The coliseum's atmosphere thickened until every breath felt like inhaling molten iron. Thousands of eyes bore down on Draven, their voices swelling like a tidal wave.
The three dead knights and the bleeding beast lay sprawled across the sand, but no one cared. Their gazes were fixed only on the newcomer—the woman in black armor.
Selene, the Goddess's chosen blade.
Her armor hugged her form like liquid shadow, runes glowing faintly across the plates. Each step she took radiated quiet authority, her presence pressing against Draven's lungs like a mountain. She wasn't simply a warrior—she was a symbol.
The soldiers shouted her name in unison. "Selene! Selene! Selene!"
Draven flexed his fingers, still sticky with blood. His system pulsed urgently.
[System Alert: Target identified – Selene, Goddess's Champion.][Fatebound Restriction: Host cannot alter her primary destiny without god-level intervention.][Warning: Engaging recklessly may cause system backlash.]
Draven's jaw clenched. So this wasn't just about strength. Fate itself was tilting the board against him.
The First Clash
Selene stopped ten paces away. She tilted her chin, studying him with cold disdain."You are the one who dares carry the Godslayer system?"
Draven's lips curled faintly. "And you are the one fated to kill me?"
Her blade sang as it left its sheath—a black longsword etched with silver veins that pulsed like veins of lightning. Even the crowd fell silent at its appearance.
She lunged.
Draven barely saw the movement. One moment she stood, the next her sword was already descending.
He raised his arm, instinct guiding him.
[Skill Activated: Fatebreaker Reflex – Level 2]
His body twisted just enough that the blade grazed past his ribs instead of cleaving him in two. The force rattled through his bones, but he stayed standing.
Selene's eyes narrowed. "You slipped out of fate's line… impressive."
Draven countered with a brutal straight punch, glowing with Fate Surge. She blocked with her gauntlet, sliding back half a step—the first crack in her composure.
The crowd gasped. Kaelen leaned forward, intrigued.
Testing Boundaries
Selene came again, faster this time. Their weapons clashed—her sword against his bare fists, each strike ringing like thunder. Sparks flew. Sand burst upward with each impact.
Draven could feel the strain building. His system screamed warnings.
[Notice: Host's bones nearing structural limit.][Suggestion: Activate Godslayer Core for 2.3 seconds.]
He ignored it. Using the Godslayer Core here would expose too much. The Goddess herself would sense him.
Instead, he bent threads of fate. Subtle adjustments—an ankle slipping on sand, her strike veering one degree off-course. But Selene adapted with terrifying speed, correcting each flaw before it blossomed.
"You're meddling with my fate," she hissed, voice low but deadly. "Do you think you're the first to try?"
Draven smirked through the sweat and blood. "Maybe the first who won't die trying."
The Shift
Minutes stretched. They circled like predators, trading blows that shook the arena. The soldiers who had once cheered now watched in stunned silence. Even Kaelen's smirk had thinned, his fingers drumming his cup.
Draven's breaths grew ragged. His knuckles bled. Selene's armor bore shallow dents, but her movements remained precise, tireless.
He knew the truth—he couldn't win like this.
The system whispered:
[System Choice Generated]Option A: Unleash Godslayer Core for 5 seconds. Risk: Divine detection, certain pursuit by the Goddess.]Option B: Trigger Forbidden Skill: Soul Inversion. Effect: Exchange vitality for power.]Option C: Hold back, endure, and wait for external interference.]
Draven's teeth ground together. Every choice smelled like death.
Selene struck again, her blade nearly grazing his throat.
The crowd roared, convinced the end was near.
A Desperate Gamble
Draven inhaled sharply and chose Option B.
[Forbidden Skill Activated: Soul Inversion – First Stage][Cost: -30% lifespan.][Effect: Temporarily doubles Host's combat potential.]
Power surged through his veins, black fire coiling around his arms. His eyes glowed, threads of fate unraveling like spider silk before him.
Selene froze for half a heartbeat. "What… is that?"
Draven's punch slammed into her chestplate with the force of an avalanche. She flew backward, crashing into the coliseum wall. Stone cracked, dust exploded, and silence reigned.
Gasps echoed. The soldiers' chants faltered. Even Kaelen's smirk vanished, replaced by something darker—calculation.
Selene rose slowly, black blood trickling from her lips. Her eyes burned brighter. "So… the rumors were true. You are dangerous enough for the gods themselves to fear."
She lifted her blade again, aura doubling. The ground itself trembled as divine energy pooled around her.
The Breaking Point
Their next exchange shattered the coliseum floor. Shockwaves rolled through the crowd. Every strike was lethal, every movement too fast for ordinary eyes.
Draven's inverted soul burned hotter, but each second drained his life like leaking sand. He could feel his body breaking.
Selene's voice cut through the chaos. "Surrender now, and I'll grant you a clean death."
Draven spat blood and laughed, wild and defiant. "Death doesn't scare me. Gods do."
He twisted fate's thread once more—forcing her next strike just slightly wide. He dove inside her guard, fist aimed for her throat.
For a breathless moment, victory seemed possible.
But Then…
A golden sigil erupted beneath Selene's feet. Divine runes flared across her body, healing cracks in her armor and multiplying her strength. The Goddess had blessed her again—cheating, tilting the scales.
Draven staggered, fury boiling inside him. Even here, even now, the gods wouldn't fight fair.
Kaelen leaned over the balcony, his grin returning. "Now this is a duel worth watching."
The system screamed in his head.
[Critical Warning: Host cannot defeat Selene under current conditions.][Recommendation: Initiate Emergency Override—Godslayer Core release.]
Draven's fists trembled. He had resisted until now, but the truth clawed at him—without unleashing the Godslayer Core, this battle was unwinnable.
The question was… could he risk drawing the Goddess's gaze so soon?
✨ Cliffhanger Ending ✨Selene advanced, blade glowing with divine fury, as Draven's system demanded one final choice:
Should Draven unleash his forbidden Godslayer Core and expose himself to the Goddess's wrath—or find another way to break fate's grip in this impossible duel?