Fight! Only One Will Live (2—Last Part)
"I wasn't thinking straight... I... I would like to apologize for doing things I shouldn't. Heavenly Protector, if there is supposed to be punishment... then I am the one to bear it!" Gora said, sticking his chest out towards the end. Diego looked at the ‘heroic’ young man giving his spot away and became even more silent. After 3 seconds like this, Diego finally spoke with a swing of his sleeves before turning around, "Forget it... there is... no need for something like that. Hmph. If participant Heian Ciemnosc dares to misbehave gain, there won't be any other option but to not only disqualify you but punish you as well!"
“...” Heian Ciemnosc looked ‘triumphantly’ at Gora with Elena in his right arm. She was looking up at his profile still. Her brown eyes were akin to those of a little girl finding love for the first time. Gora bowed deeply towards Diego’s direction, and when he stood with his back straight, he looked upon this scene and became irritated from the inside. Vowing to pay Heian Ciemnosc whenever he found him, Gora kept silent and did his best to not show anything.
After hearing Heavenly Protector Diego’s words, Heian Ciemnosc and his new clique heaved a relieved sigh, especially Elena, who uncaringly rested her face on his left chest and hugged his lower waist. She closed her eyes for a few seconds, but after hearing the crowd ‘aww’ with gentleness, she hurriedly opened them and kept them like that. On the other hand, Heian Ciemnosc’s darkest eyes were suddenly looking down at her, a little teasingly but also containing some rebuke.
“Hehe, sorry… My competition did the same. I just had to t-” Elena tried explaining herself as she was brought down to the platform where the Wrath Nihility Academy higher-ups were alarmingly waiting for the little princess. Heian Ciemnosc looked down at her, lightly knocked her forehead, and interrupted the motherfucking suicidal wife. “Sh, hush now. You have no right to speak right now, you mule.”
“Eh? We’re not in bed. Why are we playing like this now??” Elena said with a slight pink blush coloring her cheeks. Heian Ciemnosc’s darkest eyes painted an invisible rainbow on the crowd before returning to Elena’s charming face, not beautiful, but so goddamn perfect. Hooking her nose between his middle and index right-handed fingers, Heian Ciemnosc spoke again. “You’ve made me go mad. I’m just holding it for now. After our family marries, I’d lock you with me to cultivate. You will only see the outside, or something, and someone from the outside once every month. Understood?”
“Mn…” A rare, obedient Elena nodded, feeling like his baby in his arms. She kept looking up, this time at his chin, as he looked ahead, and felt like she had become brutally injured out of nowhere. Feeling like her legs were no longer necessary, Elena waited until Heian Ciemnosc helped her on a soft stretcher, where Gloria and company were ready to treat her. When he let her down, she held his wrists again and looked deeply into his eyes, saying out loud. “Kill them all for me.”
“Mn,” Heian Ciemnosc darkly grinned and nodded. It was his turn to be a nice boy. The crowd could hear this. They weren’t trying to hide it, and the higher-ups took their sweet time closing the barrier. Nothing could be better than raising the morale with some romantic scenes here and there, right? In any case, Elena lay on the soft stretcher while Biston was treated by 2 rough, tall men. He was wide-mouthed when he saw Elena covered with gentle hands from Gloria, Violet, Fengli, Sakura, and Tene taking care of her.
She was the pale dude’s Queen. They had to treat her right for whenever the Academy rose, right? Heian Ciemnosc turned around and felt 2 pairs of eyes hotly set on his back. One was Sakura, and the other was his tomboyish wifey. Thus, as Heian Ciemnosc slowly made his way to the platform, a bizarre circumstance arose in the atmosphere around and within the stadium. In the strangest of ways, everyone’s heads turned to watch Heian Ciemnosc return to the platform as if it were a ring.
His dark coat hid his body well, but his back muscles didn’t go elsewhere. Despite there not being much else to see from besides his tall, somewhat too slender figure, all eyes were on him.
Heian Ciemnosc’s mind, however, was fully set on the matters ahead. Looking slightly up, in a quick motion so he wouldn’t be caught, he locked his darkest eyes on Diego’s chair. When he flew to his arena, everything seemed to calm down, and nobody paid more attention to him except some fanboys and girls, and he directed his attention to Arla’s arena.
… fweesh, whoosh, pom pom pam pam pam! Arla was flying back and forth against her opponent, a Broken Crystallization realm 9th stage cultivator. She was still in the 7th stage but at its peak. Yet, all she could do was try to meet her opponent head-on but consistently forced to retreat in the end. And after a few minutes of fighting like this. Her whip had become somewhat crooked after meeting her opponent’s swords, and she was forced to go melee.
‘Hmm,’ Heian Ciemnosc thought about giving Arla and all of his seniors in the Saberbone Diabolical Club a Colorful Claw after the Change Merit Trials upon seeing this little helpless scene, feeling like Arla could barely win in a deathly encounter against her opponent if she had one right now. Yet, those were Heian Ciemnosc’s thoughts because, in Arla’s arena, she was just being beaten back and forth by her opponent.
A fist came to her left cheek, turning her face the other way from the impact, followed by a swing striking her square on her face, sending her flying backwards 3 meters and close to landing on the floor. Arla, however, stopped her body and put on a furious, delicate, intoxicating expression as her body faced the sky. Her opponent wasn’t slow to follow her around as he nose-dived with his knee, aiming at her abdomen.
Arla’s eyes widened, but not from fear or surprise. Her pupils shrank as she seemed to turn into a blazing totem with pure energy drawing in towards her.
“!!” The crowd, Godly beings, and hosts were amazed, while the Academy’s higher-ups slowly turned from overseeing Elena’s analysis… oh, and Biston’s well-being. Their faces were wide-mouthed, and their expressions gradually became surprised-comical as joy was blatant in their eyes. The Phosphorescent Flower Sect, Obscure Orb Sect, Golden Terra Sect, and Interchanging Dust Dynasty’s higher-ups all looked on with jealousy, sharing their heads and crossing their arms with bothersomeness.
PSHIFT PSHIFT PSHIFT PSHIFT~~... Back to the arena. Arla’s body was slurping the pure energy around her like a sinkhole was suddenly unplugged from an ocean. And taking into consideration how absurdly large a body of water needed to be so it could be considered an ocean, the amount of pure energy Arla was taking in was catastrophic. However, Arla showed no signs of feeling pain as her clear expression simply looked up at her opponent, waiting for his move.
Pam. Arla felt her abdomen sink as the opponent, as much as he was frowning, continued to strike Arla down. Her lips immediately spouted saliva and blood as they flew to the sides, taken by the pure energy surrounding them as they began falling. They were just 5 meters from the arena’s floor. With the speed they gained after the opponent attacked Arla, it would take 3 seconds to fall down with Arla defending herself, which she vehemently resisted.
Rigorous Power Energy raged everywhere around them, forming electric pure energy bolts forming around them, cracking in the air and slapping their bodies without harming them. But whenever they touched Arla, they got seemingly absorbed through her clothes without cutting through them. Her opponent thought this was going to be the end of their fight, with only 2 other arenas still fighting and lowering from the sky.
However, Arla’s sudden drawing-in of pure energy turned out to be more than just gathering rigorous Power Energy. One needed to set their minds at ease to cultivate so the pure energy could be refined into theirs, but Arla was doing just that without circulating it around within her body. Furthermore, although she wasn’t protected in some way by the copious amounts of pure energy, and her stomach was hellishly hurt, she kept her furious, delicate, and intoxicating expression.
What’s more, she continued to hold on, slowing the speed as they were falling rapidly. From several seconds to reach the floor, it became half a second, with her opponent putting more rigorous Power Energy into his attack. A battle of attrition commenced then and there. Arla looked up with fury in her charming, black eyes as her opponent put all of his efforts into putting her down with his left knee, but at one point, he simply didn’t move anymore!
They were just 1 meter from the floor when they completely stopped moving. Arla’s opponent took some time to digress this information, and when he did, his eyes widened as he looked into hers as if discovering something. He wanted to fly away and get to safety… but a hand suddenly gripped his neck, and before he knew it, the girl below his knee started radiating 5 transparent colors as pure energy… condensed into more and better quality rigorous Power Energy!!!
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With pure energy and those barely visible, whitish 5 colors bursting from her chest, her opponent had no chance to react as an explosive pure energy cloud suddenly enveloped them!
PUUUUUMMM!!!
“!!!” The crowd was astonished to see yet another Wrath Nihility Academy student make them awe in surprise and respect. A cloud 200 km long and less than a kilometer tall was created between the arenas, obstructing everyone’s views from everything except those arenas themselves. They could see through it with the features, but only those 2 other arenas were seen clearly, while only shadows moving and flying through could be seen in Arla’s.
“...” Heian Ciemnosc was also amazed as he watched Arla’s cocoon break away and her talent about to be disastrously nurtured by the Academy from now on. She didn’t have something special like Fera’s absolute, innate energy manipulation or Elena’s hidden Wind elemental affinity. She was more like his COs, simply and naturally good in the cultivation path and true to their path. He and the crowd could see how 2 figures fought within Arla’s arena, going back and forth to beat each other.
At a particular point, one of them gained the absolute advantage and started flinging the other around like a doll. Punching, throwing, kicking, and even stylishly spinning or twisting their bodies to land an insurmountably painful strike on the other. Heian Ciemnosc and anyone trained under Heian Ciemnosc felt a familiar sensation when they saw these movements. Just as they looked at Heian Ciemnosc, seemingly for confirmation, their anxiety to see who was winning was lost when they saw Heian Ciemnosc’s darkest eyes glance at the pure energy cloud approvingly.
… A few minutes later, with the referees of the other 2 arenas coming to chat with Arla’s arena’s referee after their duel ended, the pure energy cloud started receding. With a swing from the hosts above, the cloud dispersed sideways and into the sky, suddenly giving a large section of the Middle Godly Space Station a refreshing sensation where many felt their cultivation progress, at least from the Broken Crystallization realm or lower.
Putong, thud- ka.
On the arena’s floor, Arla was standing with her arms crossed. Her clothes were slightly broken. Her arms and legs no were no longer covered, with her upper thighs showing, but her crotch was well hidden. Her right knee was lifted, and her left leg looked stupidly beautiful as she landed her right foot on her opponent’s back. On the other hand, her opponent was on 4 and facing the ground as blood sweat down his limbs and neck to cover his face, dripping onto the floor.
With her arms crossed. Arla’s chin was up, but her black eyes looked down at her opponent, who was shaking at times. Not letting go of him, she kept looking down as her eyes were filled with the determination to keep going if he didn’t satisfy her already. Sensing this, her opponent was helpless and could only act accordingly after being beaten black and blue to her heart’s content.
“I… you are… you win, you win!” Her opponent finally answered after not feeling willing to be shown like this to the world. He was the strongest Broken Crystallization realm cultivator in the later stages, except for the few 10th stage cultivators who left before the tournament continued or were disqualified after beating each other to a pulp only to be landed the last hit by someone weaker than them.
“Hmph!” Arla snorted and let go of the young man. She started walking towards the spot where she was grabbed and sent into this arena, feeling proud and content as the referee was about to announce the result when she lifted her right delicate arm and shouted first. “Arla’s vi-” - “I’d like to step down from the tournament!”
“... … …” The crowd was already cheering for her. But when she said these words, although reasonable, it broke the hearts of so many gals and guys. However, after an initial silence, and with the referee nodding and announcing the result anyway, Arla was brought back to her Academy’s vip zone with black smoke covering her body. After she reappeared, the crowd erupted in felicitations to Arla and the Wrath Nihility Academy!
“WOAAAH…!”
“Tehee,” Arla giggled before walking towards Elena. Without waiting for the ‘medics’ to say something or take out another comfy stretcher, she huddled with Elena in the same one. Elena wasn’t even hurt, so she could just stand up and let Arla be treated, who reeked of her own blood, and her cultivation, now at the 8th stage, was somewhat shaky. However, Arla didn’t give her a chance and grasped her right hand with her left one before smiling at her.
A helpless Elena remained on the stretcher as Biston looked at the sky without life. Such was genre inequality. On the other hand, Heian Ciemnosc quickly took his Universal Conveyance to read a message. He wouldn’t have taken a look if it wasn’t Frank’s. All he saw was a thumbs up and a winking eye. Heian Ciemnosc grinned before putting his Universal Conveyance down.
“Participants,” after a while, Bajo stood up from his chair and appeared above the remaining 32 participants. Everyone looked up, and Heian Ciemnosc wasn’t an exemption. Bajo continued, “The top 16 will be decided today, not the top 8 will not. After the results from previous battles, it has become clear that we’ve underestimated this time’s participants’ will to demonstrate their bright future. Thus, after this round, everyone will have a day to recuperate. Do give it your all, and don’t disappoint them.”
Bajo gently gestured to the crowd behind the arenas. His attempt at forming a stern tone was still fruitless, but his graceful and elegant movements enraptured everyone. However, with his words, the flying arenas fell silent, and in a good way. It was like their mindsets were turned towards the crowds. They had seen their reactions, how they stayed around… Suddenly, it was like, in the end, they weren’t fighting to be known, for themselves, or to demonstrate they, or their organizations, were the best. It kinda felt like they were doing so for their Existence.
“Hmm,” the Godly beings smirked at Bajo’s presence. It was awe-inspiring but definitely more inspiring than anything else. This was worthy of an old organization like the Phosphorescent Flower Sect. Were it not for the Great Sage’s suppression and the 10 year war, they would’ve been a Fifth Step organization without a doubt.
“However, today… the fighting won’t stop,” Bajo said, looking down at the ‘32’ participants. He then directed his words at the crowd, gesturing with his right arm slowly traveled through the air like a calm wave or a gentle breeze. “It was decided beforehand, and it will remain. You can only deal with the things put before you and before your goals, never go around it. Or you might end up losing the track you were walking on all this long.”
“Some of you might be injured to keep going without a problem,” Bajo looked at some participants. Afterwards, he briefly gazed at Gora and a couple others, continuing, “Others might be restless to continue what they couldn’t finish or end it.”
“And some others are just waiting for their opportunity,” Bajo said as he set his mutant Beast’s eyes on Heian Ciemnosc for 2 seconds, continuing to speak and looking away a second later. “I don’t think it’s our choice to waste this time… because it is yours. It’s unfair to take it away from yourselves, so stand up, pick yourselves up. And step forward.”
Step, step, step, step, step, step, step… The arenas’ participants, less than 32 but still 32 up and moving, stopped meditating and looked at Grand Elder Bajo. Even Heian Ciemnosc felt like respecting the notion and did the same, although he was silent. Each remaining participant looked at Bajo, knowing he was talking to everyone who had participated in the tournament, not just them.
Although those who stepped down would keep the lowest ranking within the tournament from the segment they left it at, according to their cultivation base and how far they reached, the world would know which names to remember in the future. Many of which came from the Wrath Nihility Academy. It was at this point that, for real, the Existence watching this event started feeling the heavy weight of what this event meant for them… It was their future, and up ahead was the Academy the whole world knows, sometimes covets, and respects as the #1 source of knowledge despite its weak prowess. Now, however, that would change…
“Congratulations!!” - “You go ahead, boys, girls, you fucking Geniuses!” - “Good luck there, fight until your bones bleeeeed!” - “Whoever becomes the champion gets to have meeeee~!” - “No, me!” - “And me!” - “Best of luck, kids. Fight well!”
The spectators, not just in these bleachers but perhaps around the Middle Godly Spatial Station and the rest of the Existence, looked at the remaining participants and clamored. Inside their minds or by word of mouth, it went from their hearts to the world, and suddenly, the participants felt like an extra weight was pressed on them. This wasn’t a misconception or something magical. It was nature.
And the world, moved by its nature and the people that live it, made it known. If anything, this would be the first time these Geniuses would contend for Nature!
Whoosh, swuooooshh~~...
The black smoke, already known to everyone, suddenly moved as Bajo’s words reached everyone. Their ears ringed, but their heads were never this clear. And as half the participants were targeted by these smallish black smoke torrents, Heian Ciemnosc saw himself being transported somewhere with Bajo’s words on the back of his head.
“The last round for today… to decide the 16 best in the tournament… starts now!”
A referee above Heian Ciemnosc shouted just as his darkest eyes lightly shrunk as a whole in his white sclera. “This duel starts now, fight!!”
It was Heian Ciemnosc vs Gora!
…
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Let It Rain's note: Ready for some all-out fighting? Bweheheheh! Now, if you'll excuse mah, I'll go watch the 2023 worlds finals.