The pathetic Klein was still trembling as the paramedics carried him away. It seemed he wouldn't be able to return to his former self for a while.
"Hey, Commentator! Aren't you going to declare the winner?"
"Ah, y-yes. Despite the significant difference in rank, Lam Hoffman unexpectedly and effortlessly claimed victory with his hidden abilities."
Instead of cheers and applause, I was met with whispers and fearful stares.
After watching the big-mouthed pig get carried away, I began to circle the arena, taunting the audience as I moved.
"How's that? Not bad for the bottom two, eh?"
"Now, now. My goal is to aim for the top seat, and battling each of you individually would take too much time, so..."
"For my next opponents, why don't you all come at me together?"
"One, three, five, ten? Heck, even a hundred of you! I'll face you all together."
As my words echoed throughout the arena, a tense silence fell over the crowd. The spectators exchanged nervous glances, unsure of how to react to my bold challenge. The professors and instructors watched from the sidelines. They had tried to stop me at first, but for some unknown reason, they didn't.
Eventually, amidst the murmurs and whispers, someone raised their hand and shouted out.
"I'll be your opponent."
"Me too!"
Another voice joined in from the crowd.
"Count me in!"
"I'll also be your opponent."
"I will take you on, you arrogant bastard!"
Without a moment's hesitation, they all leaped into the arena, quickly forming a circle around me.
"Can you believe it? Five students have entered the arena! A 5-on-1 match? Is that even allowed?"
Khan Ognarlo (ranked 31/596), Amarie Lupinadiere (ranked 39/596), Ivan Ikalount (ranked 32/596), Hansel Pariorie (ranked 35/596), and Marry Osgwald (ranked 36/596) against Lam Hoffman (ranked 595/596).
The battle started with Marry Osgwald unleashing her unique magic. With her power to control gravity, she lifted the other contenders into the air.
Pretty clever. She must have concluded from the previous battle that my magic only works at close range.
Wasting no time, Amarie Lupinadiere manifested a bow from thin air and aimed it at me, releasing a barrage of magical arrows in my direction.
"Goetia(Sorcery): Nulla(Null)"
"You should already know that projectiles won't work on me."
"Earth Spike!" Hansel Pariorie cast a barrage of high-speed spikes at me, but once again, I nullified them with ease.
"This is getting tedious. Come down and fight me like a true mage."
"Goetia(Sorcery): Caelum Nullius Hominis(No Man's Sky)."
Instantly, they plummeted from the air, hitting the ground with a harsh impact.
"Agh, H-how? My magic...Impossible.."
"Now, let's finish this qui-"
Before I could finish my words, Khan Ognarlo charged toward me like a brazen bull, swinging his fiery longsword.
"Don't underestimate us, you bastard!"
"Jocus(Trick): Pedis Jokeri (Joker's feet)"
Before he could take another step, Khan Ognarlo slipped and lost his balance.
Growling on the ground, Khan Ognarlo stared at me with deep hatred while I just stood there, looking down upon his pathetic attempt to stood up.
"Let's finish this."
"Magick Prohibitae (Forbidden Magic): Devorare (Devour)"
Khan Ognarlo screeched in pain as I grabbed his face and absorbed his mana.
The audience and other contenders watched in horror as I subdued him with my magic. By the time I finished, Khan's once muscular and buff body had withered into a bony, desiccated form.
"One down, four to go."
"Everyone, move away from him!" Ivan Ikalount warned the other contenders to stay back, signaling for them to keep their distance from me.
Now, what's their next move....
"He must have a weakness. Marry, I'm relying on you!"
"Understood!"
At that moment, as our eyes locked, I felt a connection bridged between her and me.
Ah, she's a mind reader, huh? She attempted to delve into my thoughts.
"Don't your parents teach you it's impolite to peek into someone's thoughts?"
"Magick Prohibitae (Forbidden Magic): Visio Inferni (Vision of Hell)
Immediately, Marry jerked back, holding her head in agony, letting out a piercing scream as she collapsed to her knees. Her breaths became labored, and she shook uncontrollably.
She clutched her neck, coughing harshly before throwing up her lunch.
"No... No!!! W-we shouldn't have f-fought... there's no way... no way!"
"H-Hey, Marry! What happened?!"
"H-He's not human! We're gonna die! He's a monster!!!"
"We can't- We could never win! We can't win!!!"
"Argghhhhhh!!! Stop, stop it!!!!! I beg of you, please! Aaaaaaaaaaaa!"
Eventually, she reached her limit and collapsed unconscious to the ground.
As Marry lay unconscious on the ground, a heavy silence fell over the arena. The spectators were paralyzed with fear, their eyes wide with shock and disbelief. The remaining contenders exchanged anxious glances.
Ivan Ikalount stepped forward.
"We can't let him take us down one by one," he shouted to the others. "We need to work together!"
Hansel Pariorie nodded in agreement, his face set with grim resolve. "We've trained for this. Remember our strategy sessions. If we stick to the plan, we might stand a chance."
Amarie Lupinadiere took a deep breath, her hands trembling slightly as she prepared her next spell. "Let's do this. For Marry."
The three remaining contenders spread out, attempting to flank me from different angles. Hansel began chanting an incantation, Ivan moved with lightning speed, trying to find an opening, while Amarie summoned her magic bow.
When Amarie was about to unleash her magical arrow, I took advantage of the moment and cast my spell upon her.
"Magick Prohibitae(Forbidden Magic): Possessio Coacta(Forced Possession)."
In a flash, she shifted her aim and targeted Ivan.
"My b-body moved on its own! Watch out, Ivan!"
Ivan's eyes widened in shock. "Amarie, what are you doing? Fight it!"
But it was too late. The magical arrow shot from her bow, streaking toward Ivan with deadly precision. Ivan barely managed to dodge, the arrow grazing his shoulder and exploding against the arena wall behind him.
"I-I can't stop it! He's controlling me!"
Amarie struggled against the force controlling her, her expression twisted in anguish. Sweat beaded on her brow as she fought to regain control of her own actions.
Before anyone could react, I swiftly moved behind Amarie, seizing hold of her and covering her eyes with my hand.
"Bonum Noctis(Good Night)."
Her struggles ceased, and she slumped to the ground unconscious.
"Two remaining. Who's next in line?"
Driven by anger, Ivan rocketed toward me with lightning speed, but I merely stood there, smirking at his futile resistance.
"Maledictio (Curse): Consume 10 animal soul, You'll be paralyzed from the waist down for the remainder of this match."
As the curse left my lips, he faltered mid-charge. His movements slowed, and then he collapsed to the ground, clutching his legs in agony.
I approached him slowly, a sinister grin spreading across my face as I loomed over him.
"Looks like you won't be running anywhere now."
"Magick Prohibitae (Forbidden Magic): Devorare (Devour)"
Ivan's agonized screams filled the arena as his mana was slowly consumed drained. I stood back, watching as his struggles grew weaker and weaker until finally, he lay motionless on the ground, completely drained.
I glanced at the last survivor, the trembling Hansel Pariorie, his feet quivering as I approached him.
"D-don't get closer! Get away from me!"
Hansel attempted to summon his magic, but his trembling hands betrayed him, the spell fizzled out before it could manifest.
In a desperate attempt, Hansel reached into his pocket and pulled out what looked like a crystal necklace.
"I didn't want to do this....you gave me no choice!"
With trembling hands, he slammed the crystal to the ground. Suddenly, a blinding light erupted from the shattered crystal, engulfing the entire arena.
When the brightness faded, gasps echoed throughout the arena as a majestic wyvern emerged from the dissipating glow, its scales shimmering in the remaining light. The unexpected appearance of the mythical creature sent shockwaves through the spectators, and even I paused, momentarily taken aback by the unexpected turn of events.
"What the-"
"Hahaha, how's that?! You won't be able t—"
Before Hansel could complete his sentence, the wyvern struck, its jaws closing around him and swallowing him whole in a heartbeat.
The instructors and professors leaped from their seats, their expressions filled with alarm as they rushed into the arena.
Knowing the danger posed by the wyvern, they understood that it would take the combined efforts of several high-tier mages to subdue the formidable creature.
They began to cast powerful spells, creating barriers and launching attacks to contain the wyvern and protect the contestants and audience from harm.
The wyvern, driven to frenzy by the onslaught of attacks, veered off course and soared toward the panicked audience.
A student swept up in the chaos, she stumbled on the stairs.
Before she could rise to her feet, the wyvern was already looming behind her.
Tears streaming down her face, she closed her eyes and screamed for help.
"Kyaaaaaaaa!"
Just as the wyvern was about to reach her,
"Phantom Blade, Second Shadow: Winter Blossom Ghost."