Chapter347 – A concert
All six combatants took their positions on the stage. The four rings were active simultaneously, with four massive screens displaying each match—but the ring featuring Lilith and Axel drew the most attention.
“The match begins.”
Just as Christopher was about to move, Edgar—dressed in bizarre streetwear—suddenly raised a hand.
“Hold up, hold up—”
“Cut the bullshit. Fight!” Christopher snapped, charging forward.
Edgar waved his hand again, and a stream of improvised rap spilled from his mouth. At the same time, his two teammates rushed straight at Christopher.
“Huh—?!”
A sharp dizziness slammed into Christopher’s head. The lyrics seemed burned into his mind, stabbing at his consciousness over and over.
At the edge of the ring, Otis doubled over, retching violently. His face turned a sickly blue.
What about Axel? Christopher thought grimly. That bastard…
He didn’t have time to look back.
The two Mountain City Awakeners were already closing in—one a tank-type whose body had grotesquely swollen with Force, the other a nimble assassin circling with a dagger, hunting for an opening.
Ynez had warned them about these two.
What none of them had expected was Edgar.
Edgar’s tongue flew as if possessed, lyrics firing like bullets, each one reinforcing the mental assault.
......
“Interesting,” William murmured from the VIP viewing room, watching closely. “An Awakener like this… rare.”
“Yeah,” someone replied. “He only rapped a few lines before the match and never activated his technique openly. Virelia didn’t think twice about it.”
“Once the fight started, those preparations linked together,” Philip added calmly. “By the time they realized, his Awakening Technique was already in effect. Perfect timing.”
Orlando nodded. “A clever bastard.”
......
On the stage, chaos reigned.
Only Axel moved slowly forward.
To the spectators, it looked like he was affected by the mental attack—his steps sluggish, his expression distant.
In reality, Axel had sensed the mental intrusion the instant he stepped onto the stage.
His Awakening Technique included an automatic mental resistance. The moment his Force fluctuated, he understood Edgar’s entire setup.
Still, he held back.
Let’s see how far Christopher can go, Axel thought. He’ll need to be strong if he’s going to help me against Lilith.
Christopher, battered by constant mental shock, had been locked in a brutal exchange for far too long.
“…Combustion!”
With no way out, resolve flashed through Christopher’s eyes. As he roared, both of his opponents stiffened.
His Force surged unnaturally, leaping a full tier in an instant. His body glowed red, heat rolling off him as steam hissed from his skin.
This was Christopher’s trump card—Combustion.
By forcibly compressing and igniting his Force and psychic energy, he could double his combat power for a few precious seconds.
The cost?
He’d be useless for days afterward.
Just as the surge peaked, a hand landed on his shoulder.
“That’s enough. You did well.”
In the next instant, the raging Force inside Christopher was forcibly dispersed by an overwhelming external pressure.
“…Axel?”
The sensation was unmistakable—Christopher had only ever felt power like this from peak Level Five Awakeners.
Axel stepped forward, eyes clear, expression calm.
The two Mountain City melee fighters froze.
“You’re… completely fine? How the hell is that possible?!”
“Don’t think about it—kill him!”
They lunged for Axel.
Boom!
A thunderous impact echoed across the arena.
The tank-type Awakener was sent flying off the stage like a rag doll.
“…What?” Christopher forgot to even tend to his injuries.
Before he could react, Axel seized the wrist of the Level Five assassin.
Clang. Clang.
The dagger hit the ground.
A massive surge of Force flooded through the man’s body.
He was launched off the stage just as violently.
“Cough—cough—this is fucking—”
Edgar was still half-singing when he finally processed what he was seeing. His voice died in his throat, his expression twisting into something indescribably awkward, like a bone was lodged there and wouldn’t go down.
Axel chuckled as Edgar kept trying to force out mental attacks.
Axel’s base attributes were simply on another level. If he hadn’t wanted to test Christopher’s limits, the fight would’ve ended the moment it started.
As Axel strolled over—casual as hell, even snapping his fingers along with Edgar’s rhythm—Edgar finally cracked.
“You wanna keep singing?” Axel said lightly. “We can keep going. I’ll pretend it’s a concert.”
Edgar let out a bitter laugh, lowered his microphone, and bowed slightly.
“…Respect.”
“Don’t beat yourself up,” Axel said, patting his shoulder. “Your tactics and timing were solid. If you had a B-grade Original Instrument mic, I’d probably be influenced.”
The haze in Edgar’s eyes cleared, replaced by something sharper—curiosity, maybe even intrigue.
“Axel… mind if I get your contact info?”
“Sure,” Axel replied with a grin. “We’ll hit karaoke sometime.”
“…Thanks.”
The referee stepped forward.
“Winner—Virelia Chapter!”
A soft green glow descended over Otis and Christopher, washing over their battered bodies like warm water.
“This is—”
“Don’t talk,” Axel whispered.
Christopher inhaled deeply and nodded. Is this guy really only nineteen?
Axel had been testing him.
Which meant Axel believed they still had a chance against Lilith.
“Ynez…” Christopher clenched his fist. “I’ll give it everything I’ve got.”
......
Inside the spectator lounge, Zayden and Vesper stood behind a cluster of influential figures, silently listening.
Orlando stroked his chin, a strange glint in his eyes.
“Now I get how he beat that Starcrest kid. His three base attributes are probably higher than even the prodigies from noble families. How the hell did he train?”
The others nodded in agreement.
“Pure brute dominance,” William sighed. “And to think he’s grown this much in just over a month…”
Zayden sighed quietly.
Beside him, Vesper looked unsettled.
She realized—belatedly—that her earlier thoughts had been painfully naive.
Without a word, she slipped out of the room, heading for the Everton branch’s player area.
She found Warren just as he finished his match.
Dressed in a clean white training uniform, posture straight, sweat glistening faintly on his brow, Warren smiled when he saw her.
“Vesper? What’s the hurry—here to congratulate me already?”
His calm, steady voice eased her agitation almost instantly.
“Warren,” she asked quietly, “if you had to face Lilith… or Axel… how confident are you?”
Warren paused.
His gaze drifted toward the resting areas of the Virelia and Hollow Fortress chapters.
After a moment, he turned back, eyes sincere.
“I’ll do my best.”
Vesper sank into a nearby chair, her voice carrying an edge of desperation.
“Please. Do everything you can to beat them. If you can’t beat Lilith, then at least beat Axel. You have three Level Five Awakeners.”
Warren sighed inwardly.
He knew she understood what he meant—she just refused to accept it.
“All right,” he said softly. “I’ll do my best.”
Vesper nodded and left.
Warren watched Axel. Then Lilith.
Having witnessed both of their matches, even he—usually unshakable—felt an uncomfortable truth settle in.
They’re… too strong.
A quiet sense of helplessness crept over him.
Shaking it off, Warren rose and walked toward the Hollow Fortress team.
He stopped about a meter from Lilith.
She had just set her drink down and looked up at him, blinking innocently.
“Hey, handsome,” she said sweetly. “What do you want?”
Her voice alone made several nearby men visibly tense.
Warren smiled politely.
“We might end up as opponents. You’re impressive—I wanted to learn a bit more.”
Several Hollow Fortress members shot him strange looks.
Noticing his composure, Lilith leaned forward deliberately, testing him.
“Oh? And how are you planning to test me?” she purred. “With what, exactly?”
Her seductive posture made the air feel heavier.
Warren didn’t flinch. Instead, mild disgust crossed his face.
“Let’s not,” he said flatly. “We just met. Could you calm down for five seconds before talking to me?”
A sharp light flashed in Lilith’s eyes.
The flirtation vanished instantly.
She straightened, her demeanor suddenly cool and composed as she assessed him.
“I know who you are,” she said calmly. “And what you do. I’m not interested. Leave.”
Warren nodded respectfully.
“Understood. Sorry for the disturbance.”
He turned and left without lingering.
Lilith watched his retreating figure, lips curling faintly.
“…Interesting.”