Maya wasn't celebrating Kael's stunning performance on the pitch. In fact, she was booing him.

"You like showing off too much," she muttered, crossing her arms with an annoyed glare.

Kael looked at her flatly, hands shoved in his hoodie pocket.

"Nah, I don't."

"Yes, you do."

"Mm. Nope."

"Yes."

Their bickering carried on like a looping argument neither of them would ever win. Finally, Kael sighed, letting her words wash over him like rain. Without saying anything else, he slipped away from her side. Elijah tried to keep the peace, but Maya pulled him off with her, grumbling the whole way.

Kael, however, had something else in mind. His feet carried him across the campus until he found the person he was looking for.

"Hey," he said, his voice softer this time.

"Kael." Samantha's tone was gentle, almost relieved.

He tilted his head slightly. "Care for an outing? I want to go somewhere… maybe you care to follow me."

She blinked, then smiled nervously. "Sure."

And just like that, the two of them left together, slipping into the evening glow of the city.

---

An hour later, the glowing red lights of their destination washed over them.

"We're coming up to the arena," Samantha said, her voice tinged with worry. "Do you… want to see a fight?"

Kael chuckled under his breath. His coat—a dark mafia-style trench with a deep hood—cast his face in shadow. "Nah. I want to fight."

Her eyes widened. "Fight?"

"You've already seen what I can do," he replied smoothly, not even looking at her. "No need to hide it anymore."

---

The Red City Arena was impossible to miss.

A massive circular structure rose from the heart of the city like a crimson titan. Its towering walls were built from blood-red steel and obsidian stone, veins of neon scarlet light running through every groove. Giant holographic screens flickered outside, replaying the most brutal knockouts of past fighters. Above the colossal gate hung a sign carved in glowing ruby letters:

RED CITY ARENA — WHERE BLOOD MEETS GLORY

The streets around it throbbed with energy. Vendors sold glowing drinks, crimson masks, and miniature weapons to fans buzzing with anticipation. Red flags waved everywhere, banners snapping in the night wind. Even the air felt heavier, saturated with the metallic scent of blood and sweat.

Kael stopped just before the entrance, tilting his head back to take it all in. His lips curved into a hysterical grin.

"Good. This is the only red in the whole Res City."

Samantha shivered at the way he said it.

---

Inside, the crowd's roars shook the ground. The arena was packed to the brim—thousands of spectators seated in rising tiers that circled the enormous ring at the center. Spotlights painted the stage in sharp scarlet beams. The walls themselves pulsed faintly, like veins carrying fire instead of blood.

Kael walked straight to the registration booth. Samantha, looking uneasy, followed half a step behind.

The registrar sat behind a desk built into the wall, his face glowing from the red holographic screen in front of him. He wore a black-and-crimson uniform with the arena's insignia stitched on the chest—a serpent coiled around a burning sword.

"Name?" the registrar asked without looking up.

"Kael-X."

The man's fingers paused. His eyes flicked up, scanning Kael's hooded silhouette. "X, huh? Dramatic."

Kael ignored the jab, pulling out a small device where his hooded picture glowed. That became his official portrait.

"Level?"

Kael glanced at Augustus's interface in his mind before answering casually. "Rookie. One."

The registrar smirked. "We'll see about that." He scanned the device, registered the details, and tapped his screen with a final click. "Done. You'll start at the rookie bracket tonight."

Meanwhile, Kael slid a black card across the counter. "And this is for a VIP booth."

The registrar raised his brows. "For who?"

Kael tilted his head toward Samantha. "Her."

Samantha's eyes widened. "Kael…"

"It's safer there," he interrupted. "You'll see everything, but nobody will touch you."

She hesitated, then nodded, letting herself be guided away by an usher.

Kael finally turned away, murmuring under his breath.

"Augustus… now's the time to do what we do best. I kinda miss Zypheron."

[It's been a while since you entered an arena.] Augustus' digital tone rang in his head.

"Yeah. Back then, I was one of the best footballers under Zulek, even while restricted. And one of the best fighters. Guess we'll have to prove that again."

His interface lit up in his vision: Level 80. Rank: Rookie 1.

He exhaled sharply, almost amused. Rookie 1… it's been a long time since I was called that.

---

Kael's mind drifted briefly as he observed the tier system etched into the arena walls:

Rookie (1–3)

Amateur (1–3)

Semi-Pro (1–3)

Pro (1–5)

World Class (1–5)

Elite Master (1–10)

Legendary (1–24)

Earth's Elemental League had a rigid structure, unlike the raw chaos of Zypheron. A Tier 4 city like Red City could only host up to Pro 1 at most. Semi-pros were already considered celebrities here.

Kael's rank: Rookie 1.

To reach Rookie 2, he needed 5 advance points. A win earned half a point, a loss could strip one—or more. Perform poorly, and even your rank could be protected at a penalty.

It was a meticulous system. Too meticulous for someone like him.

---

The crowd suddenly roared. Kael's attention snapped back to the stage. Two fighters were already clashing on the ring, their elemental powers turning the floor into a storm.

One, wreathed in flames, sent fireballs hurling across the arena. His opponent, cloaked in shimmering streams of water, countered each strike with precision. Fire met water, sparks met steam, and soon fog blanketed the battlefield.

The audience erupted in cheers.

"Burn him alive, Rexton!" someone screamed.

"Drown him, Li Wei!" another shouted.

The fire wielder—Rexton—slammed his fist into the ground. Flames erupted in pillars, slicing through the fog. Li Wei, the water elemental, responded by pulling a tide from the air itself, crashing waves extinguishing the blaze before it could reach him. The clash sent shockwaves rattling the ring.

Both fighters were semi-pros. Their speed, their precision, their control—it was far beyond what rookies could dream of. Every exchange drew gasps from the crowd.

Kael watched silently, hands in his coat pockets. The heat and mist reflected in his hooded gaze.

"Not bad," he murmured.

[Assessment complete,] Augustus chimed. [Both are semi-pros. If you were to fight them now, their elemental control might restrict you temporarily. But given your combat adaptability, you'd crush them eventually.]

Kael's smirk returned. "Good. I want to crush someone."

His fight was coming.

And Red City Arena was about to learn the name Kael-X.

---

Got it! Let's continue the fight between Rexton (fire elemental) and Li Wei (water elemental) inside the Red City Arena. I'll keep it flowing like a real sports commentary mixed with story tension, and make it humanised as usual.

---

The fog still lingered in the air, curling like restless spirits around the arena floor. The crowd roared in anticipation, stomping feet against the iron stands, demanding blood, skill, or both.

Rexton, flames dancing across his fists, pushed through the mist like a raging bull. Every step he took left small scorch marks on the stone floor.

Li Wei, calmer, quieter, stood with his palms raised, the water circling around his body like twin serpents. His breathing was steady, his eyes narrow.

Then—

Boom!

Rexton exploded forward, his right fist igniting like a torch as he launched a blazing hook straight at Li Wei's face. The heat was so fierce even the front row spectators shielded themselves.

But Li Wei didn't flinch. With a sharp twist of his wrist, the water around him surged forward, coiling into a shield. The fist met the water barrier with a hiss so loud it echoed across the arena. Steam erupted violently.

"Arghhh!" Rexton growled, pressing harder. His flames raged against Li Wei's barrier, eating at it. But Li Wei wasn't done. With a sudden snap of his hand, the water condensed into ice and—

Crack!

The icy shield shattered into sharp shards, blasting outward. Rexton stumbled back, his arm grazed by flying fragments, leaving faint burns where his own heat clashed with the cold. The crowd erupted, half-cheering, half-gasping.

"That's Li Wei's signature move! The Water-Ice Counter!" a spectator shouted.

Rexton spat on the ground, annoyed. His pride as a semi-pro was on the line. "You think that's enough to stop me?" His voice was rough, dripping with arrogance.

He stomped his foot. Fire surged from beneath him, racing across the ground like veins of lava, turning the fog blood-red. The crowd howled louder—this was his trump card, the Infernal Veins technique.

The arena floor glowed orange. Li Wei jumped back, water swirling faster around him to keep the heat at bay. But Rexton was already moving, weaving through his own fire like a predator in his territory.

In a blink, he appeared at Li Wei's flank and unleashed a blazing uppercut.

Bang!

Li Wei barely managed to redirect the blow with a stream of water, but the impact sent him skidding backward, his boots screeching against stone. His chest heaved; the heat was suffocating.

"Finish him, Rexton!" someone in the crowd yelled.

But Li Wei wasn't done. He crouched, his palms pressed to the arena floor. The water swirling around him sank into the stone—vanished. For a moment, Rexton looked confused.

Then—

Gushhhh!

From beneath Rexton's feet, water exploded upward like a geyser, launching him into the air. The flames sputtered, steam clouding the arena once more.

The crowd went wild, standing on their feet. "Li Wei turned the lava floor into a trap!"

Rexton twisted midair, roaring in fury, and blasted himself downward with fire from his back like a comet. His body became a burning spear crashing straight toward Li Wei.

Li Wei raised both arms, condensing every drop of water he could muster into a solid, gleaming dome of ice.

BOOOOOM!

The collision shook the arena. Stone cracked, ice shattered, fire roared, steam burst like a bomb. For a full five seconds, no one could see who had the upper hand.

When the mist cleared—

Both fighters were on their knees, panting heavily. Li Wei's right arm was burned raw, while Rexton's left shoulder was coated in frostbite.

The referee elemental—his eyes glowing faint green—stepped forward, raising a hand.

"Enough! The round is over!"

The crowd booed and cheered at the same time, a storm of divided opinions. Some screamed for Rexton, others for Li Wei, and many simply wanted more.

The scoreboard flickered to life:

Result: Draw.

Kael, watching from his seat beside Samantha's VIP room, leaned against the railing with a faint grin

under his hood.

"These guys are good," he muttered. "But too noisy in their fighting. No precision."

Augustus' voice echoed in his mind. And you think you'll be subtle when you fight?

Kael chuckled softly. "No. But I'll win."

---

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