"This was a great battle." Yaxun commented.
"Yes, I didn't expect Raymond to lose."
"He would have won if he had kept his guard up from the start. Now the next one is Sariel, I want to see how he fares against one of my generals."
"For the next battle, we will have Sariel against Hunac! One of our greatest warriors who has already eliminated dozens of Angels!"
The traveler entered calmly, observing his opponent from the other side with a confident walk. He wore red clothes and a helmet with dozens of white feathers.
"Sariel, huh? I hope you're strong enough to keep up with me." he said, raising his right fist and smiling.
"It's a pleasure. As far as I can see, your count is 37 Angels, right?"
"Well, well, how do you know?" Hunac seemed happy with that remark.
"I counted your feathers; I know you have the custom of using the feathers of the Angels you kill in your garments as a trophy of your triumph."
"For a foreigner from far away you know quite a bit about us, huh? It makes me a little uncomfortable for not knowing anything about your kingdom."
"Haha! Don't worry, after we're done, we'll have plenty of time to get to know each other."
"I liked you kid! Let's fight with all our might!"
"Of course!" replied the traveler with a friendly smile.
The king observed Sariel with curiosity during the conversation.
"Hmm... I didn't expect a foreigner to know about that..."
Luna said nothing; however, she observed the king carefully and tried to count his feathers.
"Curious? Don't worry, I'll tell you how many there are! I killed 195 of you!" the king said, pointing his finger at the princess. "I got here using the bodies of your damned race as stairs."
Luna was silent for a moment and turned her gaze back to the arena, until she replied: "You may be a king, but you still have to learn how to act like one..."
"An aberration like you dare..."
LET THE BATTLE BEGIN!
Yaxun was interrupted by the narrator announcing the start of the fight between Sariel and Hunac.
The moment the battle was authorized, two loud sounds - like explosions - could be heard in sequence.
When Yaxun looked at the arena again, all he saw was his general fallen and leaning against the golden shimmering wall, indicating that the magic barrier had been activated and absorbed damage.
The traveler was standing in the place Hunac had occupied before and was calmly looking at his defeated opponent.
The audience, which was initially noisy and clamoring for the general's name, was now deadly silent, not understanding what had happened, again.
"What... the hell happened?" Yaxun asked perplexed.
"Sariel... approached Hunac and punched him... I think... making him fly across the arena... and crash into the barrier," Luna explained with difficulty. Even though she was watching carefully, all she could see was the traveler disappearing in an instant and, in the next, Hunac being violently thrown against the walls.
"Impossible! The fight just started! How could he have defeated him so quickly?"
"Maybe you would have seen if you weren't distracted." Luna taunted.
"You..."
"The... the victory goes to... to Sariel." the announcer announced with difficulty.
The population remained silent, only applauding weakly as they observed the traveler, who instead of leaving the arena, approached his fallen opponent and crouched down before him.
"Hey, are you okay?" he asked while shaking the general, trying to wake him up.
"Huh... What...? Hunac slowly regained consciousness. His eyes had difficulty seeing the figure in front of him.
"I see you're okay, can you get up?"
"I think so... but what happened? Why am I on the ground?" he asked confused.
"I apologize, I used more force than I should have, haha!"
"You... I didn't even see you move... You're stronger than I expected."
"Thank you for the compliment, but you better go now, find a healer, as you probably have a broken bone."
"You're right, urgh." he groaned as he got up. "I'm looking forward to your final battle."
With that said, Hunac left the arena in a daze, leaving Sariel and a stunned audience behind.
"It's a good thing we have these Protection Stones all over the arena, if it wasn't for the magic shield protecting the arena walls, part of the stands would have been destroyed." Yaxun said.
Luna, who was still watching the traveler with surprise, remembered the stone she was carrying and showed it to the king.
"Protection Stones? Do they look like this?"
"Exactly. In addition to Protection Stones, we also use Sealing Stones to block the channeling of any kind of magic inside the arena. That way, even if someone tries to use magic, they will not be able to manifest their Magical Power."
"And now it's the grand final of the tournament! The winner will have the opportunity to face someone very powerful and prestigious! Enter! SARIEL AGAINST SHIINA!"
The traveler remained in the arena as he waited for the assassin to appear. However, when Shiina entered, she just raised her left arm.
"I give up! I know my strength and I know I don't have a chance!" Then, she left the field.
In normal cases, the people would have booed her, but everyone knew she made the obvious choice, since it was clear that she wouldn't even be able to get close to him.
It was a perfect opportunity for a rematch of the fight they had in the forest, but after seeing the way the traveler defeated Hunac, Shiina realized that it would be impossible to win against him.
"I'll let Aegreon have fun with you." she said as she walked through the corridors of the arena and smiled evilly.
"Well, that makes Sariel the champion! AND HIS REWARD WILL BE TO FIGHT AEGREON OF THE COUNCIL! EVERYONE WELCOME THE PILLAR OF CONJURATION."
Aegreon entered the arena and the people screamed wildly. After the last battle, everyone had high expectations, and now that they found out that a Pillar would fight, everyone was crazy to see a fight that would be unique in their entire lives.
Both positioned themselves at the ends of the arena and stared at each other. The traveler watched Aegreon cautiously and attentively, but the Pillar stared at him with a bloody and cold gaze.
A wave of hostile intent spread throughout the stands, silencing everyone and making them feel a chill down their spines. The air became heavy and difficult to breathe, and a feeling that something terrible was about to happen took hold of everyone.
"Wait, don't tell me Aegreon intends to fight using all his strength?" Yaxun felt overwhelmed and worried about that bloody aura.
Both continued to stare at each other, and the terrible pressure exerted by the Pillar only increased.
"Damn it! I must stop this fight before..."
"LET THE BATTLE BEGIN!" But the king took too long to act.
Aegreon immediately set off towards Sariel with the fury of a demon.
The traveler had been fast in his previous battles; however, his opponent was a member of the Council, the group of the most powerful people in the world, second only to Ardos, an angel.
This time, not even Yaxun could see the Pillar moving, one moment he was standing, and the next he appeared in front of Sariel already in the middle of a right hook using all his force.
Aegreon moved so fast that he only left behind a black figure, like the shadow of death advancing hungrily towards a life that should be reaped.
"He's dead..."
That's what Yaxun thought, but the traveler surprised everyone by blocking the blow, holding his opponent's fist with just one hand.
The impact between the punch and the block had been so immense that a strong gust of wind was created by the impact.
The people were stunned by what they saw. Everyone knew the power of a Pillar, so stopping a blow like that without using magic was something only someone on the same level would be able to do.
Sariel and Aegreon stared at each other for a brief moment, frozen in time.
Aegreon's eyes were filled with a deadly, yet focused hatred. He was fully concentrated and determined to kill the man whose reflection could be seen in his purple irises.
As for Sariel, he also had a serious look, but a small smile on the face, like someone who was waiting for that moment.
The traveler, still holding the Pillar's fist, used his other arm to counterattack.
Aegreon failed to block and was hit precisely in the face, being pushed back to his starting point, but still standing despite the tremendous force of the attack.
"Did you really think I hadn't noticed your plan, Aegreon?" Sariel said calmly, but in an intimidating tone.
The Pillar remained silent as he observed the traveler. He was so furious that if anyone was by his side they would hear his teeth grinding.
"You only allowed me into the group because you wanted to bring me here, a place where I can't use magic, and kill me using your brute physical force. If you knew I fought the Pillar of Wind shortly before going to Fordurn you wouldn't have thought of such a flawed plan."
"What did you do to Feng Ping?" Aegreon growled.
"I don't know... why don't you pay him another visit to find out?" Sariel taunted with a mysterious tone.
Upon hearing this, Aegreon immediately set off towards Sariel, who also advanced. The speed of both was on the same level, and they were close again in a blink.
The traveler punched with his right arm and the Pillar blocked, creating another powerful impact.
With that, a fierce fight began. Aegreon punched Sariel, who ducked and kicked him upwards. The blow hit him squarely, throwing him up.
However, the Pillar recovered in mid-air and, as he ascended, stepped upside down on the golden barrier.
Then, he flexed his legs and descended like lightning towards the traveler, who took a small jump to dodge the blow.
The moment Aegreon hit the ground, the barrier was revealed once again, glowing gold.
Throughout the history of that arena's existence, this protective shield was rarely even activated, as it was truly almost indestructible.
However, at that moment, every time those two exchanged blows, the barrier glowed gold, showing how powerful they both were.
However, despite all this intense fighting, all the spectators saw were two figures moving quickly, accompanied by sounds that could only be compared to explosions, the result of the explosive power of their fists.
It was impossible to tell who was winning, partly because of the speed at which they were moving, and partly because of the light from the barrier that was becoming increasingly intense.
The fight continued without either side showing any signs of fatigue, until Aegreon was thrown against the edge of the arena and collided heavily with it.
Sariel, instead of continuing his offensive, stood still and observed the Pillar.
"Damn it... What did you do? Why are you now so strong...? " Aegreon asked, his eyes burning with fury. "Why can't I feel your intent?"
"Cool, right? An interesting little trick that you probably know, after all, Feng Ping could do the same... could."
"You..."
"But you know, I'm curious about you... what the hell happened to you to put you in this state?"
"Shut up!" Aegreon advanced and attacked Sariel multiple times, who blocked part of the blows with dexterity, although some managed to hit him.
"What did he mean by that?" Luna asked.
"I don't know... I think he realized something," Yaxun replied.
"Your skin is all necrotic... torn..." the traveler continued.
"SHUT UP!"
The Pillar increased his speed and his blows even more. His fists were like two deadly shadows.
"It's as if someone had flayed your skin, leaving it raw..."
"I WILL KILL YOU!" Aegreon was furious. His eyes could see nothing but Sariel, his fists moved on their own, and the hatred he felt would be enough to scare even the worst of demons.
"What... what does he mean by that?" Luna asked.
"Aegreon's clothes..." Yaxun began with difficulty. "Those are not bandages, neither fabric stripped... it's his own skin, sliced and hanging?" he finished with a questioning tone, as if he didn't believe what he had just said.
"Im-Impossible! His whole body would hurt if that was the case!"
"Yes, it would hurt like hell! But he's a Pillar, someone like him could bear that pain."
Luna looked at the Pillar with different eyes now. She had always thought he was just wearing an exotic outfit, but she realized now how sinister his appearance was. What she thought was a dark red fabric was actually his living, rotten, and necrotic flesh, and what she thought were bandages or strips were, in fact, filaments of his own torn and hanging skin.
Death incarnate, that's what he was. His own skin was his clothing, resembling a cloak worn out by endless years of reaping lives, and his weapon, the scythe he fortunately did not possess at the moment, was responsible for taking souls to the other world.
"And you can't heal those wounds, huh?" the traveler continued.
Sariel kept backing away until he felt something touch his back.
"I backed away too much..." he said in a carefree tone.
"DIE!" Aegreon shouted, taking advantage of the opportunity he had gained.
The Pillar's blow was quick, and hit Sariel squarely. The punch hit him with such force that the entire dome glowed brightly, causing the audience to look away.
"Ouch! That hurt!" the traveler exclaimed, his back hunched. "My turn!"
"What..."
Despite the blow he had received, Sariel grabbed Aegreon's arm and threw him against the wall, then hitting him with a punch in the stomach.
Crack!
The sound of something cracking could be clearly heard. Everyone looked curiously at the Pillar, believing that the punch had broken a bone of his, but what they saw was much worse.
A huge crack appeared in the barrier, spreading from the point where Sariel and Aegreon were and rising towards the audience. The traveler had used so much power in this blow that the barrier had been damaged.
After receiving this punch, the Pillar did not hesitate and counterattacked again.
The fight continued, this time fiercer than ever.
Aegreon, at this point, was no longer thinking logically and was just attacking as if it were the only thing he knew how to do.
Meanwhile, the barrier, which was already damaged, began to succumb little by little, with countless cracks appearing all around the arena.
As much as it was specially designed to withstand heavy blows from even King Yaxun, it was insufficient for those two catastrophic forces.
"We have to stop them!" Luna said to Yaxun. "If this continues, the barrier will break, and the people will be in grave danger!"
"It's impossible! They are like two forces of nature in conflict. Trying to stop them is madness!"
"We have to do something! The people are in danger! Tell them to evacuate!"
Yaxun looked curiously at Luna.
"Quick! What are you waiting for?" the princess urged.
The king then remembered the situation they were in and shouted with a thunderous voice to the people.
"ALL OF YOU LEAVE THE ARENA NOW! YOU ARE IN DANGER! THE BARRIER WILL NOT HOLD! LEAVE NOW!"
On hearing how urgent his king's voice sounded, the people despaired and tried to leave the arena as quickly as possible, but the rush and lack of organization caused people to crowd together and block the exits.
Some people fell and were trampled, luckily there were no children present, otherwise they would be killed by the panic of their compatriots.
"Is there anyone here who can use Protection Spells? They can try to reinforce the barrier to hold on a little longer." Luna suggested. Even without knowing about magic, she made a quick and logical assumption.
"WHOEVER CAN USE PROTECTION SPELLS REINFORCE THE BARRIER WHILE THE EVACUATION TAKES PLACE! QUICK!" Yaxun shouted as soon as he heard the princess's suggestion.
On hearing their king's orders, several people came together and used Protection Magic to strengthen the barrier. The cracks tried to close, but it wasn't fast enough, as each impact increased the cracks even more and created more and more fissures.
After a few intense seconds, a good part of the arena had finally been emptied.
"Your Highness! We have to get out of here now!" said a voice behind the princess.
As she turned around, Luna found Raymond, who had left the stands to protect her.
"Raymond, what about..."
"That's enough..." Sariel said as he exchanged blows with Aegreon. "This fight is over."
The traveler hit the Pillar squarely, sending him flying and crashing into the empty part of the arena. Then, he advanced against Aegreon and kicked him in the stomach with his right leg, hitting him precisely with a tremendous force.
The barrier could not withstand such power and finally gave way. And without it, the arena would receive all the traveler's power.
And that's exactly what happened. The kick not only destroyed the barrier, but also completely decimated more than half of the arena, turning the rock into dust.
A sound as loud as a volcanic eruption could be heard by everyone in the kingdom, and a huge cloud of dust invaded the capital.
Everything happened too quickly for Luna, who felt the whole place tremble and the ground under her feet give way.
"Cough cough! What... happened? Cough!" she asked with difficulty and unable to see anything. The dust not only made it difficult to see, but it was also a great inconvenience for the lungs.
"Your Highness, are you alright?"
On hearing this voice, Luna realized that she was being hugged by Raymond.
Her bodyguard acted quickly, picked her up as she fell and protected her from the fall.
"Raymond... I'm fine... and you?" she asked worriedly.
"I'm fine, a short fall like that isn't enough to hurt me." Although he had said "short", the box was the highest part of the arena, rising tens of meters above.
"But what about Sariel and Aegreon?" Luna got up with the help of her bodyguard.
"It's better not to go after them, they may still be fighting."
"I can't hear the sound of their punches, let's go before they continue!" She ignored Raymond's suggestion and ran off in search of the traveler and the Pillar.
"Your Highness, wait!" Raymond ran after Luna.
It wasn't very difficult to find where they both were, as Aegreon's hatred could be clearly felt overflowing.
On reaching the source of this pressure, they found Sariel, standing still, but attentive and with his eyes fixed on something hidden by the dust.
Shiina and Yaxun arrived next. Their eyes followed the traveler's gaze, seeing the silhouette of Aegreon standing a little further away.
"That's enough, you two." the king said in an authoritative tone. "If you continue with this, I will banish you both from my kingdom permanently."
A deep and prolonged silence fell. No one moved, and the dust gradually settled, finally revealing the figure of the Pillar, who was fine, despite the blow he had received.
Aegreon looked at Sariel with intense anger but did not attack him. He was not able to kill him in the arena even if the use of magic by both was sealed, so outside of it would be completely impossible. In addition, he needed to behave in order to get Yaxun's help.
"We'll settle this later." Aegreon growled as he walked towards the king.
"Good luck with that." the traveler taunted with a smile as the Pillar passed by him.
The dust finally dispersed completely and revealed the extent of the damage Sariel had caused. In addition to destroying the arena, a part of the forest behind it was also pulverized.
The area closest to the impact was completely devastated and with a deep hole. In the more distant areas, trees were uprooted by the force of the wind.
In addition to everything, part of the wall that was connected to the stadium also fell due to the tremor.
Aegreon approached Yaxun, who was perplexed to see the damage, and said: "We need to talk. It's time for you to pay me the favor you owe."
"Alright... I'll call a guard to take you to the royal palace, I'll have to stay here to deal with the damage you've caused."
"I can stay and help." Sariel suggested.
"No, you are my guests, you can go."
"Do you really think it's a good idea to leave Aegreon near me? He needs to have some tea to calm down a bit."
Yaxun hesitated for a few seconds.
"Alright, I'll accept your help. You can go ahead." He said with a sigh.
While they were talking, some guards arrived to check on the situation.
"You, take them to the palace and treat them as my guests of honor." Yaxun ordered, pointing to one of the guards.
"Yes, Your Majesty!" The guard turned to the group. "Please follow me." He then led them into the kingdom.