Clang! Clang! Clang!

  The swords screamed and cried. Heavy smiled in satisfaction, never stopping his assault for even a moment. Sparks from each clash flickered relentlessly, and cold sweat began to drip down Nova’s forehead.

  ‘Not yet. It’s almost time. Come on, Future Vision—show me the way!’

  Just as he had thought before, he needed a single opening in Heavy’s offense—otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to use the seeds in his pocket.

  So he thought, blocked, and when his eye showed him the correct future, he poured every gram of strength in his body into the clash, forcing the rebound of the swords to push Heavy back. Just as he had planned, he executed it flawlessly.

  Clang!

  Heavy’s arms gave way for a split second. Nova ducked and, like a ninja, sprinted at full speed across the Arena toward the opposite end.

  Heavy recovered almost instantly.

  “Where do you think you’re going, runt?!” the Aberration growled, charging after him.

  Nova nearly stumbled when he realized Heavy was right on his heels.

  ‘Why is he so fast?! His body has no business moving at that speed.’

  Pushing aside unnecessary thoughts, his objective was right in front of him. First, he had to reach the wall at the far end with enough speed to run along it for a single second. Once he did that, he’d have a chance to turn the situation in his favor.

  “Are you running away, Asmodai?! How shameful!” the presenter said, pressing a hand to his forehead. “Looks like we put too much faith in a coward!”

  The crowd began to boo. Nova clicked his tongue as he ran—he didn’t care what anyone thought of him. He was going to survive, no matter the method.

  Clang! Crash!

  The sword slammed down, shattering the ground just behind Nova’s feet.

  “You’re getting slipperier, runt!” the Aberration shouted after retrieving his sword.

  ‘You’ll see just how slippery I get after this!’

  He reached the far end sooner than expected. His eye showed him the next step, and he followed it to the letter. Just before crashing into the wall, he planted a foot against it and pushed off. The crowd fell silent for a moment—because, for that brief instant, it looked as though Asmodai was running along the wall.

  Then, with incredible agility, he flipped backward in a somersault while slipping a hand into his pocket. Heavy looked up, mouth hanging open, as Nova hurled the seeds into the air.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  “Now!” he shouted, aiming his hands at the seeds and forming a frame with his fingers.

  Mina was just as shocked as the red woman. Xiurah, however, clutched his seat nervously. His eyes—more perceptive than anyone else’s—locked onto the monstrosity disguised as a human.

  “Rasténiye!”

  Fwoom!

  Roots, branches, and leaves roared to life, absorbing moisture from the air as they grew and spread across the entire Arena. They pierced through concrete, stretching like dark, mysterious hands, tearing apart everything in their path.

  “Amazing!” Mófar exclaimed. “Asmodai wasn’t running—he was planning his next move! His control over Sephiroth is magnificent!”

  The audience erupted in excitement.

  Landing atop the shifting roots, Nova looked at Heavy, who was being surrounded by the roots of massive, leafy trees that filled the entire Arena with a forest in mere seconds. A towering wall formed between them, separating them from the fight—if only temporarily.

  For a single second, he caught Heavy’s confused expression before the wall closed completely.

  ‘With this, control of the Arena is mine. However… I’m exhausted. Burning this much energy in such a short time is something I’ve never had to do in my life.’

  He came to an abrupt stop beside a tree once the roots finished spreading across the ground. Placing a hand on the wood, he closed his eye and felt what every plant in the area felt. Suddenly, an invisible impact struck softly, making him frown.

  ‘Yeah… I knew that wouldn’t be enough to stop a giant brute,’ he thought, opening his eye and looking toward the other side of the forest.

  A powerful crash made the branches tremble.

  “Looks like our view is obstructed—but I have a solution!” Mófar announced to the crowd. He snapped his fingers, triggering a strange reaction from the cameras.

  The flying devices released small floating spheres that spread throughout the Arena. Moments later, the massive screens displayed both contestants in the massacre.

  Nova stood atop a tree branch, while Heavy—like a beast in the jungle—hacked down trees in his path with his sword.

  “I hope you’re enjoying the view of what we have here! A battle in a forest is a rare sight, wouldn’t you agree?”

  The crowd responded with wild excitement.

  ‘Okay… this is it.’

  To sense the flow of energy through the plants, Nova had to touch them and send energetic signals through them using his aura. While it didn’t consume energy nearly as violently as creating an entire damn forest, it was still a major limitation after burning so much power earlier.

  ‘I still have enough energy to fight a little longer. This time, I have to be more strategic.’

  His eye glowed faintly—Future Vision revealed the paths he could take next.

  ‘My eye hasn’t suffered as much as it did with Fatal Omen. I need to keep it that way.’

  Ready to continue, he leapt across the branches and vanished among the leaves. Still, everyone could see him—a camera hovered close behind.

  Knowing he was being watched, he shot the camera a cold glance. That single look caused several women in the audience to scream like crazed fangirls. Their voices echoed throughout the Arena, unsettling Nova.

  ‘I can’t believe these creatures act like this. They don’t even know me!’

  He immediately regretted it—but it was far too late to worry about consequences. He moved forward, hiding himself near the wall where Heavy stood.

  At last, the branches fell.

  The monstrosity emerged, sniffing the air with his small nose. He smiled, amused.

  “Those who hide to stab from behind are my specialty,” he said, staring straight at the tree where Nova was hiding.