Magical pressure spread across the arena like a storm about to consume everything.
The blue chains around Miv began spinning wildly, tearing apart the platform’s floor while luminous particles rose into the air like ashes carried by a hurricane.
The elf’s silver hair swayed violently.
His eyes now overflowed with pure fury.
Miv:
“You filthy human!”
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!
The explosion of mana sent fragments of stone flying in every direction.
The impact caused part of the platform to sink several centimeters.
Even before that monstrous pressure, Sarina merely smiled mockingly.
Sarina:
“My…”
Sarina:
“Are all elves always this dramatic?”
Elv appeared beside Miv.
The bluish armor covering his body pulsed like liquid metal.
Elv:
“Miv… control yourself.”
The chains vibrated even more intensely.
Miv clenched his teeth.
Miv:
“They brought down Lior…”
Ecti slowly drew another mana arrow.
Blue energy condensed around the bow like a small comet.
Ecti:
“Then we will exterminate them.”
Kirt raised his staff.
Several magic circles appeared around the elves, spreading luminous symbols throughout the ruined arena.
Kamero immediately noticed.
His eyes narrowed.
Kamero:
“Defensive formation!”
CRACK!
CRACK!
CRACK!
Gigantic walls of ice rose around Guild EXO.
But at the same instant—
FWISH!
FWISH!
FWISH!
Ecti’s mana arrows cut through the sky.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!
The explosions destroyed part of the ice walls.
Frozen crystals scattered through the air like rain.
Hitori narrowed his eyes.
Hitori:
“They pierced the ice?!”
Kamero slid several meters backward from the pressure.
Kamero:
“Those arrows contain too much mana!”
Kirt then slammed his staff against the shattered floor.
Kirt:
“Circular Mana Waves.”
FWOOOOOOOOOSH!!
Magical waves spread across the platform in circles.
The stones began to crack.
Large fissures opened beneath Guild EXO’s feet.
Yashina immediately moved her golden hexagons.
Yashina:
“Reflection.”
The six hexagons began bouncing light between each other.
Their intensity increased every second.
Even the air started vibrating.
Then—
FWOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!!
A gigantic golden beam shot toward the magical waves.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!
The collision generated an explosion so powerful that several vessels rocked violently on the river.
The spectators had to hold on.
???:
“That guild is insane!”
???:
“They’re fighting elves on equal footing?!”
Meanwhile—
Miv disappeared.
Sarina felt a chill.
Sarina:
“Fast!”
CLANG!!
A chain appeared behind her.
She blocked it with her fans.
The impact created a brutal shockwave.
But another chain immediately came from the side.
Sarina dodged by mere centimeters.
Miv appeared above her.
His eyes filled with pure contempt.
Miv:
“Devouring Chains.”
The chains advanced like gigantic serpents.
Destroying everything in their path.
Sarina spun through the air.
Sarina:
“Ascending Flow!”
An explosion of wind launched her upward.
The chains pierced the ground below her.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!
Huge fragments of the arena were thrown into the sky.
Miv raised his hand again.
More chains appeared.
Faster.
More violent.
Sarina’s eyes widened slightly.
Sarina:
“Oh, crap…”
Then—
CRAAAAAAAAAASH!!
A gigantic wall of ice appeared before her.
Kamero slid across the ruined arena.
Kamero:
“You never follow the plan.”
Sarina landed behind him.
Smiling.
Sarina:
“But I win.”
Kamero let out a tired sigh.
Then—
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!
Elv smashed through the wall using his mana-covered body.
The ice exploded into thousands of fragments.
Kamero widened his eyes.
Kamero:
“Tsc!”
Elv instantly appeared before him.
Elv:
“Weak.”
CLANG!!
The mana-coated punch struck the grimoire directly.
The brutal force launched Kamero backward.
He crashed through pieces of the arena before violently sliding across the ruined ground.
Hitori immediately rushed forward.
Hitori:
“KAMERO!”
But Ecti appeared from the side.
Ecti:
“Mana Arrow.”
FWISH!!
The arrow flew directly toward Hitori’s face.
Yashina appeared before him.
Yashina:
“I won’t allow it.”
CLANG!!
The arrow was blocked.
But then—
Ecti smiled.
Cold.
Calculating.
Ecti:
“Got you.”
Another arrow appeared behind Yashina.
Her eyes widened.
Yashina:
“What—?!”
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!
The explosion violently slammed Yashina into the ground.
Hitori:
“YASHINA!”
Aysa immediately ran to her.
Aysa:
“Healing Fluid!”
A reddish liquid began covering the wound.
Meanwhile—
Miv and Elv charged together.
The pressure emitted by the two caused the floor to crack even further.
Kamero slowly stood up.
Panting.
Kamero:
“They’ve started fighting seriously…”
Miv stared directly at Hitori.
Chains began gathering around his body.
Blue mana spread across the arena.
The spectators fell silent.
Even other battles began to stop.
The magical pressure was monstrous.
Miv:
“Human…”
The chains slowly rotated.
Like hungry creatures.
Miv:
“I’m going to tear out your soul.”
Hitori felt a chill run down his spine.
Something instinctive reacted within him.
Then—
The five black spheres appeared behind his back.
Slowly spinning.
Yashina noticed immediately.
Yashina:
“Hitori…”
Kamero turned pale.
Kamero:
“No…”
The spheres began spinning faster.
Two of them fused with Hitori’s arms.
Black matter slowly covered them.
Sarina watched in surprise.
Sarina:
“That is…”
Dark matter took shape.
Monstrous black gloves completely covered his arms.
The pressure around him exploded.
The ground beneath his feet sank.
Hitori’s eyes focused entirely on Miv.
Hitori:
“You talk too much.”
The remaining spheres trembled.
The elves finally lost their arrogant smiles.
Elv:
“That mana…”
Ecti involuntarily stepped back.
Ecti:
“That’s not normal…”
Miv tightened the chains.
Miv:
“No matter what it is…”
His mana exploded violently.
Miv:
“YOU’RE STILL AN INFERIOR HUMAN!”
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!
The clash between their magical pressures swept across the entire arena.
The chains destroyed the floor while Hitori’s black aura distorted the air around him.
Heavy.
Suffocating.
Threatening.
Even nearby guilds began retreating.
???:
“What kind of mana is that…?”
???:
“Are those guys trying to kill each other?!”
Sarina silently watched Hitori.
The black gloves seemed alive.
Moving along his arms like solid smoke.
Hitori clenched his fist.
CRACK!!
The ground sank beneath him.
Kamero widened his eyes.
Kamero:
“His physical strength increased…”
Yashina watched carefully.
Yashina:
“He’s still conscious…”
But Hitori trembled.
His whole body suffered under the pressure.
The veins in his arms bulged violently.
The black mana pushed his body beyond its limit.
Miv slowly raised one of the chains.
Miv:
“So that’s what makes you different?”
The chains began emitting sparks of mana.
Miv:
“It doesn’t matter.”
The chains exploded forward.
Miv:
“DEVOURING CHAINS!”
CLANG!
CLANG!
CLANG!
CLANG!
The chains advanced like monstrous serpents.
Hitori disappeared.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!
The ground exploded where he had been.
Elv widened his eyes.
Elv:
“Fast!”
Hitori instantly appeared in front of Miv.
The black gloves compressed the air.
Hitori:
“Then come at me!”
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!
His punch collided with the chains.
The shockwave swept across the entire arena.
The vessels on the river rocked violently.
Miv:
“THE HUMAN STOPPED THE CHAINS?!”
For the first time—
Fear appeared in the elf’s eyes.
The black gloves shattered the chains upon direct impact.
CRACK!
CRACK!
CRACK!
Blue fragments exploded through the air.
Miv immediately retreated.
“Impossible!”
Hitori charged again.
The spheres behind him began to deform.
Two of them transformed into spinning black discs.
FWOOOOOOOOOSH!!
The discs sliced through the sky at incredible speed.
Miv barely dodged.
The discs cut through the arena’s pillars as if they were paper.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!
Elv immediately appeared in front of Miv.
His mana armor intensified.
Elv:
“I’ll hold him back!”
Elv charged, using his own body as a weapon.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!
The collision between Elv and Hitori destroyed part of the floor beneath them.
The black gloves blocked the mana-covered punch.
But the force sent Hitori several meters backward.
Elv widened his eyes.
Elv:
“He blocked my armor…?!”
Hitori slowly raised his head.
His eyes completely focused.
Hitori:
“You hit hard…”
The spheres started spinning again.
Now covered in black spikes.
Hitori:
“But so do I.”
FWOOOOOOOOOSH!!
The spikes were launched.
Elv crossed his arms.
His blue armor shone intensely.
CLANG!
CLANG!
CLANG!
But the spikes began piercing the protection.
Elv:
“What?!”
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!
The explosion hurled Elv backward.
Ecti immediately drew his bow.
Ecti:
“Supreme Mana Arrow!”
An absurd amount of energy began gathering into the arrow.
Kamero noticed immediately.
Kamero:
“Yashina!”
She nodded.
The hexagons began spinning rapidly.
Yashina:
“Hexagonal Reflection.”
Light bounced between the hexagons.
Amplifying itself more and more.
Then—
Ecti fired.
FWOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!!
The gigantic blue arrow crossed the arena.
Yashina pointed her hand.
Yashina:
“Reflected Shot.”
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!
A colossal golden beam collided directly with the arrow.
The explosion illuminated the entire river.
The raging waters exploded into gigantic columns.
The spectators covered their eyes.
???:
“THIS IS A ROOKIE TOURNAMENT?!”
Meanwhile—
Kirt advanced from the side with his staff.
Several magic circles appeared around him.
Kirt:
“Healing Waves.”
Blue mana covered Miv and Elv’s wounds.
Aysa immediately noticed.
Aysa:
“Oh no.”
She drew several knives.
The reddish liquid gleamed over the blades.
Aysa:
“Paralyzing Fluid!”
FWISH!
FWISH!
FWISH!
The knives flew at high speed.
Kirt widened his eyes.
But—
CLANG!
CLANG!
Miv’s chains deflected them all.
Miv:
“Do not touch our support, human.”
Then—
Sarina instantly appeared above him.
Smiling.
Sarina:
“Then I’ll hit you again!”
The wind began spinning violently around her.
Sarina:
“VACUUM GALE!”
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!
A gigantic pressure wave exploded against Miv.
The chains blocked part of the impact.
But the floor beneath him collapsed.
Miv slid several meters away.
Sarina landed with a smile.
Sarina:
“How’d you like that?”
Miv slowly raised his head.
His eyes were now filled with pure hatred.
The chains began vibrating violently.
Even more mana began to gather around him.
Kamero immediately sensed it.
Kamero:
“This isn’t good…”
Yashina narrowed her eyes.
Yashina:
“He’s about to use something.”
Kirt finished partially healing them.
Ecti drew another arrow.
Elv stood up again.
Then—
Miv slowly spread his arms.
The chains began to grow.
More.
More.
More.
Blue mana began covering almost the entire arena.
The sky above the platform darkened.
The waters of the river started raging violently.
Even Rumel Grow narrowed his eyes from the main vessel.
Rumel Grow:
“That elf…”
Miv smiled contemptuously.
The chains emitted grotesque sounds.
Like souls screaming.
Like creatures agonizing in the depths.
Miv:
“Inferior humans…”
The chains rose into the sky like monstrous serpents.
Miv:
“I will show you the true power of Guild Eyalnir.”