My F-Rank Sagea is Secretly an EX-Rank Calamity

Chapter 18: The Shadow of the Prodigy

>>>>> VEILED SANCTUM <<<<<

Deep within the obsidian-walled inner chambers of the academy, the members of the Order of the Veil sat in a rigid circle.

At the center of their massive table hovered a colossal Aetherscopic map, its glowing topography currently marred by a massive, volatile purple blotch slowly expanding near the continent’s jagged edge.

The planetary distress sensors had just alerted them to the unthinkable: the impending release of The Grim Prodigy.

An ancient, skeletal abomination of sky-shattering proportions was waking up.

"The seals on the Forbidden Rift are fracturing. The Grim Prodigy is stirring, Lord Malovik," Lady Vespera murmured, her gaze fixated on the pulsing purple corruption. "If it breaches containment fully... the tragedy from four hundred years ago will repeat itself."

The other lords nodded in unison, their expressions grim, serious, and calculating. The room felt heavy with the weight of impending doom.

"Then we have no choice," Lord Malovik commanded, his voice cutting through the tension like stone grinding on stone. "We must force these ten students through the fire immediately."

Lady Kaelen narrowed her eyes, her fingers drumming against the obsidian table. "Will they be able to actually handle it? Going ourselves would have been better, but..." She trailed off, the unspoken frustration hanging in the air.

Lord Ignatius nodded heavily, turning his piercing gaze toward her. "However, our presence will only wake it faster. If I step within a hundred miles of that rift, my sheer mana density will trigger its Thanatos Screech prematurely."

"Exactly," Lord Zephyr chimed in, leaning forward. He paused, looking around the table at his peers.

"We are the past, Lord Malovik. The Prodigy already knows our shapes. It expects us. What it does not expect is a boy with a white fox that completely defies the laws of magic."

"Or a boy with a nine-tailed wolf, or a vanguard clad in tectonic slate armor," Lord Ignatius added, a ruthless spark in his eyes. "We must let the new blood bleed in the arena today... so they don’t turn to ash when they face that deadly beast."

>>>>>> GRAND ARENA <<<<<<

IN THE PREPARATION ANTECHAMBER

The atmosphere inside the preparation lounge was suffocating. Outside, the grand stadium bustled with deafening cheers as thousands of students and instructors anticipated the historic event. Inside, the ten chosen students prepared themselves in silence.

’The day’s finally here,’ Asher thought to himself. He sat heavily on a wooden bench, staring at his palms, when a tall shadow fell over him.

"Feeling nervous?" Rowan asked, a familiar smirk playing on his lips.

Asher snapped out of his thoughts, looking up at his brother. "Nervous? Ha! I should be asking you," he countered, forcing a challenging look.

Rowan let out a soft chuckle and reached down, playfully ruffling Asher’s ginger hair. "I really hope you get through this, little bro."

Asher pulled back, swatting his hand away, slightly offended. "Are you mocking me?"

"What? Of course not," Rowan stated, his smirk softening into something genuine. "You’re my brother. I really do hope you win." Kicking off the wall, Rowan walked back to his designated spot, leaving Asher surprised, but quietly relieved.

Asher turned his head to shake off the sentimentality, only to catch Marnie staring at him from across the room. The moment their eyes met, she quickly averted her gaze, her posture stiffening.

’Damn, I still need to take care of that,’ Asher thought, running a hand through his hair with a silent groan. ’Hey, Nova Vesta.’

DING!

[HOST REQUIRES MY ATTENTION?]

’Try not to die today,’ Asher sent back telepathically, a faint smirk returning to his lips.

[DIE? NOVA VESTA IS AN IMMORTAL CONSTRUCT. DO YOU UNDERSTAND YOUR OWN INSIGNIFICANCE, HOST?]

Asher bit his inner cheek to hold back a sudden laugh.

CLAP!

A sharp sound echoed through the tense room. Asher looked up to find Fang standing right in the middle of the lounge, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"Okay, I’m just going to say this now—let’s all do our absolute best out there!" Fang declared, almost too excitedly for the grim occasion.

Silence. Absolute silence. Every single eye in the room judged him.

Then, a lone voice broke the awkwardness.

"Will do!" Remi assured him with a bright, encouraging smile.

"Oh goodness! Thanks so much for acknowledging my presence, Remi!" Fang said dramatically, placing a hand over his heart as he backed away toward Rowan. He threw a pointed look at his companion.

"Unlike a certain someone..."

Rowan didn’t even flinch. "You’re way too childish," he said, entirely unfazed.

"And you’re too narrow-minded," Fang countered jokingly.

Before the banter could escalate, a stern instructor walked in, signaling that it was time.

Moments later, the massive steel doors began to grind upward.

"And now, welcome...The Chosen Ten!" Lady Vespera’s voice boomed excitedly over the colossal Aetherscope projection floating high above the stadium, her face and words broadcasting across every tier of the stadium.

The ten students marched out into the open air.

The sheer scale of the Grand Arena hit them instantly—a sea of screaming students, roaring flags, and tense faculty members filling the colossal stands under a brilliant, sunlit sky.

Lady Kaelen’s voice echoed next through the amplification arrays. "Today, we will witness unforgettable battles between these elite students. And finally..." She paused, letting Lady Vespera join her in an enthusiastic duet.

"The ultimate victor will earn the right to spar with Lord Malovik!"

’I have absolutely no idea how I became a part of this, but here I am anyway,’ Asher thought, the roar of the crowd vibrating right through his boots.

"Now, let us explain the rules of this crucible," Lady Kaelen announced, and the stadium gradually fell into a hushed, expectant quiet.

"Firstly..."

A massive, glowing tournament board materialized in the sky, displaying the names and faces of the ten students.

"There are exactly three rounds before the Sovereign Challenge. In the first round—the Quarter-Finals—the ten students will engage in direct 1v1 combat to yield five winners."

"For the second round—the Semi-Finals—due to the odd number of contestants, a ’Jump’ token will be drawn," Lady Vespera chimed in dynamically.

"The lucky recipient will automatically advance straight to the Grand Finals! Meanwhile, the remaining four mages will spar in two bracketed matches, leaving us with two more champions."

"Now, this is where it gets truly ruthless!"

Lady Vespera laughed, her voice carrying a playful malice.

"For Round Three—the Grand Finals—the lucky ’Jump’ holder must face both of those winners!"

The crowd erupted into chaotic cheers, thrilled by the brutal twist.

Down on the sands, the ten chosen mages stood frozen.

Not a single one of them wanted that lucky draw anymore. Facing one elite was hard enough—facing two back-to-back without a break was a death sentence.

Lady Vespera continued, unfazed by their dread. "If the ’Jump’ holder comes out victorious against both, they will proceed directly to face the High Lord. However, if they fall, the two remaining winners of the Grand Finals will duel one last time.

Whoever stands at the apex will earn the Sovereign Challenge against Lord Malovik!"

’Woah, woah, hold on. Do I just start praying for my immediate failure right now?’ Asher thought, a cold bead of sweat forming on his brow.

’There is no way in hell I can survive a gauntlet like that.’

Suddenly, the tournament board flashed violently, randomizing the names before locking the first-round matchups into place:

Match 1: Rowan Flynn vs. Edgar Salmore

Match 2: Seraphina Malovik vs. Kael Vane

Match 3: Fang Richter vs. Xana Valerius

Match 4: Remi Faye vs. Sapphire Leanne

Match 5: Asher Flynn vs. Marnie Cortez

Standing in the line up, Edgar’s face drained of all colour. He went completely rigid.

’What?! I’m right up front against Asher’s monster of a brother?! Is this cosmic karma?!’ he panicked internally, his chest tightening.

A few feet away, Remi spotted Asher’s opponent. Marnie.

She clenched her fists quietly, her eyes narrowing. ’Asher is going to take the lead. I’m certain of it,’ she thought, her competitive drive flaring up for more reasons than just magic.

"Now, participants!" Lady Vespera’s command echoed from the skies. "Please take your seats in your designated areas!"

The students turned and filed into the glass-fronted participants’ lounge overlooking the arena sands.

The stadium bustled with renewed energy, thousands of voices starting a rhythmic, thunderous chant.

"FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!"