Shadow Over the Heavenly Throne-Chapter 56: Show them who you are

Renald's fist landed with full force.

The impact drove Calista’s body into the ground, tearing the air apart with a wave of Qi so powerful it kicked up a cloud of dust that veiled nearly half the arena. The earth beneath her collapsed with a dull roar—cracks spread outward from the point of impact like the arena itself was trying to escape the pain that had just been unleashed.

And then—silence.

Nothing was visible through the thick haze.

Just one figure—motionless, unmoving.

Calista.

Her body looked like a discarded doll—limp, bent at an unnatural angle, as if her bones had given way under the force. Her torn robe soaked up blood seeping from deep wounds along her sides and arms. Her forehead was split open, a single trail of red still running down her temple, vanishing into her hair.

The stands froze. Sylphia clutched the railing in front of her, her nails digging so hard into the wood her knuckles turned white. Her eyes were wide, glistening, as if refusing to believe what they had just seen.

"No... no, not like this..." she whispered hoarsely, her throat tight with emotion.

Beside her, Veynessa said nothing. Her face remained still—like it had been carved from stone.

Renald hadn’t moved. He stood with his hand still raised from the blow, watching the dust as if waiting for confirmation. But he didn’t need it. In his eyes—it was already done.

Victory.

Updat𝒆d fr𝑜m freewebnøvel.com.

And then... his hand trembled.

On his chest, right where he’d struck Calista, something cracked. An invisible force rippled through him like a hidden detonation—not born from an outside strike, but from deep within his being. He jolted. Stepped back as if something had torn the breath from his lungs.

Pain came suddenly. His Qi, once smooth and obedient, now twisted violently inside his meridians, writhing as if it was trying to escape its host.

Tiny cracks of energy appeared on his skin. And then—like a delayed echo—his own body began to mirror the exact injuries he had just inflicted.

His chest tightened, as if crushed from the inside. He hunched over slightly, a dry, ragged breath escaping his throat. Dark streaks bloomed across his skin—right where he had struck Calista—as if his Qi was trying to break free through fracturing layers.

His body began to tremble. Not from muscle strain—but something deeper. An internal rift. His arm dropped, eyes narrowing in disbelief. His ribs groaned—ready to snap. The Qi that had once been his weapon now became his curse—raging through his body like a searing whirlpool, replicating every wound he had given Calista.

This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

He fell to one knee. His mouth opened in stunned silence before a violent cough erupted, ending in a spray of blood. Crimson splashed against the stones beneath him, pooling quickly. He tried to inhale, but every breath was a blade scraping his insides.

He stared at his trembling hands, as if no longer recognizing his own body. In his eyes, a single question burned—what’s happening?

Only pain. Deeper and deeper.

Mirror Bloom had taken effect.

It was the technique Calista reserved for absolute desperation. Simple—but terrifyingly effective. Mirror Bloom transferred every injury Calista had taken during battle directly onto her opponent. Every strike, every cracked rib, every flicker of pain—everything done to her was returned in kind, in equal measure. It wasn’t revenge.

It was a mirror.

And Renald had just looked into his own reflection.

Calista forced herself off the ground. Her body trembled, every muscle burning with raw fire. Wounds covered her from head to toe—bruises blooming across her ribs, deep gashes on her thigh and shoulder, torn skin on her hands leaking fresh blood. On her chest, a massive indentation remained—the mark of Renald’s final strike. The skin there was bruised, twisted unnaturally, and every breath made it pulse with molten pain.

Her breathing was heavy, uneven. Her heart pounded like a warhammer.

But she knew one thing—this was her chance.

She clenched her teeth and teleported, leaving behind a flash of scattering lotus petals. Despite his weakened state, Renald reacted instinctively. He lashed out—and hit. Calista took the blow to her side. But... her body dissolved into the air like a reflection on water.

"First Petal — Reflection in Water."

In the same heartbeat, the real Calista appeared behind him. Without hesitation, she extended two fingers and touched the side of his neck.

"Eighth Petal — Lotus Touch."

The contact was barely a whisper.

But the effect... left no room for response.

A quiet surge of Qi rippled through his body like a wave—gentle on the surface, but carrying something that undermined the very core of existence. A thin, almost invisible line marked his neck. For a moment, nothing happened.

Then his body started to fail.

His knees gave out, as if someone had severed the invisible threads keeping him upright. His eyes lost focus. Renald tried to speak, but his voice caught in his throat. Blood began to drip from his nose and mouth. His limbs went slack—and he collapsed face-first into the dirt.

Silence fell over the stands. Even the sound of breathing seemed too loud.

Then Kaen’s voice rang out, calm and unquestionable, slicing through the silence:

"Calista has won," Kaen repeated, lifting his head. "Calista secures her place in the formation."

In the stands, Veynessa looked toward her son. Kaelis sat motionless, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles had turned white. In his eyes—hesitation. A war of thought no one but his mother could have noticed.

Without a word, she placed a hand on his shoulder. A subtle gesture, almost invisible—but enough. A mother’s support—a quiet reminder that sometimes, choices must be faced.

Across from them, King Aldrich watched in silence. His gaze was heavy, but when it met Kaelis’s eyes, he gave him a firm nod.

"Show them who you are," he said quietly, with pride and calm resolve.

Sylphia furrowed her brows, confusion spreading across her face.

"What are they... what are they talking about?" she whispered, more to herself than anyone else.

She looked between Veynessa and her father—but neither of them looked back.

Sylphia froze. Her eyes snapped back to Kaelis—just as he stood.

And in the next instant, he was gone.

His figure stepped onto the arena.

"I, too, wish to challenge Calista." he spoke, voice steady and calm.

His words hung in the air like a thunderclap before the strike.