At exactly 7:30 p.m., July 24th, the night sky above Rome was lively as hundreds of thousands of spectators packed inside the Flavian Amphitheatre. It was the biggest event in weeks, the Duel of Champions finally resuming after the Days of the Departed holiday.
And tonight's main event was the undefeated fighter who'd taken the Commoner Division by storm. The commentator's voice boomed through the arena, amplified by speakers made to shake the very stones.
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! WELCOME to the Flavian Amphitheatre for the most anticipated battle in the Commoner Fluxer League!"
The crowd roared.
"After a short delay due to the three-day holiday, we resume with tonight's featured match. Our reigning champion, twenty-one victories, ZERO losses, TEN confirmed kills… the man they call—"
He drew it out, letting the tension ripple through the stadium.
"—THE LONE NOMAD!"
The response was deafening. The audience rose to their feet. The roar felt like a physical force pressing against the air. From the gate, through a trail of dust and shifting sand, The Lone Nomad walked into the arena.
He wore a white battle kimono that fluttered lightly around his ankles. A faceless white mask covered his face, etched with golden Egyptian patterns. His long dark hair, tied into a long ponytail, flowed behind him as he moved. On his hand, his weapon of choice tonight, was a chokuto.
The announcer's voice echoed again:
"The Lone Nomad is a Commoner Fluxer! And yet he's done the impossible again and again. Banned from using his Flux, restricted to only his weapon, and still dominating gladiators from across the continents! Tonight, he faces something far beyond normal."
The gate across from him rumbled. Chains snapped. A screech like cracking ice echoed through the colosseum.
"Introducing, the monster of eternal frost… a CLASS FIVE FROST BEETLE!"
The five meter tall six-legged creature burst from its containment gate. Its shell gleamed with crystalline plates. The air grew colder the moment it appeared. Frost spread across the sand, creeping toward Phaser's boots. The crowd screamed in awe and fear. Phaser stood still, calm as a statue. His masked face gave away nothing but inside, he exhaled slowly.
"It's weak."
If he went all out, he could kill it in less than thirty seconds. But that would break the illusion. The Lone Nomad couldn't summon the Void or use Concept Flux. The rules forbade anything beyond a fighter's physical strength and their chosen weapon.
He was, in essence, nerfed.
"BEGIN!"
The Frost Beetle shrieked, its breath forming clouds of vapor. It lunged at him. The impact shook the arena. Phaser shifted one foot back, lowering his stance. When it struck, he sidestepped smoothly, his white kimono swirling as the Beetle's claw slammed into the ground, sending sand flying.
The crowd gasped.
He pivoted, twisted his wrist, and delivered a stab across the Beetle's foreleg. Sparks flew. The sword cut through layers of frost and chitin, but didn't pierce deep enough to cripple it. Still, Phaser smiled under the mask.
"Alright then. Let's make this look good."
The Beetle roared, its icy wings flaring. Frost blasted outward in a cone of sharp shards. Phaser raised his chokuto, twisting the blade at an angle, deflecting the incoming shards as he dashed through the frozen mist. He leapt, spinning once midair before stabbing downward. The blade struck true, carving a glowing streak across the monster's neck.
The audience erupted.
"He hit it! He hit it! The Lone Nomad just cut through the Frost Beetle's armor!"
The Beetle staggered, shrieking in fury. It slammed its front claws into the ground, summoning a pulse of ice that exploded outward. Phaser's feet froze mid-motion, the frost climbing up his legs like chains. For a second, his stance faltered, which was his first disadvantage. He exhaled slowly, focusing his strength. The muscles in his calves flexed. He twisted his blade, striking the ground once.
The ice cracked then shattered completely.
The crowd gasped again as he broke free, sliding backward to regain distance.
"So that's how you want to play."
He dashed forward again. He slashed twice then spun low, cutting along the Beetle's underbelly. The creature reeled backward, roaring as frost spewed from its mouth. Phaser's white kimono was tattered now but he didn't stop. He adjusted his grip and lunged forward.
The blade pierced the Beetle's core.
A blinding flash of frost erupted, coating the arena in icy mist. For several seconds, no one breathed. The Frost Beetle collapsed, its entire form fracturing into glittering chunks of frozen dust. And standing there, sword resting against his shoulder, breathing softly beneath his white mask was The Lone Nomad.
The commentator's voice trembled with awe.
"HE DID IT AGAIN! LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE LONE NOMAD HAS DEFEATED A CLASS FIVE BEAST WITH NOTHING BUT A SWORD!"
The crowd exploded. Cheers, whistles, chants of his title filled the air.
"LONE NOMAD! LONE NOMAD! LONE NOMAD!"
The roar of the crowd was still echoing through the Flavian Amphitheatre when the impossible happened. From behind the haze of frost and broken ice, the Frost Beetle's carcass twitched.
The audience gasped as cracks began to spread through the icy shell. The massive body began to move. the commentator stammered in shock.
"What in the... L-Ladies and gentlemen… the Frost Beetle… it's—it's getting up!?"
The cheers froze into silence.
The creature, once a glacial blue shimmer of frost, began to radiate crimson energy. It wasn't the Beetle's natural hue. Phaser, standing at the far edge of the arena, still catching his breath after his victory, barely had time to react before it moved again.
The Frost Beetle charged.
He didn't even see it coming. The air screamed as its claws smashed into him, sending him flying across the sand like a ragdoll. His body slammed into the far colosseum wall with a thunderous crack that echoed across the entire Amphitheatre. Dust rained from the stone. The impact cratered the wall behind him, spider webs of broken rock spreading around his body.
For several seconds, there was no sound but the whisper of falling debris.
Phaser's head lifted.
He groaned softly, shaking his neck once. His white mask was fractured on one side, a thin crack running from the temple to the jaw. The crowd was dead silent. Even the commentator couldn't find words to explain how he was alive
"He… he's alive," someone whispered in the audience. "How did he survive that?"
"How... how is the Beetle even— That's not possible!"
Phaser slowly stepped out of the crack, brushing dust off his kimono. He rolled his shoulders once, the faint metallic sound of his Igniferous Edge armor ringing softly under his clothes.
'If it weren't for that, I'd be paste.'
Igniferous Edge, designed to nullify half of any force, was glowing faintly under his garments. Even then, the impact had rattled his bones. Any normal fighter would have been obliterated.
The Frost Beetle no longer resembled anything natural. Its icy carapace was now streaked with pulsating crimson veins. The chill it once emitted had turned to heat. The crowd's awe turned to unease. Phaser, however, narrowed his eyes.
"So it's you. I didn't expect you guys to act so soon."
He could sense the distinct Xana signature of controlled Flux, something even the most advanced spectators wouldn't recognize. That wasn't a natural resurrection. That was possession. And there was only one group in all of MoDS who could do this.
The Ceresei. Specifically, the one who mastered control over the Fluvium network itself.
The 8th Ecliptarch.
Phaser's hand tightened on the hilt of his sword.
"She's here…"
The commentator was still trying to recover his composure.
"L-Ladies and gentlemen, I uh... no one's ever seen anything like this! The Frost Beetle… it's reanimating. It's stronger! Its energy output just spiked! What is happening?!"
Phaser tilted his head slightly, his tone dry, almost amused.
'She's manipulating it remotely. Seriously, who knew I would be seeing this in person?'
He knew exactly how the Ecliptarch operated. Her Flux was Fluvium Domination, a Psyche Fkux that allowed them to override the natural essence of living beings, turning them into temporary puppets.
'To think she'd bother to interfere in a public duel broadcast across the world…'
The Frost Beetle shrieked, its crimson light pulsing brighter, eyes glowing like rubies. He chuckled softly under his breath.
"So that's it, huh? You just want to see me sweat a little. Well, too bad. I'm not in the mood to die today."
As he walked towards it, his mind was running quick calculations. If the 8th Ecliptarch could control the Fluvium of a Class 5, she was within proximity, likely within the capital's perimeter. Remote control like this required a focus radius of at least a few kilometers. That's how powerful she is.
Meaning she was close enough to be watching him personally.
'If she's that close, then she's not hiding. And that means she's getting bold. But why this?'
He sighed again, annoyed. He spun the sword once in his hand, adjusting the grip.
"You really couldn't wait till the second quest, huh? Fine. Guess I'll stop holding back."
The commentators were losing their minds trying to narrate.
"What he doing now?! The Lone Nomad is not retreating, folks. He's actually approaching the Beetle again!"
The holograms zoomed in, catching the light shimmer off his blade.
He looked down at the chokutō he had created using Neveolus. Unlike a katana, it had no curve, just a straight, blade meant for thrusting and slashing. He remembered the days he practiced with it in the monastery.
"You know, I'm actually glad I brought a sword tonight. If I'd brought the staff, it would be extremely hard to defeat you."
A hush fell over the crowd again as the crimson Beetle charged once more, the ground trembling beneath its bulk. Phaser smirked faintly under his cracked mask.
"Alright, 8th Ecliptarch. Let's dance."