The arena rumbled as the archbishop gave the signal to begin.
All twelve paladins stepped forward, their weapons unsheathed forming a crescent around Roman. The sacred barrier flickered to life, runes glowing across the dome above them. A silence descended… the silence before a storm.
Suddenly
BAM!
Ezra launched forward like a thunderbolt, her fist wrapped in golden aura. Roman barely caught her punch with one hand, his boots grinding the stone beneath. The force was so immense that the arena barrier cracked behind Roman, before being instantly reinforced by the mages outside.
Ezra smirked.
"Not bad, Warherald. That was just 20% of my power."
Roman's lips curved into a calm smile.
"Then allow me to respond with just 1% of mine."
He stepped in faster than human eyes could follow and landed a soft punch on her stomach. It looked weak… but the impact sent Ezra skidding across the ground, earth shattering beneath her heels.
She wiped her lip… and smiled with excitement.
"You really ARE dangerous."
And then she charged again,
Their fists collided again and again creating shockwaves that rattled the entire arena. Every strike produced a thunderous BOOM echoing like war drums. Dust exploded around them as their movements blurred into streaks of light.
Outside the arena, priests and nuns held their breath.
The pope murmured, "To think… his body alone can match Ezra's holy fists…"
Ezra was giving her all. Roman was barely trying.
And yet they were evenly matched in that moment.
But that moment didn't last.
Gabriel stood, drawing his sword.
"Looks like Ezra is having too much fun, brothers and sisters… Shall we?"
WHOOSH! all twelve paladins launched forward in unison.
Ezra continued her strikes. Gabriel's sword flashed beside her.
Their teamwork was sharp perfectly synchronized.
Roman blocked two attacks then three then six. His expression remained calm, but his movements grew sharper, fiercer.
"You fight well together… but this is unfair."
He parried Ezra's fist with his elbow and pushed Gabriel back with a twist of his wrist.
"A fist and a sword against me? That's an imbalance."
With one swift motion, Roman sent both Ezra and Gabriel flying backward but gently, controlled.
He raised his hand.
And from thin air Archon appeared. His sword.
The pope stood up instantly when he saw it.
"That sword… that aura… it truly belongs to the Warherald."
Roman pointed Archon forward.
The paladins nodded to each other — and began summoning their full holy aura.
Gabriel's sword glowed golden.
Ezra's fists ignited with sacred flame.
Philip's daggers shimmered with rapid divine wind.
Mia's spear spun with lethal precision.
The other eight paladins followed, their auras rising like a holy storm.
Archbishop Desmond Herman stood up in panic.
"Gabriel are you insane?! You're using holy magic against the goddess's chosen warrior!"
But Pope Lucius simply smiled.
"Let them proceed. We will now witness… the true nature of the Warherald."
Priests and nuns leaned forward.
Everyone braced themselves.
And Roman smiled.
"It would be my honor… to fight alongside you all one day.
So I must know your true strength."
He raised Archon vertically before his chest.
Black aura began flowing from the left side of his body.
Golden aura from the right.
Yin and Yang.
Light and Darkness.
Life and Death.
Both auras surged into Archon perfect synchronicity.
The sword ignited with dual radiance, one half pure shadow… the other divine light.
Gasps rippled across the arena.
Pope Lucius stood, eyes widened.
"That is… a fusion of divine and forbidden aura…
This is beyond demigod level…"
Even the paladins felt it their aura began to tremble in his presence.
Gabriel clenched his sword.
"Warherald Roman… we will give you everything we have."
Roman nodded.
"And I will answer it properly…"
He slashed once.
SSHHHHHHHKKKK!!!
The paladins' holy magic vanished instantly dispelled like smoke.
And behind them
BOOOOOOM!!!
The arena wall collapsed completely, annihilated by the redirected force of Roman's attack. The barrier shattered into pieces.
The priest watching over the magic barrier fainted instantly.
Ezra stared at her fists trembling.
Gabriel looked at his sword silent.
The other paladins… smiled.
Roman lowered his sword.
"I diverted the slash to the wall. I didn't want to hurt any of you.
But now I know…
you are worthy allies."
For a moment silence.
Then Gabriel smiled and said softly:
"We are honored… Warherald."
The pope finally exhaled whispering:
"Goddess Aria… thank you.
Humanity… truly… has hope."