Chapter 208: Hate in the Eyes

Chapter 208: Hate in the Eyes

“Now, for the next chaos!” Zonbi announces.

Transparent magic energy emerges from the edges of the arena, curving upward to create something similar to a half-pipe.

“What exactly is this supposed to do?” Nemuri asks.

“It’s not finished yet,” Zonbi replies.

At the tops of the magic curves, two large boulders magically form, ready to drop.

“As you fight, you will also have to avoid getting rolled over by these boulders!” Zonbi announces. “You may now begin!”

The boulders drop and begin rolling down the curved magic and along the arena floor.

Nemuri opens his bloodshot eyes wide, charging his energy throughout his body.

Sasha takes a deep breath, coldly uttering, “None of this matters…”

She surrounds herself with a dark mist. The giant indistinct bloody face rises out of it, moaning as it flies around the stadium.

Zonbi smirks as she watches. “We might have to reuse this chaos for the next fight. I don’t think it will be doing anything in this one.”

The entire stadium becomes blanketed in darkness. Sasha still remains unseen.

***

In the VIP suites.

Sue grins with excitement. “Yes!! She’s using it again!! Show me more of what the Power of the Dead can do!!”

Sergon eyes her like she is a weirdo. “It’s an impressive power, I admit, but you’re getting way too hyped about it. Show some class.”

Sue continues watching, not even caring about Sergon’s words.

***

“Where is she?” Nemuri asks as he glances all around the darkened arena.

Dark Divine Eyes appear in the darkness behind him.

“Here.” Sasha answers.

“What!?” Nemuri shouts.

A seemingly invisible slash attack strikes Nemuri’s shoulder, opening a large wound with blood splashing out. “Gahh!!”

“Damn it! Don’t you dare do this to me!!” Nemuri screams. “My power grows the longer I go without sleep!! I’ve waited far too long to use this power against a strong opponent for you to do this to me!!”

He notices something at the last second and dodges, barely avoiding another slash from the darkness.

“That was a good dodge,” Sasha’s voice echoes. “Can you keep it up?”

Finally, Sasha appears in her entirety. She wields a black scythe made of darkness and wears a black grim robe, just without the hood.

“Power of the Dead: Reaper Form,” Sasha announces.

“So, you changed your clothes and made yourself a weapon, big deal!” Nemuri yells. “Fight me directly! That’s all I care about!”

Sasha smirks. “You won’t think so lightly of it very soon.”

Nemuri charges powerful magic energy into his arm and launches forward. Once he closes in, he throws rapid punches, but Sasha easily dodges them.

“I don’t have time for you,” Sasha scorns before beginning to rapidly swing her scythe. She slices up Nemuri into numerous pieces.

After finishing her attack, she begins breathing heavily, her exhaustion becoming evident even through her Power of the Dead. The darkness fades throughout the stadium and Sasha returns to normal.

“That’s that!” Zonbi announces. “Sasha is the winner!”

The crowd cheers, once again chanting Sasha’s name.

Maskodon keeps his masked gaze on the arena, standing still his arms crossed. His last remaining teammate next to him, a female demon who has dark green skin, hair made of thick black snake-like strands that have red eyes, and wears a black dress, smiles confidently as she gazes at Sasha in particular.

Sasha glances down at her hands and feet as she thinks, “How strong is their fifth member? Can I fight one more, or should I tag out now?”

She turns her attention to the last two members of the other team. However, once she does, she feels herself unable to move as her body gradually turns to stone from the feet up.

“What…?” Sasha gasps just before her body fully becomes stone.

Zeth, Keith, and Emily stare in disbelief.

The female demon standing next to Maskodon walks onto the arena.

Team “Mind Bogglers” – Medusa. Magic Rank – Mid B-Rank.

“What did you do!!?” Zeth yells.

Medusa shrugs. “Don’t blame me. She looked straight into my gaze and turned herself to stone.”

Medusa turns her head toward Zonbi. “You can call the match now. She’s not freeing herself from that stone. Only I have the power to do it.”

Zeth also turns his head toward Zonbi, his expression shifting to pure anger. “Are you kidding me!? She turned Sasha to stone outside of the official fight start!! She cheated and should be disqualified!!”

Zonbi rubs her chin. “Technically, you are correct. However, Sasha is still in the arena so the match shall now begin!!”

Zeth’s jaw drops in incredible disbelief.

Medusa smirks as she stares at Sasha’s stone body. “Call the match now or I will shatter her body into a million pieces.”

Zeth and Keith grind their teeth, ready to intervene.

“Sasha is unable to fight so Medusa is the winner!!” Zonbi announces, leading to a mixed reaction from the audience.

“There was certainly nothing satisfying about that ‘battle’…” a male demon groans.

***

Sergon grins, gazing at Medusa with a sense of pride. “That’s my girl! You show ‘em!!

Sue shakes her head. “It’s not like she fought Sasha for real.”

“Quiet, you!”

***

Zeth jumps onto the arena, avoiding direct eye contact with Medusa in the process. He grabs Sasha’s stone body and begins walking toward the edge of the arena.

Zonbi’s lip shifts into a mischievous smile.

Before Zeth can get off the arena, the curving magic rises around the arena’s edges, preventing Zeth from taking Sasha back. The two boulders form in the air once again.

“What is the meaning of this!?” Zeth shouts as he turns his head toward Zonbi once more.

“We have a rule at the tournament that inanimate objects from previous battles that remain on the arena when the next fight’s participants are on stage can be used for additional chaos. In addition, I personally feel that you would easily defeat Medusa so I think having to protect Sasha will make this much more interesting.

“What did you just say!?” Medusa interjects, glaring at Zonbi with a scowl, taking personal offense to Zonbi’s words.

***

Sergon grits his teeth, also taking offense with Zonbi’s words. “Don’t push it, Zonbi.”

Sue laughs to the point that she almost falls out of her chair.

***

Zeth’s frustration grows.

Zonbi smiles. “Here’s a little hint for you to make you feel better. While it’s true that only Medusa has the power to reverse the stone body, there is another method. Kill her. Medusa’s death will also reverse it.

Even in two different locations, Medusa and Sergon scorn in unison, “What are you trying to do, Zonbi!?”

Zeth’s eyes narrow and some of his veins pop against his skin. His fists clench tight as his magic energy charges.

Zonbi continues smiling as she thinks, “You hate this, Zeth. But you’ll thank me later.”

Zeth closes his right eye, making it easier to avoid eye contact with Medusa.

“Begin!” Zonbi announces.

The two boulders begin rolling downward, one heading for Medusa while the other heads for Sasha. Zeth quickly takes note, grabs Sasha, and jumps out of the way. Medusa avoids the boulder coming for her and charges magic energy into her hair.

“I’ve got you!” Medusa shouts as a single hair strand extends forward at a speed comparable to an arrow being fired from a bow. Zeth turns his body so that he takes the hit instead of Sasha. The hair strand hits with enough force to tear through his clothes at the impact site, leaving a wound on his skin. As he winces in pain, he notices a boulder rolling back down the magical half-pipe toward him. He turns so his back is facing the boulder. Once it rolls against his back, he stomps his feet into the tiles to stop it from pushing him. However, Medusa launches in and kicks him, knocking both him and Sasha to the side, but they land in different spots.

Medusa takes the opportunity to grab Sasha. She smirks. “You’re so protective of Sasha that you are going to lose the battle and the tournament. Surrender now, or I will shatter this statue into a million pieces.”

While avoiding direct eye contact, Zeth notices a boulder rolling toward Medusa from behind that has both of them in its path.

Zeth lowers his head.

Medusa speaks up. “What’s that? I can’t hear you! I told you to surrender!”

Just before the boulder hits Medusa, she jumps upward while still holding onto the statue. “What? You thought I wouldn’t notice the boulder?”

With the boulder rolling straight toward Zeth, he charges magic energy into his hands, unbeknownst to Medusa as the boulder is fully blocking her vision of Zeth. Once the boulder gets within point-blank range, Zeth thrusts his hands forward, unleashing a Star Shard from each hand. They tear through the boulder and go out the other end. They’re too fast for Medusa to react in time once she does notice them. One tears through her left shoulder, rendering it useless. The other tears through her lower abdomen. The agonizing pain causes Medusa to scream and drop Sasha.

Zeth hops over the boulder and dashes toward Medusa with his eyes closed. He slams his fist into Medusa’s gut, unleashing his full rage. The punch nearly blows through her body. She coughs up a massive amount of blood, some of which lands on Zeth’s shoulder. He opens his left eye, staring down at the floor. Nothing but hate is within it. He forms a Star Shine Blast in his hands and rams it into her body, blowing her back before it finally explodes. When the smoke clears, there is nothing left of her body.

Sasha’s body finally begins to reverse.

“Zeth is the winner!” Zonbi announces.

The crowd cheers, pleased with Zeth’s brutal kill.

The boulders and raised magic around the arena fade away.

Despite Sasha’s exhaustion, she stands up and hugs Zeth tight.

“I’m sorry you had to go through that,” Sasha says with relief. “Even though I was stone, I was still aware of everything that happened.”

Zeth hugs back. “It’s fine. I’m just glad you’re safe.”

***

Sergon glares down at Zeth, deep hatred in his eyes. His claws tremble. “How dare you kill my daughter!! Zeth…! I swear it…! You will not leave this tournament alive!!”

Only the captain of the opposing team remains, but hatred brews within the serpent.

Chapter 208 END

To be Continued in Chapter 209: A Polite Man in a Team Full of Jackasses