Limit Break

Kairos and I made our way towards their Hall of Judgment in silence. The hallways had those see through ceilings like the aquariums in real life. The only difference is that there was a city on the outside.

Luminous blobs dotted the sea canvas, many types of fish were swimming past us, yet the one thing that strikes to mind is the giant serpent, it's dorsal fins brimming with Fire Elemental Energy. A sight that was a bit impossible for me to comprehend.

"That's Larvaine, the Fire serpent. Be careful with her, she doesn't think much of surface dwellers." Kairos told me and I nod.

"I hope I won't be sentenced as her food." I jokingly said.

"She has standards." Kairos said bluntly and I shut up.

To speed things up, I was called upon by the members of their High Court wanted to meet me in person. Using an artifact to know my worth.

The Tidal Scales, the same artifact that pronounced Leo and the others guilty of conspiracy with the high priest.

"What do they usually do with those with the guilty verdict?" I was having a difficult time swallowing like my mouth was full of sawdust.

"The judgments have rarely led us astray, plus, we usually do the trial by combat. Very rarely are the scales used." Kairos explained it to me.

Trial by Combat. A brutal yet easy way to gain access in most worldly affairs. Toby, Leo, and Claire had the most records of trial by combats when I first wrote the book. Apparently, Toby only lost due to Charles gaining the Skanda's Might. Resulting in him serving as a laborer in the third arc, a job which made Toby reciprocating his feelings of animosity.

We stopped by the large waterfall-like gate, and as Kairos took his Trident, the waters parted and revealed to us the hall of the Naga. Their seat of judgments were already occupied, and the seats were filled with merfolk, and other sea dwelling folk.

"This is... intimidating." I said.

"Well, we usually hold trials for Surface dweller, but this isn't the first time we'd hold for them wither." Kairos informs me as he leads me towards the defendant's stand.

The whole court had their eyes on me, and for once I felt a sense of dread. Is this what it feels like when being judged for a crime I never commit?

"We are gathered here today, for the judgment of a surface dweller in our midst. Since time immemorial, there were a few of his race to mingle with us, but now. This child, has performed a despicable act of desecration in front of our most sacred of temples. Child of the Land, do you recognize your faults?" The head presider, a naga with alabaster scales and equally obsidian eyes, slits were blood red and tired, like he pulled an all-nighter.

"Come again?" I asked and the whole gallery laughed, as if I did something amusing. But the presider was not amused, he glowered at me with his forked tongue.

"You have set foot in the Temple of our Lord, and you somehow quelled the fury of the Mana Storm, where not even our most profound shamans have ever accomplished." He said with doubt filled eyes.

"If you mean stopping that overflow of energy, then you got the wrong person to interrogate." I raised my hand in defense.

"What are you on about?" He asked.

"It's true that I guided Kim towards the temple, but stopping the overflow was all her. Specifically, her presence alone was able to quell the power." Is what I said, but it was just a bluff.

The Tidal Scales did not make a reaction, which meant my words were true. But I wasn't complacent with my bluff. There was some things I do not understand, like... The owner of the voice, and why is there always a huge mana storm in this side of the continent?

"Then we'll leave it at that. Captain Kairos' report says, you are a mage. Yet we did not retrieve a staff, save for this." The presider then materialized the now broken state of the Emerald Dreams. It was a priceless gift that Captain Ventus gave me. And now it was in tatters. But the most tragic thing is... I can't fully control my magic now.

"Well... That used to be the grimoire that I was using. As a Spellcaster, I need a medium to control my power." I said and the crowd was getting restless.

"So that means you have little to no control over your powers. A walking time bomb, as the surface dwellers would say." The presider puts in and the crowd was getting restless. They are more and more convinced that I was a dangerous person.

"I assure you, I'm not here to be a danger to everyone." I said and the Scales began to light, Oh come on! That wasn't even remotely a lie!

"The surface dweller lied! He's a menace to us!" One merman shouted from the stands and a chorus began to say the same thing.

Kairos tried to say something, but the protests and jeers drowned his voice away.

"My fellow Children of the Nagaraja, what is our judgment for the transgressive actions of this boy against our deity?" The presider asked.

"TRIAL BY COMBAT!" They replied with maddened fervor.

"Can I say something?" I asked but it was drowned by the petition for Trial by Combat.

"The people have spoken. The accused is sentenced to trial by combat." And the whole court cheered. So they just want to watch me duke it out with someone? Are they this thirsty to see human blood spill.

And that was when I realized that they were in fact, relishing the fact that human blood will be spilled in their coliseum.

Then I remembered the kink of this kind of folk; They love drinking another species' blood, to them, human blood is stronger than Dracaena blood, and has a more punch and the right amount of ecstasy. But a Human Mage's blood is more.... pure. And much sweeter thanks to the accumulation of mana within their bodies.

Being a spellcaster, I only used the mana inside me once, during that time I was protecting Arbor, so I guess they found my constitution... Tantalizing. Almost appealing for the warriors case.

I was forcefully taken from the pedestal and was blindfolded and gagged. Seems like they don't want me to escape easily. Taking away my sight and my voice.

"Stay here boy. And be ready, your blood will wet the sands of the coliseum." One guard told me and leaves me alone.

The floor was damp, cold, and dark. Above me, the coral encrusted ceiling was rocking as the crowd cheered and applauded at the fights happening above.

"Surface dweller... is that you?" A voice whispered from the upper gutter, and I caught a glimpse of Kim talking to me. I was surprised that she was fine, after her apparent 'allergy' with sea water.

"Hey Kim, what's good?" I asked, but I couldn't see her reaction, but I could tell that she was a bit relieved.

"It's a relief to know that you are still being humorous while being detained." She said, but I couldn't see her expression.

"Where are you? Are you okay?" I asked.

"Enough about me, how are you? You're being led to your most certain death as we speak." She asked and I was a bit surprised.

"First things first, how did you find me?" I inquired.

"Captain Kairos told me of your whereabouts. And I arrived as soon as the judgment was made. How are you feeling?"

"Nervous. I don't know who or what I'll fight though." I said rather lightly, as if a matter of life and death were a normal circumstance for me.

And for the first time, I heard Kim laugh. Like a song through a conch.

"I guess you are a bit different with the other surface dwellers." She said as she gets up to leave.

"Hey... If I win. Can you at least call me by my name?" I asked.

"When you survive... I'll consider it." She said, as if she was teasing me. It feels like a progress.

'Careful with this kind of tournament Yman, something feels... wrong with this place.' Zero said and I mentally nod. If Zero was giving the warnings, that means the dangers are legit.

The crowd roared as I entered the field, my black tunic was still in tatters, and I have no weapon.

"And for our finale, the Surface Dweller sentenced to Trial by Combat! Bear witness to the spectacle of the century!" The announcer said as the opposite gate opened, and what came out was a Chimera. Wait... A Chimera?!

I used Scry on it and confirmed:

Name: Behemoth

Level: 23

Weakness: Wind

Characteristics: This Monster needs to die with the power of Fire.

Great... another conditional monster.

The Behemoth, a beast class monster with the body of a bull, horns that can gore people, and fangs of the wolf. This thing gave Toby a hard time because his sword isn't his own. Until he learned to manifest the Holy Blade anywhere. But why is a Behemoth here?!

"Now cast your votes! Who would win? The Great Beast made by the powers of the unknown or a mere surface dweller!"

As soon as the bell tolls, It charged towards me, every stomp it made shook the earth, and as it drew close, it would lash out. Dodging against this fearsome beast is almost impossible.

'Yman! Move!!' Zero shook me out and I managed to jump out at the last second.

Right... This isn't the time to be frozen... Focusing the energy to my palm, it began to solidify into a globe of mana, but this was the problem of not having a catalyst: I have to break the Mana with my own limbs.

The Behemoth turned and kept charging. And I said screw it and broke the orb by crushing it, and I began:

"Ripple through the curtain of the deep: Slash Rain!"

A torrent of water appeared above, but it spawned endlessly, the raindrops were as sharp as knives the drove through the Behemoth's skin, but it can only do so much. This beast is 10 levels above me, a single hit with those horns can kill me instantly.

And what's worse, I can't control the damage output and I can't handle the recoil. My hands were already shaking from the raw energy that I unleashed.

"The Surface Dweller has used a rather weak spell. Maybe we were wrong with his power." The Naga said, but most were still unconvinced.

"MORE! MORE!!" They said and the Behemoth roared in anger as it barreled towards me in breakneck speed. I manage to slide away but the force that followed was like a punch of a thousand hands, I flew and bounced across the sand like a pebble on the water's surface and land badly on my left arm.

'Yman! Your... your arm!' Zero warned and I took a deep breath. My whole body was like jelly, and I just want to pass out from the pain.

'I'll be fine.' I told Zero as I charge another spell with my right limb. But the sudden shock of energy was enough to freeze me in place.

'Yman!'

The Behemoth's tail flailed wildly and scored a hit on me as it sent me flying towards the wall of the coliseum, and I didn't know why, but the walls were electrifyingly painful.

Countless joules of energy were sent driving all over my body, my body shuddered from the shock, my body smelled like finely heated iron, and my vision was spinning.

'.... stand... man!'

I know Zero was talking to me, but my mind was swimming. Then, as the behemoth was about to crush me with its paw, the System finally appeared yet again:

<Condition Fulfilled>

The Owner "Yman Caliesto" has achieved a rare condition: 'Battle Grit' and the Passive Talent: "Late Bloomer" will now transform to "Limit Break".

Limit Break

Mythic Grade Passive

Increases All Stats by 10 and will be immune to any conditions and limitations that are below Legend Grade. Additionally, Catalyst-Less Magic is now granted.

I could feel my limbs grow lighter and my senses re-sharpened. With my right hand, I propelled myself with the wind and the crowd went silent as I recovered.

"Embers that dance and soar in the wild gale; Crown Fire!"

With a wave of my hand, countless embers spun around like a miniature cyclone and once it made contact with the Behemoth, it burst into flames. The Behemoth retreated as if it was shocked that it received any form of damage.

With a difficult and forced smile, I focused energy on my right hand as globes of light danced around me.

"So... Shall we try that again?" I asked as the crowd roared in approval and the match continues.