The moment I thought about making my first move and getting the hell out of there, every other participant had already vanished.
All that remained were blurred trails left behind as they shot off in different directions at superhuman speed.
The instant I realized the overwhelming disadvantage I was at, I dug my feet into the ground and blasted toward the left side of the arena with everything I had.
A colossal mountain range rose in that direction.
The arena itself was a massive swamp forest surrounded by titanic stands that wrapped around the entire battlefield. Mountains, plains, raging rivers, and countless natural obstacles were scattered throughout the terrain.
At the very center stood the Colossal Tree—the true heart of that hellscape.
Between its roots, the Elixir shone.
Because of the absurd scale of the arena, reaching the prize in a straight line was physically impossible.
If I climb the left side and reach the summit at full speed, I'll be able to see the entire battlefield clearly, I thought as the wind tore against my face while I gained altitude.
But my path wasn't clear.
Halfway up the rocky slope, a group of ordinary participants was fighting to the death.
Five human mercenaries clad in heavy armor.
Two grotesque monsters with gray-scaled skin and elongated arms.
Blood had already stained the tall grass and surrounding rocks.
The moment my boots landed on the rocky plateau, the sound of battle stopped.
The heavy mountain breeze messed up my black hair even further.
My new combat outfit, forged by Kânia's talented hands, lacked the useless weight of mercenary armor, yet radiated an absolutely lethal presence.
I wore a sleeveless black high-collar tunic made from a flexible blade-resistant fabric that exposed my shoulders and arms—dense muscles covered in thin scars.
Dark leather and matte metal guards wrapped around my forearms all the way to my palms.
Black tactical pants filled with straps disappeared into heavy steel-toed combat boots.
The only vivid color was the blood-red sash tied firmly around my waist, holding the black sheath of my longsword.
The steel blade rested alongside my body, ready for slaughter.
Every single one of them turned toward me.
The primitive hatred in the monsters' eyes quickly transformed into the same sadistic greed lighting up the mercenaries' faces.
"It's him!" one of the humans shouted, pointing a bloodstained axe at me. "The freak!"
One of the monsters growled, thick saliva dripping from its twisted fangs.
"Kill the Star!" another mercenary roared, eyes burning with madness. "Bring back his head and the gods will shower us with gold and eternal life!"
They forgot their rivalry instantly.
All seven charged at me like a pack of starving dogs.
Raised blades.
Extended claws.
War cries echoing across the mountainside.
I never slowed down.
Not even for a millisecond.
I simply placed my right hand on the hilt of my sword.
The first to reach me was one of the monsters, leaping high with claws aimed straight for my throat.
A silver arc sliced through the air.
The creature's body flew past me, but its head continued upward for a second before tumbling down the mountainside while black blood erupted like a fountain.
One of the mercenaries widened his eyes, but it was already too late to retreat.
I slid beneath his halberd and twisted my body, driving my blade upward from below, tearing through his armor and chest all the way to his neck.
I ripped the sword free with a kick to the corpse's stomach and used the momentum to block the simultaneous strike of two other humans.
Their steel felt like toys against the weight of my defense.
With one brutal shockwave of force, I shattered both weapons in half.
A clean, silent spin.
Two throats severed simultaneously.
Hot crimson blood painted the rocks beneath my feet.
The second monster tried to flank me from behind.
I didn't even bother turning around.
I simply tilted my head left, feeling its claws graze the air where my face had been, before slamming my divine-powered elbow straight into the center of its face.
Its skull collapsed inward with a sickening crack.
The beast died instantly.
The last human froze.
The feverish greed in his eyes melted away, devoured by pure terror.
His sword trembled before slipping from his hands as he stared at the carnage around him.
Six mutilated corpses.
Less than four seconds.
"M-Monster…" he whispered while stumbling backward.
I didn't say a word.
In the blink of an eye, I appeared in front of him.
One simple horizontal slash.
Fast.
Merciless.
I flicked the mixed blood from my blade with a dry motion of my wrist before sliding it back into its sheath with a metallic click.
I didn't waste time looking at the corpses.
I simply leapt over the bodies and continued my ascent at full speed.
That had been nothing more than a pathetic warm-up.
As I climbed higher, I noticed the trails left by the other competitors down below in the forest.
They were all extremely far apart.
The fifty "ordinary" participants had already begun fighting in scattered groups throughout the arena.
Even from that distance, I could see explosions, dust clouds, and flashes of light erupting across the battlefield.
But it wouldn't last long.
The Stars would reach them soon.
And when they did…
It would become an absolute massacre.
That was when an idea crossed my mind.
A gigantic boulder was lodged further up the mountain, positioned right where the slope formed an enormous downward incline.
At that moment, I knew exactly what I was going to do.
I would use that rock to cross a massive portion of the arena in one move.
Without hesitation, I launched myself upward with all my strength and nearly reached the top of the colossal stone.
Then I kicked its base with everything I had.
CRACK!
The brutal impact ripped the boulder free from the mountain.
It broke loose and began hurtling downhill at terrifying speed.
I grabbed onto a cluster of dry roots near the top to keep my balance while surfing the massive stone downward.
The wind slammed violently against my face.
The earth trembled beneath the weight of destruction.
A grin escaped my lips.
This was insane.
But it was going to work.
The boulder kept accelerating faster and faster until I noticed something deadly ahead.
A gigantic ravine.
A tear in the earth so deep its bottom looked like endless darkness itself.
The abyss split the entire arena apart, and its width was colossal.
Several competitors were desperately running along the edges below, searching for a bridge or some way across.
I analyzed the distance in a fraction of a second.
Even if I jumped now, I wouldn't make it.
That was when a second idea crossed my mind.
Use the impact of the boulder hitting the ground as propulsion.
If I timed it perfectly…
I could literally fly across the ravine.
I stood atop the falling rock.
Three hundred meters remained before impact.
I inhaled sharply, tightening every muscle in my legs.
Then I jumped forward.
At the exact same instant, the colossal boulder smashed into the edge of the cliff.
BOOOOOOM!!
The impact obliterated part of the forest.
A violent shockwave of dust, wind, and shattered debris exploded in every direction.
I used the kinetic force of the blast to gain even more momentum.
My body shot through the sky.
I crossed the abyss at absurd speed, tearing through the air like a missile.
But when I emerged from the massive cloud of dust—
I realized I wasn't alone.
The other three Stars were right beside me, suspended midair.
Apparently, they had been smart enough to use the shockwave from my explosion to cross the ravine as well.
The entire forest below continued trembling.
But let's be honest…
That idea had been completely mine.
Even while floating there, I suddenly felt something strange.
Eyes.
Heavy.
Sharp.
Watching from every direction.
Not just from Kaichin, Kimiko, and Sallys.
But from the entire arena.
As if millions of spectators had been waiting for that exact moment.
A chill ran down my spine, and those countless gazes distorted my senses.
Then it happened.
Without the slightest warning, the three Stars attacked simultaneously.
A combined aerial assault.
Too fast.
Too violent.
I didn't have time to draw my sword.
I didn't have time to react.
All three strikes hit me at once.
The force crushed my body, shattered my defense, and hurled me downward into the depths of the dark abyss at lethal speed.
The crowd exploded into absolute hysteria.
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!"
"YEEEEEEAAAHHHHH!!"
"WE WANT MORE!!"
"KILL HIM!!"
"I WANNA SEE HIM TORN APART, STARS!!"
High above in the VIP section, Laura watched everything while standing beside Silver and Kânia.
Her entire body burned with frustration.
Her crimson eyes blazed with fury.
"WHAT THE HELL?!"
She slammed her fist into one of the concrete seats, shattering its edge before sitting back down with crossed arms.
Her nails dug into her palms hard enough to nearly draw blood.
What had just happened was obviously unfair.
Cowardly, even.
Three against one.
But she knew the truth.
Temporary alliances were completely allowed in the tournament.
And inside that hell…
There was no such thing as fighting fair.