I’m trapped in his domain? No matter, I may have the disadvantage, but I will have his head. His creation of the domain shattered my mana network. I only needed it because it was the only way to give them a leg up without creating a domain myself. It had served its purpose.

However the opposing force that stood before me and my men had completely cutoff my direct line of sight of Janus, my parents and the supposed goddess. I made a chain of command to help me but I feel the maximum efficiency isn’t being employed. Since I only mustered this amount of manpower, the chain of command was adequate. This thought only ran through my head because number wise the opposing force was the size of about a complete Army of 45,000 compared to my men, standing about the size of two Platoons at 52 soldiers. It made me realize how huge this coliseum really is.

I admit I didn’t think I distributed the Mana into the most efficient way possible, but that wouldn’t have mattered in the face of that many. What we lacked in numbers we made up in skill. I Turn to Alpha Company’s Captain, “Alpha, take to the left, swing right to central. You will be surrounded at that point. Hold position until reinforcements from Bravo provide aid. Make sure you use your abilities.” Quickly turning to the remaining Captain, “Bravo, take to the right, head central. Due to your abilities, I expect you to do the most thinning of that horde. Until other orders are given, eliminate every enemy starting from the center. Dismissed.”

I was saluted before the Captains went to their respective Companies and carried out their missions. I only lent out Hazy Aura and Slow Time so I wouldn’t be defenseless. Alpha Company headed left and started emitting a green haze before their bodies disappeared while they marched unto the ever approaching mass of monsters. Bravo had practically disappeared too. Only when you payed close attention to a Gargoyle turning to mist could you spot these speed demons.

Well they weren't particularly fast, but when they used Slow Time, it appeared so. The number of opponents decreased in an astonishing rate. A smile spread across my face. I need to join in this action!

Running at full speed, I jumped into a portal that put me in front of a very surprised Giant Lizard. With a mighty momentum still behind me, I stabbed my sword straight into the thick-skinned reptile’s brain. Before my momentum completely died, I spun with the still in my grasp, effectively wrenching from the deceased and stabbing it directly into the next lizard’s head as well.

Seeing as I was started to be surrounded, I let go of the handle of the sword and bare my fangs at the approaching Gargoyles. The ones that stared into my eyes stunned them, if given a choice they would’ve fled, however they were forced to attack, so they were only stunned. I concentrated on one and it had immediately died. Utilizing the Death specialization of Demon Eyes, one by one they died. I had killed five this way, but it took much concentration to do it with multiple enemies.

Deeming Demon Eyes ineffective I poured mana into my claws and tried clawing a nearby lizard, of course my claws dug through the flesh like putty due to Strength: 90. I noted that Detachable Claws wasn’t something as creepy as my fingers becoming projectiles. Instead it turns out that they were a mana extension that came out in a fifteen inch length. It was if my claws were actually a foot apart away from my fingertips only attached by a string, however they were still firmly attached to me. I could only make this observation because there were streaks of missing flesh that appeared on the reptile. Excellent.

Using Mana Manipulation, I transferred this ability to my recently fetched sword. Swinging it at a nearby pile of walking meat, it shredded skin, muscle and bone in one go. This sword has a chainsaw effect now. It’s a shame there wasn’t the roar of the chainsaw that usually accompanied such a scene, it was however replaced by the screams of its victims.

Running and slashing I left a trail of corpses that slowly turned to red mist. The more I slayed the thicker the red mist got. Eventually I was walking through red miasma. On a good note, the numbers of the Giant Lizards and Gargoyles dwindled down to maybe about 1,200.

I noticed that Alpha and Bravo Company had met in the middle and was already spreading out from the center. That explains that outrageous drop in number in such a small amount of time. Searching the battle field, I quickly found the rat.

Janus had set my parents on the altar alongside the unconscious goddess. He had a wicked grin on his face. In the back of my head, I heard the same voice that pleaded for help earlier, “Alexander! Stop him!” Goddess? Looking back, the goddess chained to the table was definitely conscious. She was trying to shrink away from her captor but was unable to due to the chains.

He was preparing for something. Jumping into a Void Step I appeared behind and slashed at his head. He unexpectedly dodged and took advantage of my opening and slammed his elbow into my diaphragm. Winding me, I drop to my knees as oxygen fails to fill my lungs.

As I started recovering from his counter attack, only to receive a heel to the face. Unpleasant pain shot across face upon impact, I landed a few feet away and watched him as he studied the battle field. He seemed miffed at what he saw.

“You are a little more outstanding than I imagined.” He smirked then continued, “‘Why is recovery slow?’ is probably what you are asking yourself. Answer: I am disrupting your mana flow one hit at a time.” He walks over to the altar and stabs his own arm, letting blood overflow. Next he stabbed the knife straight into ribs of the goddess. She only managed to muster out a wheeze sound.

He glanced at me, then proceeded to take some of the blood from the goddess and wipe it on his own wounds. Ecstasy was then smeared across that smug face. As I stand up, he glanced at me one more time and just our eyes connecting did I feel like I was hit by a train. He developed pupils that had taken on a golden color. It sent out a force that knocked me well across the field.

No good. I need to stop him before he gains any more power. I try opening up a portal to step through only to find that it ended in a failure. Right disrupted mana. Good thing it doesn’t cost in mana to maintain my men.

The last monster on the field just turned to red mist and right as Alpha and Bravo were about to advance toward Janus, the ground split across the Arena. A fissure had appeared and with the appearance, the red miasma flowed into. A moment later, the ground roared to life with a mountain jutting from the newly created fissure. This mountain shot of the fissure with great force that caused massive quakes to happen, I couldn’t stand.

I stare in amazement as this mountain starts to shake at a mile high in the black sky. No. That’s a tier three dragon, a Catalyst Dragon. Its scales looked as though they weren’t scales but rock. These things were known to become mountains when dormant only to wreak havoc on the lands, completely changing the topography of the map. They were thought to have gone extinct well before the rule of even the late Demon King Orpheus.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

My men started attacking the Catalyst Dragon only to find out they were doing nothing to its wellbeing. I noticed that there was a red aura that seemed to flow from its skin, must have been the miasma from earlier. I remain seated and I don’t dare move an inch.

Me beat that thing? It would only be possible through my abilities, which right now are on the fritz. So my best option then is to target its master whom is using at as a way to buy time to perform some ritual. Not good. Not good at all.

I looked at Janus expecting him to continue his sordid behavior, only to have my expectations betrayed. Janus wasn’t preforming some blood ritual like I had presumed he would have been doing but instead was intensely focusing on the Catalyst Dragon. I concluded that he must keep a certain concentration to keep the Catalyst Dragon in control.

Just as I had come to my conclusion, the mountain of a beast turned threw its head back and let out an ear piercing, head splitting roar. I would say that I would hear echoes in the distance, but that would be a lie. There was an odd silence and a high pitched ring. I might be temporarily deaf. Along with ringing, a slight drip from the ears, I had felt shaken to my inner depths. This was a noisy beast to say the least.

I had no time to agonize in pain, this mountain had a bone to pick with me. Alpha and Bravo Company were attacking nonstop, but leaving no results. Throwing myself into the air I could see the whole area that was under Janus’ Domain. This Mountain had taken up precisely half the allotted space within the domain.

My powers on the fritz, my army useless before the opponent, there is very few things I can actually do. However, I do have a small advantage. Due to it being obnoxiously large, it specializes in large scale destruction, not so much on specified targets. So as long as I stay out of the danger zones, such as under foot, away from mouth, etc., I should be fine.

So I began flying around the inner circumference of the barrier bidding time. Occasionally it would let out roars, but I could no longer hear them. When I came near the completion of my first lap, I noticed that the underbelly of the mountain made a soft glow. What’s it up now? Glowing got ever increasingly brighter until the shine shot up toward its throat climbing toward its throat. By the time it reached its jaw, the mountain open its mouth as if to create another roar, just to spew boiling magma toward my general direction. Oooh, here is my time to shine! I always wanted to be marshmallow, not. I saw no need in me being reduced to nothing, so I dropped from the air, tucking in my wings to increase my speed. I didn’t even try to slow down at the end, I just crashed on the far below, dealing with my pain. I tried to escape as quickly as I could before I fell once again due to my ankle. My recovery factor was returning to normal, but the recovery was not fast enough.

Looking up I saw the dragon angling his jaws to match my location. The river of magma was approaching at a highly uncomfortable speed. The heat wave had hit and I felt my skin tighten and my feathers stiffen. As the imminent death closed in and the heat became unbearable, I felt my arms jerk back and my body being lifted from the ground transported at high rate of speed. I peered to right to see Alpha Company’s Captain, to my left, Bravo Company’s.

As they rescued me, the flow of magma ceased. The Catalyst Dragon had only stopped for a brief moment, appearing to charge up another attack. Its already bright underbelly had sent up another more ammunition to sustain its assault. We had made it to the barrier before had narrowly escaped being roasted by evading upwardly.

When the stream of lava had come in contact with the wall, the Domain had shattered like smashed glass. The red aura had dimmed and the dragons barrage ended and it had appeared the Dragon was more keen in destroying the ancient coliseum walls.

I dismissed Alpha Company’s Captain and ordered Bravo Company’s Captain to round up the troops. Within seconds everyone was accounted for, save the ones fallen in battle. I put down a mana network and reabsorbed Bravo Company. The mana I received from them was a fraction of what it took to call them from the Void, but at least I got some back. What I really wanted was Slow Time, the ability that allowed them to assemble so quickly.

I took note that Janus had thrown a fit when the Dragon broke through his barrier and was no longer listening to his commands. Summoned a pet that you could barely control and not contain? He should have seen that coming. I noticed that his fit had quickly come to a close; he was quick calm himself down. He then marched over to the altar just a few feet away.

This was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. Since my powers had recovered fully, I decided to jump through a Void Step while using my Slow Time and appeared three yards behind Janus. At my full speed, I dashed behind him and threw a round house kick at his head. His body rag dolled before connecting to the altar and bouncing off an inch or two. I fully expected him to stand up so I could beat him into the ground, I did not expect him to turn into the mysterious red mist.

I backed away immediately but since he was in this form I could affect him with currents so I sent my mana into the air and created gusts of wind using my wings to pump the air. The air was easier to do my bidding than I anticipated, the red mist had been far, far, far away.

Before he was blown too far away, he quickly reassembled his body. Even though there was a massive distance between us, he quickly covered the gap by Void Stepping toward the altar. He next had me frozen in my tracks.

“Alexander, don’t look!” The Goddess pleaded with urgency. She seemed to grasp the situation before me. The Goddess, who had bleed thick gold blood, cried silver and was clothed in a shining white robe across her midnight black skin, tried to get me to look away. She pleaded, “No, no, no. Alexander, please look this way. Don’t look! Alexander? Alexander!” Her cries had faded as I watched Janus take my frail mother’s body into one of his arms.

Persephone Phendahl, the mother I was born from in this world. She was there for me through thick and thin. I wasn’t close to my family on Earth, but she oozed so much motherly affection that it more than made up for it. My mother, whom enjoyed eating cookie dough, enjoyed making messes, and above all things enjoyed laughing with her family, was held in the enemy’s arms.

I couldn’t move a muscle as the knife that dangled in the air above her body, plunged straight into her weak chest.