Apocalypse: becoming the hidden Ruler[English]

“Today’s matches have concluded. The final four are Everton, Virelia, Hollow Fortress, and Ancestral Flame.”

“Please don’t leave just yet—the semifinal matchups will be announced shortly.”

.......

Zayden felt a quiet knot form in his chest.

Deep down, he already knew Everton wouldn’t be taking the championship this year. At least Ynez had secured Axel for Virelia early on—and with Ynez nominally in charge of the branch, the fallout wouldn’t splash back too hard on the Starcrest family. Otherwise, their reputation would’ve taken an even nastier hit.

With that thought, Zayden made his way up to the audience seating above the Virelia section.

Zebediah sat there, unshaven as ever, wrapped in a wool coat, a drink in hand.

“You’ve raised a good daughter,” Zayden said as he sat beside him.

Zebediah shifted uncomfortably and snorted. “Just luck.”

“You…” Zayden shook his head, choosing not to press the matter.

After Zayden left, Zebediah looked down at the arena floor, where his daughter was still busy coordinating things. A rare softness surfaced in his clouded eyes.

.......

“The draw is complete! Tomorrow’s matches are Everton versus Hollow Fortress, and Virelia versus Ancestral Flame!”

......

“Axel, please wait.”

Axel was just about to leave when an elderly voice called out behind him.

“And you are?” Axel turned to see an old man with white hair and beard, posture straight as a spear, smiling warmly.

“President Walter, please sit,” Ynez said quickly, stepping forward.

“Ynez, it’s been years. You’ve grown quite a bit,” Walter said kindly before turning his attention to Axel.

“My name is Walter. I’m the president of the Ancestral Flame branch. We’ll be opponents tomorrow, and I’d like to ask you for a favor.”

“Go ahead.”

Walter nodded. “Those three over there are fighters from our branch—triplets. Two are Low-Level Five Awakeners, Force around 2,700. The third is at peak Level Four, Force roughly 2,100. All melee-types.”

He fixed Axel with a steady gaze.

“If you fought all three at once… could you defeat them?”

Axel paused.

“…I should be able to.”

Walter’s eyes lit up. He grabbed Axel’s hand eagerly.

“Then my request is this: tomorrow, take them down by yourself—and as fast as possible.”

Axel blinked. “Why?”

Walter glanced toward three bald men standing together and smiled.

“They’re my trainees. Their awakened talent is called Heart of Fight.”

“It boosts combat power to a degree, but it doesn’t grant usable awakened skills. Their true value lies in accelerating training speed.”

“Competition. Pressure. Frustration. A strong desire to win—those emotions amplify the effect. That’s why I came to you shamelessly.”

He added calmly, “If fighting three at once is too much, I won’t force you. Either way, I’ll teach you the twelve advanced combat techniques of Ancestral Flame afterward.”

Advanced techniques.

Axel only knew the basics—partly because the advanced ones were absurdly expensive, and partly because he rarely needed them later on.

“All right,” Axel said after a moment. “I agree.”

Walter beamed and cupped his hands in thanks.

“Then I thank you on behalf of those three boys.”

He turned and headed back to his team.

Afterward, Ynez spoke quietly.

“No matter what happens, you came out ahead. President Walter is a respected Awakener.”

Peak Level Five. A terrifying close-combat specialist.

.....

Not far away, the three Ancestral Flame brothers watched Axel’s group leave.

“Teacher, what did you say to him?” asked the tallest, Boyd.

The triplets were Boyd, Bronson, and Byron.

Walter smiled faintly. “I just told him to take tomorrow seriously.”

He had no intention of telling them the truth—uncertainty would motivate them far better.

“Of course he’ll take it seriously,” Bronson said, clenching his fist. “We’re not easy opponents.”

“You’re right,” Walter replied calmly.

The smallest brother, Byron, who looked far more serious than the other two, spoke slowly.

“Teacher… do you think Awakeners grow stronger just to fight and brawl?”

Walter’s eyes brightened.

He liked Byron the most. Though only peak Level Four, his potential Force output far exceeded his bros.

“Oh?” Walter said. “What conclusion have you reached?”

Byron clenched his fist tightly.

“That it is about fighting and brawling. Proving our strength with force.”

Boyd and Bronson nodded, patting his shoulder.

“Well said.”

Walter looked at the three of them, unease creeping into his chest.

“…Let’s hope this doesn’t backfire.”

......

Axel strolled leisurely toward the villa district, several bags of mutated beast meat slung over his shoulders.

Not far away, a chubby man sat reading a newspaper, his hat pulled low. His eyes flicked up briefly, a trace of confusion flashing through them.

“…Is this kid actually starting to enjoy life in Everton?”

After today’s match, Axel had gone straight back to Zane’s place, picked out some top-tier mutated beast meat, and then casually headed home like he didn’t have a care in the world.

.....

The Havoc Division semifinals finally began, drawing massive anticipation.

“Hoo—ha—hey!”

In the Ancestral Flame player area, three bald, shirtless men were shadowboxing. Sweat poured off their bodies, steam rising into the air, their eyes burning with unrestrained battle lust.

Nearby, Lilith lounged lazily in her chair, watching them with open disdain. She hated men like that—nothing but muscle and rocks for brains.

“Axel! You’re here!” she called brightly when she saw him. “Save your strength for tomorrow.”

“You might end up disappointed,” Axel replied with a smile as he looked over.

Today, his real mission wasn’t to fight—it was to observe Lilith. He hoped the Everton trio could push her hard enough to reveal more of her cards.

“Members of Ancestral Flame, Virelia, Everton, and Hollow Fortress, please prepare.”

At the announcement, everyone climbed onto their respective arenas.

“Axel, it’s up to you,” Christopher said quietly. He and Otis stepped back the moment they took the stage—a movement immediately noticed by the three Boyd brothers.

“See that, Second Brother? Third Brother?” Boyd sneered. “Even with a monster like Axel on their team, they’re still wary of us.”

“Big Brother’s right,” the other two agreed.

The three formed a triangular formation, eyes locked eagerly on Axel.

“Begin!”

At the referee’s signal, the brothers’ Force erupted simultaneously, surging toward Axel like a wave.

At the same time, Axel sensed several powerful Force fluctuations from the opposite arena.

“Sorry,” Axel said calmly, glancing at the three of them. “This was your guild leader’s request.”

He reached out and gripped the Red Flame Blade.

A terrifying surge of Force exploded outward, flooding the blade with crimson light. The weapon trembled violently in his hand.

“So this really is the limit of a C-rank Original Instrument…” Axel muttered.

Cracks spread along the blade—scars left behind from his earlier fight with Kenneth.

“Slash.”

This time, Axel unleashed nearly eighty percent of his Force, combined with his monstrous physique—now exceeding 5,500 in raw power.

Whoosh!

The referee beside the arena stiffened, instinctively fighting the urge to dodge.

“What the—”

The three Boyd brothers were charging forward at full speed when a blade of light—four or five meters wide—came screaming straight at them.

Their faces drained of color.

“Huh?”

On the opposite arena, Lilith, locked in combat with Everton, glanced over, her expression shifting subtly.

“He’s gotten stronger again…”

Bang!

The three brothers were blasted off the stage without the slightest resistance.

Axel pulled back his Force at the last second, but the trio still coughed up blood as they landed.

“Are you alright?” Axel asked as he approached.

Boyd, Bronson, and Byron stared blankly at him—this kid, younger than all of them, standing there without a scratch.

“…We’re fine,” Boyd muttered.

With official healers already rushing in, Axel didn’t intervene further.

After the match, Walter walked over with a smile.

“How do you feel?”

“Despair.”

“Pain.”

“Emptiness.”

The three brothers sat there in a daze.

“We didn’t expect the gap to be this big…”

The three murmured among themselves.

Walter’s eyes flickered, and he spoke slowly.

“This was my request. Although Axel defeated you effortlessly, he actually used his full strength.”