Each battle will last a maximum of fifteen minutes. Victory can be achieved in three ways:
1) Forcing your opponent out of the arena's barrier.
2) Knocking your opponent unconscious.
3) Forcing your opponent to surrender."
More rules flashed in quick succession.
4) "Weapons are permitted. Skill cards may be used, but activated skill cards are banned.
5) Healing cards are strictly forbidden. Only SP recovery cards are allowed during combat."
She raised a hand toward the dome-shaped barrier covering the circular platform.
6) "If a participant is ejected from this barrier—either by being thrown out, falling, or flying out—they will have ten seconds to return. Fail to re-enter, and you are disqualified."
A pause.
Her gaze turned razor sharp.
7) "Killing is forbidden. No matter the provocation or circumstance. You are expected to control your power. If your opponent won't surrender, your duty is to subdue or push them out, not end their life. Those who violate this will face immediate punishment, ranging from expulsion to criminal charges, depending on the intent."
The audience murmured at the severity, but no one questioned her authority.
Affea's final words struck with precision.
8) "Last but not least, in the rare event of a draw or tie, five judges will vote on who proceeds, based on performance, control, and battle intellect."
She stepped back.
The screen flashed again.
Round 1 Begins – Battle 1 Incoming.
The stadium erupted into cheers. A thunderous roar as the spotlights cut across the stands and locked onto the first pair of contestants stepping into the barrier's glow.
One by one, names were called. Warriors emerged. Energy sparked. Excitement built with every match.
Hours passed, and Orion patiently waited in the waiting hall.
The afternoon sun cast long shadows over the arena, its light burning a golden hue onto the battle platform.
Inside the waiting hall for the remaining contenders, the tension was palpable.
A metallic chime echoed at last for Orion.
Match 23: Orion vs. Mike Dawson. Please proceed to the platform.
Orion stood. His boots echoed on the polished stone floor as he walked, the murmurs of the others falling silent.
Behind him, Fiona tensed, watching him with hope and worry. Mike Dawson, the 9-foot giant, rose beside him like a mountain of muscle.
The crowd roared as the two stepped into the glowing barrier.
Affea's voice boomed.
"Begin!"
Without hesitation, Orion exploded forward, divine energy coiling around his legs. He blurred ahead and launched a punch toward the giant's chest at a blurring speed.
BOOM!
Mike met him head-on with a brutal counterpunch.
At the final second, Orion raised a glowing shield, absorbing the brunt of the blow, but the sheer power of it sent him skidding backward, boots carving trenches in the stone.
Dust settled.
Orion grunted. "This guy is strong."
He charged again, feinting high.
Mike moved to block, but Orion spun low, his heel whistling through the air and slamming into the giant's knee with such force that the ground cracked beneath him.
Mike stumbled, one foot giving way, and Orion's follow-up kick snapped into his jaw, flipping the massive fighter onto his back.
The crowd gasped.
But then… a tremor shook the platform.
"Arcana Spirit: Erupt — Scarlet Tyrant!"
A massive roar erupted from the seal drawn beneath Mike Dawson. A blinding red light shot upward, and from it emerged a towering, crimson-scaled Tyrannosaurus, its roar shaking the entire dome.
"Oh crap," Orion muttered, backing up instinctively.
The Scarlet T-Rex glared down with glowing eyes, teeth like swords dripping molten heat.
Mike rose to his feet, blood trickling from the edge of his lip. He grinned.
"Let's see if the viral hero can survive now."
Orion's knuckles cracked. Despite the towering beast, despite the odds... he grinned back.
"Bring it."
The crowd roared as the Scarlet Tyrant lowered its massive head and charged, each step pounding the earth like a war drum. Its eyes locked on Orion, and its breath came out in glowing wisps—molten heat rippling in the air.
Orion's divine energy surged to his legs as he dodged sideways, narrowly avoiding the crushing bite that shattered the stone floor where he had stood. Shards flew. He rolled to his feet.
It's fast for something that big… I can't afford to take a single hit from that thing.
Mike didn't give him time to think. He pointed forward.
"Flame Crush!"
The T-Rex's tail whipped around, glowing red-hot, and lashed out like a comet.
Orion ducked under it, only for Mike to appear before him with a knee strike aimed for his gut. Orion barely managed to cross his arms in time, the blow lifting him off his feet and slamming him into the barrier wall. The dome rippled with energy but held.
Orion gasped, sliding to one knee.
"Time to return the favor."
The next moment, he blurred into movement, racing toward the T-Rex itself.
Mike narrowed his eyes. "What the hell is he?"
Orion launched into the air, spinning like a drill, and slammed his foot down on the Scarlet Tyrant's snout, using it like a springboard.
BOOM!
He propelled off its head and hurtled toward Mike like a divine missile.
Mike reacted just in time, arms raised to block. Orion's elbow smashed into him, divine energy pulsing out with a concussive boom. Mike staggered, sliding backward—his boots dragging through the floor.
Orion landed, flipping backwards, panting slightly. "How's that?"
Mike growled. His nose was bleeding now. With a snarl, he barked, "Soul skill: Rage Protocol!"
The Scarlet T-Rex roared again, and its body erupted in flames—its size increasing slightly, its aura turning crimson. It rampaged forward, and Mike followed in sync, attacking with monstrous strength.
For the next minute, it was chaos.
Blow after blow. Slam after slam.
The T-Rex lashed out with its tail and flame breath. Mike landed body blows that cracked Orion's shield.
Orion retaliated with precision, ducking and striking like lightning, aiming at pressure points. Divine energy flowed over his body like a second skin.
But he was being pushed back again and again.
Fiona gripped the railing in the viewing gallery. "Come on… don't try to match brute force—outthink him."
And then, Orion did exactly that as if he heard her.
Orion skidded across the arena floor like a meteor, his body engulfed in flames from the T-Rex's fireball. His body slammed against the inside of the barrier wall, then bounced off and flew outward, beyond the shimmering dome.
"OHHH!"
A unified gasp echoed across the stadium. Commentators went silent. The barrier pulsed red—10 seconds remaining for reentry.
In the VIP balcony, Leiza stood up abruptly, her hand reaching for the edge.
"Azzy…"
She turned to him in alarm, her hand grabbing his wrist. "He—he went outside the barrier…"
Azzy's crimson eyes never left the battlefield. His expression remained calm, almost amused, even as the countdown hovered ominously above the platform.
"It's alright," he said softly, his voice carrying confidence deeper than steel.
"Our son… won't lose just by that."
6 seconds.
The dome flickered with the warning light. The Scarlet T-Rex growled in triumph. Mike Dawson raised a fist to the cheering crowd.
3 seconds.
From the white smoke above the stands…
"HAAAAAAHH!"
Orion's body shot back into the dome, trailing divine energy like a comet. He landed in a skid, sliding into a crouch, blood running down his cheek. His clothes were torn, his eyes were sharp.
The crowd roared.
He stood up and slowly raised his right hand. Around his wrists, a set of faint silver seals shimmered to life, one by one.
Clink… Clink… Clink…
Each seal vanished into light.
The pressure in the arena changed.
The air grew heavier.
Spectators leaned forward in confusion. Many felt like a weight had suddenly pressed down on them. Even Mike's expression changed from confident to concerned.
"What the hell is that…?"
Orion exhaled, steam rolling off his skin. His muscles bulked slightly, divine energy swirling visibly over his frame, lightning crackling from his fingertips.
"I've been holding back," he said, wiping blood from his chin. "But I promised someone… never again."
"Gravity Seal… Removed."
Suddenly, Mike stumbled, his knees dipping slightly. The Scarlet T-Rex wavered, growling in confusion as the gravity field intensified across the entire dome.
Orion had trained under 200 times gravity.
Everyone else was now experiencing a mere fraction of that—and still felt like the air had turned to sludge.
Mike roared. "Like hell I'm gonna—!"
But he wasn't ready.
Orion vanished.
Boom.
A single punch slammed into Mike's stomach, so fast no one even saw the movement. His massive body bent like a folding chair, saliva flying from his mouth.
Orion didn't stop.
He spun, elbowed the side of Mike's head, flipped over him, and axe-kicked him to the floor. Dust exploded upward. The arena floor cracked.
The Scarlet T-Rex reared back in fury. It opened its mouth again for a fireball.
But Orion was already in front of it—both hands glowing, a vortex of divine energy forming around his fists.
"Baphomet Form—Fifth Stance…"
The arena dimmed for a moment.
"Gravity Annihilation."
He punched upward.
A dome of silver gravity energy exploded around him, collapsing space around the Arcana Spirit.
The Scarlet T-Rex's body convulsed—then disintegrated into light, its connection snapped by force.
Mike's eyes widened as the beast vanished behind him.
He never got the chance to move again.
Orion landed beside him, raised a finger—then flicked his forehead.
Thud.
Mike collapsed.
Victory: Orion.