The Moonlight Swordsman

The battlefield was dark and foreboding, lit only by the unnerving light of the blood-red moon.

The gloomy, dark clouds above made a scary picture, and the chilly night air moved through the empty land with a creepy whisper.

It looked like a haunting forest had grown where people had abandoned the land. 

Raven had specifically selected this battlefield since it suited her dark abilities and skills. She moved like a ghost among the ominous woods and pitch blackness.

The shadows that surrounded her body and moved in sync with her steps were practically indistinguishable from her shape. 

Her opponent, representing the Theodora Kingdom, remained motionless, standing firm in the desolation, casting a lone figure amidst the obscurity.

The mage unfurled his cloak slowly and deliberately, revealing a towering figure that reached a height of 6.5 feet.

Muscles bulged beneath his taut skin, etched with scars from numerous battles, bearing witness to his encounters with blades and swords. 

His normally rough appearance was marred by a scar from his brow to his left eye. His blue eyes were laser-like in their focus on the spooky forest clearing before him, and his short black hair framed his face well.

There was palpable tension among the enthusiastic spectators who intently monitored the impending confrontation on the huge displays, especially with the decisive showdown starting.

The devoted subjects of Theodora Kingdom gave their heartfelt approval from the balcony below, but one woman stood out from the rest of the cheering audience.

Her manner was in sharp contrast to his, and her expression of amazement was plain to see as her eyes never left the man who was now in charge of the battlefield.

How is this possible?" She Thought.

"What happened my love, is something troubling you?" A Grade II Mage who was sitting beside her asked.

"Nothing, my dear," she replied.

Raven's inky black clouds swept out onto the battlefield, slowly but surely closing the distance between her and the opponent.

She followed behind, but her cloak of darkness soon engulfed the mage. 

Oddly the mage didn't react as one might expect and instead kept marching forward with dogged will.

Is he that confident in his abilities?" Raven thought. 

Abruptly, an enigmatic radiance pierced through the heart of the obsidian shroud. 

Within a second, the oppressive gloomy cloud vanished, leaving not only Raven but the entire Colosseum in disbelief.

Under the mage's feet, a magic circle ignited, its intricate patterns shifting and changing color.

Time itself seemed to bow to its grip as Raven found herself frozen in place, her terror-stricken eyes fixed on the mage who had vanished instantly.

In a blink, the mage vanished, and with uncanny swiftness, he materialized directly behind Raven. 

Within the vast, dazzling magic circle encircling both Raven and the mage, resembling an arcane domain, he masterfully grasped a gleaming sword and executed a singular, graceful stroke that severed Raven's life in a mesmerizingly rapid, killing blow.

The battle concluded with breathtaking finality.

"This... INCREDIBLEEE..........." Shoka's voice boomed throughout the Colosseum.

"YEAH!!!!!

"YEAH!!!!!

"YEAH!!!!!

"YEAH!!!!!

The dead body of Raven and the victorious mage both reappeared onstage as the dimension disintegrated.

Without any sign of excitement, the mage turned around and walked back toward the balcony of his Kingdom.

"Now I can see how the Theodora Kingdom beat the Zulivans," Zareena murmured, looking a little sad after seeing Raven's dead body which was taken back by some mages on the stage.

"It's not simply Arcane Magic System. He was able to use the magic circles without inchanting or making any signs. Also, he was able to change them quickly and have quite the freaky ones too." Ashlyn explained.

"For example, one was like a space domain; he could teleport anywhere easily within that circle," she further added.

*tsk* No reaction from anyone on her death," Meanwhile, Aizel thought.

[That bitch looks a little sad tho, She might be acting, I am sure]

"Soren, we are next. We need to be careful," Zareena said, while Soren simply shrugged and started to head towards the stage.

THAT WAS JUST AMAZING, ARE WE GOING TO SEE YET ANOTHER INTERESTING MATCH?

"YES!!!

"YES!!!

"YES!!!

"BLOOD!!!

"BLOOD!!!

"BLOOD!!!

Soren and Zareena were on the scene representing the Felgura Kingdom and immediately became the center of attention. 

Meanwhile, a duo originating from the Theodora Kingdom joined the stage, both having striking blue hair. 

Their intense gazes were firmly fixed upon Soren, a palpable tension in the air.

"So now which one of you would like to choose the battlefield," Shoka asked.

"Just keep the plain ground with no obstacles. I hope you won't mind," Soren said, as he stared towards the duo. 

"Yes, we have no problem." The woman spoke.

ALLLRIGHT.... IT'S TIME FOR ANOTHER BATTTLEEEEEE!

"YEAH!!!

"YEAH!!!

"YEAH!!!

Shoka summoned the magical barrier with a resounding clap, enclosing the mages in a bare, dimension-based battlefield.

The mages, while not too distant from one another, stood ready for the impending clash.

"Listen Soren...

Before Zareena could finish her sentence, Soren had already left and was making his way to their opponents. 

Zareena sighed, knowing that once Soren made up his mind about something, he rarely listened to reason. She could only watch and hope this wouldn't end up against them. 

"He is already coming toward us."

"Yes, be prepared."

Soren drew a shining blade from his ring with a flick of his wrist. Anxiety filled the opponents of Soren, and they froze suddenly.

The atmosphere began to thicken, squeezing down on them. 

No matter how hard they tried, neither of them was able to resist the crushing strain, let alone call upon their abilities.

Their muscles were frozen, pinning them hopelessly to the ground.

Soren raised the humming sword overhead, his eyes cold and hard. With even betting his eye, he drove the blade down. 

The ground ruptured under the impact, creating a massive hole meters deep.

Skyward debris clouds obscured the battleground. Still paralyzed, the mages fell into the gaping abyss.

Soren's protection kept only himself and Zareena perched on the ragged edge of the crater. Dimensions snapped, and the battlefield itself trembled. 

Reality itself seemed to groan under the sword's blow. In an instant, the match was over, ended by Soren's merciless strike.

"WOAH!!!!!!

"WOAH!!!!!!

"WOAH!!!!!!

A roar erupted from the colosseum stands as Soren and Zareena appeared on the stage.

The crowd sprang to its feet, shouting loud yells and roaring applause.

They cheered loudly, their voices booming among the soaring columns as they stomped the stone steps. 

"ARE WE DREAMING? YET ANOTHER BATTLE ENDED SO QUICKLY.....

Soren smugged a little and then went towards his kingdom balcony, while Zareena sighed and followed him.

"Did you see that? He and that War God are the ones you need to defeat next. If you do that, your wish will be finally fulfilled." The Theodora Queen said, looking towards the mage in the cloak.

The man simply nodded and then looked towards Soren and then towards Aizel. 

*Cough* Aren't you forgetting about me, mother?" Suddenly, one of her daughters interrupted.

"There isn't anything worth remembering you for," the queen replied.

Her daughter's brows twitched while some of them chuckled there.

At the Felgura Kingdom Balcony,

"Ahahahaa... he didn't lie when he told me that the sword was made for him," Yongiri said while laughing loudly.

"Ummm.... the sword seems interesting," Xavier said while rubbing his chin. 

"This dude's ego definitely got hit after seeing the previous match," Aizel murmured, while Hazel and Daisy chuckled.

"Now only the final team battle is remaining. This is going to be tough." Zareen said.

"I will handle that cloak guy by myself; you guys can take care of the rest," Soren interrupted.

"Oi oi oi, don't get ahead of yourselves. I should be the one to take care of him. Unlike someone, I haven't lost a match yet," Aizel replied.

"You both, for once, can stop arguing. You should both deal with him. Me, Daisy, and Seraphine will take care of the rest of their team." Zareena said.

*Tsk* 

[This bitch is running her mouth a lot, master]

"Does anyone of you also know how to use that magic circle system?" Aizel asked.

However, both Zareena and Seraphine stayed silent.

Aizel looked toward Soren.

"I don't need that type of thing to beat others." He replied.

[He doesn't know, Master]

Yeah, kinda guessed it."

"You don't need or you can't learn," Aizel replied, with a mocking smile.

"I have...

"HEY! Don't ask about it here. That thing is quite sensitive and can lead you into trouble," Zareena suddenly interrupted.

"And you don't run your mouth off for everything." She turned around to scold Soren.

Shit, I was so close. I need to find this idiot alone at some time." Aizel thought.

[Yes Master, he might know many things and can tell us about them if we can play this out smartly.]

"Little brother, could you come here for a second," Suddenly Aquarian called.

"Sure," After getting close to him he whispered," Yeah?"

"I know after reaching Grade III, you have become more powerful and confident.

"But... I don't know how much you know about the Arcane Magic Circuit, but you should be more careful."

"Don't worry, I already know about that. And the way that guy was using it, I am already cooking some tricks to counter that," Aizel replied with a confident smile.