Elara’s eyes snapped open as she found herself lying inside the dressing stand. For a moment her mind was blank, but then the memory of her humiliation came rushing back like fire burning through her veins. Her face twisted and her eyes became bloodshot as anger swallowed her whole. "That bitch..." she hissed, her voice shaking with rage. Her fists clenched so hard that her nails dug into her palms. "That bitch dared to humiliate me..." Her body trembled as she stood up, every part of her seething with fury. Her voice rose into a full scream, sharp and wild. "I am going to kill her! I’ll destroy her entire family! I’ll wipe her very presence from this world... ARGHHHHH!" Her roar shook the walls as she swept her hand across the stand, sending a bench crashing to the floor. She kicked over a table, the sound of the table getting blasted echoed with her fury. Her breathing was heavy, her chest rising and falling like a beast in a cage. The workers and her servant rushed in, alarmed, but not one of them dared to step forward. They stood frozen at the door, their faces pale, terrified to get in her way. After a long moment, Elara steadied her breath, though her rage still simmered in her eyes. She turned, her glare pinning her servant like a knife. "How long have I been unconscious?" The servant bowed his head quickly, voice quivering. "For two hours, my lady..." "Two hours?" Elara snapped, her tone venomous. "Then the next round should be over by now. Did Vale crush Kael?" Her eyes narrowed sharply, expecting an easy confirmation. The servant opened his mouth but froze. His tongue twisted, words refusing to come out. His face paled as sweat dripped down his forehead. Elara’s rage ignited again. She stormed toward him, her voice cracking like a whip. "You... Why aren’t you replying? Did someone cut your tongue? Speak!" Her roar shook the room as she slammed her fist into the wall. The servant fell to his knees, shaking like a leaf. Finally, he stammered, "The match is still going on, my lady." Elara’s eyes widened in shock, disbelief flashing across her face. "Whaaattt?" she screamed, her voice piercing and raw. "Vale should have crushed that trash easily! So what’s going on?" She didn’t wait for an answer. Her fury boiled over as she kicked the servant aside, and then stomped over him mercilessly. Her heels clattered against the stone as she stormed out. The moment she stepped into the open, her eyes widened. A massive invisible arc had torn through the stadium itself. The air shook, dust flying everywhere. Her gaze locked onto the sight of Vale, his body hurled across the arena, crashing into the ground with a deafening thud. Elara froze, her fury twisting into disbelief. Her lips parted, but no words came as she stared at the impossible scene. Vale froze, his body trembling harder as Kael’s words sank into him. Kael tilted his head, his blank eyes narrowing with faint disdain. "All I did was swing. Everything around me gets sliced until something stops the arc. That something happened to you." He sighed, his tone cold, as though it wasn’t worth explaining. If Vale had tried to flee, it might have been harder. But he hadn’t. He stayed close, weaving inside the shadows like a trapped beast, never realizing Kael had no intention of chasing him. To Kael, the shadow world wasn’t untouchable. It was simply another layer among many. "The shadow realm is nothing more than a gap in the spirit realm," Kael said flatly, his voice carrying across the stunned silence of the audience. "Idiots like you can’t even see it clearly, so you think it’s hidden." He looked down at Vale, eyes empty of pity. "Real world, spirit realm, shadow realm. They all exist on the same plane. All I had to do was cut through everything in reach until something acted as an obstacle." Vale’s lips parted as his sanity crumbled. His mind raced, trying to deny what he just heard, yet Kael’s mocking tone and calmness dug deeper. His fear twisted into rage. His pupils shook violently as he threw his head back and screamed. "It’s enough!" His roar echoed, filled with desperation more than strength. His voice cracked as madness overtook reason. "I’m going to kill you!" His scream turned feral, stretching long and broken, "ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" A monstrous surge burst from his body, shaking the arena. Darkness poured out of him like thick, rotting slime. It spilled over the ground, writhing and pulsing, and clung to his flesh like oil. His skin stretched unnaturally as black veins rose beneath it, bulging and throbbing. Latest content published on NoveI-Fire.ɴet From heart,mouth and cut over his chest tentacles erupted one after another. "What the fuckkkkk!"Kael took a step back with a distorting face. This was disgusting.For a moment he remembered about the past. "No...It shouldn’t be them...Those with the darkness element often lose themselves to monstrosity. Vale arms bent at unnatural angles, bones snapping under the weight of the grotesque transformation. Tentacles, wet and slimy, erupted one by one from his shoulders and back, twitching as though alive. They slapped against the stone floor with a sickening, wet sound. Vale’s face twisted, his jaw elongating as sharp black teeth forced their way out. His body was no longer human, but something monstrous, something pulled out of the depths of nightmares. The crowd shivered, some unable to even look. The higher-ranked warriors tightened their grips on their seats, their skin crawling at the sight of Vale’s form. Kael stopped walking. His calm face finally shifted into disgust as he took a step back. His lip curled slightly as he muttered. "Now what the hell is this?" His eyes narrowed with visible irritation. " The tentacles thrashed wildly, sending dark slime splattering across the floor, as if Vale had completely given himself to the corruption. Kael shook his head, sighing. "Damn. Why do I always end up dealing with filth ?" He raised his hand as if ready to draw his blade but paused. His eyes flickered with thought. "If not for this place, I’d have killed him brutally the very moment" Kael muttered, his voice calm again, though faint anger lingered beneath it. He could still remember Ruth leaving. He didn’t have time to waste, but rushing now would be foolish as he might really kill this guy if one of these attacks slips away. He still wasn’t at a level where he could control the swordsmanship to pinpoint accuracy. Kael closed his eyes for a brief moment, steadying himself. Then he drew in a slow breath and opened them again, sharper than before. His gaze turned razor-edged, cold and merciless. "Fine," he whispered, voice low and dangerous. "If I don’t kill him today, then I’ll do something worse." His eyes locked onto Vale, who was thrashing in his monstrous form. "I’ll cut his arms and act as if this was a mistake." Kael was ready to push his power further, to let the full extent of his transformation out, when suddenly a scream split through the colosseum. It was sharp and heavy, filled with holy power that poured over the entire place like a flood. The crowd gasped as everyone turned their eyes toward the source. Kael’s gaze shifted too, his eyes narrowing when he saw a woman in white robes glowing with light. Her long silver-white hair fell over her shoulders, and her face burned with anger. "What is a corrupt beast doing here?"