**
Time seemed to slow to a crawl. The black spear, wreathed in repulsive, corrupt energy, sliced through the air toward Athena at a speed that defied comprehension.
My senses were at their limit, my energy at its peak, yet even then, I knew I didn't have time to physically intercept the spear. I shouted for Athena, but she was completely focused on her duel with Vex, and the spear was too fast to evade without intervention.
Two options presented themselves to me, each carrying catastrophic consequences:
Let the spear hit Athena: If I did nothing, Athena would die. The death of a human blessed by a deity at an event like this would trigger an unprecedented political crisis. Humans might blame demons, dwarves, or even elves, depending on who was responsible for the spear. The already-tense relations between races could escalate into open war. Beyond that, I knew Athena was a key piece in the world's balance of power, not to mention that strange connection I felt with her. Her death wouldn't just be a personal tragedy, but a global disaster.
Reveal my third affinity: I could use my spatial affinity, an ability I had kept hidden until now. However, that would mean revealing to the world that I possessed three affinities, something never before seen in Atlas' history. My already precarious situation would become infinitely more complicated. The implications would be enormous: I'd instantly become a target for every faction in the world, from ambitious humans to suspicious demons. My life would never be the same.
'Screw it, I'm already neck-deep in shit anyway!'
I didn't hesitate for long. I knew that, no matter the consequences, I could never let Athena die. Why? Hell if I knew.
For once, my selfishness was suppressed, and with a determined glare, I moved.
Lightning enveloped my body as I shot toward the arena at blinding speed. From my fingertip, an unusual energy began to flow, distorting the air around me. In front of Athena, a spatial rift tore open, a portal that seemed to rend the very fabric of reality.
The black spear, mere millimeters from piercing Athena's skull, her eyes widening as she finally noticed the danger, was swallowed by the rift. It vanished, only to reappear from another portal behind her, missing its target entirely.
The motion was so fast that many spectators didn't even realize what had happened until the spear reappeared on the other side of the arena, embedding itself into the ground with a devastating impact.
"BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM"
The golden barrier trembled violently, nearly shattering.
At the same moment, Athena and Vex's final attacks collided. Athena's holy sword and Vex's claws clashed in an explosion of energy that lit up the entire arena. The resulting shockwave was so powerful that the protective runes flared brightly, struggling to contain the force. The black spear, combined with the duel's explosion, created indescribable chaos.
Athena and Vex, who had only noticed the spear at the last second, were sent flying backward by the impact. Both crashed to the ground, wounded and exhausted, but alive. The arena lay in ruins, chunks of the floor floating in the air and sparks of energy scattering in every direction.
The silence that followed was deafening. Every eye was locked on me, standing at the center of the arena, wreathed in lightning with spatial energy still pulsing in my hands. The rift I had created still flickered in the air, a visible reminder of the power I had just revealed.
"He… he has three affinities?" someone in the crowd whispered, voice thick with disbelief.
"That's impossible… no one has ever had three affinities before!" another exclaimed, trembling.
Athena, still on her knees, looked at me with a mix of shock and awe. "Glenn… you…" she began, but words failed her.
Vex, meanwhile, was silent, her opaque eyes fixed on me. She seemed to be processing what had just happened, her mind working at breakneck speed as her body trembled from the battle's toll.
Every gaze in the arena was locked onto me, breaths held in stunned silence. Even those who hadn't been able to follow the events with their eyes could sense the energy radiating from the rift mine.
The revelation of my three affinities echoed through the arena like thunder. Every human, demon, dwarf, elf, and beastfolk present understood what this meant.
If someone as talented as Elian, with two affinities, had shaken the world's foundations in his time, what did that make someone with three?
A being with three affinities had appeared in the world, and that being was me. I wasn't just a genius, I was something entirely new, something that defied all known laws of magic. An anomaly.
But while everyone struggled to comprehend the last few seconds, my attention was fixed on the direction from which the spear had been thrown. One seat was empty. My eyes scanned the crowd, searching for the culprit.
I caught a shadow moving at high speed near the garden's exit. My body surged forward, a rift opening before me as I stepped through, golden lightning crackling in my eyes. The moment I emerged from the rift, I was above the attacker.
"BOOOOOOOOOOOM"
Two colossal bolts of lightning erupted from my eyes, striking him in the back. The culprit spun around in shock, unable to react in time. His body cratered into the ground from the force.
With his clothes burned away, I could make out some features. The horns on his head had turned to dust under my attack, his flesh melted away to reveal a grotesque mask of skin, gray eyes filled with madness.
"The time of peace is ending, fallen one!" I heard a click from his mouth.
"What—?" I moved to intervene, but before I could..."
"SPLAAASH"
His head exploded, splattering me with foul, putrid black blood that made me gag.
Lifting my head, I looked back to see everyone staring at me in horror at the gruesome scene.
"CRACKLE!!!!"
A deafening sound of shattering glass erupted from inside the castle, and before we could process what was happening, several overwhelming auras blanketed the entire garden.
"Vex!"
"Athena!"
"Balthazar!"
"Tagilbor!"
"Waan!"
"Weel!"
"Aeloria!"
"Seraphine!"
Protectors appeared beside their charges, checking their conditions.
Hovering in the air, Elian surveyed the scene, Glenn standing over a headless, charred corpse, covered in blood. Athena and Vex collapsed in a duel arena that should have been indestructible, a black spear still bubbling with foul energy embedded in the center, and a spatial rift still open, radiating Glenn's power.
"Phew…" Elian sighed, descending from the sky and moving to stand protectively in front of Glenn.
Soon, a cacophony of voices erupted as both the younger and older generations processed the chaotic events. Many began staring at me with strange expressions, now shielded by Elian.
Kargath took slow, deliberate steps toward me, but Elian blocked his path, locking eyes with him. Tension thickened in the air as murmurs died down.
"So you were still hiding something after all. Three affinities, that's madness. I want him!" Kargath declared imperiously. "Let me take him. He'll be my disciple, the disciple of the strongest man in the world!"
"Kargath, don't cross the line," Elian retorted coldly. "You're a warrior, not a teacher. And even if you were, we'd never hand him over."
Kargath's aura flared, a mix of greed and fury clashing against Elian's unwavering presence.
"TAAAAAAAAAP"
A sharp clap echoed like a hammer striking my skull. My consciousness wavered, but I stayed upright, bracing myself against Elian.
Looking toward the sound, Selene stood radiant, floating under the moonlight. Around us, most of the younger generation had collapsed, their protectors standing guard warily.
"The festivities of this night are over," Selene declared, her voice icy. "Though we had prepared honorable accommodations for all our guests, given the circumstances, I must ask you to leave the royal castle, while you still can."
Several figures swallowed hard as Selene's aura swelled like an avalanche. The moonlight vanished, replaced by a crimson glow that seeped from her body. Her hair floated weightlessly, and eight metallic orbs materialized around her.
As Selene's transformation unfolded, Baldur was the first to take the hint.
"Your Majesty, it has been an honor," he said with a respectful bow before heading toward his carriage.
Following the dwarf elder's lead, many others departed, leaving only three figures behind: Kargath, still locked in a standoff with Elian; Saerion, with Tagilbor at his back; and Angela, standing protectively over Athena.
"So it was true," Saerion murmured, staring at Glenn. "The queen was never mistaken." He approached Elian slowly and pulled something from his pocket. "She said he would understand," he said, handing over a golden leaf the size of an apple.
Elian took the leaf from Saerion.
"By the decree of Queen Lissamel Quesset, I, Saerion, solemnly swear that we bear no ill will toward young Glenn, provided he agrees to personally visit Her Majesty within five years!"
I frowned in confusion.
'What is this? A truce if I promise to visit them?'
"He will!" Elian answered firmly.
"Then I take my leave with the utmost respect," Saerion said with a bow before swiftly departing with Tagilbor.
Angela stared at me with wide eyes. Athena had whispered something in her ear moments earlier.
"Your disciple saved mine from death, though we still have doubts about who orchestrated this attack," she said, approaching the headless, charred corpse. "I sense ancient magic still leaking from this body. I want to take it for investigation."
"Impossible," Elian countered. "The attack happened on our soil. We'll handle the investigation."
"Oh? Should we spread word that you were negligent with security? Or that this was all some pathetic stunt to show off? Or perhaps that you're so desperate for fame you'd reveal a demon with three affinities, and who knows what else?" Angela taunted, rising slowly.
"Angela, don't overstep," Elian warned.
"I overstep because I can! You're smart enough to know you've messed up, and you've got enough problems dealing with this monster!" she snapped, pointing at me. "So step aside and let me leave with the corpse..."
Before she could finish, Angela dropped to her knees, blood gushing from her mouth.
An overwhelming pressure crushed her like an ant. Even shielded by Elian, my stomach churned, and I vomited onto the ground.
"Angela!!" Athena cried out before collapsing.
Selene descended, walking slowly toward Angela.
"You've grown far too bold, Cardinal. You come to my lands, make threats, and think you'll walk away unscathed?" Selene crouched, whispering something in Angela's ear.
"Just as rumors can spread from humans, so can they from us. Sending a maiden into danger in our territory, your kind is famous for sacrificing anything for your goddess' goals. So don't dare raise your voice in my presence again."
"Ghk..." Angela spat more blood before nodding weakly, her face pale.
"Take this filthy corpse and get out of my sight before I change my mind."
The pressure lifted, and Angela staggered to her feet. With a wave of her hand, the body vanished. Cradling Athena, she hurried away.
Selene's gaze turned to Kargath, who still radiated pure battle lust.
"Enough of this farce," Selene said dismissively. "He'll need a few years before he's even worth your time, so don't get ahead of yourself."
Kargath's aura flickered as he glared at Selene.
"How much stronger have you gotten?" he demanded, frustration and anticipation warring in his voice.
"Enough. Enough to handle you."
Kargath clenched his fists, unrestrained madness gleaming in his eyes.
"You promised me. One more year! In one year, we fight again."
"Things have changed," Selene said. "If you're ready to die, the place is the same. This time, it's all or nothing, your head or mine."
Kargath swallowed hard, his hands trembling with adrenaline, fury, and excitement.
"So be it! If I'm to die, let it be in battle!" He turned on his heel and strode away. "One year. Same place."
I stood there, still reeling from the last few minutes. Everything had happened too fast—a single minute had rewritten the entire narrative of the banquet.
"Was this staged by you?" I asked numbly.
"No, Glenn. We didn't expect this. Frankly, we thought most of the younger generation would be dead by now. Thankfully, that didn't happen."
"Then who's responsible?"
"We don't know," Selene admitted. "I've never seen that symbol before."
She stepped closer, gripping my shoulders.
"You did well. We'll handle what comes next."
I nodded, still lost in thought. Just how much would everything change from here on out?