As the Colosseum's shield parted, a colossal ship lood into view, its engines rumbling as it glided into the Colosseum. It made its way to the designated landing area for the next challenger, casting an imposing shadow on its way.
The viewers held their breath, eager to see what kind of warrior would erge from such a vessel, each of them hoping—perhaps futilely—that this one might be the fighter to finally give Aron a real test.
When the ship reached the designated landing zone, there was no sign of the usual, controlled fighter disembarkation. Instead, a massive, reinforced cube—70 ters on each side—was unceremoniously dropped onto the Colosseum floor. The Erythian ship then hastily retreated from the Colosseum, as if to put as much distance as possible between itself and the ominous container.
The cube itself was a masterpiece of high-end restraint engineering, with every inch of its surface crafted to hold sothing formidable inside. Observers who recognized the intricate detailing on the exterior imdiately knew it was a creation of the Symtra artisans, famous for their exacting standards and exorbitant fees. Their work required rare, precious materials, aning whoever commissioned this containnt was willing to pay dearly to keep its contents locked away—likely because it was too dangerous to be released lightly.
{You have five minutes to complete your preparations,} Just as the AI referee announced the five-minute preparation period, a sudden, thunderous BAM! echoed through the Colosseum. Viewers’ hearts nearly leapt out of their chests as they saw the cube shudder, a section of its thick walls denting outward under a massive impact from inside. Whatever was contained within was already trying to escape, hamring against the walls with explosive force.
BAM! BAM! BAM! More powerful strikes followed in rapid succession, each one landing on the sa weakened spot. With each hit, the dent grew, leaving spectators breathless, wondering if the cube would burst open at any mont. Many understood what this ant: if the creature broke out early, it would disqualify itself by attacking during the preparation period—a loss that would not sit well with the Astral Conclave viewers, who needed this fighter to put up a strong challenge against Aron.
Yet, just as the fear peaked, a faint hum emanated from the cube, and the dented tal began to shift, smoothing back into place as if the structure was made of mory alloy. Within monts, it looked as pristine as ever, as though it had never endured the relentless barrage.
A deep, resonant BWHOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! reverberated through the Colosseum, filling the air with a growl so powerful that it seed to seep through the screens and grab hold of the viewers' instincts. The sound triggered an involuntary surge of fear, making the hairs on their necks stand on end. So of the viewers clutched their seats in dread, while others found themselves edging back from the screen as if preparing to flee despite knowing they were safely watching a broadcast. A handful even bolted from their room, and a few even fainted under the wave of primal terror.
But as their initial fear ebbed, it was swiftly replaced by an unexpected surge of exhilaration. If the creature could inspire such fear through a re broadcast, they reasoned, it had to be exceptionally powerful—perhaps powerful enough to stand against Aron. The Conclave’s hope reignited, for in all of Aron’s previous matches, none had elicited this visceral sense of dread.
……………….
"Now that's more like it," Aron muttered, a glint of excitent in his eyes as he sensed the beast's pressure even from kiloters away. It was raw and intense, a force that seed to pulse through the very ground beneath him.
{I know you’re itching to go all out, but please, leave a few recognizable pieces behind for research,} Nova chid in, her tone feigning a sarcastic plea. Despite her teasing, Aron knew she was serious—she was well aware of his fondness for his explosion rune, potent enough to rival a nuclear detonation, as their practice matches had vividly demonstrated.
"I’ll keep that in mind," Aron replied, focusing his gaze on the runes now circling him. He only activated two, careful not to waste mana unnecessarily. If the first two runes proved effective, the others would be unnecessary. The remaining ones hovered in reserve, ready to be infused with mana at a mont's notice, their connections allowing him to activate them even mid-flight if needed.
"Think that cube's made of nanomachines?" he asked, eyeing the feed as the beast’s relentless blows dented the surface, only for it to reform as if untouched.
{Doubt it,} Nova replied, a hint of excitent in her voice. {The force it's taking would obliterate any typical nanomachine structure after a few hits, unless they had an endless supply to refill the damaged area. Given it’s crafted by the Symtra, it’s more likely void energy tech mixed with exotic materials.} She couldn’t hide her enthusiasm at the prospect of studying the Symtra’s technology—though first, they’d have to make it through whatever monstrous creature was currently contained within it.
Throughout this ti the tir continued going down, showing only a few seconds left before the fight began.
………….
At five seconds to go, the cube’s outer walls fell away with a heavy clang, each section spreading out like a colossal plus sign against the Colosseum floor. The monstrous creature inside finally ca into full view — an abomination of twisted limbs and layered, chitinous armor, with eyes that glowed a sickly, luminescent yellow. Heavy mana-infused ropes bound it, glowing a fierce yellow as they strained to hold it in place. Yet, despite their power, the ropes looked perilously close to snapping, barely containing the beast’s overwhelming rage and strength.
As the tir reached one, the ropes abruptly vanished in perfect synchronization with the AI referee’s announcent: {You may begin.} Freed from its restraints, the Erythian creature let out a blood-curdling roar, shaking the Colosseum as it leaped forward, eyes locked on Aron, the only living target in sight. There was nothing in its mind but the primal urge for destruction, and Aron, standing calm and unyielding, was the first obstacle it aid to obliterate.
The cara struggled to keep up, barely capturing the monster as it devoured the distance in re milliseconds. Just as it seed the beast would reach Aron in a heartbeat, a massive dust cloud erupted between them, obscuring everything in a dense veil. For a mont, even the cara was forced to pause, its lens struggling to penetrate the haze.
When the dust finally began to settle, the scene that erged was almost too bizarre for the viewers to believe. The once-mindless, unstoppable creature, driven by an insatiable hunger for destruction, now stood frozen a full kiloter away from Aron. The emperor hadn’t moved an inch, and yet, before him, the creature trembled visibly — paralyzed by a primal terror. It couldn’t bring itself to move closer, nor did it dare turn away, as if caught in an invisible snare of dread.
Aron himself looked taken aback, eyebrows raised as he observed the creature’s unexpected reaction. In the dead silence of the Colosseum, Aron muttered, “What the fu…?”
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