Targus swung his hammer with fury, landing a devastating blow on the Shieldbearer.
The warrior crashed into the ground, his massive shield snapping in half, and his body vanished in a cloud of dust.
Targus exhaled loudly, as if he had just warmed up. His eyes burned with battle-lust, and the blue aura from [Blood of the Jotun] still swirled around his body, empowering every move.
"Who's next?" he growled, gripping his hammer with both hands.
From the shadows emerged the Swordsman — the fastest among the Guardians. He unleashed a flurry of strikes that would've taken down anyone else… but not Targus. A single blow stopped him cold — his sword stuck in the titan's chest, doing no damage.
"Pathetic," Targus snarled, grabbed the Swordsman by the face, and hurled him with a crack. The body hit the arena wall and vanished like dust.
The Archer had already drawn his bow, aiming for Targus's temple.
A sound — a whistle — the arrow flew—
And Targus caught it between two fingers.
"Not today."
He hurled the arrow back with such force it stabbed into the ground right next to Aurelia — a warning shot.
The Archer tried to dodge, but Targus's hammer came crashing down from above, turning him into dust.
Only the Mage and Spearman remained.
The Mage activated an explosive sphere, but Targus raised a broken piece of the Shieldbearer's armor and blocked the blast just in time. Then — a sudden rush forward. His hammer slammed the ground, and the Mage vanished in a storm of fire and dust.
The Spearman jabbed at his side — Targus caught the spear with bare hands, ripped it away, and drove it straight into the warrior's chest.
"That's all…" he muttered.
He turned to Aurelia.
The Guardians had fallen. Only she remained.
The arena seemed to hold its breath.
Aurelia, clad in golden armor, stood with her spear in hand, lips pressed tightly together.
"I didn't think you'd take them down so quickly…"
"I knew you were saving the best for last," Targus replied with a grin, eyes glowing with a cold blue light.
Targus charged forward at full speed, ready to finish her—
But suddenly, Aurelia swept her spear. A gravity wave blasted him back.
Before he could recover, her second sweep slammed him into the ground, his massive body crushed under invisible pressure.
"Viking, this is over. Surrender," Aurelia said, floating above the arena with her spear glowing.
But Targus only let out a deep, rumbling laugh.
She stepped closer, increasing the pressure, forcing the giant deeper into the earth.
But when the distance shrank to about 13 meters—
Targus drove his warhammer-axe into the ground.
"Skill Activated: Thunder Anchor," he growled.
Instantly, Aurelia's body began to pull toward him like metal to a magnet.
She resisted, planting her spear into the air for leverage — but it was useless.
Targus stood, lifted his weapon high, preparing a crushing blow.
The energy around them thickened, warping the very air.
And then — he struck.
Aurelia, realizing she couldn't dodge, positioned her spear to block with both hands.
Impact.
Sparks.
A gravitational explosion.
Even the arena walls trembled.
Aurelia was hurled backward, slamming into the stone wall with a heavy crash.
"Jarl… you can say I've made it to the finals," Targus said, breathing hard but not even glancing toward Akito.
Akito chuckled and muttered:
"This was the best decision ever… Setting up a tournament like this. I haven't felt such excitement in a long time…"
Suddenly, Targus vanished —
He found himself in the vacuum of space. No air. No gravity. No movement.
"Skill Activated: Astral Limit," Aurelia's voice echoed.
She had triggered it the moment she disappeared into the dust cloud.
But Targus, as always, was ready:
"Skill Activated: Brunhild's Shield."
A spherical energy field surrounded him.
He could breathe — just enough air for two minutes.
He floated calmly in zero gravity, gazing at the stars like this was just another battlefield.
"Viking… How many damn tricks do you have?" Aurelia muttered.
Another spear sweep —
A gravitational wave shot toward Targus.
But he simply drifted through space, spinning gently inside the dome like a balloon.
"Skill Activated: Starfall Retribution."
Beams, swords, spears, and golden projectiles rained down on him—
But every strike clanged uselessly against the impenetrable shield.
Aurelia kept attacking, but it was pointless —
Targus's shield absorbed every technique, like it was forged from the gods' own will.
"Dan it… how do I break this fuking shield?" she whispered, gripping her spear and charging head-on.
"It's useless. My shield will hold," Targus said calmly.
Another wave from her spear slammed Targus backward. He spun slowly through the endless stars, completely unbothered. He knew — the shield would hold.
Suddenly, Aurelia was beside him. Her spear pierced the energy dome —
Targus smirked.
But the star-shaped tip of her weapon began spinning violently —
And for the first time, surprise flashed across his face.
A crack.
Then another.
The shield began to fracture — like glass crawling with tiny veins.
And then — it shattered completely.
Targus was left exposed, no air, no protection.
He gripped his hammer tightly.
Aurelia swept her spear again — the gravitational wave struck his legs, spinning his body through space. That was her plan.
While he struggled to regain balance, she shot forward like a wave crashing into a lonely shore.
But—
Everything vanished.
They returned to Arden's Dimension.
Targus's body crashed onto the arena with a thunderous thud.
Aurelia's finishing blow missed, slicing through empty air.
Her armor crumbled.
The form of the Astral Valkyrie dissolved into golden dust.
She barely kept herself afloat.
"Talk about bad timing…" she whispered, panting. "I don't have much strength left… Need to finish this fast…"
[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!