The sharp crack of the whip split the air.
It wasn't just a sound.
It was a sentence.
A single strike.
Brutal. Precise. Humiliating.
Seraphyne's weapon traced a crimson line through the space and crashed squarely into Aurum's face.
The impact twisted his neck unnaturally, wrenching a choked grunt from him before his body was flung like a broken doll, flying several meters until it slammed into the arena wall.
The collision was violent.
Stone exploded into fragments, dust rose like a thick cloud, and cracks spread across the wall's surface like freshly inflicted scars.
For an instant, Aurum's silhouette remained embedded in the wall… before he fell heavily to the ground.
The roar was immediate.
The stands erupted in shouts, applause, roars of excitement.
Some demons stood up, raising their fists. Others pounded the metal railings with wild enthusiasm.
To everyone's eyes, the battle was decided.
Even Kael, from his seat, felt the air relax. That had been definitive. There was no way to get up after a blow like that.
Seraphyne lowered the whip with elegance.
There was no rush in her movements. No tension in her shoulders. Her breathing was calm, almost bored.
The relaxed posture of her body screamed victory. She didn't need to look back to know her opponent had fallen.
She turned around.
Her hair swayed gently with the motion, floating for a few seconds before settling on her back, as if the fight had been nothing more than a warm-up, an unimportant distraction.
But then…
BOOM.
A violent, rough, unnatural sound shattered the air behind her.
It wasn't a simple collapse.
The remnants of the destroyed wall shot out like projectiles. Blocks of stone, fragments of compacted sand, and debris propelled with tremendous force sliced through the air straight toward her back, whistling like bullets.
The crowd screamed in unison.
Seraphyne reacted in the last second.
The whip shot out in an instinctive motion, wrapping around the largest block just before it struck her.
The impact made her arm vibrate, but she didn't lose control. With a firm twist of her wrist, she redirected the projectile and hurled it to the far end of the arena, where it crashed and disintegrated into dust.
The silence lasted barely an instant.
She clicked her tongue, annoyed.
— Still not giving up? —she said coldly, raising a finger and pointing toward the cloud of dust—. You'll end up dead. So you'd better stay there… and sleep.
From the ruins of the wall, a laugh emerged.
Broken.
Hoarse.
Obsessive.
— Me… give up?
Aurum's voice came out along with his staggering silhouette. He appeared through the smoke, barely supporting himself on his own legs, as if they might give out at any moment.
— Hahaha… I haven't even given a hundred percent yet… —he continued, coughing blood— and you want me to give up? No. I won't.
He took a step. Then another.
Each movement seemed to cost him an eternity. Blood ran down one side of his face, dripped along his jaw, and fell drop by drop from his arm, darkening the sand beneath his feet.
— I've waited for this moment for far too long —he said, raising his gaze—. I've trained too. So… I'm not going to lose.
The silence stretched taut like a rope about to snap.
Aurum straightened again, breathing heavily. His chest rose and fell violently. And then, something changed.
His shadow began to move.
— Hands of the Hoarder.
The darkness beneath his feet expanded like a living stain. It stretched, twisted, rose. Shadowy tentacles emerged from the ground, lengthening, sharpening, seeking Seraphyne with an evident thirst for blood.
She watched the scene without flinching.
She sighed.
— I'm already tired of this game.
Her gaze hardened, losing every trace of amusement.
— You're not fun at all —she murmured—. Ability: Thorned Rose.
The whip responded.
From its surface, crimson petals began to sprout, opening like cursed flowers. Each petal was covered in microscopic needles, so fine and sharp that the slightest brush tore skin.
The weapon no longer looked like a whip.
Now it was a deadly garden in full bloom.
Seraphyne launched into the attack.
The shadows rose like spears, striking from multiple angles, but she dodged them with fluid, almost artistic movements.
Her body danced between the attacks, severing them one by one. Each strike tore away fragments of darkness that vanished into the air like ash.
She advanced.
Faster.
Closer.
Each step narrowed the distance between them.
But Aurum wasn't retreating.
Taking advantage of the open wound on his arm, he let the blood flow freely and directed it toward his golden chest.
The crimson liquid was absorbed by the object as if it were thirsty. The demonic eye opened wide, dilating with greed.
— Hahaha… hahahaha… —he laughed, a brilliant madness in his eyes—. This is my moment.
The whip whistled through the air, straight toward his neck.
But something appeared.
A wall of solid gold rose in front of Aurum in a fraction of a second, blocking the strike with a metallic crash.
The force of the impact shook the entire arena, making even the stands vibrate.
Seraphyne stepped back, confused.
— I told you… —Aurum's voice rang out, triumphant—. I will win this match.
He raised his bloodied arm.
— It's time to use this ability… I never thought the day would come.
The wall began to crack.
— Guardian of the Golden Fortress… attack.
The ground trembled.
The gold crumbled into shining dust, and from that metallic storm emerged a gigantic figure: a colossal knight covered in golden armor, wielding an enormous axe of the same material. Its eyes were completely black. Empty. Hungry.
It roared.
A deep, bestial roar that vibrated the bones of everyone present.
Without wasting time, the guardian charged.
Seraphyne dodged the first axe swing by centimeters. The weapon embedded itself in the ground, opening a massive crack. She counterattacked, the whip striking in continuous waves, charged with force.
Golden sparks flew.
But the armor barely took damage.
Just scratches.
The giant advanced relentlessly, forcing her to retreat across the entire arena. Each of its steps made the ground rumble like a war drum.
Seraphyne, in the midst of the fight, cast a quick glance toward Aurum.
She saw him.
Pale. Trembling. Barely on his feet.
The blood kept flowing.
She understood.
Time would decide the winner.
She redoubled her attacks, strike after strike, forcing the guardian to rage even more. The colossus raised a fist and hurled it with violence.
At the same time, Aurum attacked from behind, using his shadow.
Seraphyne couldn't dodge both.
The punch landed squarely in her stomach.
The air rushed out of her lungs in a choked groan.
Her body flew through the air, crossing the arena until it crashed into the ground at the opposite end. The impact was dry, solid. Everything spun for an instant.
The guardian advanced toward her.
Step by step.
The ground thundered.
But then… it stopped.
The armor began to crumble, turning into golden sand that scattered with the wind. In seconds, nothing remained.
Seraphyne raised her gaze, confused, still on her knees.
And she saw him.
Aurum lay on the ground, completely drained of blood, unconscious, with the chest beside him dimmed and closed.
The silence lasted a heartbeat.
Then the announcer's voice boomed.
— The winner of the first matchup is… the Sin of Lust, Seraphyne!
The stands exploded once more.
Healer mages rushed into the arena immediately.
The stones floated again as the two sins who had already fought were carried away.
— As the winner of the first battle, Lust advances to the next round —the announcer declared—. And the Sin of Greed is eliminated. We will now begin the next matchup!
The stones fell again.
Two struck the ground.
The rest vanished.
The announcer approached, read the names, raised the megaphone… and fell silent for a second.
— Ohhh… the next fighters in the arena are… the Sin of Wrath… against the knight Kairou.
The silence was absolute.
The kingdom's knights opened their eyes in disbelief.
— Hey, Serenna… who is that? —Kael asked, uneasy.
Serenna swallowed.
— He's the knight I told you about… the one who was supposed to face a sin. But no high-ranking knight wanted to do it. It was put to a vote… and there was only one name.
She lowered her voice.
— He's a recruit. No talent.
Kael felt a chill.
The next battle… had just become an announced tragedy.