The arena, which had once been a cacophony of war cries and the clash of steel, now lay in eerie silence. The brutal fighting had ceased for the moment, leaving behind the echoes of battle and the lingering scent of blood in the air. Ethan stood with Alessia, both of them looking out over the vast, desolate battleground. The fallen contestants lay scattered across the arena, their bodies contorted in the stillness of death, the survivors slowly regaining their bearings.
Ethan's heart still raced from the confrontation with the cloaked figures. The words they had spoken rang in his ears: "The gods are watching."
Alessia stood at his side, her expression unreadable as she scanned the battlefield. The few remaining contestants seemed to be just as cautious as they were. Tension hung heavy in the air, thick with the uncertainty of what would come next.
"Are you alright?" Ethan asked, his voice softer than usual. He wasn't sure if he was asking her or trying to reassure himself.
Alessia gave him a small nod, though her lips pressed into a thin line, betraying her unease. "Yeah. I'm fine. But that was... unsettling."
"I agree," Ethan said, his eyes flickering toward the sky. It was strange. The air felt different now, charged with something he couldn't explain. The Divinacea within him stirred restlessly, alert to an unseen presence.
As if summoned by his thoughts, a booming voice echoed across the arena, shaking the very ground beneath their feet. It was the overseer, its voice cold and commanding.
"Attention, all remaining participants," the overseer declared. "The trial is not yet over. The next phase begins now. Only those worthy will continue."
Ethan's muscles tensed at the words. He could feel the weight of the trial settling over him, pressing in from all sides. They had survived the first test, but the second phase promised to be even more brutal.
The ground beneath their feet began to rumble, and Ethan barely had time to brace himself before the entire arena shifted. Sections of the earth rose like jagged cliffs, and the air grew thick with the scent of sulfur and ash. A deep, guttural growl reverberated through the walls of the arena, sending a shiver of dread down Ethan's spine.
The change was immediate. It wasn't just the environment that had shifted—it was something deeper, something primal. The very fabric of the trial was changing. As the ground trembled, Ethan's vision flickered, and a strange sensation crawled up his spine.
Alessia caught his gaze, her eyes wide with shock. "What's happening?"
Before he could answer, a terrifying roar echoed from the depths of the arena. The ground cracked open, revealing a massive, winged creature emerging from the shadows below. Its scales shimmered with an unnatural sheen, their black surface absorbing the dim light. The creature's eyes burned with an infernal fire, and its wings beat with the power of a storm.
The sheer size of it was enough to take Ethan's breath away. This was no ordinary beast—it was something from the depths of nightmares.
The creature's roar filled the air as it lunged toward them, its claws scraping against the stone ground like thunder. Ethan's instincts screamed at him to move, to run, but he knew that wasn't an option. The creature would catch them easily. No, they had to fight.
"Get ready!" he shouted to Alessia.
Before they could react, the creature was upon them, its claws sweeping through the air with terrifying speed. Ethan barely managed to duck under the first strike, the air buzzing with the power of the creature's attack. His sword was in his hand before he could even think, but when he swung at the beast, his blade simply bounced off its tough scales.
Alessia was already moving, her agility allowing her to dodge the creature's deadly strikes. She moved with a fluid grace, attacking with a series of swift, precise strikes to the creature's exposed underbelly. But even as her sword cut through the creature's skin, it didn't seem to slow the beast. If anything, it only seemed to grow more enraged.
"This thing is insane!" Alessia shouted as she dodged another swipe. "How do we fight it?"
Ethan didn't have an answer. He was using every ounce of his training, but the creature was far stronger and faster than anything he had faced before. His sword, his Divinacea—it all felt so insignificant against this beast. They needed a strategy, but time was running out.
Then, an idea struck him.
"Alessia, we need to focus its attention on one of us! I'll distract it, and you go for the kill."
Alessia shot him a glance, her eyes filled with concern. "Are you sure? That's a suicide mission!"
"I can heal myself," Ethan said, his voice steady despite the fear churning in his stomach. "Just give me a chance. You have to take it down while I keep it occupied."
Reluctantly, Alessia nodded, and the two of them sprang into action. Ethan charged toward the creature, drawing its attention away from Alessia, who moved stealthily around the beast, looking for an opening. The creature roared as Ethan darted beneath its claws, narrowly avoiding the deadly swipe. The power behind those strikes was enough to shatter stone, and Ethan could feel the heat radiating from the creature's body as it lunged toward him.
Ethan's Divinacea flared to life as he dodged another claw swipe, his healing energy surging through him with every near miss. His wounds closed almost instantly, but the creature's attacks were relentless. It was only a matter of time before he made a mistake.
But Ethan didn't care. He couldn't afford to fail now.
As he parried another strike, he heard a scream from behind him. He turned just in time to see Alessia, her sword raised high, plunging toward the creature's throat. The beast shrieked in pain, but it was too late. The sword found its mark, and with a deafening roar, the creature staggered, its wings flapping wildly as it fell to the ground, its body crumpling with a final, massive thud.
The arena fell silent.
Ethan stood, panting, his body covered in sweat and blood. Alessia approached, breathing heavily but with a triumphant glint in her eyes. She had done it—she had taken down the beast.
"We did it," she said, her voice breathless but filled with disbelief.
Ethan looked down at the creature's massive form, its wings twitching in the final throes of death. The sheer size of it was overwhelming. "For now, at least," he said, wiping the sweat from his brow. "But this isn't over. Something tells me this was just the beginning."
As if to confirm his words, the overseer's voice rang out again, cutting through the air like a sharp blade.
"The trial is complete. You have survived. But remember—only the truly worthy will move on."
Ethan glanced at Alessia. She nodded silently, her face set in determination.
"We're worthy," she said. "And we're not stopping now."
Ethan could feel it too. They had made it through this test, but they were far from done. There was more to come—much more. And whatever the gods were planning, he knew they would have to face it together.