"You've had your fun. Now it's my turn. [Limit Release]"As those words came out of his mouth, Midnight's aura suddenly increased exponentially. Sara had thought that he was a magic user and this was indeed surprising to everyone. Even the audience could feel the pressure from how intense Midnight's presence was.Sara remained calm but her mind was confused. (What happened? How did he suddenly get so strong? Either way, I don't know what he can do now. I need to be cautious.) Sara focused on the ensuing battle.Her eyes watched every fidget that Midnight did. She could see it. His body was shaking possibly from the immense power he was using right now.โ[Angelโs Armour]โ Sara summoned her special armour. Pieces of metallic covered her body leaving no exposed area. โ[Lightning Flash]!โAlong with her words, Sara was accelerating forward at lightning speed. Her sword already midway in its motion and within a mere fraction of a second, she cut Midnight several times across his chest. How
The tenth day of the tournament was done and the results were in. Two fighters from each arena will be relocated to the Cyss International Colosseum. The names of such fighters were:Ajax Noz and Fillian Murad, from Cyss International Colosseum.Richard Martin and Rain Sky, from King Clementineโs Stadium.Akame Sakura and Ryuka Harini, from Leonard Academyโs Stadium.Isaac Latte and Afro Joss, from Queen Cleopartaโs Arena.And also;Midnight and Matthew Dragunov, from Omni Stadium.10 fighters, 9 matches, and 1 champion will be decided on the same day. It was unthinkable that anyone would miss it especially when most of the famous Coloured Hunters were there as well. The outcome was actually quite obvious, however, Sara's loss was quite unexpected.Three days were given for the participants to travel to Cyss, to a hotel that was sponsored by the Cyss empirical family. Each participant had their own rooms and were also provided with all the hotel's facilities. In the meantime, the aren
โLadies and gentlemen! People of all races! Welcome to the final day of the World Champion Tournament!โThe hosts announced along with a barrage of confetti popping in the air. It was the day that everyone was surely excited for and the host had to be all the more hyped for it.โHello everyone! My name is Claire!โ Said the white rabbit woman.โAnd I am Nile!โ Said the blue haired elf.โAnd we will be your hosts for todayโs event!โ They said together.The crowd erupted with incomprehensible words, but it was obvious that they were excited.โWow! Everyone sure is fired up today! Why is that I wonder?โ Claire turned to Nile.โIsnโt it obvious? It is the last day of the tournament. We said that, didn't we?โโBut I donโt remember the previous days being this hype though?โโThatโs because today, unlike the other days, the battles will be more exciting! More thrilling! And unlike previous years, we finally get to see some of the most iconic figures in the world pitted against each other.โโS
โI donโt know from where Dragunov pulled out his sword, but at least now we see that he is not only skilled in martial arts, but also in swordsmanship!โ Claire said.โThey are moving all over the arena and we can even see cuts on the floor where the shock of their clash hit. We had to activate the [Temporal Time Slow] inside the barrier just for everyone to see. But they are still almost inconceivable.โโThat goes to show just how fast they are moving. Look now! Dragunov has called upon his shield again!โ Claire excitedly said while pointing at Matthew.โHeโs fighting with a sword in one hand and a shield in the other. That requires an entirely different style of fighting!โโHe switched weapons again! He has two swords now. Sakura is getting pushed back!โโSakura is using her red tentacles as extra weapons to attack Dragunov! However, Dragunov responds to it by blasting them with red energy orbs. Dragunov currently has the upperhand. The fight is going to be tight!โThe other particip
The results of the first stage were in. Five fighters will advance to the next stage. Since there will be an odd fighter, one of them will automatically be advanced to a stage further.โAfter discussing with the referees, weโve decided to choose Matthew Dragunov as this person. We hope that everyone can agree even if you donโt like it because this decision is final.โ Nile announced.โMakes sense to me.โโYeah, I think heโll get there anyway.โโI donโt like him, but whatever.โโHe definitely deserves it!โFrom the murmurs of the crowd, it seems that they were accepting of that decision.โThank you for your cooperation. Now, I will announce the next two matches. First up is Rain Sky versus Ryuka Harini. And in the second match, Midnight versus Ajax.โ Claire read from a piece of paper in her hand.Upon hearing this announcement, Matthew and Loki looked at each other.โThe victors of this round will then be put together with Dragunov in a three man battle royal. Without further ado, letโs
I was born into a poor family. I had an older brother, Ajax. He was an outgoing and naughty guy. We used to play together and we had fun despite our family's situation.Dad worked as a construction worker and mom was a housewife. Dad's salary was barely enough to take care of us. Then, he got into an accident during one of the company's projects and died. Mom had to work at a night bar to support us.As days went by, mom got depressed and drunk when she got home. Because of that, she would beat my brother and I until she eventually fell asleep. When she wakes up and finds out what she did, she becomes even more sad.I was only eight years old at the time, and Ajax was thirteen. Ajax decided to look for a job as well to help support the family. I joined him too.We cleaned shoes on the streets, delivered newspapers, and helped anyone that was willing to pay for it. We never begged. Ajax said that it's inefficient and unseemly. "If we're able to work, we should. It guarantees pay and be
Matthew leapt from his seat to the wall separating the audience and the arena, and then through a hole in the barrier and landed on the arena floor.โDr-Dragunov has entered the arena somehow! He has interfered with the fight. Could this mean that he is disqualified?โ Nile asked.โI think thatโs not the important part here, Nile.โ Claire said.Midnight backed away from Ajax as he was wary that Matthew would move if he tried to attack Ajax again. Matthew walked closer to Ajax without letting his eyes off of Midnight. Matthew pulled out his spear and Midnightโs sword.Ajax felt a sharp pain when Matthew pulled out the sword and coughed. โUgh! What are you doing?โโSaving your butt. Appreciate it, why donโt you?โAjax slowly stood up with the little strength he had. โGuhโฆ Please donโt kill him.โโNo promises. Now, get out of the way.โ Matthew said.Ajax didnโt like that answer, but there was nothing he could do. He limped out of the arena through a hole that was somehow there and it clos
Matthewโs aura was blazing red and yellow and engulfed the desert in it. Ajax remembered the time when he felt something similar to this a year ago, and seeing it in front of his eyes was simply astonishing.โHow can someone conjure up so much astra?โ Ajax asked, but no one replied.Even the people from the host could feel something despite not being able to sense astra. The ones that can were awestruck.โThatโs Dragunovโs aura! I can feel it all the way from here!โ Nile said.โThis is Matthewโs?โ Isaac was shocked as well.โIt is stronger than before.โ Akame mentioned.โI thought I'd already seen his full power.โ Rain scoffed.Back in the desert, Alan took off his mask in case it clouded his vision, but it did not. โY-you! Youโve been hiding so much power?!โThat line felt familiar to Matthew. โI donโt know what you did, but I canโt summon any weapons anymore. Well, I donโt need them to beat you though.โโGrr! Attack!โ Alan pointed his sword at Matthew and commanded his legion of mon
At the edge of the pit, it was them. A total of nine of the Scarlett family members.From the right, a woman with long red hair and black and white dress was casting a healing spell on Bilgrae. A male elf in full black armour with a star shaped bang of three red points and two white points and his black hair was split in the middle. A demon with dark violet hair and a pair of horns at the side of her head and wore a jet black skin tight suit which exposed certain parts, Crymillia. In the middle, it was a man with short bright red hair wearing a black and gold robe. Then, a man with black hair in a red and black suit. Another demon with about the same features as Crymillia except that his hair was short and he wore a black cloak over his suit. Then there was a man with spiky red hair in a red robe with a high collar, Crone, the one that Matthew and his friends fought at the Great Sandcastle. Finally, there was the black feathered avian human, Skystorm.Seeing Skystorm in good health, M
Confronting Bilgrae now was what he expected to see from a Dragon Emperor.Matthew was now at maximum output of his astra and all of it was condensed in his body. Bright red scales covered his entire body and he grew slightly in size. His muscles became more toned and also increased in size. A pair of horns of a darker tone of red grew out of his forehead that curved to the back of his head. Both of his eyes were glowing golden as his hair was.โLetโs finish this!โ Matthew did not delay any further. He couldnโt maintain this form for long so he must finish the fight quickly.Matthew dashed toward Bilgrae who was ready for Matthew. Their fists clashed again and this time, not only was Bilgrae pushed back, he felt pain in his knuckles. Matthew was much stronger than before and far faster too. Utilising his speed, Matthew went for another punch to Bilgraeโs gut.โOof!โ Bilgrae got the air knocked out of him with the first hit.Matthew followed up with a barrage of punches. Bilgrae truly
After being blown away by Skystormโs wind, Matthew regained his footing and was met with the big lizardman, Bilgrae Scarlett. Bilgrae had a smirk on his face. Matthew stood up and faced Bilgrae, but his eyes were not on him. Matthewโs eyes fell on Falynx in the far distance.โAre you still concerned about that monster?โ Bilgrae asked with his deep voice.Matthew looked at Bilgrae now. โItโs hard to know which one is the monster here.โโHeh, youโre right. All of us are monsters deep inside. It just takes one misstep to turn a person into one. Youโve been there too.โโNo I havenโt.โโMaybe not to you. But the whole world saw you as one. Now that monster suddenly turned into an emperor and they suddenly glorified you, while some still hate you of course.โโHmph.โ Matthew huffed.โYouโre angry with me, I understand. I purposely did not kill that beast. Out of compassion.โโDonโt lie. You Scarletts donโt know what that means.โBilgrae wasnโt smiling anymore. โYou donโt know how merciful fa
Akame and Skystorm were separated from Matthew and Bilgrae. Akame stood up after being blown away by the powerful gust of wind created by Skystorm. Their eyes met. Both of their irises were bright red and gazed deeply.โI will be your foe, Red Cardinal.โ Skystorm said.โWhat relic will you take? What will you use it for?โ Akame asked.โStraight to the questions huhโฆ Thatโs not any of your business. Why would you care what we take anyway if youโll die?โโTo evaluate whether itโs worth fighting for or not.โโHmm, a smart choice. If you don't want to fight, then I shant confront you. Sadly, it seems that Lord Dragunov disagrees with you. If he is in the way, then we must remove him. I donโt think that leaves you an option now.โBacking out from this would mean that Matthew will be fighting two people. If they werenโt among the Scarlett Armyโs strongest, it probably wouldnโt be hard for him to deal with alone. Both of their foes were really strong and Akame had no expectation of defeating
After their encounter with Falynx, they reached an agreement to conduct an investigation as they intended. Falynx had flown back to the surface on its own. Matthew and Akame headed to the temple and arrived at the front door.For some reason, even though they were underground, it was as clear as day down here. It was not dark and not too bright either, like a cloudy day.There were stairs that led to the door and the walls in the area were already partially destroyed. Some of the stairs were also gone. The giant door was made of stone and seemed to be intact with little cracks around the hinges.Matthew pushed one of the doors open. It was surprisingly heavy so Matthew had to lean into it to move it. Akame went inside first and inspected the place. There was a stage and a podium carved out of stone at the end of the great hall. A mural was carved out of the wall behind the stage depicting a supposed god holding the sun in his hands.Matthew left the door open and joined Akame to look
In the middle of the desert, there were two figures running across the sands. Clouds of sand were left behind in their quick steps. The cloak provided by the minister was really working. No sand was sticking onto them.โWeโre getting close.โ Matthew informed Akame.Almost two hours have passed since they left the city. Many monsters came their way but they were easily dealt with. It caused a little delay but not enough to affect their momentum. Falynxโs presence was still about 10 kilometres away.โBe ready for battle.โ Akame said.โRemember though, donโt kill it.โ Matthew reminded her.A few minutes later, a gigantic figure could be seen flying in the sky. The creature had the body of a snake, the head of a crocodile and six pairs of batwings. Its yellow eyes with black vertical slits looked down at the incoming people below.Falynx bowed its head and began descending. Matthew and Akame saw this as an engagement in battle. Matthew called out the Dragoknight to his arms and increased
The sun was already high up in the sky in the Capital City of Kubalt. The weather was hot and dry as usual in San Coro. The street around this particular area was not that busy since it was right in front of the Palace of Al-Jauhara. One would occasionally see knights patrolling the area. Akame was waiting under the intense heat of the sun. She had covered herself in a large black cloth to protect herself from the heat. The guards out here only wore light armour compared to the ones inside, probably because their armour would be too hot to wear outside. Not too long after, she finally saw the one she was waiting for. Matthew was jogging toward her. He wore his long sleeved red hooded jacket and an orange shirt under it and a pair of black pants. He also had his usual travelling backpack with him. โPhew, sorry, did you wait long?โ โNot too long. Did you not use a teleportation scroll?โ Akame asked. โI did, but the closest one was to Yanbue City. Neither Platinum nor Rose were famil
โWhat brings you here, Akame?โ Matthew asked.Just a few moments ago, Akame had arrived in front of Platinumโs cave. Someone like who was a Coloured Hunter, passing through the Blackwood Forest and up the cold mountain was not a problem. Or not.Akame was hugging herself to keep warm but it was not helping at all. โAchoo! C-can we talk somewhere warmer?โโOh, come on in.โ Matthew invited her inside.Akame went in and they both made their way to the living room. Matthew didn't think that it was alright to bring her to the others directly. The living room had a fire to keep them warm, so here was enough.โAh~โ Akame warmed herself up by the fire and put her hands out.โSo, what are you doing here without equipment to survive on a mountain? Certainly you didnโt come to interview us?โ Matthew asked.โQueen Cleopatra sent me. We will investigate the ruin she mentioned together.โ Akame said with the same emotionless voice as usual.โCleopatra? Well, I was gonna head there in a few days anyw
Matthew and Rose arrived at the foot of the mountain just by the Blackwood Forest where they dropped off of the carriage while Guinevere headed back to her palace. It was already very late in the afternoon when they got to the forest. Matthew carried Rose's luggage in hands while he also wore his backpack."I can carry my own stuff." Rose said."No, I will carry them for you. Anyway, are you sure you'll be fine?""My magic resistance is quite high. I also know how to disperse mana if it does accumulate inside me. How long exactly is it going to take to get up there again?" Rose looked up at the ledge near the mountain peak where Platinum's abode was."Well, usually only a few hours if you're moving at my usual speed. If we're walking though, a few days at least." Matthew said."But we're not walking, right?" Rose asked."Nope." As Matthew replied, a shadow flew past over them.A jade green dragon circled them as she descended to the ground nearby. Upon landing, the dragon folded its w