How long had Ashe known Valcas?
A day, but in actuality, less than an hour when added up.
How did they interact?
They clashed fiercely; Ashe was left bloodied by his slashes, and he had slit Valcas’s throat.
Ashe suddenly remembered what Valcas had said when asked, “What trouble will it be for you if you lose to me?”
“You’ll find out tomorrow.”
Theoretically, losing just one fight to Ashe should have been insignificant for Valcas, who had plenty of Contribution points to his name.
Just like Igor, who lost even more to Ashe, yet was now comfortably lying in his dormitory bed, sipping wine and cutting into a steak.
Therefore, Valcas being selected for the trial wasn’t because he was among the bottom eight in Contribution points—it was a setup!
After all, the trial list didn’t have to be arranged by Contribution points. There were too many exploitable rules within, allowing the organizers to legally and compliantly corner Valcas into a no-win situation!But why arrange it like this?
Because he lost to Ashe—that was the consequence of underperforming, Professor Sylin’s punishment!
And there was more to it.
The favoritism Elves received during the Blood Moon Tribunal was almost predictable; as soon as Valcas appeared on the live broadcast, his fate was nearly sealed.
So what would an arrogant and venom-tongued Elf do, moments before being crushed into a pulp, when he noticed among the death row inmates, one who not only slit his throat yesterday but could also be considered the mastermind behind his downfall…
What would he do?
Fate, it seems, is the inevitable masquerading as the coincidental.
What a deal—more for the same price… Ashe smirked bitterly, his admiration for the mastermind, Professor Sylin, boundless.
It was an Open Conspiracy that perfectly calculated human nature. If Valcas hadn’t been included in the trial, Ashe could still manage to escape, though not without potential mishaps.
However, with Valcas in the trial, not only were the uncertainties of the Voting Segment removed, but due to his inner resentment, Ashe’s fate was sealed to go down with him!
The moment Ashe agreed to the Deathmatch with Valcas, Professor Sylin had already written his end—
Either to be crushed into oblivion by Valcas on the Deathmatch stage.
Or to be dragged to mutual destruction by Valcas at the tribunal!
No one would save him now. In the Prison, everyone knew of his feud with Valcas, and now anyone who approached him would be volunteering to vacate a dormitory for the Prison.
Harvey looked at Ashe with a mixture of regret and anticipation, seemingly sorry that such prime material would be wasted by the Titan Executioner. Now, they could only hope that the Executioner’s killing of an extra inmate wouldn’t send him into a frenzy.
Suddenly, the music in the air intensified, stirring up excitement. Inside the Sword Barrier, Valcas let out a roar incongruent with his appearance, a visible ripple spreading from him, making Ashe and the others feel a tingling weakness in their bodies, even the Flames of Atonement on the Titan Executioner seemed to retract slightly.
“An impressively beautiful resonance from Sound Magic!”
Nago peered up on his toes to the Audience and explained, “It’s hard to identify the exact spirit, but it must be one from the Sound Magic school. Because of how Sound Magic propagates, mages prefer using it to inflict negative states on enemies, reducing their resistance, rather than for direct attacks.”
“First use Sound Magic to shock and lower resistance, then follow with a lethal Swordsmanship strike. That was Mr. Uhl’s go-to Battle strategy in the past!”
“Ruthless Finale is a Composite Miracle that primarily revolves around Swordsmanship, blending multiple factions together!
Clang!
With the sound of a sword’s cry, suddenly, there was silence as if all had become still.
All noise vanished—the sound of the waves, the wind, Nago’s voice, vibrations, even heartbeats. For a brief moment, silence fell as if hearing had been utterly blocked out.
In this profound silence, Ashe watched Valcas soar high, streaking towards the Titan Executioner like a meteor piercing the sun, his brilliant sword light eclipsing the blood-red moonlight.
The instant Valcas’s sword tip touched the Titan Executioner’s body, all sound returned, but everyone wished they were deaf!
Ding!
As if all the sounds that had disappeared erupted at once, an indescribable noise burst forth from Valcas’s sword, a powerful vibration that pierced the air like a storm, distorting and scrambling even the light!
Even the Titan Executioner’s defenses were penetrated, halting its advance!
“Two Wings… Miracle… to think it could reach this extent…”
Nago’s voice came in broken fragments.
But no one was looking at the Holographic Screen anymore; all the Death row inmates had their eyes wide open to savor this dazzling moment.
Valcas’s sword strike was undoubtedly powerful, but the inmates had seen even grander Miracles. For example, when a violent storm affected a big company’s outdoor promotion, a group of Weather Sorcerers would cast spells collectively to disperse the rain clouds and bring back clear skies, which was way cooler.
What truly dazzled and captivated the crowd was Valcas’s courage to actively attack the Titan Executioner.
Although restrictions on the inmates were lifted for the battle, most Redeemed either hysterically resisted or completely gave up, waiting for Redemption.
The Prison allowed them to use force, merely hoping to add a bit of interest to the show. No one believed they could resist the Executioner, nor would anyone allow them to survive the trial—Redemption was the only ending for a Death row inmate.
Everyone knew Valcas’s resistance was in vain.
But they all yearned for a Miracle, for a hero.
Even villains desire a hero who can save villains.
“The fact that it could delay the Titan Executioner speaks volumes about the value of this Miracle. If Mr. Uhl were to release this Miracle, he would likely sweep this year’s Kaimon Academic Award,” Nago said. “Unfortunately…”
Whoosh!
Suddenly, the Flames of Atonement around the Titan Executioner began to swirl, each flame turning into a sharp blade. Valcas was struck by a blue flame, his Sword Barrier instantly shattered, and his body was sent flying like a kite without a string!
On the Holographic Screen, Nago calmly explained:
“The moment the Titan Executioner appeared, it incorporated the Flames of Atonement into its Miracle system, merging them into ‘Miracle Counterstrike Tempest’.”
“Any sinner who attempts to challenge justice and resist the judgement will receive as much damage as they inflict upon the Executioner,” Nago explained. “When you harm others, you must be prepared to be harmed yourself. Sinners often fail to understand this principle.”
Valcas rolled on the ground a few times, covered in wounds and vomiting blood.
Despite this, he still grasped his longsword and not once did he let go.
Suddenly, numerous spirits emerged from his body, each looking battered and full of cracks. After escaping, they quickly turned into points of light and dissipated!
“To shake the Titan Executioner with the body of a Two Wings Sorcerer, even if it’s a Miracle, the price paid is not small,” Nago remarked. “The scene that just turned the space into a silent domain nearly matched the power of a Tri-wings Sanctuary Miracle, but the cost was that most of Mr. Uhl’s Sound Magic spirits were overloaded and dissipated.”
At that moment, the Titan Executioner spread its eight arms, its six eyes wide and emitting a bloody light, illuminating the Shattered Lake for thousands of miles and dispelling the night for myriad leagues!
When it looked towards Valcas, it seemed as if the entire world was collapsing!
Its eight arms were not arms, but wings, enveloping everything in their shadow!
“It’s over,” Nago said with a soft clap. “Let us send Valcas Uhl to the Blood Moon Heaven, may he continue to serve the most benevolent and just Blood Moon Sovereign in the distant skies.”
“Ah!” Valcas coughed out filth mixed with pieces of his inner organs and broken teeth. It seemed like both of his leg bones were shattered; with the lower half of his body nearly immobile, he could only prop himself up with his longsword.
He had never been in such a wretched state before, with half an ear torn off, one eyeball burst, covered in filth and with a fierce countenance, the blood flowing along his facial orifices, seeking escape…
Sylin Dole was enjoying this scene…
Ares was also watching…
No, he wasn’t watching; he was only seven years old and wasn’t allowed to witness the Blood Moon Tribunal… thankfully…
But it was so close, just a little more and he could have taken Ares away from this city to start a new life…
The reason he had ended up in this dire situation was because…
Valcas did not look towards the Titan Executioner, but instead swept his gaze across the Main Platform, chasing after Ashe’s figure.
Beneath the blood-stained hair, the Elves’ remaining eye expressed emotions too complex for anyone to understand.
“Ashe Heath…” Valcas called out with a gritted voice.
Boom!
Lightning, flames, ice, acid, shockwaves, melting heat, phase-outs, and confusion – eight different powers roared from the Titan Executioner’s weapons, as if signalling the apocalypse.
The Shattered Lake boiled, the night sky shook!
Valcas seemed unaware, holding his longsword upside down, struggling to keep his only eye open, staring intensely at Ashe, as if his eyeball would pop out and bite him!
Multiple spirits appeared along the longsword’s blade, flickering with light!
As the judgement fell, Valcas also threw his longsword!
Ashe tried to dodge, but the Crimson Chains restricted his movements. Moreover, Valcas’s flying sword was bolstered by spirits, its speed as fast as a flash of light, even capable of changing direction!
After throwing his longsword, Valcas seemed to find a sense of release, but suddenly, his cloudy eyes brimmed with tears of blood, and he whispered softly:
“Sorry…”
Snap!
The moment he was engulfed by the light of judgement, Valcas completely vanished from this world, leaving not even a trace of remains behind.
Zing!
The longsword pierced through Ashe’s throat, its tremendous kinetic energy nearly tearing his neck apart!
Within the Holographic Screen at the Red Mist Net Cafe, Ashe, impaled through the throat and held by chains, did not fall to the ground. Instead, he knelt, eyes lifted towards the Blood Moon, with the longsword sticking out of his neck, creating a scene reminiscent of a saint’s martyrdom.
The customers were momentarily stunned by this impactful scene until an Elf from the sacred bloodline stood up with a loud laugh:
“Ha ha, I bet that Ashe would surely be killed by Valcas, and I was right! All drinks are on me tonight!”
“Alright!” The others stood up in response: “To Mr. Bell’s generosity, and to the justice of the Blood Moon Tribunal, cheers!”
Lorens also stood up to raise his glass.
“Cheers!”
He saw the Tavern’s Snake Boss with an amused expression and couldn’t help asking, “Boss, you lost a big sum of money, how can you still be so happy?”
“Sss, he won this time, but he’ll surely lose it back next time. Plus, the Tavern is mine, so the money will end up back in my hands. And…”
“And?”
The Snake Boss glanced at the Holographic Screen: “Sss, who said he won the bet?”
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