Chapter 14

Outside the Arena

The sky was heavy with dark clouds, and the wind howled fiercely, as though warning of an impending danger. The barrier surrounding the arena shimmered with a thick layer of radiant energy. Standing before it was an old man named Sorichi, his eyes blazing with focus. Beside him stood a young woman named Laura, her hair billowing in the wind as she stared at the barrier with evident tension.

Laura spoke, her voice a mixture of anxiety and excitement, “Master, the students are trapped inside!”

Sorichi, his face lined with wrinkles that told stories of countless battles, gazed at the barrier with a sharp look. He replied calmly, his voice charged with determination, “We must protect them.”

Laura quickly responded, her eyes fixed on the glowing barrier, “But how? We need to break the barrier first!”

Sorichi remained silent, closing his eyes for a moment before asking, “Where is Sbyam Brius?”

Laura, clenching her fists nervously, answered, “He’s on his way here!”

Sorichi opened his radiant eyes again and spoke decisively, “Good. Through my technique, I saw that Veb is gravely injured.”

Laura froze, her eyes widening in shock before she exclaimed, “What?!”

Sorichi looked at her calmly, as though trying to soothe her storming emotions. “Once the barrier is broken, you must heal him as quickly as possible.”

Swallowing hard, Laura stared at the barrier that seemed to defy her and answered hesitantly, “Alright… I will!”

---

Inside the Arena

The ground was stained with blood and dust, and the air was heavy with the sound of labored breaths. Amidst the chaos, Beth staggered forward, his steps steady despite his deep wounds. Blood dripped from his mouth, but his eyes gleamed with madness. Opposite him stood Suero, poised for battle, blue sparks of energy crackling around his hand, while behind him, Moryo stood silently observing.

Beth smirked with a deadly sneer, his expression a mix of determination and insanity, before shouting loudly, “Let’s fight, you brat!”

Suero remained silent, his gaze filled with anger and defiance. His eyes focused solely on Beth, his heart pounding with lethal excitement.

Beth charged at Suero, his steps striking the ground like small earthquakes, his maniacal grin widening as he closed the distance. Suero clenched his fist tightly, the blue sparks around his hand glowing brighter as if responding to his resolve.

Beth finally reached Suero, black sparks dancing around his hand like fire. He struck directly at Suero. At the same moment, Suero unleashed his fist with stunning power. The air between them cracked with a deafening explosion, and the clashing sparks created a blinding flash of light.

But suddenly, Beth moved as if his body had become a feather caught in the wind. He flipped backward with unbelievable agility, letting Suero’s punch pass harmlessly by. Suero stared in shock, his eyes following Beth as he landed gracefully on the ground.

Before Suero could react, Beth moved at lightning speed and appeared behind him, delivering a powerful punch to Suero’s back. The sound of the impact echoed through the arena. Suero’s body flew through the air like a doll thrown violently, crashing to the ground and rolling harshly, leaving a deep trail in the dirt.

The ground was saturated with scattered energy, the air heavy with tension, and silence fell as though nature itself was holding its breath. Beth grinned widely as he watched Suero lying on the ground like a discarded puppet. His eyes gleamed with madness, and his swift movements gave him an aura of absolute confidence.

Moryo, his eyes narrowing in anger, moved quietly and purposefully from behind. His footsteps were nearly silent as he approached Beth before pouncing swiftly, attempting to deliver a deadly strike to his back. But Beth, with a sudden sharp movement, turned and caught Moryo’s fist with a predator’s precision.

Moryo glared at him with a stern look mixed with fury, but Beth responded with a mocking gaze full of confidence. Moryo raised his other fist, attempting to land a second punch, but Beth vanished in an instant, leaving behind a faint shadow. He reappeared behind Moryo, raising his hand charged with black sparks, unleashing a deadly burst of dark energy straight at him.

Moryo turned slowly and confidently, as if time no longer mattered to him. The dark spark approached at destructive speed but suddenly halted in midair, as if something had frozen it. Moryo’s eyes glowed with bright green light, and his voice came as a deep, commanding whisper:

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"The World of Time!"

In an instant, the arena was enveloped in a translucent barrier, shimmering with an otherworldly glow. The air stilled, leaves frozen mid-fall, and even the sound of the howling wind faded into an eerie silence. The world appeared trapped in a surreal dream.

Beth, who had been charging forward just a moment ago, was now immobilized, his body suspended mid-motion like a statue encased in ice.

Moryo approached him slowly, each step deliberate and heavy. His emerald-green eyes glowed brighter with each step as if they held the weight of centuries. Stopping before Beth, he looked into his frozen expression, a twisted mix of rage and confidence now rendered powerless.

"You’ve reached your end," Moryo said softly, his voice steady and cold.

But just as he prepared to finish the fight, something unexpected occurred. A dark vortex began to form in Beth’s outstretched hand, faint at first but growing rapidly in size and intensity. Black sparks swirled around the vortex, crackling with a menacing energy.

Moryo froze in place, his eyes narrowing in shock as he muttered, "What is this?"

The vortex expanded rapidly, devouring the barrier of the World of Time. The once-still environment around them began to collapse. Cracks formed in the shimmering dome, spreading like spiderwebs. The vibrant green hue faded into a dull gray as the barrier shattered entirely.

Reality reasserted itself violently, the winds roaring back with unrestrained force.

Beth stepped forward, now free of the frozen world. He smirked triumphantly, his black eyes glowing with unholy light. "You really thought your time tricks could stop me?" he sneered.

Moryo 's gaze hardened, his composed demeanor never wavering despite the unfolding chaos.

Beth clenched his fists, the black sparks around him intensifying as he declared, "I’m a master of dark magic, fool! I can create endless rifts and voids. Your temporal techniques mean nothing to me!"

Moryo , unfazed, simply replied in a calm yet cutting tone, "Is that so?"

Beth launched himself at Moryo , fists ablaze with dark energy. The ground beneath his feet cracked with the sheer force of his charge. Moryo , still calm, raised his hand, a brilliant green spark igniting in his palm.

With surgical precision, Moryo sidestepped Beth’s attack and struck him with a glowing green fist. The impact reverberated through the arena, sending Beth flying across the battlefield. His body collided with the ground, carving a deep trench in the dirt.

Beth groaned as he staggered back to his feet, wiping blood from his mouth. Yet, he laughed, his voice filled with manic glee. "You’re strong, Moryo . But I’ve defeated stronger opponents before!"

Moryo arched an eyebrow, his tone laced with icy indifference. "You talk too much."

The sparks of their powers filled the air, black and green energies clashing violently as their gazes locked once more.

Above the chaos, the barrier enclosing the arena began to crack open. Light seeped through the fractures, illuminating the desolate battleground. The sky churned with energy as the barrier unraveled, revealing a figure floating in the heavens.

It was Sbyam Brius, his presence exuding absolute authority. His sharp eyes surveyed the scene below, lips curling into a sardonic smile.

Moryo , who had been mid-battle with Beth, turned his gaze skyward, his usually calm expression betraying a flicker of disbelief.

Beth took a hesitant step back, muttering under his breath, "So, he’s finally here."

Sbyam remained motionless in the sky, observing with cold detachment. His eyes flicked to Moryo , then to Beth, before he mused aloud, "Time to deal with that fool."

In the blink of an eye, Sbyam disappeared from his aerial vantage point, reappearing on the ground beside Moryo with a speed too fast for the eye to follow.

"Master Sbyam?" Moryo ’s voice held a rare note of surprise.

Sbyam ignored him, his gaze piercing the treeline as if he could see far beyond. A faint smirk crossed his face as he muttered to himself, "Trying to flee, are you? How futile."

Extending a hand, Sbyam’s fingers glowed with a dark purple aura, the air around him growing dense with raw power. The oppressive energy made even the seasoned fighters in the arena uneasy.

Pointing a single finger toward the horizon, he whispered, "Tear through spacetime."

A rift appeared, jagged and pulsating with violent energy. The ground trembled as the rift expanded, its edges glowing with a blinding violet hue. The sheer force of its creation sent shockwaves rippling through the arena, uprooting trees and scattering debris.

From the rift emerged a catastrophic beam of energy, obliterating everything in its path. The beam carved through the forest, leaving a trail of destruction that extended far beyond the arena's boundaries.

---

Elsewhere in the Arena

Baysal stood face-to-face with Darwin, her fiery gaze locked onto him with pure rage. Darwin, however, appeared distracted, sweat dripping down his temple as he glanced nervously toward the sky.

"Was that... Sbyam Brius?" he murmured, his voice trembling.

Baysal’s voice cut through his thoughts, filled with unrestrained fury. "How could you kill Veb?!"

But before Darwin could respond, a faint violet glow illuminated the ground behind him. Baysal’s eyes widened in horror as the massive beam of energy from Sbyam’s rift hurtled toward their location.

"RUN!" she screamed.

Nearby, Jan grabbed the hand of Alia, who had been paralyzed with shock, pulling her away from the oncoming destruction. Darwin turned to face the beam, his expression frozen in terror as it approached.

The violet energy consumed him entirely, his form disintegrating into nothingness as the beam continued its rampage, carving a path of devastation through the arena.

---

Aftermath

The once-vibrant arena now lay in ruins, the ground scorched and lifeless. The beam had left a massive, smoldering crater in its wake, a chilling testament to Sbyam’s overwhelming power.

Moryo stood motionless, his normally calm expression shattered by the sheer scale of destruction. His emerald-green eyes scanned the devastation, disbelief etched into his features.

Beth, standing several paces away, wiped the sweat from his brow. Though his confident demeanor remained intact, the fear in his eyes betrayed his inner turmoil.

"Such power..." he whispered to himself. "He truly deserves the title of the strongest mage."

Sbyam, unbothered by the chaos he had wrought, turned his gaze to Beth. His smirk returned, colder and sharper than before.

"I believe it’s time to deal with you now," he said, his voice dripping with disdain.

Beth froze, the weight of those words sinking in like a stone.

Despite the fear coursing through him, Beth forced a nervous smile. "You’ll die just like your friend did!"

Sbyam chuckled darkly, his laughter devoid of humor. "Die? Because of you?"

Beth repeated, louder this time, "Yes, you’ll—"

"Pathetic," Sbyam interrupted, his voice cutting through Beth's bravado like a knife.

Beth’s voice faltered, his body trembling as he took an unconscious step back.

Sbyam’s eyes burned with merciless resolve. "You’re weak," he stated simply, the finality in his tone sending shivers down Beth’s spine.

The two stared at each other, the tension thick enough to cut with a blade. For the first time, Beth felt truly powerless, standing before a force of nature thatcould not be swayed.

Sbyam remained unwavering, the embodiment of dominance, as he prepared to finish what had been started. To be continued

End of chapter.