Chapter 50: Arena Referee

Eventually, they arrived on the arena floor. It was perfectly circular, wide enough for multiple fighters.

There was a demon official standing at the stairs, seemingly waiting for them.

He was a tall, sharp-featured demon with elongated throats. He wore ceremonial armor polished to mirror sheens. Crimson banners draped from his shoulders.

As soon as they arrived, he spoke, “I’m one of the arena heralds, I will provide information about the arena floor.”

He turned around and waved his hand at the arena floor.

“As you can see, the arena floor is perfectly circular. It is also wide enough to cover duels without lacking any space. The surface is made out of dark stone layered with faint crimson veins, which was designed to absorb blood, heat, and impact.

The floor can also shift physically. It can add rising stone pillars, broken ruin segments, shallow blood-water trenches, or simply be an open flat ground for clean duels.”

He then waved his hands on a low, transparent crimson barrier surrounding the arena.

He said, “This is the boundary wall. It protects the spectator and allows clear visibility of combat.”

He then spread his arm and each of his hands pointed at each side of the arena floor, below the spectator’s rings.

He said, “That area is called the Medical and Recovery Wing. There are fleshweavers and blood healers ready to aid in case there will be heavy injury after the battle.”

Myles stared at the Medical and Recovery Wing. He had already seen the appearance of the fleshweavers, so he was interested in the blood healers.

They are slender demons in dark red robes stained permanently at the hem. Their skin was marked with branching vein-patterns glowing softly. They appeared to carry crystal vials and bone instruments on waist-belts.

He then turned towards Violet and the Blood Knights and bowed deeply.

“Young Lady, this is all the information I can provide. If you have any inquiries, please don’t hesitate to voice them.”

Violet said, “If we want to settle the terrain of the duel arena, should we inform you, or the demon official standing at the center of the arena floor?”

The arena herald was taken aback.

He hastily turned around and pointed at the demon official at the center of the arena floor.

He was a tall, robed demon with crimson glass masks fused to his face. His eyes glowed faintly, making his emotion unreadable.

The arena herald said, “I apologized for not introducing him. He’s the arena referee. If both sides wanted to settle the kind of terrain that suits their battle, they had to inform him.”

Violet nodded. “That’s all, thank you. Should we enter the arena floor now? Or individually?”

The arena herald replied, “You all will have to go to the arena referee since he will give information first before officially commencing the duel.”

“Alright.”

Violet walked towards the stairs as the arena herald paved the way for her, while bowing deeply.

The Blood Knights followed her behind as they finally stepped on the arena floor.

On the other side of the arena floor, they could already spot the incubus walking towards the arena referee followed behind by the Shadowbind Knights.

The arena referee, on the other hand, waited for them, anticipating the duel of the ages. Ever since the tradition commenced, it was the first time where nobles involved their life and had to put their whole trust to their knight.

The arena referee already had two sigils, where he would place it on the nobles’ arms to seal not only their demonic energy in an instant, but their movements in five seconds.

As soon as one of the sigils felt the loss of life from one of the nobles, the other sigil would automatically deactivate.

The sigils were created hastily by the Ash Dwarves.

As soon as the incubus and succubus arrived, the arena referee stood in between and bowed deeply in front of them.

He said, “I will be the arena referee on today’s duel. I hope for your faithful cooperation.”

The incubus and succubus hummed in agreement.

The arena referee said, “After asking both of the guardians, they decided that throughout the match, there will only be a single terrain. In other words, the terrain won’t be repaired after battle as it will continue to provide a space for every duel.”

Violet and the Young Lord were surprised. In the end, they did not mind their instructors’ agreement.

The arena referee continued, “As what the arena herald has informed you, you can choose one among the four terrains.”

Violet and the Young Lord glanced at each other.

Violet said, “I’m fine with either one among them.”

The Young Lord said, “Then, let’s choose the broken ruin segments.”

Violet nodded. She thought. It’s the terrain where they have advantage the most since there will be a lot of shadows. Either way, I’m sure Myles can easily adapt into it.

There were three duels to occur before their part, so Myles could observe more and easily adapt into it.

The arena referee said, “Alright, you two have chosen the broken ruin segments.”

He took out an artifact and bent his body. He pushed the artifact on a missing part of the floor and suddenly, the arena floor began to rumble.

The arena floor slowly changed its terrains, with stone pillars suddenly beginning to rise. However, every stone pillar rising at each corner suddenly descended and broke into many pieces. The demons in the arena floor were unharmed, as though it was far from coincidence.

Once settled down, the arena referee said, “I will now announce the rules. The rules are based upon the agreements of both noble demons.

Once the duel commenced, every knight must clash every five seconds, until one among them shouted surrender.

They can disable their opponent, but must prevent killing them at all cost, unless it’s a life and death duel.

Sigil artifacts are strictly forbidden, unless necessary.

Draws will only be possible if both sides fall unconscious simultaneously.”

The arena referee paused for a while and bowed deeply. “That’s all for the rules. As for the first knights to duel, please remain, as for the others, stay far away from them. If I notice any intervention, the duel will be forcibly stopped and the winner and loser will instantly be decided.”

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