The river’s steady rush filled the right side of the Aether Screen, its surface reflecting the dusky afternoon light like shifting plates of silver. Eric stood at the bank, boots half-sunk in wet earth, the cold air rising from the water brushing against his face.

"Depth?" he asked.

A scout stepped forward, rope tied around his waist. "Waist-high at the shallow line, Your Highness. The current is stronger in the center."

Eric nodded, eyes following the slow swirl beneath the surface. Dark shapes moved beneath—thick tails sweeping, ridged backs gliding just low enough to remain unclear.

Eric’s eyes focused on the creatures and he instantly understood what they were alligators. Avoiding the valley seemed like a good call at first but battling alligators in water was still a risky thing. Eric maintained his calm and strategized.

"Archers," Eric called quietly, "watch the surface. If anything rises, shoot before it reaches the line."

They moved into position.

Sir Miles came to his side. "If the crossing breaks-"

"It won’t," Eric said, his voice firm. "We stay together. No one moves alone."

Behind them, the knights steadied their shields, forming the crossing formation. Each shield would act as a step, braced against the riverbed. Each knight overlapped the next by half a pace. It looked slow, almost clumsy from above—but unbelievably stable.

The Viewing Orbs above magnified the moment the first boot touched the shallow line.

A ripple moved under the water.

The audience inhaled sharply.

Eric raised one hand. "Hold. Wait."

The shadow lingered, circling.

Then-

"Now."

They stepped in.

The water surged around their thighs. Cold. Heavy. The sound of armor brushing undercurrent carried through the screens, amplified faintly.

At the center line, the first alligator construct broke the surface- a heavy, scaled head lunging upward with jaws wide. A knight stumbled back, shield nearly slipping-

"Left!" Eric shouted.

The left archer squad fired instantly, arrows striking the creature’s snout and pushing it back into the current. Two more shapes moved toward them, and Eric was already halfway in the water, boots steady, eyes sharp.

"Reinforce the middle! Keep the rope tight!"

His commands weren’t loud—they were precise.

His men adjusted instantly.

In the amphitheatre, nobles leaned forward.

Commoners clutched their seats.

Ocean’s gaze didn’t flick away, even once.

The left screen flickered and sharpened.

Carlos’s squad was well inside the valley now - too far to retreat quickly. The walls rose steeply around them, rocky and uneven but climbable only with time. The deep bowl-like terrain trapped sound; even their footsteps echoed faintly.

Sir Cronin kept glancing left and right. "Your Highness... we’re too far in. If anything charges-"

"We move fast," Carlos cut in. "No wasting time."

But his pace slowed anyway. Something about the hollow air, the open stretch ahead, made his skin crawl.

The knights tightened their formation.

A low vibration hummed under their boots.

Carlos froze.

"What is that...?"

The ground trembled again - stronger.

Then the first mammoth-creature appeared from behind a cluster of boulders at the valley’s far end. It stood taller than a carriage stacked on another carriage, fur matted with dust, tusks long and curved.

A second creature stepped out beside it.

Then a third.

A slow, heavy rumble filled the valley.

Then the creatures charged.

"BACK!" Sir Cronin shouted.

The projection zoomed in just as the knights turned to run, dust rising around their legs. The valley walls cut them off - no time to climb, no room to maneuver.

One beast slammed into the ground where a knight had stood seconds earlier, sending stones flying. Another swept its tusk sideways, knocking another knight down immediately.

Carlos stumbled backward and tripped, crashing onto the dirt.

"HELP ME! Get me up!" he yelled.

Two knights dragged him to his feet, shields raised. A mammoth roared, shaking the air. The men tried to scatter, but the valley was too narrow — the beasts filled it entirely.

The audience cried out as one knight was thrown and hit the ground hard. He didn’t move. He was about to get stomped under the feet of the massive creatures.

Carlos screamed, "Move! Move faster! Don’t stop!"

His voice cracked sharply, almost shrill.

The mammoths kept charging—straight, unstoppable lines of muscle and momentum. Knights collided, stumbled, shields splintering under the force.

Then—

Shadows dropped.

Fast. Precise.

Three figures fell from the valley walls like slices of night, their movements sharp and exact. They seized the gravely injured knights one by one - hands gripping armor, a flare of blue light, a blink-

Gone.

The audience gasped, confused murmurs breaking out.

"What was that?"

"Are they part of the Trial?"

"Assassins?"

The two lords of Underworld, Lord Snake and Lord Devil sat together while Lord Hawle was with his family placed in the same balcony and Count Greene.

"Master has prepared to protect everyone already." Zach aka Lord Snake spoke as he swirled the goblet in his hand which was half way filled with wine.

"You know he can’t risk it, these Trials are important. We can’t risk even a single death or it’ll be blamed on Master." Baron Oberon aka Lord Devil said.

Zach scoffed, "Even if they did, everyone can see who’s actually responsible for their deaths. That brat is simply using those knights as his meat shield, he doesn’t care if they live or die as long as he is safe."

Oberon hummed, he hadn’t touched his goblet of wine as he wanted to be focused to witness everything.

"Don’t bother looking at the rotten apple, just watch our Prince. He’s doing just as we expect." Oberon spoke gesturing towards the screen that was showing Eric’s side.

Carlos didn’t notice any of it.

He only saw men disappearing and mistook it for abandonment.

"You cowards!" he shouted, eyes wild. "Don’t run away—fight!"

Sir Cronin grabbed his arm. "They’re not running! They’re-"

But another mammoth thundered past, and he had to shove Carlos aside to avoid getting crushed.

The entire valley fight lasted barely two minutes. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Two long, brutal minutes.

When the beasts finally moved on, Carlos’s squad was scattered — some limping, some gasping for breath, many missing entirely.

Carlos stared at the empty ground where the injured had been.

"Sheer cowardice," he muttered, breath shaking.

Sir Cronin’s jaw tightened, but he said nothing. There were only three of the knights left including himself after that stampede, but even they weren’t unscathed, one of the knights seemed like he had broken his arm and the other was bleeding from his head. Cronin himself was injured but he didn’t let it show.

He had known that going through the valley was a risky idea but he couldn’t say or do anything and now most of his talented knights were probably beyond help.

He had seen the black figures drop down from the height and not only here but also when they were in forest. The injured knights who couldn’t move had suddenly disappeared or rather taken away by yherlse black figures who probably either were Mages or Ocean’s people who were positioned there to make sure nobody died.

Cronin had assumed as much when he had learned about this from Duke Esmertia. The Duke had told him about all this and had warned him that anything happens, he must protect Carlos and make sure that he won the Trial. Cronin was sure that he could do it but now that he was watching Carlos and the men with him, he wasn’t so sure. He only wondered how the other Prince was doing.

"Move," Carlos snapped. "We’re going up that wall. The hills are ahead."

He pointed at the slope leading out of the valley — the steep climb toward the next fate that waited for him.

Back in the colosseum, everyone were on the edge of their seats, eyes fixed on the screens.

Marquis Fairisles watched both the Princes performing in the real life circumstances. He had mentored Prince Eric himself on Reina’s request and the results of his efforts were showing quite well. Eric had been displaying the kind of values that were imbued in him along with the skills that surpassed Carlos’ by lightyears.

It wasn’t even a competition anymore. Carlos was losing the public support because of his reckless and selfish strategies and he had only left three knights for the next phase. Eric, on the other hand, seemed like he had planned everything well and his knights who had seen him fight during the war trusted him, though there were some new knights with him but even they now seemed like they trusted him enough to listen and follow him.

He had only lost two knights so far and that was a good sign of a leader who could lead his men and make sure they all were protected when they fight for him.

Rune watched the screens with a small smile on his face, he knew Eric would do great.

"He’s doing well." Arthur spoke with a smile and Rune beamed.

"These kind of things are nothing for him, Father. You should have seen him during the war, his strategies and leadership skills were so well, that even Captain Rudyard praised him."

Celestia who had come along could sense the pride and happiness in Rune’s voice for her friend. She had been wary about Eric’s victory at first but now that she was watching him in action, she found her worries baseless. And she also came to understand why these Trials were so important. The kingdom should never go to a King like Prince Carlos who valued his own life over others, he wasn’t fit to be a King.

In Ryujin family’s box, Kai, Remi and Roan were only left to start cheer dancing for Eric as they watched him winning hearts.

Lyall smiled as he watched the young Prince whom he had seen practicing with Ocean now being a strong knight.

"He’s grown up so well." Enora murmured and Lyall nodded.

"He’s just the way, Master wanted him to be." Lyall responded.

Ocean simply watched the screens with no words, there were only two more hurdles for them to face before their return.