Meira possesses an unknown power, but she would never use it since she would lose control of herself in that form and go insane.
She may not understand what that power is or how she obtained it, but I know exactly where it originates from...
"This is it, this is what I've been waiting for!"
I was amused as I saw her transform into her other form.
Her left emotionless eye was covered in a silver aura that resembled fire, a snake like tattoo appeared near her right eye, a whirlpool of silver aura could be seen on her forehead, and a crown of aura arose on top of her head.
Heavy gusts began to blow around us and the surrounding atmosphere altered...
She gave me a cold stare, as if I were a peasant.
And tremendous silver aura rushed at me just from her gaze.
I anchored my katana in front of me and held its hilt with both of my hands, using my aura to make it work as a shield.
Her tremendous aura surged over me like a gust of wind, my hair flying, and I had an ecstatic smile on my face.
After a few seconds, her aura started to diminish, and recognizing this as an opportunity,
I charged at her, surrounding myself in electricity and struck her with my sword, but she effortlessly blocked my strike with her dagger;
she only had one dagger remaining because the other was still impaled into Howkins' body.
She merely used some of her strength to drive me back, but I continued to rush and attack her continuously, but she comfortably dodged every hit.
She can't stay in that form for much longer, so I'll just have to bide my time till then.
I didn't want to give her time to attack, so I kept attacking, knowing that her single attack in that form could be fatal to me.
—Tink! —Tink!
The clash between a sword and a dagger raged on for quite some time.
The collision between my sword and Meira's dagger lasted quite a while though I was usually on the offensive and Meira was mostly repelling my blows with her dagger.
But Meira abruptly kicked toward me, catching me off guard, and I was hit in the guts while being pushed backward, and blood was spurting from my mouth.
Despite being pushed back by her blow, I used my skill to <strong>Fell Crescent,</strong> and the blue crescent shape aura cruised at her.
—Swish! — Swish!
But she simply twisted her body left and right as my attacks approach her, blocking all of the blows with a thins breadth.
*Gulp.
I gulped out loud seeing how effortlessly she dodged my attacks.
Her this strength was also one of the reasons I wanted her to join me.
Though she can't maintain that form for much longer for now, but in the future, she will be able to fully control that power.
As I was pondering, I detected immense energy coming from Meira's direction and noticed her dagger was covered in a silver aura, making it look like a sword.
The cracks emerged on the ground as a result of her tremendous aura.
<strong>—Chaaaa!!!</strong>
She shouted and sent a massive, powerful slash coated in her silver aura toward me.
As her slash approached me, it demolished the whole ground and everything in its path, and soon the attack quickly confronted me.
"Oh, sh*t!" I said aloud as I witnessed the strong strike.
***
When Meira finished Ares off with her strong attack, the crowd began to cheer.
They witnessed Ares' body shattered when the attack hit him, and there was nothing left of him.
***
"That miserable soul can't even die in peace," Irethiel remarked.
"Well, you got that right, her attack was damn powerful. Your skill is quite handy," Ares responded to Irethiel.
Of course, the one who turned into a dust was some gladiator who had already died, as I had switched places with him at the appropriate time.
I sighed and focused on Meira, who had fallen consciousness as soon as she performed that attack; she still needs time to adjust to her new form.
I approached and stood in front of the unconscious Meira, while the crowd was bewildered by the unexpected change of events, believing I had perished.
But here I am, standing alone on the battlefield, still alive.
"Ohh!!! What a game changer, Prince swapped places with another gladiator just as the attack approached him.
And Meira appears to have passed out after using that devastating attack!!!"
The scene was shown in slow motion on the massive screens after the commentator explained it.
Yayyy!!!
After seeing the scenario on the massive holographic screen, the crowd erupted in loud cheers.
And as they saw me standing in front of Meira, they began chanting.
Kill-!!!
Kill-!!!
Kill-!!!
I pointed my sword at Meira for a split second while everyone concentrated their attention on her, as if they wanted to witness how I would finish her.
<strong>Sike!</strong>
But then I threw my weapon away, signifying that I would be sparing her.
For a few moments, the audience was perplexed, but then they began booing me since their good time had been ruined.
Boo!!
Boo!!
I just grinned at them when the announcer declared my victory.
"The winner of the Gladiatorial Battle Royal is <strong>'The Prince'!!!"</strong>
As soon as he declared me the winner, flowers began to pour down on me, and the guards arrived to remove the dead bodies.
If the guards discover someone still alive, they will kill them.
It was going to be the same for Meira, but Silvia arrived just as my triumph was announced and declared that she would take Meira as her slave.
Obviously, no one can refuse her request because her father owns this place.
The medical professionals also arrived at Silvia's request to treat me and Meira.
"Are you in any pain, Ares?" " Silvia inquired, concerned.
"Yeah, I'm alright, just some minor injuries," I reassured her while smiling.
"I was absolutely terrified when I saw that gladiator dissolving into dust from that Meira's last attack; for a split second, I thought it was you who d-died," Silvia said, her eyes welling up.
"I'm fine, aren't I? And I apologize for causing you to be concerned." I calmed her with a head pat.
Silvia eventually calmed down after a few moments.
I then made a remark while drinking the health potion given to me by the medical staff.
"Treat that bastard too," I added, pointing to one of the bodies.
!?
My statement baffled Silvia and other medical staff members, so I clarified.
"You have the option of waking up right now, or I will change my mind and kill you myself."
Cough! - Cough!
After hearing my warning, the individual sat down and coughed.
"When did you realize?" the guy questioned.
To be honest, I assumed that guy had died a long time ago as well, until Irethiel informed me otherwise.
"Do you think you can deceive me?" I said shamelessly.
"S-So you're going to spare me as well?" Howkins enquired.
Yes, it was that Howkins guy, who I assumed died when his heart was stabbed.
But guess what, he was still alive; I was so preoccupied with my confrontation with Meira that I failed to confirm his death.
The dagger appeared to missed his heart and his shoulder was stabbed instead, and he appears to have some expertise that enabled him to evade the blow striking his crucial place.
And Irethiel also claimed that while I was fighting Meira, he even drank a healing potion and stopped his bleeding while hiding between the dead gladiators.
"...."
The crafty bastard was pretending to be dead, and was having a good time watching me and Meira fight so fiercely.
I'm not sure how he believed he could trick the guards when they arrived to kill the ones who were still alive.
"Does he have a skill for pretending to be dead or something?" " I reasoned to myself.
"He was preparing to sneak attack the one who survived between Meira and you after your fight ended, but he was also injured by Meira's last assault," Irethiel explained telepathically.
"I didn't even notice when he moved away from where we were battling." I stated.
"He drenched himself in the blood of dead gladiators and lay by them as though dead.
So, of course, you wouldn't notice him." Irethiel respondend.
"With so many cameras here, how did he manage to avoid them?" I was curious.
Silvia, who was secretly listening in on our telepathic conversation, spoke out.
"Perhaps because the stadium was covered in rubble and smoke? And why would cameras focus on someone who is no longer alive? " Silvia elaborated.
'She is sneaking in on my conversation with Irethiel yet again.'
As I was pondering, Silvia spoke again.
"So, what do you want me to do with this cunning bastard who was intending on hurting you Ares?"
"Do you want me to kill him in the most cruel way possible?"
"Or maybe we can torture him in the stadium's underground jail." Silvia stated with a wicked grin on her face.
"...."
'Oh boy, she is crazy as well.' I though to myself.
"Oh, she's insane just like you." Irethiel stated while giggling, after seeing Silvia's expression.
**************