—

It took ten minutes to conclude the four fights, the longest being the fight between Zinsei and Bracca, with Bracca emerging as the victor. As the walls on the platform descended, some were startled by the results.

The source of shock was the fact that Yashua had emerged victorious in his bout against Knox. As Knox was one of the contenders to step into the competition with a frightening amount of points, people felt he would remain standing until faced with a force like Bracca or, even worse, Ronan.

However, their assumption proved incorrect. And the source of this error was a young man of unknown strength.

"Yashua Dabura. I've heard of the Dabura Family name, but they're quite small, and their realm of influence inside the Xesian Empire in the north isn't that great. It's quite astonishing that a candidate of this talent has emerged from such a small family."

"I agree. It's not something one would expect. That marks two abnormalities in this competition. One being the inheritor of Scar's power and the other being this young man of the Dabura Family."

Murmurs quickly surfaced in the crowd as they analyzed and cross-examined the strength of Yashua. Even if they wanted to write this off as pure luck, they couldn't.

Yashua's opponents thus far were of similar or slightly greater strength, yet he emerged victorious with a blazing spirit.

Aside from Yashua's victory, another unforeseen circumstance due to this final round's design was that Ronan would now have to fight against some. The first position's rule, which stated the individual in this position could sit out, applied to everyone.

And due to a close disparity in points, Yashua defeating Knox put him in a position of supremacy. Even Kieran's points fell under the threshold to be listed as the first.

However, he didn't mind this because it led to a situation he looked forward to.

With Ronan's point frozen from the first bout, he was left in fifth place, not that placement even mattered to him. As General Zieg assumed, he was here at the behest of High General Archival, who tended to test the newcomers by sending out one of his newest students.

Even some of the General were Archival's past students, given his lofty position as a High General.

If General Zieg were considered a middle-aged man based on his current age, High General Archival would be regarded as a geezer who had lived three to five times longer than General Zieg.

Yashua stepped to the center of the platform beside General Zieg with a somewhat exhausted visage. It was evident that emerging victorious against Knox had wiped him out. It was unknown if he was in any condition to endure another match.historical

Fortunately, the match-ups this time were even closer, in theory at least.

Gauging Ronan's true strength was difficult since he used one attack to obliterate every contender in his batch. And, it happened every round he was involved in. Because this all felt like a chore to Ronan, he decided to end things in the least amount of time possible.

"You have fought valiantly, young man. Yashua, is it? A truly great name!" General Zieg clapped Yashua's shoulder but remained mindful of his possible fatigue.

At his stage, a simple flick could kill these kids.

Then again, control was one of the facets of power General Zieg prided himself on. How could he be worthy of his current illustrious status if he unintentionally hurt someone with a simple action?

Yashua sighed and clutched the halberd in his right hand. "I promised my family I would do well, and that promise drove me to give my all. I will not act as if my family didn't doubt me; they did. But someone's opinions shouldn't define our capabilities."

"Well spoken. That is a practice we preach inside the walls of the War Deity Council. An outsider's opinions should not affect your view of your strength. Allowing someone to tamper with your mindset is a sign of immaturity," General Zieg replied.

Yashua turned his head and looked up at General Zieg, noticing there was no sign of a weapon. The only equipment he possessed what his set of magnificent armor. "General Zieg, I don't mean to be impolite, but I have a question."

"What is it, young man?" General Zieg attentively listened to Yashua's question. At the very least, he felt the young man had earned his attention for a short while.

"What weapon do you specialize in?"

"Hm, a weapon, is it? I generally wield a spear, halberd, or any of the many polearms to enhance some of my techniques," General Zieg answered.

Yashua's eyes shimmered, but General Zieg could already sense this conversation's direction. "Young man, you are incredibly talented. There isn't a shadow of a doubt in my mind. However, I have acquired a somewhat nightmarish name in my years as a General. Do you know why I was tasked with handling this event?"

"Is it not because you revealed a power great enough to keep everyone in check?" Yashua was unsure of his answer, but he answered nonetheless.

The reply earned General Zieg's faint smile, but he shook his head. "This is a matter irrespective of my strength. No, it's a matter of character. I'm known to be supremely impartial—even my pupils who are deemed to be in the wrong are punished accordingly. I am not the type to blindly dote on my precious pupils. So I ask that you carefully consider your next words."

Yashua didn't require further consideration. Based on his resolute and beaming expression, Yashua was delighted with General Zieg's revelation.

"If I'm to speak truthfully, General Zieg, I ask that it be no other way. Blind affection isn't realistic and won't prepare me for the world's perils. I noticed from your unperturbed expression that you were a truly upright man. So, I sincerely ask that you allow me to become your pupil and teach me the ways of the halberd," Yashua bowed his head and earnestly voiced his feelings.

"Very well, if that is how you truly feel, then I will gladly accept you as a pupil. We will discuss the specifics after the event ends. Until then, I will continue to adjudicate this event impartially."

General Zieg projected his voice so the remaining four could hear. "You may begin when you see fit."

..

Unlike the earlier battle, only two circular arenas rose on the Gladiator Coliseum's platform. Inside those isolated arenas, it was Kieran vs. Ronan and Bracca vs. Maccaveli.

The crowd grew quiet as the anticipation grew palpable. The tension in the air was so dense one could practically cut it with a knife.

"Ronan!"

"Ronan!"

"Ronan!"

The crowd chanted Ronan's name, but he completely ignored it as his eyes remained fixated on Kieran. After sizing Kieran up for a few seconds, his cerulean eyes flashed with a tinge of disregard.

"Your strength isn't mastered at all. If we fight properly, it will be your loss. Commander Scar's presence is more unfathomable than this," Ronan remarked.

His voice was flat and his expression stiff, making it hard to discern what emotion he was feeling. Did he find Kieran unworthy, or were his words simply the truth?

Kieran felt it was the latter, simply because of the information shown on Ronan.

「Lv.55 Ronan, The Inexorable Force (Titled Epic NPC)

Class: Unstoppable Warrior

Health: ??? (100%)

Affiliation: ?War Deity Council? 」

If an NPC's Health appeared unknown, it was a sign that the player couldn't kill them even if they wished to. An NPC's Health would only become quantifiable once the system confirmed the player's ability to overcome their opponent.

Otherwise, knowing the enemy's Health was useless.

In addition, Kieran was also alarmed by Ronan's level.

Lv.55!

As stated before, an NPC's level couldn't move beyond 50 unless their Advancement was complete. In other words, Ronan was a genuine Advanced Being and one recognized as a title-bearing NPC.

After reaching the Epic level, one needed to be recognized by an organization or the world to be considered a Titled NPC. The same rang true for all Legendary and above NPCs.

Considering Ronan's display of effortless strength thus far, Kieran felt this explanation was logical. What else could explain his unfathomable power in this competition if not an Advanced Being?

"Normally, I would retort, but I'm in no position to do such a thing. Your strength is authentic, and I can't belittle it. However.."

Kieran summoned Crimson Ashrune with a fighting spirit blazing within his eyes. "The disparity in our strength won't deter me from fighting you. On the contrary, it makes me look forward to it—what else does the War Deity Council have to offer?"

Ronan remained silent but reciprocated Kieran's action, summoning his gigantic cleaver. The stage seemed to bend inward after Ronan conjured it. It was as if the weapon imposed an excessively dense pressure.

"Show me the extent of your strength. If I am pleased, I will let you walk out of here as the victor. But.. If I am displeased," Ronan narrowed his eyes, and Kieran felt a force strong enough to bend his spine. "You will be carried out of here with no strength to stand. Do you find these terms agreeable?"

Kieran tightened his grasp around Crimson Ashrune and frowned. 'This pressure.. it's like I'm standing before an ancient beast.'

Nevertheless, Kieran gazed at Ronan resolutely and nodded. "I accept the terms."

Ronan blinked, but that blink signified the start of a memorable experience, if not the most memorable battle he would participate in.