Chapter 21: The Arena of Fate

Just as he had countless years prior, Edesbond found himself at this gladiatorial arena, a place both familiar and foreign, though the world around it had long since transformed. Once, he too had battled fiercely in this vast, brutal arena until his last breath, striving to ascend as the pinnacle of the demon race, a king admired by all.

Having transitioned from a Demon Lord candidate himself to the overseer of subsequent generations’ Demon Lord succession battles, he now witnessed this very Arena of Fate being used for an activity akin to child’s play. His scarlet eyes, narrowed to mere slits, clearly conveyed his profound displeasure.

“Meredith, did you invite me here merely to witness this childish frolic, no different from a game of make-believe?”

Brilliant flames erupted across the empty gladiatorial arena, sending a scorching wave of heat radiating outwards. The spectators, heedless of their hair and clothes being ruffled by the hot gusts, erupted into joyous cheers.

Such was the magical talent of Qiaolun, the human hero, who excelled at converting magical power into fire elements to attack his opponents. His attacks were incredibly potent and notoriously difficult to defend against.

Was it truly that difficult to defend against?

Yunajin fanned away the lingering black smoke before her, the recent fiery explosion seemingly having left her completely unharmed, save for minor damage to her clothing.

“Oh, my leg!” she exclaimed, noticing a tiny flame flickering on her favorite pair of black garter stockings. She quickly patted it out, her heart aching for the burnt hole.

‘Lord Hero truly shows no mercy.’

Shing—

While Yunajin was still grumbling about Qiaolun’s merciless flames, the blade, glowing with a searing red light, had already arrived at her neck.

“Hm?”

The crimson slash tore through the air, passing through Yunajin’s throat and leaving a scorching gash on the wall behind her.

“Damn it!” Qiaolun cursed. With his magical power and strength enhanced by the ‘Dawn’s Hymn,’ he was currently wielding several times his normal power. Yet, a slash unleashed under such formidable conditions had merely…

Yunajin casually wiped away the black ash clinging to her neck, the confusion in her eyes making it clear she seemed utterly oblivious to what had just transpired.

Even though Qiaolun knew there was a vast power gap between himself and the Demon Lord, he hadn’t expected it to be this absurd. It was one thing for her to be completely unharmed, but for him to be so weak that she hadn’t even registered the attack was another.

“With your discernment, you can surely see that this human, with his ordinary physique and aptitude, possesses strength that is but an ant’s before Her Demon Lord Majesty,” Meredith began. “Even suppressed, her power is not something he can contend with, even by relying on weapons to boost his abilities.”

Meredith sat upon the broad, ornate chair reserved for overseers, her long legs elegantly crossed. The dark purple, one-piece gown accentuated her graceful figure.

“So, you must understand,” Edesbond stated coldly, “a human such as this—no Vampire Progenitor would ever waste their blood to assimilate him. He doesn’t even qualify to be turned into the lowest-grade gargoyle.” His slightly rapid speech seemed to indicate his unwillingness to waste any more words on this human.

“But you must consider this,” Meredith countered. “If our Demon Lord Majesty were to encounter an opponent whose power was not inferior to her own, that vital strike just now might have already dealt her a severe blow.”

Edesbond had indeed witnessed that swift and precise sword strike, though in his eyes, it was no different from a slowly falling withered leaf.

Fire elements began to gather on Qiaolun’s fist, as the magical power within his body flowed towards his arm. The conversion of magical power into elemental force was not an equivalent exchange; for elemental mages, the potency of elemental spells depended heavily on their magical talent. Moreover, the longer the conversion took, the less effective the resulting elemental power became.

Therefore, Qiaolun conceived the idea of attaching elements directly to his body’s surface, believing this instant conversion could significantly enhance both efficiency and power.

A fiery red fist flashed before Yunajin’s eyes.

A warm sensation gradually spread across her face, causing Yunajin to take half a step back. Her dark sword still remained unraised as she pressed against Qiaolun’s now extinguished fist, grumbling, “Lord Hero, that’s not how one touches a lady’s face.”

“Tch…”

More than resentment, Qiaolun’s face registered raw fear. He felt he was facing a… monster? —one that no amount of effort could even slightly budge.

Yes, even if her appearance closely resembled a human’s, that was merely a common form for succubi. In essence, she was still a powerful demon, delighting in toying with creatures weaker than herself!

Qiaolun clenched his fist, instinctively retreating several steps.

“Is it amusing to toy with me, Demon Lord!” Qiaolun roared at Yunajin, his shout like a desperate cry in the silent night, meant to bolster his own courage.

“Even if I were to take my own life, I would never die by the hand of an opponent like you! This would be a meaningless, undignified defeat!”

With a resolute expression, Qiaolun held his sword horizontally against his own neck. This stance reflected his unwavering resolve; any previous thoughts of abandoning the battle had now vanished for him. Now, he would face this life-or-death struggle with all his might.

The opponent showed no fighting will, and Qiaolun believed that possessing immense power did not grant her the right to casually trample upon an opponent’s dignity!

“You should be fighting me with the absolute intent to kill!”

Yunajin’s usual innocent, shy smile vanished.

A silent, severe, dark red gaze bore down upon him, sending a chill down Qiaolun’s spine. Immediately after, the figure spoke in a tone he had never heard before, one that felt like falling into an icy abyss.

“Do you truly wish to die so badly?”

The icy voice whispered just beneath his earlobe, without a single warning, so much so that the earth-shattering footsteps arrived a full second later—

The scent of roses, heavy with the aura of death, assailed him as the Demon Lord appeared beside Qiaolun with astonishing speed, the tip of her black sword already lifted from the ground.

‘Run, escape! Move, body, move!’

His magical circuits, momentarily severed by terror, abruptly reconnected, causing brilliant sparks to erupt from Qiaolun’s palm. The Demon Lord instinctively narrowed her eyes, for even the most resilient body possessed vulnerable points, and eyeballs were among them. Seizing this fleeting opening, Qiaolun leaped away from her side.

The next moment, a dark sword-wind sliced through the sunlight, tearing a deep chasm into the ground. Qiaolun felt as though he could physically see the immense gap between himself and the Demon Lord.

‘Even so, this is no reason for me to abandon the fight. As long as I can rise, I will not…’

A dark shadow suddenly eclipsed the sunlight above.

“No!”

Growl—

Accompanied by an intimidating growl, a sword strike, seemingly devoid of technique yet brimming with abnormal power, cleaved towards Qiaolun, who was still suspended in mid-air.

‘I’ll die, I’ll really die! What can I do!’

There was no way to block it; any defensive measure would be utterly shattered by the Demon Lord.

Qiaolun’s mind raced, a mere few breaths of time stretching out in his perception as if centuries had passed.

He gripped his sword with one hand, adopting a blocking stance.

‘If I simply try to meet her sword head-on like this, my weapon will surely be knocked aside, and my body cleaved in two.’

‘So, if I just dodge, I’ll be fine.’

The thrust from the flames erupting from his palm allowed Qiaolun to change direction mid-air. Thus, ‘Twilight’s Elegy’ merely grazed his sword.

The Demon Lord’s eyes narrowed, as if she had suddenly grasped his maneuver.

With a light tap, she struck the hilt of her sword against Qiaolun’s weapon.

“Ugh!”

A powerful force surged from the sword into his arms, sending Qiaolun flying sideways until he slammed heavily into the wall.

Whoosh—

The Demon Lord’s small face, once playful and gentle, was now cold and expressionless. She raised her sword, casually dispersing the rising dust.

Qiaolun’s disheveled figure knelt before the Demon Lord’s feet, his chin forcefully lifted by the chilling blade, compelling him to meet her gaze. Her dark red eyes held nothing but contempt for the weak creature before her.