Chapter 1: The Last Battle
A/N: I'm currently revising Chapter 1 based on reader feedback, so it's not quite ready yet. That said, the other chapters are polished and ready for you to enjoy!.
The ruins of the coliseum stood as silent witnesses to a once-glorious past, now reduced to nothing more than crumbling stone and shattered statues. Time had ravaged its walls, yet the echoes of ancient battles still clung to the air. The moonlight, pale and eerie, bathed the arena in a ghostly glow, highlighting the stark contrast between the desolation of the present and the grandeur of what had been.
In the center, Atrax descended, his dark colored cloak rippling faintly in the cool night breeze, commanding a presence so heavy that earth itself seemed to acknowledge. Beyond that though, was nothing—only eerie silence, broken by the occasional whispers of wind weaving through the shattered columns, making this desolate place into a "sanctuary" where Atrax had come to rest.
But without warning, this "peaceful" place soon became a battleground when a surge of blue light tore through the darkness, followed by a deafening crash caused by an Ether-infused figure striking a superhero landing on the ground with earth-shaking force.
Atrax's tired gaze locked onto what he thought was a noisy newcomer. As his mind quickled analyzied the figure before him.
Long white hair, golden eyes. A body wielding a tremendous amount of Qi, paired with monstrous levels of Aura and Mana— coexisting harmoniously within his singular power core. Without a doubt, this was a Magic Swordsman. His class, strength, and appearance suggested he was Valorion, the top-ranked hero in the Ethereal standings.
After probing him Atrax's voice broke through, low and authoritative. "Valorion, I presume?" Even though Atrax hadn't seen him in person, he could still recognize this legendary figure.
However, without waiting for an answer, Atrax began gathering Ether, causing red serpents of Mana to coil around him in a menacing dance. His finely tuned senses had detected that Valorion was not alone from over two kilometers away, feeling the presence of two others approaching.
Moments later true to his senses, they arrived, their forms illuminated by a green and purple glow. But unlike Valorion's "dramatic" entrance, their landings were subtle (normal), disturbing the air only slightly.
Atrax's eyes swept over the newcomers behind him, his mind working with practiced efficiency to assess each presence. His gaze first fell upon the orc—massive & imposing, with blue hair and dark skin. The sheer volume of Qi in his core (Ninety nine percent), left barely a trace of Mana or Aura, Screaming "Warrior."
Combined with his appearance befitting his name had guaranteed his identity to be Bulk, the second-ranked hero in the Ethereal standings.
Atrax recognizing him with no difficulty shifted his gaze towards the elf. Her green hair shimmered in the moonlight, and her lithe poised form were total give aways for her identity, with a bow held gracefully in her hand. The very air around her thrummed with an almost palpable surge of Mana and Arcana, the Ether flowing around her in waves only having the faintest trace of Aura lingering in her presence, but that alone was enough to make her identity clear.
This was Vera. No question about it. Ranked third in the Ethereal standings.
Atrax's mind, ever calculating, continued to piece together the information before him. The weight of the moment settled over him like an impending storm. These figures, so powerful and distinct, had gathered here for a reason, and Atrax knew the implications of their arrival. This was no mere coincidence. This could very well be the beginning of a confrontation that would shake the strenght foundations of their world.
Atrax's voice cut through the stillness once more, though this time, it was edged with curiosity masking his hint of tiredness. "How did you find me?"
His question echoed, carrying the weight of years spent in the shadows. Atrax had never been one to be caught off guard. Yet, in the face of such formidable individuals, there was a lingering uncertainty. Valorion and his companions had clearly come prepared, but how? What intelligence had they gathered to track him down to this forsaken place where he planned to rest?
Valorion stepped forward, his golden eyes gleaming with quiet confidence. "Let's just say we have our ways," he said simply, his voice cold, but with an unmistakable edge of familiarity.
Atrax's gaze flickered, studying each of them in turn. Bulk stood with his arms crossed, exuding an air of quiet menace. Vera, with her bow still in hand, regarded Atrax with a steady gaze, her expression unreadable.
"I trust you're not here just for a sightseeing tour, what do you want," Atrax said, his tone shifting, a subtle challenge threading through the words as he started levitating.
Valorion met his gaze unflinchingly. he replied. "We're here to kill you."
The words were a promise, one that hung in the air like a palpable threat. Atrax felt the weight of it,but even in the face of such confidence, there was no fear in him. Only calculation.
He tilted his head slightly, his cloak swirling as he prepared for whatever would come next. "Very well," he said, his voice a low hum of anticipation. "Let's see if you have the ability too".
A/N : I don't know which kind of fights readers prefer between long and short so I just made it in between.
~CONTINUING THE NOVEL
After those words, silence fell in the colosseum.
The tension in the air was thick, as if the very fabric of reality trembled in anticipation of what was about to unfold. Valorion, Bulk, and Vera stood in perfect triangular formation, each a living embodiment of power. Atrax hovered in the center, his black cloak billowing as red serpents of mana curled around him.
Without warning, Valorion moved.
He blurred into motion, his white hair trailing behind him like a comet's tail, and in an instant, he closed the distance between himself and Atrax. The sound of his sword being unsheathed echoed across the ruins, a high-pitched shriek that cut through the silence. Atrax's eyes narrowed, his mind already calculating.
Valorion was fast.
But Atrax was faster.
With a flick of his wrist, red serpents of Mana coiled from his body, intercepting Valorion's blade before it could touch him. The collision of power was explosive, sending shockwaves through the arena. The ground cracked beneath them, and dust exploded into the air as the forces clashed.
Atrax's eyes glowed red with a dangerous light, his Ether swirling around him in an intricate dance of Mana and Qi. He had not expected Valorion's speed to be so overwhelming, but his body moved instinctively, each counterattack flowing seamlessly from his muscles. His Ether surged as the Mana serpents retracted and morphed into jagged blades, aiming directly at Valorion's chest.
Valorion, however, was no mere hero. He leaped into the air with a graceful spin, avoiding the strike by mere inches. The tip of his sword shimmered with a powerful, etheral light as he swung it downward in a deadly arc toward Atrax's exposed flank.
But Atrax had already anticipated the move. He vanished in a flash of red light, reappearing behind Valorion, a wicked smile curling his lips. "Is that all, Valorion?"
Before the swordsman could react, Atrax unleashed a wave of Mana, the Ether forming into a massive vortex that pulled at everything around it. The ground trembled as stones, debris, and the very air were sucked into the swirling maelstrom. Valorion grunted as he struggled against the pull, his feet digging into the shattered ground to anchor himself.
Bulk, watching from the sidelines, was the next to act. With a roar, the massive orc lunged forward, his arms swinging with such force that the air itself seemed to bend around his fists. His Qi flared, crackling with raw power, and his fists collided with the vortex. The impact sent ripples through the Mana, disrupting Atrax's concentration just enough for Valorion to break free.
In that moment of distraction, Vera released an arrow aiming for Atrax heart, its shaft glinting with an unnatural green light. The arrow sailed through the air with incredible speed, cutting through the Mana vortex as though it were nothing. Atrax's eyes widened whilst dodging slightly just enough for the arrow to strick his shoulder instead of his heart.
Nevertheless the impact was devastating, and Atrax was forced to stumble back, his cloak catching on the wind as he reoriented himself. The force of the arrow had left a deep wound, but Atrax barely flinched. Instead, he growled in fury, the wound already healing as his Mana surged.
"Impressive," he muttered under his breath, though his voice betrayed a growing sense of admiration.
Valorion, ever the tactician, took the opportunity to attack once more. With a sweeping motion of his sword, he unleashed a blade of pure Mana, sending a wave of cutting energy hurtling toward Atrax. The attack was faster than any mortal strike, aimed directly at Atrax's heart.
But Atrax was no mortal.
He raised his hand, the red serpents of Mana slithering from his fingers to form a protective shield. The wave of Mana crashed against the shield with a thunderous boom, but Atrax stood firm, his cloak swirling in the shockwave. The shield held, though it trembled under the sheer force of Valorion's attack.
"This has gone on for longer than enough ," Atrax said, his voice rising with intensity. His eyes glowed a fierce red, and the energy in the air shifted, becoming oppressive.
With a single motion, Atrax slammed his hands to the ground. The earth beneath him cracked and split open, sending massive columns of stone shooting upward like jagged teeth. Mana surged through the earth, and the stone columns became twisted pillars of red Ether that shot out in every direction, aiming to impale his enemies.
Valorion leapt into the air, his golden eyes blazing as he twirled mid-flight, narrowly avoiding the columns. Bulk charged forward, his muscles rippling with power as he cleaved through the stone pillars with his massive fists. Vera's bow hummed as she fired arrow after arrow, each one imbued with a different magical property, seeking to overwhelm Atrax.
But Atrax wasn't finished. With another flick of his wrist, the red Mana coiled around him like a serpent, creating a barrier that blocked Vera's arrows. At the same time, his power surged outward in a shockwave, sending Valorion and Bulk skidding backward.
Atrax's voice echoed, calm and deadly. "You cannot win."
But then, something changed. Valorion's golden eyes narrowed, and he locked onto Atrax with renewed focus. "We're not here to win," he said, his voice steady and full of determination.
Atrax's eyes flashed with realization. Just as he was about to react, Bulk and Vera attacked in unison. Bulk barreled toward him, his fists a blur of motion, while Vera loosed a volley of arrows, each aimed at critical points.
In that split second, Atrax's mind raced. There was no time to dodge them all. Instead, he raised his hand and invoked his Primal Stage—the one he had kept hidden for so long.
A massive surge of energy erupted from Atrax's core, the force so intense that it bent the very fabric of space around him. The red serpents of Mana wrapped around his body, forming a shield that expanded outward, colliding with the oncoming attacks.
The explosion of energy rocked the entire arena, sending shockwaves that shattered the ground and sent debris flying in every direction. The once-pristine coliseum was now a warzone, a landscape of destruction and chaos.
For a moment, the world stood still.
The air in the coliseum was thick with dust, the battle's intensity leaving the surroundings eerily silent. Then, as the cloud of debris slowly began to settle, the figures of the combatants emerged from the haze.
Atrax stood tall, his body battered but unbowed, his stance a testament to his resilience. He looked as if the battle had done little more than irritate him. Valorion, Bulk, and Vera, though injured, were far from defeated. Their resolve remained unbroken, their faces etched with determination despite the pain.
A taunting smile twisted Atrax's lips as he straightened himself. "Seems like I'm fully awake now," he sneered, his voice dripping with dark amusement. His words were laced with mockery, clearly aimed to provoke.
The three heroes exchanged a silent glance, their thoughts a mirror of the confusion that clouded their minds. Valorion's brow furrowed as he looked at Atrax, uncertainty creeping into his voice. "Has he gone local?" he muttered, his words barely audible as he questioned the sudden shift in Atrax's behavior.
But that confusion quickly transformed into dread when Atrax raised his hand, a cold, calculating look on his face. "Gravity Manipulation, First Stage: Crushed Horizon," he announced in a tone so subtle it barely registered as a command. The ground trembled as a crimson domain began to unfurl around him, swirling with intricate patterns. In the blink of an eye, a red field expanded, rapidly covering the entire 5-kilometer expanse of the coliseum.
The pressure was immediate and overwhelming. All of the heroes, save for Valorion, were forced to their knees, their bodies trembling under the crushing weight. The force of the gravity was suffocating, pushing them down with a weight equivalent to 500 tons, as if the very earth itself had turned against them.
Valorion's eyes widened, his mind racing as he realized the severity of the situation. He understood that Atrax's gravity manipulation was far beyond anything they'd encountered before. He clenched his fists, determination flaring in his chest. There was no time to waste—he had to act.
With great effort, Valorion pushed through the immense gravitational pressure, his movements slow and labored, but he was undeterred. He rushed toward Atrax, every step a battle against the crushing force that threatened to break him.
"It's futile," Atrax's voice came, almost mocking, as his hand shifted from one to two,
"Stage two: Dominion" Atrax voice was more subtle but commanded more power. The gravity pressure surged instantly, intensifying by an unimaginable 1700 tons. The air seemed to grow thick with the sheer force, and even Valorion, with all his strength, found himself forced to the ground, his knees buckling under the oppressive weight.
But Valorion wasn't finished yet. He had prepared for moments like this. With gritted teeth, he activated his trump card: Mind's Eclipse. The ability was devastating. As long as the target was within range, no matter how strong they were, a major memory of the last five years would be erased.
The world around Valorion seemed to bend and shift as the ability took effect. The power wasn't a typical weapon—no blast or strike—but a subtle intrusion into the mind. Atrax's expression faltered for a split second, his eyes narrowing as the effect began to unfold. It was as if a fog began to cloud his memories, a sudden emptiness that he couldn't ignore. But the true devastation wasn't in what he forgot—it was in what the ability could do.
Valorion knew that even if Atrax didn't lose everything, the confusion would be enough to slow him down. The force of the attack was enough to alter someone's perception of reality, making even the most dangerous foes hesitate.
As the moments stretched on, Atrax's once-ironclad hold over his powers began to crumble. Valorion's Mind's Eclipse infiltrated his psyche with ruthless precision, unraveling his thoughts one thread at a time. Memories slipped away like sand through his fingers, no matter how desperately he tried to hold on. His mind, once sharp and unyielding, now felt like a dulled blade, unable to cut through the fog encroaching on his consciousness.
His hand, once steady and raised to sustain the crushing gravity field, trembled before faltering, slowly lowering as his focus dissolved. The clarity that had fueled his dominance drained away, leaving his breathing ragged. The mental haze thickened, scattering his thoughts like leaves caught in a gust. Plans meticulously crafted faded into nothingness, and the intricate details of his once-perfect control slipped beyond his reach.
Atrax's eyes tightened in desperation, his thoughts racing as he fought against the mental invasion. Every instinct screamed for him to flee, to escape the suffocating pull of Valorion's ability, but his body felt sluggish, heavy, like a puppet abandoned by its master. Yet even as his mind spiraled, one unyielding goal cut through the chaos: survive.
With a burst of raw willpower, Atrax launched himself into the air, the sudden motion tearing through the oppressive silence. The atmosphere crackled around him as he surged toward the horizon, a streak of frenzied energy, desperate to outrun the consuming effects of Valorion's power.
But the farther he flew, the less control he could muster. His memories fragmented, dissolving like mist in the sun. Pieces of his identity—his purpose, his past—vanished into the abyss of Valorion's influence. His once-precise powers grew erratic, slipping through his grasp as the last vestiges of himself unraveled.
The wind roared in his ears as his flight wavered, movements growing clumsy and unsteady. His once-superhuman strength faltered, his muscles now powerless against the haze clouding his mind. He stumbled mid-air before plunging toward the ground like a falling stone.
The crash was brutal, the ground cracking beneath him as Atrax hit with a heavy thud. His body lay limp, his energy drained to the point of immobility. Overwhelmed by the weight of fading memories, his mind succumbed. Motionless, his shallow breaths were the only sign of life, as the strain of his powers and Valorion's mental assault left him unconscious.