Kael vs. Ignis (Phoenix Secondary Family )
The arena simulated an active volcano. The ground pulsed with incandescent veins, and the air was heavy with sulfur and unstable mana. It was the perfect environment for Ignis—or at least, for someone who believed in it.
Ignis opened his demonic wings, enveloped in irregular flames, the fire more noisy than refined.
"You should be grateful, Low Class!" he roared. "Having the chance to face someone connected to the Phoenix is already an honor you don't deserve!"
The crowd cheered as he raised his arms.
"Burn."
A shower of flaming meteors plummeted from the artificial sky. The heat pierced the magical barriers, eliciting screams from the audience.
Kael didn't move.
He didn't raise a barrier.
He didn't assume a fighting stance.
He simply observed.
The instant the flames touched his demonic aura, something strange happened: they didn't explode, they didn't collide, they didn't resist.
They dissolved.
As if the magic had forgotten its purpose.
Ignis's eyes widened.
"What…?" his voice faltered. "My magic…?!"
He roared in frustration and plunged into a desperate physical attack, his fist engulfed in raw fire.
"DON'T UNDERESTIMATE ME!"
Kael took a single sideways step. Minimal. Economical.
The blow missed.
"I'm not comparing you to a Phoenix," Kael said, too calmly. "That would require its own identity."
Ignis tried to retreat, but Kael was already ahead of him.
A touch on the chest.
"Magic without essence collapses quickly."
The pulse of darkness didn't explode.
It compressed. Ignis's muscles locked up. His mana lost its coherence. His body was hurled against the arena wall like a discarded object.
Silence.
The announcer took a second longer than usual.
— Winner… Kael.
The audience didn't cheer.
They weren't sure what they had just seen.
Kael already had his back turned, walking out of the arena, as if he had merely resolved a technical issue.
The arena lights went out behind him, leaving the tunnel in semi-darkness. Ahead, blocking the path, was the elegant silhouette of Seekvaira Agares. She held a magical notepad floating beside her. Her blond-green hair shone softly, and her almond-shaped pink eyes, behind her glasses, conveyed an impression of analytical coolness rather than traditional elegance.
She wore clothes very appropriate for a noblewoman, but with a modern touch: a miniskirt and high boots that perfectly matched the sophisticated design and the Agares seal. Her eyes, which normally only observed data, now burned with an intellectual hunger for curiosity.
"Your skills…" her voice came out louder than planned, betraying her nervousness. "You're an anomaly to the demons. You ignore demonic magic, which is direct, emotional, and explosive energy. How does a Low Class possess this level of technical skill?"
Kael approached without hesitation. The residual heat of battle invaded her personal space.
"Perhaps I see magic in a language you haven't yet learned, Seekvaira-sama."
She took a step forward, her cheeks flushing against her will, her researcher's mind fighting against the physical reaction.
"I've studied every lineage of the 72 families of the Underworld and all their magic. You're an anomaly. And I hate anomalies I can't categorize."
"Perhaps you're analyzing magic as an emotional phenomenon," he said. "And not as a structure."
She gritted her teeth.
"I know structures. I've studied all known lineages. No fighting like you." "You're an anomaly."
"Anomalies only exist as long as the model is wrong."
"I hate things I can't categorize."
Kael smiled, slowly, controlled.
"Cataloging is safe. But it's so boring." His eyes deliberately slid to her lips, lingering there before returning to her rosy eyes. "If you truly want my secrets… win me over first."
Seekvaira froze. The notepad slipped an inch in her hands, almost falling.
"W-win me over? I'm an Agares! The Future Chief of the Agares Clan! My interest is purely academic!"
"Of course," he whispered against her ear, his voice deep like a hot blade, sending a shiver down the noblewoman's spine. "Perhaps I'll reveal everything… the day you decide to marry me."
He walked past her, his shoulder brushing hers deliberately, an electric and brief contact. Seekvaira remained motionless in the dark corridor, a blush rising violently from her neck to her temples, her heart beating erratically that none of her calculations could have predicted.
Kael smiled inwardly as he walked away. The seed had been planted.
During the three-day break in the tournament
The tension between the two didn't end there. In the three days leading up to the semi-final, "chance" seemed to conspire in their favor—or perhaps it was Seekvaira's obsessive curiosity.
Day 1: The Central Library of the VIP Tournament
The Central Library was a sanctuary of silence and the scent of aged parchment. The bookshelves rose like towers, touching the enchanted ceiling that mimicked a calm night sky. Kael sat at a solid oak table, surrounded by ancient topographical maps of the Underworld. He traced with his finger the ley lines that connected the territories of the 72 families, searching for patterns that most demons ignored.
However, his concentration was divided.
Ten minutes ago, he felt a burning gaze on the back of his neck. It wasn't the murderous intent of an enemy, nor the bloodlust of an ordinary competitor. It was something... analytical. Cold, precise, but with a hint of nervousness that made its presence waver.
Kael didn't turn around immediately. He smiled slightly at the map, murmuring to the empty air:
"The Theory of Magic is a fascinating subject, Seekvaira-sama. But they say it's difficult to understand when you hold the book upside down."
There was an audible gasp coming from three shelves behind. The sound of boots thumping awkwardly on the stone floor echoed, followed by a rustling of pages.
Kael turned slowly in his chair, resting his chin on his hand.
There she was. Seekvaira Agares, one of the technical geniuses of the new generation. She was partially hidden behind a dark wooden bookcase, her face half covered by a thick, blue leather-bound volume. Her pink eyes, magnified by her glasses, were wide with panic.
She quickly straightened the book, blushing furiously as she realized Kael had actually noticed the mistake.
"I-I wasn't reading it upside down!" — She stepped out from behind the bookshelf, trying to regain her dignity, adjusting her glasses with a brusque movement. — It was a… advanced reading technique. To stimulate the right hemisphere of the brain and process non-linear patterns. Something a commoner might not understand.
Kael raised an eyebrow, his smirk widening.
— Of course. And observing me through the cracks in the History of Architecture books is also part of that technique?
Seekvaira froze. She clutched the book to her chest as if it were a shield.
— I wasn't observing you. — Her voice rose an octave. — I was… collecting environmental data. The flow of mana in this library is erratic near the map section. It's pure statistical coincidence that you're sitting at the epicenter of the anomaly I was investigating.
Kael stood up. The movement was smooth, but it made Seekvaira take an instinctive step back. He walked slowly to the bookshelf where she was, stopping at a respectful distance, but close enough that she had to tilt her head to look him in the eye.
"Statistical coincidence..." Kael repeated, his voice low and hoarse. "You said you hate anomalies you can't categorize. Did you come to see if you could figure out how I work just by watching me read maps?"
Seekvaira's face flushed a shade of red that rivaled the Gremory's hair. His scent, a mixture of ozone and something earthy, overwhelmed her senses, disrupting her mental equations.
"Observation is the first step of the scientific method!" she retorted, but her voice trembled. "Your battle against that entourage of the secondary Phoenix family made no sense. Direct energy was violated. I need to understand. It's purely... purely..."
"Academic?" Kael finished, leaning slightly forward.
"Yes! Academic!" —She practically shouted the word.
Kael laughed, a genuine sound that echoed through the empty library. He stepped back, giving her room to breathe, and made a casual farewell gesture with two fingers, lifting them from his forehead into the air.
—If you want, next time you can sit at my table. The view is better than through the cracks, and I promise to turn the pages of the maps slowly so you can write down your data.
Seekvaira felt her logical mind collapse. The invitation wasn't just provocative; it was casual, intimate, and provocative.
—I-This is...—She stammered, and as he still walked away, not waiting for an answer, the heiress of the Agares clan spun on her heels and marched toward the exit with a speed bordering on desperate flight, murmuring disjointed mathematical formulas to try and calm her own heart.
Kael watched her disappear down the arched corridor, shaking his head.
—"Anomaly," huh? He sat back down, looking at the map, but the image of the blushing, awkward noblewoman was superimposed on the geography of the Underworld. "I think we're making progress."
Day 2: tour of the Agares territory
During his walks, Kael crossed paths with Seekvaira more than once. She always maintained a formal demeanor, but her attention betrayed her nervousness. Every time Kael approached, even casually, her reaction was almost visible: a blush on her cheeks, her glasses tightened, her mind trying to process the unexpected. Kael, in turn, maintained a subtle charm, as if aware of every detail, but without ever breaking the respectful distance.
Day 3: Exploring Agares Territory
On the last day before the semi-final, Kael decided to explore Agares territory. Walking along the edges of the fortresses and study areas, he carefully observed each line of mana, each building pattern, as if mentally tracing the family's power flow.
And then, by chance—or perhaps fate—he found Seekvaira examining an ancient research portal.
"Kael?" She looked up, surprised. "What are you doing around here?"
"Observing," he replied calmly, without fully revealing his thoughts. "It seems that each territory has its own history, its own patterns. I thought it would be interesting to see how the Agares structure everything."
She frowned, intrigued, and took a step closer, her pink eyes shining with curiosity and a hint of disapproval.
"And couldn't you do this at another time? Why now?"
"Perhaps I like coincidences," Kael said with a slight smile. "Or maybe I want to see how you react when you meet me outside of scheduled times."
She blushed discreetly, averting her gaze to hide her surprise. "That's not academic!" she murmured, but curiosity shone in her eyes.
They spent a few minutes exchanging subtle observations, discussing magic and strategies, but always with the tension of those still trying to gauge each other. When Kael finally stepped away, Seekvaira remained still for a few seconds, processing the encounter, her heart racing, her mind divided between logic and impulse.
And so ended the three days before the semi-final: brief encounters, observations, subtle provocations, and that latent feeling that each interaction brought them closer, even without either of them admitting it.
Semi-final — Kael vs. Démion, Sacregear of Illusion
The arena seemed even more alive that day. Lights reflected in the veins of the black stone, and the air carried the energy of the eager spectators. The announcer, in a firm voice, declared:
— Next match: Kael Black faces Démion, representative of the second Lunaris family, wielder of the Sacregear of Illusion!
The crowd murmured. Illusion magic was known to confound even the most experienced fighters—and now Kael would have to deal with something he couldn't simply measure by raw power.
Démion emerged from a translucent mist, the contours of his body trembling as if they were broken reflections. The demonic aura emanating from him was strong, but not savage; it was meticulously controlled, like an artist shaping shadows.
— You're the Low Class who challenged the second Phoenix family? — said Démion, his voice echoing and multiplying around the arena, one of the first manifestations of his Sacregear. — Let's see if your skills hold up when nothing is real.
Kael remained calm. He observed every movement, every distortion of light, every fragment of shadow that detached itself from Démion. No hasty reaction. Only cold analysis.
"Illusions," Kael murmured to himself, his voice low. "They deceive the mind, not the essence."
Démion advanced, and the first wave of illusions unfolded: ghostly clones of himself surrounded Kael, each emitting its own energy, creating echoes of attacks that never truly existed.
Kael took a tiny, almost imperceptible step. One of the clones tried to intercept the movement, but passed through the void.
The second clone fired a barrage of illusory blades. Kael merely touched the air—or at least, it seemed so—and all the blades dissolved like smoke.
"Amazing…" Démion said, his voice trembling slightly. "Not only do you see through the illusions, you… understand the logic behind them." "Magic without structure doesn't exist for me," Kael replied calmly, approaching his opponent with calculated steps. "You depend on distraction. I depend on essence."
Démion attempted a physical attack while multiple clones attacked simultaneously. Kael moved with surgical precision, each step minimal, each dodge calculated. One touch, and Démion's Sacregear began to lose coherence: clones dissolved, illusions shattered, the very energy he controlled trembled.
"What…?" Démion roared, his frustration growing. "My illusions… why aren't they working?"
Kael took a single sideways step. Economical. Silent.
A touch on Démion's shoulder.
"Magic without foundation collapses quickly."
Démion felt his muscles lock, his mana lose cohesion. He was thrown against the arena wall, as if he were just another puppet.
Silence filled the arena. The announcer took a few seconds longer than usual before announcing:
— Winner… Kael Black.
The crowd remained confused. No one knew exactly what had happened—only that Kael had neutralized the power of an illusion Sacregear with a level of technical skill that no one expected from a Low Class.
Seekvaira, in the stands, noted every detail, her pink eyes gleaming. Each of Kael's movements was data for her to analyze, but this time the surprise wasn't merely academic—there was pure fascination.
Kael left the arena with his usual calm, as if he had simply resolved a technical inconvenience. But, deep down, he knew that each opponent from the secondary family of the remaining 72 pillars he faced would be a step towards something even greater.
End of Chapter 8
Do they want longer, less frequent chapters or shorter, more frequent chapters?
I ask you, which secondary family does Kael belong to? It annoyed him, if you get it right there are two chapters?