This was less an arena and more a massive, abandoned commercial district. It was filled with tall buildings and even some long-empty, abandoned shopping malls, easily the size of a small town. Even the artificial forest from the underground deathmatch that Sona had participated in before seemed paltry in comparison.
This unique combat environment was a refreshing change for almost all the spectators. They had long grown tired of watching axe-wielders hack at each other in the same large arena. Occasionally changing to a new map was a kind of enjoyment.
The directors of the Chamber of Commerce, who had been stifled for so many days, finally laughed.
"Indeed, with Mr. Darksteel Azurite himself taking the field, we are much more at ease. Even a champion knight would rarely be able to withstand a single arrow from the Darksteel Azurite. No matter how strong this little squirrel is, it's almost impossible for her to win when she's at a disadvantage in both terrain and strength."
Someone said this.
The entire conference room was once again filled with a cheerful atmosphere.
The directors, who had previously worn long, grim faces, finally smiled, as if their dead horses had come back to life.
Director Barton coughed. "Don't speak too soon. As long as this little squirrel isn't dead, we can't relax for a moment."
Although he said that, the corners of Director Barton's mouth still turned up slightly. He couldn't hold it in either. He didn't believe anyone could defeat the Darksteel Azurite with a terrain disadvantage. Even the strongest regiment commander of Kazimierz's most powerful Silverlance Pegasus might not be Darksteel's match.
Aside from the legendary Old Nearl who was rumored to have become the sun, in today's Kazimierz, Darksteel essentially represented the pinnacle of individual martial prowess. And Old Nearl was already dead; Kazimierz didn't have a second Old Nearl. Of course, besides Darksteel, the current Grand Knight Commander Russell was rumored to be in no way inferior to Old Nearl. However, after all these years, no one had ever seen the Grand Knight Commander make a move, so no one could judge if this rumor was true.
Unlike the cheerful atmosphere in the Chamber of Commerce.
In the slums, the Infected gathered around the few available televisions were cursing.
"Damn it!! The damned Chamber of Commerce!! This is obviously targeting Miss Sona!! Miss Sona is good with a sword, but her opponent is good with a bow! This complex terrain is clearly disadvantageous for Miss Sona!"
"Go, Miss Sona!! Slap the Chamber of Commerce hard in the face!!"
This Spring Major final, held last, attracted many viewers from other cities. The viewership ratings climbed steadily. The Flametail Knight's fans and the Blood Knight's fans were slinging insults back and forth online, and then dragging fans of other knights into it. Of course, these fans were all also fans of the Radiant Knight. They could argue all they want, but when they talked about the Radiant Knight, they were all amicable.
"The match!! Begins!! Now!!!"
With the host's announcement, the match officially began.
The large gates on the east and west sides opened, and Lucas Reeve stepped into the massive, abandoned urban district.
"Daily quiz question, Sona. If it were you competing here, what would your first step be?"
Sona didn't even have to think. "Definitely hide first. Since the opponent is an archer, it's very dangerous to be exposed in the open."
"Correct." Lucas Reeve nodded. "In this kind of terrain, the effectiveness of head-on combat is often weakened. If it were two ordinary close-combat knights, it might not be as obvious. But it's especially troublesome against an archer like this. Because, in a battle of patience, a knight definitely can't outlast an archer. And they definitely can't beat them at hiding."
"Don't try to just run away. Against an incredibly strong archer, they can easily snipe you even from a great distance."
Although he *said* to hide, Lucas Reeve continued to stroll down the empty street as if nothing was wrong, as if he were a tourist, with no intention of hiding himself. Even an ordinary person could easily see where Lucas Reeve was.
"Also, don't learn from me. The only reason I'm not hiding is because the power gap is too large. There's no need. If you encounter this in the future, hide as best you can and look for an opportunity."
Suddenly. A sound like a howling gale echoed through the entire abandoned district.
As Lucas Reeve turned his head, the first floor of a nearby building suddenly exploded. A pitch-black meteor streaked from somewhere. Even though it was still far away, Lucas Reeve felt he was locked on, that he couldn't dodge it no matter how he tried.
"Got some skill..." Lucas Reeve murmured, offering simple praise. He had to admit, he had indeed underestimated his opponent.
The black meteor flashed past in an instant.
Lucas Reeve instantly drew the knight's longsword from his waist. Flames of the Sun enveloped the longsword's blade. He then swung it forcefully. The flaming longsword collided with the meteor.
*BOOM!!*
As the two forces clashed, an explosion like an Originium bomb erupted at the center. Invisible shockwaves spread out, cracking the ground of the abandoned district. Sona's body was barely forced back several steps by the impact, smashing hard into the wall behind her and kicking up clouds of dust before she managed to stabilize.
This meteor's trajectory was altered by Lucas Reeve's attack, and it shot off to the side. Even so, it still pierced through numerous buildings in one go before barely stopping, embedding itself motionlessly in the ground.
Only then did the audience see it clearly.
This wasn't some meteor from the sky. It was an arrow.
A massive, pitch-black Darksteel arrow, almost like a spear.
An arrow that a person could shoot?!!
The entire audience erupted. This terrifying strike had truly transcended their understanding of strength.
Flying across more than half the abandoned district, piercing who-knows-how-many buildings... is this level of destructive power something a person can unleash??
"As expected of the Darksteel Azurite!!"
The directors were now completely at ease, as if they had taken a calming pill.
All the drone cameras swiveled to focus on the thick smoke below. The directors all hoped the little squirrel would die under the Darksteel Azurite's terrifying arrow.
The smoke cleared.
Amidst the smoke, a figure stood. Many spectators around let out a huge sigh of relief, while the directors couldn't help but grit their teeth.
However, Lucas Reeve's current state was a bit wretched. The ordinary-quality knight's longsword in his right hand had shattered from the attack just now. Not just the longsword, even the vambrace on his right arm had shattered and disintegrated. Blood trickled down from his arm, staining it red.
This body is still not good enough....
Lucas Reeve murmured to himself, acting as if nothing was wrong.
The injury on his right arm wasn't inflicted by the opponent, of course. It was because the force he used to block the attack exceeded the body's limits, so the skin, blood vessels, and muscles couldn't take it and tore open.
In the end, it was still the body's problem.
Sona's body was still too weak. If he had borrowed the body of any Elite Operator, he could have blocked that easily.
"Mr. Reeve! You're injured!!"
Sona said in shock.
"Uh... *you* should be the one who's injured. This body is yours."
Sona felt a little guilty. She didn't believe that the god-like Mr. Reeve was inferior to his opponent, even though the opponent was indeed very strong. It was still because her body was too weak....
"I'm so sorry, Mr. Reeve. It's all because I'm too weak."
Lucas Reeve smiled. "No need to blame yourself. You're already working very hard. The opponent does have some real skill. If my senses are correct, his strength is at the very peak among mortals. Very impressive. Looks like I have to get serious. It would be embarrassing to win too sloppily."
"Serious?"
Sona didn't press further. She felt a faint sense of anticipation.
Although Lucas Reeve hadn't used much of his strength at all, and this injury was completely negligible.
However, the surrounding audience didn't think so.
The host roared: "The Nameless Knight just fired a world-shaking arrow!! My god! I've been a Knight Major host for so many years, and this is the first time I've ever seen such a terrifying arrow! How strong must this Nameless Knight be? I estimate that even a champion knight might not be his match! Truly! The masters are hidden among the people!!"
"Now, the pressure is suddenly on the Flametail Knight! It's already incredibly surprising that the Flametail Knight was able to withstand such an astonishing arrow! But now, what will our Flametail Knight do? The Nameless Knight is an archer hiding in the shadows, and the Flametail Knight still hasn't found his trail. But the Nameless Knight can snipe from an extreme distance! Not only that, even her sword, the most important thing for a knight, is broken! How will the Flametail Knight defend herself next?!"
The host's words made the directors of the Chamber of Commerce smile so wide their mouths were crooked.
She didn't die from the first arrow, but she was injured and bleeding, and even her precious knight's longsword was shattered. What can she do now? Use her fists? This is a 'dragon-riding-your-face' (guaranteed) win. How can he lose?
Sigh....
We're finally about to win.
Director Barton finally let out a huge sigh of relief. All the frustration he had swallowed before came pouring out, and he felt vindicated.
Little squirrel, little squirrel, you're still too naive.
You thought just because you had some strength, plus the help of Raythean Industries, that we, the Chamber of Commerce, couldn't do anything to you?
You thought too much. This time, we'll show you that there are always stronger people out there, that there's always a higher heaven.
"Czarny." Director Barton called to the spokesman beside him.
"Go get a few bottles of red wine."
A director next to him happily chimed in: "It's time to celebrate early."
"I've aged ten years in the past few days. Now, I feel like I've become twenty years younger all at once."
The directors all chimed in, sharing their joy.
And as Czarny turned to leave the conference room, where no one could see, his eyes dimmed slightly.
He had originally thought the little squirrel might be able to make the Chamber of Commerce suffer a setback. Even if she couldn't change anything, just annoying them would have been nice. He didn't expect.....
In the end, the Chamber of Commerce still had the upper hand.
Almost all the spectators, no one was optimistic about Sona. Only Jessica and the others, watching the live broadcast internationally from far-off Columbia via special means, looked completely bored.
Nian yawned. "Lucas Reeve is still not getting serious? Getting his defense broken and getting injured by a mortal is a bit embarrassing, even if it's not his body."
Laurentina sipped her drink and said: "That Nameless Knight's arrow has decent power. I'd *maybe* need five fingers to catch it."
Even Jessica, who used to worry about Lucas Reeve the most, wasn't worried at all now, watching with great interest.
————————
"Sona, today, I'll broaden your horizons."
"Hm?"
Lucas Reeve smiled slightly. "Let you see what a battle between gods usually looks like."
Lucas Reeve suddenly closed his eyes.
And far away from Lucas Reeve, on top of a tall building, a figure emotionlessly nocked a giant Darksteel arrow on his longbow. The power in his body condensed like flowing water. Crimson Originium energy flowed into the tip of the Darksteel arrow.
The Darksteel Azurite's eyes narrowed, a sharp glint flashing within them. He muttered to himself: "It's time to end this. Your strength is impressive. You might have become a great threat to us in the future. But... you no longer have the chance to grow."
The Darksteel Azurite released his hand.
The Darksteel arrow, enveloped in crimson energy, howled forth.
This arrow was far, far more ferocious than the first one. A true meteor in the long night. Even without touching it, its surrounding power distorted the air and shattered buildings. Even the audience watching through the screens felt as if their necks were being squeezed, finding it hard to breathe.
Just as the crimson arrow tore through the sky and was about to reach Lucas Reeve.
Suddenly.
*Swish.*
Lucas Reeve's eyes opened.
His deep black pupils gradually evolved, glowing with a thick golden light. In the very center of his pupils, the faint image of a crimson, four-pointed diamond pattern emerged. The purest divinity representing a god burst forth, and motes of golden starlight rose up around Lucas Reeve's body.
"You were the one who didn't follow the rules first. Don't blame me for not playing fair."
Rule "Originium"
The Rule represented a god's most core power, and it was the most fundamental difference between gods and humans.
Crimson runic chains emerged from the void, twining around Lucas Reeve's right arm. The arm, originally stained red with blood, turned crimson.
He thrust his palm forward and grabbed.
Before the disbelieving eyes of everyone, Lucas Reeve had actually caught the meteor-like Darksteel arrow with his bare hand. Under the Darksteel arrow's immense power, he was forced back two steps. Then, his body suddenly twisted, spinning in a full circle, and before the shocked eyes of the crowd, he forcefully changed the Darksteel arrow's direction, spun it in a large circle, and threw it back.
The surface of the thrown-back Darksteel arrow was even coated in a faint golden light.
Its power and speed surpassed the original shot.
In the distance, the Darksteel Azurite, who had thought he could execute his enemy, suddenly saw the returning meteor. For a moment, he thought the arrow looked a bit familiar.
"????"
After sensing the danger, the Darksteel Azurite immediately dodged. The second after he dodged, the entire upper-middle section of the building he had been standing on was blown away.