Chapter 207: Last Man Standing
(The rules for Last Man Standing are simple. Throw your opponents into the river below. The winner is the last one standing in the arena.)
(Some of you might be wondering, why are members of the same guild allowed to participate in this individual event? The answer is simple.)
(We want drama!)
(Betrayal. Unlikely alliances. Shocking upsets. That's what we want to see.)
(Now, without further delay… let the battle begin!)
BOOM!
Dozens of firecrackers exploded in the air, their thunderous blasts signaling the start of the fight.The crowd cheered, clapping and shouting loudly.
"Everyone! Remember the plan. Stay close and watch each other's backs," William said.
I nodded along with the others. I had no problem fighting alongside Eve, Maya, and William as we had fought together many times before. Only Blackburn was someone I wasn't familiar with.
"Arrghh!"
"Kiyaak!"
Suddenly, a commotion erupted on the other side of the arena. People were being flung through the air like ragdolls before plunging into the river below, ending their battles instantly.
At the center of the chaos stood a massive, topless man with the face of a boar, swinging a huge club left and right. With each swing, bodies were sent flying.
"That's Lagun, the half-boar from Primal Beast. We shouldn't face him this early. Let's move away from him," William ordered.
We moved as a group, but the arena had already descended into chaos. The sounds of clashing metal and spells being cast echoed everywhere, making it difficult to navigate.
"Found you!"
Suddenly, a figure charged at me and threw a fist straight at my face. Luckily, I had equipped the [Iron Maiden Buckler]. The attack struck the shield, but I was still sent flying backward a few meters.
I looked up and saw Colton, the A-rank member of Red Eyes we had encountered a few days ago.
Damn it. Our formation was gone! The plan had been to stay together and survive the entire battle, but it seemed that was impossible.
"Will! Alan is under attack!" Maya shouted.
The group tried to rush over to help me, but suddenly a squad of Red Eyes members blocked their path, each wearing a mocking smirk.
"Where do you think you're going? We might just be Team B, but our job is simple, to take all of you down first!"
One of them immediately charged at William, while the others spread out, circling the group and launching their attacks. Within minutes, the Dawnbloom members were scattered across the battlefield.
(Ahh! It looks like the Dawnbloom guild is being targeted by Red Eyes, their immortal rivals!)
Ping! Ping!
I exchanged blows with Colton, who kept swinging his fists clad in magic knuckles.
Boom!
He threw a punch at me, but I leapt to the side. His attack struck the ground, cracking the floor. Seizing the opportunity, I kicked him in the face. His head snapped to the side, but he calmly wiped the blood from his lips and spat it out.
"Pui! Is that all you can do, pumpkin? Where's that arrogance from before?"
Colton's eyes were bloodshot as his veins bulging.
To be honest, I could not focus on fighting him. My eyes kept drifting toward the others. It seemed each of them was engaged in their own battles. In this kind of fight, being alone was the same as losing.
"Hey, pumpkin! You really dare to look away? Who do you think you are? You're just G-rank!" Colton snarled.
"What is wrong with you? I did not even do anything to you. Why are you so upset?" I replied.
"Anyone who dares talk back to me will only know pain and death. Now, get ready to be sent to the other side of the world!"
This guy… he's crazy. What kind of logic is that?
Colton widened his stance, absorbing energy into his body. Suddenly, he thrust both hands forward, releasing a powerful wave of energy.
"Minotaur Blast!"
BOOM!
I barely managed to dodge by rolling to the side. The blast shot past me and struck one of Colton's guildmates, who was fighting William. He was instantly sent flying before plunging into the river below.
"Hey, Colton! Watch where you are aiming!" one of the Red Eyes members shouted.
"Huh?! This is Last Man Standing, not last group standing. Anyone who gets in my way will be exterminated!" Colton's eyes locked onto me as he charged again with both his hands raised.
"Stoneguard Ward!"
I quickly cast a defensive spell, reinforcing my body in preparation for impact. I was currently wielding the Gaia Sword, not Indra as I did not want to attract unnecessary attention or seriously injure anyone. Raising my left hand, I cast another spell.
"Hellfire Burst!"
Flames surged forward and engulfed Colton. But to my shock, he punched through the fire, dispersing it as if it were nothing. There was not even a scratch or burn on his body.
"Are you kidding me? Tempest Fang!"
A crescent-shaped wave shot toward him. This time, he was forced to stop as the attack collided with him. The force pushed him back, but he resisted it.
With a grunt, he deflected the Tempest Fang to the side and straight toward the crowd. Gasps erupted from the audience.
BOOM!
Luckily, the arena was protected by a powerful magical barrier, preventing the attack from reaching the spectators.
"How the hell am I supposed to beat this guy?"
At the north side of the spectator stands, Kim bit his nails, his legs bouncing nonstop in agitation.
"How the hell is he supposed to beat that guy? He seems immune to magic," Kim muttered.
"It's a bad matchup for Alan," Linus said from beside him. "That Colton guy is practically the worst opponent for someone who relies heavily on magic."
"So Alan has no chance?"
"Knowing Alan, he definitely has something up his sleeve. Let's just wait and see."
Linus smiled faintly as he kept his eyes fixed on the battle intensifying below.