Despite how we felt, Boris looked quite relaxed. Maybe because he didn't notice Ashal Kal Anur's reaction, or he did, and just simply remained calm, to give his best in the arena.

He was also the first one to move, not in the straight line, but rather arching around a bit. The alien didn't move a single step but still kept his eyes locked on the human.

The distance between them got slowly closer and closer until Boris finally stopped on the left-hand side of the creature. With shield ready to block. he rose his ax and swung powerfully right at the head.

Blade never reached the target. It stopped mid-air, and the human remained in this awkward position as the alien slowly turned to face him. A few seconds were enough for me to know that he was paralyzed or locked in this position, but I still couldn't really tell how.

Alien's head slowly tilted to the right as he closely observed Boris, before pulling one of the hands out of the sleeve. It had just three fingers, very slim, with convexed joints. The move was slow, as it touched the helmet covering the human's face.historical

I immediately started thinking that he should resign. If he couldn't move, remaining there was a stupid idea, since he wouldn't get us any intel. The thought was like a buzzing fly. I couldn't ignore it and with every second it was getting louder and louder.

Then it stopped, as the alien placed its hand on Boris's chest, and the human got blasted across the whole arena, spinning and tumbling violently with incredible speed until he hit the wall.

- Psychic - said Gavriil. - Definitely a psychic.

I had the same opinion. Meanwhile, Boris picked himself up. He was way too sturdy of a person to be taken down by something like that. He shook the sand off himself and started marching back at the creature.

- He wants to check what that thing can do and then resing - added Semenov. - Good move.

- There is no point - I argued. - He can't even land a single hit. It won't let him.

p - But he can take a few. If we know more, we can pick a better suitable person to switch with him. Probably a mage would be good.

- I will go - said Will loudly.

He was quite a distance from us, but because the whole room was almost dead silent, he could easily hear the two of us. Everybody could. I realized that a few people were looking at us, since not much was happening in the arena because Boris was slowly walking towards his opponent.

- I can't fight from a distance and he won't be able to stop my blades - he continued.

I wasn't too sure about what he said but remained silent. There was no point in arguing with him, at least not at that moment. I couldn't understand why he was so eager to go, especially when we had better suitable people. People who knew offensive magic.

Boris stopped more or less in the middle of his way, which I caught with the corner of my eye, and switched my attention to the holoprojection. Then he rose the shield, and brought it down, hitting the sand, which caused a pilar of the earth to erupt right under the alien.

Sadly, it did nothing, just elevated the creature. My previous thoughts of the thing levitating slightly above the ground were proven right.

- What the fuck is that thing?! - yelled Sanders.

Immediately AI's head popped above the arena on holoprojection.

- Participant Boris's current opponent is participant Nall, a Calludin - it said and vanished.

Alien waved his hand slightly, and the whole pillar crumbled, turning to rubble, and was scattered on the ground, as the psychic slowly drifted down, to land on the sand. Or rather slightly above it, as he was levitating.

Boris resumed his walk, accelerating a bit, as he quickly glanced at Ashal Kal Anur, but the official wasn't looking bored at all, despite how little was going on. After a few dozen steps his walk turned to jog, and then full spring. He again didn't go in a straight line but curved his path a bit, a,d tried to ram into the opponent, but was again blocked, and held locked into an awkward position.

Nall slowly hovered around the human, admiring the craftsmanship of his armor. The thoughts of stopping the fight again invaded my brain, but not for long since a familiar alien burst into our waiting room panting heavily.

Katri Xel Avakadaisu needed a second to catch her breath. I've never seen her like that. A complete mess, struggling to breathe as she really wanted to tell us something, but she couldn't. It took her a few seconds, and then she squeezed:

- Stop the fight! Your friend can't win. That out there is a Calludin. They normally don't participate in events like this one, and just serve in the Ixan imperial army, but Zor'xal somehow convinced this one to participate in one fight. He is going to kill your friend!

Nobody reacted, and I personally couldn't blame them.

Despite her words, I found it hard to believe, since she was a very shady creature from the very beginning, but since I had that strange, irritating thought from the beginning, I acted on impulse.

I picked myself up and was about to bolt straight to the arena and take Boris out of there, but then I caught a short view of what was happening out there.

Nall moved away from Boris and waved both of his hands. Strong electrical discharges hit the sand all around our friend, as his armor got twisted like a wet towel and red paste leaked out of every hole between the plates. The helmet caved in, and the skull inside burst spilling more of the gore.

My eyes went wide, and I immediately turned towards the door, leading to the armory to rush outside.. I wasn't really thinking, I was just reacting.