780 -Begets the fall
Hearing the Valthorin''s brazen invitation, Aron paused, his initial plans slipping away as he considered this unexpected opportunity.
"I won''t decline your offer," he replied, a faint smile forming as the chance to hit a stationary and powerful target presented itself. "And I trust you won’t go back on it."
The Valthorin fighter, arms still spread wide, didn''t respond, his expression one of complete disinterest. His silence spoke volumes, making it clear he was eager for Aron to act without delay.
Unbothered by his opponent''s silence, Aron clapped his hands together before spreading them shoulder-width apart, as though measuring an invisible force. Within moments, an explosion rune appeared, pulsating with raw, contained energy.
"One percent should be enough," he remarked, channeling precisely one percent of his total mana reserve into the rune—a fraction that still exceeded the mana used in all his previous battles combined.
With his preparation complete, Aron looked up and addressed the Colosseum''s AI referee. "Referee, activate every defensive measure to maximum capacity, or this Colosseum might split in two."
{... Understood. Proceeding.} The referee didn’t indulge in any bravado or try to lecture Aron on arrogance. Instead, she quietly initiated every defensive measure to maximum capacity. If Aron’s warning proved accurate, it was better to be safe than sorry; and if he was exaggerating, taking precautions posed no harm. The potential destruction of the Colosseum wasn’t covered by any contingency clause, as no one had ever anticipated such an event.
As the explosive force compressed into an increasingly smaller area, the flames intensified, shifting from fiery orange to blinding yellow. Soon, they turned a searing white, and for a brief, startling moment, they flickered into an intense blue before settling back to white. The colors hinted at the staggering levels of heat, pressure, and trapped radiation reverberating within the barrier, which seemed strained yet resolute, preventing the energy from breaking loose.
{Match over. Winner: Terran Empire, Aron Michael.}
The announcement jolted the audience, snapping them back to reality. As the explosion compressed down into a one-kilometer sphere, Aron emerged unscathed, not even a hint of injury marring his form. At the same time, the message confirmed that the Valthorin fighter, who had miraculously held on through most of the blast, had finally succumbed to its overwhelming force, marking the end of the battle.
“Pride begets the fall,” Aron murmured calmly, watching the compressed explosion continue to seethe within its containment. That was an overkill, he thought, realizing that the blast was only halfway spent and still brimming with destructive energy.
Seeing that it might take far too long for the energy to dissipate naturally, Aron raised his head and addressed the AI referee, “Can you open the shield? I need to expel the remaining energy—it’s still holding on to half of its force.”
{...................} The referee AI was momentarily silent, caught off guard by the sheer audacity of Aron’s request. But only for a brief moment. She quickly regained composure and, without hesitation, complied with his instructions.
The massive energy of the explosion, still compressed and holding back its full force, began to shift as the AI disengaged the shield. It was then that Aron finally released his control, sending the concentrated blast hurtling far from the Colosseum.
Had there been air in space, the sound of the explosion would have been devastating enough to kill anyone within range. But since it was sent into the vacuum of space, far from the Colosseum, only light and its destructive power remained as tangible evidence of its existence. The explosion''s shockwaves, void of sound, rippled through the emptiness, leaving behind a silent testament to its might. Yet, in the minds of the viewers, the sound reverberated—a phantom echo of the catastrophic force they had just witnessed.