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Nomad's Tale
CH.96 Defeat & Victory Plus The Price Of Death

CH.96 Defeat & Victory Plus The Price Of Death

Genie, attack!” Kairo commanded.

The genie rushed at Steller, throwing a devastating punch. Steller, unfazed, raised a single hand and stopped the blow with ease. The force sent vibrations up the genie’s arm, its hand shaking from the impact. Quickly, the genie swung with its other hand, launching a barrage of punches.

For thirty relentless seconds, the two clashed—Steller defending effortlessly while the genie pressed on with ferocity.

When the flurry of blows subsided, the genie was visibly exhausted, its heavy breathing filling the arena. Meanwhile, Steller stood unscathed. Any minor wounds it had sustained healed instantly, leaving no trace.

“It just healed—how is that possible?!” Ru exclaimed, her drink slipping from her grasp.

Thane clenched his jaw in frustration. “This isn’t fair. If he can heal himself, this fight will never end.”

Jack’s thoughts raced. Damn, I can feel the life energy dwindling. I’ve got to weaken Kairo as much as possible with Steller and then deal with him myself after.

Steller smirked, his laughter echoing ominously. “Two brothers, but only one lived. It reminds me of a tale from my past... the story of the two kings. Only one survived, but the mark of the other remains to this day—I can still feel it.”

“What are you talking about?!” Kairo shouted, sending a ball of dark energy hurtling toward Steller. Steller dodged it effortlessly, the energy dissipating harmlessly.

Kairo’s eyes narrowed. “How do you know about my past?” He turned to his genie. “Bring down one hundred tons of force on this thing—whatever it takes!”

The sky darkened as an enormous rock hurtled toward the battlefield.

Steller raised a single finger to the sky. “Chrono Arachnid: Spider’s Fangs.”

Two crystal-like, razor-sharp claws materialized, slicing through the rock in mid-air. The massive stone split cleanly in two, the halves falling toward the Nubian army on one side and the Royal Army of Thebes on the other.

Panic spread through the audience as both sides scrambled to stop the falling debris.

Kairo’s lips curled into a smirk. “I guess I’ll need to go all out.”

“Genie, you know what to do. Let’s not waste any time.”

The genie nodded in silent agreement, its form dissolving and wrapping around Kairo’s body like a living suit of armor.

“Clear the debris,” Kairo commanded.

With a single thought, the rubble disintegrated, vanishing into nothingness.

The audience gasped in shock.

Ru’s voice trembled. “No way… Is that what I think it is? He just commanded it, and it happened—there was no trade with the genie.”

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Kamil added grimly, “This could be a problem. If he’s fused with the genie, he can make any wish come true. It’s like an ultimate move, but without consequences.”

“This is just getting worse,” Ramon muttered, rubbing his temples in frustration.

Henu, observing silently, thought to himself, These two wield powers beyond traditional comprehension. But I can’t ignore the sense of pain behind their strength. Both of them—Kairo and Steller—they must have endured hell to obtain what they have.

So, readers, what do you think? Henu Safir’s words strike a chord, don’t they? Yet, even he remains oblivious to the full truth behind the powers wielded by these two.

On one hand, Kairo’s past is steeped in taboos—sacrifices and horrors no child should endure, all driven by humanity’s relentless hunger for power.

But Jack Sterling? His story goes far deeper, an abyss stretching back nearly a millennium…

What could lie at the core of such ancient suffering?

In the Nubian balcony, the tension was thick, but the truth lingered among them.

Thane scoffed, “They all think Kairo can wish for anything, and it’ll happen without consequences.”

Drexel smirked knowingly. “Little do they know, he still has to trade something of near equal value to the Genie. The only difference now is that the exchange happens in a blink, without anyone realizing.”

Elio crossed his arms. “So, essentially, this new transformation is just a bluff.”

Thane chuckled. “Exactly.”

"Float," Kairo commanded as he ascended effortlessly into the sky.

Steller wasted no time. It summoned over 30 crystal-like spider claws and fangs, launching them toward Kairo. But Kairo remained motionless mid-air, calm and composed. He simply uttered, "Disappear."

The attacks vanished instantly, as though they never existed.

Inside Steller’s domain, Jack’s voice rang out in frustration. “Now what?”

Steller replied grimly, “We have a few seconds left. His soul isn’t as weak as I thought. I can’t fully absorb him.”

Jack’s mind raced. “Then?”

"In these last moments, I'll unleash all the power I can muster. But even now, I’m at only 5% of my full strength. When we fought Menes, I was at 40%. We’ve weakened significantly.”

“Fine. Let’s finish this.”

As Steller prepared to leap with full force into the sky, aiming directly at Kairo, it vanished mid-motion and reappeared in front of him with terrifying speed.

Kairo, unfazed, raised his hand and declared with cold precision, “Force of a thousand tons!”

In an instant, the crushing weight of a thousand tons bore down on Steller, pinning it in place. The overwhelming force made Jack's body collapse under the strain. Unable to withstand the immense pressure, Steller faltered, and Jack's body crashed to the ground with a resounding thud, the impact shaking the arena.

Kairo descended slowly, his expression unreadable.

“Hmmm, you’re still breathing. I wonder…” Kairo muttered. His voice turned sharp as he commanded, “Genie, come out.”

The battered Jack lay motionless, his body broken beyond repair.

Kairo stood over him and spoke clearly for all to hear: “How much will it cost to get rid of Jack Sterling?”

The crowd gasped.

Ramon stammered, “He’s not serious… is he? He wouldn’t actually kill Jack, would he?”

Henu’s voice was steady but grim. “Death is a part of this competition. It’s in the rules. If he chooses, he can end Jack right here.”

The Genie appeared, its voice echoing through the Colosseum. **“Your question isn’t straightforward, but here are the terms:

To defeat Jack Sterling, leaving him alive but guaranteeing your victory, the cost is your left arm and the lives of Thane Osiris, Elio, and Commander Drexel of the Nubian Army.

To kill Jack Sterling entirely, erasing his existence from this world, the cost is the life of every citizen of Nubia—nearly 80,000 souls.”**

The Colosseum fell silent. Even Kairo seemed shaken.

Ru’s voice trembled. “His Genie works on equivalent exchange… but to think Jack’s weakened state is worth the lives of 80,000 people. Imagine his value at full strength.”

Kairo let out a frustrated sigh and walked toward Jack, kneeling beside him. He whispered softly, “If I kill you here and now, I’ll be no better than them.”

Standing, Kairo turned and walked away as Old Man Jules declared his victory.

Inside Steller’s domain, it smirked. “I see it now. He fears becoming like those he despises—those consumed by greed and power. A wise choice. But if I had gone all out, the price he’d pay might have cost him everything.” Steller’s laugh echoed, ominous and knowing.