The Broken Halo

The battles continued without pause.

After Virella’s victory, the stages were cleaned, repaired, and prepared for the next group. The black plate in the official’s hand lit up once again, causing twelve tokens to release a faint red glow.

Sonya’s token was among them.

She felt the change in temperature and raised it between two fingers.

”What number?”

”Six,” Simon replied.

Sonya turned toward Stage Six, then frowned when she sensed the demon walking toward the opposite side.

It was not Ammor.

Ammor stood among the crowd with his arms folded. His token had not lit up, and when Sonya realized this, disappointment appeared on her face.

She could not help but click her tongue in frustration.

She had been hoping to fight him.

After everything that happened during the affinity and strength tests, she wanted to personally teach the tall demon why mocking her had been a terrible decision.

However, it seemed that would not happen.

Sonya glanced in Korran’s direction.

’They probably arranged it.’

The possibility made sense.

Ammor had low S grade earth affinity, while she had peak S grade earth affinity. Regardless of their personal conflict, both of them were valuable to Velmora and the invasion.

Korran and the officials would not want two demons with S grade affinities fighting, injuring themselves, or killing each other before the campaign even began.

Sonya turned toward Ammor and smiled.

”You’re lucky.”

Ammor’s expression darkened, but before he could respond, Sonya walked into Stage Six.

Her opponent was a Supreme Archfiend with yellow markings across his dark skin. He carried a short spear in each hand, and nervous light could be seen in his eyes.

He had already lost his first match.

If he lost again, his combat test would be over.

The barrier closed.

Lightning immediately crackled around his arms and legs.

Sonya tilted her head slightly.

She remembered this demon and his affinity result.

Intermediate C grade lightning affinity.

The Supreme Archfiend did not waste time. His body shot forward with a flash, and both spears stabbed toward Sonya’s throat and stomach.

Sonya shifted sideways.

The first spear missed, but the second changed direction midway and scraped across her jacket.

Before she could punch, lightning exploded from the demon’s feet, throwing him backward and out of her reach.

Sonya’s smile widened.

”At least you’re better than the last one.”

The Supreme Archfiend remained silent.

He had watched her first battle and knew that allowing her fist to touch him would most likely end the match.

In that small body of hers, was a strength that could destroy a mountain.

He moved again.

Instead of remaining on the ground, he used bursts of lightning to propel himself upward. He stepped on the barrier with one foot, changed direction, then descended toward Sonya’s back with both spears.

Whoosh!

Sonya sensed the disturbance in the air and stepped forward. The earth glided across the ground like a wave as she moved.

BANG!

The spearheads struck the stage behind her.

The demon released another burst of lightning before she could turn, leaving only scorched marks on the ground.

He continued attacking like that.

Fast and unpredictable.

He rarely remained on the ground long enough for Sonya to properly sense his position through the earth.

Since he knew about Kraghs, he thought of a method to win against Sonya.

Several shallow cuts appeared on Sonya’s clothes and arms, but none of them were dangerous.

The Supreme Archfiend was trying his best.

Unfortunately, trying his best was not enough.

The moment he pushed away from the barrier again, Sonya stomped her foot.

Boom!

The stage trembled.

Several thick stone pillars rose at different angles, blocking the routes he had been using to move through the air.

The demon twisted and avoided the first pillar.

The second forced him lower.

The third appeared directly in his path.

He struck it with both spears and shattered the top, but the impact destroyed his momentum.

He landed on the ground, but to his dismay, Sonya was already there.

The Supreme Archfiend tried using lightning to escape, but Sonya grabbed one of his spears before he could move.

His eyes widened in fear.

”Fuck.”

Sonya grinned.

”Bye bye.”

Sonya pulled him forward and punched him in the chest with her fist enhanced with demonic energy.

BANG!

Lightning scattered from his body.

His chest caved inward slightly, and he was sent flying across the stage.

Bang!

He struck the barrier, fell to the ground, and coughed out blood.

Sonya walked toward him.

The Supreme Archfiend looked at her, then at the blood spreading across his chest.

Despite everything he did, he saw that Sonya was barely injured while his own injury was quite bad.

Aside from that, he had used a lot of his demonic energy to attack the way he did but Sonya barely used hers.

He already knew the outcome, and he clenched his fists after coming to this realization.

”I surrender.”

The barrier dimmed.

”Stage Six. Winner, Honourable Sonya.” the official announced.

Sonya walked out with a more satisfied expression than before. The match had not been difficult, but at least her opponent had forced her to move.

It was still boring to her, but she would take it like that.

Several groups fought after that before Simon’s token glowed again.

His number was One.

His opponent was a Supreme Archfiend with pale grey skin, a three-pronged spear, and a high C grade water affinity.

The demon had won his first match and entered the stage confidently.

The moment the barrier closed, water gathered around his body and formed a constantly moving layer over his skin. More water coiled around the spear, spinning around the three sharp points.

Simon raised his hand.

Three wind blades shot forward.

The Supreme Archfiend spun his spear, and the water around it expanded into a circular shield. Two wind blades were deflected, while the third cut through the water and left a shallow wound on his shoulder.

The demon rushed forward.

His spear thrust toward Simon’s chest, surrounded by a spiralling current that made it difficult to judge its exact position.

Simon moved aside, but the edge of the current struck his ribs.

Because of his injury, he couldn’t move fast enough.

Pain travelled through his body.

His expression remained calm, but he could feel his injured pathways reacting.

The Supreme Archfiend attacked again, using the spear’s reach to keep Simon away while the water shield protected him from direct wind blades.

’How annoying.’

Simon retreated twice, studied the movement of the water, then raised both hands.

Several thin wind blades appeared around him.

The Supreme Archfiend tightened his grip and prepared his water shield.

Simon sent the blades forward.

They attacked from different directions, forcing the demon to spin his spear and increase the amount of water around him.

The shield expanded, and that was what Simon wanted.

A thin wind blade curved close to the ground, hidden behind the water blocking the demon’s sight.

It cut through the back of his knee.

The Supreme Archfiend staggered.

Simon used wind beneath his feet and appeared in front of him.

The three-pronged spear stabbed forward, but Simon twisted his body and allowed one point to tear through the side of his coat.

His palm struck the shaft and pushed it aside.

At the same time, a compressed wind blade appeared beside the Supreme Archfiend’s neck.

The demon’s eyes widened.

He tried pulling the water shield inward, but it was too late.

Chiii!

The wind blade cut through his neck.

His head did not fall immediately.

The Supreme Archfiend took two unsteady steps, his hands still gripping the spear. Then his head slid from his shoulders and struck the stage.

Thud

His body collapsed a second later.

Thud!

Simon looked at the corpse, then at the shallow cut on his side.

The battle had been more taxing than his first one, but he had won without worsening his injuries too much.

”Stage One. Winner, Blackmoon.”

Simon walked out of the stage.

He had now won two matches, and he had passed the combat test.

Not long after, Akaza’s token glowed for the second time.

Everybody expected another victory from the Martial Demon just like Simon and Sonya.

However, to everybody’s disbelief and shock... Akaza lost his second match.