The city buzzed with anticipation.
The skies above Sanctum Arena
burned,Banners waved from rooftops, enchanted fireworks flared
across the skies, and crowds lined the colossal amphitheater known
as the Obsidian Colosseum—the grand stage of the annual Guild
Trials Tournament.
A hundred flags danced in the wind—symbols of guilds, empires,
and lone adventurers—all converging for one purpose.
The Grand
Clash.
A once-a-year spectacle.
.
It was more than a spectacle. It was a rite of passage. A chance
for adventurers, rookies and elites alike, to carve their names into
legend.
No dungeon runs, no monsters—just warriors against warriors. A
test of power, will, and legacy.
The crowd's anticipation buzzed louder than ever.
Because someone
whispered:
"The Phantom Ghost has entered this year…"
A ghost walked among them.
Zero stood in the waiting chamber
beneath the arena.
Inside the private chamber beneath the arena stands, Zero pulled
the final strap on his gear.No cloak. Just a hood pulled low,
the
Mask of Eclipse, and Emberfang strapped across his back.
He stood alone.
No guild to cheer him on. No banners raised in his
name. Just silence… and expectation.
His heartbeat was steady, calm—until the ground trembled with the
roar of a thousand voices above.
"Combatant Zero," called the attendant, a young elf with bright
eyes. "You're up next."
Zero didn't reply. He simply stepped forward,
boots echoing down the tunnel.
The announcer's voice boomed overhead:
"MATCH 17: OPEN CLASS
BATTLE— THE PHANTOM GHOST VS THE DIVINE MARKSMAN!"
The arena roared.
A female archer stepped into the sunlight—
slender, proud, cloaked in silver-white with glowing marks traced
across her arms. Her bow shimmered like moonlight caught in glass.
"On one side… hailing from the guild Celestia Ward, wielder of the
Divine Bow Lunaris, we have… ARYA, THE STAR-EYED HUNTRESS!"
She didn't wave.
She pointed her arrow straight toward the gate.
The crowd turned, waiting.
Then the announcer continued:
"And her challenger… his origin
unknown… his name unconfirmed… but the whispers call him…"
"…THE
PHANTOM GHOST."
Silence followed. Then came thunderous cheers—mixed with
disbelief, awe, and curiosity.
Zero stepped into the arena.
Dust
kicked up at his boots. His steps were calm, deliberate. His face
unreadable beneath the mask.
She grinned, brushing wind-swept bangs from her brow. "So you're
the one they're all whispering about."
Zero said nothing.
"You know,"
Arya continued, drawing her bow and nocking an arrow made of pure
light, "I challenged you to see if the stories were real,about you
defeating vera."
Thought maybe the 'Phantom Ghost' was just a myth. But you
came."
The crowd held its breath.
Zero finally looked up.He tilted his head slightly.
"You should see
me in motion."
The referee raised his hand.
"No killing strikes. No summons. No
outside interference. First to surrender or drop is the loser.
Ready?"
Both combatants nodded.
"BEGIN!"
A hush.
Then—GONG!
The match began.
Arya moved first, firing
three arrows in rapid succession—each humming with elemental
force. Zero blurred to the side, barely grazing past the first, then
somersaulted beneath the second. The third—a phantom arrow—split
midair and curved behind him.
Zero twisted sharply, catching it
between two fingers.
Arya vanished .
A rapid backstep, wind swirling at her feet—her
bow drawn in a heartbeat, eyes glowing. A single shimmering arrow
formed mid-pull: a Phantom Bolt, one of her signature skills.
She
loosed it.
Zero didn't dodge. He stepped.
Not away—but forward.
The arrow
grazed his shoulder, slicing the air behind him—but he was already
inside her range.
His blade flashed.
Arya leapt upward, flipping over
him with uncanny grace, another shot already primed.
She loosed three in a blink.
"Triple Spiral."
Zero moved again—
dodging two, catching the third.
The arena gasped.
He had caught
her Phantom Bolt with his bare fingers.
Before snapping it mid-spin
Arya's eyes widened. "How—?"
"Prediction," Zero said simply and
vanishing into a flicker of shadows.
The crowd erupted.
"Fine. Let's see how fast your instincts really are.Arya's grin
widened. "Alright then."
Wind surged.
She activated her artifact,
Her bow transformed—longer, glowing brighter. Wind swirled around
her, and mana surged as a divine skill activated and leapt into the
air, hovering midair while a storm of glowing arrows circled her like
wings.
"Lunar Barrage."
"Let's raise the stakes," she whispered.
Then, she loosed a barrage.
Dozens of arrows rained down, each trailing wind magic and divine
light.
The crowd gasped.
A sky of arrows.
Zero didn't flinch.
Zero danced.
Skill Activated: Phantom Dash.
To the crowd, he was a blur—dodging, parrying, disappearing
between arrows like a shadow unbound.He vanished.
Reappearing
between the arrows, weaving through them like water slipping
through cracks in stone. A blur. A ghost.
His cloak flared once as he kicked off a shattered pillar, closing
the distance in a heartbeat.
In less than two seconds, he stood in
front of her.
Before Arya could react,
Steel met wind.
Zero lunged
with Emberfang, striking upward.
His dagger was at her throat—barely touching, just enough to
declare victory. but Arya deflected with her bow, spinning to land
behind him—but Zero anticipated it. He ducked, elbowed her mid-
spin, then drove her back with a sweeping kick.
"You… trained with a blade master," she gasped, regaining balance.
"I trained to survive," Zero replied.
Arya narrowed her eyes. Then she summoned her ultimate—Divine
Shot:
Arrow of Judgement.
The arena dimmed.
Light condensed into a single massive arrow that
hovered above her, its pressure cracking the stone below.
"Dodge this," she warned.
Zero didn't move.
Scarlet watched from
the stands, tense.
"Move, Zero…"
But he didn't
He closed his eyes… and smiled.
"Come," he whispered.
The arrow
fired—like a comet crashing through the sky.
Zero vanished.
Skill Activated: Phantom Step.
He reappeared beside Aela before
the impact even hit, catching her bow with one hand, his dagger
pointed at her throat.
The arrow exploded behind them, swallowing
half the arena in divine light—harmless, because the match was
over.
She blinked. Her divine weapon faded. The wind died.
She lowered
her head.
"...I yield."
Silence.
Then cheers—deafening, euphoric.
Arya stood frozen. Then
she laughed and raised his hand. "I lost. You're the real thing."
Zero nodded. "You're not bad either."
She leaned close. "You've got
fans now. Hope you're ready."
The arena erupted.
Later, as the dust settled and the next match prepared, Arya
approached him in the waiting hall.
"You're faster than anyone I've ever fought."
"You're the one who forced me to use my full speed,just like
vera"Zero replied, calmly adjusting his gloves.
She smiled faintly. "So it's true… the rumors don't do you justice."
Zero turned, starting toward the exit.
"I'm not here for the
spotlight. Just the prize."
"What prize?" she asked.
He stopped.
"The one they didn't list on the posters."
Somewhere
deep beneath the arena, hidden from the crowd's eyes,a chance to
meet with him"
But as he walked off the field, a system alert chimed softly in his
ears.
New Trial Unlocked: Shadow Sovereign - Hidden Path.
Location: Unknown.
Conditions: Bloodline Activation Required.
Timer: 24 Hours.
Zero paused mid-step.
He felt it then—deep in his chest. A whisper
of something old. Buried.
Scarlet met him near the tunnel, eyes wide.
"Zero… you okay?"
He nodded, eyes distant.
"Yeah," he lied. "Just a tournament."
But in his gut, he knew
something had shifted.
The next trial wouldn't be a show.
It would
be war.