of thoughts about Julian, focusing on the current situation.
She needed to ensure Marcus reached the ergency dical team she had arranged.
"Collapse,"
In an instant, the world around them broke into small pieces.
The grand do, with its imposing gates and shining crystals, vanished like mist in the morning sun.
The arena floor beneath them seed to liquefy, rippling outward in concentric circles.
redith felt a brief sensation of weightlessness, as if she were falling through an endless void.
Then within the blink of an eye, redith found herself in a pristine dical chamber.
The room was an eye-opener of magical technology, a perfect blend of magic knowledge and cutting-edge innovation.
Crystals pulsed with healing energy as their soft light bathing the room in a soothing glow.
Runes etched into the walls quivered with power, maintaining a perfect environnt for healing and recovery.
In the center of the room stood a raised platform, surrounded by an array of floating orbs.
Each orb contained a different spell, ready to be activated at a mont’s notice. Diagnostic spells, pain suppression charms, regenerative incantations - all the tools a skilled healer could need were at hand.
redith gently laid Marcus on the platform.
As soon as his body made contact, the orbs sprang to life.
They began to orbit around him, their surfaces shimring with complex magical formulae.
ZZZTTT
Tendrils of multicolored light extended from the orbs, enveloping Marcus in a cocoon of energy.
"Co in,"
redith, sensing the healers waiting for her call, spoke out loud.
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