Esme's expression shifted to the point of being incomparably cold and stern. It was as though for a moment she molded herself after Ryu.
This was a small change almost no one noticed. But it sent waves of crashing with Matheus' heart.
'This…'
'It's still not enough.' Ryu thought to himself.
It was then that the first clash occurred. Esme's spear tip met Edwin's fist, causing it body to bend like a bow.
Edwin's momentum was fierce. Anyone could see that he won the exchange, however in his rage, he didn't notice Fidroha's frown. There was no doubt he won the first bout… but why was it that it seemed to be by a smaller margin than he should have?
Ryu looked on toward this scene with a mocking smirk. "It seems that standards of the Apostles are quite low."
Edwin's gaze reddened hearing these words. It was only now he suddenly realized that the corpse puppet he should have blown away in a single strike had actually exchanged strikes with him for several rounds already?
'Just who is this child…?' Ancestor Ember could naturally see the crux of the matter. But what made him feel a sense of apprehension was the fact that even to him, the truth was foggy.
"Oh. Since you still have time to glare at me, it seems the pressure on you isn't high enough."
Ryu's arm left their clasped position behind his back. As though he was conducting an orchestra, his fingers flicked with an arrogant majesty.
Flickers of silver appeared around him. To some, the appearance of [Vector Eagle] was so thin that they couldn't see a thing. To others who had slightly more lucky viewing angles, it felt as though a flock of beautiful silver birds had suddenly taken flight into the skies, collectively making Edwin their target.
Suddenly, a battle he had been handedly winning, took a turn.
Edwin winced as the sharp silver scythes tore through his tough skin.
Even with this being the case, though, what infuriated him more than anything was the spearmanship of this corpse puppet. Why did it feel so simple yet impossible to see through?
Edwin had never felt more humiliated in his life. He should have ended this battle in an instant!
"DAMMIT!" He roared.
Flames erupted from his body as his strength multiplied several times over.
Ryu's gaze narrowed. 'Elemental Mortal Endowment… Birthed Phenomena.'
Others might have missed it, but Ryu's eyes were too sharp. Beneath the wreath of flames that coated his fists, Edwin was hiding a powerful Fist Inheritance. He likely wanted Ryu to underestimate him on purpose so that he could end it quickly. Unfortunately, he still underestimated Ryu.
Esme's steps became unpredictable in an instant, her movement becoming ethereal. She flitted around Edwin's strikes with an elegant ease. It was as though she was always a step ahead.
However, the circumstances had clearly changed. It was now Edwin who pushed forward.
His fists tore through the air. Concentric booming spheres of compressed wind fell toward Esme like a torrent.
'It seems fire is a weakness of Esme's…' Ryu analyzed calmly.
With a new refinement method, how could it be perfect and without flaw? After being modeled after a Spiritual Herb, Esme suffered the same weaknesses many of them did. Though it wasn't terrible for now, Ryu could see Esme's skin quickly drying and her movements were slowly becoming rigid.
Esme's wrists twisted and pierced through the air, deflecting the blows of Edwin's fists at their weak points.
However, while Ryu was calmly analyzing the situation as though nothing was wrong, he hadn't cared to notice that the arena had become so silent a pin's drop could be heard. Well, that would have been the case if not for the loud cacophonic booms of Edwin's fist strike.
Everyone watched on, occasionally rubbing their eyes as though they were trying to wake up from a dream.
Was this a joke? Wasn't this battle supposed to end in an instant? Why was it that it was still going?
Esme's spear rapidly unleashed a flurry of strikes.
Edwin's muscles bulged, his temper flaring more and more with each passing instant.
"Die!" He roared. "[Meteor Sweeping the Skies]!"
Ryu's gaze narrowed. Controlling Esme, her feet shifted in an enigmatic manner once more.
His [Third Perspective] immediately saw through the flaw in this technique. Using Esme as his own spearhead, he had her pierce through, the air around her shifting with an incomparably sharp aura.
The strike completely slipped through Edwin's defenses, making its way toward his throat without regard.
'[Warped Ripple] …'
Edwin suddenly felt that his fist had slowed. It was only for an instant. In fact, not even a split second later, his qi ripped through whatever barrier there was, sending a violently ripple through the ground the shattered what remained of the white tiles.
However, by then, the spear had already made it to this throat… He would die…
CLANG!
Just when that battle seemed to be over, Esme's spear shattered into shards of silver and violet pieces. Along with it, her body was sent flying, crashing against what seemed like the last remnants of the stage array…
Edwin stood silently, not moving a single inch. His messy black hair partially covered his features, hiding his gaze. At the same time, his trembling had suddenly stopped entirely.
"It seems I have to stop treating you like an ant by the road…" The pace of his words was slow and deliberate. His momentum seemed to be steadily rising. Completely unlike he had been before, his figure became as steady as a mountain.
Ryu walked to Esme's side. To say she was in terrible condition was an understatement. Almost all the bones in her body were shattered. Beyond that, her muscle fibers were sheared apart in some of the most important region. Unless Ryu used his own qi to make up for it, she wouldn't be able to move.
It was then the crowd finally sighed a breath of relief. If Ryu really won, it would be too much for them to handle. Now everything was right in the world again.
Who among them didn't believe that Esme was Ryu's final trump card? Now that she was unable to battle, it was definitely over.
Ryu didn't even try to salvage her and directly placed her into his spatial ring.
"Shame." Ryu said faintly.
He hadn't expected Edwin's aura to suddenly surge like that. He didn't put the opinions of those fools in his eyes. Any one of Edwin's previous strikes could have put Esme in her current situation. The problem was that Edwin perfectly timed his counter. Although Ryu's eyes saw through it in time and he himself would have been able to evade in time, his corpse puppet control was still lacking.
What he actually found to be a shame was that he lost his spear. How would he use his dual wielding style like this? Seems it was time to find a new set of weapons.
Edwin's head slowly raised. His gaze was eerily calm, his aura far more restrained than it had been in the past.
'I said not to kill him.' Fidroha suddenly felt the need to remind Edwin by Qi Line.
"I won't kill him. I'll only break him."
He no longer sounded like the braggart he had in the past. He sounded like he was simply stating a fact.
Ryu, however, didn't pay attention. He only calmly took out two glaives, stabbing them into the ground.
"Is this a joke? What kind of scheme is he playing at? Start begging for mercy!" Host Minn said with a sneer. "A Necromancer without his puppets is nothing!"
Ryu's reserved aura suddenly climbed.
Silence fell over the arena once more. Not because it was too strong… But because it was too weak! Ryu was a Lower Divine Vessel Realm expert?!
They were so shocked by this reality that they didn't realize that this kind of pressure couldn't come from a normal Divine Vessel Realm cultivator…
Ryu flexed his wrists, loosening them as though what was happening around him had nothing at all to do with him.
"… I don't remember ever saying I was a Necromancer."
The moment his glaives reentered his hands, the skies themselves seemed to change.