Chapter 14
Outside the Arena
The sky was heavy with dark clouds, and the wind howled violently, as if warning of an impending disaster. The barrier surrounding the arena shimmered with a thick layer of radiant energy. Standing before it was an elderly man named Surichi, his eyes glowing with intense focus. Beside him stood a young woman named Laura, her hair whipping in the wind as she stared at the barrier with clear unease.
Laura spoke, her voice a mix of anxiety and urgency:
"Trainer, the students are trapped inside!"
Surichi gazed at the barrier sharply, his deeply lined face telling stories of countless battles. He responded in a calm yet determined voice:
"We must protect them."
Laura quickly replied, her eyes fixed on the glowing barrier:
"But how? We have to break the barrier first!"
Surichi remained silent for a moment, closing his eyes briefly before asking:
"Where is Sbyam Brius?"
Laura clenched her fists anxiously before answering:
"He's on his way here!"
Surichi opened his glowing eyes once more and spoke with firm resolve:
"Good. But through my technique, I have seen that Veb is severely wounded."
Laura froze, her eyes widening in shock before she exclaimed:
"What?!"
Surichi looked at her calmly, as if trying to steady the storm of emotions within her.
"The moment the barrier breaks, you must heal him as fast as possible."
Laura swallowed hard, staring at the shimmering barrier as if it were challenging her. Then, after a brief hesitation, she replied:
"Alright... I'll do it!"
---
Inside the Arena
The ground was stained with blood and dust, the air heavy with ragged breaths. Amidst the chaos, Beth staggered forward, his steps steady despite his deep wounds. Blood dripped from his mouth, yet his eyes burned with a murderous frenzy.
Opposite him stood Suero, ready for battle, blue sparks flickering around his hand. Behind him, Moryo observed in silence.
Beth smirked, a mix of determination and madness twisting his features before he shouted:
"Come on, kid! Let's fight!"
Suero remained silent, the fire of challenge and anger blazing in his eyes, his focus locked entirely on Beth, his heart pounding with deadly excitement.
Beth charged toward Suero, his steps shaking the ground like small quakes, his manic grin widening with every inch he closed.
Suero clenched his fist tightly, the blue sparks intensifying as if responding to his resolve.
Finally, Beth reached Suero, black sparks crackling around his hand like a wild flame. He lunged straight at Suero, and at that exact moment, Suero unleashed his punch with incredible force.
The air exploded between them with a deafening boom, the collision of their energies creating a blinding flash.
But suddenly, Beth moved as if his body had become weightless, twisting mid-air with unnatural grace. He flipped backward with astonishing agility, effortlessly dodging Suero's strike.
Suero's eyes widened in shock, tracking Beth as he landed lightly on the ground.
Before Suero could react, Beth vanished in a blur, appearing behind him in an instant, driving a powerful punch into his back.
The impact echoed across the arena as Suero's body was sent flying like a ragdoll, slamming into the ground with such force that it left a deep crater in the dirt.
The earth pulsed with scattered energy, the air thick with tension, and silence fell as if nature itself had held its breath.
Beth grinned widely, watching Suero sprawled on the ground like a discarded toy. His eyes gleamed with wild bloodlust, his swift movements radiating absolute confidence.
In the distance, Moryo's eyes narrowed in anger. Without a word, he moved forward, his steps nearly soundless as he approached Beth before launching a sudden, lethal strike toward his back.
But Beth, in a sharp, unexpected motion, spun around and caught Moryo's fist with the precision of a predator.
Moryo glared at him, his expression a mix of rage and focus, but Beth responded with a smirk full of mocking confidence.
Moryo raised his other fist for a second punch, but Beth vanished in an instant, leaving behind only a faint afterimage.
He reappeared behind Moryo, his hand crackling with black sparks, before unleashing a deadly surge of dark energy at him.
Moryo turned slowly, his movement deliberate and composed, as if time itself no longer mattered to him.
The black spark shot toward him with devastating speed—only to freeze mid-air as if trapped by an unseen force.
Moryo's eyes gleamed with a radiant green glow, and his voice emerged as a deep, commanding whisper:
"Realm Expansion: The Time Realm."
In an instant, the arena was engulfed in a translucent barrier emitting an eerie glow.
The air ceased to move, leaves suspended mid-fall, even the howling winds silenced into a haunting stillness.
It was as if the entire world had been ensnared within a surreal dream.
Beth, who had been mid-attack just moments ago, was now frozen in the air, his body locked in motion as if encased in a statue of ice.
Moryo stepped toward him, each movement deliberate and heavy with intent. His glowing green eyes pulsed brighter with every step, carrying the weight of centuries.
He stopped before Beth, gazing at his frozen expression—a twisted mix of fury and arrogance, now rendered powerless.
Moryo's voice came out steady and cold:
"You have reached your end."
But just before he could finish the fight, something unexpected happened.
A dark vortex began to form in Beth's outstretched hand—weak at first, but rapidly growing in size and intensity. Black sparks swirled violently around it, crackling with sinister energy.
Moryo froze in place, his eyes narrowing in shock as he murmured:
"What... is that?"
The vortex expanded rapidly, consuming the fabric of the Time Realm. The frozen realm around them began to crack.
Fractures spread across the shimmering dome like spiderwebs. The once-vibrant green light faded into a dull gray before the entire barrier collapsed.
The Reality Struck Back Violently, and the Winds Roared Unrestrained.
Beth took a step forward, finally freed from the frozen Realm. A smug smile stretched across his face, and his black eyes gleamed with an unholy light. He sneered:
"Did you really think your time tricks could stop me?"
Moryo's gaze hardened, yet his composure remained unwavering despite the chaos swelling around them.
Beth clenched his fists, a pulsating black aura flaring around him as he declared defiantly:
"I am the master of dark magic, you fool! I can create endless rifts and voids—your time techniques mean nothing to me!"
Moryo showed no reaction. His response was calm yet sharp:
"Really?"
Beth lunged forward, his fists blazing with pure darkness, the ground beneath him cracking under the force of his charge. But Moryo, still composed, raised his hand—green sparks gleaming in his palm.
With surgical precision, Moryo sidestepped Beth's attack and struck him with a radiant green-infused punch. The impact echoed through the battlefield, launching Beth into the air before he crashed violently into the ground, carving a deep trench in the earth.
Beth groaned, staggering to his feet and wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. Yet, instead of anger, he erupted into manic laughter:
"You're strong, Moryo... but I've defeated opponents far stronger than you before!"
Moryo raised an eyebrow, his tone cold and indifferent:
"You talk too much."
Their energies clashed in the air—black and green colliding violently as their gazes locked once more.
Above the battlefield, the barrier surrounding the area began to crack, allowing slivers of light to pierce through the desolate terrain. The sky trembled with unstable energy, and as the barrier fractured further, a floating figure emerged.
It was Sbyam Brius—his mere presence exuded absolute dominance. His sharp eyes surveyed the battlefield below, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.
Moryo, still engaged in battle with Beth, glanced upward, and for the first time, a flicker of astonishment crossed his usually composed face.
Beth, on the other hand, took an instinctive step back, murmuring under his breath:
"So... he's finally here."
Sbyam remained suspended in the sky, observing with a detached coldness. His gaze shifted between Moryo and Beth before he spoke with casual indifference:
"Time to deal with that fool."
In the blink of an eye, Sbyam vanished from his position in the sky, reappearing on the ground beside Moryo with speed beyond comprehension.
Moryo, caught off guard, uttered in rare surprise:
"Master Sbyam??"
But Sbyam ignored him, instead turning his gaze toward the distant trees, as if seeing something far beyond. A faint smile ghosted his lips as he whispered:
"Trying to escape? How foolish."
He extended his hand, his fingers glowing with a dark violet aura, sending a wave of immense energy into the air—so oppressive that even the seasoned warriors on the battlefield felt uneasy.
With a mere flick of his finger toward the horizon, he murmured:
"Spacetime Tear."
A distorted rift erupted into existence, pulsating with violent energy. The ground beneath it trembled as it expanded, surrounded by a dazzling violet glow. The sheer emergence of the tear sent shockwaves rippling through the battlefield, uprooting trees and scattering debris in all directions.
From within, a catastrophic surge of energy exploded outward, annihilating everything in its path. The blast tore through the forest, leaving a trail of devastation that stretched far beyond the battlefield's borders.
---
Elsewhere on the Battlefield
Baysal stood face to face with Darwin, her fiery gaze locked onto him with pure rage. Darwin, however, seemed distracted, sweat trickling down his forehead as he nervously glanced toward the sky.
"Was that… Sbyam Brius?" he muttered, his voice trembling.
Baysal shattered his thoughts with her seething voice:
"How could you kill Veb?!"
But before Darwin could respond, a faint violet glow illuminated the ground behind him.
Baysal's eyes widened in horror as she saw Sbyam's massive energy beam streaking toward their location at terrifying speed.
"RUNN!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.
Nearby, Jan grabbed Alia's hand—she had frozen in shock—and pulled her away from the oncoming wave of destruction.
Darwin turned, his expression frozen in sheer terror as the violet energy closed in, merciless in its approach.
In an instant, the energy swallowed him whole, his body dissolving into nothingness before the beam continued on its path, carving a trail of annihilation across the battlefield.
---
Aftermath of Destruction
The once-thriving battlefield had been reduced to ruins—the ground scorched and stripped of life. The beam had left behind a massive, smoldering crater, a terrifying testament to Sbyam's sheer power.
Moryo stood motionless, his usual composed demeanor shattered by the overwhelming scale of devastation. His eyes swept over the scene, struggling to process the carnage.
A few steps away, Beth wiped the sweat from his brow. His confidence remained on the surface, but his eyes betrayed the creeping fear gnawing at him from within.
He whispered to himself:
"Such power... He truly deserves the title of the strongest sorcerer."
But Sbyam, unfazed by the chaos he had unleashed, turned his attention to Beth. His smile returned—colder, sharper than before.
"I believe it's time to deal with you now." he said, his voice laced with disdain.
Beth froze, as if the words had crushed him under an unbearable weight.
Despite his fear, he forced a smirk, though it wavered with nervous tension:
"You'll die, just like your friend did!"
Sbyam let out a low, humorless chuckle, devoid of any amusement:
"Die? Because of you?"
Beth repeated, this time louder:
"Yes, you wi—"
"Pathetic." Sbyam cut him off, his words slicing through Beth's arrogance like a blade.
Beth faltered, his body trembling as he instinctively took a step back.
Sbyam's eyes burned with merciless determination as he declared coldly:
"You are weak."
His tone was final, sending a shiver down Beth's spine.
Their eyes locked once more, the tension between them thick enough to be cut with a sword.
For the first time, Beth felt utterly powerless—standing before an unstoppable force.
Sbyam remained unmoving, the embodiment of absolute supremacy, ready to finish what he had started.
---
End of Chapter.