The Sword-in-Water Tournament arena stretched across a massive forest lake 🌲🌊.
Floating platforms drifted like giant lily pads.Thick ropes connected suspended paths.Wooden bridges led to towering stone pillars rising from the water.
Students crowded the edges of the arena, shouting and betting.Teachers hovered on floating platforms, watching carefully.Crystal screens floated in the air, broadcasting every angle to the entire academy ✨📺.
Aren stood beside Ben.
Dozens of teams from every department prepared themselves.
Weapons checked.Buckets ready.Spells whispered.
Then a booming voice echoed through the forest.
⚔️ Sword-in-Water Tournament Rules (Final Review)
"ATTENTION, STUDENTS!"
The rules appeared on every crystal screen.
• Teams or solo allowed• Battlefield: Forest arena surrounding a giant lake• Your sword is sealed inside a stone pillar• The Blue Water needed to unlock it is on the OPPOSITE side of the forest• Blue water melts the seal• No blue water → sword does not move• No sword → no victory• The more blue water you pour, the stronger the sword becomes• Strongest awakened sword earns bonus points• First team to fully awaken their sword wins• All students may watch the chaos• ANY tactic is allowed — except killing
Ben whistled loudly 😮.
"Brother… this'll be insane."
Aren nodded.
"Hm."
📖 Brutal Tradition — Updated History
Aren skimmed the updated tournament history booklet one last time.
1. The Original TournamentCreated 200 years ago to prevent war over a legendary sword.Sword in stone.Water far away.Teamwork required.
(Or stupidity.)
2. Extremely High Casualty RateThe first tournament injured 73 students.
People drowned.Platforms collapsed.Trees fell.Swords exploded.Lake monsters attacked.One idiot drank the blue water 💀.
Aren blinked.
"…Idiots."
3. Blue WaterA sacred liquid from the lake.More water → stronger sword.Some swords became so powerful teachers confiscated them.
4. The Sword Gets Heavier Every YearLast year: 900 kg.This year: unknown.
5. One True RuleAnything is allowed.Except killing.
Aren closed the book.
"…Fair."
🔥 Teams Enter the Arena
Six major teams stepped forward.
1️⃣ Team Emberheart 🔥Princess Rias's team.Elite mages.Perfect coordination.Royal sponsorship.
Whispers spread:"They'll win for sure."
2️⃣ Team Elven Gale 🌿Lyris's team.Archers.Traps.Forest dominance.
Lyris glared at Aren with murder in her eyes.
3️⃣ Team Ironblood 💪Pure physical fighters.Muscles on muscles.Half-shirtless confidence.
Ben saluted them."Good people."
4️⃣ Team Mindweavers 🧠Illusions.Telekinesis.Zero muscles.Maximum danger.
"Those guys are scary," someone whispered.
5️⃣ Team Shadowfox 🦊Assassins.Silent.Black cloaks.Rumored to win without anyone noticing.
6️⃣ Team Rockhold 🗿Ben.Aren.Two giants.No strategy.No fear.
Ben pumped his fist.
"Brother! We rush the blue water first!"
Aren shook his head.
"No."
Ben blinked.
"…No?"
Aren stared at the forest.
"First, we go to our sword."
Ben scratched his head.
"But… we need blue water."
Aren turned to him.
"Ben."
"Yeah?"
"Who's the boss?"
Ben straightened instantly.
"You are."
Aren nodded.
"Good. Take this."
He handed Ben a metal shard from the ground.
"Start digging."
Ben blinked again.
"Dig what? We can't break the pillar—"
Aren replied calmly:
"No. Break the ground."
Ben froze.
Then smiled.
Slowly.
Terrifyingly 😈.
"…I like it."
🔥 The Plan That Broke the Academy
Aren and Ben walked past the blue water zone.
Past shocked teams.Past teachers yelling:
"YOU'RE GOING THE WRONG WAY!"
They walked straight to their sword pillar.
Ben raised the metal shard.
"On three?"
Aren nodded.
BOOM!CRACK!
The ground exploded.
Stone shook.Earth split.Birds fled the forest 🐦💨.
Commentators screamed:
"WAIT—WHAT ARE THEY DOING?!"
"THEY'RE NOT FETCHING WATER—THEY'RE DIGGING THE PILLAR OUT!!"
The academy erupted.
"THAT'S ILLEGAL!""WAIT—IT'S NOT!""THIS IS INSANE!""…This is genius."
Princess Rias clutched her head.
Lyris screamed:
"THAT'S CHEATING!!"
Aren lifted the entire stone block.
Sword still inside.
Seven hundred kilograms of stone and earth.
Ben lifted the other side.
Two giants carrying the ENTIRE PUZZLE.
Teachers panicked.
"STOP THEM!""WE HAVE NO RULE AGAINST THIS!""WE SHOULD HAVE HAD ONE!"
🌊 The Lake Solution
Aren and Ben waded into the lake.
Water reached their waists.
They counted.
"One."
"Two."
THROW!!
BOOOOOOOM!!! 🌊💥
The pillar crashed into the lake.
Water exploded twenty meters high, soaking half the arena.
The sword glowed as it touched the Sacred Lake itself ✨.
Commentators lost their minds.
"THEY USED THE LAKE AS BLUE WATER!!"
"THIS COMPLETES THE PUZZLE IN ONE MOVE!!"
Every other team stopped running.
Jaws dropped.
Princess Rias went silent.
Lyris threw her bow into the water 😡.
A teacher whispered:
"…I hate that kid."
Another whispered:
"…I love that kid."
The stone cracked.
Aren reached into the lake.
Pulled the sword out with one hand.
No struggle.
No effort.
The blade shone so brightly the arena shield flared.
The crystal screens flashed.
TEAM ROCKHOLD — VICTORY
And the Academy learned a painful truth:
If a rule does not forbid it…
Aren will break the game with it.