The Multiverse Hunter

The first fight was between Ali and a human male acolyte. As the droid guided the rest of the participants to the edge of the arena, the atmosphere grew tense, a mixture of excitement and fear rippling through the crowd.

Ali and the acolyte moved to the centre, standing on the blood-stained sand that had witnessed countless duels before them.

"Ready and fight!" shouted the droid, its mechanical voice cutting through the silence.

The human acolyte took a single step forward before his body froze completely. His arms hung uselessly by his sides, his legs locked in place as if he had turned to stone. A ripple of confusion spread through the crowd.

The human acolyte struggled, his eyes wide with panic. "I...ugh.." he tried to speak, but his throat constricted violently, cutting off his words. He began gasping for air as though some invisible hand was choking the life out of him.

Slowly, the acolyte's body lifted into the air. His legs now released kicked wildly, his desperate movements growing weaker with every passing second. The crowd watched in horrified silence as the young man dangled helplessly, suspended by an unseen force.

Then—

BOOM!

The acolyte's head exploded mid-air, showering the sand below with blood, bone, and brain matter. His limp, headless body crumpled to the ground with a sickening thud. The gruesome display left the entire arena in stunned silence.

Gasps and murmurs filled the stands as the crowd tried to process what they had just witnessed. Even some of the Sith masters shifted uncomfortably, their expressions a mix of intrigue and concern.

CLAP. CLAP. CLAP.

The sound of loud, deliberate clapping cut through the uneasy quiet. From the stands, Drogath stood tall, his massive frame towering over those around him as he applauded his friend's ruthless efficiency. Beside him, Sivara clapped as well, her delicate hands moving gracefully as she sipped from her cup, a small smirk tugging at the corner of her lips.

Ali turned his head slightly toward the droid, his mask giving nothing away. The droid waved at two smaller units stationed by the doors to clean up the mess.

"The winner of the first fight is Ali," the droid announced, its mechanical tone devoid of emotion.

Ali walked back to the line of acolytes at the edge of the arena, his steps calm and deliberate. The other contestants stared at him, their faces pale with terror. None dared meet his gaze.

For many, the gruesome spectacle of the first fight extinguished any hope of standing against Ali.

"Is he even an acolyte?" one whispered, trembling.

"He killed him without even moving his hands!" another muttered, barely able to keep their voice steady.

The second fight began shortly after, but it lacked the ferocity of Ali's display. Two acolytes clashed with lightsabers, their movements clumsy compared to the deadly precision expected of Sith warriors. Though one managed to sever their opponent's arm, the fight ended with a surrender rather than a fatality.

Ali watched in silence, unimpressed by the mediocrity before him.

When it was his turn to fight again, he stepped forward. His opponent, a female Zabrak acolyte with fiery determination, hesitated the moment she saw him approach.

"Ready, fight!"

"Surrender!" the Zabrak shouted, retreating several steps with her hands raised. Her voice quivered with fear as she backed away, her bravery evaporating under the weight of Ali's presence.

The crowd murmured, a few laughing at her cowardice.

"Ali wins!" the droid announced, barely bothering to delay the inevitable.

Ali shook his head slightly, his disappointment hidden behind his mask as he walked back to the edge of the arena. 'Is it just going to be me walking today?' he thought with mild annoyance.

The remaining matches continued, each one more brutal than the last. Acolytes severed limbs, shattered bones, and left trails of blood on the sand, but none dared face Ali with anything but surrender.

In her own matches, Derma demonstrated remarkable skill with both her lightsaber and telekinesis. Though her fights were gruelling, she emerged victorious each time, her techniques and determination earning her respect among the crowd.

Finally, the tournament reached its climax. The last two remaining fighters were Ali and Derma. The crowd buzzed with anticipation, whispers of curiosity and dread filling the air.

"This is the final fight!" the droid announced. "The winner will be awarded the rank of apprentice and granted their own lightsaber."

Ali and Derma stepped into the centre of the arena, facing each other.

"I've been waiting for this.." Derma said, her voice laced with anger and defiance.

"Why exactly?" Ali replied, his tone mocking. "Is someone being a jealous child?"

Derma's eyes flashed with rage. She ignited her lightsaber, pointing it at him with a trembling hand.

"Surrender now if you don't want to die!" she shouted, her voice echoing across the arena.

Her outburst caused a stir among the crowd, many leaning forward in their seats to watch the drama unfold.

From the stands, Sith Master Malvok stood abruptly, his face dark with fury.

"Derma!" he called out, his voice booming over the murmurs.

Derma looked up at her master, her expression a mix of frustration and confusion.

"Surrender, Derma," Malvok commanded. "You have already proven enough to earn the rank of apprentice. This fight is unnecessary."

The crowd gasped at his words. It was rare for a Sith master to publicly intervene in a tournament.

Ali tilted his head, his amusement evident in the casual shrug of his shoulders. "Even your master doesn't think you have a chance."

Derma's knuckles whitened as she gripped her lightsaber tighter, her anger boiling over. Her eyes glowed bright red, her connection to the dark side deepening with her uncontrollable fury.

"For the final fight: Derma versus Ali!" the droid announced. "Ready... fight!"

Derma lunged forward immediately, her lightsaber cutting through the air in a wide arc. She moved with ferocity and precision, pouring all of her hatred into the attack. Ali didn't move.

As the blade neared his chest, he raised a single hand. The air shifted violently, and Derma was yanked backward mid-swing as if an invisible hand had pushed her.

CRASH!

She hit the ground hard, skidding across the sand. Her lightsaber flew from her grasp, landing several meters away. Groaning, she forced herself to her knees, clutching her ribs.

The crowd fell silent.

"Is that it?" Ali asked, his voice calm but dripping with disdain. "I expected more."

Derma glared at him, summoning her lightsaber back to her hand with the Force. It ignited with a sharp hiss as she stood once more, her body trembling but her determination unbroken.

"You underestimate me," she spat, her voice shaky with anger.

Ali shook his head, sighing. "No, you overestimate yourself."

Derma's red lightsaber flared to life as she gripped it tightly, her knuckles white. She dashed forward with renewed fury, swinging her blade in a series of precise, rapid strikes aimed to overwhelm Ali. Her movements were fluid, her training evident in the seamless transitions between her attacks.

Ali didn't reach for a weapon. He didn't even bother to raise his hands.

As Derma's blade descended toward him, he took a single step to the side, her strike slicing through empty air. She pivoted, bringing her weapon around in a reverse slash aimed for his midsection. Ali twisted his body slightly, her blade missing him by mere inches.

The crowd watched in stunned silence as Ali continued to evade Derma's attacks without effort, his movements unnervingly casual.

"You're predictable," Ali said, his voice calm yet condescending.

Derma gritted her teeth, pressing the attack harder. Her strikes grew faster, more frantic, yet Ali dodged each one with ease. Every slash, every thrust of her blade was met with an empty void where her target had been moments before.

"Stop running!" Derma shouted, frustration bleeding into her voice.

Ali tilted his head, a mocking glint in his dark eyes. "Running? You've yet to make me move a meter from my position."

Furious, Derma screamed, her connection to the dark side surging. She raised her free hand, summoning her telekinetic power to hurl a massive wave of Force energy at Ali.

The sand beneath her rippled violently, and the air itself seemed to shudder as the blast barrelled toward him.

Ali raised a single finger.

The wave of energy stopped mid-air, suspended as if it had struck an invisible barrier. With a flick of his wrist, Ali redirected the energy back toward Derma.

The blast slammed into her chest, sending her sprawling across the sand. She coughed violently as she struggled to her feet, her lightsaber flickering in her hand.

"Is this the extent of your power?" Ali asked, his voice cold. "This is what Malvok trained? Pathetic."

Derma's eyes burned bright red as she rose shakily to her feet. She tightened her grip on her lightsaber, channeling every ounce of her remaining strength. She knew she couldn't win, but she couldn't surrender—not after what he said, not after what he had done to her pride.

"Shut up!" she screamed, lunging at him again.

This time, Ali didn't dodge.

He raised his hand, and Derma froze mid-charge. Her body locked in place, her arms trembling as she fought against the invisible grip holding her.

With a motion of his hand, Derma's lightsaber was ripped from her grip, flying through the air and deactivating as it landed in the sand far behind her.

Ali clenched his fist, and Derma's body was hoisted into the air, her legs dangling helplessly beneath her. She choked, clawing at her throat as the pressure around her neck increased.

With a sharp motion, Ali sent Derma hurtling backwards through the air. She slammed into the arena wall with a sickening thud, blood trickled from the corner of her mouth as she slumped to the ground, gasping for air.

The crowd erupted into murmurs. Even the Sith masters watching from above seemed intrigued by Ali's overwhelming dominance.

Derma forced herself to stand, her legs shaking beneath her. She extended both hands, summoning her last reserves of strength to unleash a barrage of telekinetic attacks. Rocks and chunks of sand lifted into the air, flying toward Ali at breakneck speed.

Ali sighed. With a wave of his hand, every projectile stopped mid-air, hanging suspended around him like a constellation of debris. He clenched his fist, and the rocks shattered into dust.

Ali walked towards Derma where he stood over her.

Derma collapsed to her knees, her body too battered and her reserves of Force energy nearly depleted. She looked up at Ali, her eyes filled with a mix of hatred and despair.

"Just finish it," she rasped.

Ali used the Force to lift Derma's body before slamming it into the arena wall once again, then he took her off the wall and…

BANG

BANG

Ali slammed Derma twice more into the arena wall, her arms were broken and her head was leaking blood peerlessly even though Ali wasn't Putting much strength into those hits.

Please donate some of your power stones, it would help my ff massivelv.

Five chapters ahead of webnovel on patreon.com/Rondo312