The four Lords stood on opposite sides of the enormous battlefield.
The crowd had gone almost completely silent.
Lord Chad Grace tightened his grip around his sword.
Beside him, Lord Kelvin rolled his shoulders and stared directly at Lord Ackman.
Chad glanced at him.
"Kelvin."
"Hm?"
"We normally take the offensive first. Rush our opponents, overwhelm them, force them onto the defensive."
Kelvin smiled.
"That's exactly what I was thinking."
Chad looked toward their opponents.
Lord Ackman stood perfectly still.
Beside him, Lady Nerissa calmly stood with her hands at her sides.
Neither looked nervous.
Neither looked excited.
They simply waited.
Chad's expression became serious.
"But this time is different."
Kelvin's smile widened.
"Because we're not fighting normal opponents."
Chad nodded.
"We're fighting two Lords."
Kelvin slowly reached for his twin axes.
"Even better."
He grinned.
"I've been waiting for this."
His eyes locked onto Ackman.
"I've always wanted to see how strong Lord Ackman really is."
SHING!
Both axes came free.
Before Chad could say another word—
Kelvin vanished.
BOOM!
The ground beneath his feet shattered.
"Kelvin!"
He had already launched himself across the battlefield.
No magic.
No special technique.
Just raw speed.
His twin axes were raised above his head as he charged straight toward Ackman.
Ackman didn't move.
Not even an inch.
Then—
WHOOSH!
A massive wall of water erupted between them.
"Water Magic!"
Lady Nerissa stepped forward.
The water barrier stretched across the battlefield.
Kelvin didn't slow down.
"GET OUT OF MY WAY!"
SLASH!
His twin axes tore through the water wall.
But the instant he broke through—
ROOOOOAR!
A gigantic water dragon emerged from the other side.
Kelvin's eyes widened.
"Seriously?!"
The dragon opened its jaws.
Before it could strike—
SHING!
A black slash tore through its body.
The water dragon split apart.
Kelvin looked behind him.
Chad stood with his sword extended.
"Don't rush ahead without me."
Lord kelvin laughed.
"Alright, boss."
Chad walked beside him.
"Let's do this together."
Kelvin raised his axes.
"Just like old times."
Across the arena, Nerissa smiled.
"Then let's see how long your teamwork lasts."
She raised her hand.
Water began spiraling around her.
At that exact moment, the voice of the Great Elder echoed throughout the coliseum.
"This battlefield has been reinforced with Jenelle Ackman's barrier magic. Any attack that attempts to escape the arena will not be reaching the spectators!"
The crowd gasped.
"SECOND!"
Neil raised two fingers.
"There are only TWO ways to eliminate an opponent!"
"First—cut the red band attached to your opponent's RIGHT ARM!"
The red bands became visible on each Lord's arm.
"Or knock your opponent completely outside the battlefield!"
Neil's voice became heavier.
"And finally…"
The entire arena became silent.
"NONE OF THE FOUR LORDS ARE PERMITTED TO USE MORE THAN FIFTY PERCENT OF THEIR TOTAL ABILITY!"
The crowd exploded.
"FIFTY PERCENT?!"
"That's all they're allowed to use?!"
"Then what happens if they use their full strength?!"
Neil lowered his hand.
"Now…"
BOOM!
Kelvin and Chad launched forward together.
Ackman and Nerissa moved simultaneously.
The battlefield became chaos.
Kelvin went straight for Nerissa.
Chad targeted Ackman.
CLANG!
Chad's sword collided with Ackman's blade.
At the same instant—
BOOM!
Kelvin's axe smashed against a wall of water.
Nerissa pushed him backward.
Kelvin spun his weapon.
The chained axe flew around the water barrier and came toward Nerissa from behind.
She ducked.
The axe passed over her.
Kelvin pulled the chain.
WHOOOOSH!
The axe returned to his hand.
Nerissa smiled.
"You're troublesome."
Kelvin grinned.
"You haven't seen troublesome yet."
He disappeared.
SOUND CLAP!
The explosion of sound erupted across the battlefield.
Kelvin appeared behind Nerissa.
She barely turned.
CLANG!
Her water shield caught the axe.
Meanwhile, Chad and Ackman were moving through the battlefield like flashes of light.
Sword against sword.
CLANG!
Chad attacked.
Ackman parried.
SHING!
Ackman countered.
Chad twisted aside.
The blade passed his shoulder.
Chad immediately retaliated.
SLASH!
Ackman blocked.
The impact pushed both men backward.
They stared at each other.
Ackman remained completely composed.
Chad breathed slowly.
Then Ackman vanished.
Chad's eyes widened.
SHING!
A crescent-shaped Moon Slash crossed the space where Chad had been standing.
This time—
Chad sensed it.
Barely.
He moved.
The slash passed beside him.
Another came.
Chad ducked.
Another.
He jumped.
Another.
He turned his sword sideways.
CLANG!
The invisible attack was deflected.
Chad's eyes sharpened.
"So that's your Moon Cutting Slash."
Ackman said nothing.
Another slash appeared.
Chad's Dark Flame ignited around his blade.
FWOOSH!
The flame consumed the incoming slash.
Chad smiled faintly.
"If I can feel it…"
His Dark Flame intensified.
"…I can burn it."
Ackman's eyes narrowed.
For the first time, he looked genuinely interested.
Across the battlefield—
Kelvin was being surrounded.
Dozens of water soldiers emerged around him.
Behind them were enormous water monsters.
Kelvin sighed.
"Seriously?"
Nerissa lifted her hand.
"Water Magic."
The legion charged.
"Wave of Legions."
Kelvin's eyes widened.
"Come on!"
He charged directly into them.
SLASH!
One fell.
BOOM!
Another was crushed beneath his axe.
Kelvin's chains whipped through the battlefield.
CLANG! CLANG!
His twin axes tore through the water legionnaires.
Then—
"Sound Clap!"
BOOOOOOM!
The shockwave destroyed an entire formation.
Kelvin landed.
But the fallen legionnaires began reforming.
Nerissa's energy flowed through them.
They stood again.
Kelvin stared.
"You've got to be kidding me."
Nerissa smiled.
"They don't stay dead."
Kelvin cracked his neck.
"Then I'll keep knocking them down."
Back in the center—
Chad and Ackman collided again.
CLANG!
Their swords locked.
They pushed against each other.
The ground beneath their feet cracked.
Ackman suddenly rotated his blade.
Chad released his sword with one hand, drew his dagger and blocked the next strike.
CLANG!
Ackman followed immediately.
Chad parried.
Another strike.
Parry.
Another.
Parry.
Their blades moved faster and faster.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Then both swords struck simultaneously.
BOOOOOOM!
The shockwave ripped across the battlefield.
They flew apart.
Chad landed on one knee.
Ackman landed standing.
Neither had been eliminated.
Neither had gained the advantage.
Chad stood.
"Not bad."
Ackman calmly replied,
"You either."
Then—
A massive shadow appeared above them.
Chad and Ackman looked upward.
Nerissa had created an enormous sphere of compressed water.
It was almost the size of a small building.
Kelvin looked up.
"Chad!"
Chad understood immediately.
"Move!"
Nerissa lowered her hand.
The massive water sphere descended.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!
The battlefield disappeared beneath the impact.
Water exploded everywhere.
But before the attack could reach them—
Chad raised his sword.
Dark Flame covered the blade.
He swung upward.
SHING!
The entire water sphere split in two.
Chad's eyes burned with determination.
"Burn."
The Dark Flame spread across both halves.
FWOOSH!
The water evaporated into a massive cloud of steam.
The crowd erupted.
But through the steam—
A figure appeared.
Ackman.
His sword was already drawn.
Chad reacted instantly.
CLANG!
Their blades collided.
Ackman attacked again.
Chad blocked.
Again.
Again.
Again.
The two swordsmen disappeared into the steam.
Only the sounds of their blades could be heard.
CLANG!
SHING!
CLANG!
Then—
BOOM!
They burst through the steam and landed on opposite sides of the arena.
Chad's breathing became heavier.
Ackman still looked calm.
But suddenly—
Ackman raised his sword.
Chad felt it.
Six Moon Cutting Slashes.
He couldn't see them.
But he could feel them.
"Six…"
His Dark Flame ignited.
"Let's see if I can burn all of them."
The slashes came.
SHING! SHING! SHING!
Chad burned three.
Deflected one.
Dodged another.
The final slash passed inches from his body.
Chad immediately rushed forward.
Ackman met him.
CLANG!
Their swords collided again.
At the same time—
Kelvin was fighting Nerissa.
The water legion had become stronger with every regeneration.
Kelvin was bleeding from several small cuts.
He looked toward Chad.
Then toward Nerissa.
Then toward Ackman.
He gripped his axes harder.
"This is taking too long."
Nerissa raised her hand.
More water gathered.
Kelvin smiled.
"Then I'll end my side."
He lowered his body.
Stone Skin covered him.
His muscles tightened.
The ground beneath him cracked.
Nerissa's expression changed.
"Kelvin…"
He vanished.
SOUND CLAP!
The explosion was enormous.
Kelvin ripped through the water legion.
He didn't stop.
He tore through the battlefield itself.
Stone shattered.
The arena floor broke apart.
A huge section of the battlefield collapsed beneath Nerissa.
She jumped backward.
Kelvin followed.
His twin axes spun.
He was going all in.
Nerissa raised both hands.
A massive water barrier appeared.
Kelvin smashed through it.
Another appeared.
He smashed through it too.
Another.
Another.
Another.
Until—
He was directly in front of her.
Nerissa's eyes widened.
Kelvin raised both axes.
"This is it!"
He swung.
But at the final instant—
SHING!
A Moon Cutting Slash crossed the battlefield.
Kelvin's eyes widened.
Ackman had intervened.
The invisible slash forced Kelvin to change his trajectory.
Nerissa immediately used the opening.
BOOM!
A powerful wave struck Kelvin.
He flew backward.
He crashed onto the broken battlefield.
Silence.
Kelvin slowly sat up.
He looked at his axes.
Then at Ackman.
A smile appeared on his face.
"So you really are something."
He stood.
He looked toward Chad.
"Chad boy."
Chad turned.
Kelvin lifted his axes onto his shoulders.
"I think I've reached my limit."
Chad's expression changed.
Kelvin laughed.
"I used to think I was that strong."
He looked toward the two opposing Lords.
Then back at Chad.
"You…"
His smile softened.
"I entrust everything to you."
Chad tightened his grip around his sword.
Kelvin continued.
"Do me one favor."
He pointed toward Ackman.
"Win this battle."
A sudden silence filled the arena.
Kelvin dropped his axes.
His right arm crossed the boundary of the battlefield.
The Master of Ceremonies announced:
"AHH…. LORD KELVIN HAS BEEN ELIMINATED!"
The crowd erupted.
Kelvin picked up his twin axes as though nothing had happened.
He looked at Chad one last time.
"Your turn."
Chad slowly stepped forward.
His sword in one hand.
His dagger in the other.
Dark Flame flickering around both blades.
Across from him—
Ackman stood silently.
And beside him—
Nerissa raised her hand.
Chad looked at both of them.
"Two against one."
He smiled.
"Fine."
His Dark Flame exploded around his body.
"Let's make this interesting."
The next few minutes became a blur.
Chad fought both Lords simultaneously.
His blade collided with Ackman's blade.
His dagger intercepted Nerissa's water attacks.
Moon Cutting Slashes crossed the battlefield.
Chad burned them.
Water dragons attacked from every direction.
Chad sliced through them.
Nerissa's legionnaires surrounded him.
Chad's Dark Flame erased entire formations.
Ackman appeared behind him.
Chad spun.
CLANG!
Their swords collided.
Nerissa attacked from the side.
Chad ducked.
A water blade passed above his head.
He kicked backward.
Nerissa was forced away.
Chad turned—
Ackman was already there.
CLANG!
The two swords locked.
Chad grinned.
"You're fast."
Ackman answered calmly.
"So are you."
They pushed away.
Chad's eyes suddenly moved toward Nerissa.
She was gathering an enormous amount of water.
Chad understood.
"She wants to finish me."
Ackman raised his sword.
"And I won't let you reach her."
Chad smiled.
"Then I'll go through you."
He charged.
Ackman charged too.
BOOOOOOM!
Their swords collided.
At the same moment, Nerissa released her attack.
A gigantic wave surged toward Chad.
Chad couldn't dodge both.
So he did something else.
He switched his soul.
Soul Swap.
His body shifted at the critical instant.
The incoming water passed through the position he'd occupied.
Chad reappeared behind Nerissa.
Her eyes widened.
Chad raised his sword.
Dark Flame erupted.
"Burn."
The flames engulfed the water surrounding her.
Nerissa tried to regenerate the barrier.
But Chad was already moving.
One strike.
Two.
Three.
He forced her backward.
Toward the edge of the battlefield.
Ackman noticed.
"Chad."
Chad looked at him.
Ackman moved.
Too late.
Chad slammed his foot into the ground.
BOOM!
The remaining battlefield beneath Nerissa collapsed.
She lost her balance.
Chad's blade stopped inches from her red band.
He didn't need to strike.
One final push—
BOOM!
Nerissa was knocked completely outside the battlefield.
Silence.
Then the Master of Ceremonies voice thundered across the coliseum.
"LADY NERISSA HAS BEEN ELIMINATED!"
The crowd exploded.
Chad stood in the center of the ruined battlefield.
His sword lowered.
His dagger still in his hand.
Across from him—
Lord Ackman stood alone.
The two Lords stared at each other.
The battlefield was silent.
Kelvin was gone.
Nerissa was gone.
Only two remained.
Lord Chad Grace.
Lord Ackman.
Chad tightened his grip.
Ackman slowly raised his sword.
The final battle was about to begin.