The one exosuit pressed the switch in his hand, causing a loud explosion several kilometers back.
Confused, everyone focused on the edge of the arena walls. There, the winds had begun to gather their strength. Slowly intensifying, and picking up grains of sand in large numbers.
"So that's what the strange device was for." The MC excitedly shouted, zooming at the source of the explosion at the edge of the desert boundary.
Just below the storm, a little beneath the surface of the desert, lay a small metallic device about the size of a flashlight.
"A sandstorm catalyst! To think Titanforge had thought this far ahead, truly, you can't underestimate the experience of a veteran champion."
Thorne and I couldn't help but look dumbfounded at each other.
Based on what the MC said, Titanforge must have planted that bomb during the first half of the match—the part both of us had missed. Still, being the students of Orion Path's Academy, we knew what a sandstorm catalyst was.
It was a small militaristic device that released high-frequency vibrations and ionized particles into the surrounding air to agitate the sand and dust particles in the environment, creating a strong vortex of swirling winds. Or, in other words, a sandstorm.
Had he really thought that far ahead?
Inside the rift, the large sand storm, being guided by Titanforge, began converging in both Titanforge and ArcticBlaze directions.
"Have fun casting Ice spells under the storm." Titanforge chuckled. He had planned for this for a while. Everyone knew ArcticBlaze was famous for overwhelming others with his brute strength. A guy like that, even if he had seen the bomb, he would have ignored it.
"This is not good for Siverfrost". Someone in the audience spoke. Even though they had come to support ArcticBlaze, the situation was clear, even to them. Buried under a storm of cursed sands of Kaha, ArcticBlaze was going to die today.
All of Titanforge's exosuits charged toward ArcticBlaze. Those at the front took out their swords and spears, while those at the back and in the air took their guns and began shooting.
Yet ArcticBlaze didn't move. Despite seeing the approaching sandstorm and an army of exosuits coming to finish him. He only let out a long sigh.
"How bothersome."
He threw away his spear to his side and raised his hand, aiming his scaled palm at the approaching figures.
"Absolute Zero."
Just two words. That was all that was said, and suddenly, the entire desert of Kaha was covered in a deep chill.
In an instant, the sand turned into snow, and the dunes transformed into icebergs. The approaching sand storm, which had seemed like ArcticBlaze's death just a moment before, now stood frozen midair into a giant iceberg.
A deathly chill spread through the entire stadium. No one in the audience even dared to breathe. There were no cheers from the ArcticBlaze fans nor any sad expressions from Titanforge lovers.
No one could speak; the scene in front of them was outrageous.
"Is this a dream?" The MC, standing in the frozen desert, was the first to break the silence. Looking around in shock, her previous veil of professionalism was nowhere to be seen, replaced by pure shock and terror.
She wasn't the only one. Even Thorne and I could only look at each other in horror and disbelief.
"He… he froze the cursed desert of Kaha," Thorne mumbled.
The desert of Kaha was considered one of the most dangerous uninhabited worlds for a reason, after all. Its curse wouldn't allow someone to sweat, much less cast Ice spells. People were already shocked that ArcticBlaze could hold his own in such an environment. But to do this.
As for the man in question, ArcticBlaze crouched down and gently picked up his previously discarded spear. He gazed forward at the small army of frozen exosuits charging at him just a moment ago. Those at the front had their arms raised, ready to attack. The exosuits in the air remained frozen solid, not even falling to the ground as if somehow stuck in the air. Even the bullets fired in his direction had been frozen solid in the air.
Taking another glance, he swept his hand. All the exosuits in the area crumbled into ice shards, shattering into millions of pieces.
All except one. One of the exosuits remained frozen solid in the ground—the one with signs of life in it.
ArcticBlaze began walking towards Titanforge's last suit.
"You say I fight like a mad beast, relying on my strength. Not even taking a moment to strategize or plan ahead."
He reached Titanforge and stopped a couple of feet from him
"I don't need to think much while dealing with a weakling like you. Whispering, he raised his spear and plunged it into Titanforge's heart.