"He died… Dylan Norton actually died just like that…"
"Dylan Norton’s so powerful, but against him, the match was entirely one-sided. He got directly killed… Even an arcane master like Kleis wasn’t in time to block it. That guy… Who the hell is he!"
All the members of team Mountain Kings stood on trembling, unsteady legs.
"How did things turn out like this?"
Many girls even started crying in the stands.
Especially for Dylan’s fan groups. Every one of them was deathly pale, their minds empty. They simply couldn’t accept the scene in front of their eyes.
In theory, you gambled your life in the battles of this tournament. Severe injuries would frequently occur, even death was a possibility. But even so, the main referee, the assistant referees, or even the medical team, all of them were arcane masters standing at the peak of the entire kingdom. Injuries so severe they led to death were extremely rare. To be killed on the spot in the tournament, that was something that might not happen even once in seven or eight years, even more so.
Right now, there wasn’t a lack of powerhouses stronger than Dylan Norton in the stands. But seeing this scene with their very eyes, they all felt their scalps go cold and numb.
"Such a powerful arcane skill. He used it without the slightest restraint even though Dylan was clearly not his match." Team Dragon Breath had already returned to the stands at this time. Seeing such a fight happen with his own eyes, captain Morgan’s expression also became unsightly. "It simply wasn’t any sort of mistake. He was simply planning to kill him to begin with."
"At that precise instant, the expression in his eyes was simply an indifference that said he cared nothing about the life or death of his opponent." Audrey took in a deep breath and slowly said, "And at that instant, the aura coming from him was definitely the murderous aura that someone could only have after killing many people."
"Dylan Norton, this Lotton directly…"
All the girls in team Agate Lake were covering their mouths. None of them had the courage to look at the scene of mutilation.
"This guy Ayrin, his premonition was entirely founded. Something this frightening really happened." Moss and the others all focused their shocked gazes on Ayrin. "Then what bout Ayrin’s feeling that that guy was staring at him, what does it mean?"
"What on earth did this guy go through to have such a fearsome aura, to be so powerful?" Ayrin was completely dumbfounded. He never thought either that such matter of life and death would occur in this match.
"Dylan!"
"Brother!"
At the edge of the field, everyone in team Hornwood had gone insane. All of them, especially Feit Norton, the other half of the Double Stars, were all desperately rushing toward the center of the field. In the end, five or six assistant referees blocked them.
A medical team hurriedly carried away the silent, mangled Dylan.
Kleis, the main referee, stared at Lotton, his gaze unwavering. But Lotton still had his absolute serenity from before the match, to the point even Kleis, when he gazed into his gray eyes, felt fright surging from the depths of his heart.
"I’m going to kill you and avenge my brother!"
Forcibly blocked by several assistant referees, Feit Norton let out a tremendous roar. Everyone felt their hearts shiver inexplicably when they heard him.
"Can we proceed with the match?"
Faced with such a roar, Lotton merely asked Kleis such a cold and detached question.
"What?"
Kleis included, everyone who heard him froze inexplicably.
He’d directly killed a member of the other team, but it actually seemed like a common occurrence for him, as if nothing exceptional had taken place.
"If you want to kill me… can’t you kill me on the tournament field, fair and square?"
Lotton slowly lifted his head and looked at all the members of team Hornwood with eyes that were looking at dead men. "In the tournament, to kill or to be killed, they’re both very fair matters… If you aren’t afraid to be killed, if you’re certain you can kill me, then shouldn’t you be even more eager to continue the match?"
A biting cold chill and fear once again engulfed almost everyone’s heart and mind.
In the stands, many teams participating in the tournament looked at each other with pale faces. They wondered, if they were the ones to meet such an opponent, would they still have the courage to stand in the field and fight him?
"If you want to kill your opponent, then you have to have the courage to gamble with the possibility your opponent might kill you instead. He directly said that, and even really did it, but the most crucial is… He’s so powerful, even a celebrity contestant like Dylan instantly died at his hands." Moss couldn’t help looking at Ayrin. "If it were you, would you dare go and fight?"
"Of course. If I happen to face him, there’s no reason I should cower." Ayrin nodded. "To begin with, you have to have the courage to gamble with your life in a genuine battle."
…
On the field, Kleis’ eyes fell on the other members of team Hornwood.
"Let’s continue the match!"
Taidar, the second fighter for Hornwood Academy, shouted with bloodshot eyes.
Kleis nodded at the assistant referees blocking team Hornwood, and signaled them with his eyes as well.
He could clearly tell that Lotton was entirely different from ordinary team members, and he was certain Lotton would have no hesitation killing his opponent once again. But in the rules of the tournament, there was no provision about stopping the match in such circumstances. The only thing he could do is to let all the arcane masters acting as referee be even more vigilant, to intercept him as soon as they noticed something wrong, in order to avoid another death.
Taidar, the second contestant for Hornwood Academy, walked into the field.
He was a short stocky boy with a flat top. His intense rage made his face look a little twisted.
"Swish!" "Swish!"
Two referees flashed and appeared twenty meters away from Lotton and Taidar, one on the left and one on the right. They were clearly taking special precautions.
"Hornwood Academy against Hellfire Academy, second fight, Taidar against Lotton."
When Kleis declared the start of the match, Lotton actually looked at Taidar with his cold, mocking gray eyes, standing where he was without moving an inch. He said, "Your mind’s filled with anger and hotbloodedness right now, but your inner self’s already flooded by fear. The monster that is despair is already gnawing at your innermost being. The only thing you can do is to slowly enjoy the taste of fear. How can you be my match?"
"What!"
Cries of alarm rose in the stands like a tsunami.
Above Taidar, there was a black lump of shadow emerging continuously, as though a shadow monster were riding his body. It grew larger and larger, and even seemed to carry real weight, pressing down on Taidar, to the point the latter started to bend down slightly.
Taidar’s expression seemed extremely pained. Cold sweat covered his face. His body was so stiff it didn’t respond to his commands.
Some people in Dragon Breath Academy scowled and said in a hush, "What a strange arcane skill."
"What a quick invocation speed. He’s completely overwhelming his opponent. He even seemed faster than Audrey and Joyce earlier." At the same time, Chris couldn’t resist mumbling to herself with a solemn expression, "Although it should be an arcane skill that disturbs the mind… He launched his skill before his opponent even had time to let his arcane particles flow out. Could he be an arcane master with already four open gates?"
"Four open gates?" Ayrin was greatly astounded when he heard Chris’ words. "Then, wouldn’t he be at the same level as some elite masters in our Holy Dawn Academy?"
He suddenly heard a familiar voice beside him: "He should be. This guy, I wonder where such a monster came from."
"Teacher Carter, teacher Fran, where have you been?" Ayrin immediately shouted as soon as he turned around and indeed saw Carter and Fran.
"Routine cooperation patrol. We first combed the area with large numbers to check whether there’s someone suspicious in the city," Carter explained. He furrowed his brows and looked at Lotton standing there in the field. "I just never thought we’d be late to the match… There’s actually such a monster appearing in the national tournament this year."
"This guy’s so young, how can he have the murderous aura you can possess have after killing many arcane masters…" Fran, the teacher in charge of team Agate Lake, also wore shocked puzzlement across her face. "Even I feel a little scared. This guy doesn’t seem to have any feelings for his own teammates. Even his own teammates seem very afraid of him."
"Oh no!"
Just at this time, the two assistant referees standing guards suddenly became tense.
With a "Puff," one assistant referee shot a red burning beam of light from his hand, cutting the ground between Lotton and Taidar. The other referee’s eyes flashed, and in this short instant, he already covered Taidar inside a transparent veil of light.
"Puff puff puff puff…"
The sounds of many tiny ruptures suddenly rose from both Taidar’s feet at the same time.
Bits and pieces of flesh sprayed from his feet. Many tiny holes suddenly covered his soles and lower legs.
"Ah!"
Taidar immediately shouted in pain.
"What!"
"What arcane skill was that!"
"It seems the two assistant referees suddenly cut off its power, otherwise… these tiny holes would have appeared all over Taidar."
"It seems like the power even squeezed his bones to pieces."
There was a collective hiss in the stands. Almost no one had clearly seen what really happened.
"If these two referees hadn’t acted and blocked it in time, then Taidar would be dead already as well!"
This was something almost everyone was certain of in their minds.
Everyone in team Hornwood had become deathly pale.
"Captain, we better forfeit… I beg you, don’t go in the field, otherwise he’ll kill you too!"
A team member crumbled a few seconds later. He started weeping.
At this instant, no one in the whole arena thought this team member was acting shamefully.
In the stands, in team Golden Stag, Rinsyi’s expression was also extremely unsightly.
He was nicknamed the God of Death.
But compared to Lotton… It was very obvious Lotton was the real God of Death.
That invisible fear and pressure, it was somewhat hard to bear even sitting in the stands, to say nothing of his opponents facing him in the field.
Feit Norton trembled like a leaf. He knew that at a time like this, he absolutely should be going up there without a care whether anyone else gave up or not. However, faced with Lotton and his gaze that seemed to look at everyone like a dead man, he couldn’t put one step forward from beginning to end.
"Feit Norton’s also ruined." In team Dragon Breath, captain Morgan softly said, "This match is already over."
