The system voice echoed:
"Omega Arena, Apex versus IceWolf. Battle starts in 10 seconds. Timer begins now."
The countdown appeared, flashing bold numbers in fiery red. The crowd was electric, roaring with anticipation.
I stood alone, calm but sharp. My mind raced, piecing together strategies. They thought they'd crippled us by banning Atlas.
Big mistake.
The timer ticked down, and I exhaled, ready to show IceWolf—and the entire arena—why Apex was no ordinary team.
As the timer ticked down, a loud, booming laughter erupted from the stands, cutting through the buzz of the arena. The sound was almost obnoxious, causing heads to turn in curiosity and confusion.
"Hahahahaha! What a dumb move!" The laughter belonged to none other than Cason Linus, a notorious figure nicknamed the God of Death. He doubled over, clutching his stomach like he'd just heard the joke of the century.
His outburst sent ripples of confusion through the spectators—and even through IceWolf. Their smug expressions faltered as they glanced uneasily at the source of the commotion.
I couldn't help but shake my head, baffled by Cason's sudden reaction. Did he have to make it this dramatic?
Beside him, his vice captain, Conrad, leaned in, whispering urgently, "Captain, please refrain yourself."
"What?" Cason shrugged, his grin wide. "I'm not wrong. That was a dumb move and a total waste of a Battle Card. They'll regret it."
The crowd exploded into murmurs, some skeptical, others intrigued. The weight of his words wasn't lost on them—Cason Linus wasn't the type to speak without cause.
"That team," he continued, pointing directly at IceWolf, "is going to lose. Mark my words."
His declaration sent a ripple of unease through IceWolf. The Cryomancer frowned, his confidence visibly shaken, while the Mutated Awakener growled low, trying to mask his doubt.
Those who knew me—who had seen my fights—remained silent, some shaking their heads knowingly. A few even smirked, sharing a glance that said it all:
They had no idea what was coming.
The arena erupted with a deafening sound as the timer hit zero. Wasting no time, I activated my ability, summoning my drones with a single thought.
For this fight, I didn't need to flex too much. My drones would suffice. Twenty combat drones materialized in an instant.
Ten of them formed a defensive perimeter around me, spinning in synchronized formation, while the remaining ten scattered, taking strategic positions around the arena.
IceWolf's Cryomancer was the first to react, eager to seize the initiative. He began channeling his frost-based attack—but he never got the chance to finish.
My drones moved faster than he could. A precise, coordinated volley of stun rounds blasted him mid-motion, interrupting his spell. Before he could recover, the second wave struck: an energy barrage from ten drones converging on his position.
The impact hit him like a freight train, sending him sprawling to the ground, unconscious before he even realized what happened.
The system's voice echoed through the arena:
"Cryomancer, Greg Wrangler, knocked out. Points to Apex."
The crowd exploded into chaos. Skeptics were left gaping, their earlier doubts wiped clean off their faces. A few frowned in disbelief, but the overwhelming majority couldn't mask their unease.
Among the uproar, one voice rose above the rest—Cason's.
"Hahahaha! That's what I'm talking about!" he bellowed, standing and pumping his fists in the air. His excitement was so infectious even some of the skeptical spectators began to cheer hesitantly.
I caught a glimpse of Conrad beside him, visibly exasperated as he tried to calm his captain down.
But Cason, being Cason, completely ignored him, jumping and hollering like this was the highlight of his year.
I kept my expression neutral, but inside, I was savoring the scene. Fear and doubt were spreading among the crowd—and my opponents—just as I'd intended.
One down. One to go.
The match pressed on—this was a tag team battle, after all.
The Mutated Awakener stepped forward, though his confidence had clearly faltered after watching his partner get taken out in just ten seconds. His hesitation lasted only a moment before he shifted, his form erupting into that of a massive, black-furred werewolf.
Impressive transformation, but that didn't faze me. I ordered my drones to execute the same opening maneuver: a coordinated stun barrage.
This time, things didn't go as smoothly. The werewolf's speed was on another level, far surpassing the Cryomancer's sluggish reactions. He weaved through the attacks with expert precision, closing the gap while tearing through two of my drones in the process.
The destruction of my drones seemed to reignite his confidence. His movements grew bolder, his snarls louder, as he relished the idea of turning the tide.
Fine. If stuns didn't work, I'd try something else.
I smirked, recalibrating my strategy. Let's see how you like this.
I directed my remaining drones to switch to electric discharge rounds. Their energy cores hummed, charging with crackling electricity.
If I couldn't slow him down, I'd burn that smug confidence—and his fur—right off him.
"I wonder what you look like—burnt," I muttered, a faint smirk tugging at my lips as my drones recalibrated.
The hum of charged energy filled the arena before a web of crackling electricity erupted from the drones, arcing straight toward the werewolf. The attack was relentless, a seamless chain of strikes that left no room for him to counter or evade.
The werewolf tried to fight back, darting and weaving, but my drones were faster, their precision leaving him nowhere to run. Finally, his movements faltered, and he was ensnared in the electric web.
His howl of pain echoed across the arena, sharp and guttural, before his body convulsed and collapsed. Within seconds, he lay sprawled on the ground, smoke curling faintly from his fur.
The arena fell silent for a beat as the system's voice rang out:
"Werewolf, Elliot Parker, knocked out. Points to Apex. Round 1 Winner - Apex."
The crowd roared in response, the mix of shock and excitement palpable. Skeptics were silenced, the air thick with murmurs of disbelief and awe.
I took a deep breath, letting the tension in my shoulders ease. Round 1 was ours. But I knew this was just the beginning.
Time to prepare for the next match.