"NOW NOW NOW!"
"THE LONG AWAITED ARTIFACT WAR WILL SOON BEGIN!"
The announcer's voice sounded as people began walking toward a colosseum at Vanguard Academy. A great structure that had been built just for this competition of Artifact War. The city's residents were also able to participate as spectators.
A white-haired elf walked through the halls of Vanguard Academy with the badge of Vice Principal.
"Ah, Vice Principal, you have come at the right time. All the directors are already inside." An elf academy staff member said to her.
"My~My~ The day is finally here." She said with a smile, promptly entering the room.
"Ah, Lady Zuatha Il Zikmel, you're finally here." Principal Celathis said with an extravagant smile.
"Are the preparations all set? Ms. Zuatha?" Loval, the Director of Demi-Humans, asked.
"Of course, leave it all to me. If there are necessary measures we need to take." She said, blinking once before continuing, "A Kaiser problem of sorts. I am prepared to handle it."
"That Kaiser of Darkness, will he truly come to the competition like this?" Tels, the Director of Fey, asked with contempt. "He already caused enough problems; now he wants to stir up some more? Unbelievable."
"The Kaiser is after the artifact, of course. He has shown interest even after it was announced. But he wasn't among the 999 people listed in the tournament. I have built specialized barriers so that only a person with a specific keycard may enter the colosseum. " Zuatha explained clearly with a playful tone. "Though, knowing him, he has probably found another way to enter."
"H-how can you be certain?" Celathis asked while trembling.
"Two of my agents who hold the keycard have been hijacked and stripped of theirs. So it can only be the Kaiser and his apprentice." Zuatha said, passing along a piece of the document.
"A fox demi-human, huh? Didn't know such a person would train someone with abilities this low. What is a demi-human without an aptitude to use offensive magic? At the very least, body-enhancing magic." Loval said with disgust.
"The fact of the matter is." Director Yu of the Spiritfolk cut the conversation and said, "Will this tournament attract the attention of another Demon Lord Envoy?"
"Great question. But I have prepared for that as well. I can guarantee that United Front will be untouched by the Demon Lord Envoys. However, since it's my technology at work, I won't disclose how I can make it so." Zuatha flails her fingers. "You'd just have to trust me on that." She stared intently towards the others.
"Fair enough, Miss Zuatha. I will hold you to that promise that United Front will be safe at all times." Director Yu said in confidence. "Though I am more concerned about the Kaiser of Darkness."
"Well. Speak of the devil, there he is now." Zuatha pointed towards a monitor revealing camera footage. Thalamik and Momoka are entering the colosseum, presenting a keycard, and entering it legitimately.
***
For the past week, Momoka and I have been training as hard as we can.
This competition should be a breeze.
All we need to do is defeat every participant in a duel.
It shouldn't be that hard.
Upon entering the colosseum with a keycard, I saw everyone watching both Momoka and me. Somehow, I can feel their contempt just seeing me here. I mean, why shouldn't they? After the death of Illias, my Fiend army has been patrolling the streets to maintain safety. For me, that is necessary, but for others, it may not be.
"Ladies and Gentlemen. All fighters have entered the colosseum." A voice that I didn't ever want to hear again echoed through the colosseum.
It was definitely her.
The thing that I hate the most.
Zuatha Il Zikmel was speaking through the audio system, but I couldn't pinpoint where she was.
"The following 999 participants will be starting the artifact war. Conducted to find the worthy user of Blastar, The Sword of Darkness. For the rules, meh, I guess it won't matter explaining to the audience anyway. May the strongest survive the first round and make it to the final duel round." Zuatha said confidently as the crowd cheered.
That's when I finally detected her; she was speaking from a pedestal near the audience seat.
Why can't I detect her sooner?
No, that doesn't matter.
What matters is that my body is already moving towards her.
I was running full force at her before leaping to reach onto her pedestal.
I raised my hand, sign ready to cast Alterity.
As I was face-to-face with her, something odd happened.
My body was frozen in place, and I was stuck mid-air before I could even cast my Alterity.
"Hi. Thalamik. Have you been well? Or should I say Kaiser of Darkness?" Zuatha said in front of me.
"You know, I made a bunch of Pseudo-Artifacts just to make you like this. First, cloaked my presence from you. Second, to hold you in like this. A few other things, just in case you can still do something." Her devilish smile reminded me of all the horrible things she had done.
"Listen, this is the part where you yet again lose. In fact, you are destined to lose." Her hands reached to my back, and she thrust some kind of black shard into my spine.
"KUHH!!!"
My body was frozen, and I was unable to do anything.
"However flawless you may be, Thalamik. I will always be one step ahead of you. It's because I am your creator. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't even be the hero you are now." She said before giggling like a fucking maniac.
"ZUATHA IL ZIKMEL!!!!" I forced my body but was only able to utter her name.
"Say it more, keep saying it hahahaha," Zuatha said with a smile. Before her eyes twitched, she noticed something she had been waiting for. "I am making great preparations for something big. I hope you will survive the war and meet me again in the new world."
Then I can feel my body being pulled into something.
A black tendril enveloped my frozen body as Zuatha said one final word, "I'll see you soon, my greatest toy." She said with eyes filled with fulfillment.
"ZUATHAAA!!!!!!!!!!!" I went berserk as I unleashed every Fiend Army I have as the banshees, Black, Arcuest, Passete, and Visha charged towards her, aiming to attack Zuatha.
I'LL KILL HER!!!!!!!!
I'LL DEFINITELY KILL HER!!!
But.
The Black Tendrils swallowed my armies whole.
As the control of my body returned, I saw the artifact.
The Devilish Artifact was the source of the tendrils and is currently pushing me towards it.
***
"Master.... Master..."
I slowly opened my eyes to see trees. The sound of water flowing near me. A forest? How can I be inside a forest? For a moment, I was inside a colosseum. No, that can only mean.
I rose to sit down beside Momoka, who seems as confused as I am.
This must be an Alterity, no doubt about it.
A pocket dimension made solely to trap the participants.
But by whom?
No, the owner of this Alterity can only be...
Currently, there are 999 teams left. Until there are only 128 teams, you must kill each other.
The owner of this Alterity is the Artifact itself. Blastar, The Sword of Darkness.
Then something moved, making me look towards it.
"Ah! S-sorry, Sorry, I was lost!" A short woman with glasses looks towards me.
It's a person I have met before.
Back when I was searching for a student.
"Are you, Mika?" I asked.
The woman squints as if making sure I'm real. Then his face goes pale. "Wait… are you Thalamik? I am sorry that I bailed on you that day!"
Mika was one of the candidates to be one of my students, but she ran away due to being scared. I can't say I am happy to see her here, considering the situation. I rise and walk towards her, but somehow, I feel something is rather odd.
"Master!" Momoka screamed.
"kehehehehe. stupid." Mika said, mocking me. As I saw to my back, Momoka was held at knifepoint to her neck.
"What is the meaning of this, Mika?"
"It's kill or be killed. I will survive to be the winner of the artifact."
Something is definitely wrong.
How can a timid person like her suddenly be like this?
"LET GO OF MOMOKA NOW!" I raised my voice, releasing my mana. But upon my trigger to summon Black. SPURST!
Blood drips down my nose.
What happened?
Whatever it is, I can't summon my fiends.
I began to run for Momoka before kicking the person holding her away. "Are you okay, Momoka. Master, I think they are all corrupted. Somehow, being inside this domain had made them much more aggressive."
"What are you saying, Momoka?"
"We can't negotiate out of this master. She is right. This is kill or be killed." Momoka said with a pained expression.
"Or we can run," I said with confidence before finding a wound on Momoka's right leg. "Master, I can't use mana correctly. It seems I am also poisoned." Slowly, Momoka's body began to tremble. "Momoka, stay with me."
"HYAAA!!" Mika ran and stabbed me in the stomach.
Should I really kill this person?
She is just.
Her mind is just not right.
[But if you don't. Your loved ones will be the ones to die.]
[Make your choice.]
"GRAAA!!! I grabbed Mika by the head and slammed her to the ground. As I raised a dagger made out of magical energy, preparing to finish her off, my hands trembled.
"WHAT'S WRONG SCARDY CAT, FIGHT ME SERIOUSLY WILL YOU!!!" Still holding her dagger and thrusting it deeper into my stomach.
I toughen up my spirit, gritting my teeth before suddenly,
SPURST!!!!!!!!!!!
Mika's head was punctured by a kunai.
Blood spilled like a river.
"Hah... Hah.. Hah...." Momoka forced herself to move and kill Mika. As her eyes became white, I focused my mana to shield her from the other person behind her. That person was probably Mika's partner. He had crazed eyes just like Mika's.
My hands trembled for a bit.
But then I realized.
This isn't the time to hesitate anymore.
I move my dagger and slit the throat of the attacker.
Their blood splattered onto my face.
Out of all the killings that I have done.
This is the second time that I felt that I had killed an innocent person.
I picked up Momoka in my arms and decided to relocate.
I will survive this death game.