Surviving These Unfair Scenarios [LITRPG - DIMENSION HOPPING]

The vast arena, illuminated by an unseen light source high above, stretched before them, a pristine, circular expanse of polished dark stone. From the opulent skybox, the group watched with a mix of apprehension and grim fascination on their faces. The air, charged with anticipation, vibrated with the low hum of the Coliseum's immense energy field. Meera stood at one end of the arena, her posture radiating a fierce readiness. Opposite her, Tobias Radu, the vice-captain of 'Noob Reapers', stood, a tall, slender man with dark hair and sharp features, clad in an elaborate black coat with golden epaulets and a pristine vest, his dark cloak billowing faintly in a non-existent breeze.

The Coliseum's announcer, a booming, disembodied voice, echoed through the vast space, momentarily silencing the murmur of the distant crowds.

"Welcome, esteemed users, to the first match of our best-of-seven wager! On my left, from the illustrious team 'Dragon Utopia', we have the formidable 3rd in command, Meera Kapoor! And on my right, from the renowned 'Noob Reapers', their esteemed Vice-Captain, Tobias Radu!"

A polite ripple of applause, mostly from Magnus Thorne's section, followed the announcement.

Tobias's cold and analytical gaze swept over Meera, his lips forming a thin, almost imperceptible line. His voice, dry and devoid of warmth, cut through the air, carrying clearly to the skybox.

"A God's Contractor, eh?"

He stated, his tone flat, laced with a palpable disgust.

"I can practically smell the divine energy. Disgusting."

Meera's amber eyes narrowed, her graceful posture stiffening. Her usual boisterousness was replaced by a dangerous stillness, a quiet fury that made her vibrant aura pulse.

"What did you say, you pale-faced snake!?"

She snarled, her voice low, a growl rumbling in her throat, and her hands, resting lightly at her sides, subtly tensed. Tobias merely chuckled in a dry, humorless sound.

"God's Contractors always reek of self-righteousness. Over-reliance on the borrowed power of a liar and hypocrite. It's a weakness, not a strength."

He watched her, his expression unchanging, almost clinical.

"Tell me, does your divine master truly expect you to win this wager with such a fundamental flaw?"

Meera's eyes blazed.

"That's none of your damn business, you arrogant bastard!"

She retorted, her voice rising, filled with a raw animosity. Her previous attempts at conversation with Magnus had already established a profound animosity between their teams, and Tobias's disdain only fanned the flames.

"What is your fucking problem with Gods?!"

Tobias's cold gaze hardened, a flicker of something dark passing through his eyes, quickly masked by his usual icy composure.

"It's not your concern."

He replied simply, his voice devoid of emotion, shutting down any further inquiry. His dismissive tone only intensified Meera's fury, her body trembling with suppressed rage. The tension between them was a tangible force, a stark contrast to the casual elegance of Tobias.

A new System screen materialized above the arena, its glowing text announcing the official rules for the match.

A collective murmur rippled through the Coliseum. The rules were straightforward, brutal, and left no room for restraint. This was a fight to the absolute limit, with only system intervention preventing true death.

Meera's posture shifted, her body becoming a blur of motion as she began to materialize her chakrams, two in each hand, their edges already humming with nascent divine energy. Her eyes, fixed on Tobias, burned with an unyielding determination. The man merely extended his right arm, a bracelet of weird shape and color was glowing faintly, it was a normal bracelet, but inside it had an extremely valuable treasure, the 'Demon Summoning Art' skill.

A burst of shadowy energy erupted around Tobias. From the swirling darkness, three distinct figures began to coalesce, each a horrifying testament to his mastery over the infernal. The first was a hulking, red-skinned humanoid, its muscular frame clad in dark shorts and a patterned top, with two prominent horns curving from its head and sharp teeth bared in a snarl; this was an Oni, a mid-rank demon, its enormous naginata materializing in its grasp, crackling with nascent electricity.

Beside it, a two-headed canine creature, its golden-yellow fur bristling, its two monstrous heads snapping with prominent fangs and green eyes gleaming with savage intent, took shape; this was an Orthus, a mid-rank demon, its very presence radiating raw physical power.

Finally, with a chilling grace, a figure with the head of a black jackal, dark-skinned and adorned in ancient Egyptian-style attire with a blue and white striped headdress, emerged; this was an Anubis, a mid-rank devil, its golden scales shimmering ominously as it raised a balanced scale in one hand.

Meera took a deep breath, her form tightening, the vibrant aura of Zha'vrin flaring around her. Her initial anger at Tobias solidified into a cold, fierce focus.

The match began…

Meera, without a moment's hesitation, surged forward, her chakrams spinning rapidly, their edges humming with divine energy. She moved with the fluid grace of a dancer; every step was a calculated maneuver, every spin a deadly art form. Two additional chakrams spun around her, shielding her flanks, while the other two shot forward, aimed directly at Tobias.

The summoner, however, remained utterly still. His cold gaze swept over Meera's charging form, then subtly shifted his hand.

"Orthus, intercept!"

He commanded, his voice sharp, decisive. The two-headed demon-dog responded instantly. With a guttural snarl, it lunged, a living battering ram of muscle and fury, aiming to meet Meera's charge head-on. Its powerful legs churned, covering the distance in a terrifying blur.

"Anubis, gravitational pull, center arena!"

Tobias continued, his voice calm, directing his devil. The jackal-headed Anubis raised its golden scales. A ripple of distorted air shimmered at the heart of the arena, creating a localized zone of intense gravitational attraction, threatening to pull Meera off balance and drag her towards the waiting fangs of Orthus.

"Oni, flank right, high voltage!"

Tobias's final command was crisp. The red-skinned Oni, with its massive naginata crackling with nascent electricity, surged forward, its movements surprisingly swift for its size, aiming to cut off the woman's escape route. However, Meera, already adapting, spun immediately.

Her [Divine Energy Manipulation] skill flared. The chakrams she held pulsed and expanded their edges into razor-sharp, glowing saws, humming with amplified divine power. She met the feral beast's charge not with evasion, but with a terrifying counter. Her body twisted in a graceful pirouette, and she unleashed a devastating [Chakram Death Dance] technique. Two chakrams became a spinning vortex of cutting light, slamming into Orthus's charging form. The demon-dog snarled, its momentum momentarily disrupted, its thick hide scored by the divine blades. Simultaneously, Meera used her floating chakrams as platforms, leaping onto one as it spun beneath her feet, launching herself into the air, narrowly evading Anubis's gravitational well.

Tobias's eyes narrowed, a flicker of something akin to interest in their depths.

"Petrifying Gaze, Basilisk!"

Tobias commanded, his voice sharp. From the shadows near his feet, another phantom materialized, its form both grotesque and strangely avian; it was a Basilisk, a large, reptilian-like creature with a rooster's head, its red comb and wattle prominent, and a pompous body with dark wings and a feathered tail. Its reptilian body shifted, its eyes glowing with an eerie, green light, and its gaze, a wave of paralyzing energy, locked onto the woman. This was a trump card Tobias often used against weaker foes, a skill designed to turn those who met its gaze into helpless stone.

Meera, still airborne, felt a cold, insidious energy trying to invade her mind, to lock her muscles and turn her flesh to stone. Her vision blurred for a split second, a terrifying sense of rigidity spreading through her limbs. But then, a surge of vibrant power, the aura of Zha'vrin, flared brighter around her, fueled by her inherent connection to her god. Her [Unison of Body and Mind] skill, though not fully activated, was already providing a baseline immunity to low-level attacks and status effects. The paralyzing curse slammed into her, then dissipated, harmlessly deflected by the sheer purity of her divine connection.

"Amateur!"

She snarled, her voice ringing with newfound contempt. Then she spun, hurling a chakram, its edge now a shimmering disc of pure divine energy. It flew true, slicing directly through the Basilisk's head. The demon shrieked as its form instantly dissolved into black dust, its brief existence in the arena ending abruptly. It had been destroyed.

Tobias watched, and a subtle analytical shift passed through his cold eyes. He had expected Basilisk's gaze to cripple her, but her divine resistance was higher than anticipated.

"Feng Huang, body of fire, incinerate!"

He commanded in an unwavering voice. From a ripple of heat in the air, the magnificent Feng Huang, a vibrant Chinese phoenix, materialized, its feathers blazing. It roared in a sound of pure fire and engulfed itself in a scorching aura, then lunged towards Meera, like a living projectile of demonic flame.

"Anubis, gravitational anchor! Pin her!"

Anubis's scales shimmered, and a focused beam of oppressive gravity shot towards Meera, attempting to slam her back down to the arena floor, directly into Feng Huang's path.

"Oni, full power thrust, vital strike!"

The red-skinned Oni, with its naginata crackling with high-voltage electricity, surged forward, with precise movements, aiming for a lethal blow as the woman was forced downwards.

Meera, surrounded by threats, responded with explosive speed. The divine aura around her flared, intensifying, signifying her [Unison of Body and Mind] skill was fully active.

Her body shimmered with a golden light, her movements accelerating, becoming almost impossible to follow. She was now immune to low-level attacks, and her natural healing accelerated, knitting minor wounds instantly. She materialized a new record of 10 of her chakrams, a dazzling halo of spinning blades orbiting her.

"Zha'vrin, grant me grace!"

She cried with her voice ringing with power.

"[Shiva's Dance]"

Her body became a blur, a whirlwind of impossible motion. Ten shimmering copies of herself burst into existence, each wielding its own set of ten chakrams. The arena was instantly filled with a dizzying, kaleidoscopic display of identical Meeras, all moving with synchronized, deadly grace, each a perfect duplicate of the original. They danced, they spun, they wove through Tobias's attacks, overwhelming his individual summons with sheer numbers.

The Coliseum's private skybox, where Kazue, Drake, Katya, Angela, Moyan, and Falk watched, erupted in gasps and exclamations.

"Incredible!"

Kazue breathed, her eyes wide with awe, leaning forward, her face pressed against the transparent energy barrier.

"She's so fast! And all those copies!"

She said excitedly while Falk whirred on her head.

"A fascinating application of… What should I call it? Spiritual projection combined with spatial replication? However, the energy expenditure must be immense."

Drake, with his gaze grimly focused on the swirling Meeras, nodded.

"She went all out from the start. According to what Adam told us about his battle with her, that's 'Unison of Body and Mind', her full synchronization with her god."

He watched with an expert's eye, recognizing the precision and power behind her fluid movements.

Katya, with a rare smile gracing her lips, watched Meera's furious dance.

"That is impressive, I must say."

She muttered in a low, satisfied sound. Her possessiveness over Kazue often put her at odds with Meera, but in battle, she admired her power. On the other hand, Angela's analytical gaze was fixed on Tobias.

"He's struggling to adapt."

She noted, her voice calm but precise.

"His summons are powerful, but he built his strategy around individual threats. Meera's overwhelming numerical advantage and speed are disrupting his tactical focus… But I find it weird that it can work so well against the vice-captain of a ranked team."

Meera's copies, a dazzling tempest of spinning blades and graceful movements, swarmed Tobias's three remaining summons. The Oni roared, lashing out its electrical naginata, but it was overwhelmed by multiple Meeras. Orthus snarled, its two heads snapping, but it was too slow to counter the attacks from every angle. Anubis, with its gravitational powers effective against single targets, found itself surrounded by a dozen agile dancers and its efforts scattered.

Tobias's calm facade began to crack. His cold eyes darted frantically, trying to track the real Meera amidst the swirling chaos.

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"Lilim, heal Oni!"

Tobias commanded, his voice tight. From a ripple in the air, a small, bat-winged devil, its form translucent, materialized; this was a low-rank devil called Lilim, a female humanoid with dark hair, light skin, and small brown bat-like wings on her back, wearing a white top and matching shorts. She appeared near the struggling Oni, extending her hands, and a faint healing aura shimmered around it..

"Principality, curse on mass targets! Madness! Skill Seal!"

Another phantom manifested, its form an angelic-looking figure with large, golden wings, wearing green robes with chainmail under a spiky, star-like crown, and its face obscured by a mask from which it constantly sobbed and cried blood. This was another mid-rank devil called Principality, its golden cross-staff pulsing with dark energy as it began to cast a flurry of curses towards the swirling copies, aiming to cripple their movements and abilities.

The Coliseum audience, sensing the shift in momentum, roared louder. Kazue, clutching her hands to her chest, felt a knot of anxiety in her stomach. Despite the scale of the battle, her concern was intensely personal. She found herself rooting for Meera with every fiber of her being.

"Come on, Meera!"

She whispered, her voice tight with worry.

"You can do it!"

Her excitement was so great that she was vaguely aware of Angela's presence beside her.

"They can't hear you."

Angela murmured, her voice flat, as if stating the obvious.

"The arena isolates sound."

Kazue merely tightened her lips, her gaze fixed on the battle. Her affection for Meera had deepened significantly in the last few hours. She was more than just Adam's self-proclaimed sister; she was a friend and an ally, a powerful, vibrant presence who fought with such dazzling ferocity.

The battle raged, and Meera's clones, though technically identical, expressed different facets of her combat style. Some focused on overwhelming offensive pressure, their chakrams spinning like meat grinders, tearing through Tobias's summons. Others acted as feints, drawing attention, while a few coordinated intricate pincer movements. Meera, the real one, was a ghost among them, her movements fluid and impossible to predict. Tobias, however, was no amateur. His cold, calculating mind worked at furious speeds, constantly re-evaluating, constantly barking commands.

"Orthus, focus on the real one! Scent, speed!"

Tobias commanded, hoping the two-headed demon could discern Meera's true location through instinct. Orthus, with a guttural growl, began to charge erratically, its heads snapping, trying to use its enhanced senses to find the real target.

"Oni, create electric barriers, section off the arena!"

The red-skinned Oni slammed its naginata into the ground, and crackling lines of high-voltage electricity erupted, carving the arena into segmented zones, attempting to limit Meera's overwhelming mobility and isolate her clones.

"Anubis, gravitational anchor on the main body! Heavy!"

Anubis raised its scales, focusing its power on the central area where the densest concentration of Meera's clones moved, attempting to root them in place.

Principality's curses continued to rain down, however, while Meera's [Unison of Body and Mind] was still active, it granted her immunity to some of the mid-level curses, so only a very few of them managed to latch on to her clones, briefly disrupting their movements or causing visual distortions, but the original Meera remained mostly unaffected. Her direct divine synchronization provided a robust defense against such afflictions. Lilim, meanwhile, desperately poured healing energy into the Oni, trying to keep it in the fight as multiple Meera clones assaulted it with furious precision.

Meera, pushing her advantage, activated [Divine Energy Manipulation] once more. Her chakrams pulsed, their edges not only growing larger but also shifting, forming into serrated, hooked blades that ripped through the very air. She targeted the weakest links in Tobias's defense. With a terrifying surge of speed, a dozen Meera clones, moving in perfect unison, launched a coordinated assault on the Oni. Its hardened skin, usually tough as steel, groaned under the relentless onslaught of divine blades. Lilim's healing couldn't keep up. With a final, agonizing shriek, the Oni shattered into dust, its form dissolving.

Tobias's face showed a flicker of genuine irritation. He had lost his primary heavy hitter, and the numerical advantage was now even more pronounced for Meera. However, he adapted instantly.

"Orthus, full power charge! Direct assault!"

He barked, his voice tight.

"Anubis, create a gravitational attraction hole, zone denial on the main clusters!"

Orthus roared, its two heads snapping, charging recklessly, its claws secreting venom. Anubis's scales glowed ominously, and swirling vortexes of extreme gravitational pull began to manifest across the arena, attempting to drag Meera's clones into localized death traps.

Meera laughed, a clear, ringing sound of triumph. Her copies danced, weaving through the gravitational pulls, their movements unpredictable, fluid, like water. One copy met Orthus's charge head-on, engaging the two-headed demon in a brutal physical struggle, while others continued to pressure Anubis. The battle flowed like a deadly dance, every movement a calculated part of a larger, overwhelming symphony of destruction, and finally, both the demon and devil were overrun and disappeared.

The battle raged on; the flow of combat shifted unexpectedly to the woman's favor. Meera, with her [Unison of Body and Mind] active, was a whirlwind of motion. Her multiple chakrams, wielded by her and her copies, became extensions of her will, a dazzling storm of divine energy. She was relentless, her graceful movements belied by the sheer destructive power she unleashed. Tobias, on the other hand, calmly issued commands to his remaining two summons, Principality and Lilim, desperately trying to regain control of the arena.

Principality, the sobbing Devil, relentlessly cast curses. Its abilities were proving more challenging than Basilisk's petrifying gaze. While Meera's divine synchronization provided considerable resistance, some of Principality's curses, like 'Temporal Disorientation' or 'Sensory Overload', managed to briefly affect her clones over time, causing them to falter, their movements becoming erratic. Meera herself would occasionally flinch, a fleeting moment of confusion or dizziness passing through her, but her healing was near-instantaneous, erasing the effects before they could truly take hold. The physical discomfort, however, began to accumulate, a subtle drain on her endurance.

Lilim, despite its minimal defensive and offensive power, was a persistent nuisance. It flitted around Tobias, providing a constant, if slow, stream of healing energy. Its 'Healing Mantle' was enough to mend minor wounds on Tobias and on Principality itself, acting as a constant counter to Meera's onslaught. The man, in turn, used his [Devilish Swap] skill with uncanny precision. Just as a chakram was about to strike him, he would shimmer and instantly swap places with Principality, leaving the sobbing Devil to take the blow instead. The exchange of positions was instantaneous, disorienting Meera's clones and forcing them to re-adjust their attacks.

"Damn him!"

Katya muttered from the skybox, her eyes narrowed.

"He's using his summons as meat shields!"

"It's a valid strategy."

Angela replied, her voice flat, analytical.

"Unethical, perhaps, based on the nature of the summon itself, but effective."

She watched Tobias with a grudging respect in her gaze. His cold calculation was undeniable.

Back to the fight, Meera was growing impatient and began to push harder. Her [Chakram Death Dance] became more aggressive, her chakrams spinning faster, their divine edges glowing with a searing intensity. She targeted Principality, knowing that if she could take out the curse-caster, she would gain a significant advantage. Multiple chakrams converged on the sobbing Devil, tearing through its ethereal form. Lilim, in a desperate attempt to protect its ally, tried to shield the other devil, but its defensive capabilities were nonexistent. With a final, mournful wail, Principality dissolved into bloody tears and mist, and its existence in the arena ended.

Tobias's face tightened further. He was down to one active summon: Lilim. The numerical advantage was now overwhelmingly in Meera's favor. He was forced to rely more on his [Devilish Swap] to evade, and Lilim's healing, though continuous, was barely keeping up with the hits he was taking. Meera's chakrams, infused with pure divine energy, now seemed to cut through him with every glancing blow, leaving shimmering wounds that bled light.

"He's getting tired."

Drake murmured from the skybox, his eyes fixed on Tobias. Kazue, with her heart pounding, cheered even louder.

"Go, Meera! You can do it!"

Meera pressed her advantage, her copies surrounding Tobias and Lilim. The constant barrage of divine chakrams and the overwhelming numbers forced Tobias to constantly swap, his movements becoming more frantic, his energy reserves visibly depleting. Lilim, despite its valiant efforts, was a small, fragile target, easily overwhelmed by the sheer volume of attacks. Its healing mantle, while strong, couldn't prevent constant damage.

Tobias, pushed against the wall, had his breath coming in ragged gasps, and finally made a final decision… His cold, calculating eyes flickered, a flicker of something desperate but resolute in their depths. He reached into his consciousness, his right arm twitching, a singular command forming in his mind.

"Bhaal!"

He snarled, his voice raw with effort, a vein throbbing on his temple.

Suddenly, from a swirling vortex of shadow and dark energy that ripped open the very fabric of the arena, a towering, demonic figure materialized. It was Bhaal, a High-rank Devil, its dark skin gleaming under the arena lights, its stylized reddish headdress resembling a fish or dragon head prominent, holding a golden goblet. Its presence radiated an aura of immense, unsettling power that instantly made the air grow thick and heavy. This was Tobias's ultimate, most dangerous summon, one he could not control at will.

Bhaal's dark eyes, ancient and knowing, settled on his summoner. Its voice, a deep, resonant rumble that seemed to vibrate directly in the minds of everyone present, echoed through the arena.

"A price…"

Bhaal rumbled, its voice lacking any malice, simply stating a fact.

"My aid comes at a cost, summoner. What do you offer?"

Tobias, wounded and knowing that it was his best choice, gritted his teeth. He knew the cost, he knew the pain, but even so, he reached into his own body, his hand trembling slightly.

"My kidney."

He gasped, his voice tight with forced resolve.

"My right kidney… To eliminate my opponent."

His face contorted in a grimace of pure agony, but his eyes, fixed on Meera, burned with an unyielding will. This was crucial. He was willing to sacrifice a part of himself, to suffer unimaginable pain, albeit temporarily, for the absolute certainty of victory. This act, this raw display of unyielding will and cold sacrifice, was a testament to Tobias's true nature, his unwavering commitment to his team, and his own pride as Vice-Captain. His pain was immense, but his will was absolute.

Bhaal merely nodded, its dark eyes gleaming.

"Accepted."

With a subtle, almost imperceptible gesture from the Devil, a shimmering ripple passed through Tobias's body. He gasped, a guttural cry tearing from his throat, his form trembling violently. His right side spasmed, a profound, internal agony tearing through him. His face went stark white, sweat pouring down his brow, but he did not fall. He remained standing, supported by sheer, unbreakable willpower. The pain was immense, beyond anything he had suffered from Meera's attacks, but it was a necessary cost. The sacrificed organ simply vanished, leaving no wound, only an agonizing phantom pain and the understanding that he would need to recover in the lobby later.

Bhaal then turned its gaze to Meera, its golden goblet shimmering, its power now fully unleashed. Meera was still fighting with [Unison of Body and Mind] active, her body shimmering with the divine aura of Zha'vrin, and her multiple copies still danced around her inside a dazzling, bewildering array of spinning chakrams and graceful movements… But the sight of Bhaal changed the very dynamics of the battlefield.

The devil, with a subtle shift of its golden goblet, began its assault, not directly at Meera, but at her overwhelming numerical advantage. A torrent of water, seemingly endless, surged from the goblet's rim, gushing onto the arena floor, then twisting with malevolent intent. It wasn't just water; it was raw, elemental force, shaping itself into various forms as Bhaal commanded it.

First, massive, coiling tentacles of high-pressure water lashed out, slamming into Meera's copies. The clones, though powerful, were designed for combat against living foes, not elemental devastation of this magnitude. They were ensnared, constricted, and then violently dispersed by the sheer force of the water. As some copies tried to evade, Bhaal's goblet pulsed, and dozens of high-pressure water bullets, each whistling like a real bullet, shot forth, piercing through the ephemeral forms of the clones, causing them to dissolve into shimmering mist.

Then, the water focused, condensing into searing, narrow beams, like powerful lasers, that scythed through the remaining copies with terrifying precision. One by one, Meera's duplicates were extinguished by the relentless and overwhelming control of Bhaal's elemental might. In mere moments, the arena was clear; only the real woman remained, standing defiantly against Tobias and the formidable Devil.

Meera watched her copies disappear, a grim set to her jaw as her precious advantage was stripped away. She began to dance, powered by her divine grace, weaving through the remaining water attacks. She spun, leaped, and twisted, evading the colossal water blasts, deflecting the high-pressure water bullets with her rapidly spinning chakrams, their divine energy slicing through the liquid force. She even managed to counter-attack, hurling her chakrams, their edges glowing with amplified power, at Bhaal. The high-ranking Devil simply met her attacks with a casual flick of its hand, batting the chakrams away with effortless ease, its dark eyes devoid of any challenge.

Meera, seeing a fleeting opening, surged forward, her chakrams a blur of light and fury, aimed for a critical flaw on Bhaal's strategy… His summoner, unlike before, Tobias was alone and too weak to react, so she moved with impossible speed, her body becoming a living weapon, propelled by pure, divine will. But just as she was about to land a devastating blow on the man, Bhaal raised its hand in the distance.

A massive, crackling ray of pure energy, devoid of any elemental property, ripped from its palm – "Almighty Magic". It was silent, instantaneous, and utterly undeniable. Meera, reacting on pure instinct, managed to call forth her ultimate defense: [Deity Zha'vrin Superior Skill: Absolute Mandala]. A shimmering shield, intricate with swirling mandala designs, materialized before her, pulsating with raw divine energy, a beacon of light against the encroaching darkness.

However, the unblockable ray of Almighty Magic slammed into the Absolute Mandala shield in a way that no one could predict... There was no explosion, nor a violent clash of opposing forces, nor even a sound of impact. The ray simply passed through the shield as if it didn't exist. It was not deflected, not absorbed, not resisted... It pierced through the shimmering patterns of divine energy, through the very concept of defense, as if the shield were a mere illusion. That was the absolute terror of the "Almighty" element; it didn't have a counter or defense against it, it was a sure hit if it was not evaded.

The ray of pure energy ripped directly through Meera's chest, leaving a gaping, searing wound that glowed with unnatural light. She gasped, a choked cry escaping her lips, her body stiffening in shock and agony as the light of the divine shield flickered and vanished. She crumpled to the ground with a hole burned clean through her, and her body trembling violently.

A direct hit, a mortal wound that should have ended the match instantly. Yet, the System did not announce a 'Critical Damage'. Meera's body lay still for a moment, her divine aura flickering precariously, but the victory condition was not met. Bhaal merely turned its head, its dark eyes meeting Tobias's.

"My work here is done, summoner."

Bhaal rumbled, its voice resonating with finality. With a ripple of distorting air, the colossal Devil dissolved, vanishing from the arena. Only Tobias and Meera remained.

Meera, impossibly, stirred. With a low groan, she pushed herself up, her movements slow, agonizingly deliberate. Blood, thick and dark, welled from the gaping, seared wound in her chest, staining her clothes while her body trembled violently, and her limbs barely obeying her will. She was at her absolute limit, every breath a battle against collapse, but her eyes, though clouded with pain, still burned with a fierce, unwavering light.

Tobias was on his last legs as well. The mental strain of controlling multiple powerful summons, combined with the immense physical agony of having sacrificed his kidney to Bhaal, had pushed him to the brink. His face was pale, beaded with sweat, and his breaths came in shallow, ragged gasps. He knew he had enough power for only one last skill, one final, decisive blow. His body screamed in protest, every nerve ending aflame with the raw pain of his sacrifice, but his will remained unbreakable.

He stood, his pride as the Vice-Captain of 'Noob Reapers', the tenth-best team in the entire System, fueling his every agonizing breath.

The silence in the arena stretched, profound and tense. Both combatants were broken, bleeding, and utterly exhausted, yet neither would fall. The moment hung suspended, charged with their sheer, unyielding defiance. Meera, her face contorted with effort, her voice raw, screamed, a primal cry born of absolute conviction and the face of her brother in her mind.

With a last, desperate surge of divine energy, she lunged on a raw, pure, physical assault, her fist aimed directly at Tobias's face. She threw everything she had into that single, desperate blow.

Tobias, seeing the attack, rallied his last remaining strength. He braced himself, his eyes burning with a matching, unyielding conviction. The punch landed squarely, a sickening impact that snapped his head back. He reeled, his body staggering, but he refused to fall. His leg, trembling violently, locked, grounding him, giving him a last, desperate anchor. His voice, raw and strained, tore from his throat as a furious roar of pride.

"Don't you dare underestimate me! I am the Vice-Captain of the tenth-best team in the entire system! And I will not fall to a fucking nobody!"

In that instant, Tobias activated his last skill, something he hadn't shown until now… [Demon Rental Stats]. A shimmering wave of dark energy erupted from his body, and the phantom outline of Feng Huang, the mighty fire phoenix, briefly superimposed itself over him, its power surging into his form. He brought his fist up with the borrowed, fiery might of the demon. His whole arm, suddenly engulfed in scorching flames, slammed directly into Meera's face in a brutal, concussive blow.

A blinding flash of light erupted from Meera's body, followed by a sharp, piercing chime from the system.

Her form dissolved into countless shimmering motes of light, instantly teleported from the arena. The system had prevented a fatal blow.

The announcer's booming voice echoed through the Coliseum, declaring the victory. Tobias Radu, his body trembling, his face pale and covered in sweat, remained standing, swaying slightly, his expression one of grim triumph. A flash of light enveloped him, and he too was teleported, reappearing in his team's skybox, where cheers and applause erupted from the rest of the 'Noob Reapers'.

In the opposite skybox, Kazue, Drake, Katya, Angela, Moyan, and Falk rushed to Meera's side. Her form shimmered back into existence, lying on the plush floor of the skybox, perfectly healed of all her injuries, but utterly exhausted. Her breathing was shallow, ragged, and her eyes, though open, were unfocused, glazed with fatigue. She tried to speak, to assure them she was fine and that she was sorry, but only a faint, raspy groan escaped her lips.

Kazue knelt beside her, tears welling in her eyes, gently stroking Meera's hair.

"Meera… You fought so hard."

She whispered with her voice thick with worry. High above the arena, on the massive central screen, the outcome of the match was displayed in glowing green letters:

As the first match's results settled, the screen flickered. The images of all the remaining participants began to spin in a rapid carousel once more, shuffling their profiles for the next bout. The carousel spun faster and faster, then slowly began to narrow, the images blurring until it finally halted on two new profiles, announcing the second combatants.