Chapter Fifteen: "Trial of Echo Steel"
The next morning, Raizel stood before the mouth of a narrow gorge — Echo Steel Pass.
Within lay the remnants of ancient aura beasts, spirits of war long forgotten. The trial wasn't a simple duel… it was survival against the echoes of violence.
Armed with only his sword and aura, Raizel entered.
The moment he crossed the threshold, the walls shimmered — and shadows emerged: warriors made of living steel and rage, bound to test every challenger.
Raizel fought with fury. Every swing of his blade was met with thunder. Every mistake punished.
His aura flared — orange burned through their armor, silver danced with precision, violet bent their strikes with strange deflection.
Hours passed.
Blood stained his hands. But his eyes blazed with unyielding fire.
At the final gate stood a towering beast — an Echo Guardian.
It roared.
Raizel roared back, aura surging like a storm.
With a single, perfect strike — a fusion of all three auras — he shattered the guardian's blade… and silence fell.
He emerged at dusk, bruised, bloody — but standing.
The guild bowed.
Raizel had earned their blades.