11th September, 1507

Now that everyone in the crowd had seen Finn’s fight they were prepared for the challenges that lay in front of them. At the very least they could fight without worrying for their lives.

“Alright, you, the girl with the short hair, you're up next” Elara said expressionlessly as he pointed towards a girl who was standing at the back of the crowd.

She was 165 centimetres, had a bob cut with black hair, a cute appearance, a ninjato stuck to her waist and wore an ordinary outfit. When Elara pointed to her, her heart shook as she didn’t think she would be going this early.

As she stepped forward, the weight of her family's hopes and sacrifices bore down on her shoulders. Each hesitant stride echoed the uncertainty in her heart, but the image of her loved ones fueled her determination.

In the bustling streets of Chimera Vale, commoner families whispered tales of Realms Rite as their voices tinged with both desperation and longing. For many commoners, this event represented a slim chance at a better life—a glimmer of hope in the shadows of societal disparity.

The children had to first participate in a tournament before they could qualify for the Realms Rite. The tournament itself was a gruelling test of both skill and endurance. From dawn till dusk for 11 days, participants had to clash in fierce combat with their bodies pushed to the brink of exhaustion. Each day brought new challenges, new opponents to face, and the relentless pressure to prove oneself worthy of entry into the Realms Rite.

Yet, amidst the chaos of the tournament, another challenge lurked in the shadows—the influence of the wealthy and powerful Lexarch families. With their vast resources and professional training, they are able to train their offspring in real combat, giving them an edge over the commoners who can only rely on themselves. One can only hope they are not pitted against these higher rankers, otherwise a brutal match awaits them.

Despite the odds stacked against her, she pressed on with her mind fueled by a fierce determination to defy expectations and carve out a brighter future for herself and her family. For her, the path to the Realms Rite and becoming a Lexarch was the only way to give her and her family a better life.

As she strolled through the tranquil meadow, her gaze fixated on the ethereal glow of the white dandelions. Pausing at a precise distance, she tightened her grip on her ninjato with anticipation coursing through her veins.

Suddenly, a delicate pink pellet descended from the Luminar tree before transforming into a mesmerizing blue gem before her eyes. Casting a dim radiance, the gem unveiled a faint, translucent figure—a minotaur, gradually materializing before her.

In a mere heartbeat, the spectral image solidified into a towering behemoth with its crimson eyes piercing through the veil of reality. In comparison, she seemed no larger than a mouse facing a relentless predator with her determination the only shield against the impending danger.

The girl drew her ninjato with steely eyes and surged forward, as she closed the distance with the minotaur. The beast bellowed, wielding its massive axe as it charged towards her in turn.

When both were 2 meters apart, the minotaur attacked with a leftward diagonal swing from the top, but the girl deftly evaded by sliding between the legs of the minotaur. The axe bore deep into the ground as the girl swiftly turned around mid-slide, her assault now aimed toward the minotaur's vulnerable flank.

Anticipating her maneuver, the minotaur adjusted its stance and readied for another strike from the left. Yet, as she closed in once more, it attempted a defensive swing with its one free hand trying to intercept her.

Undeterred by the attack, she quickly calculated her next move and opted to slide again beneath the impending blow. With determination fueling her resolve, she slid under the giant arm of the minotaur with the intention of attacking the unguarded chest of the minotaur as one of its arms still held the axe that dug into the ground while the other free hand was attacking her right now.

But just as her slide neared finishing, the minotaur's looming arm halted mid-air directly over the girl, a foreboding pause that made the girl grip her heart with trepidation. Then, with a thunderous crash, the giant arm descended, threatening to shatter her upper body.

Bam!

One of the girl’s arms ended up getting caught in the attack and being crushed by the impact.

“Ach!”

She cried out as the minotaur's heavy arm pinned her down, unable to free herself from its crushing weight. She desperately tried to get her arm out but it didn’t budge. She turned her head up and her eyes met the minotaur's grin that was filled with delight having finally caught its prey.

As if already knowing her grim future she resolved her gaze as she swiftly made a decision.

With her free arm, she swung her ninjato and slashed at the arm that was trapped under the weight.

Surprised by her boldness, the minotaur didn’t expect its prey to be this desperate. The girl effortlessly cut off the pinned arm and now seizing this short window of opportunity, the girl leaped towards the minotaur’s exposed chest, knowing it couldn't defend itself with one arm holding the axe that dug into the ground on one side and the other on the ground.

As the minotaur realized its defeat was imminent, it let go of the axe and attempted to do a desperate embrace trying to crush the girl and end her life before fading away with the gem.

With determination, the girl reached the gem and plunged her ninjato into it before shattering the source of the minotaur's power. As the creature began to vanish, she felt a sense of relief wash over her.

But her respite was short-lived. Suddenly, a sharp pain pierced her back, causing her to cough up blood.

She was sent flying through the minotaur's dissipating form as she tumbled to the ground, her body rolling a few times before stopping. The girl’s consciousness then slipped away as darkness enveloped her.

...

A flame appeared beside the girl as a figure cloaked in white, adorned with flickering flames, materialized beside the unconscious girl, extending a weathered hand that emitted a soothing green light. It was Luna, arriving in the nick of time to save the girl from the brink of death.

With a stern gaze, Luna observed the girl's condition, then she sighed in relief as she ensured the girl would survive, though lamenting her misfortune in being struck by the minotaur's final blow.

Smiling warmly at the girl's exhausted form, Luna offered her a silent congratulations.

In the hushed crowd, spectators bore witness to the immense determination required to overcome the Realms Rite, the solemn atmosphere devoid of celebratory cheers.

Emerging from a flicker of flames in front of the crowd, Luna cradled the unconscious girl in her arm who was still clutching her sword tightly.

As tension gripped the crowd, Elara's ominous words echoed through the air, signaling the next participant—a seemingly ordinary boy. With resolve, he pushed through his fear, advancing toward the ominous tree in the distance.

As the Realms Rite unfolded, each youth stepped forward with their hearts heavy from the weight of their hopes for a better future. Despite their varied attempts and strategies, most encounters with the minotaur ended abruptly within seconds. The deadly precision of the creature's attacks left challengers flustered and defenseless, their weapons often shattering upon impact or failing to breach the minotaur's formidable defense.

Some sought to replicate Finn's daring tactic as they threw their weapons, aiming to make contact with the elusive blue gem. Yet, their efforts proved futile as the minotaur swiftly adapted and countered their every move with ruthless efficiency. Then a student with exceptional skill managed to get through the minotaur’s defences and got his weapon to touch the blue gem. The youth immediately started celebrating, but a moment of misguided celebration turned to horror as the unfortunate soul discovered the minotaur didn’t dissipate then with a silent and swift strike, he lost one of his limbs before the elders stopped the match.

The students then realized that the criteria for success was not simply to touch the gem, but to make physical skin contact. It was a stark distinction between throwing a weapon that spelled the difference between victory and defeat, a lesson learned at great cost.

Following the destruction of the gem by the girl with the bob cut, the minotaur's tactics evolved. No longer could challengers exploit its vulnerabilities with sacrificial limbs or desperate maneuvers. The creature had learned, adapting its strategy to thwart any further attempts at subversion, leaving would-be victors to confront the harsh reality of their opponent's formidable prowess.

Whenever the youth’s lives were in danger, the elders always managed to intervene in the nick of time with mysterious powers, causing the minotaur to meet various unexpected fates — engulfed in flames, frozen, or even vanishing without a trace.

Despite the distance of more than 50 meters from the elders, their timely interventions ensured the challengers' survival, providing a glimmer of hope amidst the chaos of battle.

Even Kai with his reputation as the strongest 15-year-old, struggled against the minotaur's might. With his great sword proving ineffective and too slow, Kai resorted to consuming a special potion provided by his family and only then did he manage to compensate for his lack of speed as he narrowly managed to touch the blue gem before facing imminent danger.

The Luminar tree's judgment extended beyond physical strength, considering wealth as a form of power. While the potion aided Kai, breaking the gem required a more stringent criterion — the use of physical body only with the exception of the weapon.

Lorien on the other hand was more of an all-rounder as he skillfully fought with the minotaur using chained swords as his weapon. With a stroke of luck and his adept skills, he managed to entangle the creature's arms using his chained swords, effectively immobilizing it. His only option now was to touch the gem since his swords were currently binding the monster. With a sense of resignation, Lorien touched the blue gem, claiming victory in the Realms Rite.

The fight involving the twin bald siblings stood out among the fights. They chose not to use weapons, relying solely on their physical prowess. Typically, this would put them at a disadvantage, as weapons could still be utilized for tactics like throwing or blocking, yet they effortlessly triumphed in both contests.

Their success stemmed from their agile, monkey-like movements which enabled them to dodge attacks fluidly and even at some point climb the minotaur's back, where it couldn't effectively counter, thus giving them the opportunity to touch the blue gem unhindered.

Following their performance, everyone’s attention then turned to a girl with an icy demeanor and jet-black hair. Surprisingly, she also opted out of using a weapon, but unlike the bald brothers, she didn’t possess the same level of agility. Before heading into the fight, she unexpectedly shocked onlookers by biting into her palm and then starting the match with bloodied hands.

...

While the intense battles unfolded on the plains, Seren's focus was elsewhere. Oblivious to the spectacle, he busied himself with gathering sizable chunks of grass with deliberate and purposeful movements. He put meticulous care as he began fashioning something from the grass.

Seeing that his product was almost complete, Seren stood up and started walking towards Lorien who was standing in the distance.

Meanwhile, Lorien as he continued to watch the match, noticed Seren approaching him. Suspicion flickered in his eyes as Seren drew nearer, his attention divided between the ongoing fights and the approaching figure.

When Seren finally reached Lorien's side, his expression was unreadable, devoid of emotion. In a flat tone, he said to Lorien “I want to borrow the metal wire on your chained swords for this fight”.

Lorien observed him for a moment before asking with a serious look “What do I get in return?” to which Seren replied still in an expressionless state “I will owe you a favor”.

Lorien stayed silent as he gave Seren a deep look. After a few seconds, he promptly took out his weapon before taking off the metal wire and handing it over to Seren. As he handed the chain over he warned with a hint of threat “You will have to pay for the damages if anything happens to the wire”. Seren didn’t say anything and just took the wire before slowly walking back to the stash of grass he had gathered.

In reality, the metal wire was cheap, Lorien just wanted to make things difficult for Seren in the case of an accident.

...

As the minotaur unleashed its fury, the girl with the long, jet-black hair danced effortlessly out of harm's way, enraging the beast even further. In a daring move, she seized an opportunity when the minotaur momentarily exposed its chest, but she was still at least 3 meters from the gem.

Suddenly, her hand which was still dripping with blood, clenched into a fist. With a swift motion, she swung her bloody arm toward the minotaur, causing its assault to abruptly halt.

In a bewildering turn of events, the minotaur's form then began to disintegrate as it slowly vanished into a cascade of luminous particles in mere moments. The crowd watched with bewilderment in their eyes at the sudden turn of events. Some even speculated whether the girl had used a secret weapon or power to swiftly defeat the minotaur.

"Smart," Elara remarked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Finn also seemingly bewildered by the unfolding events, interjected with a confused inquiry. Elara, relishing in the opportunity to tease Finn, explained the girl's unexpected tactic: she used the blood dripping from her hand to make contact with the blue gem, exploiting the fact that the Luminar tree recognized genetic code as a form of direct contact.

This information left the other youths in the crowd feeling a pang of regret for not considering such a strategy earlier. However, their chances had come and gone with many of them returning from their attempts having multiple injuries or failed attempts.

Now, the last challenger remaining was Seren. Without needing Elara's reminder, he stepped forward, clad in rugged attire with hands empty but determination evident in his piercing red eyes.

Everyone watched with anticipation in their minds knowing Seren’s cheap tricks could no longer help in the upcoming battle.