Chapter 25: The Seed of Destiny

Two days later, the highly anticipated day had arrived. The gladiator tournament was set to begin in three hours, and Leonix and his party were getting ready. However, they received unexpected news: the tournament would be a 3-on-3 format.

Leonix quickly made a decision. "Alright, I, Shion, and Natalia will be the substitutes. Seraphine, Layla, and Danny will fight against The Truth Seeker."

"What? Why am I fighting and you're not?" Layla protested.

"We'll fight in the next rounds. This is a golden opportunity to let them be in the spotlight. Trust me," Leonix explained.

Even as Leonix tried to focus on the plan, his mind wandered to the little girl who carried the seed of destiny, whom he could sense was somewhere in the arena stadium.

As they walked toward the locker room, they met a man with neat blond hair and light blue eyes. He wore shining silver armor.

"Isn't that Alex?" Seraphine mumbled, her eyes twinkling.

"Yeah, that's Alex," Layla nodded, and they both immediately greeted him. "Alex! Long time no see!"

"Yo, Seraphine, Layla! Long time no see as well," Alex replied with a friendly smile. "What are you doing here? Don't tell me you're competing?"

"You're right!" Seraphine answered with a smug tone and a satisfied smile. "I finally managed to form my own party!"

"Wow, congratulations, Seraphine! You finally have the party you've always wanted!" Alex seemed genuinely happy. "And... who are the people behind you? I know the one in the middle, isn't he the Hero from the Land of Elyzaria?"

Alex shook Leonix's hand with enthusiasm. "Wow, it's a great honor to fight the Hero from Elyzaria!"

"Ah, you're right," Leonix replied, his eyes looking straight ahead. "And you? Are you from The Truth Seeker party?"

"Hmm, you're right," Alex nodded, but his tone turned somber. "We actually don't know why we were suddenly registered. Damn, Grandma Ellie is sick at home. I can't leave her alone."

"What?! Grandma Ellie is sick?" Seraphine and Layla exclaimed in shock.

"Yes, Grandma Ellie is sick because she was attacked by some weird mosquito. What's even stranger is that the mosquito nests in a dungeon near this city," Alex explained with a worried look. "My party and I were planning to go to the dungeon today, but for some reason the Head Noble, Chief Andrew, forced us to join."

Shion stepped forward, her face serious. "Clearly, you're being used as bait to embarrass us."

Alex was startled. "What do you mean, beautiful lady?"

"All of you," Shion continued, "are being used as playthings in the eyes of those corrupt nobles and officials."

Voices could be heard from inside Alex's locker room. His party members, who overheard the conversation, agreed with what Shion said.

Three hours passed. The tournament began. Giant screens across the city broadcasted the fight.

"Mina-san! Have you been waiting for the match to start?" two presenters, a cat-girl and a dog-girl, cheered excitedly. "Alright, in this first round, the party from The Truth Seeker will face the party from the distant land of Elyzaria, called The Radiant Six! Are you all ready?!"

The crowd's cheers echoed, even reaching the cities broadcasting the match. Outside the arena, a small fox girl watched from a screen.

And finally, the match began. A 3-on-3 format: Seraphine, Layla, and Danny against Emmy, Johan, and Alberia.

Meanwhile, backstage, Leonix continued to search for the girl using his Eagle Eye magic. He found her outside the arena, all alone. At the same time, Shion still believed Seraphine was the carrier of the seed of destiny.

Suddenly, Leonix had an idea. He created a magical clone of himself to stay in the locker room. [Effect: A clone of dark mist appeared, perfectly mimicking Leonix's appearance, then vanished toward the arena.] The real Leonix slipped out.

While the gladiator match began with a roaring crowd, Leonix started his search for the girl. Suddenly, he sensed that she was being followed by suspicious figures in black hoods.

The girl was cornered in a narrow alley. "You? What do you want? And what are you doing here?" she asked, her voice trembling.

One of the hooded men stepped forward. "It's time for you to come back, brat. The Master is waiting."

"I don't want to! I'm not anyone's slave!" Lilyan tried to resist, but two other men grabbed her arms.

Suddenly, a voice interrupted. "You there! What are you doing to a little girl in this dark alley?" Leonix appeared at the mouth of the alley, his gaze sharp.

The hooded man who spoke first turned, sneering dismissively. "Go away! This is none of your business, Mister!"

"I SAID FREEZE!" Leonix roared. His eyes turned a fiery red, radiating a terrifying aura that made the men freeze. Lilyan was terrified, hiding behind Leonix's body.

"It's okay," Leonix whispered to the girl. "I won't hurt you."

The girl peered from behind Leonix. "They... they're turning into black figures! What are they? I've never seen monsters like that!"

"They're Ghouls, but they're strange," Leonix muttered. "It seems they've been strengthened by magic or a magic stone."

The Ghouls attacked. Leonix swung his sword, and with a single slash, they disintegrated into dust. They were no match for Leonix. He smiled in satisfaction, then contacted Shion and Natalia via telepathy, letting them know his mission was a success.

Suddenly, Leonix was ambushed by the Nazaria Royal Army. "You are accused of masterminding a riot in this city! You are under arrest!" one of the soldiers yelled.

Leonix knew this was a trap. He quickly activated his teleportation magic, taking himself and the fox girl to a safe place.

The girl started to cry. "This... this is the first time anyone has cared about me," she sobbed. "In this city, animal-folk and Elves are often discriminated against."

"What's your name, Mister?" she asked.

"My name is Leonix, the Hero from Elyzaria."

"A Hero?" The girl wiped her tears. "Mr. Hero... thank you so much for saving me."

"It's okay, you're safe now," Leonix said gently. "May I know your name?"

"My name is Lilyan."

Hearing the name, Leonix felt a sharp pain in his head. A faint memory surfaced, confusing him. Lilyan saw his expression. "Mr. Leon, is something wrong? Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine," Leonix replied, though he thought to himself, Why does hearing that name always make me feel this pain, as if a memory wants to be revealed?

Just then, a large man appeared, Lilyan's seller named Brolin.

"Lilyan! How dare you escape from your cage! Get back here!"

"Um, Mr. Brolin, I just wanted to watch the gladiator match," Lilyan said, terrified.

"Hah! Stop making excuses! Let's go!" Brolin tried to grab Lilyan, but Leonix held his arm.

"WAIT! I SAID WAIT!" Leonix roared. Brolin and Lilyan stopped in their tracks. He released Lilyan.

"Damn you! Don't you know who I am?" Brolin threatened. "I'm the official seller of these slaves. If you get involved with me, be prepared to go to jail!"

"HAH! DO I LOOK LIKE I CARE?" Leonix's eyes turned a fiery red, making Brolin terrified and break into a cold sweat.

"Alright... alright, I give up and apologize. Now... what are you going to do with this useless slave?" Brolin looked at Lilyan with a sneer.

"I'm going to buy her, of course."

"But this slave is very expensive because she's a carrier," Brolin said, trying to raise the price.

"Don't worry. I'll buy her at any price."

Finally, Leonix bought Lilyan. Brolin took them to a tent and gave Leonix a master-and-servant contract stamp.

"What's this for?" Leonix asked.

"Oh, that's a contract stamp between a master and a slave," Brolin explained. "If your slave tries to run away or fights you, she will be electrocuted or burned."

After that, the two of them left. Leonix activated his teleportation magic, and in an instant, they were back at the stadium. Lilyan was amazed and touched. It was the first time she had been able to watch a match from this close.

"Um, Mr. Leon... there's something I want to say," Lilyan said.

"What is it, Lilyan?"

"I'm so grateful that you bought me and protected me. I'm so blessed to have met someone like you," Lilyan said sincerely, tears streaming down her face.

"Ah, it's nothing."

Suddenly, the match stopped. The score was a tie; there was no winner.

"Damn it! We were so close to winning!" Layla complained in frustration.

She then saw Lilyan standing next to Leonix. "Then, who is this little girl? Don't tell me you kidnapped someone in this city, Leon?" Layla asked, half-jokingly.

"No. She's our new carrier. Didn't you hear? We were short on carriers, right?" Leonix replied.

"Ah, that's true," Layla scratched her head. "Sorry, I wasn't really paying attention."

Meanwhile, Shion, using her Scanning skill, saw that the girl had a strange "seed."

"Um... everyone, my name is Lilyan. I'll be your carrier. Please take care of me."

"Wow, Lilyan-chan! Nice to meet you!" Seraphine and Layla welcomed her happily. Danny and Natalia also smiled, welcoming their new party member.

On the other side, Shion invited Leonix outside to talk, but before they could leave, they saw something that shocked both of them.

"Um, you're Danny, right? Your right arm looks hurt," Lilyan said.

"It's no problem for me. It's just a small wound," Danny replied.

"No, a wound is still a wound," Lilyan said. She touched Danny's arm, and instantly the wound was healed.

Leonix and Shion were shocked. Lilyan had healed Danny's wound with just a touch, without magic. A strange golden aura emanated from her, making everyone feel a sense of comfort.

[Final Visual: Golden aura, Leonix and Shion's widened eyes.]

They both finally understood.

This was the seed of destiny they had been looking for.