The Inner Odyssey-Chapter 163: Judgement

The eyes of the Paladins observing the duel gleamed with interest.

Their lungs stored bated breath, and their fingers twitched in tandem with the intense bout; as if they were the ones fighting and basking in the combat high.

Every battle-hardened warrior amongst them acknowledged the three youths. They were monsters who had startling potential, and would most likely inherit positions of power, if they hadn’t done so already.

So far, what impressed these Paladins the most - aside from the Keeper’s Apprentice’s astonishing determination and ability to hold his own against two extremely capable fighters - was Caelum and Varnel’s teamwork.

It wasn’t to the point where it was seamless, as that would denote they had fought together for a long time, learning each other’s habits and minute ticks.

But, even though their collaboration was not flawless, it was still admirable, not to mention effective... especially with the way the speed demon allowed the illusionist to teleport him, and how the latter carefully manipulated the movement of their foe so that the former could strike at an unexpected time and angle.

It was marvelous, and almost as perfect as one could get when working with an unfamiliar ally.

As the duel progressed, this sense of admiration also grew.

Eventually, that culminated in every Paladin jumping to their feet as they witnessed the Keeper’s Apprentice fly back under the Rift Creature’s strike and be swarmed by a wave of purple lightning bolts in less than the time took for one to breathe.

Nervous tension hung over the Theatre of War like a heavy shroud.

It did not discriminate, blanketing every single spectator in its thick, oppressive embrace.

Just when they thought the Keeper’s Apprentice had finally reached the end of his rope, dark tentacles burst out from his back, delaying his defeat momentarily. They met the approaching stream of lightning bolts in a clash of harsh light and darkness.

At the same time, the white-haired young man twisted, erecting an abyssal barrier to support the roiling appendages.

Suddenly, the Keeper’s Apprentice waved his arm, and a cloud of dark, glistening shards shot for Varnel. The speed demon remained unfazed, raising his trident in response. The weapon glowed; in the next moment, the storm of dark shards exploded, vaporised.

Tendrils of lightning flickered across Varnel’s frame before he suddenly appeared next to the Keeper’s Apprentice, swinging his three-pronged lance in a savage arc.

At the same time, the wind howled and a torrent of green-wind energy rushed towards the one-eyed combatant, currents of air blasted in a frenzy.

That was not all.

Abruptly, the space above him cracked, heralding the form of the ghastly, misshapen creature. It seemed to release a silent scream, flesh writhing in a grotesque display of furious bloodlust.

Faced with three attacks from three different directions, every Paladin shared the same thought. This was the end.

The Keeper’s Apprentice had fought valiantly, and surpassed everyone’s expectations... to the point where they almost understood why he had requested for Caelum and Varnel to fight him both at once.

It was a shame that the illusionist and speed demon had also evolved under the pressure, growing stronger in the midst of battle.

In the private viewing chamber, Drakon and Celeste silently clenched their fists, their postures tense and expressions stiff. Their desperate, internal pleas seemed to go unnoticed as Alden found himself on the brink of defeat.

Meanwhile, in another area, a man with a hulking figure and a vibrant orange beard gritted his teeth, his gaze overwhelmed with worry. Beside him, a woman with stunning jade-green eyes couldn’t bear to watch as she grabbed a hold of her husband’s arm, her grip enough to shatter ice.

Just as the moment of truth arrived, everyone witnessed the Keeper’s Apprentice do something strange. He closed his sole eye. The dark tentacles retreated into his body, and the abyssal barrier keeping the lightning bolts at bay, also dissipated.

It appeared as if the young man had given up.

Time froze inside the stadium.

For a heart-stopping second, it seemed as if the Keeper’s Apprentice would meet a grisly end - his head hacked off his shoulders, and his body mutilated beyond recognition from the incoming green gale.

In the next moment, though, time reverted back to its usual state.

The Keeper’s Apprentice’s sole eye snapped open. Before, a subtle white glow had shrouded it, like little fireflies dancing beside a fire.

Now...

Now it was gone, replaced by the shadow of an infinite number of golden threads. The most perceptive amongst the crowd blinked, unsure if what they had witnessed was a hallucination.

However, there was no more time to ponder over that. The white-haired young man suddenly burst into action!

His frame flickered, as if existing between two realms. The Paladins understood that Caelum and the Rift Creature had once again locked down the space. But to their deep surprise, the Keeper’s Apprentice disappeared, leaving a sound akin to shattered glass in his wake.

He reappeared high in the sky.

As the remains of his shredded black mantle and crimson tunic fluttered in the wind, the clouds of purple lightning seethed above him, casting a deep shadow over his figure. It was as if he was a monarch who had come to declare his judgment, and the world was a witness to his wrath and the treason of his subjects.

The hair of every spectator rose on end.

They couldn’t help but feel like they had transgressed.

The sight of the Keeper’s Apprentice hovering in the sky stole their breath away.

He remained like that for a brief moment, before his body tilted, succumbing to the whims of gravity. A burst of pressurised mana exploded beneath his feet, increasing his speed.

The sound was akin to a dull boom, weighing heavily on the spectators’ hearts.

Now, instead of a ruler, the Keeper’s Apprentice appeared like a terrible meteor.

Two more bursts of pressurised mana detonated, and the white-haired young man tore through the air with tremendous force. Just as he was about to smash into the well-worn ground of the arena, his frame flickered, and he disappeared.

A heartbeat later, the green barrier protecting the crowd sitting in the east side shattered. They didn’t get a chance to scream before Varnel’s broken form slammed into them.

Luckily, it was an area rife with Paladins, so the experienced warriors had acted in time, preventing any major injuries.

Still...

As the crowd registered what happened, breath returned to their lungs. However, it left them not a moment later as they snapped their necks towards Caelum and the Rift Creature, their expressions pale - horror marring their features, as if it were a creature gnawing on their flesh.

Like lightning, the Keeper’s Apprentice materialised beside the illusionist and his thrall. He didn’t even give them a chance to register his presence, before a wide abyssal slash, hissing with stygian fire cut through the Rift Creature and hurled the Chosen of the Divine Sovereign off his feet.

Stunned silence enveloped the arena.