The world stood still.
The final thud of Salma's lifeless body hitting the frozen ground echoed in the vast, silent arena. The blood pooling beneath her spread slowly, creeping across the ice, staining its purity with deep crimson.
No one spoke. No one moved.
The once thunderous crowd, thousands strong, now resembled a graveyard—mouths open, but no sound escaping.
Their expressions ranged from disbelief to horror.
Hands that once clapped in excitement now trembled. Lips that once shouted in exhilaration now quivered in silence.
Even the most seasoned warriors among them, those who had seen death countless times, could not have expected this.
Salma was not just a competitor.
She was a prodigy. A pillar of the Rising Stone Sect. A symbol of brilliance.
And now?
She lay dead, her eyes still wide in shock, her face forever frozen in that final moment of realization.
Jin Shui's fingers curled into a tight fist, his knuckles white from the pressure.
"She... She's actually dead." His voice was barely a whisper.
Xie Lian's owl-like eyes twitched, his breath stuck in his throat. He had seen violence, but this was beyond brutality—this was merciless execution.
Mei Rong swallowed, her butterfly aura flickering weakly around her. She tried to steady her trembling legs but failed.
"She yielded..." she muttered. "He still—he still did it."
Batu, normally calm and collected, felt the weight of his own heartbeat pounding in his ears. (Even if I were in her place...)
Pao Pao, usually loud and playful, had nothing to say.
Instead, his lips trembled into a crooked smirk, his wide eyes never leaving Kazel's bloodstained sword.
"Hahaha... he actually did it... He actually did it!"
The laughter was unhinged.
But it was the only sound in the sea of silence.
"Kh! Kill him!"
Weh's voice boomed across the arena, thick with hatred and desperation.
A storm of Rising Stone Sect elders and surviving disciples erupted from the crowd, their roars and killing intent drowning out the gasps of the audience.
They surged forward, their eyes burning with murderous resolve. Noel and Kazel were trapped.
The other sects refused to interfere.
Even the prodigies, who had once stood as fearless warriors, felt the weight of the moment press down on them like an immovable mountain.
They knew one thing:
If they were in Noel and Kazel's position...
They would run.
But Kazel didn't move.
And neither did Noel.
Instead, the Immortal Sect's patriarch took a single step forward.
"WHAT HAPPENS NEXT IS BETWEEN THE IMMORTAL SECT AND THE RISING STONE SECT!"
His voice shook the heavens.
"THOSE WHO INTERFERE... KNOW YOUR OWN CONSEQUENCES!"
A shudder ran through the entire arena.
The Rising Stone Sect's advance halted.
Even their most battle-hardened elders flinched, their steps hesitating as the weight of those words crashed upon them.
The madman actually wanted to fight.
Not flee.
Not negotiate.
Fight.
Kazel's grin stretched.
His blood boiled, his pulse quickened.
This man—his father—he was worthy after all.
In Noel, Kazel saw a reflection of himself.
His past self.
Back when he conquered.
Back when entire nations trembled beneath his feet.
Back when he was the Tyrant.
Weh stumbled, his chest rising and falling, fingers gripping his still-bleeding wound.
His rage was volcanic, but his body was betraying him.
"W-What should we do?" Lina whispered, turning toward Rui.
Rui's throat felt dry as he looked toward Wurong of the Jade Basin Sect—one of the most powerful sects present.
But Wurong remained motionless.
That silence spoke volumes.
Saya pushed herself up from her seat, her body instinctively moving.
But before she could take a step, a firm grip pulled her back.
"What are you doing?" Yiren hissed.
"I..." Saya hesitated, then turned toward Nobu.
Then—a single figure rose.
The motion was quiet. Simple. But it carried weight.
Yiren, her instincts honed by years of reading people, immediately felt the shift.
She turned her head.
Her gaze landed on the woman seated beside her.
A striking figure, hood having slipped off in the chaos, revealing piercing blue eyes that burned with an intensity that matched Kazel's.
Yiren felt a chill crawl up her spine.
"...Who are you?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
The woman smirked.
"The boy's mother."
She stepped forward, descending into the arena with smooth, unhurried steps.
"And the man's wife."
Yiren's breath hitched. Saya's eyes widened in shock.
But Lana didn't look at them.
She was already walking toward the battlefield.
The coliseum erupted.
Some fled in panic, shoving past each other as they scrambled for the exits, their screams blending into the chaos. Others stayed, rooted to their spots, their legs shaking, unable to look away.
No one had ever imagined a direct clash between sects would unfold here—not in Scale Dalgona.
Yet here it was.
Two forces on the verge of war.
Kazel turned his gaze to the Rising Stone Sect's patriarch, Weh, his grip tightening around his sword. He could feel it. The weight of the battle. The bloodthirst in the air.
"Are you ready, Father?" he asked, his voice calm but carrying an undeniable fire.
Noel didn't look at him. He was already facing the horde of Rising Stone Sect disciples and elders, their killing intent pressing against him like a tidal wave.
"Kill him for me," Noel said. Then his voice dropped, softer, yet filled with something deeper. "And more importantly—for you."
Kazel smirked. "After I kill him, I'll join you." His voice was unwavering. "So live, Father."
Noel exhaled, then spoke with absolute command. "I never demand anything out of you, Kazel… but this one time—WIN."
Then, without hesitation, he sprinted forward.
Kazel watched him charge straight at the horde, his father's presence like a storm crashing into the enemy. From the opposite side, another figure emerged, Lana, her blue eyes burning as she lunged toward the battlefield.
Kazel's smirk widened.
So, even she couldn't stay out of it.
His focus snapped back to Weh, who was already stepping forward, his grip tightening around his sword. The air shifted.
"You should have had Noel fight me," Weh said, his voice low and dangerous. "That was your biggest mistake."
"Hah." Kazel let out a sharp breath, rolling his shoulders. "I've heard that you have a really fast snake."
Weh's eyes flashed. He lunged.
Steel gleamed. Their swords clashed. Sparks exploded in the air.
Kazel met him head-on. Their speed was blinding, each strike an attempt to kill.
Weh's movements were inhumanly fast, his reflexes razor-sharp. He blocked Kazel's palm strike with ease.
"Too slo—"
Kazel's foot snapped up.
A brutal kick to the face.
Weh's body whipped back, bouncing off the rapidly melting ice, rolling across the ground with a grunt of pain.
Kazel stalked forward, his movements calm, measured—deadly.
"The thing about reflexes..." he said, his tone almost mocking.
Weh groaned, pushing himself up, his fingers digging into the dirt.
"...is that they only anticipate one move."
Kazel's grin widened.
And I don't stop at one.
He closed the distance.
"Die, Immortal Sect!" Elder Faiz roared, his voice filled with fury as he swung his blade down toward Noel.
SHING!
A single stroke.
Noel didn't even hesitate. His sword sliced clean through Faiz's neck, severing it in a single, merciless motion.
Thud.
The elder's head hit the ground, eyes still frozen in shock, while Noel's blade was already swinging toward the next foe.
"Fuck off."
His words were cold. Absolute.
Lana, meanwhile, was a specter of vengeance. She lunged into the fray, weaving through the chaos like a wraith. Her dagger—**half the size of a sword, yet just as deadly—**slipped through necks and arteries with eerie precision.
She was everywhere and nowhere.
Disciples barely had time to scream before she was already gone, blending into the swirling madness of the battlefield.
Then—a gust of wind.
Her cloak ripped away, caught in the chaos, revealing the elegance of her Immortal Sect robe.
The battlefield staggered.
Her robe was a thing of beauty—sleek, form-fitting yet free, allowing her limbs to move unhindered, an accentuation of both grace and lethality.
For a moment, the Rising Stone Sect disciples hesitated, entranced.
A mistake.
Before they could react, Lana's dagger whispered across their throats.
The veins on their necks vanished—blood spilling out in slow, crimson arcs.
Husband and wife.
Noel and Lana.
Back-to-back, fighting together, cutting through their enemies without pause, without mercy.
But on the other side of the battlefield, Kazel was not having an easy time either.
Weh had recovered.
His stance was different now—lower, more refined, sharper. His eyes, once filled with arrogance, were now narrowed in deadly focus.
"You are fast," Weh admitted, rolling his shoulders. "But speed alone won't save you."
Kazel grinned, twirling his sword.
"Who said anything about speed?"
Then—he vanished.
(Impossible! I've passed the Body Tempering Realm! How?!) Weh's mind reeled as his body strained under the relentless assault. (How can he keep up!?)
Kazel's grin never wavered. His strikes were sharp, precise, and unrelenting. Each swing of his sword carried a force that felt unnatural for someone at his supposed level.
Weh finally saw an opening.
(There! A gap in his stance—NOW!)
With a fierce counter, he forced Kazel backward. The moment he gained distance, he moved.
His hand flashed to his spatial ring. A dagger.
SHING!
It shot forward, aimed directly at Kazel's ribs.
CLANG!
Blocked.
Weh's eyes widened as Kazel's arm intercepted the strike—the blade biting into his flesh.
A normal person would have flinched. Hesitated.
But Kazel?
He didn't even blink.
(What… is he?!)
Weh snarled, his patience snapping. "Die, little shit!"
His Black Viper manifested. The air thickened with its aura, its venomous fangs gleaming, its presence alone enough to paralyze most opponents in fear.
Kazel, however, only chuckled.
"How cute."
And then—they appeared.
All four of Kazel's beasts emerged.
The Two-Tusk Boar—its massive frame radiating raw power.
The Mustang Black Rabbit—easing wind flickering along its sleek body.
The pair of Shishi—their ethereal presence brimming with boundless energy.
Their combined aura drowned out the Black Viper. However, Kazel felt the numbness creeping through his injured arm, a sharp contrast to the heat of battle. (Tsk, annoying... but I still have another arm.)
Without hesitation, he twisted his body and drove his amplified fist straight into Weh's liver.
THWACK!
A sickening sound echoed as the impact reverberated through Weh's body. His reflexes, once near-instantaneous, failed him.
Weh's eyes bulged. His breath hitched. His body folded in on itself from the force before he was sent hurtling across the battlefield.
Kazel smirked, shaking out his fist. "Oh? Looks like that godly reflex of yours has a time limit."
Weh crashed into the ground, tumbling like a broken doll. He clutched his side, gasping for air. Pain. Raw, undeniable pain.
Kazel didn't let up.
He sprinted forward, closing the gap instantly, his four beasts circling him like predators stalking wounded prey.
Kazel glanced at his right arm, testing his fingers. The numbness was still there, but he didn't seem the least bit concerned.
Weh chuckled, shaking off the pain as he slowly got back to his feet. "Hahaha... stupid brat. That numbness is going to cost you dearly." His smirk widened. "You won't even have time to recover before I carve you apart!"
Kazel tilted his head, almost amused. "Oh? How long before I get the feeling back?"
Weh's eyes gleamed with cruelty. "Not soon enough for you to ever use it again!" He lunged forward, his sword slicing through the air with lethal intent.
But Kazel only smirked. With a smooth motion, he raised his left hand, the blade glinting under the arena lights. "You really think my right hand is my dominant hand?"
Nobu, watching from the stands, felt his stomach drop. (Don't tell me—)
CLANG!
Weh's attack was parried effortlessly. The impact sent vibrations through his bones, and before he could even register it, Kazel retaliated.
"You lack experience, Weh." Kazel's voice was steady, almost mocking. "I trained in swordsmanship, not right-arm-ship, you idiot!"
With that, he drove his foot into Weh's gut. The patriarch staggered back, coughing as he barely kept his balance.
Kazel didn't stop. He tucked his numb right arm behind his waist, fully committing to his assault with just one hand. His sword lashed out mercilessly, forcing Weh onto the defensive.
The Rising Stone Sect patriarch was overwhelmed.
The entire arena fell into an eerie silence as a sudden presence arrived—a suffocating force that sent chills down the spines of everyone present.
Saya's breath hitched. Yiren felt her hands tremble. Lina and Rui went stiff as if their bodies refused to move. Even the powerful patriarchs, along with Wurong, Pao Pao, and Nobu, all found themselves frozen, their instincts screaming in alarm.
Kazel raised a brow, sensing the shift before he saw it.
A figure blurred into existence behind him, moving with an unnatural speed. His instincts screamed, but before he could fully react—
BANG!
Luo Shen's fist slammed into Kazel's side, sending him hurtling like a cannonball. He tore through the arena floor, leaving a deep trench in his wake, before his body smashed through the stone wall at the edge of the battleground.
BOOM!
Dust and debris exploded into the air. The entire structure shook from the sheer force of the impact.
The audience was in complete shock.
"Kazel!" Noel and Lana screamed.