Hero of Darkness

Kahn learned of the bylaws on which the Tribal Tourney operated on.

The winner of the tournament and the tribe or force they represented would be granted the right to lawfully control a part of the Beast Empire for the next 20 years. This property would be theirs until the next 20-year tournament, where they would have the opportunity to fight for their claim and potentially expand the prosperity of their own tribes.

This event was steeped in tradition, so much so that not even the reigning Emperor or Empress could veto or stop it. And it had a profound impact on Atreus, also known as Kahn, a Shadow Disciple.

Each combatant was a Shadow Disciple, just like him - someone who had been secretly trained by the Tribe Leaders and honed throughout the years in preparation for this tournament. While not every tribal tourney had 5th stage saints as the combatants, this one had set a minimum requirement of 5th stage saints, and every single Shadow Disciple was a prodigy, born once a century.

But the biggest twist of all was that every match would end with a clean victory. This meant that no quarter would be given, and the stakes were high. Atreus knew he would have to give it his all if he wanted to emerge victorious.

In a departure from previous tournaments, killing was only allowed in the Semifinals and Finals. Kahn could tell that this rule was intended to preserve the strength of the empire since 5th stage saints with domains were a rare commodity, with fewer than 30 even in the Nadur Empire. Losing one or two was acceptable, but losing them all could be catastrophic. As a result, the stakes were extremely high this time around, but losses would be kept to a minimum.

If a Shadow Disciple emerged as the winner, they would have the right to demand to become the Official Disciple, even if the Tribe Leader himself did not approve. This was a highly coveted prize, as the winner would become the official successor of their tribe or clan.

Throughout history, very few Shadow Disciples had declined this prize. In the rare cases where they did, the ruler of the empire would grant them something of significant value, such as a title, a position in the imperial rule, or even lands to inherit as their lord, similar to a noble.

There was one important caveat, however: the total length of the land granted could not exceed 100 kilometers. In the past 700 years since the Nadur Empire had been freed from enslavement by its former Human race oppressors, there had been fewer than five instances where a winner had requested land, so no one considered it a significant threat.

However, there was one loophole that had been exploited before.

On one occasion, a winner had declined to become the official disciple but had requested lands. However, a few years later, the tribe leader had turned him into the Official Disciple, giving him both benefits.

This loophole had not gone unnoticed, and the laws of the empire had been amended to prevent its exploitation. Now, winners could only choose either land or position, and they had to relinquish their right to become the Official successor until their last moment.

With all this in mind, it was now time for Kahn to put his skills and abilities to the test. He had spent the past year learning from Romulus, Rathnaar, and Vildred, and he was confident that he was more than prepared for this challenge.

Three weeks had passed since the announcement of the tournament, and now it had officially begun throughout the empire. Millions of holographic screens and thousands of city-wide celebrations were held in every corner of the land. At the very center of Elysium, a town was created solely for hosting the Tribal Tourney, and the main attraction was a colossal 3-kilometer-wide Coliseum with a circular arena that was one kilometer in diameter.

The host of the tournament was none other than the Fenrirborne Tribe Leader, the Heavenly King of Fire, known as Romulus Lykaios. Throughout the Coliseum, there were four pavilions dedicated to the other three Heavenly Kings and the Empress, along with many influential figureheads of the empire.

The arena was smaller in size than one would expect, considering that all combatants were 5th-stage saints. However, the actual fights were set to happen in pocket realms, similar to the ones where Romulus taught Kahn his skills, such as Hardening and Conceptualization.

Here, Atreus finally laid eyes on the other three Heavenly Kings.

The Beast Empire was protected by four powerful leaders on outer fronts, known as the Heavenly Kings. Each king was a formidable beastkin warrior, with exceptional strength and unique abilities that made them nearly invincible on the battlefield.

One of the Heavenly Kings was a White Lionkin named Haldor, who held the title of Heavenly King of Light. He was a Peak 7th-stage saint and general of the Western region of the Nadur Empire.

Another Heavenly King was an intermediate 7th-stage saint Blue Apekin named Kaida, who was known as the Heavenly King of Water. Kaida was the leader of the Eastern region of the empire, and he was feared for his ability to control and manipulate water. He could summon massive waves and tidal surges to crush his enemies, and could even use water to heal himself and his allies even if they were in millions.

The third Heavenly King was a Black Pantherkin named Jaro, who held the title of Heavenly King of Metal. He was an intermediate 7th-stage saint and reigned over the Northern region of the empire. Jaro was a master of metal manipulation, able to control and shape metal with ease. He could summon sharp blades of metal to slice through his foes, or create impenetrable shields and walls to protect himself and his allies.

Kahn was surprised to learn of the existence of a fifth Godbeast, in addition to Fenrir, Basilisk, Behemoth, and Roc. He had only recently discovered that two of the four Heavenly Kings, the White Lionkin and the Black Pantherkin, were from the True Descendant families of the Godbeast Baihu.

Kahn's knowledge of various cultures and mythologies from his past life had prepared him for this revelation. He knew that on Earth, especially in Chinese mythology, the Godbeast Baihu was also referred to as the Heavenly White Tiger.

However, in this world, it was not exactly a tiger but a feral monster that resembled a Sabertooth.

The Baihu's descendants included Lionkins, Tigerkins, Pantherkins, Felinekins, and species that looked like Cheetahs, all of whom carried a trace of the Godbeast's bloodline. The Baihu was known for having the most descendant species across the world, and many of its descendants were territorial by nature.

Many of its descendants did not associate with other descendant species and guarded their territories fiercely. Similar to how Lions, Tigers, Leopards and Panthers did not share the same mountain on earth.

Even Drigger, the Legendary Rank monster that Omega had fought and killed in the Elven Empire, was not a direct descendant but a variant species of the Baihu. Despite being a rank lower, Drigger was already strong enough to face someone like Omega, a variant of the Godbeast Fenrir.

Despite its prominence, information about the Godbeast Baihu was scarce and often hidden by design due to the infighting between the descendants.

Kahn didn't pay much attention to the arena's details, as it was similar but also unique compared to the one he fought in inside the Rakos Empire. Instead, he focused on his opponents. Not one of them was weaker than him in terms of aura, and most of them were True Descendants themselves.

Kahn wasn't worried about his opponents turning into monsters, as one had to be at least a beginner 7th stage saint to transform and use their bloodline to the fullest. However, their bloodlines gave them a significant advantage in stats.

Compared to normal 5th saints, every single one of them was on par with an intermediate 6th stage saint, thanks to their origins. This was also one of the reasons why True Descendants were often the leading forces.

Kahn was particularly impressed by the current Empress, who was a True Descendant and had demonstrated her incredible strength by killing a Superior Dragon with sheer brute force alone.

After a welcoming speech from Romulus, the host, the participants and the audience were treated to several cultural dances and prayers to the God of Nature, followed by various rituals. The preparations took several hours, but eventually, it was time for the first match of the opening day.

The Empress had decided to draw the matchups through a gacha draw, and the announcer was now ready to declare the names of the combatants. With bated breath, the audience waited for the first name to be called out.

"The first warrior to step into the arena is the Shadow Disciple of the Ganesha Tribe... Gaja Ekdantay!" the announcer declared, his voice echoing throughout the stadium.

Kahn watched with interest as Gaja Ekdantay walked towards the arena, his footsteps measured and confident.

"His opponent," the announcer boomed, "... is none other than the dark horse whom no one had even heard of before the announcement."

The crowd's excitement grew as they eagerly awaited the arrival of the unknown challenger. Suddenly, the arena fell silent as a massive 3-meter-tall blue wolfkin strode confidently into view.

"The Shadow Disciple of the Fenribone Tribe..." the announcer paused for effect…

Gasps and whispers rippled through the audience as they tried to comprehend the power and skill of this enigmatic warrior. The tension was palpable as the two combatants faced each other, ready to begin the fight.

"Atreus Bellator!"