Chapter 103: Summoner’s War 2 Who is Summoner Kaela

Chapter 103: Summoner’s War 2 Who is Summoner Kaela [3/5] As soon as Kaela had finished her first fight, she turned her gaze to the other competitors on the wide, chaotic stage. Most of them were still locked in intense battles, sweat and energy flying through the air like sparks. Only a few had already managed to end their matches, just as she had. One among them, a female with short brown hair—clearly a second-year—immediately caught Kaela’s attention. The girl’s posture was tense, her body leaning slightly forward as she began to close the distance between them. Her face bore a fierce determination, eyes narrowed in a clear signal: she was ready for an all-out brawl. Kaela blinked. She had initially assumed the combatants would wait for all sparring rounds to conclude before beginning any new engagements. It had seemed logical. But this—this was different. And since the announcer said nothing about it, since he made no move to halt the progression of battle, she knew it was permitted. The rules had changed. Not just the brown-haired girl, but another boy—a lean student who had just ended his match—also moved toward her with intent in his eyes. Within moments, Kaela had become the center of attention. A target. ’So this is it...’ she thought. They likely perceived her as weak. A vulnerable opponent. After all, who wouldn’t jump at the chance to eliminate the seemingly weakest link? That, or they despised the attention she was getting. A person without a core weapon defeating someone with one? That was unheard of to most—and unforgivable to some. This was the way the world worked. And to Kaela, it was no surprise. She exhaled slowly and straightened her stance, her fingers folding into a tight fist. A pulse of dark energy flickered at her feet. Without hesitation, a wave of darkness began to rise around her, curling like smoke, thick and fast. She didn’t know if using her integration ability was against the rules. But since the others were using core weapons, there had to be a compromise. Let it be this. Luckily, as the veil of darkness began to grow more visible—more dangerous—the announcer still did not speak. Not a single word of protest. He was watching. In awe. It was nothing more than entertainment to him now, something to marvel at. And the same could be said for the crowd. They leaned forward in their seats, whispers spreading like wildfire through the stands as they wondered how she would escape this confrontation. Would she fall? Or rise? Among them, Kairos’s gaze deepened with shock. This was the first time he was witnessing her ability firsthand. Darnell had mentioned it before—during their return from that ill-fated outing—but even his words hadn’t captured the weight of what Kaela truly possessed. [Ding] [A similarity has been sensed, as you predicted.] Kairos quickly read the next notifications as they blinked across his vision. [A branch power that could be learned has been identified... Darkness Control.] [However, the ability has been tampered with... Copy failed.] Kairos furrowed his brows. Was the system actually trying to copy Kaela’s ability? He tilted his head, placing a thoughtful hand beneath his chin. ’Her mother experimented on her... Could she have any link to the Shadow Family? Or is it a history long buried beneath time?’ Questions began to boil in his mind. Driven by curiosity, he finally asked the system, ’How old is the Shadow Family?’ He needed clarity—needed to understand what era they had belonged to. After all, with time, truth often slipped into silence. [No further questions about this can be answered. Please refrain from asking any further questions.] Kairos sighed. He had hoped the system wouldn’t block him. But deep down, he had expected this. It was only a matter of time. Well, if the system wouldn’t give him answers, perhaps Kaela eventually would. With that, he turned his attention back to the stage. Kaela, on the other hand, remained focused. She tightened her grip on the darkness around her, using it as a shield, a wall between herself and the approaching enemies. Her goal wasn’t to kill. This was a sparring match. She would only knock them down. She reminded herself of this. As the brown-haired girl advanced, she raised her short sword and slashed through the air. But she wasn’t close enough to hit. A surge of blue energy shot from the tip of her weapon, hurtling toward Kaela like a bolt of vengeance. Kaela didn’t flinch. She bent the darkness forward, allowing it to form a thick barrier. As the energy collided with the dark wall, an explosion burst forth—a wave of light and sound that sent shockwaves across the field. Kaela winced. She could feel it—how dangerous it would be to take a direct hit. The next attacker came immediately—a male second-year wielding a halberd. He spun it with precision before thrusting the blade toward her with terrifying speed. Kaela raised another pillar of darkness. But it wasn’t enough. The halberd tore straight through it like paper and continued its deadly path toward her face. Only her speed saved her. She twisted to the side, the weapon slicing past her cheek—close enough to graze the air around her. Too close. Her heart pounded in her chest. A core weapon like that... even a scratch could disrupt her integration. Worse, it could kill her if she wasn’t careful. ’If only I could hurt them!’ she thought bitterly, ducking low as three more crescent beams slashed toward her from behind. Then another halberd swing—more aggressive than the last. The two opponents were working together now, fighting to wear her down. Kaela’s breath grew shallow. She was holding them off, but barely. Lloyd, watching from the edge of the stage, clenched his fists. He was ready to jump in at any moment. One wrong move and he’d intervene, rules be damned. Then—it happened. Without warning, the darkness beneath Kaela’s feet surged upward, erupting in a blast of black flames and rushing air. The ground trembled. A wave of shock swept through the crowd. Gasps filled the air. The announcer stood, his mouth opening—finally, too late. "Hey—stop!" he shouted. But his words fell flat, useless against the force that had already been unleashed. The dark flames twisted through the space like tendrils, whipping across the stage before dying out just as quickly. And when the smoke cleared... Kaela was the only one still standing. Both of her opponents lay unconscious at her feet, sprawled across the floor. Stunned silence gripped the arena. The crowd couldn’t believe it. Even the announcer’s face had turned pale—his earlier indifference now drowned in guilt and dread. He should have ended the match earlier. He had waited too long. And now, he’d witnessed something breathtaking. Kairos stared in disbelief, his thoughts flashing back to what Carlos had once whispered to him about Kaela. And now, seeing her power firsthand... "Just who in the world are you, Kaela?"