Chapter 360 The Clash Intensifies, Victory Uncertain
Just then, the bell for the fourth round rang, summoning new warriors to the arena, ready to face even fiercer challenges. Enzo and his companions held their breath, eager to witness this round\'s exhilarating confrontations.
In the first match of the fourth round, the Sloth temple fielded a colossal powerhouse—Aneurin, while the Pride temple countered with a nimble swordsman—Windrunner.
Aneurin, a towering figure with bulging muscles, resembled a moving mountain, whereas Windrunner, graceful and agile, appeared as a sprite dancing on the breeze.
"Come! Show me just how swift you are, Windrunner!" Aneurin bellowed as he charged fiercely towards Windrunner. In a flicker, Windrunner evaded Aneurin\'s onslaught with ease and retaliated with a thrust of his sword aimed at Aneurin\'s vital points.
Aneurin did not flinch. Instead, he received Windrunner\'s strike with his fist. A thunderous clang echoed as Windrunner\'s sword was sent flying from his grasp by the sheer force of Aneurin\'s blow.
"Is that all the strength you possess?" Aneurin taunted with a cold smirk. Yet, no sooner had the words escaped his lips than Windrunner reappeared behind him, delivering a swift kick to his back. Despite his immense power, Aneurin\'s bulky frame caused him to stagger several steps from the impact.
Seizing the moment, Windrunner pressed the attack, his sword flashing like a weave of light as he lunged at Aneurin. With a furious roar, Aneurin braced himself, his fists clenched, absorbing all of Windrunner\'s strikes. Though his hands tingled from the force, he exploited Windrunner\'s momentary lapse, delivering a punch that sent Windrunner sprawling.
Windrunner fell to the ground, blood spilling from his lips, clearly gravely wounded. He struggled to rise, but Aneurin swiftly approached, planting a foot upon his chest.
Aneurin pronounced coldly,"You\'ve lost."
Defeated, Windrunner resignedly closed his eyes in surrender.
Meanwhile, on another side of the arena, a fierce duel of spells unfolded between the Thunder Mage of the Pride Temple and the Shadow Warlock of the Sloth Temple.
With a flourish of his hands, Thunder Mage unleashed bolts of lightning towards the Shadow Warlock. In response, the Shadow Warlock conjured an shadowy shield, effortlessly absorbing Thunder Mage\'s attacks.
"Is that truly your best?" the Shadow Warlock scoffed. However, before he could finish his taunt, Thunder Mage has launched another attack.A huge lightning ball shot towards him.
The Shadow Warlock dared not underestimate his opponent, summoning forth additional shadow shields to withstand the onslaught of the lightning balls. However, the Thunder Mage\'s spells were immensely powerful, and the shadow shields gradually crumbled beneath the relentless barrage.
At that moment, the Shadow Warlock unleashed his ultimate technique—Shadow Eruption, sending waves of shadow energy hurtling toward the Thunder Mage. Though the Thunder Mage reacted swiftly, erecting a lightning shield that absorbed the majority of the assault, he was still struck by a tendril of shadow energy, causing him to stagger slightly.
The two combatants exchanged blows, engaging in a fierce duel of spells.
Ultimately, amid the dazzling clash of blinding lightning and dense shadow energy, the Thunder Mage, wielding superior magical might, brought the Shadow Warlock crashing to the ground.
The Shadow Warlock gasped,"I concede."
With the conclusion of the fourth round, both the Sloth Temple and the Pride Temple saw two of their members eliminated. Now, only two warriors remained on the field—Aneurin and the Thunder Mage, destined to be the final contenders of this competition.
Enzo observed the unfolding scene with bated breath, filled with anticipation. He understood that the upcoming match would determine the rightful heir to leadership, compelling him to focus intently on this climactic confrontation.
As the bell for the fifth round tolled, Aneurin and the Thunder Mage stepped onto the stage, ready to commence their pivotal showdown. Enzo and the others held their breath, poised to witness this decisive encounter.
Aneurin and the Thunder Mage stood at opposite ends of the arena, scrutinizing one another, the air thick with tension.
"Come on, let me see what you are capable of!" Aneurin bellowed, charging toward the Thunder Mage.
The Thunder Mage, his expression grave, swiftly formed hand signs, bracing himself for Aneurin\'s assault.
Aneurin surged forward like an unstoppable mountain, while the Thunder Mage, nimble and agile, deftly evaded the oncoming attacks.
The two combatants exchanged blows with remarkable intensity. Aneurin\'s strength was formidable. Each punch was potent enough to shatter a small mountain. Meanwhile, the Thunder Mage unleashed devastating spells, with bolts of lightning ravaging the arena.
As the fierce battle unfolded, Aneurin gradually gained the upper hand. His sheer power rendered the Thunder Mage\'s formidable spells somewhat ineffective, struggling to withstand the onslaught of brute force.
At this critical juncture, the Thunder Mage suddenly altered his strategy, opting not to confront Aneurin head-on. Instead, he deftly evaded Aneurin\'s strikes while searching for an opportune moment to counterattack.
In response, Aneurin let out a furious roar, intensifying his assault. Yet, the Thunder Mage slipped away like an elusive eel, consistently evading Aneurin\'s powerful blows at the most crucial moments.
As Aneurin\'s stamina began to wane, the Thunder Mage finally seized his chance. Channeling all his energy, he unleashed a potent lightning spell directed at Aneurin.
Caught off guard, Aneurin was struck by the lightning, causing his body to convulse uncontrollably. The Thunder Mage capitalized on this moment, launching a relentless barrage of spells at Aneurin.
Despite Aneurin\'s valiant efforts to defend himself, he gradually succumbed to the Thunder Mage\'s overwhelming offense. Ultimately, under the onslaught of a final, ultimate lightning spell, Aneurin was decisively defeated, collapsing to the ground.
"I concede defeat..." Aneurin gasped, his eyes filled with palpable frustration.
The Thunder Mage, equally exhausted and drenched in sweat, managed to stand upright and offered a respectful bow to Enzo and the others.
He proclaimed weakly,"I am victorious."
Enzo approached and placed a reassuring hand on Thunder Mage\'s shoulder. "You performed admirably, Thunder Mage. You are the champion of this contest and the new leader."
With a faint smile, the Thunder Mage replied, "Thank you. I shall do my utmost to safeguard the peace of Alfa."
Enzo nodded, "I believe you can achieve this. Now, let us cheer for our new leader!"
The crowd erupted in applause, celebrating the victory of the Thunder Mage.
After the match concluded, Enzo and the others surrounded the Thunder Mage to offer their congratulations. The Thunder Mage expressed his gratitude in return, pledging to lead the planet Alfa toward an even brighter future.
However, just as everyone was basking in the joy of victory, a discordant voice suddenly pierced the air.
"Hmph, this match was utterly unfair!" declared a warrior from the Pride temple, stepping forward and raising his voice.
Enzo furrowed his brow, "What are you talking about? This match was conducted openly and transparently. How can it be deemed unfair?"
The warrior snickered derisively, "Don\'t forget, this competition was proposed by Enzo, so naturally, he favors his own. Moreover, Thunder Mage\'s victory was merely due to luck and chance!"
Enzo\'s anger flared, "You are being unreasonable! This competition was just and open. There was no favoritism. Thunder Mage\'s victory is a result of his own skill!"
Yet the warrior remained unyielding, continuing to incite dissent, "Don\'t be fooled by him! This match was a sham! We cannot allow a deceiver to lead us!"
His words resonated with some in the crowd, and chaos began to ensue. Seeing this, Enzo and his companions rushed forward to restore order.
"Everyone, calm down! Do not believe the rumors! This competition was fair!" Enzo exclaimed loudly.
However, the tumultuous situation proved difficult to quell. It took considerable effort for Enzo and his allies to finally stabilize the chaos.
Afterward, Enzo confronted the instigator, delivering a stern reprimand.
"Do you understand what you have done today? You nearly incited a riot!" Enzo glared at the warrior, his voice filled with fury.
The warrior, undaunted, glared defiantly at Enzo, exclaiming, "I merely spoke the truth! This competition is inherently unfair!"
"Are you questioning my authority?" Enzo retorted, his expression darkening as an ominous aura radiated from him, chilling those around.
The warrior replied,"Lord Enzo, I do not wish to challenge you. I only seek fairness. Should this remain the case, I cannot acquiesce."
"And what must transpire for you to be satisfied?" Enzo inquired. "Do you wish to duel me?"
The warrior responded,"No, no, Lord Enzo, I could never hope to match you in combat. However, I wish to face the Thunder Mage. I do not believe he can best me."
At this declaration, the crowd erupted in astonishment. Stay connected with m-v l|e\'-NovelBin.net
"Is he out of his mind? He dares to challenge the Thunder Mage?"
"Which temple does he belong to? Clearly, he lacks awareness of his own limitations."
"I\'ve never seen him in the Pride Temple."
"Nor has he graced the Sloth Temple."
"Could he be from the Rage Temple? No, he must be from the Envy Temple. Only an Envy disciple would be so audacious."
Enzo regarded the warrior with a faint smile, saying, "Since you are so determined, I shall grant your wish. If you can indeed defeat the Thunder Mage, I will allow you to assume leadership. How does that sound?"
"Agreed!" the warrior responded. "Allow me to introduce myself: I am Cruise Main, a humble outer disciple of the Envy Temple, merely an unremarkable mage. If you deem me unworthy, I shall forfeit the match. If you believe I am fit to try, then I shall proceed."
With that, he surveyed the audience, awaiting their verdict.
Cruise Main added emphatically,"But should I not fight, I will certainly remain unsatisfied."
"Very well, we support your challenge." Came a voice from the crowd, eager for the spectacle to unfold.
Another voice chimed in, "Indeed, we would like to see you in action. But do take care not to leave the ring with a mouthful of teeth and cries for your mother!"
"Little one, should you find yourself regretting this decision, I assure you, I will revel in your humiliation. You would truly disgrace your Envy temple!"
"Bah!"