novellhall Chapter 169 Fighting Caelus
Chapter 169 Fighting Caelus
Everyone was dumbstruck. After enduring Sevara’s massive spell, Zane stood completely unharmed.
Sevara herself was even more shocked than the spectators. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.
"Once again, it’s a great skill," Zane said calmly, as if giving constructive criticism. "But it’s too flashy. It takes too long to cast."
He shook his head lightly.
"The gap between us is simply too large. Just give up already. I don’t want to hit a lady."
Sevara had been angry from the very beginning of the match. Her emotions had clouded her judgment, and she interpreted his words as nothing more than another insult.
"No, you bastard!" she screamed. "Don’t look down on me!"
She charged forward recklessly.
Zane sighed.
Her fists and kicks flew toward him one after another, but he avoided them effortlessly. It was as though he had become air itself. Every attack passed through empty space.
"Alright. That’s enough."
His figure blurred.
In the next instant, he appeared directly before her.
With his left hand, he caught her incoming punch.
At the same time, his right fist shot toward her face.
Sevara’s eyes widened.
She felt a powerful gust of wind strike her cheeks.
But the punch never landed.
Zane’s fist stopped less than an inch from her nose.
The entire stadium fell silent.
"Take this as a lesson," Zane said calmly. "If you don’t want to die early in a real battle, avoid fighting someone far stronger than yourself."
Sevara blinked.
For the first time since the match began, her anger cooled.
"Then what should I do?" she asked quietly.
"Run."
The answer came without hesitation.
"Run as if your life depends on it—because it does. There is no shame in retreating when death is staring you in the face. If you survive, you can grow stronger and come back another day."
His gaze sharpened.
"But if you die, you’ll simply become another corpse buried beneath the soil."
Sevara remained silent for several seconds.
Then she lowered her head.
"I lost."
She withdrew her hand and stepped back.
Without another word, Sevara Dreadthorn turned and walked off the stage.
This time, her expression was calm.
Calmer than it had ever been throughout the match.
She finally understood one thing:
She was completely out of his league.
Only after she left the stage did the crowd erupt.
Thunderous cheers and applause swept across the arena as everyone finally processed what they had just witnessed.
From all the fights they had witnessed so far, everyone had come to the same conclusion:
Zane would ultimately become the champion of this tournament.
The competition continued until only one final match remained.
Zane Carter vs. Caelus Veyloris
The crowd erupted in excitement.
Everyone had watched Caelus’s journey through the tournament. His skill, determination, and talent had earned their respect. Yet after seeing Zane’s performances, few believed the outcome would be any different.
The real question wasn’t whether Zane would win.
It was how long Caelus could last against him.
The betting booths became crowded almost immediately. An overwhelming majority placed their wagers on Zane.
To the spectators, the result already seemed decided.
The two finalists stepped onto Stage One.
The referee entered between them and raised his hand.
"Contestants, prepare yourselves."
Both young men faced each other and bowed respectfully.
Caelus straightened and looked directly into Zane’s eyes.
"You’re strong, Zane," he admitted. "Far stronger than me. I know that now."
His hand tightened around the hilt of his sword.
"But I’ll use everything I’ve got. I won’t hold anything back."
Zane smiled.
"Good. Then let’s fight."
"The match begins!" the referee announced before retreating from the stage.
Instantly, glowing glyphs illuminated the platform, and a transparent magical barrier enclosed the arena.
Unlike their previous encounter, Caelus didn’t rush forward.
He had learned his lesson.
Charging blindly at Zane would accomplish nothing.
Instead, he chose strategy.
Raising one hand, he pointed a finger toward his opponent.
"Fire Bullet."
A blazing red projectile shot across the stage with incredible speed.
The audience gasped.
In their eyes, the attack had pierced straight through Zane’s forehead.
Yet no blood appeared.
No body fell.
The image dissolved.
It had only been an afterimage.
A ripple of surprise spread through the crowd.
Zane was already standing several meters to the side.
"Not bad," he said calmly. "But not fast enough."
Caelus exhaled slowly and drew his sword.
The blade gleamed beneath the stadium lights.
"Please be careful," he said with a serious expression. "I’m going all out this time."
He lowered himself into a combat stance.
"A sword has no eyes."
"Right. A sword has no eyes," Zane repeated with a smile.
Caelus immediately swung his sword from a distance.
A white crescent of sword energy shot forward, tearing through the air toward Zane.
The spectators gasped.
Zane flickered and vanished from sight.
This was the first time he had used Lightning Step to evade one of Caelus’s attacks. The sword slash was simply too fast and too dangerous to ignore.
His expression finally turned serious.
"Alright," Zane said. "You’re good. This is getting interesting."
Caelus liked hearing that.
At least now his opponent was acknowledging him.
Without wasting another moment, he dashed forward and unleashed the sword style he had painstakingly cultivated—the Mountain-Cleaving Sword Style.
Each step he took released another sword flash.
One slash.
Two slashes.
Three slashes.
The sword lights chased after Zane relentlessly.
Zane continued to dodge, shifting sideways with fluid movements.
Caelus remained persistent, pursuing him without pause. Each swing carried greater force than the last, as if he was building momentum with every attack.
"Are you planning to dodge forever?" Caelus shouted. "How about attacking me for once?"
Zane let out a helpless sigh.
"Fine."
As another slash came toward him, he stepped in instead of retreating.
His foot struck the flat side of Caelus’s blade.
Bang!
The impact sent Caelus flying backward.
However, Caelus reacted instantly.
Twisting his body midair, he landed gracefully on both feet and immediately sprang forward again.
This time, he thrust his sword straight toward Zane’s chest.
Zane tilted his body and narrowly avoided the stab.
"Zig-Zag Fire Strike!"
The sword’s tip suddenly released a crimson bolt of fire.
Unlike ordinary projectiles, the attack twisted unpredictably through the air.
Zane’s eyes narrowed.
Before he could fully react, the firebolt struck his chest.
Boom!
The impact pushed him backward until his back slammed against the barrier surrounding the arena.
The audience erupted.
It was the first clean hit anyone had landed on Zane throughout the tournament.
Zane glanced down.
The front of his silk shirt had been completely burned away.
The charred fabric fell apart, exposing his lean but muscular frame. His skin was slightly darkened where the flames had struck, but there wasn’t a single serious wound on him.
The crowd fell silent.
They had expected blood.
Instead, they saw a body that looked as tough as tempered steel.
Zane touched the burned portion of his chest and then looked back at Caelus.
A grin slowly spread across his face.
"Excellent!" he roared, genuine excitement filling his voice.