Chapter 415: 415

With a low growl, he began his own transformation. His tawny mane expanded, flowing like golden fire as his body grew in size and mass. His muscles rippled with supernatural strength, and his claws extended, each one glinting like polished steel. A golden aura enveloped him, shimmering like sunlight breaking through a storm. His roar shook the arena, a sound that resonated deep within the bones of all who heard it.

He moved first, his speed now even greater, a streak of light barreling toward Yuki. But this time, she was ready. With a powerful flap of her wings, she propelled herself backward, avoiding his strike by inches. The force of his claws hitting the ground sent a shockwave rippling through the arena.

Yuki retaliated immediately, swooping in low and unleashing a barrage of dark energy blasts from her claws. The lion-Björn weaved through them with uncanny agility, his golden aura deflecting the few that came too close. He closed the distance between them in an instant, swinging a massive, clawed fist toward her.

She caught his strike, their claws locking in a clash of raw power. The impact sent a shockwave through the arena, and the crowd roared with renewed fervor. For a moment, they were locked in a stalemate, their auras clashing like opposing storms.

But the lion-Björn was stronger. He forced her back, his claws raking across her chest. Yuki hissed in pain but used the momentum to spin, her wings whipping around like scythes. The edges of her wings, now razor-sharp, sliced across his arm, drawing blood.

The lion-Björn staggered slightly, his golden eyes flaring with both pain and admiration. “Impressive,” he said, his voice a growl. “But you’ll need more than that.”

With a roar, he summoned pillars of golden light that erupted from the ground, each one homing in on Yuki’s position. She dodged and weaved, her wings propelling her with blinding speed. But the lion-Björn anticipated her movements, appearing in her path and slamming his fist into her midsection. The force sent her crashing into the arena wall, the impact shaking the entire colosseum.

Yuki groaned, the dark whisper in her mind now a deafening roar. Her vision blurred, but she refused to falter. She rose slowly, her wings folding behind her as the molten cracks on her body began to glow brighter. The air around her shimmered with intense heat, and the ground beneath her feet began to melt.

“You’re not the only one who can bend the arena to your will,” she snarled.

She slammed her clawed hands into the ground, and fiery fissures spread outward, erupting into geysers of black flame. The lion-Björn leapt and dodged, his golden aura dimming as the intense heat began to wear him down. Yuki launched herself at him, her wings propelling her forward like a missile.

Their clash was a blur of motion, claws and teeth meeting in a feral dance of destruction. The lion-Björn’s golden aura flared with each strike, but Yuki’s dark energy seeped through the cracks, sapping his strength.

The two warriors broke apart, panting and bloodied. The arena was unrecognizable, a battlefield of molten glass and scorched sand. The crowd’s cheers were deafening, but Yuki could hear only the thundering of her own heartbeat.

The lion-Björn grinned, his amber eyes blazing. “Not bad,” he said, his voice tinged with respect. “But let’s see how long you can last.”

Yuki bared her fangs, her claws flexing as the molten cracks on her body pulsed with power. “I’m just getting started.”

They both are at the fifth stage and could open up a domain but that defeats the whole purpose of the fight, it brings no joy and satisfaction when the fight can be seen by all who was attending.

The colosseum became a ruin of fire and molten glass, a testament to the ferocity of their clash. Yuki, wings outstretched, breathing ragged, glared at the lion-Björn. Her body was battered, cracks on her darkened skin pulsating like dying embers. She was pushing herself to the edge, her energy flickering like a candle in the wind.

The lion-Björn, bloodied but still exuding a quiet, predatory confidence, stood tall amidst the destruction. His golden aura shimmered faintly, though it had dimmed from the prolonged fight. His mane, streaked with his own blood, still burned with an ethereal light. His piercing amber eyes locked onto Yuki, unrelenting and unyielding.

“You fought well,” he said, his voice calm but tinged with a growl. “But this ends here.”

Before Yuki could respond, he moved—a blur of golden light that she could barely track. She raised her claws to defend herself, but his speed was overwhelming. He struck her chest with an open palm, golden energy erupting from the point of impact. The force sent her skidding back, her feet digging trenches into the molten ground. She gasped as the molten cracks on her body dimmed further, her strength rapidly waning.

The lion-Björn pressed his advantage, closing the distance with relentless precision. He ducked under her desperate swing, delivering a bone-crushing uppercut that lifted her off the ground. Before she could recover, he slammed her back down with a brutal kick, the ground shattering beneath her.

Yuki coughed, blood dripping from her lips as she struggled to rise. Her wings twitched weakly, her claws scraping against the molten glass beneath her. The dark whisper in her mind screamed at her to keep fighting, to tear him apart, but her body was failing her.

The lion-Björn grabbed her by the throat, lifting her off the ground effortlessly. His claws dug into her neck, but he didn’t squeeze. He wanted her conscious, aware of her defeat.

“Do you feel it?” he growled, his voice low but powerful. “The weight of inevitability. You’re strong, Yuki, but strength alone won’t save you. Not against him.”

He slammed her into the ground, pinning her beneath his massive hand. Yuki’s wings curled inward, her body trembling as she tried to push back against him, but it was no use. He was too strong.

The roar of the crowd reached a fever pitch, their cries a discordant hymn of devotion and madness. The air was thick with the acrid scent of blood and molten earth, mingling with the heady aroma of sweat and adrenaline. Finn’s gaze remained fixed, his posture rigid yet radiating anticipation. The faintest twitch at the corner of his mouth betrayed his satisfaction.

The lion-Björn, his tawny mane now streaked with crimson, hoisted Yuki’s battered form high above his head as if she were a sacred relic. His golden aura flared violently, arcs of energy crackling around him and licking at the ground like hungry flames. He stood at the center of the carnage, a triumphant priest presiding over a grotesque altar.

“Björn, god of insanity and warfare!” His voice rang out like a war horn, cutting through the cacophony. The crowd fell silent, their breath caught in their throats as they clung to his every word. “Bear witness to this offering! See her strength, her defiance, her very essence—and know that all power, all rebellion, bends and breaks under your divine will!”

He lowered her slightly, cradling her limp body like a broken marionette, and then cast his gaze upward. His amber eyes burned with fanaticism as he continued, his words a blend of prayer and incantation. “Through blood and chaos, through war and madness, we offer you her might, her spirit, her soul! Accept this, Björn, and sanctify this ground with your presence!”

The air grew heavy, a suffocating pressure settling over the colosseum as the atmosphere shifted. A low, otherworldly hum began to emanate from the very stones beneath them, rising in pitch until it resonated like a scream on the edge of hearing.

The lion-Björn convulsed, his muscles tensing and rippling unnaturally. His head snapped back, his mouth opening in a silent roar as golden light erupted from his eyes and chest. His body contorted, dissolving into a swirling mass of molten gold and crimson mist. The crowd screamed in frenzied ecstasy as the phenomenon consumed him, reshaping the space he had occupied.

When the transformation ceased, a towering figure stood in his place—a hulking, grotesquely beautiful manifestation of chaos itself. Björn had arrived. His skin was a patchwork of blood-red and deep onyx, pulsating as if alive. Horns spiraled upward from his skull, jagged and uneven, crowned with red flickering flames. His wings, vast and tattered, spread wide, casting a shadow that seem to swallow the colosseum. His eyes, glowing orbs of molten crimson, surveyed the scene with a terrible intensity.

Every Björn present fell to their knees, foreheads pressed to the ground. Their reverence was palpable, a collective surrender to the god of madness. Across Björn’s lands, the sky darkened, bleeding into shades of red and black. Lightning crackled in the distance, and the earth trembled as though bowing to its master.

Björn turned his gaze to Yuki, still limp in his massive clawed hand. He exhaled a slow, deliberate breath, a crimson mist spilling from his lips and enveloping her. The mist seeped into her wounds, knitting flesh and bone with an almost tender precision. Her eyes fluttered open, and she gasped as the burning pain faded, replaced by an overwhelming sense of vitality and dread.

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