ONLINE: Blades of Eternity-Chapter 257: THE AFTERMATH OF A BATTLE

A heavy silence loomed over the entire coliseum.

The air—thick with tension.

No one spoke.

No one moved.

Even the cheers that had erupted earlier died down in uncertainty.

Then—

A voice finally broke the silence.

Seraphine.

Her expression was unreadable as she gazed at the three unconscious warriors in the center of the ruined arena.

With a commanding tone, she spoke:

"Medics! Step forward and check on them."

Immediately—

A team of healers and medical staff rushed onto the battlefield, weaving through the debris, their hands glowing with diagnostic spells as they carefully examined Sylphie, Kelvin, and Kaelen.

Moments passed.

Then—

One of the medics stood up and announced:

"They are all unconscious but in stable condition!"

Seraphine closed her eyes for a brief second.

Then finally—

She turned toward the audience.

With an authoritative voice, Seraphine made the official declaration:

"The winner of the Second Phase of the Battle Convention is—

Dawning of Magic Academy!"

A mix of emotions surged through the audience.

Cheering erupted from the Dawning of Magic Academy's supporters.

Some were stunned.

Some were whispering in hushed voices.

Some simply sat in silence, processing the outcome.

Despite the conflicting emotions, Seraphine remained unshaken.

With a steady voice, she called out:

"Representatives from all three academies, come forward and retrieve your warriors."

And right in the next minute, a graceful figure stepped into the arena.

Rafaela.

With elegant movements, she knelt beside Sylphie and gently lifted her up into her arms.

Then, without a word—

She turned and walked out of the arena, carrying her fallen comrade.

Next—

A familiar black-haired figure entered.

Forbes.

His calm expression was betrayed by the faintest trace of concern in his eyes.

With ease, he lifted Kaelen onto his back.

He shot a glance toward the VIP section and then at Castenada who gave him a simply nod in response before carrying Kaelen out of the battlefield.

Finally—

A petite girl emerged from the sidelines.

Her delicate frame seemed almost out of place amidst the destruction.

But then—

She raised a hand.

A subtle ripple in the air—

And Kelvin's body levitated.

Using what seems to be gravity magic, she carefully lifted him up before walking toward the exit.

All eyes were on them as they left.

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A strange weight still lingered in the atmosphere.

As if something was still unresolved.

Up in the VIP section—

King Alexandria leaned forward slightly, his gaze locked onto Kaelen's unconscious form.

And at that moment—

A single thought echoed through the minds of many:

What happens next?

The VIP section was quieter than before.

The announcement of Dawning of Magic Academy's victory had settled in, but there was still an undercurrent of tension in the air.

And then—

A deep, regal voice broke the silence.

"Congratulations, Chancellor Castaneda."

All eyes turned toward King Alexandria.

A faint smile adorned his face as he continued, his voice calm yet weighty:

"You truly have promising students."

Castaneda's expression barely shifted.

But within—

He knew.

He knew exactly what the king was referring to.

It was not about the Pacesetters Academy.

Not the team's performance.

Instead, it was Kaelen.

And his Blade of Eternity.

The unmasked royal blue sword that now exposed the truth to the world.

Still—

Castaneda was no fool.

He forced a humble chuckle as he replied:

"You flatter me, Your Majesty. But in the end, it was not enough to secure victory."

King Alexandria's smile did not waver.

Instead—

He leaned back slightly in his seat, eyes still locked onto Castaneda.

And then—

With a tone that was subtle, yet piercing—

He spoke:

"The weight of history is heavy… especially when carried by the unprepared."

The words struck deep.

For the first time, Castaneda stiffened.

It was a statement that seemed innocent on the surface—

Yet it carried a warning.

A reminder.

That the Blade of Eternity was not just any sword.

That Kaelen's possession of it would not go unnoticed.

Castaneda felt the gazes of the other academy leaders, of generals, of nobles.

All watching.

All waiting.

But he quickly composed himself.

With a small nod, he replied evenly:

"A fair statement, Your Majesty."

And with that—

The conversation ended.

Meanwhile…

On the opposite side of the VIP section—

Two figures observed unmoved amidst the murmurs of the crowd as one of them sat while the other stood right behind the one seated.

One of them—

Kael Dragonyx.

His expression unreadable, a smirk barely touching his lips.

The one beside him—

Was none other than his right-hand man whom finally spoke in a low voice, one only Kael could hear.

"Shall I retrieve the sword after this?"

Kael's gaze remained on the battlefield, where Kaelen had been carried away.

A moment passed—

Then, without looking at his subordinate, he replied:

"That would be unnecessary."

A pause.

Then—

His voice dropped even lower, filled with absolute confidence.

"Everything is going as planned."

Back at the arena— which was still trembling from the aftermath of the battle—fell into a momentary silence.

Then—

Seraphine's voice echoed through the coliseum, her tone unwavering and authoritative.

"With this, the second phase of the Battle Convention has officially come to an end."

Murmurs immediately spread across the stands, but Seraphine was far from finished.

She raised her hand, silencing the growing noise before continuing—

"A week from today, the final stage of this convention shall commence, which will be…"

She did a momentary pause to raise suspense amongst the audience before she continued.

"The Trials of Creation."

And immediately after, the coliseum erupted.

A tidal wave of shock, confusion, and disbelief crashed through the crowd.

"What?! The Trials of Creation?!"

"Impossible! That hasn't been part of the convention since its inception!"

"I thought that event has gone extinct over the years due to how gruesome it is!?"

"Why bring it back now?"

Even many high-ranking officials exchanged uncertain glances.

The Trials of Creation was not just another final match.

It was an ordeal—a test meant to push combatants beyond their limits, both physically and mentally.

But Seraphine remained unmoved.

She waited a moment, letting the reactions settle before firmly concluding:

"That is all. The second phase of the Battle Convention has officially ended."

With that—

She lowered her hand and calmly yet mysteriously vanished from the spot she was in the air, leaving the uproar to spread unchecked.

Meanwhile, in the Sub-VIP Section…

Seated among the elite spectators, Vice Chancellor Reeves and General Cao sat grim-faced as they exchanged glances.

"The Trials of Creation…" Reeves muttered, eyes narrowing.

"The time has finally come." General Cao added with a low grunt.

A heavy silence passed between them.

Then—without hesitation—Reeves finally spoke, his tone decisive:

"We need to regroup with Forbes and the others before returning to the Soaring Dragons Pavilion."

"Agreed."

Wasting no time, the two stood from their seats, slipping away from the restless murmurs of the audience.

They had to act fast.

With the Trials of Creation looming, the stakes had just been raised to an entirely different level.

Meanwhile, high above the coliseum, hidden amongst the clouds, Aether stood with his arms folded behind his back, his silver hair drifting in the wind.

His eyes, sharp like the edge of a celestial blade, remained fixed on the grand stage below.

"The Trials of Creation..." he muttered under his breath, his voice laced with a rare grimness.

His mind flickered back—countless years ago—when he, too, had faced this trial.

Back then, he had stepped into the trial with comrades he trusted with his life while as an ordinary student of the Pacesetters Academy.

Yet—

Not some—but all of them—had walked out crippled.

At that time, the Trials of Creation wasn't a stage in a minor event such as the battle convention. Instead, it was an event that was held on a stage so grand that all races across the land of Aetheris would participate in other to achieve the unprecedented power of the Celestials.

He clenched his fist.

In as much as the rewards of the Trials of Creation was mightily bountiful, the gruesomeness of the trial was beyond comprehension, a hellish test meant to break the spirit and shatter the body.

Even he—someone who stood at the peak—had barely walked away intact.

But now—

They were bringing it back?

"Why now, after all these years?"

Suspicion rose in his chest as he thought grimly.

'Was this just another phase of the Battle Convention? Or was there something darker at play?'

But then—

His thoughts came to a crashing halt.

Because down below—

King Alexandria suddenly looked up.

Aether's breath hitched.

The king's calm smile met his gaze—unshaken, unwavering.

But that smile—

It was wrong.

'He can see me?'

A chill crawled up Aether's spine.

That was not the smile of a man simply watching a tournament.

It was the smile of someone who knew something.

Something Aether did not.

And in that instant—Aether vanished.

He could not stay there any longer.

Because suddenly—a terrible, ominous feeling began to gnaw at his very soul.

Something was happening in this kingdom.

Something really, really dark.