Chapter 105: Hell hound
The Hell Hound moved the moment the match began, its claws struck the ground and launched its massive body forward, crossing the arena before Xingluo could completely adjust to its speed.
Varkhiel intercepted it first as his greatsword struck against the beast's head and the collision forced both of them several metres apart.
Before the Hell Hound could recover, the three Third Transition Soul Soldiers attacked from different directions.
Dark flames erupted across its body, one soldier was thrown away with half its chest burning, while another lost an arm after burying its weapon beneath the Hell Hound's ribs.
The beast snapped toward him, but space twisted before its jaws could close. The Soul Soldier disappeared and reformed several metres away as Yue Qianyin lowered her wand.
The Hell Hound immediately turned toward her and released a torrent of black flames. Yue vanished before the attack reached her, but the fire continued across the arena toward Xingluo.
She jumped aside as the flames passed beside her, leaving the stone black and cracked beneath the heat.
The Hell Hound burst through its own fire, Xingluo barely raised Heavenfall before one claw struck the blade and threw her backwards.
Her arms went numb beneath the force, but she forced her feet down and stopped herself before the beast could continue.
Damn, that's heavy.
Threads had already spread around the Hell Hound's hind legs and Wuxia pulled.
Its next step broke for barely a moment, but that was enough for Varkhiel to reach it and smash the greatsword into its shoulder.
The Hell Hound staggered, Xingluo rushed back in and cut beneath its foreleg before immediately withdrawing.
A red-gold mark appeared along Heavenfall.
[Ruin Mark: 1/9.]
The beast roared and swept its claws toward her, but Varkhiel struck from the opposite side and forced it to turn.
Xingluo entered through the opening and the sword drove into the wound across its shoulder before she twisted the blade and pulled it free.
[Ruin Mark: 2/9.]
Flames exploded from the Hell Hound's body.
Xingluo was thrown away, while Varkhiel's armour broke apart across one side before his body scattered into dark soul power and escaped the worst of the fire.
The arena had already become deafening, students who had expected the Level 99 transfer student to hide behind her summons were watching her rush directly into the same openings they created.
Her Soul Soldiers were equally strange.
Varkhiel could scatter and reform after receiving damage, Yue manipulated space around both attacks and allies, while the other soldiers continued recovering from injuries that should have destroyed ordinary summons.
"She's actually a Necromancer?"
"What Necromancer fights beside the summons?"
"Forget that, how is she Level 99?"
Another collision drowned the surrounding voices and the Hell Hound tore through one Soul Soldier and rushed directly toward Xingluo.
She moved forward instead of retreating her sword met its descending claw, but the difference in strength immediately forced the sword downward.
Xingluo released one hand and punched the beast across the jaw with her armoured fist and its head jerked sideways.
Several students fell silent she caught the sword with both hands again and cut across the same side of its face before moving beyond its jaws.
[Ruin Mark: 3/9.]
High above the arena, another figure appeared without anyone noticing his arrival.
The white mask covering his face was recognised first. "Vice Dean Mu?"
"Why is the Vice Dean here?"
The voices near the upper platform quickly spread through the surrounding seats.
Mu Yaochen ignored them and sat down, his attention settling upon the fight below.
Professor Liang and Ming Hao arrived shortly afterward, and Liang's expression tightened when he saw Xingluo fighting directly against the Hell Hound.
Mu Yaochen chuckled. "Your little student has been here for less than a day and already filled the arena."
Professor Liang looked toward him. "You could still stop this."
"And miss the interesting part?"
Mu Yaochen rested one arm against his seat.
"No."
Below them, the Hell Hound caught Varkhiel between its jaws.
The black armour cracked beneath its teeth, but Varkhiel released his weapon and wrapped his remaining arm around one of the beast's horns instead of trying to escape.
Yue appeared above them and her wand changed into a longsword as she drove it toward the Hell Hound's back, and the space around the blade folded before opening a deep wound beside its spine.
The beast released Varkhiel and twisted toward her, Xingluo reached it first and her sword crossed the wound Yue had created.
[Ruin Mark: 4/9.]
The Hell Hound's claw struck Xingluo across the chest and threw her along the arena floor.
She rolled onto one knee several metres away, a deep claw mark running across her armour.
"Xingluo!"
Ruan Mei gripped the railing as Xingluo pushed herself upright, beside her, Xiaorou looked between the battle and the betting pool hanging above the arena.
[Current Betting Pool: 207,430,000 Credits.]
"Two hundred million..."
The fifth-year senior nearby laughed as another wave of credits entered. "I haven't seen this place this lively in months."
Xiaorou stared at him. "She's fighting a King-bloodline Hell Hound!"
"Everyone can see that."
Tianhe ignored them both, his attention remaining completely upon the stage.
Varkhiel was already reforming beside Xingluo while the damaged Soul Soldiers recovered behind him.
Xingluo wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and looked toward the four marks across Heavenfall.
Four.
Don't rush them, Wuxia said.
I know.
The Hell Hound attacked again and Varkhiel struck its foreleg while two Soul Soldiers forced it to divide its attention.
Yue shifted the third directly above its back, and the Hell Hound tore through the attack before Xingluo entered beneath its raised claw.
Heavenfall opened another wound across its chest.
[Ruin Mark: 5/9.]
The Hell Hound landed several metres away and for the first time since the battle began, it did not immediately attack again.
Xingluo slowed as well, blood ran through the fur covering its shoulder and chest while the black flames surrounding its body moved more violently.
Then their colour began changing as Crimson appeared beneath its chest and gradually spread through the black fire until the entire beast burned beneath red flames.
Wuxia's expression changed.
"Back."
Xingluo immediately retreated.
The Hell Hound's enormous body began shrinking.
Muscle and bone compressed beneath the crimson flames until the beast lost almost half its original size, yet the pressure coming from it continued rising.
The first drop of red fire fell from its body and something moved inside it.
A small four-legged creature crawled from the flame, its narrow body burning beneath the same crimson fire as two dark eyes opened toward Xingluo.
Another drop landed and then several more. Within seconds, Helllings were forming across the arena around the shrinking Hell Hound.
Xiaorou stared down from the seats. "What the hell..."
Even the fifth-year senior had stopped laughing, dozens of Helllings soon surrounded the main beast, while the Hell Hound itself stood barely half its previous size.
The pressure coming from it had become considerably worse.
Wuxia's Threads spread around the battlefield. "This is going to be troublesome."
The Hell Hound disappeared and Xingluo barely raised Heavenfall before the impact threw her backwards.
Varkhiel appeared behind her and caught her, but both were driven several metres across the stone before stopping.
Xingluo tightened her trembling fingers around the sword. "Fuck."
The Helllings rushed forward at the same time and several exploded against one Soul Soldier and scattered part of its body, while another group surrounded Varkhiel before his greatsword tore through them.
Their bodies collapsed into fire rather than disappearing.
Yue raised her wand and folded the space across one side of the arena, throwing several Helllings away while giving the Soul Soldiers enough room to regroup.
The main Hell Hound came for Xingluo again and she barely caught its movement this time.
Heavenfall struck against one claw before Xingluo turned with the force and slid the blade beneath its foreleg.
[Ruin Mark: 6/9.]
The beast's jaws closed beside her head and Varkhiel's greatsword struck its side and threw it away before the second attack could reach her.
The surrounding arena had completely lost control, students were standing across the seats, some shouting Xingluo's name while others screamed for the Hell Hound to finish the match.
The betting pool continued climbing as the odds changed with every exchange.
[Current Betting Pool: 251,880,000 Credits.]
Xiaorou stared at the display.
"Two hundred and fifty million..."
Ruan Mei did not look away from the arena.
Crimson flames had spread across most of the stage, leaving barely any clear ground as the Helllings continued surrounding the Soul Soldiers.
Then every Hellling suddenly stopped and the crimson flames covering their bodies began pulling away and flowing toward the Hell Hound.
"Xingluo!"
She turned and the beast had opened its jaws, every stream of crimson fire compressed inside its mouth until a brilliant red mass formed between its teeth.
Xingluo's expression changed.
"Everyone here!"
Varkhiel immediately appeared before her as the three Soul Soldiers gathered around him.
Yue raised her wand with both hands and folded several layers of space across their front, while Wuxia's Monarch Threads connected the entire formation.
The Hell Hound released the attack and crimson fire swallowed the arena, Yue's first spatial layer broke almost instantly.
The second twisted beneath the pressure before collapsing after it, Varkhiel drove his greatsword into the stone as the blast struck his body, while Xingluo raised Heavenfall behind him and poured Star Energy through her armour.
The entire stage vanished beneath red light and the first arena barrier shattered. Students nearest the front recoiled as the second barrier lit up beneath the blast.
Cracks spread across its entire surface and the second barrier exploded, crimson flames struck the final defensive layer and shook the entire arena.
Nobody could see what remained inside.