They said the Council of Realms was sacred. A place of law, not war.
But laws bend when power calls.
It began with a single spark — a blade scraping stone, a taunt muttered too loud, a bruised ego in the wrong realm.
Obinna stood at the edge of the training arena — a massive platform shaped from condensed spirit-energy. It hovered over a burning sea, suspended by chants that hummed beneath their feet. Here, champions tested their strength. But today... today it wasn't training.
It was war.
The boy from the Whispering-Wind Realm had drawn first. His staff split the air like a thunderclap, aiming for the Iron-Earth champion who hadn't even raised his defenses. But the moment the stone-skinned warrior was struck, he erupted — quite literally — in a burst of gravel and smoke, tackling his attacker through three spirit-barriers.
The air cracked.
And the Reaper's laughter echoed.
Obinna's heart raced. The Reaper's voice wasn't heard by ears — it was felt in bones. Like someone whispering your death in reverse.
Above them, the Reaper's throne hovered. Not seated, but watching. Waiting. The Reaper himself hadn't descended — but a shade had. A cloaked phantom that hovered behind Obinna's shoulder as if daring him to join.
He didn't need the dare.
From Chapter 3 to now, Obinna had felt the Reaper's presence curl tighter around his soul. But something new was stirring now — not fear. Not dread. Hunger.
Obinna stepped forward. His hands ignited.
"Enough!"
But the champions didn't listen. The Mirror-Water girl had summoned mirrors of steam that confused her enemies. The Beast-Blood leopard pounced, fangs drawn. A sonic arrow flew from the sky — the Whispering-Wind archer had joined the fray from above.
Obinna roared.
The entire arena flashed red.
Flames erupted beneath his feet, responding not to his will, but his rage. He stomped once — the platform trembled. Twice — it cracked. The third — and the Sea of Fire surged upward, engulfing the sky in a column of light.
Everyone froze.
Even the Reaper's laughter stopped.
Obinna's voice echoed.
"This isn't just a test. It's the beginning."
They stared. Even the most hardened warriors were breathless. The Fire Realm wasn't known for restraint — and Obinna had just proved why.
And then...
The Reaper's shadow stepped forward.
"Fire boy," it whispered. "You burned bright. But let's see how long you last when the flames start eating back."
It launched.
The fight had truly begun.
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MINI DICTIONARY
Spirit-Energy Platform – A sacred training space built from pure energy, used for sparring between champions.
Shade – A fragment or projection of a Realm god, capable of acting with limited power.
Sonic Arrow – A compressed sound weapon launched by Whispering-Wind archers, capable of splitting stone.
Sea of Fire – A literal spiritual ocean of fire tied to the Fire Realm, used to measure power intensity.