As the gate to the arena creaked open, I stepped inside, my heart pounding like a war drum. Dust danced in the golden morning light, swirling lazily over the cracked earth.
But what truly struck me... was the silence.
—Just four...? — I muttered under my breath, narrowing my eyes. —Only four of us left?
The air was thick with tension. I had expected a battlefield brimming with fighters... but there were only three others besides me. Had so many already fallen?
Before I could gather my thoughts, the loudspeakers erupted with the overexcited voice of the announcer.
—GOOOOOOOOD MORNING, ARENAAAAAAAA!!! HOW ARE WE FEEEELING TODAY?!
The crowd went absolutely wild. The roar of thousands felt like a physical force pushing against my chest.
—IN A SHOCKING TURN OF EVENTS, ONLY FOUR FIGHTERS REMAIN FROM THIS BLOCK!!! WHO WILL BE THE ONE TO SURVIVE?! WHO WILL EARN THEIR FREEDOM?! LET THE FIGHT... BEGIIIIIIIIIN!!
No time to breathe.
A towering man charged at me with murderous intent gleaming in his eyes. His mana flared violently—unrefined but powerful.
—Tch... Let's get this over with.
I extended my arm, lightning-blue mana crackling around my fingers. Bolts of energy tore through the air toward him. He twisted his body mid-dash and hurled a fire spell at me. A wall of flames screamed my way.
I rolled to the side, heat licking at my skin.
—Enough, then.
I clenched my fist and pulled every drop of energy I could into my core.
—Blue Beam!
The arena trembled under my feet as a colossal wave of radiant blue mana exploded forward, swallowing everything in its path. It was the largest I had ever unleashed. I barely recognized the sheer force of it.
Two fighters—gone in an instant. Nothing left but cinders.
—WHAT JUST HAPPENED?! TWO ENEMIES WIPED OUT IN ONE ATTACK!!! THIS GUY'S LIKE A BROKEN CHARACTER FROM A NOVEL!!!
The crowd fell into stunned silence, then erupted in confused cheers.
On the far side of the arena, the final opponent stepped forward.
—Now it's just John... versus the infamous Headhunter! — the announcer shouted. —FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW, HE USED TO KEEP THE HEADS OF HIS VICTIMS AS TROPHIES!!
—Great, just what I needed — I mumbled. —A serial killer with a hobby.
Mana flared again, and he struck first.
His violet beams of magic cut through the air, clashing with mine mid-flight. Sparks burst in every direction. He was skilled, precise. We exchanged blows in a flurry of magic and movement.
Then... I saw it. My chance.
I leapt upward, activating Skystride—my movement technique—and soared high above the battlefield. The wind howled around me. Below, Headhunter struggled to keep track of my position.
—What if I used Blue Beam from up here...?
It would require impossible focus. If I failed mid-cast, I'd plummet to the ground defenseless. But I had no choice.
I steadied my breath. Focused everything.
The moment he looked up—
—Blue Beam!!
The sky turned sapphire.
Mana erupted from my hands, screaming downward like a falling star. The impact was devastating. The explosion lit up the battlefield, and when the dust settled, half his body was gone.
But somehow... he was still alive. Just enough to speak.
—Didn't know... someone from the clan... was still alive...
And then he died.
—He was... from my clan?
His words echoed in my mind like a ghost's whisper.
—AMAZING!!! — the announcer roared. —AN UNDENIABLE VICTORY! THE ROOKIE CLAIMS THE WIN WITH SPECTACLE AND POWER!!!
The cheers of the audience blurred together as I stumbled out of the arena, my mind still spinning from the final words of my enemy.
Someone from my clan...are here?
I passed through the gate, head low, until I heard a familiar voice ahead.
Leaning casually against a pillar with a smug smirk on her lips stood Ciny, arms folded.
—Took you long enough. What kind of man keeps a lady waiting?
I blinked at her, then chuckled softly.
—Wouldn't dream of it. Not with a lady who threatens to kill me every morning.