Arden suddenly gripped the hilt of the katana lodged in his side, preventing Kenshi from pulling it out. With his right hand, he grabbed the second blade, holding both weapons in place.
"Let go, you piece of sh*t…" Kenshi hissed through gritted teeth, trying to yank the swords from Arden's body.
But the next second — a strike to the chest.
Powerful. Sharp. Fueled by all his bottled-up rage.
Then a second.
And a third.
Kenshi tried to keep fighting, but all he could do was release the blades and shift into full defense.
"That's what I was waiting for…" flashed through Arden's mind, and his eyes flared with resolve.
He raised his leg to deliver a jump kick with everything he had — but stopped just a moment before impact, a cunning smile spreading across his lips.
[Skill Activated: Fang of Deception]
In the blink of an eye, Arden appeared behind Kenshi and struck precisely at his right flank. The katana went clean through — now they were nearly even. But Kenshi didn't falter. He spun and slammed a kick into Arden's guard. The Fox lost his grip on the sword and was sent flying backward.
"Perfect… It worked. And the bleeding effect is active. I just need to hold on a little longer… and victory is mine," Arden thought.
But there was no time to relax — Kenshi was already on him again. A lightning-fast slash — Arden's shoulder was cut wide open. Blood gushed out.
He instantly activated [Lapet's Impulse], and Kenshi responded with [Yami no Kiri — Mist of Darkness].
Two lightning bolts — one fiery-orange, the other black — clashed on the arena. Their speed was so insane, the audience could only catch glimpses of their collisions. Only Akito kept up, watching every move without blinking.
"This is incredible…" he muttered aloud. "I honestly don't know who's going to win. But Arden… he's burning. I can see the fire in him after getting a second chance."
"Akito, should we stop them?" Aurelia asked with concern.
"No. The Fox got his chance. Let him show his Master what he's made of," Kasumi replied calmly.
"You're right…" Akito nodded.
Their focus returned to the fight. The two lightning streaks clashed again. At the last moment, Kenshi stabbed his katana into the ground, pushed off its hilt, and launched into the air. Arden shot past, just beginning to slow down — and suddenly felt Kenshi behind him.
"This is the end, Fox," hissed the samurai. [Hakuyonshō Rendan — 144 Strike Combo]!
Kenshi raised his hands — the first blow aimed to tear Arden's shoulder apart…
But Kenshi's hand suddenly trembled. Blood poured from his mouth. He froze midair.
The Fox just smirked. Planting his hands on the ground, he kicked both legs up and slammed Kenshi in the chest with full force. The samurai flew backward like a ragdoll. Everyone running toward them — Akito, Kasumi, Targus — stopped, stunned.
Elian closed his eyes, smiling softly.
"I knew it… I didn't choose wrong."
Arden approached the fallen Kenshi. The samurai tried to rise, but his body was done. The Fox placed a foot on his chest and said coldly, confidently:
"It's over, little samurai."
"Fu… f*cker…" Kenshi hissed. His hand twitched… then dropped, powerless.
The winner was clear.
Arden stood over Kenshi, breathing heavily, blood dripping from his wounds — but his eyes still burned with fire. He slowly looked down at the samurai, who no longer tried to rise.
"If it weren't for the Bleeding effect I got after upgrading Fang of Deception to level 5… I'd have lost already," Arden thought.
"Winner — Arden!" Akito's voice rang out. "He moves on to the final round and will continue the fight for the Grand Prize in the Guardian's Special Trial!"
For a moment, there was silence. Then Arden, swaying, raised one fist into the air.
"…I did it," he whispered, smiling faintly to himself.
His legs buckled — and the next second, he collapsed backward, unconscious on the arena.
It was time for the second semifinal: Targus vs. Aurelia.
"On my signal… begin!" Akito declared.
"FIGHT!"
At that moment, Arden's eyes opened. His vision was blurred, but the first thing he saw was Kenshi lying beside him. Standing between them was Elian, smiling gently.
"Well done, Arden. You didn't give up… I'm glad you made it to the final. I'll be rooting for you," Elian said.
"Thanks… Elian," Arden exhaled, trying to sit up — but pain shot through his body. He groaned but didn't take his eyes off the battlefield.
Meanwhile, Targus and Aurelia had already begun their clash.
[Activated Skill: Heavenly Guard]!
Five golden warriors appeared behind Aurelia. They gleamed like statues forged from celestial metal — each wielding a different weapon.
A heavy, booming laugh echoed across Arden's Dimension. The air itself seemed to tremble.
[Activated Skill: Blood of the Jotun]!
A blue aura surged around Targus, his body swelling with power. He charged forward like a living meteor.
The Shield-Bearer stepped up first — raising a three-meter shield to block the monstrous charge.
Impact.
Deafening. Brutal. The stone arena trembled, and the shield-bearer was flung backward like a ragdoll, crashing to the ground and skidding like a falling boulder.
"What…?" Aurelia gasped. "How much strength does this Viking have…?"
[Activated Skill: Starfall Retribution]!
A downpour of glowing swords, spears, and arrows rained from the sky — but Targus didn't stop. He just batted everything away, shattering weapons like toys.
The mage-warrior fired a salvo — blazing energy spheres exploded against Targus one by one. The arena quaked with each blast, but through the smoke… a silhouette emerged.
The swordsman struck from the side, his blade slicing Targus's back.
A hammer swing — missed.
The shield-bearer, now recovered, charged and slammed his shield into Targus's chest. It was a clean hit, but…
Targus only grinned.
[Noxveil]
Hey there, reader!
If you've made it this far, thank you so much. I'm writing this story in Russian and translating it into English — so I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Even one small comment gives me huge motivation 💬💙
Let me know who your favorite character is so far!