Taste of Victory

SETH MILVIEW

With the first departure of Professor Gray, a period of stagnation began on the steps of the Colosseum. Of course, the atmosphere would change with the call of a mysterious professor and the appearance of an unexpected servant. Although the associate professors did not dare to speak in the face of this call, a wave of excitement began to rise among the whispers.

Even though a few girls put forward childish ideas such as forbidden love among themselves, it was obvious that this was not the case.

Considering that it did not reflect the professor's emotional state at all, it now hung in the air like an unsolvable mystery.

Then the opening speech began with the voice of a man who shook the entire coliseum. At first I thought it was empty chatter as usual, but what I saw was a sharp punch that made it clear that I was wrong.

When the iron fingers hanging on the high walls of the Colosseum suddenly began to slide downwards, the dicathen people unexpectedly began to be pushed towards the middle of the arena by the guards. The collars on their legs restricted their mobility and they were forced to move forward uncontrollably. The people had no choice but to look around with shaky and shocked expressions.

When another iron railing of the Colosseum started to come down, my eyes were drawn to it. I couldn't help but mutter, "What are they trying to do?" When a big claw started to come forward, other wolf-like black mana monsters also started to move.

My eyebrows knitted together and I felt like this lump surrounding my body was about to come from my stomach.

When I heard a voice whispering "they will" coming from my left, I immediately turned my gaze in that direction. The portrait stood with a frown and disgusted expression, just like me. His eyes were shining as if he was waiting for a moment of what mana beasts could do to innocent refugees. No, not only me, but all of Alacrya was waiting for this moment

While watching the brutal images in front of me, I couldn't help but feel disgusted by my people. A few groups of refugees were doing their best to protect them, but it was in vain, they all started to fall out in rows, one of them was holding the head and body of an elf with his big sharp teeth.

I was startled by the warmth holding my right hand and immediately took a subtle look. Mayla's eyes were tightly closed, her body was covered with an expression as if she was in a dream that expressed that the events were not real, her pinkish lips began to move with her prayer to the vritra.

I squeezed her hand lightly to reassure this girl I admired. In response, her eyes widened slightly towards me, and I said with a cheerful smile: "It's okay, everything will be fine, trust me?" I told.

His mouth twisted into a sad smile, then he parted to answer. "I know, but isn't it too late for them? After all, they're dead. Isn't there something you need to do anyway?" asked. There was a depth in his eyes that was overflowing with the burden of the past.

wha- What do you mean? My eyebrows rose in surprise and I started to stutter.

"How?" he said, his face starting to glow from a sad tone. "What do you expect me to say, are you stupid? You're in the middle of a fight right now," he said, his words sharp and cruel. With these words, the expression on his face took on another dimension. His tone changed from a sad tone to an angry and pained expression. Some parts of his body began to be covered with bruises, I felt like I was trapped in a dream. At that moment, a feeling of uneasiness surrounded me, as if I was standing on a thin line between reality and dream.

Me, I was right, I was just fighting, then for no reason I started remembering images of today.

When I started to have an involuntary pain in my head, I quickly held my head with one hand. Then, before everything went black and was reset, Mayla's voice began to echo coldly in my mind. "Take my revenge, Seth," she said.

As my eyelids slowly opened, the view around me began to become clearer. After a little mental scanning, I started to remember what happened to me. I lost consciousness and had painful tingles throughout my body. Despite the misty sounds of the atmosphere reaching my ears, I could feel my opponent's joy in my heart. Amid these mixed emotions, I decided to refocus and continue the fight.

When Professor Gray was teaching me martial arts, he emphasized that I should not be like others. According to him, I needed to cover up my weaknesses and be myself. He wanted me to focus on my talents, discover my unique strengths, and develop them. It taught me that if I encounter an enemy stronger than myself, I must analyze their movements and finish them off quickly when all the movements come together like a puzzle in my head.

Despite all the sweat and time spent, it seemed like I couldn't see any fruit. Here I was, Gregor in front of me, like a monster. Using his wide and long body as an advantage, he made heavy attacks on me and grabbed me by the neck.

As my consciousness began to shut down again with her strong squeeze, I thought: "Is this all there is to it? People who trust me, this is where my passionate adventure will begin. And when Mayla took her name, my irises began to dilate. The words 'Avenge me, Seth' blew like a melody in my head and "It was replaced by pure anger. No, it couldn't end here."

I pulled one of his arms close to me and squeezed it. I grabbed the fabric of his clothes with my other hand and headbutted him on the nose. I was free of him when he winced in pain and took a step back. Taking away his control with a sudden move gave me a momentary advantage. I took advantage of Gregor's retreat, giving me a few seconds to breathe and plan my next move. This moment made me remember Professor Gray's teachings and emphasized once again that I should fight not only with physical strength, but also with strategy.

He quickly came to his senses and started to lunge at me with his long arms. "You little rat!" he shouted, his face already red as a tomato from embarrassment. This situation gave me superiority in mental control. With a swift kick, I targeted the shin bone in his leg, sending him stumbling forward. Seeing the opportunity, I went behind him and wrapped my arm around his neck in a way that took his breath away.

He started writhing on the ground so I could take his arms off his neck. "Get your dirty hands off me!" As he screamed, the loser's voice began to echo in the arena. I pulled my weight towards me and targeted the mana channels on his chest with my free hand. If necessary, I could even calculate the nucleus even if I couldn't see its exact location. Each blow was damaging his internal organs and blood began to involuntarily splash from his mouth.

When he couldn't stand it any longer, he used all his strength to throw up blood and roll to the side with a retch coming out of his mouth. The arena was silent, only drops of blood falling could be heard. Due to the effect of the mana channels in his chest, my opponent was weakened and received the final blow. This moment when the winner was determined left behind only silence and the poisonous taste of victory.

As the atmosphere fell into a melancholic silence, I wiped the blood from my mouth with one arm. As I stretch my fist towards the sky

I made it

While the sweet intoxication of victory was taking my mind to new utopias, my body had already pushed its limits. It was an adrenaline rush just to stay standing right now, but my mask was cracked. My body was feeling pain right down to my nerves. As I looked around for the last time, I was plunged into deep darkness before everything became blurry.

(If they asked me can you win)

(Nah I'd win)

I LOVE THE GOJO REFERENCES 

Ehemm... Anyway let's continue

I started waking up with a severe headache. Thin sticks were inserted into the open parts of my bandages, and each one mended my broken limbs. Despite the minor pain, I thought the nurses at the scene did their job well. When I straightened my body and looked around, I saw other patients. Each escaped with a few minor fractures. I couldn't help but grumble at this; Compared to those monsters, we acted more humanely.

When the door of one of the rooms opened, a doctor entered. While looking after the patients receiving treatment, he spread a wise smile around. Apparently, here we found not only physical recovery, but also morale. The woman's smile was so heartwarmingly gentle and beautiful.

He immediately stepped closer to me and checked my condition. "I didn't expect you to be the first one to wake up despite your severe injuries, this was a surprise, wasn't it?" he asked smiling. winking at the end

Scratching the back of my head, I shared the mixed feelings I was going through. "Well, I'm as confused as you. Good genes, I guess... I cursed myself for not being able to fully explain myself," I said. The woman with black hair and a round jawline giggled with a thin smile. "It's okay, you're fine. Stay put for a while and let yourself rest comfortably," she said.

"Wh... What? But there's still another fight out there, I need to see that. Besides, I feel fine, I'm just a little sore and ah-" The words were lost on my tongue as the doctor poked hard at one of my ribs. "Your body, unlike you, still needs rest," he said. No matter how well the devices do, rest is vital. Also, I understand you. It might be bad for you to be stuck here while your friends are out having fun. But do not forget that you emerged victorious from a difficult process," he noted.

To win, the words started to turn into mutterings in my mouth.

I nodded before sighing deeply. "I guess you're right, I'm being too hasty," I said sadly. The doctor nodded and said, "Good boy." Then he gave me a subtle look before opening the door and walking out. "Don't worry, I can ask your friends to bring you some food from the festival. Especially one girl," he said with a wide grin. Before I left the room, the heat began to hit my face.

After I won with Mayla's revenge, the silent darkness in my mind was like a curtain that reflected both the pain in my body and the complexity of the victory.

I wanted to distract myself with other things to avoid getting bored. Unfortunately, it was cut short due to a mysterious pressure placed on me. Every single particle that came to life in my arms began to tremble. It was as if they had released a wild bull from its cage and left it alone to attack whoever it wanted. I felt his anger, his pain, his revenge.

Such an insane desire could come from a servant, or worse, from a scythe.

I wanted to know what's going on out there right now. I stood up, taking support from the hard handle of my bed, and gritted my teeth, trying to ignore the pain coming from my ribs. Still, I had to move forward. Taking support from the walls, I walked towards the stairs of the colosseum. As the light began to become clearer, darkness began to surround the surroundings. People were screaming, many scenarios ran through my mind.

As the arena came into view, the golden hue of the sun, blending with the colors of the once deep blue sky, became a gloomy black. The color change in the atmosphere as the light fell literally intoxicated the arena with mystery. People jumped out of their seats, ready to channel their runes and release intense mana into the atmosphere. The shields became more active than before and began to emit visible power to protect the environment with the energy they reflected.

While my breath was catching in my chest and coming out, I reached the part where my team was. When Mayla saw me, her expression fell. "What are you doing here, Seth? You're supposed to be in bed," she said, her voice trembling. His body was also covered with bandages, but in my opinion he was in better condition.

"I appreciate your concern, Mayla, but can you expect me to be in bed in a situation like this?" I said, turning my gaze to the direction where the darkness was thick. Pascal looked at me with a growl. "Your girlfriend is right. No matter how many gods and scythes we have on our side, this can be serious. In your wounded state, you'll only hold us back," he said. I couldn't help but frown at his words. Come to think of it, he was in a fair spot. I was useless now. My fingers were balled into a fist.

Valen, who was involved in our conversation behind us, also started talking. "Even though there's any threat... they're very calm," he said. Looking secretly at the balcony where the scythes and the sovereign are,

While we were talking among ourselves, a dark silhouette managed to explode one of the shields and land in the very center of the arena. The Colosseum literally turned into a chorus of screams. Many of them lost hope and began to run away as if they had turned into executioner lambs.

From the shock-shattered ground to the streaks of debris, the surroundings were completely covered in dust and soil. In addition, the pitch black flames spreading into the atmosphere and the sharp smell of a poisonous toxin, mixed with smoke, reached my nose. I could barely keep myself from vomiting. Every time I breathed, that pungent odor and poisonous atmosphere created a picture of hell inside the arena.

As the smoke slowly cleared, the scythes and the tens of thousands of people in the coliseum looked to the center of the arena to see a single person, my heartbeat could be heard loudly in my body.

This fear was, of course, internal. When my eyes fell on the Scythes' expressions, they all seemed to be looking at an insignificant insect. He made me feel like I was an insignificant being in this world, but back to the topic, did they know Him, or could they push the impossible with their powers almost equivalent to asuras?

The mysterious person was not paying attention to them, despite the warnings of several scythes. He had short hair cut in a military style and a sharp jawline. Her black eyes shone with a hint of red, as if dancing with fire. With each moment of anger, the long metal-like poles that shattered the shield began to roar with sickly black flames that would turn everything to ashes, with a noise that echoed throughout the arena.

His eyes turned completely insane, he began to scan every single person in the coliseum. The flames coming out of the crater made the environment hot. Some of them started to look away to avoid making eye contact with him out of fear.

Dragoth, the massive scythe whose horns curled like a bull, said with a wide smile. "I'm telling you, Melzri. You and Viessa were being too lenient with this little one. Look, he's a boy who's just hit puberty!" he said jokingly. The temperament of his voice showed how familiar he was. For a minute, I thought to myself, "Is this... is this that young scythe? But why is he here and so angry?"

"Stop embarrassing, little Nico. Supreme Sovereign-"

"Shut up!" The young scythe's anger echoed in the coliseum like a storm. Dragoth's brows furrowed. "You little..." he said, but before he could add anything, his gaze was cut off by blinding amethyst lightning. This pressure was on your throat like a dagger that you couldn't feel, but your death was already written. It was different from the fury of the scythe; This was not a fear, it was simply the inevitable fate of all of us.

This was unlike anything I had ever seen before; as if it were something more dangerous than the corrosive vritra art of scythes

While the sky danced with amethyst purple, lightning branches began to grow, spreading around like the arms of a tree. The eyes of Dragoth and the other scythes were lost in this mysterious atmosphere surrounding the colosseum.

As the massive, blinding purple light surrounding the Colosseum began to fade, parts of the figure slowly began to emerge. At that moment, before we knew what was happening, the young scythe's voice came to life again. "Grey! You're finally here, you damn thing!" he shouted

"G-Grey, like Professor Grey?" Enola shrilled in the fading purple light.

Is this her?

Remember meeting a scythe

People around me started making different speculations.

But if there was anything I could grasp for reality, it was the image that was etched in my mind as the purple light floating across the sky completely faded away along with the silhouette. A sea-green cloak, accented with gold stripes, fluttered on his back like a flag towards the horizon. Her tight, tight evening black dress highlighted her slim muscular body. The sun hitting the coliseum from the west gave a warm look to her grayish wheat-colored hair. He looked like a completely noble warrior

Even though every detail showing him looked like a work of art, his gaze did not reflect the same words. His golden orbs stared at the angry scythe before him, as if trying to drive away a boring parasite from the house.

Wait a minute, eyes... Damn, weren't his eyes wearing a mask? Wasn't this a great disrespect to the supreme ruler? For a moment, my soul was about to burst from the inevitable punishment that would be given to the professor.

I looked towards the high balcony, afraid of the judgment of the scythes and even the ruler. However, they all continued to follow the events with bored eyes. Spectators at the top of the Colosseum watched with curiosity as the mysterious moment they saw Gray's unmasked face.

Deciding to take the first step before the events snowballed, Viessa came to the edge of the balcony and spoke. "You will not be tolerated without a mask, let alone wandering around the arena. Identify yourself immediately..." The professor's hand waved in the air for a few seconds to effortlessly silence the scythe.

Finding no value in her words, Viessa's eyes stared sternly at the two people in the middle of the arena.

How confident was she when she committed this disrespect?

The corners of the professor's mouth turned upwards. Then he moved to speak and said, "It's been two years, old friend