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

Chapter 24: One Step Closer

>>>>>> <<<<<<

"And the winner of round four is Remi Faye!" Lord Zephyr announced, a knowing smile playing on his lips as his voice boomed over the amplification arrays.

The students in the stands were stunned into absolute silence.

Remi, an Umbrax student, hadn’t just managed to spar with a higher-tier elite—she had utterly dominated and won.

"There’s no way!!"

The crowd instantly burst into a frantic wave of murmurs.

"She actually won!"

"Are you sure she isn’t like Flynn? Secretly hiding a powerful Sagea as well?"

"Silence!" Lord Zephyr’s voice echoed with supreme authority. The holographic aetherscope flickered, projecting his sharp figure across the massive arena screens.

"Remi Faye has been officially declared the winner. The Order of the Veil has concluded that her victory was achieved through pure, unadulterated spellcasting."

"That’s some crazy shit!" a student in the lower stands whispered. "But honestly, who cares? At least the lower ranks won’t think we’re all bark and no bite after all!"

Suddenly, the arena bustled with smiling faces, some still shaking their heads in sheer awe of the upset.

Down on the sands, Remi looked up at the glass participant lounge. Her eyes locked onto Asher. His mouth was literally agape, and with a slightly trembling hand, he gave her a weak thumbs-up accompanied by a terribly forced smile.

’I am so doomed!’ Asher screamed internally, a cold sweat breaking out on his neck. ’She actually won against a higher-tier student! How am I supposed to keep up with that?!’

>>>>>>> FORBIDDEN RIFT <<<<<<<

Deep within the shifting, dark expanse of the Forbidden Rift, the members of the Cabal of the Sunless Eye stood in a silent semi-circle. Their attention was fixed entirely on the pulsing, dim glow radiating from a massive, crystalline rock.

Sealed within the crystal was The Grim Prodigy - a legendary, world-ending Calamity.

It was a creature of absolute nightmare. It possessed a massive, vulture-like frame with a wingspan so immense that, when fully spread, it could blot out the sun, casting a localized, artificial eclipse over entire kingdoms. Its colossal body was composed of interlocking, obsidian-like plates that resembled a fractured rib cage exposed to the elements. Instead of feathers, its wings were lined with razor-sharp, overlapping obsidian blades that hummed with a low, agonizing frequency.

Most terrifying of all was its head: a long, gaunt, raven-like skull with no visible eyes. In their place, four hollow, burning sockets glowed with an intense, pulsing, necrotic purple-black flame.

As they watched, vaporous clouds of dark purple energy constantly bled from its wings and tail, trailing behind it like a toxic, tearing cloud. Wherever this foul mist drifted and touched the earth, the sparse vegetation instantly withered into ash, and the ground calcified into dead, gray stone.

"My perfect destruction... I am back," Lucian Morgaunt let out a menacing chuckle, his eyes reflecting the quickening, rhythmic pulse of the crystal.

"My Lord, when do you plan on paying a visit to Ravenwood?" Lyra asked, her head bowed deeply in reverence.

Morgaunt turned his gaze toward her. "Arise. We shall send a message of my return first," he said, his voice dripping with smooth, aristocratic mischief.

Malix’s face suddenly brightened at the prospect. Jumping eagerly from one foot to another, he clutched his weapons. "Please, my Lord, assign me to this task!" he pleaded, an evil, psychopathic grin spreading across his face.

Soren rolled his eyes, clearly impatient with the display, but chose to remain quiet.

Morgaunt turned fully to Malix. "Very well, then. You shall go. But do have a group of the Acolytes accompany you."

"That won’t be necessary, my Lord..." Malix’s voice dropped to a dark whisper. "After all... I wouldn’t want those weaklings playing with my new toys."

Damon chimed in, his tone level and cautious. "Even so, you still need to be offered protection. We do not know the exact conditions inside Ravenwood as of right now."

"Hmm-mm. What your brother said," Soren agreed dryly, not taking his hands out of his pockets.

"It is decided," Morgaunt concluded, his tone leaving no room for argument. "You will have a small section of the Acolytes accompany you. Your peers are correct."

Malix let out a dramatic, exaggerated sigh, lazily dangling his blade from his fingers. "Okay, okay. Then it’s settled."

"Lyra, dear, begin the unsealing spell," Morgaunt ordered calmly. "Malix’s little excursion should serve as the perfect distraction to cover our tracks."

"Yes, my Lord," Lyra replied instantly.

She stepped closer to the sealed creature, her fingers tracing ancient runes in the air. As she chanted the forbidden incantation, a massive, pitch-black magical circle materialized, circulating around the crystal tomb. The ground beneath them shook violently, the tremors rattling the cavern before slowly settling into a tense vibration.

"The process has begun. However, it might take quite some time, my Lord," Lyra reported, her hands still weaving the stabilizing spell.

"How long?" Soren asked, his brow furrowing with irritation.

"I cannot say for certain," Lyra replied smoothly.

While she focused on the ritual, Malix gestured to a group of cloaked Acolytes, signaling them to fall in line behind him.

Lyra raised her left hand, tearing open a dark, swirling spatial rift in the center of the chamber. "This will be quicker."

Malix snorted, gesturing with his chin for the Acolytes to step through the portal first. Once they had crossed over, he stepped up to the threshold, pausing to look back over his shoulder.

"Well, I’m off then. And Soren? Try not to meddle with my toys while I’m gone, alright?"

Soren’s frown deepened, but he quickly masked it with a smug smirk. "You’ll just have to be quick about your job, won’t you?"

"That is enough!" Morgaunt interrupted, pinching the bridge of his nose in slight annoyance at their bickering. "And Malix... make sure to say hello to Lady Vespera for me."

Malix’s grin widened. "Huh? Sure will!"

With a step, he vanished into the spatial rift, and the tear in reality snapped shut behind him.

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

IN THE PREPARATION ANTECHAMBER

With the first round nearly complete, the academy students had been granted a short, tense break while the medical staff tended to the injured.

In the quiet corner of the antechamber, Rowan sat on a stone bench with his arms crossed, silently analyzing the brackets.

’I’m going to be versing Seraphina next... no, wait. The numbers are odd,’ Rowan realized with a quiet sigh. ’Like the instructors said, one of us will get pulled out by a wild-card draw, progressing straight to the finals.’

Hearing footsteps, Rowan looked up to see Asher approaching.

"Hey," Asher offered quietly.

Rowan shifted slightly, making room on the bench for his younger brother. "Hey yourself. You’re up next."

Asher scratched the back of his head, his shoulders tense. "Yeah."

"It’ll be my first time actually seeing you in combat alongside your Sagea," Rowan said, a genuine, rare warmth softening his eyes. "I’m proud of you, Asher."

Asher froze, letting the weight of his brother’s words sink in. He looked down at his boots, a sudden lump forming in his throat. "I’m sorry, Rowan."

"Huh? About what?" Rowan asked, caught completely off guard by the sudden apology.

"I felt... ridiculously jealous and angry about the fact that we were separated when we got here," Asher admitted, his voice low. "You’re my only family left. And I barely even get to see you around the academy-"

"Asher," Rowan interrupted softly. He reached out, his hand ruffling his brother’s hair just like he used to. "It’s okay. I know it’s been hard, and I know what they’ve been whispering about you all over the school. But you have me, and you have your friends. Forget about the rest of them. They’re all just background characters in your life."

A genuine smile broke across Rowan’s face.

Looking at his brother, Asher felt a sudden, massive wave of relief wash over him. The tight knot of anxiety in his chest finally loosened, replaced by a spark of genuine confidence. He actually felt like he could win this.

’Nova Vesta,’ Asher called out in his mind.

[HOST REQUIRES MY ASSISTANCE?]

’Yeah, I do. I’m up next in the tournament. Any actual advice?’

[FAIL THIS TOURNAMENT AND YOU WILL BE RETURNED TO ABSOLUTE ZERO]

’Please don’t joke about stuff like that right now...’

[JUST KIDDING]

[HMMM. KAITO’S NEW ABILITIES WILL BE INCREDIBLY EFFICIENT, BUT ONLY IF YOU FOCUS ON LEARNING TO ISSUE APPROPRIATE AND TIMELY COMMANDS]

’You know, sometimes I seriously think you’re an actual person and not just a system interface,’ Asher mused. ’Just promise you’ll help me navigate the sync process out there, alright?’

[AFFIRMATIVE]