"Well, got interesting," One boy said with a smile. "More challengers. We'll get to see Mr. Hudson's swordsmanship again today."

Around them sat seven or eight other Awakened, all quietly watching.

Hudson gave a polite nod. "Hudson. I'm answering Miss Lilith's challenge. If any of you want to challenge as well, please wait your turn."

"Challenge?" Miller muttered in confusion.

Rosaline leaned closer and spoke under her breath. "The Kensingtons own the Dragon Pond, but they'll allow outsiders in under one condition: if an Awakened of level two or higher can defeat one of their own of the same level, they earn a spot."

That was all it took for Miller's and Phoenix's eyes to light up. A same-level fight—finally, a real chance.

Rosaline shook her head. "You'll see soon enough. Lilith's been coming here every six months since she hit Level Four. She's never managed to win."

In the ring, Lilith's posture was alluring, and even in the middle of winter, she was dressed very lightly and seductively.. "Mr. Hudson, shall we begin?"

Hudson cleared his throat, visibly flustered. "Ahem… very well. Then, Miss Lilith, please enlighten me."

The two stepped onto the platform. Axel stayed quiet, hands in his pockets. He hadn't pulled out his voucher. For now, it was worth sitting back and watching two Level Five Awakened tear into each other.

"Mr. Hudson, do be careful." Lilith smiled sweetly, dipping into a graceful bow.

Hudson had just started to return the courtesy when he felt a sudden chill between his legs. He leapt back instinctively, only to watch in horror as strips of fabric fluttered to the ground from his trousers.

"You…" His jaw twitched. He hadn't expected this sultry woman, who looked so refined and polite, to be so fucking vicious right out of the gate.

With a sharp motion, he drew his longsword, steel flashing as it swept in front of him.

Clang! Clang!

No one saw Lilith's strike, but the screech of steel rang in the air and his blade even shuddered under the force.

"Lilith's old trick—the Space Killing Blade," Rosaline murmured. "Only this time, her Force is stronger, and her casting speed's faster."

She exhaled. "Still… it won't be enough against the Kensingtons."

As if to prove her point, Hudson's stance adjusted almost instantly, his sword cutting through the air to carve a path between himself and Lilith. Then, impossibly, his movements shifted—floating forward with an elegance that looked less like a brawler and more like a warrior from legend.

"…Reminds me of Marcus," Axel thought, recalling the swordsman he'd crossed paths with at Bloodstone Warfare School. Could they be from the same bloodline?

Lilith's lips curled, unshaken. The moment Hudson thrust, something far more sinister appeared in her hand—a blade of crimson, pulsing like it was alive.

"What the hell—?" The Obsidian team stiffened. Lilith's weapon wasn't steel at all. It was blood.

It writhed in her grip, liquid yet lethal, and the instant Hudson closed the distance, she hurled it straight at him.

Hudson's instincts screamed. That thing—whatever it was—couldn't be allowed to touch him. His sword spun deftly in his hands, shifting from a stabbing strike to a wide flourish. The weapon became a shield, an umbrella of steel, smashing the blood blade apart.

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But Lilith didn't flinch.

The scattered droplets didn't vanish. They lingered, splintering midair into a bloody rain, dozens of tiny blades tearing outward in every direction.

"Her second Awakening skill?!" someone gasped.

"Did she just discover it—or has she been hiding it all this time?"

Even Rosaline and Vince exchanged wide-eyed looks. They'd never seen this from her before.

Awakeners could wield multiple gifts, but they usually shared a common root—fire, space, shadow, life. Lilith was a Space-type, yet this blood construct was something else entirely. The only explanation was terrifyingly simple: she had unlocked a whole new Awakening talent.

And she'd just pulled her trump card.

Hudson's expression finally hardened. With a grunt, he drove his sword into the ground. Force burst from his body in waves, a crushing aura that swallowed the arena. The bloody rain hissed and evaporated in the torrent of raw power.

"Pure brute strength," Vince muttered, shaking his head, a note of pity in his tone.

Lilith had worked for this. She had trained, evolved, and even ascended to the upper tier of Level 5 Awakeners. Against almost anyone else, her power would've been enough.

But the Kensingtons weren't just anyone. Hudson wasn't just another fighter—he was their Gatekeeper, the most accomplished Level 5 in the family. He didn't need finesse. He crushed talent with sheer overwhelming might.

"The Kensingtons really are on another level," Vince continued quietly. "Decades of soaking in the Dragon Pond… they're stronger, tougher, sharper. Body and mind."

Phoenix and Miller, who had been itching to test, looked at each other and shook their heads. After that display, the idea of challenging Hudson today was suicide.

"This sister's kind of amazing, though," Annabelle whispered against Axel's ear.

Axel smirked. "You saw it too?"

She nodded shyly. She wasn't always able to follow the speed of high-level fights, but ever since inheriting Axel's Life Crystal, her senses had sharpened—especially toward blood.

And she'd noticed something the others hadn't.

Most of Lilith's rain had been burned away in Hudson's Force storm. But not all. A few droplets had survived, scattered across the arena floor.

Axel's gaze locked on them.

Lilith's chest rose and fell heavily, her body glistening with sweat. "Mr. Hudson, your reputation is well-deserved," she panted.

Hudson straightened, about to respond politely—when suddenly, his movements faltered. His eyes widened.

All around him, six faint stains on the ground began to glow, linking together in blood-red light. A hexagram formation ignited beneath his feet.

Rosaline's lips curved despite herself. "That sly bitch…"

Lilith had set her trap from the very start.

"What a damn formidable woman." The Awakened watching from the sidelines finally realized the extent of her power. They'd seen plenty of challenge matches, but rarely had anyone pushed a Kensington Gatekeeper this far.

Lilith's focus sharpened. After channeling her Space-Killing Blade for over a second, she slashed forward again.

Hudson's expression darkened. This was the first time in his life he'd been pushed this far by a challenger.

Then, to everyone's surprise, he slid his sword back into its sheath.

"What the hell?" "Is he… giving up?"

But the truth revealed itself in the next instant. Hudson slammed his scabbard against the ground with devastating force.

A violent wave of Force rippled outward, shaking the entire arena.

"Holy shit, that's strong…" one spectator muttered.

The arena floor, forged from reinforced battle-metal meant to withstand the strongest of Awakened duels, cracked and splintered under his strike.

"A self-made style!" Axel's eyes narrowed as he recognized what he was seeing. "He's blended the essence of countless techniques into one."

The collapse of the arena's center destroyed the blood formation Lilith had painstakingly built.

Regaining his speed, Hudson finally dodged the massive Space-Killing Blade.

Lilith's face went pale. That final exchange had drained nearly all of her Force. Watching Hudson advance with his sword drawn once more, she knew the outcome.

"I surrender," she exhaled, leaping gracefully off the arena.

Hudson let out a long, controlled breath. Lilith had deceived him so thoroughly that he hadn't dared relax for even a second. If she'd only conceded verbally, he would have been ready to keep fighting.

Glancing around at the shattered arena, Hudson gave a bitter smile. His elder brother would surely mock him for being pushed this far. "Miss Lilith, you're a worthy opponent. I look forward to our next match," he said earnestly.

Lilith drew in a few deep breaths, her flushed face glistening with sweat. Then, with that same gentle smile, she teased: "Then, Brother Hudson, why not make an exception and let me join you for a hot spring bath?"

Hudson's face turned crimson. He coughed into his hand, waving her off.

"Show-off," Rosaline muttered nearby.

Lilith blinked, eyes sparkling with mischief. "Oh? So Rosaline can do more than just curse and pout? What else are you capable of?"

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