"Friends, the game has begun. You cannot refuse—"

The sky rumbled with thunder, as if lending dramatic emphasis to his words.

"There is no reason, and no room for refusal."

Suddenly, darkness engulfed the arena. Stella's lance ignited, blazing with otherworldly fire. Acheron and the train crew, who had been advancing moments before, raised their weapons in anticipation of the impending chaos.

[March 7th: Wow! Stella, when did you swap your baseball bat for that awesome flame lance?]

[Bronya: Isn't that the lance symbolizing the Great Guardian that my mother wielded? Why do you have it? Did you take it when you left?]

[Stella: I don't know, but... yay!]

The five individuals remained vigilant, scanning their surroundings for any sign of danger. Suddenly, Aventurine's voice rang out once more—clear, mocking, and seeming to emanate from everywhere at once.

"The dice have been cast—"

"Ladies and gentlemen, are you ready to unveil your cards?"

Without hesitation, Stella raised her newly acquired lance, aiming its fiery tip directly at Aventurine's image on the screen. Her eyes blazed with determination and resolve, as if she could incinerate her foe through sheer force of will.

"The architect's flaw stone... Hah! No value at all!" Aventurine's voice dripped with icy contempt, revealing his utter disdain for the weapon.

As his words faded, Aventurine casually tossed three dice into the air. They seemed to defy gravity, falling in slow motion before landing directly in front of Stella with uncanny precision.

"I'm putting down the bet!" The first die came to rest, revealing the stark image of a spade.

"I taking down the gamble!" The second die followed suit, another spade staring up at them. Stella's heart began to race, a mix of tension and excitement coursing through her veins.

"I'm cling the win!" The final die settled, completing the trio of spades. On the screen, Aventurine's visage vanished, replaced by the three perfectly aligned spade symbols.

"I'll let fate spin the wheel, a daring gamble. Walking the brink of death...for rebirth " High above them, Aventurine descended slowly, his body enveloped in an otherworldly glow. Upon closer inspection, one could see that his form was encased in a substance as hard as armor. In his hand, he clutched a shattered gem, its pieces meticulously reassembled.

"All for—the Amber Lord!" Aventurine cried out, arms spread wide.

[Topaz: All for the Amber Lord!]

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

[Company Employee A: All for the Amber Lord!]

[Company Employee B: All for the Amber Lord!]

In that instant, a surge of power erupted from Aventurine, manifesting as a violent storm that swept towards the five below. The force was so intense that it seemed to warp the very air around them, making it difficult to breathe.

Stella, gripping her blazing lance, charged towards Aventurine like a meteor streaking across the sky.

However, as she attempted to breach Aventurine's defenses with her fiery weapon, she found her attack completely ineffective. An impenetrable barrier had formed before him, effortlessly deflecting Stella's assault and sending her flying backward.

Seeing this, Himeko immediately focused her concentration, manipulating the orbital cannon to target Aventurine's position. Without hesitation, she unleashed its devastating power. A deafening explosion followed, kicking up a massive cloud of dense smoke that rapidly engulfed the area, threatening to swallow the entire world in its murky embrace.

Yet Aventurine, at the epicenter of the blast, remained unperturbed. With a casual wave of his hand, he easily dispersed the smoke surrounding him. Observing Aventurine's unscathed form, Himeko's expression grew grave. Though her attack had merely been a diversion to buy Stella time, witnessing such overwhelming power sent a chill down her spine.

At last, Aventurine spoke. He slowly raised his hand, pointing at the group before him. His true face, concealed behind his mask, remained unreadable. As thunder continued to rumble ominously, his voice carried a weight of finality:

"Slow play with a strong hand, putting on airs—you've made me rather impatient."

The thunder grew more intense, underscoring his words.

In the harsh glare of lightning, Aventurine let out a maniacal laugh as he began to ascend towards the heavens.

Faced with this development, Welt and Himeko refrained from hasty action, unsure of Aventurine's true intentions. Stella and March 7th, seeing their seniors' hesitation, could only watch Aventurine warily, their bodies tense with anticipation.

"To make things truly interesting, I'll wager all my chips," Aventurine declared.

"Only by abandoning reason can one truly gamble..." he muttered. No sooner had the words left his lips than he hurled a blindingly brilliant golden chip skyward.

Accompanied by a deafening thunderclap, the energy unleashed a terrifying tempest that nearly forced March 7th to shield her eyes.

In an instant, gold engulfed the sky above them, as far as the eye could see.

It was as if an enormous golden curtain had been drawn across the heavens, creating a breathtaking spectacle.

Suddenly, within the golden light show, white voids began to materialize.

As the white light coalesced, pillars of imaginary energy, resembling colossal poker chips, slowly descended towards the earth.

[Jing Yuan: The power of the Amber Lord is truly extraordinary. This level of strength is quite impressive.]

[Cocolia: Is the power of preservation really this formidable?]

As she watched the unfolding events, Cocolia felt a twinge of regret creep into her heart. If she could turn back time, she would never have chosen to cooperate with the Stellaron. However, it was far too late for such thoughts. Just then, a mysterious, indistinct voice whispered in Cocolia's ear.

"Cocolia... Cocolia... It's too late, far too late!" The voice seemed to come from afar, yet also felt unnervingly close, its true origin impossible to pinpoint. Cocolia furrowed her brow, straining to make out the words.

"Only I... can save... this world on the brink of destruction..." As the voice grew clearer, the small spark of rebellion that had flickered in Cocolia's heart was once again extinguished by the Stellaron's influence.

Yes... that's right. I am correct. Only the Stellaron can bring salvation to Belobog.

It must be so!

[March 7th: Such terrifying power! Can we really withstand this?]

[Himeko: Don't panic, little March. Worrying about things that haven't happened yet won't do any good.]

[March 7th: Oh... I suppose you're right. So, does anyone have any hidden powers? Dan Heng? Stella?]

[Dan Heng: March, I'm not there.]

[March 7th: Oh, right...]