Muted shards of light emerged from a portal with a surface like glimmering, crushed glass, reflecting off rows of stalactites and casting roving patterns upon the rough stone walls of the cave. A narrow corridor that was painstakingly carved out of the rocky interior of the cave lay before the pulsing portal made of divine power, as though inviting one to step into the world of darkness that lay at its other end.
A trio of men strode through the deep corridor, wearing inky-black masks that hid their features from prying eyes. The youngest of them all was clad in black from head to toe, revealing only a pair of exquisite, blood-red eyes that inquisitively surveyed their surroundings.
Soon, they came to a stop in front of a large iron door that was fixed in place between the cave walls, barring anyone from entering. The tallest of the trio walked forward, placing his opened palm against the smooth metal before muttering an incantation under his breath.
The door burst with wisps of colour, spreading to every corner, and revealing an intricate pattern that was secretly etched into the doorway. It flashed once, instantly illuminating the dull interior of the cave before the door slowly gave way, opening with a loud creak.
Their silent surroundings were instantly filled with sound, the cheers and shouts flooding their ears and echoing off the stone walls. Lights flickered in and out, flashing and pulsing as the noise reached a rapid crescendo before falling and ebbing like the low tides.
A vast arena, made entirely of stone, lay sprawled before their eyes, looking as though the intricate structures had naturally risen out of the smooth floors. Rows and rows of seats surrounded a hollow pit that was covered with tough, thick tiles, its walls showcasing a gruesome splattering of blood and viscera.
The dying carcass of a beast lay sprawled on the smooth flooring, low whimpers emerging from its snout as it sought to make a dying stand. An elf lay nimbly on the boundaries of the pit, his bow and arrows trained on the bleeding beast, tuned to strike at the smallest of moments.
The voices of hundreds of spectators blended together in a euphoric symphony, each cheer elevating the atmosphere to a new high. A litter of warriors boorishly roared at the pair fighting for their lives on the arena floor, throwing out curses and comments at them as they excitedly clutched at their own weapons.
"... I have to say, it's both exactly like and completely different from what I imagined it to be." Reas muttered dryly.
A chuckle sounded from Avon, who was already making his way towards the area where tens of warriors waited impatiently for their turns. "For me, it looks like a scene out of my wildest dreams."
"Tone down the bloodthirst a little, would you, my dear disciple? You're making this old man worry about the state of your mind." the cardinal chuckled, pulling at Reas' wrist as they strode towards an empty bench. "Since your identity has been thoroughly hidden, you don't have to worry about holding back. The illusion that I cast on you will make the others see a normal, middle-aged man in your place. You may do as you please."
Avon simply flashed a grin at them, clutching onto the hilt of his sword before leaping down towards the stage, readying himself for the battle that was soon to take place.
__________
A loud roar emerged from the mouth of the wyvern that was curled around the arena walls, drawing drops of blood from the shattered eardrums of the weaker members of the audience. Its tail swung proudly as it leapt forward, the glistening scales on its skin forming a long, indistinct streak due to the sheer speed at which it moved.
Avon dodged nimbly to the side, blocking its heavy tail with the width of his sword, sinking his feet into the ground for balance. The wyvern twisted its head sideways, its beady eyes locking onto Avon's illusory figure as it opened its maws, spewing our pillars of billowing fire that singed the entire stage black.
Avon raised his hand, summoning a sheet of condensed ice to act as a shield, before leaping away from the monster- seeking to distance himself from its formidable claws and tail.
At his command, an arrow of water crystallized in the air, growing to the length of a meter before flying towards the wyvern, accurately piercing its fragile neck.
The monster groaned in pain, fury filling its entire being as it clawed at the wound on its neck, drenching its limbs with black blood. It abruptly thrashed its tail against the floor, causing clouds of dust and debris to rise up, obscuring Avon's vision for a brief second.
Avon tensed up, channeling mana into his senses as he sought to sense the monster's presence amidst the distractions.
The spectators, who were all silent until now, collectively started gasping and whispering, making Avon raise his guard in suspicion.
Suddenly, a nimble shadow leaped forward, appearing near Avon in a blink of an eye. Before he could react, it sank its claws into Avon's left arm, letting out a triumphant roar when its nails met with flesh and blood.
'Fast! How did it suddenly gain such speed?'
Avon grimaced as pain shot through his nerves, briefly clouding his vision. He slashed his sword forward, the edge of his blade meeting the wyvern's claws with a loud and bloody squelch. He leaped away from the injured monster as he pulled the claws out of his arm in one smooth motion, gritting his teeth as his entire body quivered in agony.
Slowly, the clouds settled, revealing the monster's silhouette to Avon once more.
Wisps of black miasma hovered around its changed body, blending seamlessly into the dark night. Its scales grew a shade darker, black swirls and patterns outlining its face and tail. Its wingspan grew in size, now able to cover over half of the stage with its appendages.
"...Chaotic transformation." Avon exclaimed, staring in awe at his opponent.
Avon greedily drank in the sight that he had only ever read about before, his ruby eyes flickering as they carefully surveyed and catalogued every inch of the monster's transformed body, all the while maintaining a state of heightened vigilance.
The monster temporarily paused in its attacks, satiated after drawing its opponent's blood as it instinctively channeled its chaotic power towards its neck. The life threatening wound on its pulse abruptly stopped dripping beads of black blood, ribbons of flesh and tissue manifesting as they healed the gaping gash in a matter of seconds.
'No wonder people always say that a monster's ability to regenerate was their greatest threat...'
Avon snapped out of his daze, his eyes refocusing as he tuned himself to the ambient mana. He lightly splayed his palm against the ground, spreading his mana to cover the entire area.
A low rumble spread out, with Avon at its center, before the floor fell apart with a crisp crack. Thousands of fissures snaked across the ground, following their master's order as they circled the wyvern threateningly. Avon moved his fingers, making the earth dance to his tune as he fashioned spikes of stone, stabbing them through the monster's wings and ruthlessly ripping apart the sinewy appendages from their roots.
"Let's see if you can regenerate now..." Avon's eyes took on a crazed glint as the wind answered his call, his body safely floating above the ground that had now been completely covered with a thin layer of his mana.
A beat of silence passed, before the entire stage collapsed.
The wyvern desperately clawed against the ground as it stumbled into a jagged trench, trying in vain to beat its non-existent wings. Chaotic power fluctuated wildly as it failed to heal the stumps of the wyvern's wings, rapidly depleting the monster's strength.
Avon grit his teeth, ignoring the telltale throbbing that coursed through his head- a sign that he was at his limits. He strained his mind, shifting mana to his command as he froze the wyvern's body inside the pit, making it cease its futile struggle.
He flew over to the newly created pit as he coated his blade in an inferno of flames, taking advantage of his opponent's brief incapacitation as he slashed down at the wyvern's exposed neck, slicing off its head in one smooth motion.
Black blood sprayed out, drenching his blade and forearms. Silence reigned in the arena.
The atmosphere tensed, the air stagnating as the spectators collectively gazed at the lone figure on the stage. One second passed, then two, before cheers and shouts erupted out, bubbling and flowing like hot magma, transforming the arena into a cacophony of sounds.
The figure on the stage bowed once, wiping off the blood on his blade before sheathing it and walking off in long, confident strides.
Unseen by everyone, the remnants of his opponent's chaotic power quietly followed.
__________