Three days passed like the ticking of a blade's edge — slow, sharp, and full of anticipation.
At the heart of Royal Star Academy, beneath the massive obsidian monument known as the Awakening Pillar, thousands of students, nobles, and elders had gathered. The sky was clear, but the air was heavy — thick with spirit force and tension. The entire human continent had tuned in to the live spiritcast.
Royal Star Academy was more than a school. It was the crucible of the future — where the scions of noble families, bastards with freakish talent, and the heirs of Pillar bloodlines clashed to shape the continent's next rulers. Spirit duels, faction wars, and ranking ladders turned every hallway into a battlefield.
Today, that battlefield had one name echoing louder than all others: Lucas Black.
A high-platform stage hovered just above the monument plaza, reinforced by black-forged dwarfsteel and enchanted by Lamberg sigils. A dueling platform of prestige — one rarely used except for national-level events.
In the center stood Adrian Campbell. Tall. Broad. A walking fortress of iron muscle and honed killing intent. His sleeveless martial uniform bore the crest of his clan — a crossed spear and flame. Behind him floated his spirit: a massive blood-red iron spear, pulsing with an oppressive aura.
8-Star Soul Knight.
The Spirit Monitors confirmed it, and murmurs rippled through the crowd.
"That's Adrian… already forming a partial Domain."
"Campbell's greatest since their founder. The Ironblood Spear reborn."
"He might be the first Half-Step Demigod of our race…"
Standing at the far edge of the platform, Lucas adjusted the cuffs of his obsidian coat. He wore no armor. No weapon. Just steady eyes — one silver, one red — and a presence that pressed down on the very air.
Behind him, flickers of black flame licked the ground. Fenrir's silver eyes blinked in the mist.
The duel marshal, a neutral elder, raised his hand.
"This match will end upon surrender, knockout, or spirit collapse. No interference. Begin on my mark."
Lucas and Adrian locked eyes.
"I hope you're not just your father's ornament," Adrian said coldly. "Divine or not, I'll break you."
Lucas smiled faintly. "Then try."
The marshal's hand dropped.
Begin.
Adrian exploded forward, spear in hand. His spirit surged — the red iron blade humming with ancient might. Wind cracked beneath his feet as he launched like a missile toward Lucas's throat.
Lucas raised a single hand.
Fwoooom.
Black fire burst from his palm — the Amaterasu Flame. Not heat, but devouring. The spear met it — and began to erode.
Adrian's eyes widened. "What the—!?"
Lucas advanced. Fenrir materialized behind him, mist trailing his steps. A single howl, low and resonant, shattered three enchantments on the platform.
Adrian growled and slammed his palms to the ground. Spears of red steel erupted like a forest — his Domain taking form.
"You're not the only one with bloodline power!"
Lucas tilted his head.
Then his aura spiked.
The Fenrir Soul fully emerged — towering and spectral. Its presence pressed down like a god's hand. The spirit frost it exuded clashed violently with Adrian's domain — and won.
Lucas stepped through the collapsing spears.
"Burn."
Black flame spiraled around his fist.
He struck.
Adrian took the hit square in the chest — his spirit armor cracking, his body launched across the dueling stage like a comet.
Silence.
The Spirit Monitors buzzed.
Adrian Campbell: Spirit Collapse at 42%. Unable to continue. Winner: Lucas Black.
The arena erupted.
Some screamed. Others were silent. The elders of the Pillar Families rose to their feet.
"Impossible. That wasn't even a Domain—"
"No. That was a Domain… in embryonic form."
Above, in the observation tower, Reinhardt Black stood with his arms crossed. His expression was calm — but his spirit, Hyōrinmaru, trembled faintly.
"That's my son," he said simply.
Elira smiled. "No… that's the future of this Golden Generation."
Across the platform, Lucas stood alone. The flames faded. Fenrir vanished.
He looked to the crowd, to the nobles, to the children of legacy.
And he spoke.
"I am Lucas Black. Divine Flame. Divine Fang."
"Let every Pillar Family remember this day."
"I am no heir. I am the storm they failed to prepare for."
That night, the continent echoed with a name.
Lucas Black.
And in the shadows of distant lands — among elves, demons, dwarves, and celestials — new monsters awakened.
This was the Golden Generation.
And it had only just begun.