My DragonicVampiric System

The morning of the tournament final transformed Astra Academy. Thousands of students filled the Grand Arena, instructors occupied the upper observation platforms, and representatives from several Great Families arrived to watch. The final matchup appeared across enormous holographic screens.

RUBEN VEYROX VS. FADE SWORDMANS MASTER

Drako stared at it while eating breakfast with the others. “I’m still betting on Fade.” Ruben looked offended. “I’m sitting right here.” “I know.” “And you’re supposed to be my friend.” Drako nodded. “I am. That’s why I’m being honest before you get embarrassed publicly.” Kaien laughed. “You weren’t this confident after Fade beat you.” Drako slowly turned. “Nobody remembers that.”

Teck looked at his screen. “Approximately fourteen thousand spectators witnessed it.” “Nobody asked the calculator.” Adrian raised his hand. “I remember too.” “Adrian.” “Yes?” “You’re dangerously close to being removed from the friend group.” Mira laughed. Ruben pointed toward Fade, who sat quietly drinking water. “You’re all acting like I’ve already lost.” Fade finally spoke. “You haven’t.” Ruben smiled. “Thank you.” Fade continued, “The match hasn’t started yet.” Drako nearly dropped his food laughing.

Despite the jokes, Drako knew this could become the tournament’s best fight. Ruben could hold six copied abilities simultaneously, something even the strongest members of the Blade Family normally couldn’t do. Fade possessed mysterious sword energy that Ruben couldn’t copy, and his strange perception allowed him to fight despite being blind. More importantly, both had been hiding their true limits.

Ruben looked toward Fade’s sword. “I’m guessing you’re not going to explain that silver-black energy before our fight.” “No.” “Worth asking.” Fade tilted his head. “Are you going to tell me your six abilities?” Ruben smiled. “No.” “Worth asking.” Drako pointed between them. “Look at that. Communication. I’m building friendships.” Mira stared at him. “You didn’t do anything.” “Leadership is invisible sometimes.” Kaien groaned. “You don’t even have a faction yet.” Drako leaned back. “Preparation.”

The arena announcement sounded. Ruben and Fade stood. Before Ruben left, Drako grabbed his shoulder. “Seriously. Good luck.” Ruben nodded. “Thanks.” Drako turned toward Fade. “You too.” Fade nodded. “Thanks.” Drako smiled. “But if either of you destroys the other, I’m taking your food tonight.” Both answered simultaneously. “No.” Drako looked proud. “They’re already synchronized.”

The Grand Arena erupted when the finalists entered. Ruben wore dark Veyrox Family combat gear bearing the silver crest of his family. Several Veyrox representatives watched from a private platform, including an older man whose expression remained unreadable. Drako wondered whether Valdrick Veyrox himself was watching remotely. Fade entered wearing simple black clothing, his blindfold covering his eyes and his sword hanging at his side. Compared with Ruben’s famous family name, Fade appeared almost ordinary. But everyone who had watched the semifinals knew better.

The referee raised his hand. “Begin!”

Ruben moved first. Enhanced speed activated instantly. He crossed the arena and attacked with a stone-covered fist. Fade drew his sword.

CLANG! Stone collided with metal. Ruben immediately released electricity through his arm. Fade pulled away before the current reached him. Wind gathered beneath Ruben’s feet and launched him sideways. Another attack came from Fade’s blind spot. Fade blocked without turning.

Ruben smiled. “Still creepy.” Fade redirected his punch. “You’re loud.” “I’m barely talking.” “Your feet.” Ruben looked down. “My feet are loud?” From the stands Drako shouted,

“HE’S INSULTING YOUR SHOES!”

Ruben briefly turned his head.

“SHUT UP, DRAKO!” Fade attacked. Ruben barely raised his barrier in time. Drako sat back. “Worth it.” Mira punched his arm.

Ruben had already revealed four abilities: enhanced speed, stone armor, electricity, and wind. His fifth appeared when Fade’s sword nearly touched his ribs. Ruben’s body split into three identical images.

Fade cut one. Illusion. The second attacked from behind. Fade ignored it. The real Ruben came from above. Fade turned and blocked. Ruben’s eyes widened. “How did you know?” “Your copies don’t disturb the air correctly.” Ruben landed several meters away.

“I really don’t like fighting you.” Fade lowered his sword. “Drako said something similar.” Drako stood. “WHY AM I INVOLVED?” Kaien pulled him back into his seat. “Sit down.”

Ruben activated his sixth ability.

His skin became covered in thin blue markings. Teck immediately scanned him. “Energy amplification.” Adrian leaned closer. “How much?” “Approximately forty percent.” Kaien whistled.

“Six abilities plus amplification.” Mira looked toward Fade. “He’s going to have trouble.” Ruben attacked again. This time his speed was dramatically higher. Fade blocked the first strike.

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Electricity exploded from Ruben’s second fist. Fade avoided it, but wind redirected the attack midway.BOOM! Ruben’s stone-covered fist struck Fade’s shoulder. Fade flew backward. His defensive shield flickered.

Ruben didn’t stop.

Illusions surrounded Fade. Wind filled the arena. Electricity traveled through the floor. Enhanced speed created multiple afterimages while energy amplification strengthened everything. Fade’s perception waves spread around him, but Ruben deliberately overwhelmed them with movement.

Drako became serious. “He’s doing what I did.”

Teck nodded. “Except much better.”

Drako stared at him. “You could’ve stopped after the first sentence.”

Fade blocked one attack.

Two.

Three.

The fourth hit.

Then another.

His shield flickered repeatedly.

Ruben appeared directly ahead and threw an amplified stone fist.

Fade raised his sword.

Silver-black energy appeared.

Ruben immediately canceled his attack and retreated.

“Smart,” Drako whispered.

Ruben had seen what that energy did to Lyra’s Resonance Field. He wasn’t going to blindly collide with it.

Fade’s mysterious power spread farther across his blade.

Ruben created an energy barrier.

Fade slashed.

The silver-black energy touched the barrier.

It disappeared.

Not shattered.

Not broken.

The ability simply stopped existing.

Ruben jumped backward. “That’s extremely unfair.”

Fade tilted his head. “Says the person using six abilities.”

“Fair point.”

Ruben attacked with electricity from long range. Fade cut through it. The electrical ability vanished where the sword passed. Wind came next. Another slash. Gone.

Drako activated Dragon Blood Vision. “It’s not destroying energy.”

Mira looked at him. “Then what?”

“Interrupting it.”

Teck’s scanner displayed similar information. “The sword appears to temporarily sever the connection between an ability and its controlling energy.”

Ruben heard from inside the arena. “THANKS FOR EXPLAINING MY OPPONENT’S POWER!”

Teck blinked. “You’re welcome.”

Drako burst out laughing.

Ruben suddenly dropped three abilities.

Drako stopped laughing.

“What is he doing?”

Kaien understood. “Changing his loadout.”

Silver energy surrounded Ruben. He copied three abilities from competitors he had encountered earlier in the tournament. His stone armor disappeared. Electricity disappeared. The illusions vanished.

In their place came kinetic storage, gravity manipulation, and vibration control.

Drako stood. “He copied Cassian, Selene, and Lyra.”

Teck nodded. “And kept speed, wind, and amplification.”

Six abilities designed specifically for Fade.

Ruben increased gravity around the swordsman. Fade’s movements slowed. Vibrations flooded the arena, interfering with his perception. Wind attacked from unpredictable directions. Ruben moved through everything using enhanced speed.

Fade dropped to one knee.

Ruben smiled. “Checkmate.”

Fade raised his sword.

Ruben increased gravity.

Fade’s hand shook.

Silver-black energy spread across the blade.

Ruben attacked.

Fade whispered, “Silence.”

One slash.

The vibration field vanished.

Second slash.

The gravity field vanished.

Third.

The wind stopped.

Ruben reached him anyway.

His amplified fist struck Fade’s sword.

BOOM!

The arena floor shattered.

Both fighters flew backward.

Ruben rolled across the ground. Fade crashed against the arena barrier. Both defensive shields flickered but remained active.

The crowd erupted.

Drako was standing now. “GET UP!”

Both did.

Ruben wiped blood from his mouth.

Fade’s sword trembled in his hand.

Neither had much energy remaining.

Ruben smiled. “No abilities?”

Fade nodded. “No abilities.”

Ruben deactivated everything.

The Veyrox Family representatives immediately began whispering.

Kaien frowned. “Why would he give up his advantage?”

Drako smiled.

“Because he wants to know who’s better.”

Ruben raised his fists.

Fade lowered his sword.

They charged.

Ruben ducked beneath a slash and punched Fade’s ribs. Fade turned with the impact and struck Ruben’s shoulder using the flat of his blade. Ruben stumbled. Fade swept his legs. Ruben fell, rolled, and kicked upward. Fade blocked.

Neither was fighting like a prodigy anymore.

They were simply two exhausted friends refusing to lose.

Ruben attacked.

Fade moved.

Fist and sword crossed.

Both shields activated.

The arena went silent.

The replay appeared.

0.01 seconds separated them.

Drako’s mouth fell open.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

WINNER: FADE.

The arena exploded.

Ruben remained on the ground staring at the result.

“One hundredth?”

Fade offered his hand.

“One hundredth.”

Ruben accepted it and started laughing. “I hate you.”

“Drako said that too.”

From the stands Drako shouted, “STOP USING ME AS AN EXAMPLE!”

Kaien laughed. Mira laughed. Adrian nearly fell out of his seat. Even Teck smiled.

Fade helped Ruben stand.

The tournament champion had been decided.

But high above them, the older Veyrox representative wasn’t watching Fade.

He was staring at the symbol partially visible on Fade’s sword.

His face had gone pale.

He activated a private communicator.

“Contact Valdrick Veyrox immediately.”

A voice answered, “What happened?”

The man stared at Fade.

“The Blind Swordsman bloodline has returned.”

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