One hell of a finale

Chapter 20: One hell of a finale

The first one to rush in was, as usual, Gladiator. He snarled at the charging fighter for a moment, then looked at Mercury and began his run as soon as he received a nod. It only took a few seconds until he and Cerno met each other on the field of sand, but when Gladiator expected a collision, he saw his enemy place his feet down firmly and stop his momentum by stabbing the shield into the sand, before hiding all his exposed body parts behind it.

But for Gladiator, the image of a man hiding behind a shield vanished in an instant. All he could see was himself charging towards a wall that would grow spikes as soon as he made it a step closer. Luckily, he had been training with obstacle courses, so instead of being trapped in his straightforward charge towards a guillotine, he harshly kicked the ground with his hind legs and turned his momentum to the right.

Then, when he was on the side of Cerno, he started running towards that shield again, abruptly turning around when he got close, and kicking sand towards him. It was an attempt at blinding him, but unfortunately it failed, as Cerno simply ducked behind the shield again.

Gladiator was trying to make use of his superior Agility in this fight, since his opponent was still a human, giving him the advantage with his four legs. However, after having recognized he'd only be forced to face one foe, Cerno had quickly entered a defensive position that made it hard to approach him.

If Gladiator jumped at the man, his belly would be stabbed. If he charged, he'd be blocked by the shield, unable to even damage the man's arm since the ground would absorb a large amount of the shock. If he tried to enter close combat, he'd be kept at an arm's length and have to deal with stabbing and slashing attacks.

No matter how he thought about this, Gladiator disliked the situation. He couldn't make any fancy move or find a good angle of attack, since his enemy was using tactics to bait him while remaining patient. It was annoying, but this was what he wanted to experience. If it was an enemy well versed in dealing with beasts, he'd simply have to surpass his expectations.

Right now he was being treated as a medium sized foe that could be kept away with a solid stance. Gladiator wanted to use this to his advantage.

He moved closer to the enemy while keeping his head low to the ground and snarling, making sure to look as feral as possible. In addition, Gladiator made sure to steadily step towards Cerno's blind spot. This forced the veteran to turn with Gladiator, slowly using more of the shield to cover himself as the wolf grew closer.

Gladiator wasn't actually trying to attack his blind spot though. He wasn't trying to get behind his back either. He was trying to make him wary and even more defensive, and when he succeeded, he pounced. Not on Cerno himself, but on the shield.

The shield was made largely from metal and slightly curved along the sides in order to deflect blows. This was done so that it wouldn't have to be made especially thick or heavy, but in order to protect against piercing attacks, there was another layer of wood behind the curved sheet of iron.

This shield was Gladiator's target. He wouldn't be able to shred through it, especially because of the curve, but he might be able to dent, and eventually break it if he just smashed against it with his skin.

And so, Gladiator waited until Cerno ducked, before swinging one of his paws at it with as much force as he could muster, only to be surprised and knocked off balance.

Cerno didn't take the hit. He ducked to the side and then took two more steps, placing himself on Gladiator's left in the blink of an eye, before smashing the shield into him, sending the wolf tumbling. He could do so because the slits in his helmet were made to hinder the enemy from seeing where he was looking. He had baited Gladiator, start to finish, and now it was time for the killing blow.

whoosh

The only thing stopping him was the hissing of an arrow making its way towards his chest rapidly, forcing him to block it and take a step back from Gladiator, and within a moment, the wolf he had been fighting was gone.

The one replacing it was a little smaller, with grey fur, slowly and careful prancing around him in a circle. The larger, black one had retreated to Cherry's side, right next to the mopaaw she kept carrying along. The wolf he now saw in front of him seemed quite a bit faster and more elegant, even though there was a hint of curiosity and mischief in its step.

He could tell this one wasn't a simple beast at first glance. It was most likely smart enough to find any gaps in his defense and would ruthlessly exploit them. He needed to treat this one more carefully, since baiting her probably wouldn't work.

So, to solve this, Cerno took a more offensive approach. The defensive stance wouldn't work if the wolf jumped over him or ran past him faster than he could turn. He needed to get the first hit in.

The moment Cerno's legs began moving, Juno smiled inside. This was the very moment she had been waiting for. Exploiting his defense would have been possible, but risky, while this way she would most likely be able to play him somehow. She might be able to counter him once he swung his sword or-

swoosh

While Juno was still thinking, Cerno managed to swing his sword after having hidden it behind the shield, leaving Juno with only a split second to dodge the attack. She first ducked downward and then rolled to her left in order to avoid Cerno, but by the time she was back on her feet she could only see the steel blade hissing towards her face again, only stopping when Cerno was forced to dodge Mercury flying in from his right.

Juno immediately used the chance to back off by a few steps, and only then released the breath she had been holding in. Cerno had fooled her by making her believe he was slow and then suddenly accelerating, while also hiding half of his attack behind the shield. She was, quite clearly, outmatched, but she could also see the confusion in his stance.

His bhead was turned towards Mercury and not focused on her. Juno pounced without a moment of hesitation, crossing the distance in the blink of an eye, before biting down on Cerno's left leg as hard as she could. For a split second the hardened leather of his boots resisted her teeth, but it soon gave in and she was able to dig her teeth into his flesh.

Unfortunately, he didn't make the mistake of trying to shake her off. He stood still and kicked the bitten leg into the sky before she could start shaking her head in order to shred it, immediately lifting her off the ground and forcing Juno to let go when he stabbed towards her.

She barely managed to escape the attack unscathed, but if it had hit, she would have most likely lost her eye. After taking a look at Mercury, who then shook his head, Juno withdrew from the battle, having scored only a minor victory.

Finally, it was Second's turn. The battle hadn't lasted very long until now, two minutes at best, even considering the short breaks where not much happened, so Cerno wasn't even out of breath yet. He was panting, of course, but nowhere near exhausted, and when he saw a new opponent, he welcomed it with a smile.

Second, on the other hand, didn't quite know how to face this new enemy. He couldn't outspeed him, nor overpower him. He was inferior in technique as well, and he had only a moderate amount of practice against humans. After seeing Gladiator and Juno fail, he also didn't quite have high hopes for his trump card, but at the very least the enemy was now injured.

He had no choice but to use this injury to his advantage. As unfair as it was, Second didn't really have another option, especially since he didn't have the means to make the fight drawn out. A single hit could mean defeat on either side. He wasn't strong enough to survive a blow from a sword and his enemy couldn't survive a wolf biting his neck.

So, Second knew what he had to do. Make the enemy comfortable in their own skin, then suddenly overwhelm them. After sorting out his thoughts for a moment, Second focused back on the field, where only a few meters from him, he saw Cerno, the sand under his feet dyed red. And then, after the moment the two of them held their breath, they ran towards each other.

For a moment, Cerno hesitated when he felt the pulsating pain in his leg, but it didn't matter now. This was only the start of the battle, and he knew he wanted to win this. No, he had to win this. If he lost, that would mean his reputation was gone. He would have been nothing more than a stepping stone for a rookie, a shame that would make him a laughing stock among the other contestants.

So, he pushed forward, looking at the wolf's legs and eyes to predict where it would strike. First, he blocked a bite aimed at his arm, which he countered with a quick knee to the wolf's belly that was exposed during the upwards-facing attack. Then, he struck down with the pommel of the sword, aiming for the beast's skull, only to be avoided narrowly.

Another bite came flying towards his neck when the wolf lunged, but Cerno easily brushed this one aside by simply bashing the thing's nose with his shield, leaving it to let out a pained howl. Then, he countered another attack towards his legs, by stepping back and smashing his shield downwards onto the beast's neck, pinning it to the ground.

This was it. The moment he had been waiting for had finally come. He had one of them trapped in a chokehold with nowhere to go, only letting out groans. This was the moment he stabbed down his sword and pierced the wolf's chest.

But he had miscalculated.

When he raised his arm to stab downwards with the sword, he had to uncomfortably turn his sword arm, to avoid having to use reverse-grip, which slowed the attack down a little. Second used this small window and let out a feral roar as he began boiling and moving his mana through the crude tunnels that led through his body. It was just a short moment that filled him with power, but a moment was all he needed.

He shook off the shield and tackled Cerno to the ground, before biting the man's right forearm and wrestling it to the ground, making him unable to swing his sword. Then, the very next moment, when Cerno's eyes lit up with fear and he moved his left to strike at Second with his shield, There was a human leg on his other arm.

"You lost," said a voice high above him, the figure's head looking almost as though it reached the clouds and only its pink eyes visible clearly against the bright light of the sun.

And with those additional pairs of eyes watching his every move, Cerno stopped his struggle.

"I surrender," he said in a gruff, shaky voice. "I surrender!"

And after a short breath of silence, the crowd erupted into cheers.

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Immediately after the battle, a review followed. And all of our favourite wolves got a good scolding on unnecessary risks. And almost killing themselves. Well, it was to be expected, really. They did fuck up, quite a lot too.

Then, Second was praised for acquiring <Mana Veins>. It may only be a weak form and have taken him the betterpart of the season, but he had still done it. That being said, as soon as she found out what Second did, Juno also wanted to learn how to do it, and so Mercury spent the remainder of the time walking her through the steps.

Meanwhile, Cherry was returning to her sparring, and Gladiator to his workouts.

Unbeknownst to them, their time was just about to be cut short.

It happened during one of Yvette's screaming fits.

[By braving extraordinary circumstances the individual has received additional rewards. Get: 4 levels, 5 Ability points, <Talent> Skill, <Tenacious Genius> Title.]

[Level Up!]

[Level Up!]

[Level Up!]

[Level Up!]

Huh?

Had he done something special?

Was his training over because he was more skillful than Yvette? Naaaaaaaah, that was a joke. She was like, number 3 on the local fame leaderboard.

Apparently those were always tied to areas. Well, in this city she was number 3 at the very least.

crack

From one moment to another, a cloud of dust raised up from the wall as a crack spread across the stone bricks and the ceiling shook.

Yvette paused then. For the first time since she started teaching Mercury, she stopped during a rage and stared at him. Her lips moved then, but the sound was overshadowed by the ringing of the church's bell. Then, her face shook as her eyes grew clear.

"RUN FOR YOUR FUCKING LIFE!!!!!"

She screamed after three rings, as another crack in the wall shook the very floor.

"IT'S A BLOOD ECLIPSE!!"

And as wings of radiant, gold-white light rose from Yvette's back, Mercury took off, not even taking the time to breathe. It wasn't just Yvette's warning either. His sudden levelling meant that the training was over, and his <Intuition> was screaming at every single one of his muscles to book it.

So, Mercury did just that, his thoughts buzzing like a swarm of bees. In the confusion, he tried calling out to Cherry and the wolves, but as he raised his voice, he was almost trampled by a pair of leather boots. Then, when he dodged one, he saw many pairs near him, running towards the narrow exit in the hundreds.

Mercury started panting as he ran away from the stampede of muscle-brains that made their way to the exit. He had seen it, and there was no way out anymore, only a wall of flesh.

While Mercury was still thinking, the walls kept shaking and dropping down tiny pieces of debris, making breathing more painful every second as dust filled the air. Simply put, Mercury's time was running out, so he dashed towards the only other place leading to the surface: The stairs leading up into the cage that was the arena.

It was a desperate escape attempt, but he didn't quite have another choice. This path also had a few stragglers on it, but it was easy enough to make his way through them and enter the field of red-brown sand, stained by the blood from hundreds of fights.

But the walls were high and smooth. If the beasts that fought here would escape, it would end up with a lot of spectator deaths, so they were made to be unclimbable.

But then, when Mercury was looking up at the obstacle he was now facing, he saw the sky.

It should have been midday then, but the sun was nowhere to be seen. The sky, which should have been blue, was dyed crimson, filled with black clouds. The sun itself had been wiped away and replaced by a blood-red circle, dyeing the world scarlet.

Everything around him was a sea of red, growing darker bit by bit as the light was being swallowed by a sea of black blood.

Then, the singing started.

It was a crystal clear voice among the chaos. A woman, slowly speaking line after line with the voice of an angle promising salvation.

"This little sea of scarlet~

Lets me tear the world apart, yet~

When it's done I will still stand~

On top a barren, beaten land~"

For a moment everything seemed to halt. A strange silence befell the world as the walls stopped cracking and every voice grew still. It was like everyone had been bewitched for just a moment.

And after that moment, the screams began.

There wasn't any build up. Within one moment, rifts tore open in the air. Jagged, scarlet doorways, filled with black mist, that the abominations crawled out of.

Things with wounds all over their bodies, whose joints bent all the wrong ways and whose faces had no features other than large mouths lined with sharp teeth and two holes above those.

For a moment, they scurried from the portals onto the floor, bringing their heads to the red sand and sniffing it, before all of their heads locked onto different people.

Then, they let out long, infernal screeches, and some people fell. The unlucky ones were immediately pounced upon, while the luckier ones followed suit soon. The monstrosities wasted no time crawling over the floor with all four limbs, their heads turning at unnatural angles and their nails acting more like claws.

And when they got close to the survivors, they screamed again before jumping at their faces and latching onto the people with a surprising strength.

And in the chaos the voice started singing again.

"And these little eyes of mine,

they see a little fate of thine.

They see death, and they see carnage~,

a river of blood, yet to be tarnished~

carrying your life within,

and dragging it,

into the pit."

And as the end of the song distorted, changing in tone from a little girl's voice to that of a monster, the screams started dying out, leaving behind nothing but bodies.

There were no heroes here. There were cowards, or corpses.

Mercury was part of the first group. He belonged to the minority that resisted the charm from the singing. If it gave him a window of movement, he would exploit him, so in the moment of silence, he coursed mana through his legs and leapt up the wall with all his strength.

And then, he ran. When the rifts tore open in the air, he kept running. When the screams sounded, he kept running.

The air he breathed was thick with the smell of iron. It fogged up his mind and clouded his thoughts, but his instinct kept his feet moving. He didn't remember what happened then. Not how he got out from the viewers' stands, not how he had made it through the city, not how he made it past the… things.

The next thing Mercury knew was the sight of the city from outside the gates. It was an opaque bubble of crimson and void, encasing the entire thing and blotting out the sun. and outside of it, only a few people remained.

Were they especially skillful? Partially. Yvette had escaped and Cerno made it out as well, if both covered in black blood. Maybe Kintra, the guild receptionist, was also strong, but given her panting, crying, and broken pair of glasses, Mercury couldn't tell.

Mercury couldn't see Cherry or the wolves among the escapees, but given the size of the bubble, they might have been on the other side. Though when Mercury tried to move, he re-discovered the singing pain in his legs.

For a moment his vision went blurry, as tears filled his eyes. All he wanted to do was rest, but he couldn't allow himself to. Yet, after another attempt at movement, a blunt blow struck his side.

It wasn't strong, but it hurt like hell. His body had been ravaged by his own mana, and he might have suffered cuts and bruises from running as well. Even a light slap would have been enough to knock him off his feet by now, and a small tap was enough to have him spiral into agony.

"Give it up," he heard a voice say. It was female, gentle and golden. Yvette. "You're lucky you even survived."

But of course, pain wasn't something that stopped Mercury easily. He clenched his teeth and gathered the last bits of his mana, boiling it just so his legs could even move.

His head was assaulted with a pounding headache, but Mercury didn't even care. Instead of even flinching, he remained cool-headed as his muscles started screeching.

He made sure to do this as efficiently as possible, directing his mana to all the injured parts of his body and only boosting those in order to allow them to perform normally.

At the same time, he was racking his brain on what to do. Storming in was off the table, so were screaming for help, giving up and clinging to false hope. So what were his options to help them escape?

…

...

He couldn't come up with anything.

If they were in that thing, there was nothing he could do to help. Sure, if they got out he might have been able to give them water or food, but he didn't even know if they were alive.

The situation was, well, hopeless.

And within a moment of that realization, Mercury's focus evaporated. His mana, which he'd been using to barely keep his muscles operating, dispersed.

It was an event that many wouldn't care about. The inability to help might cause others to feel sadness or frustration, maybe annoyance, and maybe anger, but even then they'd be happy to have lived.

Mercury had none of those thoughts. He wasn't angry or frustrated, not even sad. But with a silent crack, his world crumbled.

He was never omnipotent, but every challenge up until now had been doable in this world. This was a world of opportunity. One of trial, but one of opportunity.

Ah, so that must be the reason.

He knew it, as he fell to his knees with his mouth open. There had been no trial about the blood eclipse for a stupid reason. There was no trial, because there was no chance of success.

This wasn't a test or a challenge. It wasn't judgement, but a simple, crushing stroke of bad luck.

And within a moment, Mercury's world crumbled and his will cracked.

"You finally get it, asshole?" Yvette asked with a grim look on her face. "It's the end of the fucking road for them. Give it up."

"S-she isn't wrong," Kintra said after a moment. It seemed that she had collected her thoughts, as she now wore a dreary expression instead of a confused one. "Y-you really shouldn't go back in there. Just… leave it be, as much as it may hurt."

Even Cerno nodded without a sound, knowing that even he had relied more on luck than his skill in this situation. The only person that didn't make it out just barely was Yvette; a testimony to how far above them she was.

Mercury didn't have enough energy left to move a muscle in his face, but if he did have it, he'd most likely have frowned.

And then it ended.

The crimson faded, the orb of dark disappeared, the sky regained its colour all the way through and the sun shone on ruins of blood.

The voice hadn't been kidding. This was a sea of dead and blood, only partially metaphorically. Mercury didn't know where all of it even came from, as it looked like there were more bodies than there should have been people in the city. But it didn't matter.

Whatever the reason was, it didn't matter. Even if the sky had cleared, the ground was tainted. Tainted red.

Skin, and bone, stick and stone, all of it had been tainted, leaving behind a remedy more gruesome than just ashes. It was a blood eclipse, a phenomenon that occurred temporarily.

But in the end, the scar it left was near eternal. A bloody stain on the world.

A stain left by someone Mercury was now determined to meet.