Nightveil: The Forbidden Trait

The air crackled.

There, hovering high above the center of the great hall, stood a figure cloaked in power. A man—towering, muscular, with stark white hair cascading past his shoulders—stood in mid-air as if gravity itself feared to pull him down. He wore a long, black coat lined with crimson runes, its tails swaying like a curtain of death in the windless dome. His eyes glowed faintly red, and across his face was a permanent, battle-hardened smirk. His mere presence silenced the hundreds below.

All the Guild Lords—every single one of them—dropped to their knees in perfect sync.

Even the students, many unaware of who he was, instinctively took a step back. A dense pressure filled the air, making it hard to breathe. The walls trembled slightly. My skin prickled. Luci stiffened beside me, while Ritchi muttered, "What in the actual hell...?"

The announcer's voice trembled through the magical echo system. "I-It's him... The Great Lord... The right hand of the King."

He began to descend. Slowly. Step by step, as if walking down invisible stairs. When his feet touched the ground, the entire floor hummed.

The man gave a charming, amused smile, spreading his arms wide. "I am Shodou D. Kaiser."

So it was true. That monster hovering in the sky moments ago was the Great Lord himself.

He laughed—not a mocking one, but loud, almost delighted. "TALENT! Hahahaha! So much talent this year! Truly a golden generation!"

The Lord of Nature stood respectfully, placing his fist to his chest. "May I ask, Great Lord, what brings you here in person?"

Shodou tilted his head, white locks sliding off his shoulder. "Curiosity. I felt the auras surging. So many brilliant lights... too many to ignore. Black, white, red, blue—every rare shade. I couldn't help but be drawn to it."

He turned his gaze toward me and Arceus for a second. My instincts flared. He had noticed us. Carefully.

Then he clapped his hands together. "But let's come to the point."

Silence returned.

"I am here to announce one final round."

Gasps erupted from the top ten. Even the Guild Lords exchanged glances.

"This round," he continued with a smirk, "will be witnessed... by the King himself."

It was as if time stopped.

Even the Guild Lords looked startled.

"Indeed," Shodou said, amused by their expressions. "A rare chance, isn't it? A good opportunity to gain some real fame."

He then raised a finger. "Ah, I almost forgot—this final round also comes with rewards. The winner shall train under all five Guild Lords."

The crowd murmured in awe.

Then he lowered his hand and let the words fall like thunder.

"And the best among them... shall earn the right to train under my guild... under my direct supervision."

Luci whispered under her breath, voice soft with disbelief. "Training under the Great Lord... That's not a reward. That's a miracle. He only trains those who deserve, not those who reserve."

Even I was stunned. No jokes. No sarcasm. Only one thought lingered:

This changes everything.

Kaiser Jr. raised a hand arrogantly. "Is that all?"

Shodou chuckled. "Of course not. The winners shall also receive mythical beasts from the Royal Treasury."

Gasps turned into full-blown chaos.

Praller, standing beside me, looked like he'd been slapped. "That's insane. Only eleven are known to exist. How can he even offer that?"

I leaned in. "What are mythical beasts exactly?"

Praller replied, still dazed, "Creatures of ancient mana. One alone could destroy a dozen cities... at full power. Even the Great Lord has one."

Shodou raised his hand, calming the noise. "Let me explain the trial. You will be split into two groups. Group A and Group B. You will battle, not with what you already have, but with what you learn."

Kaiser Jr. frowned. "Learn? What do you mean?"

Shodou grinned. "I will assign each group a Guild Lord to awaken your new potential."

He turned to a butler waiting silently to the side. "Is the list ready?"

The butler nodded and handed him a scroll.

Shodou read it with a pleased smile. "Group A shall be led by Arceus D. Diamond. Members include Kaiser Jr., Angel Aqual, Aerus, and Leon."

Group A. The heavy hitters.

Then he unrolled further.

"Group B shall be led by Ryan Elenoir. Members: Luci Elenoir, Praller Fire, Rimu D. Kaiser, and Ritchi."

Luci clapped once, then turned to me. "We're in the same team!"

I nodded. "Yeah."

But behind my calm smile, my thoughts were racing. If Kaiser Jr. ends up against Luci in the final battle... can she hold her own? I don't want her getting hurt by that arrogant maniac.

Shodou continued. "Beast Guild Lord Men Beast will train Group A. Love Guild Lady Eriica will handle Group B."

He crossed his arms. "You all have three days. Prepare well. We'll see what you're truly worth."

He turned his back, smiling.

"Let the final trial begin."

And just like that, the storm had arrived—and we were in its eye.