Evolved

The gasps for air ceased as the substantial ball of solar energy gently settled onto Klaus' outstretched left palm.

Everyone on the battlefield gazed in sheer amazement, and a smile graced Lance's face. He was clearly relishing the spectacle. Lance even abandoned his initial stance to acknowledge the formidable power before him.

"You truly are exceptional, Klaus Walker," Lance remarked, still fixated on the luminous sphere.

After a few moments, he returned to his stance, offering his thoughts, "Let's hope this time it serves its purpose."

With that, Lance charged towards Klaus, eager to witness how Klaus would respond. Although Klaus was no longer panting heavily, he remained incredibly fatigued. In his depleted state, everything appeared as a blurry haze as Lance closed in.

Realizing he couldn't react effectively, Klaus desperately searched for a solution, but time was running out.

As Lance drew nearer, an extensive wall of water abruptly surged upward, separating Lance from Klaus. Trent was the mastermind behind this watery barrier, his hands raised high above his head.

"Take this opportunity to catch your breath, Klaus. Rest as much as you can," Trent advised Klaus, buying him precious moments to recover his energy.

Klaus gratefully obeyed, still clutching the weightless Solar Ball made of pure light. It was so insignificant that it felt almost absent when held.

Lance turned his attention to Shade, who knew his role. Shade extended his arms forward, guiding his shadow to dart towards Trent.

Trent swiftly realized the shadow's menacing approach, dodging its path. He then aimed his right index finger at Shade while maintaining the water wall.

Rapidly, Trent fired a barrage of water bullets from his fingertip toward Shade. Although this tactic kept Shade on edge, the shadow remained a threat. It responded to Shade's hand movements, allowing him to control its trajectory.

In the blink of an eye, the shadow lunged at Trent's shadow before grabbing on and immobilizing it, with Trent mimicking his shadow's movements. It felt as if an unseen force held Trent down, rendering him immobile.

Whatever Shade's shadow did to another figure's shadow mirrored its impact on the person. So, if his shadow were to attack Trent's shadow, Trent himself would feel the blow.

Seizing this opportunity, Lance perceived a chance to eliminate Trent while he was incapacitated. He charged at Trent, his spear aimed at Trent's lifeline.

As Lance approached, Trent conjured a deluge of water around his body, causing it to spill in all directions. Lance was forced to retreat once more as the water inundated the area, even covering both his and Shade's shadows. This released Trent from his paralyzed state.

"What an absurd amount of water," Shade remarked, astonished by Trent's ability to create so much, despite the energy it required.

The room quickly filled with water, submerging the bottom of Lance and Shade's feet.

Trent then employed the water to immobilize his adversaries by securing their feet. Lance and Shade struggled to free themselves, but the water held them in place.

"Now!" Klaus shouted, and Trent promptly lowered the water barrier that had separated Klaus from Team Solar.

With the path cleared, Klaus sprinted toward Lance, seizing the opportune moment to confront his formidable adversary head-on.

Lance swiftly comprehended their actions and devised a counterstrategy.

As Klaus advanced, Lance gripped his spear like a javelin and aimed it at Klaus' massive light attack. He recalled Klaus revealing that the ability would detonate upon contact with anything other than himself. Therefore, if the spear struck the attack, it would explode before Klaus reached them.

Before Klaus could reach them, Lance thrust the spear toward the energy sphere, waiting for the inevitable outcome.

But Klaus executed a rapid 180-degree spin, using his back to intercept the speeding spear. The tip of the weapon punctured Klaus' skin and propelled him slightly along its trajectory.

Before being overwhelmed by the intense pain, Klaus hurled the ball of light, utilizing the rotational motion he had generated while spinning, directly at Lance.

"What?" Lance exclaimed in astonishment, shocked that Klaus chose to endure his attack and had somehow launched the Solar Ball, as this hadn't happened in their previous fight.

Upon contact, the Solar Ball emitted a devastating burst of light particles, creating an unexpectedly massive force and engulfing the entire room in blinding radiance.

Klaus, his body wracked with pain, managed to rise after the colossal explosion. However, the stabbing wound in his back could not be ignored. He placed his hand on the embedded spear and, with a grimace, yanked it free, staining his shirt with his blood.

Klaus turned to Trent, who had been partially blinded by the blinding light but was otherwise unharmed.

"Are you okay, Trent?" Klaus inquired from a distance.

"I'm fine. Partially blinded, but I'll be okay," Trent replied, rubbing his eyes.

"That was quite an attack, though. Creating something like that must be exhausting," Trent commented.

"You have no idea," Klaus replied as the blinding light from the attack gradually subsided.

"You have got to be kidding me," Klaus exclaimed in disbelief as he turned to see a large shield-like object with its bottom embedded in the ground and its top shattered due to the solar ball's force.

Standing behind the shattered shield were Shade and Lance, both wearing armor.

Lance approached, his helmet vanishing to reveal a smile.

"You nearly had us there, Walker," Lance acknowledged, while Shade's armor also disappeared, signaling their return to the Divine Arsenal.

The remnants of the massive shield and the portion still standing also vanished into the arsenal dimension.

Klaus, barely able to stand and with a blurry vision from exhaustion, felt his frustration grow upon realizing his opponents were still on the battlefield. However, he was determined not to lose to Lance again.

Without hesitation, Klaus picked up the spear that had been thrust at him earlier and charged at Lance.

"Klaus!" Trent exclaimed, trying to prevent Klaus from acting recklessly.

But Klaus had made up his mind.

As Klaus closed in on Lance, he swung the spear directly at Lance's face, attempting to incapacitate him or achieve a similar outcome.

Lance noticed the attack, and just before Klaus could execute his plan, the spear in Klaus' hand vanished. Lance had returned the weapon, along with the other objects he had sent earlier.

As Lance finished, he turned his gaze towards Klaus. A sudden change in his smile indicated that Klaus had realized Lance's oversight. Klaus recognized that Lance had sent everything back except for the spear, likely due to the chaotic events that transpired after he hurled it at Klaus.

With this realization, Klaus knew he had a brief window of opportunity before Lance noticed and recalled the spear as well. He charged at Lance, using the attack to distract Lance and divert his focus from his original intent.

Lance gazed down at Klaus' right hand, but it was already too late to react. The inevitable had occurred.

Witnessing this turn of events, Klaus pressed Lance's lifeline, effectively eliminating him from the game.

The expression of shock on Trent's face was evident as Lance gradually vanished from the area. Before his departure, he mustered a final smile at Klaus, accompanied by some parting words.

"Outstanding performance, Walker. This fight truly displayed elegance."

Following his statement, Lance completely disappeared.

Trent, finally realizing that their most formidable adversary had indeed been eliminated, rushed over to Klaus.

"Oh my Gods, you actually did it," Trent exclaimed.

"I guess," Klaus responded, collapsing onto his knees from sheer exhaustion.

Not only Team Lunar but also the other teams spectating from the arena were stunned by Klaus's achievement. He had managed to eliminate one of the four strongest competitors among them. This was truly an unexpected turn of events, especially considering it was the first time that anyone other than the leaders themselves had succeeded in eliminating one of them.

"Wow, he actually did it," Quinn muttered while staring at the screen.

"I'm really impressed," Tyler added.

The rest of Teams Stellar and Astra also chimed in with their expressions of amazement back at the spectator's area.

At the back of the crowd, X remained silent, gazing at the screen intently, proving that he had witnessed the entire situation. However, he eventually closed his eyes, sighed, and muttered something under his breath.

"Fools."

Before anyone could react, a loud sound reverberated through the room.

Klaus and Trent turned towards the alarm, suddenly remembering that Shade was still on the battlefield. They had been so focused on eliminating Lance that they had completely forgotten about Shade.

"How?" Trent asked Shade, puzzled.

While it was true that they had momentarily forgotten about Shade, he had also been absent when Lance was eliminated, making it even more challenging to recall his presence.

"Well, before Lance returned the armor from me, after your devastating attack, he advised me to stay concealed until the ideal moment arose. At first, I was confused. Then, I noticed that both of you were focused on eliminating him after the light had subsided. So, I used the opportunity to create a pool of shadows and quickly entered it, remaining hidden for a brief period," Shade detailed.

"You can do that?" Trent inquired.

"Only for a few moments because I can't really breathe while inside it. And if I had stayed too long before coming out, I would gasp for air, revealing my presence. So I had to stay in it just the right amount of time before exiting after the shadow got to the alarm."

Everyone was astounded by Shade's unexpected revelation. He had played psychological games with his opponents and contributed to his team's victory.

Klaus, upon hearing his brother's explanation, was more impressed by the cunning maneuver than upset about their loss, causing a faint smile to cross his face.

Afterward, all the participating teams were transported back to the Arena of Valor.

The teams exchanged greetings and discussed the recent and previous battles, forming a sense of camaraderie among the demigods through their battles and sparring sessions.

Quinn approached Klaus, who appeared to be with Rose and Shade.

"It seems like you took my advice," she remarked.

"So it seems," Klaus replied.

"Let's hope you won't need me to pick you up the next time you're down," Quinn added with a smile.

The second event had come to an end. After a few minutes, XVII entered the arena.

"Greetings, demigods, and congratulations on completing the second game mode of the Cosmic League event. The Gods have been watching and are impressed by your motivation and performance in the current games. They anticipate your performance in the final game mode."

All the demigods focused on XVII as he continued.

"Before the final game mode, you will be given two hours of leisure time to do as you desire until its commencement. You may all depart until summoned."

With XVII's conclusion, the demigods dispersed to their respective locations.

Klaus headed to his room for some rest before the final event, given the anticipation surrounding it. As he lay on his bed, he heard a knock on his door. He felt a slight frustration, as he hadn't expected any company before returning to battle. Additionally, he was still slightly fatigued from creating the second-grade solar ball used against Lance.

"Who's there?" Klaus asked from his bed.

"Oh, may we come in, brother?" Shade's voice responded.

"We?" Klaus muttered to himself but decided to open the door, not wanting to make it more complicated.

Upon opening the door, he found Shade and Ace entering his room.

"Wow, I like what you've done with the place," Ace remarked.

"It's the same as how I met it," Klaus replied, puzzled.

"Hmm, maybe it's just the eerie vibes you emit," Ace continued as he took a seat on the chair by the desk.

Although Klaus hadn't expected guests, he decided to go along with it since it was harmless. He wasn't in the mood for sleep, so resting on his bed while engaging in conversation was sufficient for him.

CONVERSATION

Ace: Y'know you really surprised everyone by eliminating Lance.

Shade: It surprised me too.

Klaus: Well, it was obvious he could have evaded the attack if he wanted to.

Ace: What do you mean?

Klaus paused before his explanation.

Klaus: When he noticed that Trent and I were both fixated on eliminating him, he deliberately made himself the point of focus so Shade could hit the alarm. He understood that if he dodged the attack, it would only prolong the battle, reducing their chances of winning the game because of the time limit.

Both Ace and Shade were surprised that Klaus noticed Lance's actions and felt bad that he focused more on that than on eliminating him.

Shade: Even if that's true, it doesn't change the fact that you're still the only one who has beaten one of the leaders besides themselves.

Klaus turned to the ceiling slightly, exhaling softly.

Klaus: I guess.

A few seconds of silence followed Klaus' statement before he recalled something that had caught his attention earlier.

Klaus: By the way, Ace, I noticed a lot of inconsistencies in your speed during this tournament. Do you mind explaining why?

Ace: Well, I would, but Quinn strongly advised me not to spill how my powers work until the end of the event. Y'know, to prevent the countering and stuff.

Klaus: I guess that's fair.

After a few more discussions about their previous battles and shared experiences during the event, the time had come for the final event to begin.

An alarm resonated throughout the apartment building, signaling the demigods to return to the Arena of Valor. Klaus, Shade, and Ace heeded the call and made their way there. Once they arrived, they took their seats, patiently waiting for further instructions on the tournament. Soon, XVII entered the arena.

"And now, let's recap the final event for clarity, along with a few words," XVII announced from the stage.

Suddenly, a potent and familiar force filled the arena, causing all the demigods to kneel. A powerful gust of wind descended from the sky as a figure landed at the center of the stage.

It was a God.

As all eyes lifted to identify the God, they were greeted by an unfamiliar deity, one they had encountered only briefly during the introduction of the gods.

"Greetings, demigods. It's a pleasure to meet you all once again," the God began, his voice gentle and soothing, putting everyone at ease. He then eased the force that had made the demigods kneel, allowing them to rise.

"For those who have forgotten, I am Ultion, the God of Vengeance. I'm here to announce the start of the final event of the Cosmic League. But before we proceed, the Gods and I have a few words to share."

Every demigod present focused intently on Ultion, eager to hear the Gods' thoughts on the event so far.

"We want to express our appreciation for all the effort each of you has put into this event. We understand that many of you have experienced a shift in your lives, moving from comfort to challenge. We acknowledge your dedication, regardless of the inconveniences you've faced. And we hope that your enthusiasm will continue, as we Gods are genuinely impressed with each one of you."

Ultion's words of encouragement resonated with the demigods, bringing smiles to their faces. They felt relieved and reinvigorated, looking forward to the final game mode.

"Now, let me reiterate the rules of the final event, known as 'Last One Standing.' Two teams will face each other in any style they choose. There will be no time limit, and the event will occur in a designated location. Each team's goal is to eliminate the other by striking their opponent's lifelines. The last team with at least one member remaining on the battlefield will be declared the winner."

The rules seemed straightforward, but they anticipated that it would be a challenging battle. Eight demigods fighting simultaneously in a confined area without a time limit posed a formidable challenge.

"The same prohibitions from previous rounds still apply, which means no fatal injuries or torture of opponents. Additionally, there will be no second round; each team will have one chance to battle."

Ultion ensured that everyone understood the rules before continuing.

"The teams that did not face each other in the Breach game mode will compete in this round. So, I will now announce the matchups. The first battle will be between Team Lunar and Team Stellar, and the second will feature Team Solar and Team Astra."

Klaus knew that this would be a significant challenge. He'd be facing X in a single location for the first time, and as it was the final game mode, it promised to be the toughest yet. However, he chose not to dwell on it too much and walked to the stage alongside his team and Team Stellar.

With that, Ultion bid them farewell and vanished with his wings, returning to the realm of the Gods. XVII prepared both teams before they were transported to a new location.

The remaining demigods, awaiting their battles, were granted the opportunity to watch the ongoing match on a large screen displayed on the stage.

As Klaus opened his eyes and surveyed his surroundings, he immediately recognized where they were.

"A colosseum."