Chapter 20: The debut of the rookie

They say true power is not revealed in moments of glory, but in the solitude that precedes battle.
When there are no witnesses.
When doubts cling like roots deep in the soul.

It is in that instant, when the body trembles and the mind wavers, that one decides whether to move forward… or remain trapped forever in one’s own fear.

There is no easy path for those who carry the weight of others. Much less for those who must also bear their own.

And yet, some advance—not out of courage, but out of necessity. Out of desire. Out of anger. Out of love.
Because sometimes, one does not fight for oneself, but to show the world—and its shadow—that they still have the power to choose.

And Eden has chosen.

Today, the novice does not come to learn. Today… he comes to win.

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The wind howled atop the snowy peak, and still Eden did not stop. His sword cut through the air again and again, as if by doing so he could also cut away the doubts that tormented him.
“I can’t afford to lose…” he murmured between breaths. “I have to win, no matter the cost.”

The first ray of dawn broke across the horizon, painting the mountains in gold. In that moment, his right eye shone with a crimson glow, more vivid than ever.

He gritted his teeth, straightened his back, and spoke without fear:
“I will win.”

The entire city seemed to awaken with a different energy. The streets overflowed with excitement, the stalls were crowded, and even the children played at imitating the battles of the tournament.

“It’s far too cold, don’t you think?” said one villager, rubbing his arms.
“Yes… but this happens from time to time. It’s only temporary,” his companion replied with a smile, sipping his hot drink.

In the locker room, Eden studied his new sword carefully. He held it as though it were a fragment of destiny he didn’t yet fully understand.
“It’s really light,” he whispered. “If only I could make it flow with my energy… I’ll just have to try.”

A knock came at the door.
“Come in.”

Shu entered without much ceremony. His face, though calm, carried an evident unease.
“How are you holding up?”

Eden lifted his gaze and managed a faint smile.
“Well… it could be worse. I’m only carrying a huge responsibility on my shoulders.”

“I’m sorry you have to go through this.”

“Don’t worry. I chose this path. If I lose today, all my efforts will go to waste… but that’s fine, in the end. I think this is my chance to prove myself.”

Shu watched him in silence for a few seconds before nodding.
“Please, you have to win. If you fall, it won’t only make your efforts meaningless… but those of every GODS student as well.”

“Yes… that’s true.”

“You know…” Shu murmured as he turned toward the door. “Have you really changed since you came here? Sometimes you help others, but when something important happens… you’re still the same. I can’t quite figure out which Eden is the real one.”

Eden stayed quiet. Shu smirked slightly.
“Well… I’ll leave you be. Good luck.”

“Shu.”

He stopped.
“What is it?”

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

“Nothing in particular. I just… feel like I owe you thanks.”

Shu scratched his head, a bit awkward, and answered with a crooked grin.
“You’re welcome, I guess.”

Eden stepped forward and tapped his fist lightly against Shu’s chest. Then, once more, he was alone.
“Grandfather… when will I be ready? What is it you expect me to achieve?” he whispered, exhaling wearily. “What is my destiny? What am I?!”

Another knock at the door broke his thoughts.
“Eden Yomi,” said the guard. “The match is about to begin.”

“Alright… I’ll be right out.”

Eden stood. His steps were firm, determined. His gaze did not waver. As he opened the door and saw the brightly lit corridor, he knew there was no turning back.
“I can’t let them down… I have to win. I have to.”

And with that conviction, he walked toward the arena.

The roar of the crowd thundered through the arena. That frost-covered coliseum vibrated with the excitement of the second match. Thousands of eyes were fixed on the two contenders, but Eden barely felt them. For him, the world had shrunk to a single goal.

I had forgotten this feeling, he thought as he walked through the stone passage. From inside, it feels even more overwhelming… thousands of voices shouting, watching… yes, this feeling is incredible.

Rei was already waiting at the center of the field, rolling his shoulders and twisting his neck with confident ease. His eyes swept over Eden with a glint of arrogance.
“I hope you don’t disappoint me, demon.”

Eden said nothing. He simply stopped before him and closed his eyes for a moment. He drew in a deep breath.

“Did a snake bite your tongue?” Rei provoked, crossing his arms.

But the words bounced off the silence of Eden’s mind. His entire body seemed tuned to something deeper, more vital.

From the stands, Aphrodite watched every detail closely. She didn’t take her eyes off him for a second. Beside her, Shu could not hide his tension.
“How do you see it?” he asked in a low voice. “Do you think he can win?”

Aphrodite didn’t answer right away.
“I don’t know… but seeing him like this, I have a strange feeling. It’s as if he’s broken something inside himself.”

“Broken?” Shu narrowed his eyes.

“A small barrier,” she murmured. “Some train for years and never achieve it… but he… since he arrived, he’s changed too much. And I still don’t know what lit that fuse.”

Odin rose from his throne and raised his voice with the force of thunder.
“Welcome, all, to the second match of the Tournament of God!” he proclaimed, his voice booming through the magical amplifiers. “Today we witness the battle between Eden Yomi of the GODS Institute… and Rei Sandhed, representative of Nork.”

His words were met with a burst of cheers.
“Begin!”

Rei stepped forward, prepared… but Eden was faster.

With a fluid motion, he drew his sword and poured all his energy into it. Flames erupted violently, painting the blade a glowing red.
“Fire Technique… Infernal Blaze,” he whispered.

Heat exploded outward in an instant, and with a muffled roar, Eden hurled himself straight at his opponent.

Rei barely managed to raise his arms before the strike slammed into his stomach, sending him crashing against the icy wall of the coliseum.

Silence fell for a heartbeat. Then a murmur spread through the crowd.
“So fast,” Shu muttered, his face still taut.

Aphrodite frowned, uneasy.
“I haven’t felt fear like this in a long time… his body is radiating an overwhelming energy.”

Rei spat blood and forced himself upright, breathing raggedly.
That strike… I barely managed to cover in time. If I hadn’t…

But Eden didn’t advance. He dropped the sword, letting it fall with a metallic clang.

“What…?” Rei froze, staring at the other’s hand, covered in deep burns.

I poured too much energy into that strike, Eden thought, panting. But by not focusing it on the tip of the blade, the fire reached me. I’m still not ready to use this technique…

“Giving up already?” Rei sneered, regaining some confidence. “Going to do me that favor?”

“No. That’s for cowards,” Eden replied, lifting his gaze. “If I lose, it’ll be fighting.”

Aphrodite sighed, crossing her arms.
“It was obvious he wasn’t going to master the technique right away,” she murmured. “But even so, he’s managed more than I expected.”

Shu turned to her in surprise.
“You already knew what he was trying?”

She smiled with a touch of mischief.
“Of course. It was his idea… and mine, in part. But that’s another story.”

“Come on, demon! Don’t hide now!” Rei shouted between attacks, as if the echo of his own voice could lend him courage.

Eden dodged as best he could, retreating step by step. His breathing was ragged, his movements less steady than before. The fire from his earlier strike had exacted a heavy toll, and now each motion was a titanic effort.
I have to endure… he thought, gasping.

A kick slammed into his side. Then another. Rei didn’t relent. He drove him against one of the coliseum’s walls and smashed him into it with a brutal blow.
“Where’s that arrogance you walked in with? Run out of courage already?” Rei hissed, a twisted smile distorting his face.

Eden tried to raise his guard, but his arms reacted sluggishly. Before he could respond, another kick struck hard—this time square in his face. Blood. More pain.

From the stands, silence began replacing the cheers. Many spectators lowered their eyes, others watched with unease. Aphrodite clenched her fists. Shu bit his lip.
“He’s losing too much blood,” Aphrodite murmured.
“Yeah… but something doesn’t add up. Eden isn’t the type to give in so easily,” Shu answered, his eyes fixed on him.

As if hearing those words, Rei unleashed his technique with a triumphant grin.
“Wood Technique: Thorns.”

Sharp spikes burst from the ground, shooting straight for Eden’s hands. Before he could pull away, they pierced his palms, pinning him to the stone wall. The pain ripped a scream from him. Blood gushed, hot and thick. The spikes were cruel, jagged.
“And now? Still think you’re a warrior?” Rei taunted, stepping closer. “You disappoint me… I thought you had more to offer.”

A storm of kicks rained down. One after another, merciless. Eden’s face was drenched in blood. His lips split open. His nose poured crimson.

Shu clenched his teeth in fury. Aphrodite never looked away, searching for any sign. But Eden… remained there. Nailed to the wall, bleeding out. And still not yielding.

In his mind, the world began to fracture.
Everything went dark.

And then, he saw him.
A figure loomed before him—the demon. The same one who had appeared in his mind so many times, watching him with a crooked smile and eyes drenched in shadow.
“Looks like you need me again,” the figure said mockingly.

Eden grit his teeth.
“I didn’t come for you.”
“Don’t be stubborn. Without me, you’re nothing. Look at the state you’re in. You won’t win unless you take my hand.”

From the abyss, a hand stretched out—wreathed in fire and darkness.
“Come on… you know you need me. Together we could end this. And then… we’ll save your dear grandfather.”

Eden looked at the hand… temptation burned, so close. The chance for power, to end Rei in a single blow. But then, another voice shattered the echo.
“Get up!”

Shu.

The battlefield split open like a crack, and Eden saw Shu shouting at him from the stands, his face lit with desperation.
“You can do this! Don’t give up, Eden!”

“…I’m sorry,” Eden whispered, looking at the demon. “But this is my fight.”

The hand vanished. The demon dissolved into shadow, leaving only a bitter laugh.

The vision collapsed.

Eden opened his eyes. The blood still flowed, the pain was unbearable… but he was awake. And conscious.

With a restrained roar, he ripped his left hand free from the wall. Metal tore through flesh as it came loose, leaving an open, throbbing wound. Rei stepped back, confused.
“What…?”

The other hand broke free as well. Eden yanked it out and collapsed to his knees. He panted, his face a mask of blood. But his eyes were open, alive. And shining.
“I’m tired of this.”

His hand clamped down on Rei’s leg with brutal strength. A sickening crack rang through the coliseum as, without warning, Eden twisted it violently.

Rei screamed in pain. He collapsed, dragging himself across the floor.

From the stands, no one dared make a sound. Shu stared wide-eyed. Aphrodite closed her eyes for a moment.
“It’s not his demonic energy…” she murmured. “It’s Eden. This… is him.”

The young man rose slowly. Blood dripped from his hands, leaving a trail with every step.
“You’ve hurt me plenty, Rei. The least I can do is return the favor.”

The look he cast at his rival was enough to freeze blood. Hollow eyes. Inhuman.
“No… no… don’t come closer!” Rei begged, crawling across the ground.

But Eden was already drawing his sword.
“Forgive you? No… I’m not good at that.”

The blade rose slowly, and everything seemed to stop.
“Eden!” Shu shouted from the stands. “Stop!”

Eden heard him. And in that instant, something changed.

The sword struck… the ground, inches from Rei’s face.

Eden turned and walked toward the exit, leaving behind his trembling opponent and a stadium drowned in silence.

Before disappearing down the passage, he lifted his gaze toward the stands. He saw Shu. And he smiled.

His eyes, at last, were filled with life again.

Eden’s footsteps faded into the gloom of the tunnel that led him away from the arena, but his presence still weighed over the coliseum like a shadow refusing to dissipate. No one said a word. No applause. Not even a sigh. Only the sound of the icy wind and the rhythmic drip of blood he had left in his wake.

From the stands, Shu kept watching in silence.
He hadn’t moved. He hadn’t even blinked.

Beside him, Aphrodite crossed her arms. Her eyes reflected neither worry nor fear, but a strange mixture of pride and resignation.
“That boy…” she whispered.

Shu swallowed hard, still staring at the place where Eden had vanished.
“Did you see it?” he asked, without turning his head.
“Yes.”

“I’m not even sure what I saw,” Shu muttered. “At first it looked like he was going to lose… then it was as if something inside him woke up. Something violent, savage… But it wasn’t the same as that time, not the demonic energy that engulfed him during the attack on the city. It was him. Just him.”

Aphrodite nodded silently.

Shu lowered his head, deep in thought.
“When he first arrived… I saw him as a burden. A demon without control, just another idiot with emotional problems. But today… today I saw someone completely different. What happened between that Eden and this one? At what point did the line break?”

His voice faltered at the end. Not from sadness, but from uncertainty.
“Who is he really?” he whispered, barely audible. “What is he hiding?”

Aphrodite placed a hand on his shoulder—soft, warm.
“Maybe even he doesn’t know yet.”

Shu closed his eyes, letting the cold air brush against his face. The crowd slowly began to murmur again, normalcy returning piece by piece. But inside him, something had changed. Something he couldn’t explain.
Eden Yomi… he thought in silence. What the hell are you?

Meanwhile, beneath the arena, stained with frost and blood, one wound closed.
And another, far deeper, was just beginning to open.