ACT V
THE GLORY WARS

CHAPTER 166
CAPTAIN VS CAPTAIN (2)

The light pillars capable of decimating everything fell one after another, like skewers falling on the innocent meat on a pyre, and unlike the previous times, the dust wasn’t settled like a swish by Hans. Hinting Arlin managed to pin down Hans. “Yes.” He shouted in victory, “That’s what you get, raising your head against mine, you peasant… the fuck! ”

Hans hovered above the ground, a wry smile playing on his lips. "Hooo! I almost forgot I could fly," he quipped. In truth, he had momentarily forgotten that as long as he remained afloat, he was unaffected by the quaking below. However, he couldn't afford to reveal this lapse; all eyes were on him, and he needed to uphold his flawless facade. Clearing his throat, he recited Arlin's words once more, saying, "You said it right, as long as we don’t break the rules, everything is permitted right?”

“Agh!” Arlin grunted, shouting at the examiner, “He is using an artefact—”

“Oh, you naive thing.” Hans quipped again, “Do you think the great mages of Mage Tower who built the judgement artefact couldn’t detect an artefact in this arena? ”

LagunaShaft—

“This is getting annoying” Hans interrupted, extending his hand forward. “Shall I take this spell of yours? Zwoom!!” With a subtle wave, his VoidZone expanded, not as dramatically as before, but sufficiently to disrupt all mana regeneration in the arena. and Arlin, acutely attuned to the ambient mana, immediately sensed the shift. There was so much his two circles could hold, so his option was rapid regeneration and it was taken away by Hans. “Just what are you,” He shouted, exclaimed, his irritation etched on his face.

“Who me?” Hans mused, “Just your average Joe.” Not getting any reaction, Hans taunted, “I guess, it's my time to attack now, right? You better clench your teeth.” 

As he declared, the audience cheered, the boy who mocked Norwin right at his face was going to finally shift his gears from passive. They focused on rapt attention. “Swoosh!!” Hans moved, propelling forward with an insane flight speed, leaves and twigs swirling in his wake, transforming the arena to his liking. He aimed for Arlin, his eyes cornering his prey. 

However, just as he closed in, a brilliant explosion of light erupted around him. A Lightbomb hit him square in the chest, sending him hurtling backwards through the air. His clothes burned, charring black even hurting his chest. He landed on his feet, albeit in pain, Hans smirked. “This bastard got me—”

"So it's true, as long as you move, I can attack you.” Arlin commented, “You can't dodge the swiftness of light spells.” A self-satisfied grin tugged at the corners of his lips as he spoke.

“Took you long enough,” Hans let out a witty remark, affirming his words, “It's true. I can’t run” He paused a grin etching over his face too, “But I can hide…”

~SilvaOrtus~

The preparations were already done and as he stated the name, the arena started shaking up, changing from within. And, in an instant, the arena transformed into a dense woodland, with towering trees, mossy rocks, and a soft, earthen floor beneath their feet. It was proof of his mastery over the natural world.

“You think you can hide in a forest, facing an elf. You idiot—” 

Arlin stopped, he was shocked, by the outcome of his senses. Not even one picked where Hans was. “The fuck! He forced me to even use this. tsk..” The elf grunted, his hand instantly moving to touch his heart. he called upon the spirit he had contracted with, the elves’ exclusive right. Humans had bloodlines while the once forest dwellers had the power to contract the spirits, but Arlin being a genius had formed a contract in his unripe age. 

He summoned a spirit of light, a radiant deer-like creature with antlers that glowed with blinding brilliance, its presence commanding attention and awe. Standing at a meter in height, the spirit wasted no time in wreaking havoc upon the once-serene forest. Trees toppled, bushes were obliterated, and rocks were uprooted as if a tempest had just swept through the lush landscape.

In the wake of the spirit's destructive power, the forest lay transformed. Debris of foliage now littered the ground beneath their feet, while Hans found himself hung in mid-air, surprised, “I thought the contracts are not allowed till you reach the fourth circle—”

“Who do you think I am? You filthy peasant, forcing me to call upon Empyr was a mistake, and you will have to face the consequences.”

“Look at this fool, blaming me for his own incompetence.” Hans heard and criticised the elf inside. “I knew the forest would be nothing for this light mage to rampage, but I didn't think it would be this early.” 

Hans looked at the agitated face of Arlin same as his deer spirit. He almost cried,  clenching his fists and his heart heavy, “Sorry gramps. I thought I never had to use it and return before the interest piles up.” He untied a pouch behind his back and everyone wondered what might come out of this. Since last time, it was battered corpses, so they waited for the suspense to unravel.

“No artefacts, you’ll be disqualified.” The Examiner prompted.

“What’s the use of this mumbo jumbo? If it can’t stop a junior cheating his way in?” Hans pointed upwards at the majestic judgment device. “I know.” He shouted and sprinkled the pouch out. Hundreds of wood mana stones spread across the debris of foliage. 

Hans shouted at Arlin, his voice filled with anger as he felt his money running out, "You bastard, you'll pay for this. It was never meant to be used here. Watch yourself in the night; I'll be robbing you later.” He declared, “I reserved this to fight Xandor, So be honoured you pointy ear.”

~UndyingArmy~ 

He shouted the name and the magic stones beneath the green debris started to wobble. The broken branches and torn leaves started weaving around the stones and hundreds of foot soldiers made from wood appeared. The fruits of his latest chapter he uncovered in Limitless.

These soldiers, propelled by Hans's command, boldly stepped forward, acting as a living shield for him. They absorbed multiple hits meant for their master, ensuring his safe passage towards Arlin. Even the radiant spirit deer that Arlin had summoned began to struggle under the relentless assault of these numerous humanoid creatures. 

The battlefield had become a chaotic blur, where it was increasingly difficult to distinguish the remnants of the once-lush forest from the resilient wood soldiers.

The debris of earlier assault became the fertiliser for Hans to cast this spell of infinite regeneration of wood soldiers. Since, as long as their mana stones remained powered and intact, they would resurrect using the foliage strewn across the ground.

“What is this madness.” Not knowing the taste of failure, Arlin was feeling the emotion for the first time. There was nothing in his life that would have contradicted his intentions, but Hans was proving him wrong at every moment. Even forcing him to use the spirit. Yet the battle wasn’t looming in his favour.

His mana was running out like a leaking bucket, and his efficiency and management of mana going downhill fast. While others witnessed this with awe, an elf summoning their ancestral spirit at the second circle was something, but Hans’s action of spreading the mana stones and creating the golem-like creatures in an instant had put their mouth agape. Convincing them of their earlier theory - Hans has made an enormous snake-like Golem in an instant. Putting the alchemists in shame who claimed that creating Golems was a hefty task, demanding money and patience.

“Boom! Boom! Boom!” The explosions went rampant, the light bombs falling one after another, but like proving their undying loyalty to Hans, the wood soldier bore the brunt. Even when it looked like one soldier wasn’t enough, they grouped themselves, sacrificing them and shielding Hans.

“No..No..” Arlin shouted, frustrated, he was gasping for air, almost exhausted. His mana was not regenerating with enough speed, and Hans was the culprit. Since he couldn’t stay immobile for long. Whenever he was forced to stop by Arlin’s barrages, he activated VoidZone, eating up Arlin’s efficiency in regeneration.

The scene of Arlin bombarding and Hans steadily shortening the distance between them continued for a while. Arlin almost exhausted physically and mentally, started caving in and Hans finally reached him, near enough to make his first mark on Arlin’s face. 

“I told you to clench your teeth, pointy. thud!” His hand flung, breaking the elf’s pretty nose. “I Ain’t done bastard. thud! thud! thud!” The relentless punches showered over the so-called royalty of elves, painting his face in red and redecorating it with several bumps.

His pretty combed blond hair was now in Hans’s grip, dishevelled. And soon the very head of his met Hans’s knee. It was evident, that Hans was not gonna stop this torture soon, and he met everyone’s expectations. Arlin, desperate to mount a defence, tried to cover up, but Hans was relentless. He continued to land punishing blows, each one sending shockwaves of pain through Arlin’s body. 

The crowd's cheers had transformed into gasps of concern as they witnessed the one-sided spectacle unfolding before them. Mage tower people looked on with mounting anxiety, but their prodigy was trapped, unable to find an opening to counter. One shouted, “Arlin, Surrender!!”

That snapped Arlin out of his daze, putting his all he exploded another light bomb spell, separating Hans and him. “I’m  Arlin…Reydi… I can’t surrender—”

But the demon-like figure in his eyes spoke, unharmed, “Yes, I don’t like it either --Snap!” A vine sprouted beneath Arlin, coiling around his feet and sprung him high in the sky. “Don’t surrender,” Hans shouted, plucking up the steel bamboo from Sharpdeath. He calculated and launched it like a javelin at the expected point of his landing. “Don’t surrender,” Hans shouted again as Arlin saw his death approaching closer by the moment. “Don’t surrender—”

“I surrender, help me—” He couldn’t even finish the sentence and was rescued by the mage tower people glaring at Hans, showing animosity openly. However, Hans felt a gentle pat on his shoulder, “Hey tone it down.” Walter responded to the Mage tower people, pointing, “ That student of yours should’ve surrendered before. It's his fault he couldn’t take a hint. Now, Fuck off !!”

“Pftt..” Hans chuckled, “You are a bad influence professor.”

***

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