Mad God – Reborn

The judges, sitting from right to left, were Isha, Poli, Ren, Leinor, and finally Zern. Each of them had their disciples standing behind them, if they had any, of course. That meant Emi was standing behind Poli, calmly and with grace and beauty. The three brothers, Botan, Jiro, and Shin, stood behind Zern, looking focused and stern. As for Ren, behind her stood Lulu, with a playful smile, happy to be basking in the attention alone, since Yanda was still absent.

"You all gave us a lot of trouble," Ren spoke as she stood up, silencing the noise and chatter inside the arena with one wave of her hand. "And for that, I am grateful to you all!" She chuckled. "I am happy to see our teachings are not wasted on you." Then, she looked over the eleven finalists, lingering a little more on Ariana before moving her eyes forward. "After selecting the ten submissions for the finals, we decided to make our verdict final only after we saw how the makers of these spells performed them. It is best understood by you, the one who created it... So we want to see YOU show it and explain it to us. I won't waste time; let's get right into the finals!" She clapped once as Poli stood up next to her.

"The first spell that we are going to see is submitted by Heldi. Please!" He gestured at one of the finalists to step forward.

Heldi was an Inner Disciple, a 27-year-old, beautiful woman in the 6th stage of the body refinement realm. She had shoulder-length blond hair and a slim, petite figure as she slowly walked out of the line, gulping loudly, her bright, blue eyes filled with excitement.

"Elder!" She cupped her hands respectfully.

"You wield a chakram, yes?" Poli asked.

"Yes, Elder. Two, in fact." She answered honestly.

"Can you show us your technique?" He smiled, and she nodded before looking around, clearly nervous about it… But there was no time to hesitate.

Heldi closed her eyes for a moment, producing the two chakrams from inside her robes. When her shining, blue eyes reopened, she was in a trance-like state, as she began to dance. For the untrained eye, it really was just that, a dance, but her weapons moved seamlessly in her hand, and in the middle of her performance, she let them go. They orbited around her freely, following every movement she performed. They acted as her dance partners, flashing quickly, one executing attacking patterns, even flying out dozens of meters away before coming back. At the same time, the second one remained beside her, ready to deflect any incoming attacks.

As she moved, those who stood close to her could hear faint music as if it came from somewhere far, far away. They felt a faint desire to watch her performance more and more, letting go of everything else and just enjoying the show. As the feeling grew stronger, they realized that not just two but dozens of chakrams now circled around her. As her dance became more intense, the music also became loud enough to be heard from the stands. In the end, Poli summoned his sword, stabbing out quickly, restricting his powers to Heldi's level. His weapon clashed with Heldi's chakrams, piercing the multiple illusions, striking the only real one before her. Just then, Poli was already stepping backward, avoiding the incoming attacks of her fake and real chakrams.

"Good!" He nodded with a smile, putting his sword away after deflecting the real one once again. The moment it was done, Heldi also stopped cupping her hands together, gasping for air, "It's not just a weapon technique." Poli raised his voice so the spectators could also hear him clearly. "Correct?"

"Yes." Heldi nodded, wiping off the sweat from her forehead, grabbing ahold of her weapons as the illusions dissipated completely. "Before I started to cultivate, I was a dancer in a theater. I… always liked it. I… I have a trash affinity…" She said, lowering her head.

"There is no such thing!" Ren's voice held a kind tone as she nodded for her to continue.

"My affinity is… I don't know if I can even call it that… When I dance, I feel calmness, happiness, and joy." She explained, looking embarrassed, as Poli patted her shoulder.

"You just haven't realized it yet." He encouraged her, looking into her eyes. "You don't see yourself from the outside when you perform it. Your affinity displays its true nature when you are lost in it. You didn't know, but what you created when writing it down is the first real illusion technique in our Sect." He chuckled, scanning her from top to bottom with a smile. That was the moment he heard a faint throat clearing... coming from Emi. Luckily, Poli managed to keep his body from flinching and continue normally. "Here." He presented her with a rolled-up parchment. "This is a cultivation technique written down by my Master, tailored especially for you."

His words shocked not just Heldi but also the rest of the spectators, as everyone knew that it meant that it came from Ren. It meant it could even involve the Sect Head...

"I… I…” Heldi blinked her eyes, taking her precious gift with trembling hands.

"It is your reward," Ren spoke up again. "We could reward you with points... Artifacts. I could craft you new chakrams, but they are just tools. What you need is guidance to let you elevate yourself." She chuckled.

Heldi clutched it firmly, bowing towards the judges before hurrying back to the line, ready to cry from the overwhelming happiness she felt right then and there. As for Poli, he stayed before them, looking finally at the next contender. His name was Tuxon, and he was at the same stage as Heldi. He was about 180cm tall and on the chubby side... Looking at him, he had a completely shaved head and a long, red, bushy beard that reached down to his chest, making him look way older than he really was. Everyone called him the oldest disciple, yet Tuxon had just turned 18, around a month ago. Was he bothered by it? Not really. Especially when they had time to venture out, and he could enjoy some establishments' naughty offers without any fuss, without anyone asking about his age.

"Elder," He stepped forward, seeing Poli's gaze, and cupped his hand.

"As I stayed out here, the next submission is also a technique based on weapons." Poli continued as his sword started slowly rotating around his body. "You are free to attack me as you wish to demonstrate it to the others."

"Thank you for the opportunity!" Tuxon bowed and pulled off a giant Warhammer from his back, almost as big as him. "I call this technique Thunder Hammer." He explained proudly as blueish electricity started to flash along the thick shaft and at the head of the weapon.

With the first swing, it was accompanied by the sound of the buzzing of electricity, and when it landed on Poli's sword, bolts of lightning flew outwards in every direction. At first, it didn't seem like anything special, but soon, everyone realized the leftover sparks did not dissipate when they left the hammer. They were just hovering in the air, pulsating. With every swing, a loud, metallic clank rang out as Poli was meeting his hammer head-on, blocking every move of his. As the minutes went by, more and more sparks floated and swarmed around them; some even exploded as Poli stepped close to one. They were acting like traps. Tuxon's face was excited, as it was the first time he could go up against someone above his level, and he was lost in the fight, using everything he had learned over the years.

After around five minutes of constant fighting, he held the hammer with only one hand, performing a seal with the other, and the lingering lightning flashed, forming a second, giant hammer around his real one. When he swung it down with all his strength, it produced a deafening blast. The wind howled outwards, but Poli just stood there, hand behind his back, his sword blocking the attack, diverting it to the sides.

The air was still crackling with electricity when Tuxon stepped back, lowering his hands, putting away his hammer, and blowing on his fingers.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch… that really hurt…" He chuckled as he felt like hitting a wall, and the rebounding force was still circulating inside his bones, threatening to crack them. "Thank you for letting me go all out!" he bowed to Poli, feeling really happy as he let him demonstrate the full power of his spell.

"No problem. It wouldn't be fun if you just condense the smallest amount you can, no?" He chuckled. "Going all out is the way!" Poli said as his sword slowly floated back to its scabbard on his back.

"Can I ask… something?" Tuxon asked after collecting his thoughts.

"Go ahead." Poli nodded.

"How strong can my technique get?" came out the question with childlike stars in his eyes.

Poli did not answer, just grinned, looking back at Ren, who had already stood up, slowly floating up in the air. Suddenly, a defensive, transparent formation was activated before the spectators and the disciples in the arena as the wind around them grew stronger and stronger. Ren's silvery hair started to dance behind her as her eyes flashed with violet electricity. A moment ago, it was a clear, sunny day, but not anymore, as thunder rumbled in the air, with a hammer materializing inside her hand.

"Poli!" She shouted his name, making her disciple flinch.

"Oh… really…? Me? M-master…” He twitched his mouth while some laughter broke out in the arena. "Fuck it… Bring it down!" He shouted back, releasing his full powers and immediately attacking Ren, who swung the completely purple, transparent hammer down, meeting the tip of his blade.

The explosion created a blinding flash, striking upwards, seemingly piercing the sky with a blue and purple column. The rumbling resonated inside of everyone present, shaking their minds and organs alike. When it calmed down, the defensive barrier slowly faded, and Poli floated there, descending, breathing a bit heavily but... uninjured.

"Geez…" He shook his hand, shaking off the excess of sparks. "That felt awful!" He moaned, making the dazed disciples laugh and clap as everyone slowly came back to their senses.

Ren gently floated back into her chair, and the disciples were sure by now that the judges really went through every technique. It was an honor to think that some even mastered the techniques they submitted. Tuxon especially felt proud that the Junior Sect Head used his creation, bowing deeply towards them.

"If I use it in a real battle and collect my opponent's spells and their residue energy, it can be even stronger." Ren added, "It has good potential but also great drawbacks." She explained patiently. "Leaving the energy outside of your body for so long can be used against you, too. If your opponent realizes what you are doing, they can strike against it. There are solutions for this, but you need to cultivate your own version. Still, the idea and concept behind it are good and have great potential. Keep working on it!"

"Thank you, Junior Sect Head!" Tuxon bowed once again before going back to his position.

Right after, Poli also walked back to his seat, where Zern stood up and came forward, speaking in a calm voice, while his three disciples followed him onto the field.

"The next will be three people at the same time," he said, surprising the rest. "Sylvett, Kirch, and Ostavar."

At the mention of their names, they immediately stepped forward. Sylvett was a short girl who looked to be only 15 or 16, but in reality, she was over 30 and already in the 7th stage of body refinement. She had an average figure, short brown hair, and brown eyes, and a happy-go-lucky expression that lingered on her face most of the time, making her easy to talk to and approach. Kirch, who was familiar with her because they had been friends since childhood, also seemed to be in the same age bracket, as he wasn't that tall and looked somewhat sick. He was very thin, especially now, wearing a pale, frightened face, shuddering like a spooked rabbit. For him, to perform before so many people was the worst nightmare ever. He was scratching his short black hair, clearly close to panic, when Sylvett pinched his sides.

"Relax, Kirch! It is going to be fine. Even if you fail, we are already in the top 10... Enjoy the sensation!" Sylvett giggled, somewhat calming down her old friend.

"You know full well, Syl, I hate standing out… ugh… I want to go home…" Kirch murmured, "Why did you write me up for this?"

"Because you are always cooped up in your dark room, that is why! This is your time, Kirch; you can score a nice girlfriend with this and say goodbye to that virginity of yours."

"Who cares about that… I just want to go home…"

"I care! I am your Big Sis! Who is going to look after you if not me? Give your all, or I'll nag you even harder!"

"..." Kirch just stumbled a bit, and Ostavar, standing next to them, just shook his head, unable to believe what he was hearing.

He was another participant, already over 30, but he also looked younger, only to be in his twenties. He was one of the more popular guys among the Inner Disciples, as he was tall, almost 190cm, and he kept his long, black hair loose, while his piercing, blue eyes captured a lot of girls' attention since he joined the Sect. Gently feeling the whispering two's auras next to him, he noted to himself that all three of them were at the 7th stage. It was already giving him an idea of what was going to happen next, watching Zern's disciples.

"This is going to be a simple demonstration." Zern looked over at them. "All three of you submitted a defensive spell. All you need to do is keep it up against my direct disciples. They are at the same stage as you; it is going to be a fair competition." He said as he stepped backward. Then, the twins cupped their hands in sync, taking their master's position.

The first to activate his spell was Kirch, and to everyone's surprise, he turned completely invisible, disappearing from sight. Sylvett and Ostavar were only a step behind as Sylvette's body started to glow and turned shiny, almost blindingly bright, taking on a golden color from top to bottom. As for Ostavar, he quickly became shrouded in purple fog, with only his blue eyes shining deep within it, like two lighthouses.

Zern's disciples waited until they brought their spells out, and when they attacked, they did it simultaneously. The first to be struck was Sylvett, as a palm strike landed on her body, letting out bell-like chimes resonating around her. It was loud and disorienting for her opponent, as it was a counterattack by sound waves. She was proud of her own creation, as it was repeatedly tested by fighting her friends, and until now, only a few have managed to overcome it.

Sadly, her opponent was Botan. As soon as he recognized the automatic counterstrike, he just closed off his own sense of hearing, continuing to attack without pause. Soon, it sounded like bells chiming in a village when bandits came, and every time a strike landed, it rang louder than before. To his surprise, Botan could still sense it, even though he made himself deaf. The waves were starting to mess with his other organs and inner senses, too... He didn't hesitate at all before cutting off all of his remaining senses and plunging into complete darkness. He wasn't afraid as he knew he was never alone. His mind was connected to his brothers, and he saw and felt everything they did. For Botan, it was like seeing himself from the outside, and he continued to rain down his attacks on Sylvett.

At the same time, Ostavar was also feeling the pressure. His defenses relied on poison. The smoke that he hid himself in was strongly corrosive, and if someone breathed in too much of it, they would quickly find themselves in a groggy state, seeing double. That was only the start, though, as it would be followed by high fever and, in the end, even a fading consciousness or complete paralysis. The problem came when Shin, the youngest of the brothers, attacked with his giant ram-dao weapon. Whenever he faced attacks like this before, Ostavar always found that the attacker needed to get close, and it was unavoidable for them not to inhale the thick fumes. Yet now, Shin, wielding the sword that has already beheaded countless bandits, with every swing, shaved away from his cloud of poison, scattering it away as if it were made from cotton candy.

"Not good…" Ostavar thought. "His blade is enchanted; it has wind powers!" He finally felt it as it went past his original body, pretty close, glowing a faint light green.

He quickly tried to increase the poison's corrosive effect to focus on attacking his blade, but as soon as he did that, Shin changed styles and went in, withstanding the corrosion with his body. He was abandoning his weapon, switching to hand-to-hand combat, catching Ostavar completely off guard.

While his brothers were already in full swing, Jiro stood still from the start, communicating and directing them through their special connections. Amongst them, he was the strategist and the main disciple under Zern. He was the one who followed in his footsteps and style the most, taking the laws and rules seriously, down to the letter. Sylvett and Ostavar quickly realized that both their movements and actions were observed by Jiro, who, like a chess player, moved his brothers as pawns, giving them precise instructions on when and how to strike. Sharing a consciousness was faster than any other form of communication, so the brothers could adapt to every change. It was giving the trio of contestants a hard time catching their footing. It was then that Sylvett cried out.

"You idiot! Attack already! I'll kick your cowardly ass when we are back!" Sylvett shouted suddenly.

"Eeek!" Kirch's surprised voice echoed out, making some spectators twitch their lips, realizing that, true... the third participant had done nothing so far.

What the yell achieved was that Jiro raised his hand in defense, then his leg, making another move quickly afterward. It was like he was shadowboxing, but in reality, he was fighting Kirch, who was still invisible to everyone else, finally attacking after Sylvette prompted him.

"Is it an illusion?" Isha asked, leaning towards Ren, clearly amused by what she was seeing.

"No." She shook her head, pointing at Lulu. "She could do it too."

"I could?" Lulu blinked her eyes, clearly surprised.

"Yeah. He has the same affinity as you. Only... He is utilizing it differently." Ren nodded.

"Huh! Really? He also controls the light?" Lulu asked, leaning forward, now really curious.

"Yep," Ren said with a smile. "He distorts incoming light, reflecting it. He is so proficient with it, you wouldn't match his skills even if you trained in just this one spell for 3 years straight!"

"Really…?" Lulu mumbled, scratching her chin, clearly intrigued. Even Isha was surprised by Ren's words.

"Yes. The only problem is Kirch himself…" Ren closed her eyes with a sigh. "When I took you in, Lulu, I offered him the same, but he refused to become my disciple."

When Ren said that, she did not hold back her voice, stunning not just the rest around her but every other disciple who heard it. The only one who could stay calm was Leinor, as he was there when Kirch refused Ren's offer. Remembering it now, he almost burst out laughing again as Ren's face at that moment was... priceless.

"I'LL MURDER YOU!" came a scream, and it was Sylvett's voice. She was ignoring her opponent, rushing forward, grabbing onto thin air, and headbutting with the force of a raging bull. Throughout the Sect, the loud ringing of a bell traveled far and wide, almost reaching the two small kingdoms on the other side of the Shert River.

It had such a strong impact that the ground beneath her shook and cracked. Then, a crunchy, cracking noise followed, sending shivers through even the three siblings. Sylvett's golden armor fell apart, bursting in the process as blood spurted out from her forehead, from the impact, while before her, the air cracked like a mirror. As it was shattering into thousands of pieces, it revealed the unconscious Kirch, whose eyes were rolled back inside his head. His nose was broken and flattened, and foam was bubbling out from his mouth while he was twitching inside the grip of Sylvett.

"I'LL FUCK YOU UP SO BAD YOU ARE GOING TO SPEAK AND EAT THROUGH YOUR ASS, YOU BASTARD!" She started to strangle the fainted Kirch, actually close to killing him.

It took some time for the others to react as all the battles ground to a quick stop, and just... watch the two.

“This is… awesome…” Toobu murmured, watching with his mouth wide open, while the rest could do nothing but nod at his words.

"That guy is either a moron or a genius…" Ariana gulped, not believing what she just heard.

"Okay, okay!" Ren stood up, sighing, "I think this round has demonstrated enough!" She clapped, but it needed Zern to step in and pry off the raging Sylvett from Kirch's neck.

"LET ME GO, HE IS STILL BREATHING! PLEASE! I NEED TO CASTRATE HIM FIRST!" Sylvette screamed as everyone who knew her was shivering. The usually so cheerful and happy girl was now completely looking like a murderous banshee.

"Before the last five, we are going to take a little break~!" Ren laughed a little, feeling guilty about what she revealed a moment ago. Although looking around the silent arena and seeing others' expressions also greatly entertained her... She couldn't help it... It was a guilty pleasure. "I think we all need that after this~!" She stuck out her tongue, clapping, signaling a little break so everybody could recollect themselves.