The moment the signal flared in the virtual sky, Elliot stood still. The arena stretched endlessly—a coliseum bathed in orange dusk light, with towering stone pillars surrounding the stage like ancient gods. The wind here wasn't real, but it carried the weight of war.
Across from him, Stone God stood tall—his body encased in jagged rock armor that pulsed with slow-burning energy. His massive fists clenched and cracked with might. He didn't speak yet. He was analyzing.
"Sync complete," the system voice rang. "Soul Armor activated. Soul Weapon equipped."
Elliot's body glowed. Shadow energy poured from his feet upward, wrapping him like tendrils of night. His armor manifested sleek and dark, etched in violet patterns like celestial maps. His katana flared into existence in his grip, humming softly—an extension of his soul.
> "Shadow Type: Detected. Soul Level: Low-Intermediate. Access granted to basic shadow abilities."
Elliot narrowed his eyes. He could feel the weapon pulse with familiarity. This was his world now.
> "Battle Start."
Stone God launched first—his feet hammering the ground as the platform cracked beneath him. He surged forward like an avalanche.
Elliot dashed aside, activating Shadow Cloak—his form blurred and vanished into streaks of darkness. He reappeared behind Stone God with a quick slash of his katana, but the blade barely cut through the rock.
Stone God spun, slamming his arm into Elliot's side. He flew across the arena, crashing into a column.
> "Shadow Pulse," Elliot muttered, and a burst of shadow erupted from his chest, propelling him upright again.
He vanished and reappeared above, slicing down hard—this time with both hands. Sparks flew. Stone God grunted, stepping back.
> "You're fast," he said at last. "But you're not heavy enough."
Stone God pounded the earth. Stones rose like shields, like weapons. He punched forward—and from his fist, a giant stone hand shot at Elliot.
Elliot countered with Shadow Slide, passing through the strike like mist. He came out the other side, blade first, and finally cut a weak point in Stone God's shoulder.
But that was all he managed.
Stone God roared. His armor flared.
"Stone Drive!"
The ground beneath Elliot turned to spikes, rising in milliseconds. He dodged once, twice—but was clipped. His side burned.
Breathing heavy, Elliot tried one last trick—Shadow Split, creating three mirrored versions of himself, darting in different directions. Stone God simply closed his eyes.
> "You rely too much on speed. You haven't learned weight. Intent."
He crushed all three clones—and waited.
The real Elliot came at him again with a desperate overhead slash—but Stone God caught the blade in one hand.
> "Game over."
He raised his stone fist.
> "Stone God wins."
The battlefield froze.
The stone titan looked down at the boy covered in his own shadow energy, breathing like a cornered animal.
> "You're new. It shows," Stone God said, calm. "But you have something. Go back. Train harder. Learn what your soul truly wants to cut."
He turned, but before he could dissipate, Elliot whispered:
> "Wait—friend request."
Stone God turned slightly. A notification blinked in his interface. He accepted it.
> "When you feel ready... send a challenge. I'll be waiting."
And like smoke, he vanished.
Elliot stood alone, the silence of the empty arena crawling in.
He reached up, tapped the pod controls, and exited.
The moment he pulled off the neural helmet, he was hit by the cool air of the VR chamber. Henry and Zane were waiting for him.
Henry raised an eyebrow. "Bro... found your soulmate in virtual reality before real life?"
Elliot blinked, then smirked.
> "Shut up."
They laughed as they walked out into the fading afternoon light. But then—
> "Attention all freshers!" the academy loudspeakers blared. "The Freshers Tournament begins in five days. Further information will be relayed by your unit inspector."
The three paused.
They looked at each other.
> "It's here," Zane whispered.
They ran back to the dorms.
> "Did you hear it too?" Elliot asked.
Kira stood from her bunk. "Yeah. Through the room speaker."
Kayden nodded. "So... it begins."
Elliot looked at each of them. His body ached, but his spirit was awake.
> "Let's see if we're truly ready."
---