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793 - Hopelessness
🕑 Added 2024-11-28 10:37:59 +0000 UTCThe attack, fueled by every ounce of Zyranel's spatial mana, was anticipated to last several minutes at the very least. Its sheer scale and power were such that the Colosseum's repair crews were already bracing for weeks, if not a full month, of reconstruction before hosting another battle. After all, an assault of this magnitude lacked precision and would devastate everything in its wake.
But to the shock of Zyranel and the countless viewers watching, the storm began to weaken after a mere thirty seconds. The once ferocious spatial lightning strikes flickered, their intensity fading, and the swirling chaos grew visibly unstable.
It was far too soon—several minutes earlier than anticipated. The sight made their hearts sink as dread gripped them, for there could be only one explanation. Somehow, Aron had interfered, his very existence now defying logic and overwhelming their worst fears.
As if unwilling to prolong the suspense, the potency of the attack continued to fade rapidly. Within a single minute, the spatial storm had entirely dissipated, revealing the unthinkable—Aron stood unscathed, untouched by even a trace of the devastating assault. Even more unsettling, the area around him remained completely intact, as though the attacks had been drawn away and absorbed, leaving no mark on the surroundings.
Zyranel stared at the scene in utter disbelief, his expression growing even paler than it had been after depleting his mana. The hope that had fueled his body, keeping him upright despite his exhaustion, crumbled in an instant. His legs, no longer able to bear the weight of shattered expectations, gave out beneath him. He collapsed to the ground, his eyes hollow as the devastating realization set in—his most powerful attack had failed, and with it, any chance of victory had slipped through his fingers.
As the saying goes, misery loves company. Without giving Zyranel even a moment to catch his breath, the inevitable mana backlash struck him, forcing his already depleted body to collapse forward. The sight was bizarre, almost surreal, as it appeared to the viewers as though he were bowing to Aron, who remained hovering motionlessly in the distance, still making no effort to act.
The arena descended into an eerie silence once again. All movement had ceased, and not a single sound came from the two fighters.
Those watching could only stare with mouths agape, captivated by the unprecedented stalemate. Questions buzzed in their minds—would the AI referee step in, or would the match continue, leaving the outcome to whichever side managed to recover first?
Time inched forward, yet the tension held everyone in its grip. Half an hour passed, but no one felt restless or impatient. All eyes remained glued to the arena, anticipating the moment when something, anything, might break the stillness. No one dared to look away, knowing that whatever came next could define the fate of the fight—and perhaps much more.
……………
[A moment after the return-to-sender attack, inside Aron’s runic heart]
The immense reservoir of mana within Aron—what could be described as an almost infinite mana tank—began to drain rapidly. The runes within his runic heart greedily absorbed nearly half of his mana in the span of a single second. Yet, even as that staggering amount disappeared, the runes showed no sign of slowing down.
In mere moments, the entirety of his mana was consumed, leaving him utterly depleted. Despite this, the runes continued their relentless demand, their reactions indicating that the vast mana they had taken was still insufficient for whatever process they were undergoing.
The runes on Aron’s heart began to slow their pulsing, appearing starved of mana. Among them, a few distinct runes started to glow with increasing brilliance—these were specialized runes tasked with gathering mana from the surroundings. Their efforts intensified when a spatial attack was directed at Aron.
The pulsing runes instantly created a barrier, but instead of merely blocking the spatial attack, the barrier activated in a unique way. It began deconstructing the attack into its fundamental components, converting the energy back into pure spatial mana. This reclaimed mana was immediately absorbed and funneled into the runes that were driving the ongoing process.
As successive attacks followed, the same cycle repeated: deconstruction, conversion, and absorption. The largest attack yielded the most mana, significantly contributing to the rune’s energy pool. Though the total mana gathered couldn’t compare to the reserves previously drained from Aron, the spatial mana carried a unique quality—far superior to basic mana. This higher-value energy accelerated the mysterious process, leaving only a small amount of additional mana required to bring it to completion.
……………..
The instance of Nova residing within Aron’s body had been silently monitoring his condition, carefully analyzing the unfolding events. As the situation progressed, she finally uncovered the nature of what was happening. However, the system had entirely removed her access to Aron’s body, effectively locking her out to prevent any interference that might inadvertently disrupt its ongoing process.
Realizing the system was desperately drawing mana yet lacked sufficient amounts within the arena to complete its task, Nova came to a stark conclusion: she needed to act. While she couldn’t interfere directly with Aron’s body, she could take measures to address the critical mana shortage threatening the system’s operation.
Not one to merely observe, Nova quickly devised a plan to bring in external sources of mana before the situation worsened. She immediately contacted the AI referee through Aron’s augmentations, which now represented him due to the extensive damage he had sustained, making it impossible for him to speak independently. Communication with the referee was permissible within the Arena under such circumstances, as alternate contact methods outside were restricted until the fight ended, and even then, only for lodging complaints.
{Referee, I have a question,} Nova transmitted, utilizing the nanomachines in Aron’s body to generate sound waves. Though the output was imperceptible to ordinary hearing, it was loud and clear for the AI referee.
Deeming the inquiry unobtrusive to the ongoing match, given that the opposing combatant was incapacitated, the referee responded. {State your inquiry,} came the impartial reply, granting permission for Nova to proceed. Although aware that it was Nova speaking rather than Aron, the AI allowed the exchange, as Aron had ensured such contingencies were covered within the rules of the fight.
{Within the rules, it is stated that the mana within the Arena can never drop below a certain threshold. From the look of it, that threshold will soon be passed. Is it possible to refill the mana in the Arena while the fight is ongoing?} Nova inquired.
The AI referee took a moment to review the rules, ensuring that her response would not violate any of them. After careful consideration, she finally replied, {It is possible for the process to take place during the fight, provided there is no interference with the match. If interference is deemed inevitable, the fight can be temporarily halted to allow the process. However, given the current situation, the first option seems most appropriate. I approve the process to proceed without stopping the fight.}
With that, the referee immediately authorized the mana stone carriers to move into the Arena to replenish the Colosseum’s mana reserves.
{Thank you,} Nova said, satisfied that her intervention had facilitated the process. She quickly relayed instructions to her other instance, permitting the mana stone carriers—nearly all of them stationed nearby—to enter the Colosseum. Not holding anything back, Nova hoped the collective mana within the stones would be sufficient for whatever the runic heart was orchestrating.
The entire conversation between Nova and the AI referee was broadcasted to the viewers, as the AI referee, programmed to be transparent, amplified the sound for all to hear. Reactions from both sides were mixed, with confusion and curiosity spreading.
Many wondered why Aron was engaging in such discussions, assuming he was the one speaking through the robotic proxy, given that he had been rendered unable to speak due to the severe damage he had sustained. This hypothesis led to further speculation about his true intentions and whether there was a deeper strategy at play behind his actions.
