🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋✦ AetherBorne: The Archivus Legacy ✦🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋
Aether Clash: Final Fight – Team Dragon vs. Team Rat
"IS EVERYBODY READY?!"
The announcer's voice thundered through the coliseum, echoing like a war cry as he rallied the crowd into frenzy.
A unified roar answered him.
"YEEEEEES!!!"
The final match of MaGiA Division IX's Aether Clash Tournament had begun—and the whole world was watching.
"This is it," I whispered to myself, fists clenched, eyes locked on the battlefield.
ANNOUNCER:
"TEAM DRAGON VERSUS TEAM RAT! Who will be crowned Aether Clash Champion this year? And who'll walk away with that sweet ride for Summer Class?"
The crowd exploded again.
"Returning with last year's MVP title, blazing back from the ashes of victory—SOLOMON SALAMANDER!"
The stage burst into fire as Sol's body ignited in crimson flame, his aura burning hotter than ever.
"And joining him… the dark horse of this year's tournament, the wildcard who defied every odd—RYUJI 'TAXI' ARCHIVUS!"
I stepped forward, the Codex Nexus humming faintly against my chest. Cheers. Boos. Gasps. I heard them all.
"Facing them… the Duo of the Millennium! First, the cold-hearted prodigy, MagiA Division IX's undisputed Top 1—MINATO KUROGANE!"
Minato stood still at the far edge, eyes narrowed, his presence like black ice.
"And with him, the master of teleportation, the dimensional trickster—LEE JAEWON!"
Lee stood in front. Minato, behind him.
A shield and a sword.
Their formation was clear.
"They're making Lee the spear. Minato's the shield," I muttered.
But then Sol's voice echoed in my mind—
"This time… I'll be the main. You watch my back. No matter what happened before... you've earned that."
I had laughed.
"I don't dwell on the past. But winning? Yeah… that's personal now."
He'd only scowled.
"Good. Because I hate losing."
Now, Sol stood ahead of me on the field, flames licking at his boots.
Main fighter, front line. I'm the support.
I tossed him a spare training gauntlet as a signal.
He caught it midair without looking.
On the opposite end, Lee raised a hand. Minato silently nodded.
Both sides began to Zone.
The crowd hushed.
The arena dimmed.
Then—
ANNOUNCER:
"LET THE FINAL MATCH… BEGIN!!!"
4 training spears erupted from my hand—Spear Cannon x10!
Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh-whoosh!
At the same time, Sol muttered under his breath:
"Phoenix Orb."
A radiant orb flared from his chest, slowly drifting toward Lee and Minato like a false sun on the battlefield.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The spears detonated on contact—
—but metal rang out behind the smoke.
"Tch. That was fast…"
As the haze cleared, I saw it:
A chain-forged shield, coiled around Lee like a serpent.
Minato's response time was unreal.
"So his chains are that fast, huh?"
I smirked.
"Let's see how fast."
Above Lee, a flying spear flashed—Tempestus Lumens.
Zap!
In an instant, I blinked from my position—
Right above his head.
"Galaxy Punch x5—Amplified."
I drove my fist down with all my force.
BAM!!
Another thunderous impact. Metal again.
Lee didn't budge.
I launched another. Then another.
Tempestus blink, Galaxy Punch—
Left, right, diagonal, back—
Every strike was countered.
Minato's chain shield reacted like it was alive, covering Lee's blind spots with pinpoint timing. Every time.
"No gaps… this is next-level synergy."
Then—-
BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
The arena lit up in scattered bursts of flame—not from me, but from the Phoenix Orb. The small radiant lights Sol released earlier had now multiplied, dispersing across the battlefield like floating embers. Harmless unless triggered. Dangerous… but within tournament rules.
"He seeded the arena…" I realized.
The sudden bursts forced Minato's focus to flicker for a split second—
—and that was all we needed.
"Phoenix Mirage Breaker!"
Sol roared as he tore toward Minato, his body splitting into three afterimages in mid-blitz.
That one moment of hesitation—
It was enough.
"Now!" I thought.
I drove forward. The chain shield—so far flawless—lagged. My Galaxy Punch broke through.
And—
THUD!
It connected.
Or so I thought.
Lee… vanished.
His body warped and sank into his shadow as if swallowed by oil. My punch crashed through empty air, drilling into the arena floor. A crater erupted beneath my feet, concrete shrapnel flying outward from the force.
"Shadow phase?"
"Dark King's Punch."
Lee's voice came from behind me.
My eyes widened. I turned my head just in time to see his fist—
No.
Not just a fist.
A monstrous construct of black Aether, shaped like a giant hand, nearly half my size, formed from every shadow in the vicinity. It pulsed unnaturally… and it was growing.
"Phoenix Orb... it's feeding his punch…" I realized.
"Spartan Shield!" I shouted, throwing up a barrier just as the hit landed.
BOOOOM!
The floor split again—
The crater from my punch deepened further as I took the full force of the Dark King's Punch. My shield groaned under the pressure, fracturing but holding just enough to keep me conscious.
Mid-impact, I flung a kunai over Lee's shoulder—
straight toward Minato.
My eyes darted.
Sol's Mirage was closing in—Minato on the defensive.
But that wasn't the real plan.
"Now, Sol."
The gauntlet I gave him earlier lit up.
Tempestus Switch. With a tip of a spear hovering near Lee
The Mirage Breaker, meant for Minato's left side—
—teleported.
WHOOSH.
Behind Lee, just as he recovered from his haymaker.
Sol's flaming fist materialized from thin air—
BAM!
A direct hit to Lee's left cheek, snapping his head sideways and hurling him meters away in a blaze of kinetic backlash.
Before the dust even settled, I vanished.
Tempestus Lumens.
I blinked from the impact crater—
toward the kunai I threw.
Minato's eyes widened too late.
I was already in motion.
"Amplified x10—Spear Thrust!"
My gauntlet pulsed as I lunged forward, a burst of kinetic force blasting behind me.
Minato's chain reaction was just a beat too slow—
He had anticipated another punch from Sol.
But Sol's attack was never meant to land.
I teleported it.
BAM!
Minato blocked—barely—his right arm shrouded in coiled Aether chains. The blow didn't break his guard, but I felt the impact crack through.
"Aether loss," the system confirmed.
"Aether loss," again.
The crowd roared like a crashing wave.
But then—
The battlefield shifted.
A violent surge of chains erupted from Minato's back—
a hundred, each ending in a razor-edged blade.
They shot out in every direction like a flailing octopus, spiraling wildly, trying to skewer us.
"Move—!"
Tempestus Lumens.
I blinked out, teleporting back—
Just as a dozen blades slammed into where I'd stood.
Sol shouted, "Mirage Breaker!" and lunged at Minato—
—but—
STAB!
One of the flailing blades pierced Sol's side mid-dash.
"Aether loss," the system echoed again.
Both teams staggered to a halt, breath heavy, energy crackling in the air.
The arena went silent for a second. Then—
CLANG—CLANG—CLANG!
The sky filled with metal.
Hundreds of blades.
A storm of chains.
Minato's Chain Reign surged like a tidal wave of iron—whipping, striking, hunting me down with intelligent ferocity.
And from the shadows—it got worse.
"Shadow Play: Square."
Lee Jaewon's voice boomed.
From his feet, a black grid of shadow pulsed outward—and from it, eight dark soldiers emerged.
Each wielded a different weapon—spear, sword, mace, flail, axe—the whole medieval armory.
They moved with silent intent—hunting one target:
Sol.
"Two down! Six to go!" Sol shouted.
His figure blurred—jetting from point to point like a living comet. Every burst left behind searing flames and Phoenix Orbs, floating like fireflies.
Every orb—a trap.
Every move—deliberate.
The shadow soldiers fell one by one, but they weren't slow. They adjusted, predicted. Sol was being cornered.
Chains screamed past my ear.
Minato was relentless. Chain blades spun like buzzsaws. I switched, teleported, dashed—laying down weapons and tagged points across the field like I was painting the battlefield.
I wasn't just dodging.
I was setting a stage.
"Spear Cannon Amplified x5!"
VOOSH. VOOSH. VOOSH.
Explosions burst around Minato and Lee—barely giving them pause. Their defenses held, but now the floor was littered with Tempestus anchors.
My checkmate is coming, I told myself.
But then—
"STAB!"
A blade—stray, unseen—slammed into my side.
Aether Loss.
My chest tightened.
One more hit and I'm done.
And so was everyone else.
"SOL!!" I screamed.
He didn't miss a beat.
"I'm ready!" he shouted back.
That meant only one thing—Phoenix Orb Trap was fully deployed.
I teleported beside him, our synchronization flawless.
He nodded.
I tagged him.
He charged again.
"Mirage Break!"
BOOM!
Sol vanished in a flash of fire and reappeared beside Lee—flaming fist already in mid-swing.
But Lee was ready this time.
"You think the same trick works twice?"
Suddenly, Mirage Break exploded—flaring with intense flame. Shadows around objects vanished, killing Lee's teleport anchors.
And then—his counter.
From the darkness behind him, a massive figure emerged.
An 8-foot black knight—Shadow Play Rook armor like obsidian, wielding a giant polearm. His trump card.
The knight raised its weapon—shielding Lee.
Clang!
The full force of Mirage Break collided.
A pulse of flame erupted around them—enough to melt stone—but the knight held.
No damage to Lee.
I felt it instantly.
Lee's eyes flicked toward Sol—locked, focused, calculating. Just for a moment… his guard shifted.
But I was three steps ahead.
And that moment was mine.
"Tempestus Lumens."
I blinked—to the blade I had laying beside him.
"Galaxy Punch x10!"
My first ignited with Aether.
Lee turned—eyes wide.
Too slow.
BOOM.
CRACK!
The strike slammed into his lower ribs, a spiral of momentum behind it. The Chains trying to shield him as armor crumpled inward like tin under a war hammer. The knight shattered into black mist behind him.
He was lifted off the ground, crashing through air—
Lee was blasted backwards like a ragdoll—his Aether shattered.
LEE JAEWON – CRITICAL AETHER LOSS – ELIMINATED.
And then—
"Sol—!"
I turned—
Three blades.
One in his lower back. One through the thigh. One buried in his ribs.
He staggered.
Sol had no idea.
Too late for defense..
Behind him, pacing slowly, was Minato. Calm. Surgical. His twin blade-chain hovered like silent vipers in the mist—uncoiled and already retracting.
He had moved the moment Sol struck the knight—looping behind him, biding.
Not luck.
Precision.
If i was three steps ahead minato would be more
Sol's flame flickered once… then he dropped to one knee.
SOLOMON SALAMANDER – CRITICAL AETHER LOSS – ELIMINATED
The Arena Fell Silent
Then—the roar returned.
"IT'S DOWN TO ONE VS ONE!"
The announcer's voice cracked from shouting.
"It's RYUJI ARCHIVUS — 'TAXI' — vs MINATO KUROGANE — 'THE Prodigy'"
Lee and Sol—both dragged off stage.
Sol passed by me, his face pale but proud.
"All yours, Ryuji," he whispered.
And now… I stood alone.
Sweat trickled down my side.
Chains writhed in Minato's grip.
His eyes were unreadable.
This was it.
One last strike.
One last move.
And the next action would decide the future.
ANNOUNCER:
"THE 2v2 HAS DEVOLVED INTO A FINAL SHOWDOWN!"
His voice echoed across the coliseum.
"Top Grader Minato Kurogane... versus Taxi—the wildcard, Ryuji Archivus! WHO... WILL... WIN?!"
The crowd ignited into chants, voices splitting into two sides like warring storms.
"Mi-na-to! Mi-na-to!"
"Let's go, Taxi! Let's go, Taxi!"
On the battlefield, Lee and Sol were escorted off. The stage belonged to us now.
I looked at Minato—calm, decisive, and calculating as always. Just like when we were kids.
This match? We've played it a hundred times before.
Side streets. Training halls. Backyards with makeshift swords.
The only difference now?
Back then, the only one watching… was Grandpa.
Now, it's the world.
Minato didn't waste a second.
CLANG. WHOOSH. SNAP.
A barrage of chain swords ripped toward me, curling like metallic serpents.
"Focus..."
I summoned a twin katana—one in each hand. Their hilts hummed, reacting to my Aether.
Uncle Baek's words echoed in my head:
"Every ability is governed by Aether. Feel it—not control it. Let it speak."
I closed my eyes.
And I felt it—like whispers in a storm.
Trajectories. Pressure. Velocity.
I opened my eyes.
Everything was clear.
The chain swords flew.
I advanced.
SLASH. PARRY. DEFLECT.
Some I knocked away.
Some transformed mid-air—feints turning into second strikes.
But I was ready.
I'd seen this pattern before.
Minato's rhythm hadn't changed… just evolved.
Still—
"This exchange won't last. He's controlling too many at once. If I stay reactive, I'll lose."
"Legionarius Divinum."
The arena froze.
Above me, a thousand training blades hovered—levitating in perfect formation.
The crowd went silent.
Even the air paused—just like the first time I ever used it.
Instructor Kim's voice came to mind.
"That's why the armory was empty..."
"You took everything."
The floating blades locked on.
Zoom. Zoom. Zoom.
They descended—all targeting Minato.
BAM! BOOM! BAM! CLANG!
A storm of metal rained down.
Minato's left arm shielded his body—his right danced like a conductor, guiding the swarm of chain swords that chased me relentlessly across the field.
But this was no beginner's trial.
This wasn't the park behind Grandpa's house.
"Freya and I trained for this. Roof runs. Blind flips. Mid-air reflexes."
I vaulted, spun, slid, dodged.
Chained swords slashed behind me, but never caught me.
The battlefield became a blur—
Metal clashing metal. Chain chasing wind.
I kept my eyes locked on Minato.
I knew the opening was coming—he always left one.
"Wait… wait… now!"
He flinched.
One step. One slip.
"Legionarius Divinum: Final Judgment!"
A colossal blade, larger than life, dropped from the heavens—
not aimed at Minato—
—but at his shield.
BOOOOM!
The ground cracked. Chains shuddered.
But Minato reacted.
Of course he did.
He summoned his Lancia, a massive ethereal spear, and caught the blade mid-fall.
Steel screamed against steel.
"He's strong… but I'm faster."
"Tempestus Lumens—Eight-Strike Barrage!"
ZAP—BAM! ZAP—BAM! ZAP—BAM! ZAP—BAM!
I teleported from sword to sword—
from mid-air, from planted blades, from shattered metal on the floor.
Minato's chains reacted and protected him until it collapsed inward, scrambling to catch up.
Too slow.
"Galaxy Punch! x10"
My fist surged with full Aether.
CRACK!!
Direct hit—right to Minato's face.
He flew—crashing across the arena, tumbling through broken weapons and smoking earth.
"Aether Loss."
"Minato Kurogane—CRITICAL."
Silence.
Then—
"WINNER — RYUJI ARCHIVUS!!!"
The silence...
Broke.
"TAXI! TAXI! TAXI!"
The crowd erupted in thunderous applause.
All around me—blades disintegrated into stardust. The Final Judgement faded.
I stood there, alone.
Exhausted.
Victorious.
Minato… smiled.
A soft, sincere one.
And in that moment, it felt like we were ten again.
No crowd. No glory. No clash of titles.
Just two kids with wooden swords… and a promise that one day, we'd meet for real.
He stepped forward—offering a hand.
I took it.
I glanced at him, breath still settling.
"…So," I asked, half-smiling, "what's the score now?"
Minato didn't miss a beat.
He looked ahead, calm as always, then turned to me with a small grin.
"Five hundred to one."
I let out a quiet laugh.
And Minato Laughed too as he walk away towards his team
Haru and Fujimori rushed in, laughing, cheering, pulling me into a rough hug.
"That was insane!"
"You did it, man!"
The Aether Clash 2025 Champion—Team Dragon.
Instructor Gryf stood at the edge of the platform, clapping with a quiet nod of approval.
Sol grinned, offering me a gesture of greeting.
Claire gave me a thumbs up—and I saw it in her eyes:
Not revenge. Not solo glory.
Team.
And Me?
I just smiled.
Maybe I didn't like the spotlight…
But standing there—
Trophy in hand.
Aether fading into the wind.
Cheers ringing across the sky.
I think… maybe I could get used to this.
🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋✦ AetherBorne: The Archivus Legacy ✦🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋
AETHER CLASH — EPILOGUE: The Calm Before the Storm
The stadium lights dimmed. The banners fell. The roar of the crowd had faded into memory.
And in the golden twilight of victory...
A ceremony was held.
Up on the main stage, Principal Voltaire stood tall, coat swaying like a storm front behind him.
He handed me and Sol a polished silver key—
Its tag engraved: "TEAM Dragon — CHAMPIONS OF 2025"
"This," he said, "is more than just a prize. This RV will carry you across your summer class missions. Use it well—and don't crash it."
The crowd burst into laughter.
Sol grabbed the mic.
"No promises!" he shouted, making everyone crack up.
The afternoon wrapped with cheers, medals, and the gleam of celebration.
Awards were handed out. Names called. Teams applauded.
But my eyes locked onto one gold special medal in particular.
As it hang on my neck
I hold and stared at it for a moment—
a still, simple piece of metal…
but it carried the weight of everything.
A quiet smile crept across my face. Pride bloomed in my chest.
And as I whispered under my breath, I meant every word.
"I could get used to this…"
Just for today.
MVP: Ryuji Archivus – Team Dragon
🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋✦ AetherBorne: The Archivus Legacy ✦🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋
That evening, everyone gathered in the school canteen for the final celebration.
Long tables were lined with trays of food, crates of drinks, and even a chocolate fountain someone (probably Claire) insisted on bringing.
Rivals were now friends.
Enemies turned into teammates.
People who had tried to crush each other days ago now laughed over dinner trays and swapped stories.
Seraphine Wu and Claire were arm-wrestling.
Lee Jaewon and Daisuke Tan were debating who had the coolest entrance.
Lyra made a bee-shaped cake for everyone—half of it melted, but no one cared.
The seniors—us—sat together near the back.
Tired. Battered. Victorious.
And quietly aware—
This was the last time we'd be just students.
For the last phase on FInal exam is coming but for now we enjoy the moment
I got up to get food.
The line was slow. The chatter blurred into background noise.
"I won't stop the fight… even if you bleed."
A raspy voice cracked behind me.
I turned, instinctively half-ready to fight—
Only to see Principal Voltaire smirking at me.
"Ah… didn't notice you there, sir."
"Didn't notice me? That's a good one."
He chuckled. "Heard what I said?"
"Yeah…" I replied. "My grandpa warned me."
Voltaire laughed hard, hands on his hips.
"You know your grandpa too well."
I tilted my head. "…Have you seen him lately? Been weeks. I haven't heard anything."
He paused. Then sighed.
"He didn't tell you? Hmph. Figures."
He looked out the canteen window.
"He's in Eidengard. If he's not home, that's the next place to check. That country's full of memories for him."
I nodded slowly. "I see."
Voltaire looked me square in the eye.
"Don't worry. He'll be back in a week. But when he returns…"
He stepped closer, lowering his voice like thunder.
"You'll be preparing for the Final Exam. Your first official taste of Calamity missions. Or maybe..."
He gave me a sharp grin.
"…you've already had your appetizer."
I frowned. "I guess it'll be my first time…"
Voltaire clapped my shoulder, hard.
"I know Genzo." He turned and walked off—
Shouting one last line over his shoulder:
"Well! I also know you."
I smirked. "Yeah… I know my grandpa too."
The night lingered.
Laughter faded into low music.
People trickled out of the canteen.
Some danced. Others just sat quietly, taking in the weight of what was next.
When I finally got home—
Next Arc Preview (Light Novel Tease):
The tournament is over.
But summer class begins in one week.
This time… they won't be students.
They'll be soldiers on real missions.
Calamities are rising. Secrets are unraveling. And not everyone who laughs with you at night… will stand with you on the battlefield.
🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋✦ AetherBorne: The Archivus Legacy ✦🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋