Soulless Vs Chosen One

"Soulless?"

"What is the hero talking about?"

"Soulless? There's no way the Academy would even allow someone like that!"

Everyone chattered, their eyes darting between Eli and Kayden with curious faces.

The tension in the air grew thicker with each passing second, a palpable sense of disbelief and shock settling over the crowd.

"Soulless?" Amber frowned, glancing at Eli while dealing with her own foe, who was already suffering in an illusion of her making. 

Kayden wore an amused expression when he saw Eli didn't answer his question, "To think a soulless was able to top the test and is even standing before us... It's truly a slap in the face to every transcendent," he declared, his voice dripping with condescension and mockery.

"Do you have a problem?" Eli asked, frowning at Kayden, confused as to why he was making such a big scene now. 

"Huh... Of course not," Kayden replied with a haughty smile, savouring the moment, "Then you must be using that old technique for soulless people to survive.

What's its name? Hmm... something... breathing... nah, whatever!

But do you know the weakness of that technique you're using?" He tilted his head, feigning ignorance, though his eyes gleamed with malicious intent.

Eli's frown deepened. The old technique he was using was something he learned from his father after his death, so he wasn't sure what was wrong with it.

'Ba-Dump'

Suddenly, Eli felt a suffocating sensation, as if he couldn't breathe anymore... as if...

"Yeah, I removed the air around us, so you cannot inhale the mana to boost yourself with that pathetic technique," Kayden said with a smug expression.

His words were laced with venom as he revelled in his perceived superiority. "A soulless was never meant to be at the top of the transcendent! You must have cheated!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the arena.

"YES!!!"

"HOW COULD WE LET A SOULLESS TOP US!!"

"WE NEED TO SHOW WHO WE ARE!"

"HE MUST HAVE USED SOME UNDERHANDED TECHNIQUE TO EVEN ENTER THE CONTEST!"

"PROVE THAT DIRTY BASTARD WRONG, HERO!!"

"HERO!"

"HERO!"

The crowd shouted like maniacs, their voices blending into a deafening roar. It was as if they had been manipulated by some unseen force, their anger and hostility directed solely at Eli.

Eli's vision blurred, his lungs feeling empty and burning as if they desperately needed air.

He leaned on his pitchfork for support, his left hand gripping it tightly. Each breath was a struggle, and he felt the edges of consciousness fraying.

Kayden smirked, feeling victorious, 'A soulless has been playing me until now! I'll fucking kill you, bastard!' Kayden screamed internally, enraged that he let a soulless trample on him and even dared to ask him to give up.

The thought of his father's reaction fueled his anger further.

What a joke! If Kayden's father heard about this, he would surely beat him mercilessly.

Kayden, having used up his mana to block the air, now relied on a trick he had been saving.

An illegal trick!

He tapped his sword's sheath, and a magic circle engraved on it gave him a sudden mana boost. It was his secret reservoir, a hidden advantage he had kept in reserve for moments like this.

Though the trio of examiners noticed Kayden's trick immediately, they didn't interfere.

As long as no other participants discovered it, everything was fine, right?

"You bas---" Rock was about to shout, but Aadya caught her father's arm and shook her head.

She knew that interfering was dangerous, especially with those three examiners present. Rock had no right to interfere, and it could have dire consequences.

/Void Rift/

Kayden mumbled, his voice barely audible as the space around them trembled before,

Ccccckkkkhhh

Splash

Eli's right arm was torn off.... more like something bit it off.

Blood splashed down like a dam breaking, painting the ground in crimson.

Eli's entire right arm disappeared, and his eyes widened in surprise...

"Sigh... It's over," Rock said as he stood up, deciding to pick up Eli before Kayden could harm him more. His face was set in a grim line, and he was ready to intervene despite the rules.

However,

"Until one of the participants surrenders or faints, the duel will continue," Falcone said with a serious face. His tone brooked no argument, and the authority in his voice was clear.

Rock's face twisted in anger, "Looks like someone forgot who I am," he said in an emotionless tone, sending a shiver through the trio of examiners.

Vito immediately explained, "Professor Rock, please understand that's the rule. You cannot interfere, and even more, only Falcone is the supervisor of this block, so he has the power to do whatever he wants!"

"Yes, we cannot allow a soulless to trample--- HIII!!" Marco suddenly stepped back in fear when Rock looked at him indifferently.

The look in Rock's eyes was enough to silence him.

"Ha... haha... Hmmmm...."

Hearing a weird, uncanny sound, Rock stopped and looked at Eli.

His concern for the young man was evident, but he was bound by the rules.

Eli, with shaky eyes, stared at his torn arm as blood dripped like a fountain. His crimson eyes dulled, becoming lifeless as a nightmare image suddenly appeared in his mind...

sssssss

Flames.

WWWGRRRRAAAAAA

Monsters..

HEEELLLPPPPPPP

Screams...

Splatter

Deaths....

...

Silence....

And finally, a village filled with blood.

The crimson blood... the same as his blood now!

"Heh.... Hmm.... Hmmmm," Eli nodded a few times as if he understood something with dull eyes before looking at Kayden.

"What? Giving up already—"

Ssslnnnngggg

Eli stood up, his movements fluid and deliberate, as he swung his pitchfork.

The weapon made a sharp, resonant sound before he pointed it directly at Kayden, "That's it?" Eli's voice was cold and steady, his gaze unwavering.

"H-Huh? What do you mean?" Kayden frowned, a sense of dread creeping over him as he looked into Eli's empty eyes.

"Little boy...." The words seemed to echo in the silence of the arena, sending a shiver down everyone's spine.

Eli continued, "You are looking at a man who has nothing to lose..... Giving up? I will die before I give up."

Kayden gritted his teeth, furious at being challenged by a soulless bastard, "You said I—"

Ting

Kayden's eyes widened in shock as Eli suddenly appeared before him, almost cutting him with the sharp prongs of his pitchfork. The speed and precision of Eli's movements were almost inhuman.

'What the...?' Rock frowned, struggling to comprehend how Eli could move so swiftly without using any mana.

'Grip.'

Hearing a tight, gripping sound, Rock turned to see his daughter staring at Eli intently, as if she had discovered a rare and fascinating specimen.

"Aadya?" Rock questioned.

"He... He's pushing his mortal body to the maximum, Father," she explained, pointing to Eli's bulging veins and straining muscles. Every fibre of his being seemed to be working overtime, pushing the limits of human endurance, 'His he even a human...' she couldn't help but think.

"OH!" Rock was genuinely surprised, a rare occurrence that made him reassess Eli's potential.

Meanwhile, Kayden, having depleted all his mana, was rendered almost useless. He could only block Eli's relentless attacks, but even that was becoming increasingly difficult.

Eli was pushing him back, treating him like a ragdoll.

'This bitch!!' Kayden gritted his teeth in frustration.

Slick

Eli managed to cut Kayden's cheek, drawing blood and igniting Kayden's anger further.

In a desperate move, Kayden switched from defence to offence, but it was futile.

"You're weak, boy," Eli mumbled as he tensed his left hand and slashed at Kayden's body.

"Arrh!" Blood dripped from Kayden's wounds, staining his once-pristine heroic clothes.

"A-Ash..." Marie mumbled in shock, unable to believe her eyes.

'Who is stealing my spotlight?!!' Alexander gritted his teeth, seething with jealousy.

"Eli..." Amber whispered, staring at Eli's face, which displayed nothing but sheer determination. Her tail swayed slightly....

"Father, I will take him," Aadya declared with a serious expression. Rock nodded in satisfaction, recognizing a worthy opponent for his daughter.

"Huff-Huff-Huff," Kayden breathed heavily, struggling to control the pain ravaging his body.

Eli, despite his mind teetering on the brink of collapse from blood loss, maintained the gaze of a hunter zeroing in on his prey.

He single-handedly brought a chosen hero to the ground!

"AAAHHHHH!!" Kayden, with a final war cry, lunged at Eli.

Eli also prepared for his final strike.

Both participants swung with all their might, Kayden thrusting his sword with lethal intent while Eli aimed his pitchfork with unyielding resolve.

There was no way Kayden would let a soulless walk away after causing such a ruckus.

Otherwise, what would others think of him?

Hell no!

Ting

The weapons collided, creating a deafening clash.

Crack

Eli's pitchfork handle finally gave way, cracking and breaking under the strain.

Seizing the opportunity, Kayden twisted his body and aimed for Eli's neck, his sword glinting menacingly.

'He is dead!!' everyone thought in unison. Even Rock was ready to interfere; he could not allow this rough gem to be lost.

However, Aadya smirked, 'Oh my, what a fierce expression...' she thought, admiring Eli's unwavering spirit.

Eli didn't flinch. Instead, he let go of the broken handle and caught the three-pronged end of his pitchfork, thrusting it towards Kayden's eyes with deadly precision.

Kayden was taken aback. Before he could react, the sharp teeth of the pitchfork were a few millimeters away from piercing his eyes.

"That's enough!" Falcone appeared just in time, stopping Eli's attack with a firm grip.

Simultaneously, Rock intervened, halting Kayden's sword just as it was about to reach Eli's neck.

He glared at Falcone, clearly displeased with the examiner's delayed reaction as if he didn't care if Eli died.

Both combatants would have been dead if not for the timely intervention.

However, the tension remained palpable.....

"A hero would have died before killing the soulless," someone in the crowd murmured, a shockwave of realization rippling through the stadium.

Thud

Eli collapsed, unconscious from exhaustion and blood loss. Rock caught him before he hit the ground, "Take a rest, Young man," Rock said softly, cradling Eli's limp form.