Apocalypse: becoming the hidden Ruler[English]

Under normal circumstances, he would have held his position for several more years. But ever since the Stormhold Imperium spy incident, Tadeo had issued a sweeping order—any awakened family member at mid–Level Five or higher was to drop everything and focus solely on strengthening themselves.

“I wonder what’s going to happen next…” Zayden glanced at Vesper again, disappointment evident, though he suppressed his anger.

Seeing that Zayden wasn’t going to pursue the matter, Vesper quietly exhaled in relief.

“I invited Warren,” Vesper added quickly. “He’s an outstanding Level Five Awakener too. With him, the Everton branch should still secure the championship.”

That eased Zayden slightly. Winning wasn’t the point—it was about face. If the Starcrest family’s home region lost to outsiders, it would be humiliating.

“…Hmm?”

Zayden froze as he continued reading.

“Axel?” He frowned. “Is this a duplicate name?”

Axel’s name was clearly listed—under the Virelia branch.

Zayden looked toward the corner of the arena where Virelia’s team was assembled.

“They’re really here.” His eyes lit up. “Virelia… that should be Ynez’s team.”

“Zebediah? He’s here too?”

A disheveled, middle-aged man with a scraggly beard sat slouched in the stands, gripping a bottle of liquor. A few minutes later, Zayden walked over.

“Zebediah,” he greeted.

Zebediah barely glanced up, taking another swig. “Just killing time.”

“Worried about Ynez, but too proud to admit it?” Zayden teased.

Zebediah snorted. “I’m just here to make sure she doesn’t disgrace the family. If she performs poorly, she can quit the Havoc Division altogether.”

Zayden chuckled, patted him on the shoulder, and returned to the Section B viewing room.

“The matches are about to begin!” the announcer shouted.

“Teams scheduled for the first round, proceed immediately to your assigned arenas!”

Tens of thousands of spectators erupted into cheers.

“Hollow Fortress versus Rutherford?”

Axel, seated among the competitors, narrowed his eyes.

“…Interesting.”

“The battle begins!”

At the announcer’s signal, the massive arena split into four separate combat zones—each capable of hosting two teams simultaneously.

“So it’s Hollow Fortress against Rutherford.”

“Straight into bayonets in the first round…”

As Lilith stepped onto the battlefield with her teammates and released her Force aura, a collective gasp swept through the VIP viewing room where William and the others were seated.

“Who the hell is that girl?” someone muttered.

“Mr. Philip, that’s not fair,” another complained. “You set us up from the start!”

Philip only smiled, saying nothing. Maurice, however, let out a low chuckle. “Now it makes sense why you bet on Hollow Fortress. Rutherford’s in serious trouble.”

Orlando stroked his chin, eyes fixed on Lilith as she stood at the center of the arena. “That kind of talent is terrifying.”

Lilith’s Force aura had surged past four thousand.

Throughout the entire history of the Havoc Division tournament, only three members of championship teams had ever reached that threshold.

“She has to be a captain from the Whisper Syndicate,” Maurice said, narrowing his eyes.

“You’re well-informed,” Philip replied lightly. “Gentlemen, don’t forget our bets. Hahaha.”

“Scheming bastard,” the others said almost in unison.

Only William remained silent, his gaze thoughtful as he wondered whether Axel could truly stand against someone like Lilith.

At first, most of the audience assumed the Hollow Fortress–Rutherford match would drag on the longest.

Ten minutes later, they realized how wrong they were.

Columns of blood erupted across the arena like crimson infernos, surging skyward one after another. Assisted by Hollow Fortress’s melee assassin and a massive man who never left Lilith’s side, the blood flooded toward Rutherford’s team.

Anyone touched by it turned flushed and overheated, their skin reddening as their faces rapidly drained of color.

“Her control’s even stronger than last time,” Axel muttered grimly.

Boom!

Lilith raised her hand, and the final pillar of blood slammed down like a falling star. Already crippled by multiple abnormal effects, Rutherford’s remaining members were blasted clean off the stage.

“Match One—Hollow Fortress wins!” the referee announced, his expression conflicted.

He himself was a mid-tier Level Five Awakener—and he knew, with unsettling certainty, that he wouldn’t be able to defeat Lilith.

“Ugh, I’m exhausted,” Lilith complained loudly, swaying as if she might collapse. “My Force is completely drained. I don’t even know if I can fight the next round. Can someone help me up? I’m getting dizzy.”

Below the stage, Axel watched with a faint smirk.

This woman’s a terrifying actress.

......

“Zayden,” someone muttered in disbelief, “where the hell did they dig up that monster?”

Zayden’s face was grave. “Rutherford’s overall strength isn’t much weaker than Everton’s… but even if Everton faced her head-on, they probably wouldn’t fare any better.”

Vesper, standing nearby, frowned. She had seen Lilith win—but couldn’t grasp what made her so overwhelming. “Really? She looked exhausted too.”

Zayden shook his head, his thoughts already elsewhere.

Vesper isn’t fit to take over the Havoc Division, he concluded. I’ll need someone else.

Lilith’s profile had already been forwarded to him. She wasn’t just some prodigy—she was a captain-level figure within the Whisper Syndicate. Talent, experience, and real battlefield slaughter all rolled into one.

“Vesper, you…” Zayden sighed, unable to finish the sentence.

.....

Around the same time, Team Virelia wrapped up their own match.

The three team members walked toward Axel as Ynez descended from the platform.

“This is Axel,” Ynez said calmly. “He’ll take the field in the second round.”

All three turned to look at him.

“You’re Axel?” one of them asked, eyes shining.

“Uh… yeah. And you are?”

The tall man stepped forward. “Otis. This is Mateo. We both graduated from Hollow Fortress Academy.” He grinned broadly. “Axel, we’ve heard about you for a long time. Never thought we’d actually get to fight on the same team.”

Otis and Mateo were visibly excited.

Christopher, however, only frowned slightly and glanced at Axel. “He’s that famous?”

“He’s well-known among Level Four and above Awakened at the War Academy,” Otis explained. “Academy Tournament champion. A civilian genius who beat the aristocratic families.”

“Everyone agrees he was the strongest peak Level Four Awakener.”

“Peak Level Four?” Christopher frowned.

“No,” Ynez corrected. “Axel is already Level Five. He’ll partner with you in the second round.”

“Ynez!” Christopher’s eyes lit up when he saw her, his demeanor softening immediately.

“Christopher, give it everything you’ve got,” Ynez said with a faint smile. “If we don’t run into Everton or Hollow Fortress too early, breaking into the top four isn’t impossible.”

After taking charge of Virelia’s Havoc Division, Ynez had reworked multiple policies, giving capable but overlooked Awakened a chance to rise. Christopher was one of them.

“We won’t let you down,” Christopher said solemnly.

She turned to Axel. “Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. I trust your strength.”

Compared to Vesper, Ynez was approachable, composed—and a far better leader.

“The second round’s this afternoon. Everyone, get some rest.”

Watching Ynez chat with Axel, Christopher felt a twinge of disappointment—but no resentment.

“Axel,” he said seriously, “I’ll cooperate fully.”

Axel glanced toward the arena where Lilith was laughing and joking with her teammates. His expression grew more focused.

Without a real clash, he couldn’t say for certain whether he could defeat her.

Let’s see how good he really is this afternoon, Christopher thought.

.....

By the end of the morning matches, sixteen Havoc Division teams had already been eliminated.

“At this point, only a handful of divisions can really threaten us,” Ynez said as the teams regrouped for the afternoon draw. “Everton and Hollow Fortress are the biggest ones to watch. Everton alone has three low-tier Level Five Awakeners.”

“The rest comes down to luck,” Christopher said grimly. “As long as we don’t run into Everton or Hollow Fortress, we have a real shot.”

Just then, the announcer’s voice echoed across the arena.

“The second-round draw begins now!”

Division names scrolled rapidly across the massive screen before finally stopping.

Virelia Division vs. Ebonveil Division.

A collective sigh of relief rippled through the Virelia team.

Ebonveil wasn’t considered especially strong among the remaining divisions. Even without Axel, their odds of winning were high.

“Top eight is basically guaranteed now,” Christopher said, his eyes gleaming as he stole the occasional glance at Ynez.