Advent of the Three Calamities

Chapter 330  Pushed To The Limits [1]

In the Colosseum of Grimspire, a dazzling light poured from above, illuminating the square platform at the center. The atmosphere was as loud as it could be, every breath heavy with anticipation and tension. The crowd's fervor reached a fever pitch.

Two figures stood in the middle of the arena while the referee stood by the side.

Julien appeared calm, his expression unreadable as he faced Kaelion. Kaelion, equally composed, wore a white uniform accented with subtle shades of blue that fluttered silently as the two stood on opposite ends, sizing each other up.

Kaelion's presence was overwhelming, his powerful momentum radiating across the Colosseum, pressing down on everyone who watched. Many in the audience found themselves instinctively averting their gaze, unable to shake off the fear that he instilled.

He appeared different than the time Julien had last fought him.

He seemed a lot calmer and composed. The raw explosiveness he once showed seemed to have been carefully restrained, coiled within him like a tightly wound spring, ready to unleash at any moment with precision and control.

Karl could not help but clear his throat in the broadcasting studio as he took another sip of his water.

"The match has started but neither contestant has yet to make a move."

The entire Colosseum was silent and tense. All eyes were fixed on the two figures that stared at each other in silence. The tension felt stifling, making many swallow in silence, afraid of making any sound.

And then…

Swoosh!

Kaelion was the first to move.

He simply raised his hand once and the space around Julien changed.

With subtle fluctuations, over a dozen magic circles appeared around him. The speed at which they manifested and locked was so fast that hardly anyone could follow with their eyes.

A whistling sound arose shortly after that, shaking the audience's hearts as white streaks shot down in rapid succession, each aimed in Julien's direction.

Kaelion's actions were so fast that it seemed like Julien had no time to react. But was that truly the case?

Kaelion's gaze flicked to the right. In an instant, he slammed his foot down, causing cracks to spiderweb across the ground beneath him. His body surged forward with blinding speed as a shadowy figure materialized just ahead.

'As expected, it was all an illusion.'

Having studied Julien's previous matches, he knew all about his illusions. He had been ready from the start, trusting his ears and other senses over his sight. Kaelion's body popped and rumbled as he tensed his body. While it didn't seem as though he hadn't listened to his Professor's words, that was the furthest thing from the truth. He had been paying close attention to everything that had been said and didn't think twice before trying to engage with Julien in a close-combat fight.

Swoosh!

In seconds, he arrived before the appearing Julien. Pressing his foot ahead, the momentum carried Kaelion forward as he slid behind Julien. As a magic circle formed at the top of his fist, he tensed his core and back and threw a punch.

The air stirred the moment he punched.

Boom!

A terrifying explosion ensued shortly after as his fist headed for Julien's head.

The audience jumped up in surprise by the situation, thinking that Julien was done for, but it was to their surprise and shock that Kaelion's fist hit nothing.

Julien's figure started to distort before shattering in front of the eyes of all those present.

Another illusion!

Kaelion's eyes constricted. Without a second thought, he turned around and thrust his fist in that direction.

Boom!

The air stirred once more, a similarly explosive sound echoing throughout the space. This time Kaelion hit something.

Clank!

Sparks flew in the air as he felt his fist hit something hard.

Julien's figure materialized shortly after as he stumbled back several steps. Before Kaelion could follow up, a chain shot toward his hand, directly clamping onto his arm and squeezing tight. "….!"

Caught off-guard, Kaelion didn't know how to react.

Simultaneously, Julien stomped his foot against the ground and regained his footing. Then, without giving himself any time to rest, he shot forward.

Kaelion caught sight of all of this from his peripheral vision.

"Huap!"

With a shout, his muscles tensed and his veins bulged. His uniform started to expand as his face grew red. Clenching his teeth, he stared at his arm which bulged further until finally he heard a cracking sound.

Cra Crack!

The chain binding his arm shattered and he ducked down. A purple hand appeared right where his head used to be.

Dodging the attack, Kaelion propped himself up and tightened his thighs to launch a left kick.

Swoosh!

Julien abruptly stopped his approaching body. He lowered his body slightly and pressed his palm up, pressing it toward Kaelion's moving leg. Julien didn't manage to touch the leg but he managed to achieve his desired effect as Kaelion felt his leg drop down to the ground, distorting his center of gravity and making him lose his balance.

Bang!

The ground cracked as his foot smashed against it.

Kaelion felt a sudden ache on the sole of his foot but he ignored the pain and twisted his torso, lifting his other leg and spinning around, aiming the heel of his other foot toward Julien's exposed temple.

Swoosh!

The attack was brutal, leaving Julien with no chance to dodge.

'Got him…!'

Kaelion secretly rejoined in his heart once he saw that Julien didn't have enough time to react, but his expression froze shortly after as his foot passed right through Julien's face. A second later, Julien's face reappeared just a few inches back, his hand stretched to grasp his moving ankle.

"….!"

Kaelion's eyes constricted.

His heart tightened and his expression twisted. The moment the hand touched him he knew he was done for!

Kaelion didn't think twice.

Gritting his teeth, he slammed his palm down with force. In an instant, over a dozen magic circles materialized around them, the air rippling from the sheer density of the mana they emitted. Kaelion's face turned pale, and a wave of weakness washed over his body.

He endured the sensation and glanced at Julien who was looking at him as though he was a mad man.

And indeed he was.

If Julien so much as brushed his hand against his ankle, Kaelion was ready to strike without a moment's hesitation, intending to drag both of them down together.

While neither would probably die, they'd probably be severely injured from the situation, making their participation in future matches impossible.

This was a suicide move on Kaelion's part.

All that waited was for Julien's decision. Would he keep going or move back…?

He only had a split second to decide.

And his decision soon became clear to Kaelion. Pressing his foot against the ground, Julien abandoned his original plan and shot back.

The magic circles that were prepared to shoot down on both of them stopped the moment he moved back, and Kaelion twisted his body back to its normal position, regaining his center of gravity.

Pressing his foot down, he shot back and gained some distance.

"Hoo."

The two simultaneously took a deep breath, their foreheads covered in sweat. As the two eyed each other in silence, the crowd that had been silent the entire time suddenly boomed with excitement.

"Woooo!"

"Ahhh!"

Their roars shook the entire arena, the platform shaking slightly at their excitement.

"What an incredible first part of the fight!"

Karl wasn't able to contain his excitement as the broadcast displayed several replays of the exchange between the two. Many of the spectators hadn't been able to keep up with the fight due to how fast it was, and the broadcast helped them see clearly just what had happened in the brief moments that the fight had been happening.

Hiss… A collective wave of hisses resounded throughout as they watched the narrow exchange between the two.

From how Julien had come close to grasping Kaelion to how he dissuaded Julien with a suicide move.

It was a highly intense match.

Bang!

A muffled explosion echoed throughout.

Julien's and Kaelion's fists made contact. In the exchange, Kaelion came out on top as Julien took several steps back.

He groaned slightly and raised both his hands to prepare himself for the incoming onslaught which soon came.

Bang, bang!

Kaelin's fists were fast and precise. The power contained within each punch sent Julien stumbling back several steps.

To make matters worse, each time Julien attempted to find an opening, a magic circle would materialize out of thin air, thwarting his every plan. Those brief moments of hesitation were mercilessly exploited by Kaelion, who unleashed a relentless barrage of attacks.

Just like Professor Thornwhisper had suggested to him, Kaelion brought the fight into a close-ranged one.

Bang—

As Kaelion's fist sent Julien stumbling back, Kaelion's body tensed. The muscles on his arms bulged, and so did his entire body as his frame doubled in size.

His face grew red by the sudden transformation. As he pressed his foot against the ground, his body blurred, vanishing from sight. In an instant, he reappeared directly in front of Julien, whose pupils constricted in shock.

"Ha!"

Without much thought, Julien stepped back, increasing the gravity around him.

But it was of no use.

While Kaelion felt the increase in gravity, his body was able to withstand the pressure. His movements did slow down a tiny bit, but it wasn't enough to stop his momentum as he thrust his fist forward, a whistling sound echoing throughout the entire Colosseum.

Julien stared at the incoming punch with visible horror. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

'….It'll be over if I get hit.'

He understood then that he had to do something. Without much thought, he took a deep breath and mumbled,

"Fear."

Kaelion's mind went blank as the words echoed in his ears. The world around him faded away, swallowed by an endless darkness. In the void, a massive scythe materialized, its cold, sharp blade pressing against his neck, sending a chilling shiver down his spine.

Julien's figure blended with the darkness, disappearing from view. The sudden turn of events slowed down Kaelion's momentum temporarily.

He was only able to regain his senses when his head started to ache and the fear that gripped him shattered.

The darkness persisted, the scythe's icy blade hovering inches from his neck, but Kaelion blocked it all out. With a burst of strength, he drove his fist forward, cutting through the void as if nothing else mattered.

Booom!

A terrifying explosion followed forth as a figure skidded back and the darkness that embraced Kaelion shattered, revealing the crowd and the arena grounds.

"Hooo."

Taking a deep breath, Kaelion paused as he looked ahead of him.

There, Julien stood by the edge of the platform, his feet barely hanging as his left hand hung loosely by the side.

His face was pale and blood leaked from the side of his chin.

At that moment, the two locked eyes, and the Colosseum erupted. "Waaah!"