Chapter 106: Hell hound ends
The crimson flames covering the arena slowly began to recede, nobody in the stands spoke as the third barrier continued trembling around the stage.
The first two layers had been destroyed completely, and even the remaining formation was covered in cracks from the Hell Hound's attack.
As the fire thinned, something dark appeared at the centre of the arena.
A massive wall stood between Xingluo and the Hell Hound, nearly five metres thick and formed from countless layers of black armour compressed together.
Its front had almost melted beneath the crimson flames, while deep cracks ran across the remaining surface.
Something moved behind it and the wall collapsed.
Hundreds of damaged armour pieces separated before dissolving into soul mist, revealing Xingluo standing behind them with Heavenfall still raised.
Varkhiel, Yue and the surviving Soul Soldiers remained around her, several of their bodies still recovering from the blast.
The arena erupted. "She's alive!"
"How the hell did she block that?"
"That attack destroyed two barriers!"
Xingluo released the breath she had been holding and lowered Heavenfall slightly.
That was close.
Wuxia's expression remained dark, at the moment of impact, he had summoned another hundred Soul Soldiers and immediately activated Soul Armament upon all of them.
Their armour and soul bodies had been compressed together into the wall that protected everyone from the blast.
All one hundred were gone now.
One hundred soldiers for a single attack.
Xingluo heard the irritation in his voice and almost laughed despite the situation.
You have thousands.
And I'd prefer keeping them.
The Hell Hound did not allow them any more time, its smaller body disappeared beneath the remaining crimson flames, and Xingluo barely saw the movement before Wuxia shouted.
"Left!"
She turned and raised Heavenfall, the claw struck hard enough to knock the sword aside before the Hell Hound slammed into her chest.
Xingluo was thrown backwards, but Yue twisted the space behind her and redirected the remaining force before she struck the ground.
Varkhiel had already reached the beast, his greatsword crashed against its shoulder and forced it sideways, while the remaining Soul Soldiers attacked the Helllings surrounding them before they could follow.
Xingluo landed and immediately rushed back and the Hell Hound twisted away from Varkhiel and met her halfway, but Monarch Threads suddenly tightened around one of its hind legs.
Its movement broke for an instant and heavenfall cut across its chest.
[Ruin Mark: 7/9.]
The beast snapped toward her, forcing Xingluo beneath its jaws as crimson flames spread across the ground around them.
Three Helllings rushed her from the side and Yue appeared between them and raised one hand.
Space folded and the first Hellling vanished completely, while the other two were thrown directly toward Varkhiel.
His greatsword passed through both and scattered their burning bodies across the arena, the Hell Hound was already moving again.
It crossed the distance toward Xingluo in a crimson blur, but she had begun adjusting to its speed. Heavenfall met its first claw before she turned with the impact instead of resisting it directly.
The second claw passed beside her armour.
Xingluo stepped beneath it and slashed upward and blood scattered from the Hell Hound's shoulder.
[Ruin Mark: 8/9.]
The crowd became even louder, nobody cared about the original level difference anymore.
Students were standing throughout the arena, shouting with every exchange as Xingluo continued fighting beside creatures they had assumed were ordinary summons only minutes earlier.
Even Mu Yaochen had stopped joking, he stood near the edge of the highest platform, watching Xingluo move through the battlefield while Professor Liang remained beside him.
"Level 99..."
Mu Yaochen's eyes narrowed behind the white mask. "That little girl is becoming more interesting by the minute."
Professor Liang glanced toward him. "You were the one who allowed the match."
"I know."
Mu Yaochen chuckled quietly. "That doesn't mean I expected this."
Below them, the Hell Hound suddenly changed direction and struck Varkhiel across the abdomen and the Black armour shattered beneath its claws.
Varkhiel's body scattered into soul mist, but instead of retreating, the mist moved around the beast and reformed directly behind it.
His greatsword came down and the Hell Hound twisted aside, avoiding the blade before crimson fire exploded from its body and forced everyone around it backwards.
Xingluo raised one arm against the heat, eight marks burned across Heavenfall.
One more.
Wuxia looked toward the Hell Hound as the remaining Helllings gathered around it.
Don't force it.
I know.
The Hell Hound lowered its body and every remaining Hellling charged with it.
Varkhiel moved first and tore through the creatures directly ahead, while the three Soul Soldiers separated to hold back those attacking from either side.
Yue remained behind Xingluo, repeatedly folding the space around them whenever another group broke through.
The main Hell Hound rushed through everything and Xingluo met it directly.
Its claw struck Heavenfall and forced her arms downward as crimson flames began spreading along the blade.
The Hell Hound pushed harder, Xingluo's boots cracked the stone beneath her, but she refused to release the sword.
Threads suddenly wrapped around both of the beast's hind legs and wuxia pulled. The Hell Hound lost its balance for barely a moment.
Xingluo knocked its claw aside and turned Heavenfall across its throat and the blade opened a deep wound.
[Ruin Marks: 9/9.]
All nine marks ignited as red-gold lines spread across Heavenfall as the force accumulated throughout the battle gathered inside the weapon.
Xingluo felt the sword become heavier in her hands, not from its weight, but from the amount of power compressed inside it.
The Hell Hound recovered and opened its jaws but Xingluo activated Falling Star.
Her body shot forward and Heavenfall struck the centre of the Hell Hound's chest.
All nine Ruin Marks disappeared and the impact exploded outward. The Hell Hound was launched across the arena and smashed into the ground near the opposite barrier, tearing through the stone before finally stopping.
For several seconds, it did not move but then it's claws twitched as it shook its head and stood up again.
Xingluo stared.
"You've got to be kidding me."
The Hell Hound forced itself upright as a massive wound had opened across its chest, while blood poured from its throat and shoulder.
Most of the crimson flames surrounding it had disappeared, yet it remained alive.
Her sword had already dimmed and Xingluo's Star Energy was nearly exhausted as well.
Across the stands, the shouting had become chaotic.
The betting pool had passed 300 million credits long ago, and the odds were shifting so quickly that Xiaorou had stopped trying to follow them.
"Kill it! Kill it!"
She was already shouting with everyone around her, Ruan Mei looked at her strangely.
"Weren't you telling her to surrender earlier?"
"That was before I put points on her!"
Ruan Mei's cheek twitched before she looked back toward the arena.
The Hell Hound suddenly moved, despite its wounds, the beast crossed the arena with enough speed to leave a crimson trail behind it.
Wuxia immediately extended his hand.
"Varkhiel!"
The Soul Sentinel stepped forward and something changed in it.
Wuxia's expression tightened.
He had ordered Varkhiel to intercept the Hell Hound, but the soul power moving through the Sentinel suddenly changed before Wuxia activated anything else.
Dark lines spread across Varkhiel's damaged armour, the same markings continued down his arms and entered the greatsword, covering the entire weapon in a dense black glow.
Wuxia stared at him.
What is this?
He had never given Varkhiel such an ability, the Hell Hound continued charging. Varkhiel lowered his body and gripped the greatsword with both hands.
For the first time since his creation, something inside the Soul Sentinel moved completely outside Wuxia's command.
A notification flashed before him.
[Soul Sentinel Varkhiel has awakened an Inherent Skill.]
Wuxia's eyes widened and before he could even examine the notification, Varkhiel disappeared.
The Hell Hound reacted instantly, its body twisted and one claw swept toward the empty space beside it, but Varkhiel was already past the attack.
The greatsword moved once and a black line crossed the Hell Hound's neck. Varkhiel appeared several metres behind it and stopped with his sword lowered beside him.
The Hell Hound continued running.
One step.
Then another.
Its body suddenly stumbled, the head separated from its neck and struck the ground.
Crimson blood followed a moment later as the remaining flames covering the beast collapsed. Every Hellling still fighting around the arena froze before breaking apart with it.
Silence covered the stands as Xingluo collasped to the ground Her eyes moved from the dead Hell Hound toward Varkhiel.
Wuxia was staring at him as well.
He awakened that himself?
Varkhiel turned toward them without saying anything, the black markings across his armour already disappearing.
Then the notification appeared above the arena.
[Special Challenge concluded.]
[Winner: Luo Xingluo.]
The entire arena exploded as thousands of students shouted at once, while those who had bet on Xingluo completely lost whatever restraint they still possessed.
Xiaorou screamed loud enough for Ruan Mei to cover one ear.
"WE WON!"
She grabbed Ruan Mei by the shoulders and started shaking her as the payout numbers appeared across the betting boards.
Ruan Mei tried pushing her away but broke into laughter herself when she saw the return.
Around them, the small number of students who had bet on Xingluo were already celebrating like madmen, while those who had placed everything on the Hell Hound stared blankly at their empty balances.
Tianhe finally relaxed and looked toward Xingluo with a faint smile, above them, Mu Yaochen remained standing.
His attention was no longer on Xingluo instead he was staring directly at Varkhiel. The surprise in his eyes remained visible even behind the white mask.
At the challenge counter, the fifth-year senior slowly looked at the enormous payout displayed before him and his face stiffened.
Finally, his eyes travelled toward the highest viewing platform and met the white mask of the Vice Dean.
The senior trembled.
"The Vice Dean is going to kill me..."