The Extra Who Inherited Ragnarok

The arena was deafening.

Fifteen academy banners hung from the upper platforms, while thousands of spectators filled the stands.

At the center of the battlefield stood two contestants.

Noah Blackwood.

Jordan Nethem.

The announcement echoed across Hildgard.

"INDIVIDUAL ELIMINATION!"

"MATCH ONE!"

"NOAH BLACKWOOD OF VALHALLA ACADEMY!"

The Valhalla section erupted.

Then:

"JORDAN NETHEM OF ASGARD ACADEMY!"

The Asgard section became even louder.

Jordan walked forward with his usual confident smile.

His royal uniform was immaculate despite the chaos of the previous events.

Noah looked at him.

"Still showing off?"

Jordan adjusted his collar.

"Royal standards."

Noah laughed.

"You really are full of yourself."

"Absolutely."

Lightning began crawling across Jordan’s fingers.

"But I’m also good."

Noah’s orange flames ignited.

"We’ll see."

High above the arena, Laura stood with Luna and Damien.

Laura’s eyes never left Noah.

Luna quietly asked:

"Are you worried?"

Laura nodded.

"A little."

Damien looked at her.

"Jordan is strong."

"I know."

"Then why?"

Laura’s expression became serious.

"Because Noah isn’t fighting Jordan."

Damien frowned.

"What?"

Laura looked at Noah.

"He’s fighting himself."

The referee raised her hand.

"Contestants!"

Noah lowered his stance.

Jordan’s lightning intensified.

"Begin!"

BOOOOOOM!

Jordan disappeared.

Noah barely raised his arm.

CRACK!

Lightning struck.

Noah was pushed backward.

Jordan appeared above him.

"Too slow!"

He brought his fist down.

Noah rolled away.

BOOM!

The ground shattered.

Noah kicked upward.

Jordan blocked.

Noah followed with a burst of fire.

Jordan crossed his arms.

Lightning formed a barrier.

WHOOOM!

The explosion pushed both fighters apart.

The crowd erupted.

Jordan grinned.

"Much better."

Noah smiled.

"You wanted serious?"

His flames intensified.

"Here."

Noah disappeared.

Jordan’s eyes widened.

BOOM!

A punch struck his chest.

Jordan flew across the arena.

He twisted midair and landed.

The crowd screamed.

Jordan wiped blood from his lip.

Then laughed.

"That’s more like it."

The battle accelerated.

Lightning.

Fire.

Punches.

Kicks.

Every collision sent shockwaves across the battlefield.

Jordan’s speed increased.

His lightning wrapped around his legs, allowing him to change direction instantly.

Noah adapted.

He began predicting the movement rather than reacting to it.

Jordan attacked from the left.

Noah blocked.

Right.

Dodged.

Above.

Countered.

BOOM!

Jordan crashed into the ground.

He stood again.

"You’re learning fast."

Noah breathed heavily.

"So are you."

Jordan smiled.

"That’s the difference between us."

Lightning gathered around his entire body.

"I’ve been training my whole life."

The crowd roared.

Jordan raised his hand.

A massive lightning sphere formed above his palm.

"Nethem Thunderfall!"

The attack descended.

Noah’s eyes widened.

"That’s huge."

He raised both hands.

Fire exploded outward.

WHOOOOOOOM!

The two attacks collided.

Lightning and fire twisted together.

The arena disappeared beneath smoke.

Laura stood up.

"Noah..."

Daniela, seated several rows away, activated her perception.

Her eyes narrowed.

She could see Jordan’s energy.

Massive.

Highly concentrated.

Then Noah’s.

Still smaller.

But rapidly changing.

Daniela frowned.

His power is adapting.

Beside her, Alcris watched silently.

His perception activated.

He saw it too.

Noah’s energy was changing.

Not randomly.

It was responding to the battle.

Alcris whispered:

"Come on."

His eyes narrowed.

"Show me."

The smoke cleared.

Noah was on one knee.

Blood trickled from his forehead.

Jordan stood across from him.

His breathing was heavy.

Both were damaged.

The referee watched carefully.

"Continue!"

Jordan moved.

Noah stood.

Their fists collided.

BOOM!

Neither moved.

Jordan pushed harder.

Noah’s fire intensified.

Jordan’s lightning surged.

The ground beneath them cracked.

Then Noah felt it.

That sensation.

The warmth behind his eyes.

A second pulse.

Thump.

His flames changed.

Orange...

then maroon.

Jordan noticed immediately.

His expression changed.

"That..."

Noah’s vision blurred.

A voice whispered inside his head.

"Let me finish this."

Noah clenched his teeth.

"No."

Jordan stepped backward.

"What are you doing?"

Noah’s flames became unstable.

Laura stood.

"Noah!"

The maroon glow spread across his arms.

The system appeared.

[Dead Zone resonance detected.]

[Activation threshold approaching.]

Two options appeared.

ACCEPT

DECLINE

Noah stared.

His breathing became heavier.

Jordan raised his guard.

"Noah..."

Noah closed his eyes.

Then selected:

DECLINE

The maroon energy vanished.

The orange flames returned.

Noah opened his eyes.

"I’m still me."

Jordan stared.

Then smiled.

"Good."

He raised his fists.

"Then finish this yourself."

Noah smiled.

"Gladly."

They charged.

BOOOOOOOOOOM!

Their final attacks collided.

The entire arena shook.

When the smoke cleared...

Both contestants were standing.

Barely.

The referee stared.

Then the system registered the result.

NOAH BLACKWOOD

ADVANCES

JORDAN NETHEM

ELIMINATED

The arena exploded.

Jordan stared at the result.

Then laughed.

"Guess you got me."

Noah extended his hand.

Jordan grabbed it.

"Next time."

Noah smiled.

"Definitely."

Jordan walked away.

But before leaving the battlefield, he glanced back.

His expression became serious.

"Blackwood."

Noah looked at him.

"Don’t let that thing inside you win."

Noah froze.

Jordan continued walking.

High above them, Alcris’s eyes narrowed.

He had gotten his answer.

Dead Zone wasn’t merely an emergency ability.

Noah could reject it.

Which meant something even more interesting was possible.

Alcris smiled.

"If you can refuse it..."

His fingers tightened around his notebook.

"...then I wonder what happens when someone else forces it out."

The arena remained loud long after Noah’s match ended.

Jordan’s defeat had become the newest topic among the spectators.

The royal prodigy of Asgard had fallen.

But Noah wasn’t celebrating.

He stood alone in the corridor beneath the arena, staring at his hands.

The orange flames appeared.

Then vanished.

He remembered the maroon glow.

The voice.

Let me finish this.

Noah exhaled.

"You really don’t know when to quit."

"Talking to yourself again?"

Noah turned.

Eric stood behind him.

"You’re becoming predictable."

Eric grinned.

"You’re becoming weird."

"Fair."

Eric leaned against the wall.

"That fight was insane."

Noah smiled.

"Jordan was strong."

"Yeah."

Eric paused.

"Are you okay?"

Noah looked at him.

"Yeah."

Eric studied him.

Then nodded.

"Good."

He pushed away from the wall.

"Come on. Laura’s looking for you."

Noah blinked.

"Already?"

"She looked like she was about to interrogate the entire arena."

Noah laughed.

"That sounds like Laura."

Laura found Noah outside the medical area.

She walked straight toward him.

"Sit."

Noah blinked.

"I’m fine."

"Sit."

He sat.

Laura examined the cut on his forehead.

"It’s shallow."

"I told you."

"That doesn’t mean you don’t need it cleaned."

She treated the wound.

Noah watched her silently.

After a moment, he asked:

"Did Jordan tell you?"

Laura stopped.

"Tell me what?"

"About Dead Zone."

Her expression changed.

"Yes."

Noah sighed.

"Great."

Laura finished treating the wound.

"He wasn’t trying to expose you."

"I know."

"Then don’t worry."

Noah looked at her.

"Are you worried?"

Laura hesitated.

"Yes."

"About me?"

"About what happens if you lose control."

Noah nodded.

"So am I."

Laura looked directly into his eyes.

"Then don’t."

Noah smiled faintly.

"Simple."

"Not simple."

She stood.

"But possible."

Across the arena...

Daniela watched Noah leave with Laura.

Her expression was thoughtful.

She still couldn’t forget what she’d seen.

That second figure.

That maroon presence.

It wasn’t an ordinary ability.

Her perception had never failed her like that.

Something was deliberately hiding from her.

And that bothered her.

A voice interrupted her thoughts.

"You’re staring again."

Daniela turned.

Alcris.

She frowned.

"You seem to appear whenever I’m thinking."

"Coincidence."

"No."

Alcris smiled.

"You’ve become suspicious."

"Because you’re acting suspicious."

"Fair."

Daniela stepped closer.

"Did you see it?"

"See what?"

"That thing behind Noah."

Alcris’s expression didn’t change.

But his eyes did.

Only for an instant.

Daniela noticed.

"You did."

Alcris sighed.

"You’re perceptive."

"So what was it?"

"I don’t know."

"You’re lying."

Alcris smiled.

"Maybe."

Daniela’s expression hardened.

"Alcris."

He looked at her.

"Don’t involve yourself."

"In what?"

"Whatever you’re doing."

A pause.

Then Alcris laughed softly.

"You don’t even know what I’m doing."

"That’s the problem."

He stepped closer.

"Then maybe you should stop trying to find out."

Daniela stared at him.

For a moment, something almost hostile passed between them.

Then Alcris walked away.

Daniela watched him disappear.

Her hands tightened.

What are you planning?

That evening, the next round of individual matches began.

Contestants from the lower-ranked academies fought first.

Some surprised the crowd.

Others were eliminated quickly.

Then the projection changed.

LAURA ESTERIA

VALHALLA ACADEMY

VS

CHRISTINA VOLDEM

ASGARD ACADEMY

The crowd erupted.

Laura looked toward the battlefield.

Christina stood opposite her.

The two girls walked toward the center.

Christina smiled.

"I’ve heard you’re strong."

Laura raised her weapon.

"So have I."

"About me?"

"About Asgard."

Christina laughed.

"Fair."

The referee raised her hand.

"Begin!"

Christina immediately vanished.

Laura blocked the first strike.

CLANG!

Christina spun.

Another attack.

Laura dodged.

The crowd erupted.

Christina’s movements were fast.

Precise.

But Laura adapted quickly.

Their weapons collided again.

CLANG!

Christina smiled.

"You’re reading me."

Laura pushed her back.

"You’re predictable."

"Am I?"

Christina released her weapon.

Laura’s eyes widened.

The weapon dissolved into energy.

Christina’s hand flashed.

A burst of power struck Laura.

BOOM!

Laura flew backward.

She landed hard.

The crowd gasped.

Noah stood in the spectator section.

"Laura!"

She slowly stood.

Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.

She wiped it away.

Then smiled.

"Okay."

Her violet energy began gathering.

"Now I’m interested."

Far above the arena...

Alcris wasn’t watching Laura.

He was watching Noah.

More specifically...

Noah’s reaction to Laura’s injury.

His eyes narrowed.

Interesting.

Noah’s flames had appeared instinctively.

Not Dead Zone.

Not Ragnarok.

Just ordinary fire.

But the emotional response had caused the energy to spike.

Alcris wrote another note.

Emotional triggers influence Ragnarok resonance.

Then he added:

Laura Esteria appears to be a significant trigger.

He closed the notebook.

A small smile appeared.

"That’s useful."

Below, Laura and Christina collided again.

BOOM!

The arena shook.

Laura pushed forward.

Christina countered.

Both refused to retreat.

Then Laura’s violet energy exploded outward.

Christina’s defense broke.

She flew beyond the boundary.

The referee raised her hand.

"Winner! Laura Esteria!"

The Valhalla section erupted.

Noah smiled.

Laura looked toward him.

Their eyes met.

She smiled.

For a brief moment...

everything else disappeared.

But high above them...

Alcris watched.

And for the first time, he wasn’t simply interested in Noah’s power.

He had discovered something else.

A weakness.

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