Chapter 868: Round 16: Orion vs Skylar Blood (part-2)
The arena pulsed with anticipation, the crowd teetering on the edge of disbelief as they witnessed Skylar Blood, the blood manipulation user was on one knee, his breaths rasping through clenched teeth.
His body trembled from the effects of the dozen palm strikes to his body.
00:04.
But then, as it is nearing the time limit that he can stay outside the ring, with a roar, with a guttural cry, Skylar threw himself forward and barely managed to land back on the platform.
His boots scraped against the concrete platform. A few gasps rose from the crowd. Others watched in stunned silence.
On the platform, Orion remained unmoved.
His golden aura shimmered gently, going back to calmness.
Skylar wiped blood from his chin, chest heaving. "What... the hell was that?" he growled, his voice ragged.
Orion exhaled slowly, the breath audible only to the closest observers.
"I stopped fighting against the world," he said simply.
Skylar squinted through the pain. "What?"
"I stopped trying to fight against the world, against the fate," Orion repeated, as his hands relaxed into a natural, flowing position. "And instead, started listening to the world. The nature welcomed me with open arms."
"You are insane..." Skylar growled in anger and confusion.
It was then that the golden aura around Orion pulsed again brighter as he continued. "Against people who use their will to force upon the world and dominate it, I can only let the world move through me instead."
Skylar didn’t understand a single word Orion was saying. However, he was sure getting angrier, as if he felt like this guy was toying around.
Skylar’s expression twisted in fury. "I’ll kill you, today."
Blood began to pool beneath Skylar’s feet. His breaths were shallow, ribs rising in sharp angles. But he didn’t heal himself, and instead, he used his blood manipulation to collect whatever blood that left his body and formed another blood orb.
Throwing it upwards, he mumbled. "Soul skill: Blood Crescent Barrage"
The blood orb that was thrown into the sky exploded into dozens of drops before each one transformed into a crimson blade, soaked in murderous intent.
The air shrieked as the blades surged forward, tearing through the air.
Orion still didn’t move or open his eyes. He remained in his spot while the Golden Buddha figure around him made its move.
It shifted a single arm forward, lowly, gracefully. A burst of divine energy erupted from the palm, forming a translucent barrier.
CLANG!
The first blade shattered on impact.
CLANG—CLANG—CLANG!
More followed, each one exploding into harmless dust the moment they reached the edge of the golden field.
Then Skylar’s trump card emerged.
"Hidden Skill: the Blood Serpent."
From within his chest, a serpentine phantom burst forth, its crimson scales dripping venom. It lunged like a maddened beast, jaws open to devour everything.
But the Buddha responded again.
Another palm lifted, gentle and almost dismissive.
WHUMP.
The serpent dissipated on contact. Like a fireball that hit a sturdy mountain.
Skylar’s knees buckled. Sweat streamed down his face. His strongest attack, one that can even kill a rank-8 if they are careless, was destroyed just like that.
In frustration, he screamed in madness. "FIGHT ME! Come out of your turtle shell and fight me like a man, if you are truly the son of Azrael Garcia."
At that statement, Orion opened his mouth, whispering. "Go."
The golden Buddha’s eyes opened. And in that instant, dozens of new arms emerged from him.
The golden arms extended outward from the construct, flowing through the air at blurry speed.
Skylar tried to move. Tried to leap, to twist, to dodge, and fly around
But in front of the Buddha’s arms of fury, he found himself helpless.
PAK!
One palm struck his shoulder—subtle, but exact.
He stumbled.
PAP. Another to his ribs.
PAP. A third to his spine.
He spun wildly, bleeding from the mouth now, eyes wide with shock.
Every limb was shutting down.
Every meridian struck.
His ribs shattered, his vital organs protected, burst out by the sheer force of the divine palms.
And then—BANG!
One final palm struck his chest and sent him flying backward. The soul orb inside his body cracked.
As he crashed outside the battle platform, he just lay there. The time ticked, but he didn’t rise again. He was knocked out cold.
And as the timer reached 0, Affea announced, "Skylar Blood is out of bounds. Orion Garcia wins the battle."
[VICTORY — ORION GARCIA.]
The large screen displayed the name, followed by the finishing move that Orion used to defeat his opponent.
As the healers rushed into the field to take Skylar away, he arena erupted. Some with cheers. Others in awed silence. But all eyes were on the golden figure still standing in the center of the stage, posture untouched, and since the start of the match, Orion hadn’t moved a bit.
And finally, the golden figure dissipated, and Orion opened his eyes, staring at the audience. His eyes didn’t show any excitement or a smile. His gaze was surprisingly calm.
He didn’t wave his hand or show his victory pose. Neither he seemed happy nor disappointed. Orion just looked calm as if he didn’t care about the result. He simply turned and walked off the platform in silence while the commentators in the announcer box were discussing briefly the details of the match. The center of the conversation was analyzing this golden energy-armed body that Orion just unveiled.
Meanwhile, in the waiting hall, the screen flickered, showing the replay again. Selene tugged Zion’s sleeve, eyes wide. "What the hell was that?"
Zion stared silently, his brows faintly drawn. His arms were crossed, and though his face remained unreadable, the way his fingers tapped against his arm betrayed a rare tension.
"Is that one of those divine techniques?" Selene asked again.
Zion shook his head slowly. "No. From this distance, I can’t be sure. I would need to see it in person. But..." He paused, narrowing his eyes. "It didn’t resemble Baphomet or Jupiter’s projections, though. It looked more like... some kind of monk-type figure."
Selene tilted her head. "A monk?"
Zion’s voice lowered. "Most importantly, since the start of the match, Skylar was at a disadvantage. Theoretically, the moment Skylar’s blood lance pierces your blood, he will gain control over your blood, too. But Orion never gave him that chance. And that form... there’s no way someone like Orion could develop it on his own. Did Father help him?"
Behind them, Fiona leaned against the wall, arms folded, gaze half-shadowed by her long lashes. "Actually, Orion’s training was only overseen by Affea. And no one else. And judging by Affea’s expression from the screens, it seems she was also surprised. She is definitely seeing it for the first time. As for Azrael, he rarely talked to Orion, let about training Orion. Azrael was too busy with clan matters."
Zion’s expression didn’t change, but his silence thickened.
Selene gave a nervous laugh. "Oh come on, you’re not actually worried, are you?"
Fiona’s gaze sharpened. "He should, actually.
Selene blinked. "What?"
Fiona looked away. "Did you forget the last time they battled? Orion had nothing back then. No power. No technique. And he still made Zion draw back. If that version of Orion could do that, then..."
Her voice trailed off without finishing the sentence
Zion didn’t respond. But his jaw tightened ever so slightly.
Selene, however, scoffed. "Please. I admit Orion’s stronger than I thought, and I’m also impressed how calmly he handled the opponent, but to say Zion should worry? That’s absurd. Don’t forget Zion didn’t even use half of his strength back then."
Zion broke the silence. "No, that’s not true, Selene."
"Hmm?" "Huh?"
As the ladies turned to him, Zion shrugged. "I only used 10% of my strength, not half."
"Eh?"