The titan unleashed a primal roar, channeling the full strength of its might into its arm as it prepared to launch the spike toward Scott. Behind the eldritch knight, five chaotic missiles coalesced, accompanied by a baleful violet flame that danced above his mask. Intangible miasma spilled forth from tangible void cracks in torrents, warping the very air around him.
With ruthless aggression, the titan hurled the spike toward Scott’s position. The eldritch knight impassively stared at the incoming projectile, the violent flame mixing with the miasma to form a massive explosion that launched toward the titan.
In a flash, the titan’s projectile arrived in front of Scott, but the massive spike simply passed through his intangible body, racing toward the arena’s walls, and shattering upon impact. Simultaneously, the massive octopus swung its tentacles, obliterating over twenty of the miniature titans; however, even more aberrations poured out from the dimensional gate.
Amidst the chaos, sutras suddenly echoed within the arena, compelling several champions and the titan to pivot toward its origin. There, the asura, with its three heads and all eyes closed, fervently recited its sutra, eliciting massive changes to the elemental halberds.
The halberds shattered into hundreds of pieces, each fragment morphing into another halberd. In an instant, more than five hundred halberds hovered above the asura, then he opened his eyes. The elemental weapons tore through the air, racing toward the titan and clashing against it with massive fury, creating explosions that filled the arena with a cloud of smog.
The miniature titans persisted in their relentless assaults, charging like reckless warriors toward the champions within their reach. Their lifeless bodies accumulated in the murky waters, now tinged with a purple hue as Scott's flaming miasma crept closer to the titan's location.
Another deafening roar reverberated through the area, and the smog concealing the titan dissipated, unveiling the colossal goliath unscathed. With a sudden clap of its hands, it sent shockwaves rippling through the surroundings. Scott was forcibly returned to his physical form, along with the other transformed champions reverting to their original states. Even the rising waters receded, and the parched earth reclaimed its dominance.
All nine champions collapsed to the ground, overwhelmed by an immense gravitational force. The sickening sound of bones snapping filled the air as some champions crashed face-first into the loose sand, their blood staining the earth beneath them.
This guy is far more formidable than I expected, Scott thought, gritting his teeth behind his mask as several miniature titans exploded from the pressure. Yet, more titans emerged from the dimensional gate, determined to sacrifice themselves for their leader.
The pressure intensified, and Scott's knees buckled, his legs twisting grotesquely in different directions. However, the eldritch knight refused to emit even the slightest groan of pain. His eyes, filled with unyielding determination, remained fixed on the titan, which observed the champions impassively.
Of the original nine champions, four had been obliterated, and two, including Scott, barely clung to life. The remaining three—comprising the fishman, the asura, and Sahure—struggled to rise to their feet. Despite the escalating gravitational force, they managed to remain upright, defying the relentless pressure bearing down on them.
I hate this… Scott bit his lower lip behind his mask. I fucking hate this… the eldritch knight thought, rage twisting his visage.
I'm not fucking holding back anymore, Scott seethed. The thought surged through his mind like a tidal wave, propelling the tendrils coating his arm toward the mask with eager anticipation. With a voracious energy, the tendrils tore the mask from the face of the eldritch knight, plunging the surroundings into darkness. Instantly, the oppressive gravitational force lifted, and the dimensional gates vanished.
For the first time, shock registered in the eyes of the impassive titan, swiftly followed by confusion. It shifted its head from side to side, unable to peer through the swirling darkness or contact its minions. With determination, it snapped off two spikes, one for each arm, preparing for combat.
A yellow blur caught its attention, and it instantly turned to the right, only to find the blur had vanished. The titan unleashed another shrill scream, but the deafening silence seemed to swallow its cries.
Raising both arms to launch its spikes into the darkness, the massive creature suddenly froze as a silver spark tore through the blinding darkness. In a flash, light banished the darkness to the void, revealing three figures covered by massive snow-white wings hovering several feet above the titan. The champions and the titan remained frozen in their respective positions, unaware of the beings intruding upon the area.
“This is odd,” one of them remarked.
“Indeed,” another agreed, visibly turning towards the right but still obscured by the wings.
“Do you suppose one of them was responsible for the anomaly?” the last of the trio asked, unruffling its wings. The furry creature had a slender build and wore all-white robes devoid of any blemish. Although humanoid in physique, it possessed three eyes, two covered by a flaming robe, and the third situated on its forehead.
Its companions followed suit, revealing a similar appearance to the unique creature. They turned their heads simultaneously, observing the champions one after the other with their uncovered eyes. Then, they shifted their gaze towards the titan, studying it intently. After a moment, they flapped their wings, covering their bodies once more.
“This is odd,” one of them remarked once again. “The administrator won't be pleased,” it added with a slight sigh.
“There's nothing we can do about it. We've investigated the anomaly and found no issues with the champions or their opponent,” the creature in the center whispered.
“Nevertheless, it will be recorded as a failure on our part not to determine what obstructed the transmission. The gods and lesser gods won't entertain excuses, you know?”
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
While the two bickered, the final investigator focused on Scott's direction, studying the seemingly animated mask with keen interest. Descending slightly, the curious investigator drew the attention of its companions.
“Where are you going?” one of them called out, causing the investigator to halt its descent. “We can't interfere with the champions, remember?” It said in a hushed tone.
“I thought I saw movement within that mask,” the investigator explained as it returned to its previous position. The other investigators gazed intently at Scott's mask, but aside from its alluring and somewhat eerie appearance, it elicited no additional reaction from the pair.
“We should keep an eye on all the champions in this arena,” one suggested.
“I agree, but it's time to leave.”
The trio exchanged no further words as they silently departed, just as they had arrived. Time marched on, with the titan's spear thrusting forward with ferocity. One impaled Scott through his midsection, while another shot through Sahure, leaving the asura and fishman stunned.
Meanwhile, the titan stood in a bewildered daze. It raised its head, scanning the arena as if searching for something or someone. Then, it lowered its gaze, its eyes shifting from one champion to another before settling on Scott, who visibly dragged his pierced torso along the spike embedded in the arena's walls. Though no words were spoken, a sense of unease lingered among the surviving champions and the titan alike.
The titan's confusion was fleeting, however, as it redirected its attention toward the asura and fishman, the only two champions left unscathed. With a mighty force, it shattered another spike and strode menacingly toward the ashen-faced pair.
Undeterred, the duo charged at the titan with unwavering determination. The fishman once again morphed into a massive octopus, its tentacles lashing out at the advancing titan. Meanwhile, the asura began chanting a new sutra, flames dancing around its molten skin. Its golden eyes glinted with maniacal intent as the blackened orbs reappeared. One by one, the orbs shattered, and the asura seized the transformed elemental silkworms, bringing all six arms together in a prayer-like gesture.
Behind the asura, six elemental vortexes formed, unleashing unrelenting elemental attacks toward the titan.
In that very instant, the octopus' tentacles crashed against the titan's colossal form, the impact resounding with a crisp clank amid the swiftly flooding arena. Unperturbed by the champion's assault, the titan casually brushed off the attack and advanced forward. With venomous agility, precision, and strength, it thrust its spike, skewering six of the octopus' tentacles.
Seizing another tentacle with its free hand, the titan hurled the octopus towards the incoming onslaught of the asura's attacks. Explosions reverberated as the elemental barrage ripped through one tentacle, leaving the other ensnared in ice. With a casual kick, the titan sent the octopus hurtling towards the farthest reaches of the arena, diverting its attention back to the asura.
The champion's sutra shifted once more, conjuring orbs behind the asura. The titan reached for its spine, snapping off another spike. With a swift motion, it flung the spike towards the asura, the projectile warping space itself as it tore through the centermost head and split the others in half. The champion plunged into the rising waters, swiftly sinking into the murky depths. Turning its gaze towards the octopus' crash site, the titan began to approach the incapacitated champion with measured steps.
However, on its tenth stride, the titan abruptly halted, its attention drawn to the left as it squinted into the distance. Despite its heightened senses, nothing out of the ordinary presented itself. After a moment of careful observation, it turned away from the area and resumed its advance towards the octopus, which groaned in agony while attempting to free its impaled tentacles. As it took its second step, a figure materialized from the void, wielding an otherworldly war hammer.
Only inches separated the war hammer from the titan’s eyes as it unleashed a thundering roar. The sea vanished, replaced by dried earth. The octopus reverted to its fishman form, a spike protruding from his abdomen as he lay face-first. Meanwhile, Scott collapsed to the ground, crushed by a massive gravitational force.
The titan shifted its attention to Scott, who struggled to lift his head. Suddenly, it delivered a ruthless kick, propelling the eldritch knight toward the arena's walls, where his upper body became deeply embedded in the concrete.
The sickening sound of breaking bones echoed as the asura and fishman were pulverized by the gravitational force. Yet, the titan’s fearsome gaze remained fixed on the eldritch knight buried in the wall. It snapped off another spike, hurling it toward Scott. A thick shield of eldritch energy formed around the crack, but the spike effortlessly shattered through it. Fresh blood spilled from the sides of the crack as Scott’s severed legs crashed onto the dry earth.
The titan snapped off another spike, launching it with fury. It embedded itself into the previous one, and the titan hurled more spikes relentlessly, one after another, creating a barrage.
With a stomp of its feet, the gravitational force ceased. Then, it gestured toward Scott's location with a clasping motion. The ground trembled incessantly, a hole forming among the remains of the spikes. An explosion ensued, and a mangled body, covered in cuts, blood, and earth, hurtled toward the titan's open arm.
The titan held Scott's ragged body between its thumb and index finger; its bloodthirsty eyes fixed on the champion whose body visibly regenerated at a rapid rate. Locking gazes with the champion, the creature violently hurled Scott toward the ground, breaking off another spike and launching it toward the detestable eyes of the masked knight.
The spike raced toward the mask, striking it with force, but the animated mask remained unaffected by the attack. Enraged, the titan struck again with even greater force, yet the mask remained undamaged.
Locking eyes with the man behind the mask, the titan's rage intensified, feeling a sense of mockery it couldn't understand. It struck repeatedly in quick succession, but the mask remained unscathed. Scott's delirious laughter echoed through the arena as he coughed up blood.
Fueled by the antics of the masked knight, the titan unleashed a strike at the man's neck, decapitating him. However, the laughter only grew louder. The titan hurled the decapitated head to the furthest reaches of the arena, snapping off two spikes in preparation to throw them as makeshift spears.
Suddenly, several cyan orbs magically appeared behind the titan, spewing out chains that bound the colossal creature. The orbs coalesced into a gigantic orb, swallowing the titan whole.
Simultaneously, the announcer's voice boomed through the arena. “The mandatory challenge is now over! Champions will be rewarded or punished based on their performances.”
The massive orb fragmented into several smaller orbs, exuding stardust that spread across the arena. The sandy earth churned like boiling water, regurgitating the stone, dust, sweat, tears, blood, tissues, organs, and corpses it had consumed. Scott's decapitated head shot out from the wall, racing toward his headless corpse, all the while maintaining its delirious laughter.
In a scene brimming with mystical wonder, all nine champions returned to their original positions unscathed, their bodies devoid of even the faintest scratch. However, their countenances bore a diverse array of emotions. While Scott erupted into laughter with unbridled abandon, the fishman and asura's expressions contorted with seething rage. Sahure's form bent awkwardly to the side, and the remaining champions visibly trembled, their faces etched with dread.
As the shimmering stardust dissipated, the resonance of a gong reverberated throughout the arena. Thirty-one of the forty-one champions who had vanished earlier reappeared, many adorned with smiles. Yet, those smiles swiftly faded upon seeing the nine abstainers. Anger distorted their expressions, but their visage soon transitioned into a mix of confusion and curiosity. Despite the absence of physical injuries among the nine abstainers, they could tell that the group had gone through a monumental ordeal.