A tall man, dressed similarly to Longiseus but with a blindfold covering his eyes, ascended the platform. Facing him was Lyco, who regarded the Leotrus Artisan, the blind shooter of the Crimson Party, with a smirk. "Oh, it's gonna be easy," Lyco muttered confidently.
However, Lyco's confidence wavered when Leotrus, relying on his enhanced hearing, addressed his assumption with a grunt. Summoning a small knife into his hand, Leotrus challenged Lyco, saying,
"If you say so, catch this knife before it hits the ground and you shall advance."
Taking Lyco by surprise with his sudden declaration, Leotrus dropped the knife towards the ground. Lyco, almost panicking, focused on the knife and quickly devised a plan.
In a swift motion, he tore a hole in the ground just before the knife could hit the ground. However, Leotrus's unexpected kick sent Lyco reeling. Despite the setback, Lyco maintained his focus. He swiftly crafted shackles from stone to trap Leotrus and continued to extend the hole in the earth, sending the knife deep into the ground.
With determination, Lyco scrambled to his feet and began digging towards the knife. Catching it swiftly before it could hit the ground, he burst out of the ground triumphantly, holding the knife in his hand.
However before he could even open his eyes, Leotrus delivered another powerful kick to Lyco's face, sending him soaring through the air with blood spilling from his mouth as he released the knife, which plummeted towards the earth.
But this time, Lyco was ready. With swift reflexes, he vaulted in mid-air and created a crater beneath Leotrus's feet, trapping him halfway in the ground. As Lyco landed, he used the rocks beneath him to propel himself towards the falling knife, catching it just in time, his breaths coming in ragged pants as he struggled to recover from the shock of nearly missing it.
Amidst the cheers of the crowd celebrating Lyco's victory, the ground where Leotrus was trapped trembled. With a powerful blast, Leotrus tore through the ground and landed back on his original platform, declaring "Pass!" with authority as he hovered in the air.
The arena erupted with cheers from the crowd as Lyco returned to his platform, catching his breath. The announcer stepped forward to introduce the next trial.
"Attention, Chronos Wielder's Academy! Get ready for the fifth trial, where you'll witness a face-off against the Master of Disguise from the Crimson Party, Orioros Umpire!"
As the crowd buzzed with anticipation, a man of shorter stature began making his way to the platform. However, to everyone's surprise, Longiseus intervened, stopping him in his tracks. With a humble tone, Longiseus addressed him.
"Orioros, if you don't mind, I propose a challenge against the other two together." Longiseus gestured towards Alan and Armis, prompting Orioros to nod in agreement before returning to his platform.
Longiseus stepped forward, taking his place on the platform and turning to face Alan and Armis. With authority in his voice, he commanded, "You two, please join me on the platform!"
Without hesitation, Alan and Armis approached, climbing onto the platform to stand before Longiseus. Locking eyes with them, Longiseus issued his challenge, "I challenge you two to face me in battle!"
The crowd fell silent, stunned by the unexpected turn of events, as the announcer's voice echoed through the arena, "What a revelation! Master Longiseus has challenged the enigma Alan Circha and the newcomer Armis Goliath to a battle together!"
As his voice reverberated through the arena, the crowd erupted with excitement. Longiseus, lowering himself to meet the surprised and shocked expressions of Alan and Armis, delivered his instructions.
"I want you to fight just as you fought Venatus and his minions on the rooftop, with the same speed," he said, locking eyes with Alan, "and with the same power," he added, turning his gaze to Armis. "Now, take out your weapons! It's an order!"
With a resolute nod, Longiseus let out a loud and stern grunt, drawing his sword from its mark on his back and gripping his shield tightly in his left hand. With determined resolve, he challenged them to battle.
Armis, still reeling from the shock of the sudden challenge posed by the formidable Longiseus, quickly took up his guard with loud grunt. His new obsidian armor, covering his torso and chest, shimmered with a green glow as he readied himself to face Longiseus, adorned with golden shoulder pads, elbow guards, and forearm pads.
While Alan stood motionless, his sharp gaze fixed on Longiseus, he pondered the implications of the sudden challenge. He sought to decipher Longiseus' intentions, analyzing every word and gesture for clues. However, his contemplation was interrupted by Armis's urgent call.
"Alan!"
As Armis stood poised for battle, Alan swiftly sprang into action, recognizing that this was the moment he had been preparing for. Despite lacking a mark, Alan had devised a cunning plan over the past two weeks that would serve him well. With a swift movement, Alan raised his hands, crossing them near his shoulders, and emitted a powerful grunt.
Concealed within the folds of his attire small balls filled with green smoke were strategically hidden. Alan quickly striked on shoulder as he released the balls upon impact, unleashing a burst of green smoke that mimicked the summoning glow of weapons from marks. As the smoke enveloped him, Alan swiftly revealed two short blades tied to chains, which materialized from the dissipating mist, fastened to bracelets on his forearms.
The crowd roared with excitement as Alan unveiled his weapons, swiftly spinning the blades before deftly recalling them in his hands and extending them toward Longiseus with lightning speed.
With a resounding battle cry, Longiseus spurred Alan and Armis into action, prompting them to charge at him.
Armis made the first move, but Longiseus deftly sidestepped, using his shield to counter Armis's momentum and sending him hurtling toward Alan. With precise timing, Alan planted his feet firmly on the ground and caught Armis just in time, preventing him from crashing into the arena floor as they skidded back several metres together.
Armis swiftly regained his footing and returned to his position alongside Alan, but Longiseus wasted no time closing the distance between them. With a powerful blow, he struck Armis's armor, sending him airborne.
Alan reacted instantly, leaping onto Longiseus and attacking with his spinning blades. Longiseus deftly blocked Alan's strike with his shield and countered with a slashing motion of his own. Alan managed to pull back his blades just in time to block Longiseus's sword.
A tense swordfight ensued between Longiseus and Alan, with each strike pushing Alan further back.
As they clashed, Longiseus spoke to Alan with a stern tone, noting his lack of full commitment to the fight. With a forceful strike, Longiseus pushed Alan away, his sword aimed at him as he issued a warning. "This is your last chance," he cautioned. "Fight me with the same intensity, or I will reveal your involvement in Venatus's death and how you aided that boy, who absorbed him."
As Alan heard Armis's battle cry and saw him lunging at Longiseus, at the same moment before he could react, Longiseus swiftly countered, delivering a powerful blow with his shield that sent Armis hurtling through the air, crashing into Alan with considerable force.
As Armis rose, staggering, Alan quickly reached out and grabbed his hand, beginning to explain Longiseus's threat.
"Armis, wait!" Alan interjected.
"C'mon Alan, we have to entertain him a bit longer and th—"
"No, Armis!" Alan interrupted.
"What?! What do you mean?" Armis questioned.
"Rage... he wants you to fight in your rage," Alan explained.
The audience, spectators, and other students watched in silence as the chaos in the arena came to a halt. Armis and Alan stood aside, discussing something, while Longiseus, with his hands resting on his sword and standing on the ground, waited for them to finish, knowing that they were addressing his demand.
"Alan... Alan... Alan, do you know what you're talking about?!" Armis asked, staggering Alan backward by his shoulders in a panicked tone.
"I kn—"
"No, you don't!!" Armis retorted. "You don't know how it feels. I still get nightmares at night. Every little thing almost sends me back to that rage. I fought hard every day to contain it within me. And you're telling me to let it OUT!! You know what can happen!! You know what had happened!! You were there, ALAN!!" Armis yelled at Alan, his voice filled with frustration and fear.
Alan quickly moved forward and gently grasped Armis's anxious and panicked face in his hands, his expression serious.
"Armis, listen to me carefully," Alan began, gesturing towards Longiseus with his eyes. "He threatened me. If we don't give him the same intensity in this battle, he'll expose everything and make us the villains. Do you understand?"
Armis, now a bit calmer, nodded as he felt the weight of Alan's words sinking in. Alan continued, his voice steady and reassuring.
"Don't worry, I'm here. I know I couldn't stop you the first time, but I promise you, if you use your rage now or ever again, I WILL stop you before anything bad happens. Okay?"
Hearing Alan's comforting words, Armis nodded in agreement, tears escaping his eyes. He tightly embraced Alan and murmured in his ear, "Let's give him what he wants."
With determination, Armis turned to face Longiseus, only to be met with a powerful blow to his chin from Longiseus's shield. Armis was hurled away, but his rage ignited. Longiseus then lunged at Alan, but a battle cry echoed through the once-silent arena.
Filled with rage, Armis charged at Longiseus, his voice echoing with fury. "You want this? Come get it!"
Alan leaped into action, launching himself at Longiseus with incredible speed. Longiseus tried to dodge, but Armis's rage-fueled grasp was relentless. With a forceful shove, Armis slammed Longiseus's head into the ground, causing the earth beneath them to crack.
Unfazed by Armis's attack, Longiseus quickly spun and delivered a powerful kick, sending Armis tumbling backward. As Armis struggled to regain his footing, Alan launched himself into the air with his swift slap kick aimed at Longiseus. Longiseus barely managed to dodge, using his shield to deflect the blow, as it cracked upon impact.
Longiseus stumbled back, trying to regain his balance, but before he could, Armis charged at him, grabbing him by the hair and launched him into the air. With precision timing, Alan spun with incredible speed, his blades charged with momentum, and unleashed a devastating strike on Longiseus. With a deafening blast, Longiseus was sent crashing into the ground.
As the dust settled, Longiseus rose to his feet, his rage slowly becoming visible in his eyes. Alan and Armis charged at him, but Longiseus held his blade to his side, letting out a battle cry. His blade began to glow cerulean, and with a swift step forward, he swung it with tremendous force. The arena fell deafened as a cerulean charge sprouted from the blade, hurtling towards Alan and Armis at breakneck speed.
Alan attempted to dodge the blast, but it struck his lower body, while Armis was hit directly, resulting in an explosion that almost covered the whole arena.
As the explosion subsided and the dust settled, the arena fell silent, Alan, losing consciousness, lay on the ground, his eyes half-open. He saw Longiseus approaching him and Armis. Longiseus spoke, his voice reaching Alan's ears just before he slipped into unconsciousness.
"Trials are over! Take these two to the infirmary," Longiseus commanded, his words fading as Alan's awareness waned. Longiseus's command echoed dimly as the world around Alan Dissolved into darkness.