Finally, the first round of the final stage of the Golden Knights Tournament was about to begin. The crowd had gathered from all corners of the Golden Kingdom, with tourists from neighboring kingdoms eager to witness this challenge. The stands buzzed with excitement, filled with cheers and songs that echoed through the arena.

The knight Iliana appeared at the top of the building.

"Now, let the competitors for the first round approach, in the order drawn," she announced.

The competitors entered the arena Team Knight V and Team Takeshi the blue swordman in the middle of the applause of the crowd.

Iliana spoke again, her voice clear and firm: "The battle will take place within this marked circle. If the designated leader of a team, in this case, Knight V or the Blue Swordman, steps outside the circle, they will immediately lose, and the match will end. There are three ways for the match to end:

The competitor’s death.

Surrender.

Stepping outside the circle.

In short, the loss of the leader means the end of the battle. The purpose of this challenge is to test your ability to function as leaders or soldiers, and also to evaluate your individual skills in times of crisis."

"Understood," replied Knight V.

"Of course. Let’s have an honorable fight, Knight," Takeshi said, a confident smile on his face.

"Alright then," Knight V answered.

"Let’s move, comrades! Take your positions! We’re going to win this!" Takeshi spoke to his team.

"Understood," replied his two teammates, Ronan the archer and Lyra the healer. They had met in the competition when the teams were first formed. Since the first challenge, they had developed an unparalleled bond and understanding in combat, thanks to Takeshi’s leadership. His leadership skills were well-known in his homeland, a small island in a bay near the Golden Kingdom, which had always been under its protection.

His childhood had been difficult. At a very young age, he had been left alone when his village, called Black Thunder, was attacked by monstrous creatures. His parents, who had fought to protect the village, were killed, and only a Golden Knight managed to stop the monsters. From that point on, Takeshi was raised without knowing his real name. He had never cared to learn it, having been referred to simply as Takeshi since his childhood. He was given this name after he became known for his mastery of the sword and his steadfastness, qualities that set him apart. He always carried a blue, shining sword, a gift from the Golden Kingdom as an apology for their failure to save his village. This sword became his symbol, and he developed a love for the art of swordsmanship. By the age of ten, he was practicing daily with that sword. It was then that an old retired soldier, who had spent most of his life serving the kingdom, noticed his skill and enrolled him in a swordsmanship academy. This marked the beginning of his journey to where he was now.

"Ronan, Lyra, get ready. Stay back and fire your arrows at my signal," Takeshi instructed.

"Understood," they replied.

The battle began.

Takeshi made the first move, charging swiftly and drawing his sword to attack Knight V.

"Both of you, to the edges of the arena one on the right, the other on the left. Do not move until I give the signal," Knight V ordered his team.

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He then drew his axe, and Takeshi’s quick strike hit Knight V’s shield, but it did no damage, as the shield was enchanted to resist magic.

Takeshi was surprised, but the shock didn’t last long. He was soon struck by a heavy blow from Knight V’s axe.

Ronan, the archer, quickly fired magical arrows at Knight V, but they had no effect. Among them was one arrow that created a thick cloud of smoke, allowing Takeshi to retreat into a healing circle created by Lyra.

"You’re quite strong, Knight," Takeshi said, catching his breath. "But I won’t lose here."

He raised his sword to the sky with both hands, closed his eyes, and the sky darkened as a brilliant blue moon appeared above.

Opening his glowing eyes, he smiled and said, "Now, the real battle begins."

Four blue shadows identical to Takeshi appeared around Knight V, each wielding a sword, and they closed in to surround him.

"Ah, so this is your plan. Very well," Knight V said.

He signaled to his teammates, and they activated blades from their shields and charged toward Takeshi’s shadows. In response, Takeshi summoned two more shadows to obstruct their movements, appearing in flashes of light.

The shadows were not mere illusions. They mimicked Takeshi's every move, their swords moving with the same precision, and could strike with his full strength. They were extensions of his will born of intense focus and discipline.

Knight V’s team struggled to track them all, as Takeshi’s shadows made the battlefield chaotic and unpredictable.

In that moment, Knight V shattered the shadows around him with a single sweep of his axe, and charged at Takeshi. The two clashed with powerful blows, axe against sword.

At first, Takeshi struggled due to the sheer power and weight of Knight V’s axe, but he quickly adapted, realizing that he could use his shadows not just to attack, but to defend. He made a mental note: speed wasn’t the only key to victory timing was.

However, this advantage was short-lived. Knight V had faced a speed-based battle before, against Michael in the cave, and he knew exactly how to counter it.

He activated his earthquake technique, slamming his axe into the ground, sending shockwaves that knocked everyone off their feet.

He quickly closed in on Takeshi and said, "You’ve got skill, but you still need more work."

"Not yet. Look at the sky."

A beam of light shot down from the blue moon above.

"This is the Black Lighthouse Beam. Sorry, but this will hurt a little," Takeshi said.

The beam struck Knight V directly, paralyzing him, and it felt as though it was burning him from the inside. Takeshi’s shadow-clones vanished into smoke, leaving him vulnerable.

"Is this a poison beam? What’s happening?" Knight V asked, struggling to stay on his feet.

Takeshi, despite the earlier tremors, regained his balance and gripped his sword with both hands, preparing for a final strike.

"I’ll finish this now."

With a swift motion, Takeshi delivered a powerful slash, cutting through Knight V’s defenses. The attack caused a clear wound, one that would have been fatal had it not been for Knight V’s magical shield.

Knight V coughed and turned toward Takeshi, now more focused. "You fought well. But this battle is over."

one of the knight’s followers arrived and informed him,

“Sir, we’re done here.”

“Alright,” the knight replied.

"What’s going on?" he asked, noticing his teammates were nowhere to be seen.

"It seems you’ve forgotten your teammates," Knight V said.

"Damn it!" Takeshi charged toward his team, but Knight V intercepted him with an axe strike. Takeshi parried it and stepped back.

"How can you still move after that?" Takeshi muttered in disbelief.

"Your attack was good, but it wasn’t enough to kill me or paralyze me," Knight V replied.

At that moment, Knight V’s assistants appeared behind Takeshi and launched a surprise attack, knocking him to the ground.

"Damn you! Why did you kill them?" Takeshi yelled, struggling to get up.

"We didn’t kill anyone," Knight V said "We just knocked them out of the circle."

"Ha!"

One of the assistants then injected Takeshi with a tranquilizer, and as he began to lose consciousness, Knight V spoke.

"You fought well, but this was for the best. You and your team don’t want a tragedy in the final round."

With that, Takeshi lost consciousness. Knight V ordered his assistants to remove him from the circle.

Thus, Knight V and his team emerged victorious in this round and advanced to the finals.

Iliana’s voice echoed from the building.

"The match is over. Moving on to the finals, Knight V and his team! Congratulations on a well-deserved victory."

She continued, "The next match will be tomorrow at the same time, with Wolf and his team facing Michael to decide who will join the finals."