The Grand Hall buzzed with energy again.
By now, the audience had thinned—only the most determined remained. Whispers passed between students, staff, and scouts alike. Word of the "Vale boy" had spread faster than wildfire, especially after the events of Round Two.
Oliver stood with his squad in the staging area. The arena shimmered with protective barriers, and instructors were stationed at every corner. They weren't taking chances anymore.
"I'm calling it now," Garek muttered. "Next round, I'm fighting blindfolded."
"No one wants to see you do that," Lira deadpanned.
Oliver wasn't listening. His eyes were locked on the list of matchups displayed above the arena.
Match 1: Squad Ardent vs Squad NyxMatch 2: Squad Vale vs Squad Obsidian
"Obsidian?" Aria frowned. "Never heard of them."
"Neither have I," Lira added, brows knitted. "They're not from Earth's main academies. I checked."
Garek snorted. "Sounds dramatic. Probably a bunch of edge-lords with black cloaks and eyeliner."
But Oliver was quiet. The name tickled something in the back of his skull—a sense of wrongness, like déjà vu blended with dread.
Then they walked in.
Four figures.
Matching black uniforms that shimmered with refractive threads. Not academy-issue. Not Earth-designed. Their movements were fluid—too fluid. Like they weren't just walking, but calculating each step.
Their leader was a tall boy, maybe Oliver's age, with stark white hair braided along one side. He wore no insignia, but his presence was magnetic.
The moment their eyes met, Oliver's Core pulsed violently.
Thump.
The boy tilted his head, almost amused. Then—he smiled.
It wasn't friendly.
It was recognition.
Inside the observation chamber, Kaien Deros sat forward.
"That's not possible," he muttered.
Beside him, the instructors looked at one another with unease.
"They're not on the official roster," the woman with violet eyes said.
"And yet here they are," Deros growled. "How the hell did they get approved?"
A shadow moved in the far corner of the room.
"I may have… overlooked a few entries," said a man in a hooded coat, voice smooth and amused.
"You what?"
"They filed under a provisional interplanetary exchange clause. Technically, we couldn't say no without violating the neutrality agreements."
"You brought them here?" Deros hissed. "You let Obsidian in?"
The man smiled. "He needs a push, Captain. Let him remember."
Down below, the match began.
Match 2: Squad Vale vs Squad Obsidian
"Let's stay tight," Aria murmured, sliding into formation beside Oliver. "No solo moves."
"Copy," Garek said. "Still not fighting blindfolded."
The Obsidian squad didn't speak.
They didn't need to.
They moved like a singular organism. One blurred forward—short, wiry, with glowing blue irises—and launched a spinning kick that cracked the ground in front of Lira.
She barely dodged.
"Fast!" she gasped.
Garek roared and lunged, swinging with brutal force—but his opponent vanished and reappeared behind him, striking his kidney with precise force.
Garek wheezed.
"Who are these people?" Lira shouted, trying to regroup.
Aria engaged another one—a tall girl with midnight skin and twin daggers. Each block shook Aria's arms. She wasn't just strong—she was skilled.
And in the center of it all stood the white-haired boy.
Watching.
Waiting.
Oliver stepped toward him, heart pounding.
"I know you," he said quietly.
The boy's smile widened.
"Do you now?" His voice was deep, but smooth. "Or is it just your Core whispering?"
Oliver's eyes narrowed.
Then the boy moved.
Faster than anyone so far in the tournament.
He was on Oliver in an instant, striking with surgical precision. Oliver blocked—barely—each impact sending shocks through his arms.
He's reading me, Oliver realized. Every twitch. Every breath.
But then—
Core Sync Initiated.Adaptive Pattern Recognition: Engaged.Threat Level: High. Matching protocols.
Oliver's Core pulsed, and he adjusted.
The next strike he caught, pivoted, and countered with a heavy palm to the chest.
The boy staggered—just slightly—and laughed.
"Ahh. You are waking up."
"Waking up from what?" Oliver hissed.
The boy leaned in close. "You already know. Just dig a little deeper. It's all in your blood."
Then he swept Oliver's legs and slammed him into the ground.
On the sidelines, Aria stared in horror.
"They're overwhelming us," she muttered.
Lira helped Garek up, who coughed and gave a thumbs up that said barely alive.
"Fall back," Aria commanded.
"Can't leave Oliver!" Lira said.
But Oliver wasn't moving.
He lay on the ground, the Obsidian leader crouched above him, hand on his chest.
"You're not ready," he whispered. "But you will be. And when that time comes… we'll be waiting."
Then he stood and walked away.
One by one, Squad Obsidian retreated. The match had no official end. But no one stepped in.
Because no one could.