CHAPTER 177

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[The Ancient One POV]

Two victories.

Three more to go.

"Ladies, and gentlemen, let us continue with the show," The Beyonder announced with a wide smile, "The next match will be, Solomon! Vs Yao!"

So it was finally my turn.

"Take care," Alex sighed, his eyes seeming to look through me.

"Don't worry Mr. Walker," I smiled, patting him on the back, "In all of my years, I have yet to lose a fight,"

Alex looked at me for a moment, before flashing a hopeful smile, "Still, take care,"

I nodded, as The Beyonder teleported to the arena.

The arena in question had changed from an Asgardian-themed one to a plain desert, I supposed it was fitting, considering how I had lived my life.

"In life and death, the future is mine to control," So, here he comes.

At the distance, the man that had spoken neared me, and I didn't need a confirmation or presentation to know, he was Solomon, the one I had to kill, Solomon was tall, easily over six foot tall, with very long hair and dark skin. For his clothes, he was wearing white robes and gold hoop earrings. He also had a staff that emanated pure mana.

A mage.

Well, this is getting complicated.

And interesting.

I smiled.

"Wise words, that lost all meaning as of now," I replied to his early comment.

"Why is that?" Solomon asked, tilting his head to the side with a smile.

"I will win, and you will die, unless the future you command is one where I kill you, your words have no meaning," I replied with a smile of my own.

"I see," Solomon chuckled, "You are a very interesting woman, Yao, I truly feel bad for what I must do,"

"Blame your creator," I sighed, "He's the only one that seems to enjoy this… show," a monster, with powers beyond understanding.

"Enough chat," The Beyonder interrupted, his voice booming across the battlefield, "And let the battle begin!"

The Beyonder had barely finished his sentence when Solomon instantly charged at me throwing a few mana balls my way. Taking a step back, I created a defensive three-layer dome around me with Eldritch magic to block his advance. Effectively neutralizing his attacks as they clashed with my barrier, before attempting to counter his advance with a sealing spell, that failed when Solomon teleported out of my range.

Then, as quickly as he left, Solomon appeared behind me, quickly continuing his assault, this time however shattering the first layer of my shield with a single spell. 

"You're strong," Solomon commented as he landed a few feet away from me, "But not strong enough,"

What was with all these challengers being so arrogant, the battle is only over when one of the two is dead, not a moment before.

"You broke the first layer of my spell," I smiled, "I hope you didn't forget about the second one," 

Eldritch Dome.

A spell that sports three layers.

The first one protects, it works as a basic shield, now, the second one, that one immobilizes whatever happens to be strong enough to shatter the first layer.

"What?" Solomon muttered, as his eyes dawned at the realization.

Sadly for him, the realization of what was happening hit him a bit too late, for the moment he realized something was wrong, the Eldritch chains that protruded from the ground were already around him, sealing him in place with a rather tight restraint, momentarily of course.

"Impressive," Solomon smiled.

He was rather composed for someone in his position.

Something was wrong.

Frowning at his demeanor, I extended my hand towards him, blasting him with one of the oldest spells I knew, yet one of the most destructive ones, Eldritch Blast.

"That hurt," Solomon chuckled as the smoke cleared.

He was fine.

In fact, my attack did nothing.

"Don't patronize me," I chuckled, "That didn't even scratch you," 

"It didn't," Solomon nodded, breaking the chains that kept him in place like they were nothing, he simply flared his mana, and they crumbled.

"Well, I'll have to remedy that," I replied.

Trying to analyze the situation on a deeper level.

He was strong, stronger than me.

But, not strong enough to take an Eldritch Blast without a single scratch.

Even Odin, who was stronger than him by a lot would rather dodge that attack than tank it.

Meaning, I was doing something wrong.

I guess it was just a matter of waiting for layer three of my dome to do it's job.

"Shatter," Solomon muttered, touching the ground with his staff in a delicate manner.

Soon after, the arena started to shake violently.

Frowning, I jumped into the air, using a basic levitation spell to avoid falling into the ground.

"Shake," Solomon muttered once again, this time pointing his staff at me.

Needless to say, I moved before whatever he was commanding happened.

"Good call," Solomon chuckled, as the location where I once stood, shattered into pieces, leaving nothing but a void of nothingness.

His magic was affecting the space around us.

Well, that was problematic.

Time to buy some time.

"Thanks," I smiled, creating a few hundred illusionary clones around the entire arena. "Do this old woman a favor, and let's play hide and seek," me, and every single one of the clones I had created said in one voice.

For now, I needed to buy time, at least until layer three did its job, which was to analyze what layer two had sealed.

After all, I couldn't kill what I couldn't understand.

And that was the purpose of layer three, helping me to understand.

Gathering valuable information.

After all, one does not survive fighting Gods and other beings that outclass you in power without knowledge.

"I do not wish to hurt you," Solomon sighed, "If you surrender, I can guarantee you a quick, painless death,"

"I have fought many entities in my life, some strong enough to erase you with but a thought, believe me, child, the only one dying here… it's you," One of my clones replied with a sigh.

"I see," Solomon sighed, "Then let us stop with this charade," he added, erasing all of my clones with but a swing of his staff.

"Very well," I sighed, so much for buying time.

I guess some things have to be done the old-fashioned way.

No no, never mind.

It seems layer three it's done doing its thing.

I smiled, as the information came to me.

Solomon was nothing but an illusion.

I was fighting the staff.

How peculiar.

No wonder my attack did nothing, I was attacking a construct of pure mana, one that can be regenerated instantly.

Now that I know what I'm facing.

I know how to kill it.

"Shatter," Solomon said, pointing his staff, or rather his real body at me.

I smiled, opening a few portals around me. "Catch me," I said, jumping into one portal, creating another as I continued to jump from place to place.

Eventually filling a great part of the arena with portals, as Solomon continued his attack.

"You won't win this by dodging," Solomon frowned, without stopping his assault.

"I know," I whispered behind him, placing my hand on his staff, his real body. "I will win by breaking your body,"

In shock, Solomon jumped out of my grasp, which was something I was expecting, for the real me was waiting for him with a very useful spell, one the sorcerer supreme before me had created to exorcise items like Solomon himself.

"Afari, letari, fera," I muttered, trapping Solomon in a bubble of dark magic. One of the few spells in my order that weren't related to the Eldritch Arts, but to the Dark Arts.

Sadly, it was incredibly effective.

"How?" Solomon muttered, finding himself trapped.

"Hundreds of years of experience," I replied, as the spell started to do its thing. "You are not the first sentient piece of wood I have battled, nor you will be the last, as absurd as it sounds,"

"How did you trick me," Solomon inquired, looking at the fake me that had touched his real body, forcing him to jump towards my trap.

"Well, you are not the only one who can create solid constructs of mana," I replied.

"Well, that was disappointing," The Beyonder sighed.

"It was," Solomon chuckled, his mana construct breaking piece by piece, in a painfully slow manner.

"Don't feel bad," I sighed, looking at Solomon, "All my life I have battle enemies far beyond my power, for me, this battle was nothing but a day's work,"

"I suppose," Solomon chuckled once again, before both his construct and his real body, the staff, shattered.

"I see, when I created him I failed to account for that," The Beyonder sighed, "Oh well, you win some, you lose some,"

So far, you have only lost, arrogant monster.