With the agreement signed, construction of the arena began, creating a surreal and contradictory scene. Civilizations that were still officially at war found themselves working side by side on a shared project, while other sections of their fleets stood idle, maintaining a tense standby posture in case one side gave in to the temptation to strike.The mana oath and runic contract ensured compliance, but they were not preemptive barriers—they only enforced punishment after a violation occurred, not for the intent. Although the penalties for breaking the agreement were severe, the potential destruction that could be unleashed in the moments before those consequences took effect was something neither side could afford to ignore. As a result, both sides remained cautious, prepared for any sudden betrayal.The selection of the asteroid was completed swiftly, and it was soon pulled from the remnants of its disrupted orbit—a casualty of the black hole bomb that had marked the war’s violent b
By the third week, the construction of the Colosseum was finally completed, and the remainder of the week was devoted entirely to testing to ensure everything met the necessary standards. Both sides pushed every available system to its limits, stress-testing the arena’s components, shielding, and environmental controls.This wasn’t just about verifying functionality; it was also a matter of trust—or the lack thereof. Both sides were highly suspicious of one another, meticulously scanning for any hidden backdoors or subtle sabotage. No one wanted to risk the possibility of a sudden disadvantage due to an exploit or unseen manipulation. Both sides scrutinized every circuit, magic circle, and protocol, working tirelessly to confirm that nothing had been tampered with and that the arena was truly neutral ground.While the systems were being tested, Liasas met once again with the negotiator to finalize and deliver the list of contenders, a requirement that had to be fulfilled before the co
As time marched forward, the long-awaited day finally arrived. For many viewers across the Conclave, the anticipation was mixed with confusion and curiosity. The empire had not altered its decision—Emperor Aron Michael remained their sole representative. Despite the risks, they had not added additional contenders as a contingency, even in the event of his defeat or incapacitation during the many matches he will have to participate. This bold choice stirred countless reactions. Some saw it as arrogance, others as unwavering confidence, while a few viewed it as sheer madness. The stakes couldn’t be higher, and the emperor's lone participation left no room for error. All eyes were now focused on the Colosseum, waiting to see if this risky strategy would result in triumph—or disaster.Outside the shimmering shields of the Colosseum, massive ships from each contending civilization hovered in position, their hulls gleaming under the light of distant stars. Each vessel carried within it a c
"I hope at least the body survived," Aron muttered, eyes locked on the slowly dissipating mushroom cloud.As he said that, the gun he still held began to crack, fractures spreading like a web over its surface. A second later, the entire weapon crumbled in his grip, the pieces disintegrating into fine dust that blew away in the wind. Aron glanced at his now-empty hands, his expression briefly turning into a frown before vanishing as quickly as it appeared."It seems I overloaded it with more mana than it could handle," he mused quietly to himself.The weapon had been a specially crafted magic gun—an attempt to allow him to use magic in conventional forms, much like his wife did. His own magic abilities were limited to rune-based applications, and he had wanted to avoid relying on them for this fight. The gun's intricate design had combined several magic cycles into a single, complex magic circle: a fire cycle to create destructive energy, a compression cycle to concentrate it, a flight
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMAron stared at the massive explosion he had created, the remnants of his latest attack churning in a mushroom cloud. But rather than savoring the apparent victory, he muttered, “It worked four times. I should be happy with that,” his gaze locked on the shifting scene ahead.Before him, the mushroom cloud split in two, rapidly dissipating under immense air pressure, revealing the figure at its core. A winged fighter emerged from the chaos, unscathed and brimming with power. Though the massive wings hovered behind the warrior, they weren’t physically connected, adding an eerie quality to the figure’s presence. The armor encasing him shimmered in perfect synchronization with the ethereal wings, both sharing the same dark, metallic hue.Without hesitation, the Feryn fighter shot forward, moving with such speed that it would only take him a few seconds to close the distance to Aron, clearly intending to finish the fight swiftly. Aron cl
The moment Aron disappeared from the cloud of dust and smoke, he appeared on the Feryn fighter’s right side. Without hesitation, he seized the fighter’s wrist, twisting his body to slip behind him. In a fluid motion, Aron forced the captured arm upward until it locked at the shoulder, then pulled back sharply, tearing ligaments and dislocating the joint. Before the Feryn fighter could react to the pain, Aron’s left arm snaked around his neck, securing a chokehold, while a swift kick to the back of the fighter’s right knee brought him crashing to the ground. He then tightened the chokehold with unrelenting force while simultaneously pulling on the dislocated arm, further constricting the fighter’s windpipe and compressing his carotid artery. The restricted blood flow to the brain caused the Feryn fighter to slump unconscious within moments, the fight brought to unexpected reversal.CRASH!!!!The only sound heard was the Feryn fighter slamming into the ground, unconscious and unable to
Anyone watching the fight from the Terran Empire who was familiar with anime couldn’t shake the feeling of déjà vu, certain they had seen their emperor replicate a moment straight out of those iconic animes.Though Aron’s downward swing radiated immense power behind its graceful motion, there was seemingly nothing in front of him to strike. Yet, that was irrelevant. By the time the motion was complete, a golden, crescent-shaped wave of energy materialized, surging toward the unsuspecting Elara fighter. Mid-flight and focused on transporting his spells toward Aron for an attack, the Elara fighter remained unaware of the incoming assault. He placed full trust in his layered shields to withstand any counter from the emperor—unaware that something far beyond ordinary resistance was now heading his way.Just as he was mere meters above the ground, what began as a faint tingling sensation rapidly intensified into a wave of goosebumps. A chilling realization washed over him—he had been caug
A momentary silence of surprise flickered across the Elara fighter's face as he paused, caught in a fleeting internal debate over whether he had truly heard the voice or if it was merely a figment of his fear-stricken mind. But his doubts were swiftly dispelled when the imposing figure of his opponent materialized just about fifty meters in front of him. The realization hit him hard: this was no hallucination. Aron had actually dared to pose the question, choosing not to exploit the distraction caused by the fighter's pain and his own efforts to motivate himself.“What do you mean by that?” the Elara fighter asked, trying to buy himself time to recuperate and heal some of his injuries while formulating a new strategy. It was like hitting seven birds with one stone, but it all hinged on whether his opponent would indulge him and answer his questions.Aron, seemingly unfazed by the fighter's plight, replied, “Do you know the losses I incurred from the defeat of the four fighters and th