Inside the grand viewing box, tension crackled in the air as former General Rosalinda seethed with anger. The sight of the three young nobles destroying Rosalind’s supplies had ignited her fury, and her red rose petal aura leaked from her body, swirling like a storm.

"How dare they!?" she spat, her fists clenched so tightly they trembled.

"General, please calm yourself," said General Sunshine, trying to soothe the enraged woman. "We are in the presence of the King and Queen. I will go there personally to help your granddaughter."

Sunshine turned to the royal couple and bowed. "Your Majesty, if you’ll excuse me."

The King gave a solemn nod, understanding the severity of the situation. Rosalind’s life hung in the balance.

The other former generals murmured among themselves, equally concerned. Even Former General Xavier, who was always guided by logic, agreed that sending Sunshine to heal Rosalind was necessary. The Cleric Knights stationed in the field might not arrive in time—the mountains of Aetherlight were vast and unforgiving.

But not everyone was in agreement.

Former General Lancelot crossed his arms, his sharp gaze fixed on Rosalinda. "If you do this, Rosalind will be disqualified," he said sternly. "Rosalinda, is that what you want? What about your granddaughter’s pride? What if she resents you for this?"

"Lance! This isn’t the time for that!" snapped Former General Lusaric, clearly frustrated with his friend’s bluntness.

But before anyone could retort, a heavy sigh came from Former General Gundrik. "As much as I hate to agree with Lancelot, he’s right," Gundrik said, his deep voice carrying weight. "The Aether Knight Trials are brutal, and everyone who enters knows that. If we save her just because she is our kin, we dishonor the exam—and worse, we disrespect her resolve." His sharp gaze shifted to Rosalinda. "You allowed her to enter because you trusted her strength. If you interfere now, it means you don’t have faith in Rosalind."

Sunshine’s expression darkened. "Father!" she snapped, glaring at Gundrik, furious at his insensitivity.

Former General Theron narrowed his eyes. "Gundrik, isn’t that going too far?"

"Yeah," added Former General Lusaric, shaking his head. "We’re talking about Rosalinda’s granddaughter. Rosalind is the only family she has left after her daughter, Rose, and her son-in-law died in the previous war."

Silence fell over the viewing box.

Rosalinda’s red aura still flickered violently, but her expression was unreadable.

Would she choose to save her granddaughter and risk stripping her of her honor? Or would she trust Rosalind’s strength, even if it meant watching her fight through the pain?

Meanwhile, the battle rages on. Kalavan moved like a storm through the battlefield, weaving through enemies with terrifying ease. Despite his overwhelming strength, he couldn't help but be impressed—the participants displayed excellent coordination, thanks to the leadership of the three nobles. Caelum’s defensive magic was particularly remarkable—his shield could withstand five of Kalavan’s devastating swings before breaking, while Aurelian’s relentless magic attacks continued to strike him. Though Kalavan’s resistance to magic lessened the damage, he knew he couldn’t afford to take too many hits.

On the other hand, Rosalind who is on the sidelines is clutching her wound, she already put some first aid from her personal bag to stop the bleeding, but she still needs medical attention, however, she refused to flee and just kept watching the battle.

"Demon Hunter Swordsmanship: Raging Slash 1!"

Kalavan swung his massive blade toward the ground. A white shockwave surged forward, tearing through the earth. Trees splintered and fell, the ground ruptured, and several unfortunate participants were instantly obliterated.

"Tch, I told you—I have a hard time holding back!" Kalavan growled before charging forward once more.

Adrian stepped up, meeting Kalavan’s sword blow for blow, his face dripping with sweat. The sheer force behind each attack sent vibrations through his arms, but he grinned wildly.

"Demon Hunter Swordsmanship: Raging Slash 2!" Kalavan roared, swinging his blade down.

Adrian's eyes lit up. "This is what I was waiting for!"

"Counter Blade!"

As their swords clashed, Adrian’s ability activated—redirecting the force of Kalavan’s attack back at him. A shockwave exploded outward, engulfing Kalavan in his own devastating skill.

The battlefield erupted into cheers. Adrian raised his arms with a smug grin, savoring the moment of victory.

As the dust settled, Kalavan’s body was revealed—bruised, bloodied, and sprawled on the ground. His breathing was ragged, and his vision blurred from the impact.

"I let my guard down..." Kalavan admitted, grinning as he forced himself to stand.

Rosalind, clutching her wounds, was shocked. "That skill… it actually hurt Kalavan!" She had never expected Adrian to injure a General using his own attack.

Kalavan dusted himself off, rolling his shoulders. Then, he grinned.

"Hey, boy. I didn’t expect that," he admitted. "You and your motley gang of shits are better than I thought. I’ll give you that."

Then, he vanished.

Before Caelum could react, Kalavan reappeared in front of him, his blade humming with lethal intent.

"Haha, what can you do?" Caelum scoffed. "Didn’t you learn your lesson? I can block all of your—"

A single swing cleaved through Caelum’s defenses, cutting him in half before he could finish his sentence.

Adrian and Aurelian’s eyes widened in horror as their comrade—their most valuable support—was instantly slain.

"W-What…?" Aurelian stammered, his voice trembling.

A nearby participant whispered in terror, "I’ve heard rumors... They say that the more damage General Kalavan takes, the stronger he becomes. He’s a monster who can slay even high-ranking demons…"

Adrian gritted his teeth. "So what?! I'll just counter your skills!" he shouted before charging headfirst.

"Adrian, wait!" Aurelian yelled.

But Adrian didn’t listen. Behind him, other participants launched spells, fired arrows, and unleashed everything they had.

Kalavan exhaled sharply.

"Fucking kids. Let’s see you reflect this then."

Before the attacks could reach him, Kalavan vanished again, this time reappearing high above the battlefield, soaring past the clouds.

A shadow loomed over the battlefield.

Adrian’s heart stopped as he looked up.

"Oh, shit—"

"DEMONIC METEOR DESTROYER!!"

Kalavan rocketed down like a meteor, crashing into the ground with a force that shook the entire mountain range.

In the royal viewing box, the explosion illuminated the night sky.

"Rosalind!!!" Rosalinda screamed, her face twisting in sheer horror.

Gundrik sighed heavily. "That idiot… I know Kalavan has the freedom to use any skill he wants but why use something that destructive?!"

Rosalinda sobbed uncontrollably, mourning the loss of her granddaughter. "I lost her... I lost Rosalind… AHHHH!"

Sunshine clenched her fists, devastated but unable to say anything.

As the dust cleared, the battlefield was unrecognizable. The once-dense forest had been leveled.

All 80 participants were dead—their charred corpses scattered like ashes. Aurelian lay barely breathing, his body half-burned beyond recognition.

"H-H-Help… I g-give up—" Aurelian gasped, reaching out weakly.

Kalavan silenced him with a clean decapitation.

"I don’t care about the words of cowards who try to sacrifice others," he muttered. "You all deserved to die."

Then a voice cut through the heavy silence.

"Nice one, old guy!"

Kalavan turned sharply to see a young boy standing there, grinning.

In his arms, he held Rosalind, who slowly opened her eyes in shock.

She recognized him immediately—the infamous Mixarnt, the boy who defeated Former General Lancelot in a duel.

Kalavan smirked, exhaling tiredly. "Hah… another challenger, huh?" His upper body was covered in wounds, his clothes burned away, leaving only his battle-worn physique exposed.