Chapter 8 – The Awakening & The Fragile Normalcy
Arena Atmosphere
The final phase of the National Tournament was underway.
The atmosphere inside the stadium was so tense that even the air felt heavy. The massive magical barriers surrounding the arena trembled faintly, as if they themselves understood that what was about to happen was far from ordinary.
The King sat upon his golden throne.
Not for even a single moment did his gaze leave Sam and Ruhi.
The crowd had nearly lost its sanity.
"BRING THE FINALISTS BACK!" "CROWN'S PRODIGY VS SACRED CORP'S RUHI!" "THIS MATCH WILL GO DOWN IN HISTORY!"
The boy with Space Manipulation stepped back into the arena—
but this time, his expression was no longer confident.
There was seriousness in his eyes.
And beneath it… fear.
Sam remained seated calmly.
No cheering.
No tension.
Only observation.
Beside him, Meera's hand had clenched unconsciously.
Phase One – Ruhi vs the Space Manipulator
The bell rang.
And in the very next second—
Space itself began to tear.
Portals opened and closed across the arena.
Reality folded and twisted unnaturally.
Ruhi immediately activated her Light–Water fusion.
Radiant waves surged forward.
Fluid constructs of glowing light took shape.
But—
Every single attack was redirected through a portal.
A distorted gate suddenly opened behind her.
BOOM.
A crushing punch slammed into Ruhi's stomach.
Her body was sent flying, skidding across the ground before finally stopping.
"UGH—!"
Blood dripped from her lips.
For a second, the crowd fell completely silent.
Then panic erupted.
"IT'S OVER!" "SHE WON'T EVEN BE ABLE TO STAND!"
Meera's eyes filled with tears.
"Ruhi—!"
Sam did not rise from his seat.
He simply closed his eyes.
As if sensing something deeper.
Phase Two – The Awakening of the Third Element
Ruhi's fingers slowly curled into a fist.
Her breathing was ragged.
Pain burned through her body.
But stronger than the pain—
was her resolve.
"I am Sacred Corp's daughter…"
"I am Sam's daughter…"
She whispered to herself, then screamed with everything she had:
"I WILL NEVER ACCEPT DEFEAT!"
Something inside her cracked open.
BOOM.
The tiles beneath her feet shattered.
Gravity itself destabilized.
The air became unbearably heavy.
Even the spectators struggled to breathe.
Around Ruhi, a new aura formed—
✨ Light
🌊 Water
⚫ Gravity
Three elements.
Together.
The crowd rose to its feet in shock.
"WHAT—?!" "THREE ELEMENTS?!" "THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE!"
The King crushed the armrest of his throne.
Phase Three – Rampage
Ruhi's mana surged violently out of control.
Cracks spread across the stadium's magical dome.
The Space Manipulator's portals destabilized—
then collapsed entirely.
Gravity slammed him into the ground, pinning him in place.
Ruhi raised her hand.
✨🌊⚫
Celestial Spiral Cannon began to form.
Panic swept through the crowd.
Meera screamed:
"RUHI! STOP!"
But Ruhi's eyes glowed blood-red.
Climax – Sam Intervenes
Suddenly—
A black aura flooded the stadium.
Sam teleported directly into the center of the arena.
With one hand, he caught Ruhi's Celestial Spiral Cannon—
and without effort,
the attack dissipated.
Silence fell.
Sam looked into Ruhi's eyes and spoke calmly.
"That's enough, Ruhi."
"You've already won."
Ruhi collapsed, falling into his chest, sobbing uncontrollably.
Aftermath
"THE WINNER OF THE NATIONAL TOURNAMENT—
RUHI OF SACRED CORP!"
The crowd erupted.
"THREE ELEMENTS!" "RUHI!"
The King clapped—
but inside, he was trembling.
Part Two – Fragile Normalcy & the Weight of Family
The Family Trip
After the tournament, Meera finally exploded.
"Sam! Enough already! We're going on a family trip!"
Sam replied calmly,
"Normal people can't afford vacations."
Ruhi jumped in immediately.
"PAPAAA! I want to go to the beach!"
Meera slammed her fist on the table.
"SAM. FINAL DECISION."
Sam sighed internally.
Resort Comedy
A magical resort city.
Ruhi was bursting with excitement.
Meera kept taking photos.
Sam posed with a bored expression.
Whenever another woman glanced at Sam—
Meera grew jealous.
Sam replied calmly, with a savage edge:
"You're more than enough for me."
Meera blushed.
The Baby Argument
Meera spoke quietly one night.
"Sam… I want another child."
Sam froze.
"Meera… I made a promise."
Tears streamed down her face.
"Am I just a responsibility to you?"
Sam answered softly:
"You're my weakness."
Morning Teasing
The next morning, Ruhi smirked.
"Mama, Papa… why were you so loud last night?"
Sam looked mortified.
Meera threw a cushion at him.
Balcony – Sam's Realization
Under the full moon, Sam stood alone.
Then he heard Ruhi's laughter.
"This… is my world."
A New Normal
Sam tried cooking breakfast.
The kitchen almost exploded.
Meera shouted:
"Sam! Swing a sword, not a spatula!"
School drop-offs.
Jealous mothers.
A picnic.
Sam failed at playing the guitar.
Ruhi laughed until she collapsed.
The Inner Conflict Remains
The Elf King's words echoed in Sam's mind:
"Your mercy will destroy your family."
His eyes flashed red for a moment—
Then Ruhi's voice pulled him back.
"Papa! Look at my drawing!"
Sam smiled.
"For this… I can abandon everything."
Family Trip & Forced Normalcy
After the tournament, Meera's patience finally snapped.
"Sam," she said with her arms crossed,
"I've had enough of training, fights, and politics. We're going on a family trip. Like normal people."
Sam replied while wearing his usual calm mask,
"Normal people can't afford vacations, Meera. I'm already excessively wealthy. Logically speaking, this trip—"
"PAPAAA!"
Ruhi jumped in between them.
"I want to go to the beach! An enchanted beach! The one with glowing shells!"
Meera slammed the table with a Sakura-style punch.
"SAM. FINAL DECISION."
Inside his head, Sam sighed.
From a God Slayer to a family man… and now I'm being blackmailed into a vacation.
Result?
The trip was finalized.
Magical Resort – Comedy & Chaos
Location: an enchanted coastal city.
Glowing sand.
Blue-green waves.
Sky lanterns floating across the night sky.
Ruhi kept pulling Sam's hand nonstop.
"Papa! Look at that!"
"Papa! Look at this too!"
"Papa—!"
Meera was busy taking photos.
Sam posed with a visibly bored expression.
Every time another woman glanced at Sam—
Meera instantly grew jealous.
Sam replied in his calm, savage tone:
"Relax. One jealous elf princess is more than enough for me."
Meera blushed in public—
but smiled quietly to herself.
Baby Drama – The Crack in Calmness
One night after dinner, Meera suddenly turned serious.
"Sam," she said softly but firmly,
"you never treat me like a husband should."
Sam paused.
"It's always Ruhi's training, or business, or enemies,"
Meera's voice trembled slightly,
"I need your time too… and I want a baby."
Sam nearly choked on his wine.
"Meera… you know my vow. I will never create an heir—"
"Enough!"
Tears spilled from her eyes.
"Am I just a responsibility to you? Do you even accept me as your wife?"
Sam's calm finally cracked.
He spoke quietly.
"You are my weakness, Meera. Another child means another vulnerability."
Silence followed.
Then Sam added,
"You and Ruhi… are my last and most important family."
Meera broke down crying.
Sam gently wiped away her tears.
Morning After – Ruhi the Menace
The next morning—
Ruhi spoke with an awkward smile.
"Mama, Papa… was it really necessary to argue that loudly last night?
We could hear you from the other rooms in the resort."
Sam was embarrassed.
Meera turned bright red.
She grabbed a cushion and threw it at Sam.
Sam fired back with a savage reply:
"If you focused on training half as much as you focus on listening to our conversations,
I wouldn't have needed to enter the arena during the finals."
Ruhi pouted.
Then mother and daughter teamed up and chased Sam around the room.
Night Balcony – Quiet Truth
That night, Sam and Meera stood together on the balcony.
Sea breeze.
Moonlight.
Meera rested her head on his shoulder.
"Sam… I won't force you about the baby. I just want one promise."
Sam held her hand.
"I will never push you away."
He placed a soft kiss on her forehead.
Sam's Realization
A short distance away, Ruhi laughed with her mother.
In Sam's mind, thousands of years of pain flashed by—
wars, bloodshed, broken promises, endless solitude.
Then he thought:
This is my world.
This is my present… and my future.
A New Kind of Normal
Sam tried making breakfast.
The kitchen nearly exploded.
Meera shouted:
"Sam! Swing a sword, not a spatula!"
School drop-off time.
Mothers blushed the moment they saw Sam.
Meera immediately grew jealous.
"You should send him in a hood next time."
Evening picnic.
Sam attempted to play the guitar.
The result?
Terrible.
Ruhi laughed until she fell over.
The Inner Conflict Still Lives
Sometimes, the Elf King's voice echoed in Sam's mind:
"Your mercy will destroy your family."
His eyes flashed red for a brief moment.
Then—
"Papa! Look at my drawing!"
Sam smiled.
"For that smile…
I can abandon my entire past."