As the light consumed me, I was surprised to find that I didn't end up back in the stands. Instead, I stood once again in an arena though this one was vastly different. It was far grander, built of glimmering marble and gold rather than the cracked stone of the previous one. The walls shimmered with divine runes, and the crowd stretched so far that I couldn't even see where it ended. The air felt heavier, charged with divine energy. This was it the final stage.
Standing across from me was Nova, that all too familiar grin plastered across his face. His confidence practically radiated from him, glowing as brightly as the golden symbols beneath his feet.
"Good job on coming second in this little competition," he called out, voice booming across the arena as though he knew everyone needed to hear it. "Better luck next time."
His tone was drenched in arrogance. I could tell he wasn't just trying to get under my skin he genuinely believed it. For a second, I wanted to throw something back at him, something cutting that would wipe that smug grin off his face. But I stopped myself. There was no point. I knew the truth: my chances of winning were slim to none. I'd seen what his champion could do, how impossible it was to pierce that living fortress of spikes and armour. Empty bravado would only make my loss more humiliating.
The divine voice of the system rang out, silencing the crowd.
[Congratulations on passing Round 3.]
[The final round will now begin.]
[Final: Nexus vs Nova.]
The crowd erupted. The sound was deafening cheers, roars, and even chants filled the air. Billions of gods, each one radiating their own unique aura, shouted and stomped in excitement. Their energy alone was almost suffocating. Nova only basked in it more, throwing his arms wide as if to soak in their praise. The louder they got, the more confident he seemed to grow.
When our champions appeared, I finally understood just how large Nova's trilobite truly was.My lizard looked almost fragile in comparison. The massive shell gleamed under the divine light, every spike sharp enough to pierce steel. I couldn't help but remember when I had mocked Nova's so-called "useless" talent after the first day's rankings. Seeing it now, I realised how wrong I had been. That talent had molded this monster an impenetrable wall that moved like a living fortress.
Nova glanced over at my champion and then threw back his head, laughing loud enough to override the cheers of the crowd.
"This might be my easiest battle yet," he jeered, turning toward the crowd with a grin that could split his face. His words sent them into another frenzy of laughter and applause.
My fists clenched. Anger welled inside me anger at his arrogance, at the crowd's mockery, and at the fact that deep down, I feared he might be right. My champion might not look like much compared to his monstrous trilobite, but I knew better than to underestimate the venom that had carried me this far. I forced myself to calm down. Losing control before the match even began would only prove him right.
Still, I couldn't help but glare at him as he basked in the attention, his arrogant aura glowing brighter and brighter. He turned his gaze back toward me, still smiling, clearly entertained by my silence. "Come on, Nexus," he said mockingly. "At least try to make it fun."
Before I could respond, the familiar system voice cut through the tension once again.
[Begin.]
And with that, both of our champions shot forward, or at least tried to. Nova's trilobite could hardly move, let alone run. Its massive, spiked body seemed designed more for defense than speed, and it barely shifted as it approached. My lizard, however, surged ahead with all the energy it could muster, driven by instinct and whatever strange compulsion the system had instilled in it.
After only a couple of seconds, my champion met the trilobite not even a meter from where it had begun. My lizard stopped just meters away trying to figure a way around the giant spikes before it.
The crowd quieted down, leaning in, expecting the inevitable to unfold. And unfold it did.
My champion lunged again and again, snapping its jaws and aiming for weak points, but every time it struck it was met with the hard, unyielding spikes of the trilobite. Each attempt brought small cuts to its face and body, but that didn't stop its assault.
After a couple of minute's Frustration began to creep into my champion's movements. The calculated attacks turned into desperate lunges, driven more by instinct than strategy.
I watched, helpless, as the pattern repeated. My lizard attacked, was rebuffed, withdrew briefly, and then attacked again. Slowly, the frenzy took hold. Its movements grew erratic, wild precisely the madness the system seemed designed to instill. The crowd murmured at the sight, some shouting encouragement, others laughing at the predictable outcome.
Eventually, my champion's desperation reached its peak. It lunged one last time, with no regard for survival, aiming to leap onto the trilobite's back. But the spikes met it instantly. There was no room for error. The claws and teeth found no purchase, and instead, my lizard was impaled through the chest, pinned against its opponent.
The arena was deathly silent for a heartbeat before the system declared:
[Winner: Nova]
The announcement was met with an eruption of cheers and laughter. Nova's triumphant roar rang through the stands, and he turned to me with a wide grin. "I told you," he said loudly enough for the crowd to hear, "this was the easiest battle yet." His voice dripped with smugness. "Is the level of this competition so low that someone of your calibre could make it this far? It truly is saddening."
He stepped closer, his grin widening. "But don't worry you gave me a good laugh. That counts for something." There was a strange gleam in his eye, almost as though he enjoyed humiliating his opponents as much as winning.
I opened my mouth to retort, to say something sharp, but the noise of the crowd surged around me. My voice was drowned out before it even reached him. Nova merely chuckled, shaking his head. "Save your breath, Nexus. Its not like it matters."
He stepped back as the cheering intensified, raising his arms to soak in the applause. The crowd seemed to hang on his every expression, worshiping his arrogance.
And then, without warning, flashes of golden light appeared around the arena. Figures began to materialize my fellow competitors from the top ten returning to the field. Their eyes turned toward the center, where Nova still stood basking in his victory.
Another system notification appeared, large and impossibly bright, filling the arena with light.
[Reward distribution will now begin]
The words hung in the air as the cheering began to fade, replaced by curious murmurs. I stood silently, my gaze still.fixed on Nova, who seemed almost intoxicated by his victory. His grin remained, but there was a flicker of something else in his eyes pride, perhaps, or the hunger for what came next.
And so, the stage was set for whatever the system had planned.