Chapter 34 - A Show of Strength
Morning of the next day, Vice Admiral Magnar had put up an entire regiment together to escort me to the Coliseum. It wasn't as much for protection as a show of support as we rode from the military sector towards the grandiose amphitheater
I was touched with the support Magnar was showing, whether it was purely coming from him as a person or because he knew I would give back to them even more after this ordeal was passed.
The streets were busier than usual, and military trucks rolling through them didn't help it. We arrived at the Coliseum that seemed to be impossibly even louder than the day before, with people screaming to get in and hunters almost becoming overwhelmed
Most of the members of the regiment were stationed outside while me, a few key figures and Magnar went through another door to an expansive room that overlooked the arena below
There was a fight going on currently where two rank C hunters were working as a team against a rank B opponent, the fight going fairly well with the use of their teamwork
Drinks and food were quickly brought in as many of the people packing the arena today were waiting for the preliminary matches to finish and for the main event to begin.
Magnar and I were discussing the hunter I was going to face today in detail. From the known information, he held 2 rank A skills. One of them was a defensive skill that made him nearly impenetrable to damage when it was activated, but only lasted for a minute and he had to wait for 10 more before initiating the skill again
The other was a rank A skill that there wasn't a lot of knowledge on, but it was known to be an area of attack skill with a high mana cost that dealt significant damage. Even after knowing these things, I wasn't too worried. I will definitely be careful and watch what he does, but I was that confident in the multiple skills I was layering on myself and the fact that my attributes most likely surpass his because of some of my skills
The only thing I was remotely worried about was the casting of the rank A skill, as none of these skills are a joke. With my percentage boosted defenses and skills, I was predicting the most the rank A offensive skill would do is injure me. I would have the [Regeneration] skill ready to cast in case I took damage from the skill head on
The hour was quickly approaching as the crowd cheered when one match ended and another began as we enjoyed the food in the reserved space. Magnar continued to have a worried look on his face as he seemed to be looking to the sky every now and then, as if waiting for something
The cheers of the crowd reached its peak when an announcer's voice rang out in the Coliseum
"PEOPLE OF STAR CITY! ARE YOU READY FOR THE BIGGEST MATCH OF YOUR LIVES?!"
The announcer's voice was drowned out as soon as his word finished as the crowd screamed
YEAAAH!
The announcer continued with a calmer tone
"Then without further ado, I give you the contestants of this Death Match...Andrei Nikolaev…and Noah Osmont!"
The cheers continued as a burly man jumped down from another location in the coliseum. The man had a cold expression on his face. His body was wrapped with a purple robe and he held a frozen staff with his right hand. This was Andrei Nikolaev
He was the first hugely built mage I had seen, standing there with an imposing gaze that looked ahead.
I rose from my seat and slowly drifted down towards the arena, levitating slightly above 2 meters from the arena floor as I looked down towards Andrei. His imposing gaze become fierce as he saw this and I laughed while flying towards the podium where the announcer was at
The crowd was already screaming at their peak as they saw this. My voice rang out loud and clear towards the announcer
"I just want to confirm something with everyone as witnesses, what is the outcome of a Death Match?"
The announcer heard this and fervently replied, his voice ringing out through the Coliseum once more.
"The match ends in DEATH! With death, the feud is over, and the possessions of the other party are all yours!"
YEAAH!!!
The crowd continued screaming as the announcer said this. I nodded my head and landed on the arena floor, watching the enraged mage standing opposite to me who couldn't wait to rip my face off
"Match, START!"
The fight began with cheers as Andrei moved first, pointing his staff towards me and casting a skill that formed 5 spinning dark orbs that flew towards me.
I used [Flight] to evade the balls coming after me, my speed being fast enough to watch them as they whizzed by me and smashed onto the high walls, exploding into a mass of darkness
I wanted to test the guy out as I cast my newly gained [Doom Bolt]. A large streak of red lightning quickly formed and crashed down towards Andrei, his expression quickly changing as his body was enveloped with wind elements and he rapidly disappeared from his location.
BOOM!
The lightning bolt was abnormally powerful as it blasted apart the grounds of the arena. This was a rank B skill boosted by many active support skills, its power becoming more terrifying.
Andrei appeared at another location in the arena, his face turning abnormally serious as he looked towards me.
I returned the stare back and said "Don't get scared now, I'm just getting started"
I wanted to enrage this man as much as I could. The angrier he got, the more mistakes he would make, and the easier I can take him down. The main challenge was what would be happening after he fell
His serious face became red as he seemed to have made up his mind. I smiled at this and cast a [Miniature Tornado] towards him while also casting [Doom Bolt] to descend on him once again
He watched these deadly skills coming towards him as his body began shining in a golden light, his skin rapidly adopting a color and sheen similar to a statue
Rank A skill [Regal Armament] was cast. The golden skin shone in the light as the [Doom Bolt] struck down and the sharp winds of [Miniature Tornado] neared
Cheers rang out in the arena as these iridescent colors appeared on the arena floor
BOOM!
Another loud explosion resounded in the arena, and when the dust cleared, a golden man was still standing there, matchless
I looked at this and prepared all my attention. If he has already cast his defensive skill that only lasts a minute, he should then be planning to let out the deadliest attacks in this one minute
I didn't seem to be wrong as his staff began glowing hazy white, and the [Danger Sense] that hasn't activated in a while dimly began ringing
Chapter 35 - A Show of Strength II
Andrei looked at the confident face of the man in front of him as a swirling mass of winds were coming and another red lightning bolt was crushing down.
He wanted this man who had taken something that should have been his to die as quickly as possible, but his power seemed to be greater than anticipated. He wouldn't back down though, as his father was watching this fight. He had to prove to himself and to his father that he deserved the title of rank A. He deserved to join those standing at the peak, he just needed to take the skill back from this man!
The rage inside him calmed a bit when he thought back to the lessons from his past and acted, casting [Regal Armament] right away.
The skills struck him, and he only felt a stinging pain on his skin as they disappeared. This was the power of rank A skills, something no normal hunter would be able to get their hands on. Andrei came out unharmed and moved quickly before the timer of the skill ran out
He barely had half of his mana remaining, which might be enough to cast the next rank A skill that would obliterate the confident hunter in front of him into nothing once or twice. He raised his staff, and [Frigid Impermanence] was aimed towards the area with the hunter at its center
BOOM!!!
An explosion of ice erupted out from the location where Noah was, utterly destroying one-fourth of the arena floor and sending nearby spectators screaming from the impact and shock waves thereafter. T
his was the terror of rank A skills, their damage was unmatched.
Andrei breathed heavily as he looked at the epicenter of the explosion where the hunter was nowhere to be seen. Had he done it? Had he finally grabbed the chance to reach the peak?
He looked for the hunter's body before he sensed danger and looked up, seeing the man floating in the air. There was some blood gushing out from his right thigh that was rapidly closing up at high speed
Seeing the man was still alive, Andrei moved to cast the rank A skill one last time before Noah recollected his wits. He only had a few seconds remaining with [Regal Armament], and already felt another two red lightning bolts smash into his skin seconds after he saw Noah floating in the air
'Just how many of these can you cast?!'
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Andrei was trying to get the position of the man that was rapidly moving in the air as more lightning bolts crashed down on him, not giving him a moment of rest as the stinging pain gradually became unbearable
Feeling that he had only a few seconds left before the skill's time ran out, he cast [Wind Escape] once more, moving his body to another location where he got the chance to aim at Noah again and cast the skill once more using all his remaining mana
[Frigid Impermanence]!
BOOM!
Another resounding explosion filled with ice elements rang out causing the screams of those who were near and the cheers of those that were far. The blast this time occurred in the air, sending shock waves that damaged the eardrums of hundreds of people in the audience
Andrei rapidly moved his eyes while roughly breathing and holding onto his staff as support. Was he finally dead?!
Despair slowly filled his face as he saw the same man back down in the arena floor. His armor tattered, and it seemed like he received minor cuts that were already healing.
'How? How?! I'm sure the skill hit you head on!'
He was rapidly thinking about what to do now that all his energy reserves were gone and the golden skin he had on was rapidly fading. He looked to the man with the same confident face that was now flying towards him as he finally became scared for his life and unwillingly looked towards a certain area in the audience stands
"Father!"
His voice rang out loud and clear, as if it was his last resort.
A booming voice then rang out that drowned the cheers of the audience
"Spare him."
The voice was calm, and yet resounded in the ears of every single person in the Coliseum. A red streak of lightning had already formed and was heading down towards Andrei when it stopped. He breathed out a sigh of relief as he saw Noah come to a stop and look towards where his father was
He sighed in relief and disappointment at not being able to take this hunter down, but at least his father was here to make sure he won't lose his life. He wanted to get up and go, but still felt the bolt of lightning not too far from him still hanging in the air
The voice from the stands rang out again. "The match is over."
A heavily built man with a low fade had risen up from the stadium, staring down at Noah who was holding his hand in the air, as if that was the only thing keeping the red lightning from striking down
Andrei regained his calm as he saw the figure of his dad coming out and rose up, he would be...WHAT!
A deep sense of dread and fear arose in him as he felt his scalp tingling and then began burning. The red streak of lightning had struck down!
BOOM!
...
Silence.
There was a shock to all the people that were watching the match, whether it be in the arena or those watching a home. Because they knew the figure of the man that had risen up. That was Admiral Chekhov. Why was he in Star City? What just happened? The hunter Noah finished the Death Match, but what made him so bold to defy the words of an Admiral? What...would happen now?
The silence remained as the body of Vice Admiral Magnar began shining and he began to move. Noah looked towards the location where a pile of burnt flesh lay and flew in, reaching for the glowing skill book that appeared and the staff that was in the hands of the dead Andrei Nikolaev
A bubbling power was rising in the stands that made people begin to scream and rush out of their seats for the exit.
Those watching at home were shocked at the turn of events and appearance of an Admiral that should not be in Star City. He was normally stationed in the capital of the Empire, and rarely came back to visit his home town.
The powerhouses that were coincidentally watching quickly began making calls to people that were near the city. A catastrophe was about to break out.
Vice Admiral Magnar was still looking towards the clear sky as he looked for something that wasn't yet there and shook his head, preparing to see if talking would work. He wasn't able to get near the arena before a pained scream rang out as mad power exploded from the stands
"YOU BEAST!!!'
Chapter 36 - Collision
Vice Admiral Magnar watched the next events unfold in shocking fashion as Admiral Chekhov seemed to have forgotten everything around him as he erupted with power that launched him towards Noah as if he was a missile
The body of Admiral Chekhov was leaking purple light as his fist reached Noah, the impact smashing him down into the arena floor.
The more surprising thing was seeing Noah fly out a second after, his equipment tattered but his body seeming perfectly fine
The purple light surrounding the Admiral formed into a purple disc that he stood in the air with. Feeling the strength of that blow and the power emanating in the field, Magnar stopped going forward as he knew he would only lose his life if he came by. He only had rank B strength after all
What he didn't understand was how much he had underestimated Noah. How was he able to stand against the strikes of multiple rank A skills and still be able to stand against an A Ranker? The surprises this man kept bringing out were too numerous
But if he had already reached this level, it was a great thing for the future of the Empire. This fight had to be stopped. He was about to look at the masses of people scrambling to get away from the Coliseum when Chekhov moved once again, this time the purple light forming into a spiked fist that rushed toward Noah
Vice Admiral Magnar looked at this as he wished the person he called to get here as soon as possible.
WHIZZ!
The huge spiked purple fist rushed through the air with a grating sound as three red lightning bolts smashed into it, dissipating its form. Noah didn't seem to be done as three more rapidly rotating tornadoes rushed where the Admiral was
Chekhov looked at the incoming mini-tornadoes and waved his hand, a purple blade forming which split the rotating winds apart as if they were paper. The field calmed down after this trading of attacks, Chekhov was still bubbling with anger and grief but was gradually calming down. More purple swords were forming beside him as he spoke
"Yes he was in the wrong, but he didn't deserve death." His rage seemed to have been reignited as he finished his words and the purple swords around him began to vibrate
Noah watched and then pulled out the new skill book he had obtained before the purple fist came crashing down on him. The glistening book was on his hand for only a second, before he brought it near his body and it was dissolved in colorful lights that went inside
Admiral Chekhov looked at this happening and became even angrier, screaming out while commanding his large vibrating swords to rush forward "If you had shown your level of power, none of this would have happened! My son would not have called for a Death Match, we would have simply waited another week for the next skill book and moved on. This is your fault!"
His rage was palpitating as his purple sword neared Noah's position
BOOM!
A resounding explosion rang out after, the purple swords being destroyed by the explosion, leaving behind a wide area where ice elements were still fluctuating. [Frigid Impermanence] was cast once again, but this time from the hands o
f someone else.
Magnar looked at this site with incredulousness, questioning the mana reserves of the man that kept on throwing spells left and right.
Calmness seemed to have returned on Admiral Chekov's face as his mind seemed to be made up, numerous purple spiked fists and sword beginning to appear around him.
At this time though, a sultry voice rang out in the destroyed Coliseum.
"Haha, Chekhov, you're actually planning on going all out in the middle of a city?"
Unknown to everyone, a huge black eagle that was boasting more than 5 meters in size was suspended in the sky. A woman with flowing golden hair sat atop this eagle
Magnar soon felt elated at this person's arrival that signified the end to the mess today. He saw Admiral Chekhov's expression change to that of annoyance in the midst of anger and pain as he spoke, "Why are you here?"
The woman laughed mischievously as her eagle neared the floating Noah in the sky. She looked at this foreign hunter before speaking "Now where has someone like you been hiding all this time?"
The woman atop the eagle pulled her eyes from Noah and observed the destroyed arena while continuing, now with a stern tone "I came to resolve any issues from the peak powerhouses of the empire that should not be fighting amongst themselves during this time of crisis"
Chekhov didn't seem to mind as the woman ignored him and he looked towards the man that stood calmly in the air. He knew that he would not be getting anything resolved. The man before him had risen to a position no lower than him, and seemed like he was only getting started.
The thing that caused him even more pain was the utter stupidity of the entire affair. None of the things that occurred were necessary. If only his son had just swallowed his anger and waited. If only he knew about the person he set up a match with. If only...
He was a smart man and knew not to go down the path of destruction. There were many more people depending on him. This conflict will end here. The damage done now was already too much and he didn't want it to continue further. He gave a tired sigh as the purple disc below his legs moved towards the destroyed arena. He tenderly looked at the remains of his son and bent down to pick up what remained, and quietly flew away.
Infinite Mana In The Apocalypse c1-705 Page 18