MIGHT AS WELL BE OP

Chapter 194 A mere human

Those who bore witness could do nothing but stand idly by, helpless and paralyzed.

They watched as their child perished before their very eyes, their hearts breaking with every passing moment.

Yet, despite their anguish, they dared not intervene.

For though action was within their grasp, the cost of such defiance was far too great, a price that would strip them of everything they held dear.

The family members of Aurelia, Rylis, Thrain, and Serenelle stood in silence, sorrow coursing through their veins like a relentless tide.

For a fleeting moment, killing intent flickered in their eyes, a dangerous glimmer of their suppressed rage.

But even that brief instant did not escape notice.

The parents of the victors immediately radiated a suffocating aura, a clear and deadly warning.

The parents of the fallen, though brimming with grief and fury, dared not act.

Not in the presence of the Patriarch and the clan leaders, whose authority was absolute.

They knew death would claim them before they could so much as blink.

And so, they clenched their jaws, forcing themselves to endure the bitter reality.

The result shattered any illusions of winning they might have clung to, leaving only despair in its wake.

Elara Bloodmoon, Queen of the Vampire race, could only release a quiet, internal sigh as she watched her own champion fall.

From the moment Anthony began his seemingly measured defense, Elara knew Aurelia had no chance.

Anthonyʼs words echoed in her mind, they rang true.

Had Aurelia faced anyone else, she might have been among the victorious.

What baffled Elara, however, was how Anthony had discerned he was facing Aureliaʼs clone.

He had fought as though unaware, as though genuinely engaged, never once revealing his advantage.

Even Elara had silently commended Aureliaʼs strategy, wearing Anthony down by forcing him to expend his mana and stamina.

But that plan had unraveled disastrously.

When the real Aurelia finally emerged, her first decisive strike ended in catastrophe, her arm severed before she could even begin.

The other members of the Phoenix clan mourned their fallen champion in a solemn silence, their sorrow palpable yet restrained.

Serenelleʼs mother, however, sat still and emotionless, her demeanor cold and detached, as though sheʼd merely lost another pawn in a calculated game of chess.

The weight of countless gazes bore down upon her, probing for even a flicker of grief, but she offered none.

She felt their scrutiny, their judgment, but dismissed it with indifference.

In her eyes, she owed no one an explanation, empathy was not her obligation.

Michael, Collins, Mitchelle, and Irene watched their bloodline with a profound sense of pride, their emotions etched in different ways.

Michael, no longer cloaked in the stoic veneer of the Sword Saint, bore a grin wider than anyone in the audience as he witnessed Anthony strike down Aurelia.

”He truly is my son, my baby monster”

Michael thought, his chest swelling with unrestrained pride as he watched his son sheath his katana with precision and grace.

Collins, in contrast, remained outwardly impassive, his expression as unreadable as ever.

But the faint ripple of his aura betrayed his elation, silently roaring louder than words ever could.

Mitchelleʼs reaction was more serene, a sweet, motherly smile of satisfaction graced her lips as she observed her son.

”If this continues, perhaps I wonʼt have to intervene after all”

She mused, her presence calm yet commanding from afar.

Yet, in the midst of her quiet reverie, Mitchelleʼs expression abruptly shifted.

She felt it, a sharp, hostile killing intent directed at Anthony.

Her warm smile vanished, replaced by an icy, unforgiving gaze.

The source was unmistakable: Alala, Aureliaʼs mother.

Mitchelleʼs cold stare locked onto Alala, piercing through the air like a dagger.

Alala met her gaze, her defiance unshaken, even as the sparks of their clashing presences crackled invisibly.

Mitchelleʼs warning was clear in her gaze, but Alala didnʼt withdraw her intent.

Instead, she challenged it, her determination unwavering.

Then, without warning, the very fabric of space froze.

The audience, the plane, and even the air itself became suspended in an unyielding stillness, paralyzed by Mitchelleʼs overwhelming power.

Before anyone could comprehend what had happened, Mitchelle was standing directly in front of Alala, her hand darting toward her adversaryʼs throat with a speed too swift for mortal perception.

But just as her fingertips hovered mere inches from Alalaʼs neck, another presence intervened.

Elara Bloodmoon, Queen of the Vampire race, appeared out of thin air.

With elegance and precision, she caught Mitchelleʼs wrist, halting the strike at the very last moment.

The tension hung in the air like a blade, teetering on the edge of chaos as three of the most powerful beings in the realm stood locked in confrontation.

”What is the meaning of this?”

Elaraʼs cold, commanding voice echoed through the plane, thick with unyielding authority.

Michael and Collins remained still, their expressions unmoved as they watched the unfolding tension.

They knew Mitchelle could handle herself.

However, their readiness for battle was not hidden.

If the Vampire Queen wanted to escalate, they were more than prepared to end this bloodbath with her head as the price.

Mitchelleʼs icy gaze didnʼt falter.

”I should be the one asking that”

She retorted, her voice razor-sharp.

”How dare she direct her killing intent at my son? And who said we couldnʼt attack one another here?”

Her presence grew heavier, suffused with a simmering rage.

It was a massacre waiting to be unleashed.

For Mitchelle, this wasnʼt just about the moment.

Her anger had been brewing:

First, the demon attack on Anthony.

Second, her sonʼs participation in this bloodbath event.

And now, someone had the audacity to threaten his life in her very presence.

Alala, bound by Mitchelleʼs control over space, could do nothing but watch in humiliation.

She couldnʼt even muster the strength to free herself.

Without Elaraʼs intervention, sheʼd have been forced to use her life saving card,a desperate measure that would only expose her weakness to the many powerful eyes watching.

The air felt electric as the entire audience held their breath, their gazes locked on the confrontation.

Some hoped this would spiral into an all out battle.

Elaraʼs crimson eyes bore into Mitchelleʼs before flicking toward Michael and Collins.

”Arenʼt you going to say anything about this, Sword Saint? Lightning God?”

Elara asked, her grip still firm on Mitchelleʼs wrist.

Michaelʼs grin widened, his confidence unshaken.

”Isnʼt it common sense that before you openly think about killing someone, you should possess the strength to do so first?”

His voice carried a taunt, as though daring Elara to make a move.

”Are you ready to fight us?”

Elaraʼs tone shifted as bloodlust began leaking from her, her aura swelling in challenge.

Michaelʼs grin grew sharper, but Collins was the one who cut through the tension.

”No need to twist my sonʼs words”

Collins said, his calm yet deadly voice slicing through the rising storm.

”Weʼre not starting anything. But if anyone thinks weʼre easy to bully, theyʼre welcome to try. This will be the last time I let something like this slide. The next time I feel killing intent directed at Anthony, I will personally make a move. Consider this my first and final warning”

Collinsʼ aura remained steady, but his words reverberated like a blade drawn from its sheath.

A tense silence stretched across the arena as Elaraʼs bloodlust began to dissipate.

Slowly, the atmosphere softened as the Vampire Queen released Mitchelleʼs wrist.

Without another word, she vanished and reappeared in her previous position, reclaiming her dignity.

Mitchelle cast a final, icy glance at Alala before also disappearing, releasing the spatial lock on her adversary.

Alala, now freed, seethed in silent rage.

The humiliation burned, especially since it was inflicted by a human.

ʼA mere humanʼ

She thought, her anger boiling.

But she swallowed her fury, knowing she could do nothing in the face of such overwhelming power.

The focus of the crowd gradually shifted back to the champions, eager for the match to resume.

However, a strange sight awaited them.

While the other champions sat cross-legged in the lotus position, diligently recovering their mana and healing their injuries, Anthony had turned the bloodbath into a vacation.

Under the shade of a summoned parasol, he lounged in a comfortable chair, casually eating fruit as though he were on a beach.

The collective gaze of the audience shifted to the human side, riddled with questions.

Michaelʼs grin faltered slightly as he watched his sonʼs antics.

Collinsʼ lips twitched in barely suppressed irritation.

ʼCanʼt he read the room?ʼ

The fruits Anthony consumed bore no trace of mana enhancement, adhering strictly to the rules.

As such, no one found grounds to challenge his behavior, though many regarded him with a mixture of confusion and silent judgment.

On the other side, Gorath, the Titan, watched the scene with intrigue, his thoughts swirling.

ʼIf I show killing intent toward Anthony, would all three of them fight me at once? It seems dangerous... but it would also be funʼ

The tension lingered, thick with anticipation, as the champions prepared for the next phase of the bloodbath.