The Red Ogre Tyrant's golden veil of energy starts to shift to red as its rank-up buff activates.
The dome that surrounds us, protecting the audience outside the fight ring, is now rippling and bending toward the monster on the far side of the arena.
I'm sure they fight monsters of this caliber very often, but none of the past monsters could have had a buff and skill combination like this... With the name Ogre Tyrant's Dominance, and the absorption of MP it's taking in from all directions, I can only assume this rank-up perk allows the monster to take superior control over all of the mana in the nearby atmosphere.
Along with its only combat skill being advanced mana manipulation, my confidence in the barrier overhead to keep our dangerous attacks contained is dwindling.
It runs forward at me with its spiked mace swinging in the air once again, this time around layered in a much thicker mana shielding, and I can tell its MP bar has raised far past full. The monster is wielding more energy than it did at the start of the match.
I can sense mana seeping out from the shielding above our heads, aiding its next attack.
Still, I grit my teeth and counter, activating the newly ranked-up legendary bloodlust skill in small bursts to increase my speed and magic power.
It burns through a lot of MP to use this buff now, but with the massive cloud of mana swirling around my opponent, the moment I get in close I can easily restore myself to full.
As we're about to clash, I sense my swordsmanship skill begin to activate, instinctually pointing me to swing in a different direction than I first planned to.
I hesitate, and the feeling goes away...
Our shielded weapons collided and we're both blasted backward to opposite sides of the arena. Even with my new buff activated, I wasn't able to overpower this tyrant. Each time we collide, our shielding is nearly equal in density and strength, but the weight and power of its weapon is intense. The precision at which it swings won't allow me to get a proper hit in, getting hit by that mace may mean the end for me.
However, If I can get past it and land a good hit on the Ogre, it would mean the end for this beast as well.
Once I stand up off the ground, my mind races over the odd sensation I felt before our attacks met. It was like a subconscious pull, leading me to use my blade in a much different way than a regular straight-on attack.
A roar echoes out through the ring again as the Ogre charges at me.
I run forward too, activating my bloodlust buff again, and hoping that feeling from my swordsmanship skill comes back.
At this rate, I need to switch things up. Just colliding over and over, stealing a few HP every attack won't cut it. The shielding in the arena may give out before I can finish this monster off.
As we're about to collide again, I feel the same pull, and decide to give in to it and let my instincts completely guide my blade.
I change directions in mid-air with an airstep, and a faint silver line that looks like a nearly invisible spider's thread shows up in my mind's eye, but projects itself into reality.
Almost like the system text has come to life, and is showing me a holographic path to follow with the tip of my blade.
It twists and curves, but I shut my mind off and follow. With every airstep and curving swing of my sword, I narrowly miss the fast-spinning mace that constantly soars toward me.
Even so, the end of the thread is in sight, and it ends right on the Ogre's neck. The closer the thread gets to my opponent, the more it changes color. At the tip of my sword it shimmers silver and glows almost white, but near the monster's vital point the thread is stained blood red.
I twist my body out of the way of the beast and come within a 5-meter range of the end of the thread. The creature's mace is all the way on the monster's side of its body. The world feels as if it's slowed down, and everything except the thread and the monster that is my target has been muffled out and faded from existence. My sword comes down with all my might in a graceful swing, and I slice through the creature's mana shielding along with a large layer of flesh.
An eruption of mana explosion, crimson blood, and dark flames sends both of us flying backward and reality creeps back into my senses all around me as I hit the back of the mana dome.
The mixture of cheers and boos fills my ears, but it doesn't matter to me at all.
I raise my sword in the air and light it on fire, letting out a laugh, as the injured monster starts to run back at me filled with rage.
I grip my blade with both hands and smirk.
To anyone in the crowd that could follow my movements before, they're already aware of the fact that I can use air magic, so there's no reason not to show a bit more of my hand.
As I run closer, the instinctive feeling begins to grow more and more, but I activate my earth magic first to give myself an additional edge.
With a simple thought, the ground beneath the Ogre turns to liquid stone and begins slowing its footsteps. Every meter closer it travels, the more rocks form around its ankles and shins. Once it's close enough, the creature has to physically break free from the mounds of rocks on its legs every step.
I jump in the air and search for the thread.
Breathing in and out, the world around me disappears again, leaving just the shimmering silver line leading to the monster's neck, and the slow-motion mace spinning around in the air with a clear path before me making it easy to dodge.
In a graceful fluid movement, taking 5 airsteps in total, I get in close and release another full-powered slash, slicing through the excess mana shielding around its neck, and also cracking the top portion of its chestplate, sending it flying backward, now dripping blood all over its silver armor.
This time; mana, rock, and flames erupt into the air but I still feel its life force pulsing strong.
Once the debris begins to clear, the red glow around its body becomes larger and larger. Instead of running at me, it backs up and places its free hand against the shielding dome. The energy starts to ripple and vibrate more than ever before.
The dome's inner surface looks like a thin layer of water being bounced around by the vibrating frequency of a powerful music playing device.
The more volatile the shielding around the ring becomes, the more the red aura around the creature grows.
The boos in the crowd against me begin to turn into whispers and frightened screams as people soon realize what's going on.
I run forward gripping my blade with one thing on my mind, finishing this battle once and for all.
I decide not to hold back one bit. If this monster manages to take out the shielding around the ring, there will be many more problems than one...
The audience wouldn't be safe, they may send in extra guards to subjugate the beast and I wouldn't get my level-ups or skill upgrades, and worst of all; the bets could be off. My chance to 5x my money and fool the crowd would have all been for nothing.
"I need to kill this monster now."
Without hesitating, I activate every single skill that will allow me to get closer to the beast as fast as possible, and keep it stuck in place to land a finishing move without any interference before any announcements can be made.
With my wind magic and buffs on full blast, propelling me forward, and earth magic surrounding the creature at the far side of the ring, the distance between us is negated in milliseconds.
Its legs are held in place by rock reinforced by telekinesis while waves of intense intimidation are sent straight into its psyche. Meanwhile, my blade is being charged up to its maximum potential and the world around me is fading away as a single shimmering crimson line of mana leads to the same unguarded blind spot on the Ogre's neck.
I jump upward and swing the blade with unmatched strength and precision. The head of the Red Ogre Tyrant is sliced clean from its body and begins spinning high into the air before anyone in the audience can even blink.
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Author's Note:
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