Parting the sand with each step I took, Divinity swelled to an unreachable height as a sword materialized within my hand. Nodes of Darkness began to creep into the material plane as the void shook the moment a formless intent flared to life.
Intent cloaked the edge of my blade as a silvery black light shimmered, and with a flick of the wrist, the dings of my sword against Selor's shield resounded like thunder tearing apart heaven and earth.
A shockwave shattering the concept of sound bellowed its gruesome howl, picking up sand and debris. Yet none of this seemed to catch any of us off guard.
Selor pushed his shield out in a brashing motion, pushing me back as the dagger in his hand whipped through the air with such dexterity I knew no spear nor sword could match. Trying to do so would only lead to excess wounds. Not to mention the simple act of touching Astral Blade could lead to harm. Such a technique worked by connection.
Should my sword meet his dagger, It would be my Soul Flame that would take the brunt of the attack. It was a monstrous Arte that Zariel created to ensure that all he killed would permanently die. I hope this man didn't master Astral Sword either. If so, this battle will be far more complicated than I could imagine.
And I've no time to figure out if these astral warriors ever came up with a way to stop such attacks without artifacts.
Side stepping to escape his attack, astral force gathered in the palm of my hand, and with a push of intent, a blast of pure unfiltered force struck Selor taking him by surprise, the moment his blade suddenly pivoted in the air towards my carotid artery.
Blood gushed from his lips alongside a few teeth as he skipped over the sand like a stone on water, catching himself only by piercing his feet into the ruby sand stained by those who came before.
"What a surprise," He said, wiping the blood off his lips. "A fellow warrior, how it will sadden me to steal away your life."
His voice was soft and a little effeminate, but there was a bit of guilt in his tone, a hint of apprehension as he spoke those words.
It had never really crossed my mind, but unlike me, who held many means of escape, these gladiators and slaves were different. To live, they had to kill each other; they had to steal; they had to lie just to survive.
"It's quite alright," I said, seeing the prideful guilt he held. "But my blade will not sway."
"I hope not." He whispered as his icy blue eyes grew frosty.
The winds felt like blades against my skin as everything around me began to freeze. And from the void, I could hear the sounds of whispers rising out of the empty void.
"Although we may be in the abyss, one thing remains unchanged no matter where we go. And it is the Soul Core where Astral Essence resides." Selor gently said as several spirits began to appear.
All of them draped like gladiators, alongside a few who seemed different. They did not appear like these ghosts but instead like true elemental spirits.
Amazed and guarded, I placed my sword in my left hand and created a spear with the help of the darkness and illusions to mask its monstrous power from prying eyes alongside my opponent.
'This is going to be a long day,' I whispered and dashed towards the small army of gladiators and elemental spirits.
Cries of war echoed as the ghost and spirits charged, meeting me head-on as a deadly dance ensued. My sword and spear prowled like a lion reaping the lives of both Ghost and Spirit as a frozen vortex of hell began to swell within the stage.
But with my immunity, I ignored this Astral Warrior's attempt to slow my movements.
Making quick work of the apparitions, with my God-tier battle prowess, I Shadowed Step towards Selor with a sadden smile and thrust my spear towards his heart.
But with a slight motion of his shield arm to guard his chest, Selor's right arm, holding his dagger, rushed towards my neck.
And yet, with a flare of my forsaken qi, shield and dagger turned to dust as my spear pierced through Selors chest.
Blood gushed over my face as he looked at me with utter shock as the darkness hidden beneath my spear's illusion withered this warrior's life in an instant, leaving nothing behind but dust.
"Sorry, you were too dangerous not to use my bloodline. I needed an instant win when Zariels technique came into play." I said, eyeing the dust particles of Selor mix into the sandy arena.
"A-A-A-Amazing!!!!! Ten Seconds! And we have a winner! Truly a spectacular finish! Utterly amazing! LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, ILLB!!!! WINS!!!!"
The crowd went absolutely wild from their earlier silence. Howls seemed to drown the words the announcer was speaking, as many cheered while many cried over missed placed bets. Nevertheless, they still had a gleam of enjoyment over this relatively long battle.
Ten seconds to Gods whose blades and bodies move faster than light itself was terrifying. While somewhat uncommon. There exist numerous battles that carry on for days. Where two parties simply cannot outmatch the other.
Nevertheless, there was one thing left for me to accomplish: Lifting my hand, I coldly stared at the crowd and released a terrifying intent as my voice thundered, with a trickle of Divinity amplifying my voice. " Silence."
Excitement raced over the hearts of many as I stood sinking into the ruby sand. "I've got an announcement to make. Hours ago, the Second Consort of the Aether Nation sent assassins after me. As a result, they met an untimely end, but—" I paused, letting the words sink into these fools' minds. "Such things did not end there, as the Whore had the Angels attack me. I'm sure you've all seen Lady Black's enjoyable video of me destroying these idiots."
Whispered resounded with a bit of unease, yet from a particular woman, I could practically feel the Sin of Greed oozing off of her. At the money, she saw herself making.
"My announcement today is to say that I shall end the Second Consort's life three weeks from today!"