Aygorzi, Merriheim.
11:10 a.m. 16 th Banem 1092
Absalon traveled through Aygorzi’s streets on horseback and marveled at the ongoing construction all over the city. The speed with which new buildings were erected reminded the magician that this was indeed a gaming world. There was no way these feats would be possible in real life.
Regarding construction, the dwarfs chose to incrementally develop the city as it was far too large to develop all at once. Hence, about three-quarters of the entire outer region was temporarily walled off, while the remaining sector was populated with numerous residential and commercial buildings.
A structure suddenly blocked out the afternoon sunlight. Absalon looked up and let out a wry smile as he admired the overhead pass. He could not see it from his position, but there were tracks on that pass for trains which the dwarfs intended on fully releasing in a week or two. However, most of the tracks were laid underground.
Absalon turned his sight from the overhead pass to a large dome-like structure that was a replica of the Emporium in Meilfour. Miote, unsatisfied with having an Emporium at Meilfour, decided to make it a franchise located in every major city.
The Emporium, which acted as this world’s version of a mall, housed stores from several dozen artisans and artists. One could find almost anything they wanted, be it food, jewelry, clothing, or armor.
Within these shops, the most popular were those that had the Maggot logo. These were the products that were usually made with the highest quality materials and enhanced with the best runes. The Maggots, armed with Kashi’s runes and the recently acquired daebens’ runic proficiency, had shot light years ahead of the competition.
Miote, that crafty cat, saw the opportunity to expand following the battle and quickly paid the dwarfs a significant sum to have the Emporium built. The effect of having this structure in the newly developing city soon reared its head. Everyone in Aygorzi, be they dwarfs or immigrants, soon identified themselves with the building as they could find almost everything they needed in one place.
As for how profitable this business was for the Maggots? The building’s construction cost about 25 million Syros, an exorbitant sum only made possible because of the firm business foundations laid down by Miote and Leila. The guild’s daily income from its several businesses and the 5% contribution tax on its members all summed up to over 1.5 million Syros a day. However, after paying several workers and soldiers (A.K.A Absalon’s army), the actual profit was about 500,000 Syros.
This was without adding the cheat code that was Lunette Falsetto. This young woman’s concerts were always sold out, drawing in about 300,000 Syros from a steady crowd of about 60,000 adoring fans.
To put it simply, 25 million Syros might be a mighty, unreasonable sum for most guilds, but under Miote’s leadership, 25 million could easily be recouped in a few months. But Miote had never been one to wait that long to make a profit. Most of the shops in the new Emporium were affiliated with the Maggots. The Maggots taught the artisans how to use unique runes to improve their crafts and taught them new, trendy designs. These artisans would then give 10% of their total income to the guild.
Alternatively, some artisans asked the Maggots to teach them and provide the materials for their crafts. Miote naturally used his connections with Joanna Frye of the mercenary guild, Fang & Blade, to transport the items farmed by the Maggots to the artisans. Unlike the previous set, these artisans had a 70-30% split in favor of the Maggots.
With all these in place, the Emporium’s regular businesses currently made an average daily profit of about 200,000 Syros, which was sure to improve as more residents flocked to Merriheim. However, if anyone thought that was all there was to this Emporium, they clearly did not know Miote that well.
Since Meilfour had the cheat code that was Lunette, the cheshire sought to create a cheat code of his own in Aygorzi.
That cheat code came in the form of an arena situated at the stadium’s center. The allure of this arena was the opportunity for enemies or competitors to settle their differences in a controlled environment. The competitors paid a small fee and were allowed to combat each other in the arena. The choice of whether to have a life-and-death match or a regular fight was up to the participants.
The bulk of the profits from this particular feature was a combination of the cheap entrance fee and the gambling ring set up to complement each fight. No matter what world it was, there lived people who believed in Lady Luck. What’s more, in this world where a single mishap could end the life of an adventurer, the thrill of something simple like a gambling match was too mouth-watering.
Absalon shook his head as he dismounted and handed his stallion to a valet that gave him an identification card in return. The general had come to the Emporium precisely because of this feature. First, this was a great place to scout potential recruits, but more importantly, the opening event was something even Absalon could not help but be excited about.
Why?
Miote had concluded that the opening fight for the arena had to be a blockbuster event. So, who, in all the world, did he pick? Some renowned warriors or high-level bounty hunters?
No.
Absalon was greeted by a staff who escorted him upstairs to a VIP section that overlooked the arena. In the real world, this might have made it difficult to keep track of the small figures fighting on the surface, but who above level 50 had not enhanced their eyesight in one war or another?
While he would never be able to compare with the vision of proper ranged classes like archers, all Absalon needed to do was inject a little mana into his eyes, and with the help of a mid-level spell, he could easily make out the hairs on a fly 50m away.
The general’s brows twitched as he felt the ground shaking from the collective roars of the audience. They seemed to be chanting a few words in unison, and their excitement and enthusiasm traveled throughout the building.
What a devious design.
Even if someone were not interested in the fight, the vibrations beneath their fight would attract all but the strongest-willed men and women.
Absalon decided to stop admiring Miote’s dastardly money-making schemes. He could feel his militaristic mentality being tainted. The staff showed Absaon to a small balcony-like room with a thick, transparent glass that was said to be capable of withstanding a level 150 meteor spell. He took a seat on the comfy chair and accepted a cup of wine from a waiter.
Absalon took a sip of the wine and could not help but admit that he too could become addicted to such a lifestyle if he were not careful. The general then took the time to gaze at the arena below.
Well, he called it an arena, but it was more like a small field the size of four football fields. The earth had been modified to be red, dry, and cracked with a slight breeze that raised dust and occasionally shrouded portions of the stage.
This was another allure of this arena. In the age of magic, Miote saw no reason why every battle should have the same map. Hence, the Emporium hired high-level magicians to reshape the environment to create different biomes.
Sixteen gates were situated in the walls surrounding the arena. It didn’t take a genius to realize that these were the entrances for the participants.
“What’s that!?”
The arena suddenly erupted in loud shouts, and Absalon followed the sights of the stunned waitress next to him. Upon seeing the source of the commotion, Absalon let out a wry smile. “Miote, you crafty fox.”
A small boat floated above the arena, slowly descending into view. A large mertian man dressed in a handsome, black three-piece suit stood at the bow, with an oar in hand, making it seem like he was paddling through the clouds. The crowd lost it when they saw the mertian reach out his hand and help a petite figure rise from the boat.
The figure was revealed to a dangerously beautiful female halben. Ghost-white pale skin contrasted against dark lips and a slim-fitted black, flowery dress that enhanced her curves. If Kashi were here, he would have needed to wash his eyes a few times before believing what he was witnessing.
Jade looked down at the packed arena as a microphone appeared in her hand. Unlike Lunette, she didn’t have the [Amplification] skill. “YO! Hello there! My hot-blooded men and women!”
It was fine when she didn’t talk. The moment Jade opened her mouth, the arena instantly fell silent. The shock was too much! This ethereal looking woman. They had been expecting a soft-spoken, beautiful presentation. What then was this boisterous performance?
Jade, as if expecting the reaction, did not look phased. She chuckled as she placed an arm on her waist and placed her right leg on the boat’s gunwale. “What’s up!? Where you guys expecting some dainty princess?” Jade laughed as she shrugged and said, “Well, sorry to disappoint. I’m all you get.”
Something had to be said about the infectious nature of Jade’s laughter. Over three-quarters of the arena joined her, while the remaining chuckled under their breaths.
“Without wasting any more of your time,” Jade continued in an excited tone. “Let’s commence the opening of The Champion’s Arena with its first two contestants.” On cue, two gates on opposite ends of the arena slid open. White smoke belched from the entrance, out of which two vague silhouettes slowly emerged accompanied by the sound of thunderous drums.
Jade grinned as she gestured at the east entrance, “Elegance in Strength. Everyone welcome the handsome Prince of our Hearts, Shokō!”
“WHOOO!!!”
The arena burst into cheers as the smoke peeled away to reveal the handsome Shokō, in her usual blue jacket, oozing the air of a prince descended upon the mortal realm. Her left arm rested on the hilt of the katana strapped to her waist, while her right hand was clasped across her chest in a warrior’s salute. Both men and women alike swooned in their seats as she let out a loose smile and bowed.
Jade laughed as she then gestured at the west entrance. “Madness, Chaos, Pandemonium. The man who embodies every living being’s instinctual desire to flee; everyone, remember to avoid the Crazy Vampire Lord, Syèl Rifatora!”
The cheers in the stadium instantly died down as an eerie violin played over the speakers. The mood turned sinister as flames erupted within the smoke. Syèl walked out from the fire, dressed in a simple T-shirt and pants. The halben’s wild, snowy hair billowed in the wind as he gazed at the swordswoman with an eerie grin.
Jade quickly ran through the rules for the tournament. Well, there wasn’t much anyway. No external help, and no killing allowed. With these simple rules established, Jade happily waved her hand to commence the battle.
Syèl looked around the stadium with a loose grin, then looked at Shokō, who was quite a distance from him. The swordswoman began to take slow but steady steps towards him, her unwavering gaze seemingly holding some conviction he could not yet decipher and a bit of a grudge.
Well, Syèl could not blame her too much. He had purposely avoided her ever since he told her the truth about his past. As to why, he did not have that answer.
Was he ashamed?
No, it wasn’t that.
More importantly, Syèl decided he would have to deal with Jade later. That girl had lied to him, saying he would fight a rare monster. What part of Shokō was a rare monster?
Okay, wait. Maybe she was.
“Hey.”
Syèl flinched and then looked at the woman who called him out.
With narrowed eyes, Shokō said, “Pay attention. This’ll hurt a bit.”
Skreee!
Only then did Syèl’s ears pick up the tell-tale cry of Shokō’s sword. Shit! Had she found a way to muffle the sound her blade made when she charged ki? How long had she been charging that thing?
“First Draw!” Shokō roared and then instantly drew her sword.
The stadium paled as a twenty-foot tall ki-blade suddenly shot toward the halben. Syèl quickly drew out a short knife and cut his right palm. He promptly stamped his hand against the earth and shouted, “ [Stone Guardian!] ”
Groooo!
The crowd watched with panicked breaths as a giant golem suddenly burst out from the ground. However, the golem barely had time to let out a roar before Shokō’s ki blade struck it. A massive explosion ensued, shattering the golem into several pieces.
“Wanna do this for real!?” Syèl roared as the heavy winds buffeted him, but Shokō’s rapidly charging body greeted him. “Fine then!” The mage grasped the air, and the flying debris froze in place. “Stay right there!” Syèl flicked his wrists, and the debris suddenly accelerated toward Shokō.
The swordswoman stared at the incoming bombardment with an unwavering gaze. “It doesn’t matter what you throw at me,” Shokō said as she burst into a sprint, rushing right into the heart of the salvo. “I will cut through it all.”
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The stadium had her hearts in their throats as they watched the small, petite figure weave through the bombardment, never stopping for even a second. Shokō drew her sword as she ran, slicing apart any boulder she could not dodge in time. She jumped and kicked off the rocks to increase her speed, never faltering in her desire to get even an inch closer to Syèl.
Syèl frowned as he looked at Shokō dust-covered form. Blood dripped from her cheeks from injuries caused by small, stray rocks she failed to track, and the band that tied up her hair had been cut, but her gaze remained on Syèl nonetheless, like there was nothing else in the world except for him.
Syèl’s eyes shook. Those blue eyes that seemed to hold the depths of an ocean, and the golden hair that captured the sun’s rays in the most beautiful light… “Hen— No! It’s not her.”
Syèl’s eyes hardened. Now he knew why he had been avoiding Shokō. She reminded him too much of Henri. He had thought it would be better after telling her about Henri, but that hug and the way she leaned her head into his back. He had enjoyed it. Far too much.
There was only one thing Syèl was scared of in this world. And that was once again hurting someone close to him. The only way to avoid this was to ensure he kept everyone at arm’s length. However, when did it start? When he began to look forward to hanging out with Shokō, whether in-game or the real world.
Why did he need to differentiate her from Henri?
Syèl shuddered as he realized the truth. He wanted to separate Henri from Shokō so he could be around Shokō without hurting her. He wanted to spend time with Shokō.
Did this mean?
Syèl took a step back but found he could not take a second. What, did he not want to run away? Syèl once again glanced at Shokō. Did he unconsciously want her to make it to him?
The blood mage gritted his teeth. Fine, if he couldn’t run away, he would make it, so Shoko never made it to him! Syèl clasped his hands and rapidly rattled off many spells.
The mages around the stadium shot to their feet in shock as hundreds of mandalas appeared around Syèl. What kind of casting speed was this!? This was impossible. However, their surprise had yet to reach its Zenith as with a loud shout, two giant mandalas formed above Syèl.
Even more shocking was the fact that these mandalas had two distinct elemental properties. The runes on the left mandala were fire-based, whereas those on the right were wind-based.
Multi-Casting!? Casting two spells at the same time? That was something only in-game bosses were supposed to be capable of. After all, multi-casting required one to chant or ‘think’ two different spells simultaneously. Humans were not capable of such a feat, yet this man was doing just that in front of them.
However, things had only begun.
Rock spires coated with fire and electricity shot out of the hundreds of mandalas. Like guided missiles, they shot toward Shokō with extreme prejudice. The audience tightly grasped their chairs.
Was this still an exhibition match?
No matter how anyone looked at it, this was a grudge match to the death.
No, this was an execution! How could Shokō possibly survive this onslaught?
Rather than retreat, Shokō, upon seeing the missiles, actually doubled her speed. She burst through the field as the spires exploded around her. “[Dopple]” A pair of doppelgangers split out from Shokō’s main body and ran either side of her. The duo then charged ahead and began slicing through the rock spires.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions rocked the stadium as the spires exploded upon being struck by the ki blades. The speed of Shokō’s draws was impossible to comprehend. The stadium could only stare slack-jawed as thousands of bladelights blossomed in the sky, ripping apart the spires before they could reach the charging swordswomen.
Shokō weaved through the explosions, undisturbed by the monstrous escaping winds. She resembled a humanized sword, strong and true, stabbing through all obstacles to pierce through its target.
“Stay back!” Syèl roared as a pair of giant black winds sprung out of his back. He ascended into the skies with a heavy flap and then hid behind the two giant mandalas. Syel snapped his fingers, and a massive gale burst out of the wind mandala, while a torrent of flames gushed out of the fire mandala.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
The gale fed in into the flames, causing it to explode with even more strength! The fire grew in size and ferocity until it took the shape of a 30-meter long phoenix.
From her perch above the stadium, Jade’s eyes suddenly grew grim at the sight of the phoenix. Not only could she feel the burning heat emanating from that creature, but her HP was actually reducing! If she was like this, what about the regular people in the stands. Without a moment’s hesitation, she immediately gave the order. “Reinforce the barriers!”
Dozens of mages seated at the closest seats to the walls suddenly rose to their feet and extended their hands toward the wall. They simultaneously chanted while feeding mana into the wall.
For a moment, a translucent barrier glittered as countless runes ran along it. Only now did the spectators realize why they were spared from the aftereffects of the battle.
A mana shield surrounded the battlefield!
However, this mana shield, which had been designed with Lv. 150-170 in mind, had failed to contain the effects of Syèl’s full strength. Hence the standby mages were forced to reinforce the barrier to protect the civilians.
Unaware of the mayhem it had caused, the burning apparition glared at the woman on the ground. Skreeee! It issued a loud screech that threatened to burst the audience’s eardrums and then immediately charged down at Shokō with stark killing intent.
“It doesn’t matter where you go,” Shokō said as she glared at the fire-bird. “I will chase you down.” As she said that, blue ki erupted from her pores and charged down to her feet.
Boom!
Ki exploded beneath the three Shokōs’ feet, simultaneously launching them into the sky like bullets shot from a gun. The Shokōs utilized the descending missiles as stepping stones to propel themselves even further in the air.
Shokō kept her sword sheathed, charging up her ki, while her doppelgangers cleared the path.
The sight of these three little silhouettes charging up the skies to meet the divine phoenix filled the audience with emotions they could not describe. Was it excitement, worship, fear? It was hard to put the feeling into words. But one thing was certain. After this day, thousands would seek out information on the Hopeful Maggots in hopes of joining them.
Meawhile, the Shokōs had finally made it past the last of the rock spire bombardment. With no more footholds, one would have expected them to fall, but it was at this moment that the main Shokō, who had been quiet up till this point, suddenly erupted with monstrous ki.
BOOM!
Ki exploded beneath Shokō as she unleashed all the charged-up ki in one go, launching her past the doppelgangers and bringing her before the phoenix.
Shokō’s gaze remained steadfast even when faced with the colossal monster. Even as her skin began to peel off, burned by the incredible heat, she drew her sword in a smooth arc. A brilliant light burst out of the blade, accompanied by the sound of dripping water. “Shokō Water Style: [Falling Rain]. ”
The phoenix cried out as thousands of tiny swordlights cut into it and began ripping it apart from the inside out. The swordlights glistened in the sun, resembling raindrops falling from the sky, hence the name Shokō had given it.
The sword technique Shokō was practicing had come in a set with the Gemini (doppelganger) skill. It had no name but could create countless skills based on its user’s understanding and imagination. At lower levels, it could only create crude variations of sword ki, but Shokō had reached achieved Advanced Mastery, which allowed the technique to draw inspiration from different elements to develop new techniques.
Shokō had practiced with water style because she knew that despite having access to almost all elements, Syèl loved using fire-related spells. Hence, she was his natural counter at the moment.
What happened when these water droplets tore apart a flame construct like the phoenix?
There was no need for explanations. The audience was gifted the extravagant sight of beautiful fireworks as the phoenix shattered into several stalks of flames, which then detonated in a final attempt to stall Shokō.
However, a sword ki-construct appeared around Shokō, protecting her from the explosions as she burst past unscathed.
Just like that, she appeared before a stunned Syèl with her blade trained at his neck. A hint of a smile appeared on her burned face as she looked at the halben and said, “I’m here.”
Syèl paled when he took in her burnt appearance. It was the same as the burnt hand from hell that always dragged him back. Syèl shook his head to clear the image as he took a step back. “Don’t come.”
Shokō, however, ‘walked’ toward him with furrowed brows. “Stop running and look at me. What are you so scared of?”
“You don’t understand. You can’t,” Syèl muttered as he shook his head. Letting out bitter laughter, he said, “I’m a Reaper. Everyone I care about eventually dies to these hands. The same will happen to you if you get any closer.”
“Is that all?” Shokō declared and paused in the air. She retracted her sword and placed it in its sheath. “Then, as long as I’m stronger than you, you have nothing to fear.”
Syèl trembled in shock as he looked up at the swordswoman. “…What?”
“I’m saying that be it this world, or the real one, you cannot beat me,” Shokō stated, matter-of-factly. “I will prove my strength in the real world after I prove it here. Then I will explain everything to you clearly, so you will never see Henri in me ever again.”
Syèl shook his head. “You have no idea—”
“No need for too many words,” Shokō interrupted as she jumped several meters away. “Prepare your strongest move. It’s much faster than words.”
“You’ll die,” Syèl adamantly refused.
“If you don’t, you’ll be the one to die here,” Shokō said as he drew her sword. She crouched low and held the sword over her head, sword tip pointed at the halben.
Kreeeee!!!
A sharp screeching sound ten times louder than the one at the battle of Aygorzi suddenly screamed out from the swordswoman’s katana. Monstrous levels of ki from Shokō and the surroundings fed into the sword at a monstrous pace. The blade vibrated as it was saturated with enough ki to blow up a regular human. It was this vibration that unleased the sharp cry.
Seeing Shokō’s preparation, Syèl knew she was staking everything on this one shot. Worse yet, he could feel a force locking him in place, preventing him from running away. Was this the warrior’s [Ki-Lock]? It was a high-level skill that could momentarily lock a target in place. High-level warriors used it when facing high-agility opponents to temporarily keep them in a single position, to buy them time to unleash a single attack.
Of course, how long a person was locked down depended on the two parties’ strength difference.
Syèl could explode his mana to break out of this lock, but he eventually chose not to. Shokō knew he was capable of breaking out, but she cast it nonetheless. Hence it was definitely a show of her resolve. It would be insulting if he ignored that resolve.
With gritted teeth, Syèl clapped his hands and began to issue a series of chants. When someone like Syèl started to chant, it often meant impending doom for his enemies because the only spells that he needed to chant were those impossibly near god-tier spells.
Following Syèl’s chants, blood streamed out of his body until it formed a 2-meter dark red sphere above his head. As Syèl’s chants grew more profound, that bloody ball began to expand in size. The blood suddenly ignited, turning into a giant ball of flames, akin to the sun. But the young man was far from done.
Crack! Crack!
The stadium paled as large chunks of earth were ripped apart from the battlefield and began to fly upward to the burning sun. These rocks were accompanied by a fierce gale that blew in from all sections of the stadium, threatening to tear the audience from their seats. Once again, the barriers had to be reinforced to protect the onlookers.
However, at this point, the audience was long past caring about the adverse effects. They could smell the end of the battle between these two legendary creatures. Either of these two could easily start up a guild of their own and rule over a large portion of these lands, yet they were working under the Hopeful Maggots. What kind of guild was this?
Absalon leaked out a resigned smile as he watched the spectacular sight in the skies. “Monsters. These people are absolute monsters.” With those words, he rose from his seat and exited the VIP room.
An usher outside the VIP room noticed him and immediately ran over. “Is there anything wrong, Absalon-sama?”
“No, nothing like that,” Absalon said with a warm smile. “But I have a feeling my services will be needed soon, so I’m heading down.” The usher’s brows furrowed in confusion, to which Absalon laughed and patted her shoulder. “You’ll understand soon enough.”
Elsewhere, many mages in the VIP rooms, and within the stands, as if by some agreement, headed down to the wall, drawing curious glances from the audience.
Jade also retreated into the stands, unable to handle the heat emanating from the ball above Syèl’s head. If the phoenix from before was like the hottest flames, this new ball the sun itself. Everything around it burned without fail, and even the rebar on the canopy had begun to melt.
This was not a move that belonged in the realm of mortals! Jade glanced at Shokō, who stood only a couple of meters from that blazing ball. Even with the protection of her ki, the swordswoman was suffering several third-degree burns on her face and arms. Her garment had caught fire, but thankfully, due to its high level, it was not wholly destroyed yet.
Instead, it made Shokō look like a tragic burning prince. Several artists in the audience saved the image in their minds. It would not be long before the ‘Burning Prince’ made its debut on the continent.
Jade could not understand why these two were going this far. When Shokō asked her to get Syèl to come to this event, Jade thought they would talk it out while having a showy but safe battle.
But this was definitely not safe!
However, it was too late to stop them.
By this point, the miniature star had grown to about 20 meters wide. Lightning and rocks flowed around the star, giving it an even more sinister appearance.
Syèl glared at Shokō and warned, “Sure about this? I won’t be able to stop once I release this thing.”
“No confidence?” Shokō teased in reply.
Syèl frowned and then raised his right hand above his head. He slowly squeezed his palm into a fist. The star rapidly shrunk in tandem with his hand until it became a small ball, barely 10cm in diameter, clasped securely in his right hand. Sweat poured down Syèl, visibly drained by the ordeal. This ball contained all his mana and blood. He had definitely overdrafted himself and would require a good while before he recovered.
However, it was worth it in return for this logic-defying skill.
“[Wrath of the Sun God]” Syèl roared and then flung the ball at Shokō.
“[One Sword to Pierce the Heavens]!” Shokō replied in kind as a gigantic 30m katana appeared around her and then zoomed toward the miniature star.
The stadium watched with bated breath as the blade and star crashed towards each other. Time seemed to stop the moment that the blade tip met the star. There was a pause as if the rules of the cosmos were temporarily unable to calculate what the result of these two superpowers clashing should be.
However, that pause was only a misconception caused by the immense power on display, as the very moment those powers met…
BOOOOOOOM!
A world-shaking explosion tore through the stadium! Flames, rocks, electricity, and sword ki flew in every direction. The audience shrieked in terror as flames burst through the barrier and descended upon them.
BOOM!
Luckily, just before impact, a mana shield appeared blocked the attack. Absalon gritted his teeth as he raised his hand, forcing the flames to return the way they came. “Mages Reinforce the Barrier! We’ll reward you handsomely after this crisis is over!”
Every mage in the arena ran to the walls and injected their mana into the barrier, reinforcing it against the fierce explosions. Absalon took charge as he placed his hand on the wall and immediately cast, [Absorb] and [Repel] . Absalon was tens, if not hundreds of times stronger than his tenure as general during the war for Riven.
Dozens of mandalas appeared around the translucent barrier. The Absorb Mandalas absorbed as many flames as possible, while the Repel mandalas pushed back the fire that struck them. Absalon then cast a new ability [Convert] , which deconstructed the flames he absorbed into pure mana. That mana was ten used to both reinforce the barrier and restore his rapidly emptying mana pools.
Despite the hundreds of mages present, it was clear that Absalon handled over 50% of the barrier’s reinforcement. Somehow, Absalon did not recognize that he was just as much a monster as those two in the sky.
However, despite the best efforts of Absalon and the mages, cracks began to appear around the barrier. They could tell that it would shatter if the explosions did not subside soon.
However, there were no signs of abating.
“Damn it!” Absalon cursed as he looked at the cracks. “Where’s Kashi when you need him!?”
Jade, who was also reinforcing the barrier, gritted her teeth and cursed in regret, “I would’ve called Kashi earlier if I knew these two were going to go at it for real.”
Creak! Craaack!
Jade, Absalon, and the mages paled as the cracks began to grow even wider. Several mages quickly abandoned their posts to flee for their lives, leaving only those who were either righteous or affiliated with the Hopeful Maggots.
These mages at the barrier were in the most danger. Once the barrier broke, they would suffer the brunt of the flames. Despite this, quite a few mages unaffiliated with the Maggots chose to risk their lives to protect the evacuating audience.
Absalon looked around, committing these individuals to memory. He would not forget their help at this time and would undoubtedly implore Miote to reward these men and women.
Craack!
However, rewards or not would only come after this crisis was averted. With the deserters gone, the cracks began to spread even faster. Until eventually, there was a loud bang as the barrier finally shattered into a million pieces.
“Onyx”
However, just when the mages were in the pit of despair, a solemn voice rang throughout the stadium. Then, a giant rock serpent shot out of the ground and wrapped around the barrier, trapping the flames within. With no path to escape, the flames exploded upward like a furnace.
Moments later, the explosions finally ended, and the rock serpent relaxed its body. As soon as it did so, several sections of its body crashed to the battlefield as boulders. Evidently, it did not escape the explosions unscathed.
Absalon’s eyes went wide as a small serpent about 2 m in length and 10 cm in height shot down from the giant mass and wrapped around the arm of a man seated in the stands.
Although Absalon did not recognize the hooded figure, he recognized the woman seated next to him.
“Asha?” Absalon greeted the Chetah with equal parts shock and relief. “You’re back?” Although that man appeared to be unfathomable, if Asha was at his side, he should not be an enemy at the very least.
“I’ve been back for a while,” Asha responded with an apologetic smile. “Uncle said he wanted to evaluate the city by himself before meeting the Maggots.”
Absalon cast a wary glance at the so-called ‘Uncle.’ “Sir, I am Absalon, General of the Hopeful Maggots’ Advance Army. I am pleased to make your acquaintance. May I request your name, so the Maggots may properly express our thanks for saving our lives.”
“Soon,” the hooded man replied as he pointed at the sky. “The winner should be revealed soon.”
Absalon followed his gaze to the sky, where the flames had begun to dissipate. The fire finally scattered to reveal two figures suspended in the sky. Absalon and Jade’s eyes flew wide in shock as they looked at Shokō, who had fallen to her knees.
There was nothing recognizable about the once beautiful swordswoman. Shokō’s hair had been burned away by the flames, her face and arms burned beyond recognition. It was a miracle she even had the strength to breathe, let alone stay in the sky.
Behind her, Syèl remained in tip-top condition, if a little pale and sweaty.
The winner was clear.
However, just before Jade could announce the winner, blood suddenly spurted from Syèl’s neck. The vampire clutched his throat as he lost all the strength in his body and plummeted to the ground.
Meanwhile, Shokō, who should have been on her last breath, suddenly rose to her feet. She took a step and appeared below Syèl. She grasped the vampire in her arms and then softly landed on the ground.
Shokō fished out a potion from her inventory and poured it down Syèl’s mouth. She let out a breath when she saw the wound around the vampire’s neck begin to close up slowly.
Syèl had been in real danger there.
Shokō’s sword ki interfered with his rapid regeneration, and he did not have much blood left, so he couldn’t rely on that to boost his healing either.
Luckily, because she did not have Kashi and Syèl’s monstrous regenerative abilities, Shokō made it a habit to carry expensive healing potions with her.
The potion did its job, and Syèl soon recovered enough of his strength to focus on Shokō. Tears welled up in his eyes as he reached for her charred face, but he hesitated and, in the end, could only say, “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.”
Shokō smiled as she grasped his hand and leaned into his palm. “Don’t worry about it. This can easily be healed with a few potions.” She nodded and then added, “Now do you see. You won’t be able to kill me in this world, even if you try your hardest. So, don’t run away. Look at me. Watch me for as long as it takes. Until you no longer see Henri in me.”
Syèl let out a bitter smile. “I’m sorry.” This sorry was different from the first. He knew how unfair it was to compare someone to another. No one should have to experience being compared to someone in another’s past, especially if they were compared to someone who had passed away. After all, there was no way to win over the dead.
“It’s fine,” Shokō once again assured. “Take all the time you need. I won’t go anywhere. So don’t you dare run away.”
Syèl chuckled through the tears. “Fine, you win. I promise not to run anymore.”
“That so? I’m glad to hear that,” Shokō said as her eyes grew drowsy. “Don’t forget your promise.” Her voice drifted off as she slumped into Syèl’s embrace.
“Prince! Hey Prince! Shokō!?” Syèl shouted in panic, fearing the worst, but the rising of Shokō’s chest soon allayed his fears. It appeared she had only fainted.
Well, that was to be expected. Experts on Shokō and Syèl’s level all played with 90% and above pain realism. One could only imagine how much pain she was in after having been burned to such unrecognizable levels. She had only stayed awake this long due to her stubborn will and her desire to make sure Syèl knew how strong she was.
A group of priests and clerics immediately ran into the field and took charge of the fallen swordswoman. Syèl accompanied them as they carried her on a stretcher out of the area to seek better treatment.
Jade took the opportunity to announce Shokō as the winner of the competition, to thunderous applause from the remaining spectators. This battle from beginning to end was something most people would never experience, dangers and all.
Even happier were those who had bet on Shokō to win. It was a sunny day for these gamblers, but of course, not as delighted as the Maggots who had made a massive profit this day.
Thus the curtains closed on the first battle in the coliseum.
Meanwhile, in a VIP room upstairs, Absalon sat opposite the hooded figure, with Asha standing to the side.
“Forgive my rudeness earlier,” the mertian said as he withdrew his hood and revealed his ruggedly handsome face. “You can call me Brock. I am the steward of the lands on Merriheim’s right claw. I have heard much of the Hopeful Maggots. Today I was blessed with seeing two of its lieutenants in action. I must say, the rumors do not do you guys justice. They even managed to hurt little Onyx to this extent.”
As if in agreement, the rock serpent uncoiled from Brock’s wrist and briefly hissed before returning to its resting spot.
Absalon, meanwhile, stared at the rock serpent with an incredulous look. Brock and Onyx. Were the heavens playing tricks on him right now?