Life Number 0-Chapter 45 - 9

Inside the arena, where energy blazed and flowed, everyone was trying to assert their presence, prove their skill, and demonstrate their worth to advance.

Egologia, with fleeting glances, caught sight of something he couldn’t believe for a moment. A young boy...? In the battlefield? Among these warriors?

"Oh... who is he? What is he doing here?" he muttered to himself, his eyes never leaving the child amidst the fighters.

Above, Sir Claude was reading the list of names until he reached the last one... "Zora?"

He raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Impossible."

That boy... Zora, the only son of the former ruler of the kingdom, the ruler who was overthrown in a bloody coup due to his heinous actions, which had become known to all.

Yet, the child was not responsible for his father’s sins. He had grown up away from the palace, avoiding harm, but he couldn’t escape the piercing gazes and sharp words of people in the streets.

What set him apart was his powerful family legacy... Maga-Etherion, a force carried only by members of his bloodline.

But now, there was no time to think. The battle had begun.

Chaos erupted, the arena ignited, everyone surged forward with force, bodies clashed, fists collided, feet moved swiftly, and energy explosions scattered in the air.

Egologia didn’t hesitate. He wasn’t interested in direct combat; instead, he darted like a fleeting arrow, weaving through the fights, slipping between clashes without being touched.

"That speed... Is he trying to showcase his skill... with that?" Claude muttered to himself as he watched.

The speed increased... increased... increased...

Even one of the three leaders, Garuma, with his red cloak adorned in gold, couldn’t ignore it.

"Wait... wait... who is that?"

"Oh, he’s just a stranger who requested to join. He has no record," Claude replied calmly.

"Is that so... Talents like these...!" Garuma muttered, watching the scene in awe.

Egologia, continuing his rush, was now pumping... pumping Maga within him...

Could they feel it? No, they couldn’t. He was the most skilled here, the fastest here!

His speed turned into a tremendous driving force, then he targeted a massive opponent, a "human barrel" clad in armor, a solid body as tough as steel.

The sudden rush, the compressed force within him, collided directly with the metallic abdomen, and the result—

An internal explosion!

The armor shattered, the crushing pain choked the giant, the air was sucked from his lungs, and before he could comprehend what had happened, he found himself violently thrown, his body flying through the air before crashing into the wall with a deafening sound!

Silence!

Seconds of astonishment struck the place, the leaders’ eyes widened, everyone raised their eyebrows, some pressed their lips, trying to process what they had just seen.

"What is this? No... impossible..." said the cat-man, baring his claws in challenge.

"That bastard... did it!" Claude...

But Egologia didn’t stop.

He accelerated more... more... more...

A group of fighters tried to stop him, but he was like a mirage, dodging strikes, weaving through bodies as if dancing within a storm.

Then— a sudden strike!

His fist landed on one’s face, another fell to the ground, a kick pushed a third opponent back, before—

From behind, a sudden vertical kick! The dry sound of bones cracking under the blow awakened all senses, making Egologia stagger slightly backward.

"Damn it...!!" he growled, pain spreading through his body.

It was a clean hit, precise, calculated, aimed directly at a weak point between the bones where blood flowed.

He quickly raised his head, his eyes burning with anger, and spotted the culprit.

The cat-boy... yellow fur draped over his shoulders, his hair messy and dirty, his tail long, and his piercing eyes carrying something undeniable.

That bastard... he really resembled a cat.

Egologia, without hesitation, raised the Maga pumping within him and charged forward.

But the cat didn’t retreat... he followed!

In moments, the battle turned into a rapid sequence of movements, swift strikes, acrobatic dodges, quick and precise hits.

The cat twisted, dodged, weaved as if his body was flowing water, while Egologia attacked with fury, a wild desire to crush him!

Here it was now, the decisive punch in the midst of the clash, no room to dodge—

But...

Instead of blocking or retreating, his tail wrapped around Egologia’s arm with a swift pull, then—

Craaaack!

"Damn it!!"

With a sudden leap, he struck Egologia’s face, the force of the blow made him stagger slightly, but he pulled back again.

A kick to the neck! Egologia barely processed it before another came from the opposite side.

Then another kick.

And another.

Right! Left! Down! Up!

The attack was brutal, leaving no moment to catch a breath!

The leaders watched, their eyes following the fight swiftly, their expressions ranging from astonishment to admiration.

"This is entertaining..." Garuma.

"That young man... his name is Senior, he’s already proven himself skilled to me," said the leader "Ash" with clear admiration.

"I see that," Garuma replied, his interest growing.

But... "Damn... he’s turning into a puppet now..." Claude muttered softly, his eyes narrowing.

Egologia... was being relentlessly beaten.

The kicks kept coming, non-stop.

But... something was strange.

"What’s this?"

The cat felt something unusual. "Fatigue?"

How could he feel tired from just a few kicks? "This can’t be right!.."

His breathing began to quicken, his muscles twitched slightly, and suddenly, his tail began to lose its strong grip on his opponent’s arm.

Then he took a step back, trying to process what was happening, sighing, trying to calm himself.

But then—

Egologia slowly raised his head, his hunched body straightening, his face swollen from the previous blows, bearing a smile.

It was something terrifying in itself.

"Oh... you’re tired now?.. That’s all you’ve got, right?"

Claude, who had been silently observing all along, felt that something was off.

"Could it be...?"

Yes, without a doubt. "Absorption."

All this time, despite taking hits... he had been absorbing.

He had been absorbing charges and Maga from his opponent, despite the pain, despite the violence, he had been draining him through his tail wrapped around Egologia’s arm.

"It’s my turn now, you arrogant cat."

In an instant, the Maga pumping within him surged!

His hands in a blade-like stance.

The air exploded under his speed, he moved with a flash, giving his opponent no chance to react! His strike embedded in his stomach!

A precise... harsh... swift strike!

"Tssssk! Damn it... damn it...!!"

The blows began to rain down!

One after another!

A strike to his ribs—

A strike to his shoulder—

Then...

The decisive blow!

His fist now, launched with full force toward the cat’s stomach!

"Boooooom!!"

The impact sent him flying to the far end, like an arrow shot across the arena!!

Everyone watched as he flew through the air before crashing hard onto the ground.