★73
THIRD POV
MATCH 101
Ito, clad in a crimson suit, faced his opponent, who wore a translucent suit that shimmered faintly under the sunlight. The two advanced toward each other, meeting in the centre.
Atlas's announcement marked the start of the match, yet neither made the first move, the tension hanging thick in the air.
'Wind against flames is a huge mismatch for me.'
Ito complained deeply.
'I have the advantage only if he uses ordinary flames.'
Yasu thought. If Ito is an elemental anomaly, it'll be a big problem for him.
The crowd began murmuring, which left Ito uncomfortable. He gritted his teeth and launched his attack.
"Silence!"
A fireball materialized from thin air, hurtling straight for Yasu. He twisted the wind around him, redirecting it effortlessly back toward its source.
Before it could strike, Ito remained perfectly still, exhaling sharply. The expelled air snuffed out the fireball, leaving a dense white smoke curling across the arena. Within the swirling mist, faint red dots began to flicker, multiplying and spreading like embers.
The smoke thickened, coiling and writhing, until the red dots flared violently. Flames erupted in a sudden, roaring inferno, consuming the space and turning the arena into a searing battlefield.
'Big size and quantity, too late to counter.'
He stomped his feet, sending a shockwave through the arena that coalesced into a swirling windshield.
As the fireballs collided with it, the shield began to twist violently, fusing the clashing elements into a spiraling drill of flames.
'Anomaly of not, if I can end it quickly, I'll win.'
'Manipulating a flame of this magnitude?'
Ito in to the other hand was surprised.
"Blaze."
The drill lunged forward, faster than anything Ito had faced before.
'This is bad—completely unexpected. None of my defences can hold this—I have no choice.'
He shut his eyes, bracing for the onslaught. The drill erupted on contact, instantly transforming into a chaotic lavender blaze that writhed and twisted with wild, unpredictable energy.
'Lavender flames? That's him.'
Yasu assumed a ready stance, his eyes narrowing, locked on the unstable inferno.
"At this rate, it's safe to say the remaining participants are all Elemental Augmenters as well."
Asteri murmured.
"As expected. They've been mutated by the energy—not the magical energy, but yours, stars, and perhaps from the palace itself."
Hinata replied, her gaze fixed on the arena.
"You can sense Energy?!"
Asteri asked, surprised.
(He misunderstood the 'energy' she was talking about.)
"Y—yes. Is that a problem?"
Asteri shook his head before answering
'What's going on? Energy is a force that isn't a part of the physical, spiritual, astral or conceptual, or any Plane of Existence. Even we, the stars, need to activate the Parallel Plane of Energy to perceive them. That's a feat above ours. Only 1 to 3% of stars can access that Plane.'
Asteri was lost in thought, his eyes staring blankly at Hinata. This made her uncomfortable, and the match provided an escape route.
The uncontrollable flame spun faster, rotating in the same direction until it stabilised into a compact tornado resting on Ito's palm. The air around it screamed as pressure and heat folded in on themselves, the lavender blaze no longer flickering but grinding like a living drill.
'I can't keep this up…'
Yasu tried to seize the surrounding airflow, attempting to tear control of the flames away from Ito, but the moment his wind touched it, it was swallowed and shredded, adding to the cyclone instead of weakening it.
"G—goodbye."
Ito coughed blood as he thrust his arm forward.
The flame-tornado surged ahead, expanding violently as it closed the distance. The arena floor cracked beneath its pressure, heat distorting the space around it. Yasu planted his feet, drawing every fragment of defensive magic he had left into a single point.
"Aegis!"
The barrier formed just as the cyclone detonated. A thunderous shockwave rippled outward, slamming into the coliseum's protective field. This time, the barrier didn't simply hold—it stretched, warping visibly as it struggled to contain the raging lavender inferno within.
The spectators froze. No cheers or screams, just silence, swallowed by the groan of strained magic and the roar of devouring flames.
"The—they'll die—"
Hinata spoke, her voice low, snapping Asteri from his thoughts.
"I'll bring them back."
Asteri replied coldly, eyes unmoving as he stared into the storm.
"Th—that's—"
'Cruel, of course.'
Towa finished the sentence in her thoughts.
The debris dissolved into nothingness, leaving Yasu barely upright. His breaths came in ragged gasps, his left arm charred and useless, and his left leg gone entirely. His right side bore only minor burns, protected by the teal barrier emanating from his right palm.
"..m..I..I made it—a second delayed. I would've died."
He muttered between heavy breaths, each word strained. Ahead, Ito lay sprawled on the ground, unconscious, his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth streaming blood.
"This is bad—"
Hinata murmured, the tension thick as the crowd fell into stunned silence. For the first time, the participants had suffered what could have been fatal injuries.
"Yasu wins."
Eto's voice cut through the silence. Yasu collapsed to the ground, staring blankly at the sky.
"Looks like I'll be dying for the second time—What a drag."
He chuckled, closing his eyes, the exhaustion visible even through the haze of battle.
Above them, small white clouds condensed, releasing a gentle rain of glowing, water-like particles. The particles touched their skin, dissolving the wounds as if they had never existed.
Yasu blinked and sat up abruptly, running his hands over his face. The burns on his left arm and leg had vanished, leaving his skin smooth and untouched.
"What? How's—"
A few feet away, Ito stirred, confusion etched across his features as he too realised he was unharmed.
"Raising the dead is nothing but child's play. Healing fatal wounds can be done instinctively."
Asteri's voice was calm, low, yet carried across the arena with clarity. The crowd held their breath, witnessing the impossible.
Both participants bowed deeply.
"Forgive us for making you waste your precious magic on us."
"And your great time."
"I'll waste all I have to protect this island, I'd say the same for all its inhabitants."
Asteri spoke, his stance regal, his gaze unwavering, surveying them from above.
The audience erupted in cheers and applause, astonished by his words and presence. Atlas raised a hand, silencing the crowd, restoring a tense reverence over the arena.
"We have three more matches left for the day, save your cheer for the participants."
He spoke.
"Three? What happened to the last team, Atlas?"
"Gaara and Asuka both forfeit their matches."
"They left on their own accord. We'll proceed as planned."
To be continued...