"H-how do you know that!?"
Carol questioned Rajin, her voice trembling, caught between shock and disbelief. The moment she heard the name of the golden spear pass through his lips, a chill ran down her spine.
That name wasn't recorded in textbooks or official documents. It was sacred — a legacy whispered only within the ancient halls of royal archives, guarded through generations like a flame in the wind.
A small, knowing smile crept across Rajin's face. He stepped forward, his presence oddly calm, even as the weight of what he had just said hung thick in the air.
"Thanks to an old acquaintance of mine… a peculiar man who lived more in books than in the real world. He had a passion — or rather, an obsession — with the untold tales of this world.
While others dismissed them as myths, he believed history was far more complex than the official version. I owe a lot to him."
He glanced toward the arena's high walls, as if recalling a distant memory.
"One day, while exploring his personal library — an underground vault crammed with scrolls, shattered tablets, and leather-bound tomes — I stumbled across a book buried beneath layers of dust and time.
Its pages were half-torn, brittle… nearly erased from existence. But what I found in that ancient relic was more than worth the time I spent reading it."
Everyone in the arena watched him silently, tension rising like a growing storm. The once-rowdy audience was now frozen, hanging onto his every word, curiosity overpowering even their disbelief.
"W-what did you find in that book!?"
Carol asked, her voice barely a whisper now. Sweat clung to her brow. Somewhere deep down, she already feared the answer.
Rajin grinned wider, his eyes flashing with sharp intensity.
"I found something never spoken in the open. A truth buried beneath centuries of lies — a secret hidden by those with power, status… families like yours."
He raised a hand as if painting the picture before them.
"In that grand battle — the one etched into every history scroll — after the Demon King 'Ravana' unleashed the Resurrection Array, the Devas intervened. As we all know, they granted humans the responsibility to protect all life on Earth."
He paused, letting the familiar tale ring in everyone's minds.
"To help us fulfill that duty, they gifted us the ATSURAs — divine powers channeling the strength of the heavens. That's the version taught in schools, inscribed in temples, sung in ballads. But…"
He leaned slightly forward.
"That's not the whole story."
A wave of unease spread through the crowd.
"In that same battle, the Devas did something else — something unrecorded. Along with the nine heavenly weapons we know of, they bestowed five Mythical weapons… weapons not of duty, but of judgment. Their nature… was different. Far more, diligent, like a weapon to prosper not to kill...."
Carol's eyes widened slightly, her grip on her weapon tightening.
"These weapons weren't meant for public knowledge. They were too unique, too unstable. So the responsibility of protecting them — and hiding them — fell to five noble families scattered across the globe. They swore oaths of silence. And over generations, their very existence was erased from history."
He stared straight at her now, voice steady.
"And if my guess is right… one of those families is yours, isn't it? The Royal Family of Sweden."
Carol froze. Her body stiffened, her breath caught in her throat. Whispers rose among the spectators like wildfire.
Rajin's eyes twitched with amusement as he took another step closer, his smirk widening.
"That spear of yours… it isn't just a symbol of royalty or an heirloom of pride. It's one of the five Mythical weapons — the Triaina."
Gasps erupted through the arena. Even the seasoned mages and instructors among the crowd couldn't hide their shock. Until now, everyone believed the Atsuras were the peak of divine weaponry. But this… this was beyond that.
Shinju, who had been silently watching, stared at Rajin in astonishment.
"Such a shame…"
Rajin's tone turned mocking.
"That the one wielding this great weapon lacks the strength to use it properly. If you had, I would've been reduced to dust the moment I blocked your spear with my bare hand."
Carol's face contorted in rage. Veins rose on her forehead as she gritted her teeth, knuckles whitening around the Triaina's shaft.
"I have to admit… everything you said is true," she said through clenched teeth, her voice laced with fury and pride.
"Our family has protected the Triaina for five centuries. But no one — not a single heir — ever managed to wield it. On their tenth birthday, the eldest child was required to attempt the ritual.
Every time, the result was the same: the moment they tried to infuse their mana into the weapon, their mind and heart were torn apart. It was as if the spear itself rejected their soul."
She paused, her eyes darkening with memory.
"On my tenth birthday, I stood trembling before the Triaina, fully prepared to face death. Fear gripped my heart like never before. I was terrified—terrified by the stories of those who had tried before me and were broken by the weapon's cruel power. Yet, even in that darkness, I understood the weight of my bloodline pressing down on me.
I knew that if I refused, my family would punish me in ways far worse than death... and, even more unbearable, they would force my younger siblings to endure that same merciless fate."
A heavy silence fell over everyone as she spoke, her voice barely steady.
"To protect the smile of the one I loved, I faced the Triaina... the grand, merciless weapon... but—"
Her voice softened.
"When I grasped the weapon and poured my power into it, I felt something awaken inside me — something indescribable. There was no pain. Just a rush… like the gates had opened inside my soul."
The air grew heavier as the Triaina began to glow faintly in her grip.
"When I opened my eyes, the spear was shining brighter than the sun. It was the first time in half a millennium that it had accepted a wielder."
She pointed the spear directly at Rajin.
"So you were wrong about one thing. In this entire world, only I can wield the Triaina. Anyone else would've been shattered by its power. It chose me… or I'd be long dead."
Her aura exploded outward as wind swirled violently around her. The clouds above twisted unnaturally, and the Triaina gleamed like a spear of judgment.
"And now… I'll show you why it chose me!"
Carol roared and launched forward, the very ground cracking beneath her feet. The sheer pressure from her magic forced the weaker spectators to shield their eyes.
"RAJIN! TODAY, YOU WILL MEET YOUR END!!"
The spear crackled with divine energy as she closed the distance in a flash. Rajin, however, didn't move. His eyes calmly followed her, as if observing a tide that had already crested.
The crowd screamed — some in fear, others in awe. If Rajin didn't react, he'd be skewered instantly.
Carol was almost upon him now, her muscles tensed, eyes burning with fury. She raised the Triaina high.
"RAJIN, THIS IS YOUR END!!"
She roared as she thrust the weapon toward his abdomen.
THUD!!
A sudden sound echoed across the arena — but not the sound of impact.
Carol collapsed to the ground mid-charge, her body seizing up. Her knees struck the stone floor, her weapon slipping from her grasp.
(What's happening!? Why did I fall!? Why is my vision… blurring…? Wh-what is this…?)
Panic flooded her thoughts. She tried to move, but her body wouldn't respond.
The entire arena was stunned. A moment ago, she was an unstoppable force. Now, she lay helplessly on the ground.
Rajin slowly approached her, his breath slightly uneven. He knelt beside her and gently ran his fingers through her hair.
Carol looked up at him weakly, confusion filling her fading gaze.
"W-what did you do to me…?" she whispered. "Why… can't I move…?"
Rajin's smile was faint, almost sorrowful.
"Oh? You still don't understand?"
He leaned closer, speaking softly but clearly.
"I didn't do anything. Your own body betrayed you. The Triaina… it's not meant to be wielded so recklessly. Even if you were chosen, using it for this long, in this state… your limbs gave out. Your organs… torn from the inside."
Carol's lips quivered. Her eyes glistened with helplessness.
"And now… you've reached your limit."
Rajin exhaled, the toll of battle catching up to him.
"Well, it seems… I've reached mine too."
With those words, his body gave out, and he collapsed beside her, unconscious.
The silence was deafening — until a sudden flash of light appeared in the center of the arena.
Tomoki, the referee and host of the Inter-Division battles, raised his hand.
"After such an intense exchange, with Carol Johansson collapsing moments before Rajin, the winner of this team battle is…"
He paused dramatically.
"The Fourth Division!!"
A second of silence — and then an explosion of cheers.
"Thus, in the battle between the First Division and the Fourth Division… the victory goes to the Fourth Division!"
The arena erupted. Cheers, gasps, applause — the atmosphere was electric.
"And now, the Fourth Division will advance to face the Second Division in the final round!" Tomoki continued, his voice echoing with pride and excitement. "And with that… the second day of the Inter-Division Battles comes to an end!!"
WOOOOAHHHH!!!
The audience roared. Some were ecstatic. Others heartbroken. But all agreed — what they had just witnessed was a battle that would be remembered for years...