Oblivion's Throne-Chapter 111: Leonidas Lunev

Orion was sprawled across his bed, the battle for the top spot was relentless, and he strained himself jumping from a battle to another. He hadn't even noticed how exhausted he was until he got into his room. His communicator bracelet buzzed softly on the nightstand.

[Incoming call: Isolde.]

He groaned, he should have put it into sleep mode but he was awake already so he still answered, dragging himself upright and running a hand through his disheveled hair.

The moment the call connected, Isolde's face appeared. But she wasn't alone. Juno, Felix, Darius, and a few others crowded around, their faces eager, their eyes filled with determination.

Orion's eyes flickered between them, trying to focus. "What's up?" His voice was thick with sleep.

Isolde didn't bother with small talk. She met Orion's gaze, unwavering. "We're in. And before you start asking questions, just hear us out."

Orion blinked, still shaking off the remnants of sleep. He rubbed his temple and squinted at the screen. "In? In what exactly?" His voice was thick but curiosity crept in beneath it.

Juno leaned forward, a glint of mischief in her eyes. "Look, after this phase ends, you're going to need a faction. And let's be honest, we'd rather fight with you than throw our lot in with some second-rate squad."

Darius smirked, crossing his arms as he leaned slightly into the screen. "Come on, Orion. We both know you're not the type to sit back and let someone else call the shots. We'd rather be ahead of the curve than scrambling to catch up."

Orion's tired mind struggled to keep up with their words. Form a faction? He hadn't even thought about it, too focused on holding onto his position, surviving the next stage. But as he saw the sincerity in their eyes, something clicked. These weren't just people looking to follow him because of his family name nor skills. They wanted to work with him. They wanted to be part of something bigger.

"Alright," Orion murmured, dragging a hand through his hair before exhaling sharply. "Let's do it. But if this backfires, I'm blaming all of you."

Isolde flashed him a grin. "Good. Because we already started recruiting."

Orion let out a short laugh, despite himself. He hadn't even given a second thought to forming a faction, but now it seemed that everyone around him had already started thinking about it.

The call ended shortly after, and as he lay back in bed he felt himself slipping into a deep sleep, his body giving in to the demands of fatigue.

When Orion finally opened his eyes, it was mid-afternoon, the light filtering weakly through his window. He rubbed his eyes, his limbs stiff and heavy. Sixteen hours. He hadn't intended to sleep that long, but his body had forced the issue.

He sat up slowly, stretching and groaning, feeling the weariness lift from his bones just a little. The fatigue that had been weighing on him for days was gone, replaced by a strange clarity. It was almost as if his body had reset—but his mind, it was still tangled in the thoughts from the previous night.

The first thing he did was check his communicator bracelet. Several messages. Most were from Isolde, giving him updates on faction plans.

But what caught his eye was the stream of the top 1000 contenders' matches.

Orion clicked it open. The faces of his peers flickered across the screen—students who had clawed their way through the ranks, each one fighting to prove their worth.

He leaned forward, watching intently. His first thought was to study the others, find their weaknesses and strengths. But soon, his mind was lost in the brutality of the matches. The round-robin format made the fight seem endless, and it wasn't just about skill anymore—it was about endurance. The top contenders had their own strategies, some ruthless, some just sheer force of will.

He eyes widened in surprise as he clicked Leonidas Lunev's stream, the swordsman he'd been fascinated with in the last phase stepped into the arena. His moves were fluid, precise, each swing of his blade a deadly dance. Orion couldn't help but admire the man's discipline. But then, Orion realized that Leonidas lost his last phase— and instead of being eliminated, he was placed within the top 1000?

Orion paused the screen. "What?" He whispered to himself, confused.

Leonidas had lost, and by the rules, he should've been disqualified, but somehow, he was fighting as a contender.

He scrubbed a hand over his face, still puzzled..

There had to be a reason. Some loophole, some exploit, something that no one had thought of—

And then it hit him.

His eyes snapped back to the screen, scanning the battle records of the previous phase. The Mountain Kingdom and the River Kingdom.

They had taken over each other's castles. Not as enemies. As allies.

Orion froze.

No. It couldn't be that simple... could it?

But the more he thought about it, the more it made perfect sense.

The rules dictated that a faction needed to hold a castle for at least a full day to pass the trial. The assumption had always been that this meant defeating their enemies and keeping control. But nowhere did the rules say that a faction couldn't reach an agreement.

Which meant—

If two factions willingly exchanged castles and held them for the required time, both of them could pass without ever truly conquering each other.

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Orion smacked his forehead, groaning.

"You've got to be kidding me."

How had he not thought of that? It was so obvious in hindsight. A perfect, clean bypass of the Academy's elimination mechanics. Instead of fighting a drawn-out war that risked disqualification, the two kingdoms had traded castles and played the rules against themselves.

And who was the one who orchestrated it all?

His eyes flicked back to Leonidas' name on the rankings.

Leonidas Lunev.

Orion exhaled sharply, staring at the ceiling. It had to be this bastard.

He couldn't decide whether to be impressed or irritated. Leonidas hadn't passed by brute strength or sheer dominance. He passed by understanding the rules.

Orion shook his head, a wry grin tugging at his lips.

"This boy is getting more interesting." he muttered, still stunned by the sheer audacity of it all.

He leaned back in his bed, his mind now wide awake, processing this unexpected turn of events.

Leonidas wasn't just skilled—he was methodical, calculating, and had a way of bending the rules to his favor. Orion's respect for him grew as he pondered how he could apply such tactics himself.

His family name stood out to Orion and Orion couldn't help but frown.

Wait a minute... Lunev?

Orion's eyes narrowed. Lunev?

He hadn't really thought about Lev earlier, but now it struck him like a bolt of lightning.

A sharp realization hit him. The Lunevs. The same family, with that signature speed and precision. He scrolled back through the rankings, his brain racing.

"This really suck." Orion muttered, as it all clicked together. "I wanted to recruit him."

Orion rubbed his chin, his mind racing. This changed everything.

"I just hope he is not connected to the Codex."