Ragnarok: Alpha and Omega

The arena was swallowed in complete darkness. The barrier hummed violently, reacting to the strange power at play. The crowd erupted into confused whispers, some spectators rising from their seats, trying to get a glimpse of what was happening inside.

Jason tensed beside me. This isn't normal. It's not just a simple shadow ability… This is something else.

I remained silent, my eyes locked on the arena. I could feel it too—an oppressive force lurking within that darkness. This wasn't just some visual trick. It was as if the battlefield itself had been swallowed by an abyss.

Then, a flicker.

For just a second, the darkness cracked, revealing a glimpse of the battlefield. What I saw sent a chill down my spine.

The Stormborn duo was completely frozen in place. Not physically, but their bodies refused to move, as if some unseen force was weighing them down. The robed fighter stood before them, one hand raised. And then—

Slash.

A thin, almost invisible wave of energy cut through the air. A delayed reaction followed as blood sprayed from the lightning user's chest. His partner, the storm wielder, gasped as her own body was suddenly struck, a thin red line appearing across her shoulder.

It wasn't a sword strike. It wasn't even a physical attack.

It was pure force.

The darkness shattered in an instant, dissolving into nothingness as if it had never existed. The masked fighter lowered their hand, stepping back casually as the Stormborn duo collapsed to their knees, gasping for air.

The arena fell into stunned silence. No one could comprehend what had just happened.

The announcer stammered before finally regaining his voice. T-The match is over! The winners… Soul Forge!

A moment of silence—then an explosion of cheers and gasps from the crowd. Some people were celebrating their bets, others were demanding a replay of what had just happened.

Jason let out a low whistle. Okay. That was insane. What the hell was that power?

I shook my head. I don't know… but it wasn't just some shadow ability. It was something far more refined. Controlled.

I glanced toward Soul Forge's side of the arena. The hammer-wielding fighter grinned as he helped his partner adjust their cloak. The masked one didn't even acknowledge the victory, simply turning and walking away as if the match had been nothing more than a routine chore.

Something about them sent a warning through my mind. That was not an opponent we could take lightly.

Jason nudged me with his elbow. You were right about them hiding something. That wasn't just strength—that was technique.

I exhaled. Yeah… and now I'm wondering what else they're keeping hidden.

____

We watched as the fighters left the stage, the next match preparations beginning. But I couldn't shake the uneasy feeling settling in my gut.

This tournament was about to get a whole lot more interesting.

Jason and I barely had time to process what had just happened before our watches beeped. The display flashed—our turn was next.

After witnessing that inhuman display, I wasn't so sure about this tournament anymore. That masked guy did something that no one seemed to notice—his attack passed through the protective shield around the lightning user. That meant one thing: pure energy could bypass defenses. And that was terrifying.

We headed to the waiting hall since there was a short break before our match. But as if fate had a cruel sense of humor, our opponent was none other than the axe-wielding brute from earlier—the guy with scars all over his back.

Damn it.

Fate really was cruel. Jason and I had trained, sure, but training and real combat were two completely different things. We lacked experience. We studied tactics, honed our bodies, and learned everything we could, but knowledge alone wouldn't carry us through this fight. We were about to experience real pain.

And to make matters worse, his teammate was even more unsettling.

He was tall and slim, moving with a quiet, effortless confidence. His aura screamed "I'm strong but I pretend to be weak," almost as if he was some kind of hidden protagonist. But what really unsettled me wasn't his presence—it was the fact that he had no weapon.

Either he was crazy, or he had an ability strong enough to make weapons unnecessary.

Meanwhile, I drew the two daggers that Jason had finally been able to craft for me. They weren't just ordinary weapons—they responded to their user, adapting to my energy and movements. Jason, on the other hand, pulled out his duo pistols—firearms with insane range, even for pistols.

The countdown began.

10… 9… 8…

The tension in the air was thick. Jason and I exchanged a look—we both knew this wasn't going to be easy.

3… 2… 1…

The arena doors slid open, and we stepped onto the battleground. The crowd erupted into cheers and jeers as the announcer's voice thundered across the stadium:

____

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! IT'S TIME FOR THE NEXT MATCH! ON MY LEFT, WE HAVE THE DUO GODS! AND ON MY RIGHT, THE POWERHOUSE DUO—WARLORD'S WRATH!"

The axe-wielding brute cracked his neck, his muscles flexing as he let out a low chuckle. His partner remained eerily calm, adjusting his stance as his sharp gaze dissected us, analyzing every move before the fight even began.

I tightened my grip on my daggers.

No more running. No more hiding. We had to prove ourselves—right here, right now.

Then, the betting pool opened, and the chatter from the crowd became impossible to ignore.

What kind of name is that? Duo Gods? Seriously?

Those guys look weak as hell. This is going to be the dumbest match ever.

"LI'm putting all my money on Warlord's Wrath. This is an easy win!

Then someone from the crowd said but they do have nice weapon's though.

Jason glanced at me, sensing my frustration. He leaned in and muttered, Stay calm. We've trained for this, we've prepared for different situations. Let's just stick to the plan.

I exhaled slowly, steadying myself. They could laugh now—but soon, they'd see.

___

As the signal for the match rang out, I was just about to move when—CRACK!

Before I could react, the axe-wielding guy blurred into motion, closing the distance in an instant. His massive fist crashed into my ribs like a sledgehammer.

It wasn't fatal, but the pain was undeniable.

I gasped as the force sent me staggering, my legs giving out beneath me. The world around me spun, my vision growing hazy.

Somewhere in the distance, I could hear Jason shouting my name, but his voice was fading… drifting further away…

My body refused to move. Damn it… not like this.