"Hellooooo! Warriors! The first battle of the colosseum is about to start! Are you ready?!"
The shout thundered through the Divine Colosseum, amplified by formations hidden deep within the structure. The voice rolled across the massive arena and poured into every tier of seating like a physical force, reaching the ears of tens of thousands of spectators at once.
The response was instant. The crowd erupted into a deafening frenzy, cheers and roars colliding into a single violent wave of sound. So stood from their seats, others slamd their fists against the railings, and many shouted nas that ant nothing more than a chance to win a bet. It felt less like an arena and more like a living beast finally awakened from its slumber.
Max looked toward the stands and felt an unfamiliar discomfort stir in his chest. In the mortal world, crowds gathered for festivals, competitions, and wars born from necessity. Here, they gathered to watch people with no freedom tear each other apart for survival. It was sickening, yet Max did not let that thought linger too long. This was the Divine Realm. Morality here followed different rules, and survival itself was a form of currency.
"Look up!" the voice bood again. "The nas of the first contenders will be shown!"
High above the arena floor, the sky itself shimred as a massive holographic display ford. Two columns of nas began to scroll rapidly, changing every heartbeat as if fate itself were shuffling its deck. Between the columns, a glowing symbol pulsed slowly. VS. The nas flickered faster and faster until, without warning, they stopped.
Nelson VS Josh
"Ladies and gentlen!" the announcer roared, feeding off the crowd's excitent. "We have our first battle of the day! Nelson versus Josh! Both contestants, enter the arena!"
A sharp curse rang out near Max. He turned slightly and saw one of the newcors who had arrived alongside him the previous day clench his fists in frustration.
"Damn it," the man muttered through gritted teeth. "First day and I am already up."
That man was Nelson. He exhaled deeply, steadying his breath before stepping forward. There was tension in his shoulders and restraint in his movents, the posture of soone who understood that one mistake here could cost him far more than pride.
Max watched him closely as Nelson walked toward the arena gate. His Three Dinsional Body confird what his eyes already saw. Nelson was at the tenth level of Divine Rank, no different from most of the ascenders gathered here. Strong by mortal standards, yet painfully ordinary in this place.
"That kid is going to lose," said the sa man whom Max had questioned earlier, his voice calm and certain as his eyes remained fixed on the arena. "Even though Josh is not a veteran, it has been months since he arrived here. He has already grown accustod to fighting while bathed in Divine Essence, and that alone places him above most of the newcors."
Max followed his gaze in silence. He did not reply, but he hoped the man was wrong. Nelson had the look of soone who still believed effort could bridge any gap, and in places like this that belief was often the first thing to be broken.
The arena gates slid open with a deep rumble, and both fighters stepped onto the stone floor. Nelson stood upright with tension written across his posture, while Josh appeared relaxed, his heavy fra steady and grounded as if the arena itself supported him. The announcer's voice faded into the background, drowned out by the roaring crowd, and the mont stretched until Josh finally spoke.
"Make your move," Josh said, his tone casual as if this were a routine spar rather than a battle that decided survival.
Nelson did not hesitate. Divine Essence surged through his body, and the fifth level concept of lightning burst forth around him in crackling arcs of blue light. In an instant his figure blurred and transford into a streak of lightning that tore across the arena, his fist wrapped in violent electrical power as it shot toward Josh's chest with killing intent.
The crowd gasped as the speed shattered the air itself.
Josh reacted without panic. His hand moved, and a massive sword appeared as if it had always been there. He swung it in a wide, controlled arc the mont Nelson arrived. The lightning-charged fist collided with the blade in a thunderous explosion that echoed across the colosseum.
Sparks of Divine Essence scattered like shattered stars, and Nelson was hurled backward, skidding across the stone floor before barely managing to regain his footing. Josh, on the other hand, did not move an inch. His feet remained planted, his grip steady, and his expression unchanged.
Nelson refused to give up after that first exchange. Gritting his teeth, he forced more Divine Essence through his body, and the lightning around him intensified until his outline beca hazy and unstable.
The stone beneath his feet cracked as he pushed forward once more, his movents faster and sharper than before. This ti he did not charge in a straight line. His figure split into flickering afterimages as he circled Josh, lightning bolts snapping outward with each step, testing angles and timing.
Josh frowned slightly, sensing the change, and raised his sword defensively. Nelson seized that mont. A flash of blue light appeared behind Josh, and Nelson's palm struck forward, lightning exploding point blank against Josh's back. The impact sent Josh stumbling a step forward, sparks crawling across his armor, and a murmur rippled through the crowd.
Encouraged, Nelson pressed the advantage. He followed with a knee wrapped in thunder that slamd into Josh's side, then twisted his body and unleashed a lightning spear ford directly from his forearm, driving it toward Josh's chest.
Josh grunted as the spear grazed him, tearing through a layer of Divine Essence protection and leaving a scorched wound. Blood seeped through his armor, and for the first ti his expression hardened. The crowd roared louder now, surprised that the newcor had actually managed to hurt him.
Nelson did not pause. He gathered lightning above his head and brought it down like a hamr, a concentrated bolt that struck Josh from above and forced him to one knee. For a brief mont, it looked as though Nelson might turn the battle around.
But that mont passed quickly. Josh inhaled deeply and steadied himself, his sword sinking into the arena floor as he rose. The Divine Essence around him thickened, no longer rely reacting but actively suppressing Nelson's lightning.
When Nelson attacked again, his speed faltered just enough for Josh to see through it. Josh stepped forward into the strike instead of away from it, his shoulder taking the lightning blow while his sword swung in a brutal arc. The blade smashed into Nelson's side, shattering his gathered lightning and sending him flying across the arena.
Nelson tried to rise, forcing his trembling body to respond, and lightning flickered weakly around him as he staggered upright. He launched one final desperate attack, pouring everything he had left into a single straight charge, his fist glowing brighter than ever. Josh t him head on.
His sword moved once, clean and decisive, cutting through the lightning as if it were mist. The strike slamd into Nelson's chest, and the sound echoed like a bell across the colosseum.
Nelson collapsed where he stood, his Divine Essence dispersing into the air as his body hit the ground and did not rise again. Josh lowered his sword and exhaled slowly, the wound on his body already beginning to close as the crowd erupted into thunderous applause.
The result was clear. Nelson had fought bravely and even managed to wound his opponent, but in the end it was Josh who stood victorious, proving once again that experience in the Divine Colosseum outweighed raw talent alone.
"Everyone! We have a winner. Josh has won this battle!" The announcer's voice once again echoed, and in response to this, the entire crowd erupted in frenzy.
Defeated and a bit exhausted, Nelson stood up and arrived before the stands with other newbies.
"Everyone, the next battle is up!" The voice of the announcer echoed again as everyone looked up. The nas randomly scroll up, and then two nas appear there.
Max vs Raul.
"Raul! It's his battle!" Jaden said, looking at Lucia excitedly. The warrior they had betted on was about to battle, but to her surprise, Lucia's attention was sowhere else.
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