Fifty-Six

The ground exploded as black boots flashed in front of Kon's eyes. Hot liquid splashed across him as the earth trembled, dust rose up in a cloud that blanketed his vision, but he was still held still by that otherworldly force. Power wrapped around him, held him tighter than any chain could have hoped for.

"STOP THIS MADNESS," a voice roared, but it was lost in the thrum of thunder. Light lit the world, a flash so bright it seared his eyes even through the cloud of dust.

"Damn bug," a muffled voice said and then a strong hand gripped his shoulder. Kon could feel the strength in their fingers as they strained, but nothing happened as Kon was still locked in place.

"DANIUR! Bit of help," it was a woman's voice Kon decided. As the dust started to fade away he could see the demon mask that covered her face. It was the D-Grade body cultivation champion.

"What's she doing here?" The thought flashed through his mind but the chaos of the moment kept him from thinking to hard about it.

"Stormblade, did you think we would truly allow you to come here and force us to bend to you?" The voice was raspy and low but carried across the entire stadium with ease.

"You fools think to challenge me? You are nothing but ants beneath my feet," thunder rumbled and the world shook as Stormblade responded.

"Your arrogance is without peer. We are not fools, you are right where you need to be," the first voice said. The cloud of dust settled down just in time for Kon to watch as golden bars of energy lanced up from around the stadium, dozens of them arced up to connect above the midpoint of the stadium.

"A cage? For me?" Rage filled Stormblade's voice and the world shook with her wrath. Blue-white light filled the world as electricity rose the hairs on his entire body as the weight holding him was squashed instantly.

"Kill her! Kill her now!" the first voice screamed, a hint of panic in their voice. The golden bars that made the cage began to flicker, stressed against the power of whoever Stormblade was.

"Looks like you made some friends," the champion said. Kon looked over to where she was looking and sighed as he saw the robes of the Purifying Flame sect intermingled with two others who wore the same robes that Hali had been wearing. Before the champion had crushed her like a bug.

"The lead two are my weight class. The other three you can handle," the champion said as she started to march toward the cluster of cultivators. Kon blinked around and looked toward where he had come into the stadium, but the entire area had become a calamity of running and shouting as thousands tried to flee but the golden cage kept them from leaving the stadium.

Fire rippled across the stadium, conventional explosions ripping apart groups of armed cultivators as they were in mid charge. Balls of flame rose up right before the concussive blasts hit, overlapping in a wave of pressure that staggered Kon. He shook his head as he started to follow the champion, her unhurried pace still eating the distance rapidly.

"She saved you. Back her up till Benny gets here." Kon followed after the champion, holding tight to his mace as he pulled heavily on his newfound strength. His body responded, legs pumping as he caught up to the champion.

The three flanking cultivators split apart, flowing around their leaders to come rushing forward with weapons drawn. Auras began to spill out and fill the space as Kon leapt at them, crossing the distance in the blink of an eye.

He pushed energy into the rune inscribed on the weapon, velocity, mass, and expansion all at once. The hungry mace pulled the rift energy inside of him, but his new depths were more than enough to fuel the mace's runes as it quadrupled in size and weight, falling so fast that it nearly wrenched his shoulder out of socket.

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His target was a Teno cultivator who looked up to see the suddenly massive mace falling toward him with unstoppable speed. Fear had a moment to begin forming, but then they were gone under the bronze head of the mace, turned to nothing but pulped flesh and gore.

Kon immediately let go of the river of energy that was entering the mace, throwing himself to the side as a spear cut a line of fire across his back. The cultivator was on him, their leg rising and falling in a powerful stomp that sent a shower of dirt into his eyes as Kon got back to his feet in an instant.

The spear was a blur, but Kon managed to stay ahead of it as one part of his mind tracked the other cultivator who was wielding a thin, flexible, metal staff as she ran around to try to flank him. Then the spear suddenly lengthened, covered in the fiery orange aura of the spear cultivator.

Metal met with a dull thud as he parried with his mace before surging forward. He punched the cultivator in the throat, his knuckles suddenly wrapped around in silver energy as he pulled at the power he'd found in that E-Grade rift. Battle aura wasn't something he'd used before consciously, but it came easier than the last time he'd done it.

Cartilage crunched under his knuckles, power blowing outward and drowning the orange aura. The cultivator staggered back as Kon dropped low, dodging a half-hearted swipe with a dagger that had come out of nowhere to part his hair. A few strands fell to the ground, but the cultivator was choking as his fingers scrambled at his throat.

Kon spun fast, leg extended, swept the legs out from the dying spearman and turned to face the final cultivator as she came flying at him with her staff. She stabbed out like it was a spear, aiming for his throat, before spinning it around to a sweeping blow at his head.

Kon was still wreathed in his battle aura, strength flowed through him, heady and intoxicating as he raised his free arm and blocked the quarterstaff with his forearm. Bone cracked, pain lanced through his body as her aura seemed to burn, skin darkening around the impact site.

"Fuck you," Kon snarled as he advanced, getting inside of her guard and jabbing her in the gut with the mace. He increased the density right before the blow landed. She bent in half, blood showering from her mouth as he pulped her internal organs. Kon whipped the mace around and finished her, striking at the back of her skull and dropping her like a rock.

"Behind you," Diur's voice reached him and he threw himself to the side instantly. Heat broke through his aura, clothes burning to ash as his skin burnt and cracked instantly as a blade of heat passed through where he'd just been. For a split second there was no pain, but then it hit.

Kon choked on a scream, rolling fast to put out the burning robes until he rose to his feet. Diur was moving quickly toward him, blade drawn and her own cool, blue aura showcased. She wouldn't be there in time.

Kon looked at his attacker, trying to suppress the pain, and saw it was one of the elders who the champion was supposed to be occupying. She was busy with the Void Walker elder, the two of them flashing about in bursts of speed and blows that sounded like wood cracking.

"You have been a thorn in our side. Just die already," the elder spat. He was definitely in the D-Grade, his aura having obtained a true aspect that affected the physical world with its very presence. Kon's body hurt, his fight with Hali and then the three other E-Grades having left him with a series of shallow cuts that had been bleeding for minutes. The burns on his back were bad and his body was starting to feel weary, his exertions having drained away serious amounts of his reserves.

The cultivator strode forward with lazy strides that somehow crossed the distance at twice the rate it should. Sweat popped out on Kon's face as billowing heat washed over him. An arrogant smile filled the D-Grade's face as he leered at Kon, raising the sword above his head, ready to strike.

Bone and blood exploded in a spray as the cultivator's head disintegrated. A moment later a deep boom echoed out over the arena. Kon blinked slowly as the cultivator's body slowly teetered backward to sprawl across the ground bonelessly.

Kon looked past the dead body, eyes flickered past where Benny had been. The old man wasn't visible, Kon hadn't thought he would be, but his presence was starting to be felt. Boom boom boom a rifle thundered and with every shot a cultivator died. The stands began to empty of combatants as in the sky underneath the golden cage figures flickered back and forth inside of growing storm clouds.

Then he looked back at the champion just in time to watch a sword rip through her chest, emerging in a burst of blood out her back. Spirals of cracking space filled the area and more blood sprayed out as an arm fell to the ground. Her opponent was breathing heavily, blood leaking from their partially crushed face, but even then the satisfaction was there.

"Shit. Not again," the champion's voice carried easily enough. The Void Walker twisted their hand and the cracks in reality snapped shut and more blood flowed as the sword leapt back into her hand. The champion staggered a step, but didn't fall.

"I expected more from the Stormblade's protege," the cultivator said.

"Guess it's time to get serious," the champion said. Then a rune snapped into being behind her and Kon felt his injuries begin to heal.

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