My Infinite System.

The arena lights dimmed slightly as Athena walked to the centre stage, her coat drifting softly around her ankles with each silent step. The murmurs of the crowd quieted into a hush that spread through the massive stadium like a breath being held.

She raised her gaze to the giant crystal screens above, their glow reflecting in her sharp violet eyes. The golden table flickered, showing only three names now.

Lucian Black.

Silas.

Evelyn Merrin.

Athena folded her arms behind her back, her voice calm and even as it boomed from the arena speakers.

”Some of you might be wondering... why is this stage called the quarterfinals when there are only three left?”

A ripple of murmurs and confused nods spread among the students.

Athena let her gaze sweep across them, her expression unreadable. ”In the Class Zero curriculum, a duel assessment like this is split into two phases. The first is your internal evaluation—testing your abilities and compatibility against each other.”

She paused, the faint wind catching a few stray strands of her dark hair as the sunlight highlighted the faint scar along her jawline.

”The second phase,” she continued, ”is your external evaluation. After today’s duels, the two top students will be sent to fight ranked seniors in the Hunter Academy’s Combat Corps as their final test before the mid-year advancement. You call these quarterfinals... but it’s only the quarterfinals for you.”

A faint smirk twitched at the edge of her lips.

”For them,” she said, her eyes narrowing, ”it will be the semi-finals.”

Another wave of murmurs swept the students. Some gasped in excitement, others whispered in worry.

”They’re fighting seniors...?”

”Class Zero is insane...”

”They’re first-years... and they’re going to fight advanced Combat Corps members?!”

Athena ignored their noise, turning back to the three names on the screen. The table flickered again, rearranging itself silently until it settled.

The glowing letters read:

Lucian Black vs Silas

Winner fights Evelyn Merrin

The crowd erupted into cheers, chants, and whistles. Silas stood from his bench near the stage edge, cracking his neck once to each side before rolling his broad shoulders with a grin.

He looked across the cracked stone stage to where Lucian stood, his hands casually tucked in his pockets, his black hair drifting slightly with the rising breeze.

Silas chuckled softly, his teeth flashing white against his tanned skin. ”Finally,” he said under his breath, his voice like rumbling gravel. ”Been waiting for this.”

Lucian tilted his head slightly, his half-lidded eyes flicking up to meet Silas’ wide, eager grin. He blinked once, slow and calm, before his lips curved into a faint smirk.

”Yeah...” he murmured softly, so only himself could hear. ”Me too.”

Athena raised her hand again, her shadow stretching long across the fractured stone.

”Step forward.”

The arena floor trembled under Silas’ massive footsteps as he walked to the centre. Lucian followed, each step silent, light, almost ghostlike in comparison.

They stopped three metres apart, facing each other under the glaring crystal lights and blazing morning sun. The stadium fell silent around them, the crowd holding its collective breath as two of Class Zero’s strongest faced each other.

Silas rolled his fists, cracking his knuckles so loud it echoed across the stands. ”Don’t hold back,” he said, grinning wide. ”If you do... I’ll crush you.”

Lucian didn’t answer immediately. He raised his gaze, looking at Silas through the drifting motes of dust caught in the sunlight. For a moment, his expression was blank. Calm. Almost bored.

Then, slowly, he smiled.

”No promises.”

Athena’s voice boomed through the quiet.

”Begin.”

The gong echoed across the dome.

Silas moved first. He lunged forward, the ground cracking under his foot as his fist swung in a brutal arc toward Lucian’s head. The air screamed around his knuckles with sheer force.

Lucian’s eyes flickered.

[Chrono Sense – Passive Active]

Time stretched thin. Silas’ punch slowed in his eyes, each muscle fibre in his opponent’s arm pulsing with rippling energy. Lucian leaned back just enough to let the punch pass a hair’s breadth from his nose, the wind ruffling his hair as his smirk deepened.

He stepped forward, twisting his body, and slammed his open palm into Silas’ exposed side.

BOOM.

A shockwave exploded outward, dust spiralling around them. Silas’ eyes widened as the impact forced his massive frame to stagger sideways. But he didn’t fall. His aura pulsed violently around him as his muscles swelled under his uniform.

[Enhanced Condition – Overdrive Mode: Limit Breaker]

”Nice hit!” Silas roared, his voice echoing across the arena. ”But you’ll need more than that!”

He swung his arm back around in a wide backhand. Lucian ducked under it, folding low, and launched forward with a flicker of motion.

[Fold Step – Instant]

He reappeared behind Silas, his fist already cocked back. Mana crackled faintly around his knuckles as he slammed his punch into Silas’ lower back.

Crack—

Silas stumbled forward, coughing out a grunt of pain. He spun instantly, sweeping his leg out in a wide arc. Lucian jumped back, his coat flaring around him as he landed lightly on the cracked stone.

Silas panted, his grin wide despite the pain. Blood dripped faintly from his nose. ”You’re fast... but—”

He stomped forward, his aura surging white around his arms. He swung both fists down in a hammer strike. Lucian folded to the side, the double punch smashing into the stage and creating a crater that sent dust and fractured stone flying.

Lucian moved behind Silas again, pressing two fingers into the nape of his neck.

[Dimensional Claw – Pinpoint Pulse]

A faint flicker of spectral light appeared at his fingertips before he pressed down. Silas roared as his knees buckled, his entire body forced down by the sudden spike of condensed energy.

Lucian stepped back, his eyes half-lidded, his breathing calm.

”Stay down,” he said softly.

But Silas only laughed through gritted teeth, struggling back to his feet. His massive fists clenched as he looked up at Lucian, sweat dripping down his temples.

”Not... yet...”

His aura surged again, brighter than before. He launched forward with raw speed, aiming to grab Lucian’s torso in a crushing bear hug.

Lucian’s eyes narrowed slightly.

[Spatial Collapse – Targeted Core Implosion]

He raised his palm, mana swirling in a faint distorted sphere. The moment Silas reached him, Lucian pressed his palm into Silas’ chest. The sphere imploded inward, its gravitational force slamming Silas into the ground with a deafening crack of stone.

Dust engulfed them both.

When it cleared, Silas lay sprawled in the cracked crater, unconscious, his chest rising and falling with ragged but steady breaths.

Silence fell across the arena.

Athena raised her hand.

”Winner: Lucian Black.”

The crowd erupted into thunderous cheers, chanting his name over and over again. But Lucian didn’t acknowledge them. He simply turned, his eyes calm, and walked back toward the edge of the stage.

As he passed Athena, she looked at him, her sharp violet eyes narrowing faintly.

”Don’t hold back against her,” she said quietly.

Lucian paused, blinking once before smirking faintly.

”I won’t.”

He walked to his bench, sitting down silently as the screens flickered again above them, the final name glowing alone against the golden table’s dark backdrop.

Evelyn Merrin.

She stood up slowly, her fingers curling around her skirt as she stepped forward under the roaring cheers of the academy, her red hair drifting lightly in the sunlit breeze.

And as she walked onto the stage to face Lucian, the morning sky above the Hunter Academy seemed to glow brighter, casting them both in a light that felt heavy with something unspoken—

Destiny.