Continuous explosions echoed through the venue as the entire mountain shook from the intensity. Rocks fell, followed by screams.
Apollo was covered in fire and smoke, his body sent flying backward, crashing into the dark barrier. The barrier stretched on impact, but he couldn't penetrate it, and his body bounced back to the ground.
After rolling a few times, the Beggar coughed up a mouthful of blood.
"Ah, f*ck," Apollo cursed. Using the combination of Fire Blast and Wind Blast against that dark orb had been a bad idea. But with no time to dodge and his Simple Sword Technique ineffective against the Alphadusk's abilities, he had no choice but to counter the attack with his own.
He managed to survive, but he was still caught in the aftermath.
Standing up amid the sounds of explosions and howls, Apollo looked around. The three Headmasters were now fighting the Alpha more intensely. Dark orbs materialized, and the Headmasters defended against them, ensuring they didn't reach the still-escaping audience. However, due to the blasts, rocks were falling, crushing some people to death.
Apollo realized the Headmasters were containing the fight within the arena. Stabilizing his internal wounds while gathering Qi from the surroundings, he focused on the barrier, which made it impossible for him to escape, though the Techniques' aftermaths could pass through. There has to be a crack in it somewhere, Apollo thought as the barrier vibrated from the impacts.
Sure enough, he spotted a section vibrating more than the rest. Squinting, he enhanced his vision and saw small cracks.
That's it! Apollo finally saw hope of escaping the battlefield.
But to do that, he had to cross the two football field-sized platform. "Please don't bother me," Apollo muttered, taking a deep breath.
After stabilizing his wounds to where the pain wasn't as intense, he used his Simple Movement Technique and paired it with the technique he learned from the second test.
As Qi circulated through his body in a specific pattern, he felt weightless, like a feather, like a dandelion dancing with the wind.
Determined to escape, he dashed toward the cracked barrier. In just a few seconds, he had almost crossed the platform.
But as he neared the crack, his senses tingled, the hairs on his neck standing on end. Time seemed to slow. Without knowing what was coming after him, his mind raced for a solution. He noticed the weapon rack lying broken on the ground, cold wooden weapons scattered everywhere. His eyes locked onto a sword, and without hesitation, he changed direction, grabbed the sword, and slashed behind him!
A tail, dark as a shadow, collided with his wooden sword!
Time seemed to slow as the wooden sword became the sharpest thing in the world, slicing through the tail as if it were tofu.
The Alphadusk grunted in pain, its eyes locking onto the Beggar, while its other tails focused on forming Dark Orbs and sending them toward the Headmasters.
Wait, I can cut this monster, but I can't cut through its techniques? Apollo thought, confused, though he quickly shook his head—there was no time to dwell on it.
His plan was disrupted again as two more tails came his way, the one he had cut already regenerated.
Seeing this, Apollo gritted his teeth. "F*ck it!" he muttered, cutting through the dark tails while slowly making his way toward the cracked part of the barrier.
Meanwhile, Axton sliced a dark orb in half, causing it to explode in black flames beside him. Noticing Apollo's struggle, Axton couldn't help but smile.
Axton stared at the small masked man for a moment, realizing his True Understanding of the Sword was more potent than he had imagined. He turned toward the audience seats, finding them empty. His eyes turned cold.
"The audience is gone. Don't hold back now!" Axton ordered, his body radiating a bright blue light as the roar of the Great Serpent erupted from him.
"Haha, this guy's dead!" Elmo laughed aloud, his body emitting a pressure so intense it caused the air around him to crack.
Master Popo licked his lips, his gaze fixed intently on the monster. "I'm going to roast you alive!"
While the trio smiled, relieved they no longer had to worry about the audience, one person was far from relaxed.
Ah! Fck! Fck! Apollo cursed in his mind a hundred times over, struggling against the two tails. Although he could cut through them like they were nothing, they regenerated so quickly that his attacks became meaningless.
He soon reached his limit, and one of the tails struck him in the chest, sending him flying across the ground until he crashed into the barrier.
"Argh," Apollo grunted in pain, blood threatening to spill from his mouth.
It was the second or third time he had hit the barrier, and Apollo was starting to get really angry.
He stood up, his face red with rage, but the next scene made his eyes widen in disbelief.
A Great Serpent, as massive as the Alpha, had appeared, staring at the monster while letting out a deep growl. Compared to what Apollo had seen from the participants, the one on stage looked so lifelike he could even see its scales!
A fiery shrine hovered in the air, made entirely of blazing flames that twisted and weaved together, forming intricate pillars, walls, and an altar where Master Popo sat cross-legged. Though the shrine radiated red, it emitted an ethereal glow, solemn and mysterious.
Dmn, he looks cool!* Apollo couldn't help but admit. Although he hated this Exhibitionist, seeing him look so serious made him momentarily forget Master Popo's previous antics.
His gaze shifted to Elmo, the Sword and Shield Headmaster, who had a projection of a giant emerging from his body, towering at least twenty meters high. Clad in battle-worn obsidian armor etched with glowing runes, the giant wielded a mighty greatsword in one hand and an indestructible shield in the other. The air around them cracked under the immense pressure.
Seeing these incredible visuals, the Beggar began to drool, his eyes burning with jealousy.
Meanwhile, the Alpha pulled back its two tails, growling at the three apparitions before it. The monster howled into the air, up toward the open ceiling where the brilliance of the moon shone down on them.