[FINALS: ALEX VS MARCUS - MINUTE 2]

  The sky above the stadium had darkened significantly. Grim's Aura of Death wasn't just presence—it was tangible force that literally absorbed light.

  [FINALS: ALEX VS MARCUS - MINUTE 2]

  The sky above the stadium had darkened significantly. Grim's Aura of Death wasn't just presence—it was tangible force that literally absorbed light.

  Marcus looked around, trying to reorient his strategy. His earlier confidence had evaporated, replaced by something he'd never felt in competition:

  Genuine uncertainty.

  "Aurum," he said, his voice lower now, more controlled. "Serious combat mode. [Solar Ascension]."

  The golden dragon roared, his body blazing brighter. The scales temporarily became transparent, revealing pure solar energy flowing through his form.

  [Aurum - Buff Activated: Solar Ascension]

  +30% to all stats for 5 minutes

  All solar skills enhanced

  "Impressive," Alex admitted. "But I have my own ace up my sleeve."

  He extended both hands toward the arena floor.

  "[Army of the Damned]—full summoning."

  [MP: 190 → 40/440]

  [Cost: 150 MP for mass summoning]

  The arena floor exploded.

  Not five skeletons this time. Not ten. Not thirty.

  Fifty.

  Fifty skeletal warriors rose from the ground—some assembled from beast remains of previous fights, others materialized directly from Grim's death energy, others torn from some plane of existence beyond mortal comprehension.

  Each was a minor skeleton—level 15, HP 200, relatively fragile individually.

  But there were fifty of them.

  The stadium exploded into chaos:

  "FIFTY!"

  "HE SUMMONED FIFTY UNDEAD!"

  "THAT'S A FULL ARMY!"

  "THIS CAN'T BE LEGAL!"

  The commentators struggled for coherent words:

  "I... this is... FIFTY SIMULTANEOUS REANIMATIONS! The previous record in professional tournament play was twenty-two! Carter just more than doubled it!"

  "And look at the coordination! They're moving in formation! That's master-level control!"

  In the judges' box, Father Augustin stood, his face red with fury. "THIS IS EXCESSIVE! STOP HIM—!"

  But the Head Referee raised a hand. "The fight continues until there's a winner. The rules are clear."

  Marcus looked at the skeleton army, then at Alex, then back at the skeletons.

  "You think numbers can defeat Aurum?" He laughed—but it sounded forced. "Fine! Show me! Aurum, [Enhanced Solar Flare]!"

  The dragon roared, wings extending fully, body blazing like a miniature sun.

  BOOM.

  Golden light exploded outward in a massive pulse. Thirty skeletons—more than half the army—were vaporized instantly, reduced to ash in microseconds.

  [Skeletons remaining: 20/50]

  "And the dragon destroys most of the army in a single attack!" the commentator shouted.

  But Alex was smiling.

  "That was the point. Grim, now."

  Because while Aurum had been focused on the skeletons, the twenty remaining had used those precious seconds to position.

  "Charge!"

  The twenty skeletons ran—not toward Aurum to attack, but to climb.

  They leaped, grabbed, climbed the dragon's massive body like ants scaling a tree.

  "What—?" Marcus blinked in confusion. "Aurum, shake them off!"

  The dragon shook his body violently. Five skeletons fell, crashing to the ground.

  But fifteen remained clinging, bone claws digging between scales, jaws biting (ineffective for damage but excellent for grip).

  And each skeleton weighed approximately 40 kilograms.

  Fifteen skeletons = 600 kilograms of dead weight clinging to the dragon's body.

  Aurum tried to fly.

  The wings beat once. Twice.

  He lifted half a meter off the ground—

  The skeletons pulled down, their collective weight forcing him back.

  "AURUM, BREAK FREE!" Marcus—genuine panic in his voice now.

  The dragon roared in frustration, shaking more violently. Three more skeletons fell.

  But twelve remained.

  And that was enough.

  Aurum couldn't gain altitude. The weight anchored him to the ground.

  "Perfect!" Alex pumped his fist. "Grim, now's your chance! [Death's Reaping Strike]!"

  ---

  [CRITICAL MOMENT - MINUTE 3:30]

  Grim charged across the arena, massive scythe raised, death aura flowing like a visible cloak of crimson energy.

  [Death's Reaping Strike - Maximum Power]

  [Cost: 100 MP]

  [Grim MP: 210 → 110/360]

  The scythe blazed with light that seemed to absorb all color, leaving only burning crimson.

  Aurum saw the charge, tried to move—

  The twelve skeletons pulled harder, holding him in place for crucial seconds.

  Grim leaped, scythe spinning in a perfect descending arc—

  SLASH.

  The blade connected with the dragon's left wing.

  And cut through.

  Not completely—Aurum was level 57, his scales harder than steel—but deep enough.

  If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  Bone fractured. Membranes tore. Golden blood (literally golden blood, glowing with solar energy) splattered across the arena.

  [Aurum HP: 4,500 → 3,200/4,500]

  [Condition: Left Wing Severely Damaged - Flight Impossible]

  The dragon roared—not in defiance, but in pure pain.

  He thrashed, shaking so violently that the twelve remaining skeletons were finally thrown off.

  Marcus fell from Aurum's back, rolling in the dirt, then scrambled back to his feet.

  His face was a mask of absolute fury.

  "YOU—!" His voice cracked. "YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT! AURUM, [SOLAR SUPREMACY]!"

  ---

  [THE ULTIMATE - MINUTE 4]

  The entire stadium went silent.

  Everyone knew what was coming.

  [Solar Supremacy].

  The golden dragon's ultimate attack.

  The skill that had vaporized a previous combatant's golem in three seconds.

  Aurum—enraged, injured, but still incredibly dangerous—lifted his head toward the sky.

  His entire body blazed.

  Not just bright. Blinding.

  As if a second sun had just materialized in the middle of the arena.

  "EVERYONE LOOK AWAY!" the referee shouted, herself shielding her eyes.

  Spectators in the first ten rows felt the heat so intensely that some involuntarily stepped back.

  The cameras struggled, lenses automatically adjusting to compensate for the brilliant light.

  And then—

  [SOLAR SUPREMACY - ACTIVATED]

  Pure solar energy exploded from Aurum in every direction.

  Not a concentrated beam.

  Not a directed pulse.

  A full detonation.

  Everything within a twenty-meter radius was bathed in light and heat that rivaled the surface of the sun.

  "GRIM, SHIELDS!" Alex shouted.

  The remaining skeletons—twelve still standing—immediately interposed themselves between Grim and the blast.

  Grim raised his scythe horizontally, activating every defensive skill available.

  [Grave Domain - Maximum]

  [Shadow Shield]

  [Death's Barrier]

  Alex dove behind Grim, using the skeleton's massive body as a shield.

  The blast hit them.

  The twelve skeletons disintegrated instantly. Not even ash remained—just nothing.

  Grim's barriers cracked. Splintered. Shattered.

  But they held long enough for the worst of the blast to pass.

  When the light finally faded, the damage was catastrophic:

  [Grim HP: 1,200 → 280/1,200]

  [Alex HP: 880 → 320/880]

  Grim was barely standing, armor cracked in dozens of places, scythe still held but trembling.

  Alex collapsed to his knees behind Grim, skin burned, breathing in ragged gasps.

  But they were alive.

  Across the arena, Aurum collapsed, legs giving out. [Solar Supremacy] had drained every drop of MP.

  [Aurum MP: 1,200 → 0/1,400]

  [Aurum HP: 3,200/4,500]

  [Condition: Completely Exhausted - Cannot use skills]

  Marcus knelt beside his dragon, hand on Aurum's neck. "Hold on, buddy. Just... hold on a little longer."

  Alex forced himself back to his feet, every movement agony.

  "Grim," he gasped. "One. More. Can you?"

  "I can," Grim said, voice raspy but firm. "For. You. Always. I can."

  "Then let's finish this. [Soul Reap]."

  ---

  [FINAL BLOW - MINUTE 5]

  Grim walked forward—slow, staggering, but relentless.

  Each step left a trail of crimson energy.

  Marcus watched him come. "No. No, no, NO. Aurum, GET UP!"

  The dragon tried. Legs trembled, pushing—

  But without MP, without strength, he just sank back down.

  "Please!" Marcus looked on the verge of tears. "Please, just a little more!"

  Grim reached Aurum.

  He raised his scythe—not in a cutting strike this time, but as a harvesting implement.

  Marcus looked around, trying to reorient his strategy. His earlier confidence had evaporated, replaced by something he'd never felt in competition:

  Genuine uncertainty.

  "Aurum," he said, his voice lower now, more controlled. "Serious combat mode. [Solar Ascension]."

  The golden dragon roared, his body blazing brighter. The scales temporarily became transparent, revealing pure solar energy flowing through his form.

  [Aurum - Buff Activated: Solar Ascension]

  +30% to all stats for 5 minutes

  All solar skills enhanced

  "Impressive," Alex admitted. "But I have my own ace up my sleeve."

  He extended both hands toward the arena floor.

  "[Army of the Damned]—full summoning."

  [MP: 190 → 40/440]

  [Cost: 150 MP for mass summoning]

  The arena floor exploded.

  Not five skeletons this time. Not ten. Not thirty.

  Fifty.

  Fifty skeletal warriors rose from the ground—some assembled from beast remains of previous fights, others materialized directly from Grim's death energy, others torn from some plane of existence beyond mortal comprehension.

  Each was a minor skeleton—level 15, HP 200, relatively fragile individually.

  But there were fifty of them.

  The stadium exploded into chaos:

  "FIFTY!"

  "HE SUMMONED FIFTY UNDEAD!"

  "THAT'S A FULL ARMY!"

  "THIS CAN'T BE LEGAL!"

  The commentators struggled for coherent words:

  "I... this is... FIFTY SIMULTANEOUS REANIMATIONS! The previous record in professional tournament play was twenty-two! Carter just more than doubled it!"

  "And look at the coordination! They're moving in formation! That's master-level control!"

  In the judges' box, Father Augustin stood, his face red with fury. "THIS IS EXCESSIVE! STOP HIM—!"

  But the Head Referee raised a hand. "The fight continues until there's a winner. The rules are clear."

  Marcus looked at the skeleton army, then at Alex, then back at the skeletons.

  "You think numbers can defeat Aurum?" He laughed—but it sounded forced. "Fine! Show me! Aurum, [Enhanced Solar Flare]!"

  The dragon roared, wings extending fully, body blazing like a miniature sun.

  BOOM.

  Golden light exploded outward in a massive pulse. Thirty skeletons—more than half the army—were vaporized instantly, reduced to ash in microseconds.

  [Skeletons remaining: 20/50]

  "And the dragon destroys most of the army in a single attack!" the commentator shouted.

  But Alex was smiling.

  "That was the point. Grim, now."

  Because while Aurum had been focused on the skeletons, the twenty remaining had used those precious seconds to position.

  "Charge!"

  The twenty skeletons ran—not toward Aurum to attack, but to climb.

  They leaped, grabbed, climbed the dragon's massive body like ants scaling a tree.

  "What—?" Marcus blinked in confusion. "Aurum, shake them off!"

  The dragon shook his body violently. Five skeletons fell, crashing to the ground.

  But fifteen remained clinging, bone claws digging between scales, jaws biting (ineffective for damage but excellent for grip).

  And each skeleton weighed approximately 40 kilograms.

  Fifteen skeletons = 600 kilograms of dead weight clinging to the dragon's body.

  Aurum tried to fly.

  The wings beat once. Twice.

  He lifted half a meter off the ground—

  The skeletons pulled down, their collective weight forcing him back.

  "AURUM, BREAK FREE!" Marcus—genuine panic in his voice now.

  The dragon roared in frustration, shaking more violently. Three more skeletons fell.

  But twelve remained.

  And that was enough.

  Aurum couldn't gain altitude. The weight anchored him to the ground.

  "Perfect!" Alex pumped his fist. "Grim, now's your chance! [Death's Reaping Strike]!"

  ---

  [CRITICAL MOMENT - MINUTE 3:30]

  Grim charged across the arena, massive scythe raised, death aura flowing like a visible cloak of crimson energy.

  [Death's Reaping Strike - Maximum Power]

  [Cost: 100 MP]

  [Grim MP: 210 → 110/360]

  The scythe blazed with light that seemed to absorb all color, leaving only burning crimson.

  Aurum saw the charge, tried to move—

  The twelve skeletons pulled harder, holding him in place for crucial seconds.

  Grim leaped, scythe spinning in a perfect descending arc—

  SLASH.

  The blade connected with the dragon's left wing.

  And cut through.

  Not completely—Aurum was level 57, his scales harder than steel—but deep enough.

  Bone fractured. Membranes tore. Golden blood (literally golden blood, glowing with solar energy) splattered across the arena.

  [Aurum HP: 4,500 → 3,200/4,500]

  [Condition: Left Wing Severely Damaged - Flight Impossible]

  The dragon roared—not in defiance, but in pure pain.

  He thrashed, shaking so violently that the twelve remaining skeletons were finally thrown off.

  Marcus fell from Aurum's back, rolling in the dirt, then scrambled back to his feet.

  His face was a mask of absolute fury.

  "YOU—!" His voice cracked. "YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT! AURUM, [SOLAR SUPREMACY]!"

  ---

  [THE ULTIMATE - MINUTE 4]

  The entire stadium went silent.

  Everyone knew what was coming.

  [Solar Supremacy].

  The golden dragon's ultimate attack.

  The skill that had vaporized Emily's golem in three seconds.

  Aurum—enraged, injured, but still incredibly dangerous—lifted his head toward the sky.

  His entire body blazed.

  Not just bright. Blinding.

  As if a second sun had just materialized in the middle of the arena.

  "EVERYONE LOOK AWAY!" the referee shouted, herself shielding her eyes.

  Spectators in the first ten rows felt the heat so intensely that some involuntarily stepped back.

  The cameras struggled, lenses automatically adjusting to compensate for the brilliant light.

  And then—

  [SOLAR SUPREMACY - ACTIVATED]

  Pure solar energy exploded from Aurum in every direction.

  Not a concentrated beam.

  Not a directed pulse.

  A full detonation.

  Everything within a twenty-meter radius was bathed in light and heat that rivaled the surface of the sun.

  "GRIM, SHIELDS!" Alex shouted.

  The remaining skeletons—twelve still standing—immediately interposed themselves between Grim and the blast.

  Grim raised his scythe horizontally, activating every defensive skill available.

  [Grave Domain - Maximum]

  [Shadow Shield]

  [Death's Barrier]

  Alex dove behind Grim, using the skeleton's massive body as a shield.

  The blast hit them.

  The twelve skeletons disintegrated instantly. Not even ash remained—just nothing.

  Grim's barriers cracked. Splintered. Shattered.

  But they held long enough for the worst of the blast to pass.

  When the light finally faded, the damage was catastrophic:

  [Grim HP: 1,200 → 280/1,200]

  [Alex HP: 880 → 320/880]

  Grim was barely standing, armor cracked in dozens of places, scythe still held but trembling.

  Alex collapsed to his knees behind Grim, skin burned, breathing in ragged gasps.

  But they were alive.

  Across the arena, Aurum collapsed, legs giving out. [Solar Supremacy] had drained every drop of MP.

  [Aurum MP: 1,200 → 0/1,400]

  [Aurum HP: 3,200/4,500]

  [Condition: Completely Exhausted - Cannot use skills]

  Marcus knelt beside his dragon, hand on Aurum's neck. "Hold on, buddy. Just... hold on a little longer."

  Alex forced himself back to his feet, every movement agony.

  "Grim," he gasped. "One. More. Can you?"

  "I can," Grim said, voice raspy but firm. "For. You. Always. I can."

  "Then let's finish this. [Soul Reap]."

  ---

  [FINAL BLOW - MINUTE 5]

  Grim walked forward—slow, staggering, but relentless.

  Each step left a trail of crimson energy.

  Marcus watched him come. "No. No, no, NO. Aurum, GET UP!"

  The dragon tried. Legs trembled, pushing—

  But without MP, without strength, he just sank back down.

  "Please!" Marcus looked on the verge of tears. "Please, just a little more!"

  Grim reached Aurum.

  He raised his scythe—not in a cutting strike this time, but as a harvesting implement.