[Soul Reap]

  Not killing. The rules forbade that.

  But draining.

  The scythe touched Aurum's chest, and pale green energy began flowing from the dragon into Grim.

  Not HP this time. Something more fundamental.

  Life force itself.

  [Aurum Life Force: 100% → 70% → 40%...]

  The dragon whimpered—a sound no dragon should ever make. His golden eyes dimmed. The scales lost their luster.

  At 20% life force, Aurum simply... shut down. Not dead. But unconscious, complete system shutdown to prevent permanent damage.

  [Aurum: Incapacitated]

  Marcus stared at his fallen companion.

  "No," he whispered. "This... this can't be happening. I'm the genius. I'm the golden son. I'm..."

  His voice cracked.

  "You're nobody."

  Alex walked forward slowly, stopping in front of Marcus.

  The arena was completely silent. 50,000 people holding their breath.

  "Surrender, Marcus," Alex said quietly. "It's over."

  Marcus looked up, tears of rage and humiliation streaming down his face.

  "NEVER! I will NOT surrender to TRASH like you! AURUM, GET UP!"

  The dragon didn't move. Couldn't.

  Marcus crawled to Aurum, shaking the dragon's neck. "Please! I need you! GET UP!"

  Nothing.

  The referee approached, checked Aurum's pulse. Nodded to herself, then began the official count.

  "ONE!"

  Marcus froze.

  "TWO!"

  "No..."

  "THREE!"

  "This isn't happening..."

  "FOUR!"

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  "AURUM, PLEASE!"

  "FIVE!"

  The dragon didn't move.

  "SIX!"

  Marcus looked at Alex, pure hatred in his eyes.

  "SEVEN!"

  "I hate you," he whispered.

  "EIGHT!"

  "I hate you so much."

  "NINE!"

  Alex didn't respond. Just watched.

  "TEN! Companion incapacitated! Competitor unable to continue!"

  The referee raised her hand, pointing at Alex.

  "WINNER OF THE NOVICE SUMMONER TOURNAMENT... ALEX CARTER!"

  For exactly three seconds, absolute silence.

  Then the stadium detonated.

  Half the crowd—25,000 people—EXPLODED in applause, screams, absolute celebration.

  The other half—25,000 people—sat in uncomfortable silence, booed, or just stared in shock.

  The commentators talked over each other:

  "INCREDIBLE! THE UNDERDOG DID IT! ALEX CARTER JUST DEFEATED MARCUS STEELE!"

  "But look at the method! Fifty reanimations! Anchoring tactics! Targeted wing strike! And that final life force drain! That's... that's necromancy in its purest form!"

  "Some will call this brilliant strategy! Others will call it unacceptable dark magic! This victory will be debated for years!"

  Alex walked toward Marcus, who still knelt beside Aurum.

  He extended his hand—sportsmanlike gesture, offering to help Marcus up.

  Marcus looked at the hand.

  Then slapped it away, violently rejecting it.

  "Don't touch me," he spat. "Don't you dare touch me."

  He got up without help, limping (ankle twisted during the earlier fall), and began walking toward the exit tunnel.

  Halfway there, he stopped, looked back.

  "This isn't over, Carter. I'll appeal. I'll find evidence of cheating. I'll find something. Because there's no way—NO WAY—you actually beat me cleanly."

  "Do it," Alex said calmly. "But the facts won't change. You won every fight in this tournament by overwhelming domination. But today... today you lost."

  Marcus flinched as if slapped.

  Then he left, dragging unconscious Aurum with an emergency harness the medics provided.

  ---

  [AWARD CEREMONY - 20 MINUTES LATER]

  The arena had been partially cleaned. Medics had treated Alex's wounds (emergency healing, not complete but enough to stand).

  Grim was back to meter-and-a-half form—Awakened Form too exhausted to maintain.

  The Head Referee stood in the center of the arena with a microphone, Alex beside her.

  "Ladies and gentlemen," her voice filled the stadium, "it is my honor to officially declare... this year's Novice Summoner Tournament Champion..."

  Dramatic pause.

  "ALEX CARTER!"

  Crowd roar—still divided, but undeniably strong.

  "Alex will receive the official prize of 50,000 crowns—"

  Giant check materialized (literally giant check, because tournaments love theatrics).

  "—plus exclusive access to the Legendary Dungeon Fallen Citadel. Five people, one week, beginning at his discretion."

  Access card handed over—a small crystal that glowed with blue light.

  The crowd applauded, but Alex noticed something.

  The judges in their box looked... tense. Talking urgently among themselves.

  Father Augustin in particular looked furious, gesturing violently.

  And then he saw guards—dozens of them—positioning themselves around the arena. Discreetly, but definitely there.

  Shit.

  "On behalf of the Adventurer's Guild," the Head Referee continued, "I congratulate Alex on his remarkable victory. May this be only the beginning of—"

  WOOOOP. WOOOOP. WOOOOP.

  Alarm sirens.

  Red lights flashing around the stadium.

  The crowd murmured in confusion.

  Guards ran, surrounding the arena completely.

  Father Augustin stood in the judges' box, took a magically amplified microphone.

  "ALEX CARTER!"

  His voice resonated like thunder.

  "By authority of the Celestial Temple, and in agreement with the Adventurer's Guild, you are under TEMPORARY ARREST for excessive use of forbidden magic in public exhibition!"

  Absolute chaos in the stadium.

  "WHAT?!"

  "THEY'RE ARRESTING HIM?!"

  "AFTER HE WON?!"

  "THAT'S UNFAIR!"

  "NO, IT'S APPROPRIATE! HE USES FORBIDDEN MAGIC!"

  Maya leaped from her seat in the stands, landing in the arena (enhanced ten-meter jump—impressive). "Wait! He has the right to guild representation! You can't just—!"

  "He does," Father Augustin said coldly. "And we will. He violated protocols on necromancy use. Fifty reanimations exceeds safety limits. Life force drain on a dragon is prohibited practice. The arrest is justified."

  Twenty guards converged on Alex, each with weapon drawn.

  Five Paladins in full armor joined them—including Valeria Kane, who looked... unhappy, but following orders.

  "Sorry, Carter," she said quietly. "My hands are tied."

  Alex looked around, assessing. He could fight. Grim could fight. Probably defeat these guards.

  But then there'd be more. And more. And eventually they'd lose.

  And worse—resisting arrest would aggravate every potential charge.

  A voice in his head—telepathic, Viktor: "Don't resist. We have a plan. Trust. The Circle will get you out in 48 hours. Just hold on."

  Alex exhaled slowly.

  "Grim," he said quietly. "It's not worth it."

  Grim was tense, scythe raised, clearly ready to cut through all the guards.

  "But... master..."

  "No," Alex repeated firmly. "I trust Viktor knows what he's doing. Stand down."

  Grim hesitated, then slowly lowered his weapon.

  The guards moved in, producing handcuffs—not regular cuffs, but magical cuffs that glowed with blue runes.

  [Mana Suppression Cuffs]

  Effect: Suppresses user's MP output to 0%, prevents use of magical skills

  The cuffs closed around Alex's wrists with a final click.

  Immediately he felt his connection to the system... not cut, but severely muffled. Like trying to hear through thick cotton.

  [MP: 40/440 → SUPPRESSED]

  [Skills: INACCESSIBLE]

  They confiscated his phone, his inventory, everything except the clothes he wore.

  They began escorting him out of the arena.

  The crowd was divided in absolute chaos:

  "FREE HIM!"

  "ARREST HIM!"

  "HE'S A HERO!"

  "HE'S A MONSTER!"

  As he walked through the tunnel, his phone—in a guard's hand—vibrated.

  The guard looked at the screen, frowned. "Message from an unknown number. Want me to log it as evidence?"

  "Let me see it first," Valeria said.

  The guard handed her the phone.

  Valeria read the message, her expression shifting—surprise, then concern, then something like fear.

  She showed it to Alex, letting him read.

  ---

  [MESSAGE ON PHONE]

  "Well done, Fragment 1 bearer. Now that you've revealed your nature, the real game begins. The other bearers are watching you. We'll see you soon at Fallen Citadel.

  - Bearers of Fragments 2, 4, and 6. Yes, we are three now."

  [ATTACHED PHOTO]

  Three figures standing in shadows. Each holding something that glowed with different light:

  · Figure 1: Spectral scythe glowing blue-white (Fragment 2 - Seraph, presumably)

  · Figure 2: Mask glowing sickly violet (Fragment 4 - unknown)

  · Figure 3: Necklace glowing emerald green (Fragment 6 - unknown)

  ---

  Alex stared at the photo, his blood running cold.

  Three bearers. Not just Seraph. Two others.

  And they all know about Fallen Citadel.

  They're all going for Fragment 3.

  Valeria pocketed the phone. "This is... concerning. Care to explain?"

  "Not particularly," Alex said.

  "Fair enough." Valeria sighed. "I couldn't use it officially as evidence anyway—it would violate protocols."

  They continued walking.

  As they emerged from the stadium into daylight, Alex heard the system—faintly, through the suppression of the cuffs—ping.

  [SYSTEM ALERT]

  [MAIN CAMPAIGN UNLOCKED: THE REUNION OF THE SEVEN]

  [FRAGMENT PROGRESS:]

  · Fragment 1: IN YOUR POSSESSION

  · Fragment 2: Seraph Nox (ally)

  · Fragment 3: Fallen Citadel (NEXT OBJECTIVE)

  · Fragment 4: Void Heralds (confirmed enemy)

  · Fragment 5: Location Unknown

  · Fragment 6: Unknown Bearer (potential enemy)

  · Fragment 7: Location Unknown

  [WARNING: Ancient Gods have accelerated DESCENT]

  [Estimated Time until Direct Manifestation: 4 months]

  [NEW URGENT MISSION:]

  · Survive arrest

  · Access Fallen Citadel

  · Obtain Fragment 3 before other bearers do

  · Prepare for confrontation with multiple bearers

  [DIFFICULTY: S-RANK]

  [PROBABILITY OF SUCCESS: 23%]

  Alex was shoved into an armored transport—basically a prison on wheels.

  Grim was forced into 80-centimeter Latent form and placed in a separate cage (magically reinforced cage, apparently designed to contain dangerous companions).

  As the doors closed, Alex caught a glimpse of the crowd outside the stadium.

  Thousands of people. Some held supportive signs. Others held signs demanding his execution.

  Society, like the stadium, completely divided on whether he was a hero or a villain.

  The doors closed with a final metallic clang.

  Darkness.

  Then the transport began moving, carrying him toward... wherever the Temple kept temporary prisoners.

  In the darkness, Alex closed his eyes.

  I won, he thought. I actually won. I defeated Marcus. Won the tournament. Gained access to Fallen Citadel.

  But the cost...

  Arrested. Hunted. Three unknown Fragment bearers hunting the same target. Gods descending. Four months until... what? Apocalypse?

  Is it really worth it?

  He had no answer.

  He only knew there was no turning back now.

  The game had begun.

  And one way or another, it would end with the Seven Fragments reunited.

  Or with Alex dead trying.