The Lost Kingdom | Nova Terra Chronicles

Nice

Location: Eagle City's Arena - 781st Arena Games:

The crowd was electric as the sun bathed Eagle City Arena in golden light. With the destruction left by the last few rounds still lingering on parts of the field, the repairs only managed to smooth over the damage--not the tension.

The stadium roared as the announcer's voice echoed through the air:

"AND NOW--FOR ROUND 8 OF THE ARENA GAMES! PLEASE WELCOME... NTG6!!"

Casa stepped onto the battlefield first, rolling his neck and cracking his knuckles, the light glowing from his brass knuckles faint but ready. Behind him, Loth adjusted the grip on his staff, a soft radiance pulsing from its tip. Ina followed with her sword resting on her shoulder, eyes sharp and confident. Kuro, cloaked in dark cloth and aura, took his place calmly, while Kai twirled his scythe as he stepped beside them.

The crowd cheered louder as the announcer continued:

"AND THEIR OPPONENTS... GD7! FORTUNA, GRACES, JANUS, MITRA, AND PILUMNUS!"

On the opposite side of the arena, five divine figures appeared in synchronized steps. Janus, the god of passages and duality, stood at the center, eyes glowing behind his mask as portals shimmered around him. Pilumnus cracked his knuckles with a grin. Mitra's aura radiated discipline and justice. The Graces stood elegantly, yet eerily unified in movement. And Fortuna twirled a coin in her hand, smirking.

The bell rang.

Casa immediately burst forward with a blinding leap. "Time to punch these losers in the face!"

Ina dashed beside him, blade drawn. "Stay close with me Cas, we're stronger like this!"

"I'll shield and heal y'all," Loth called. "You two just go support them!"

Kai smirked and nodded, spinning his scythe to summon a Dark-Arc. Kuro stayed back, summoning a void sphere between his hands.

Casa struck first, throwing a punch toward Pilumnus, but the god blocked with ease. Pilumnus grinned, but then reeled from the second jab--Casa had layered the punch with a Lightburst.

Ina slashed at Mitra, their weapons clashing in flashes of light. They danced back and forth, with Ina dodging precise strikes and retaliating with light-infused counters.

"Behind you!" Kai yelled, throwing a crescent-shaped Shadow slash to redirect Mitra's next swing.

Meanwhile, Kuro cast a Darkened Fog that spread across the battlefield, momentarily blinding GD7. But Janus opened two portals, clearing the fog instantly with a vacuum effect and teleporting Pilumnus to Loth's blind side.

Loth barely raised his staff in time, conjuring a holy barrier. "I need help!"

Kai swooped in, spinning his scythe to block an incoming strike. "I got you bro!"

But Janus redirected Mitra again, and Kai was forced into a clash with both Mitra and Graces. He took a blade to the leg, grimacing.

Kuro shouted, "They're splitting us up on purpose! We got to group up!"

Casa, still locked in a brutal exchange with Pilumnus, looked over his shoulder. "Ina, Loth, now! It's time, get over here!"

Ina pivoted away from Mitra, sliding under a Grace's attack and regrouping with Casa. Loth limped toward them, his staff flickering.

"Kuro! Kai! Hold the line! We need time to charge this!" Casa yelled.

Kai gritted his teeth, drawing a magic circle with his scythe and yelling, "On it! Don't wait too long"

Kuro raised both hands and cast Abyssal Veins, creating a swirling cage of shadow that ensnared Graces and Mitra temporarily. He turned to Kai with a rare smirk. "We got to buy 'em time. We're dead anyway. So we might as well make it cool."

Kai chuckled as he swung his scythe again, summoning a wall of hindered Darkness. "Let's go out loud, bud."

Janus warped behind Kuro and blasted him point-blank with a radiant portal beam. Kuro collapsed, coughing blood.

"Kuro!" Loth gasped but didn't stop chanting.

Kai stood alone now, his scythe glowing a feint dark-glow. He unleashed a fury of dark slashes, cutting through the air toward the gods. But they were fast--too fast.

A lance of magic pierced his side from Fortuna. He stumbled.

Mitra finished it with a light-speed strike to his back.

Kai, before he fell, looked back at Casa, Ina, and Loth and smiled.

Then he fell, scythe still in-hand.

The three finished the chant.

Their bodies glowed with radiance. A combined circle appeared beneath them, their Light Magic pulsing together. Casa punched the air, Ina stabbed into the ground, and Loth raised his staff to the sky.

"NOW!" they cried.

A beam of brilliant white light exploded forward, fueled by all their mana. It tore across the arena like a comet. Pilumnus and Mitra turned, but were too slow.

The blast incinerated them.

The beam cracked the walls of the arena and shook the stands. Even gods had to shield themselves from its power.

But the beam faded.

And the battlefield was quiet.

Casa collapsed to one knee, panting. Loth fell to the ground. Ina staggered, using her sword to keep her up.

Janus appeared behind them.

Then Graces followed.

In a single, fluid movement, Janus raised a portal above each of their heads.

Then Graces struck.

Three radiant slashes ended them, one by one.

The crowd stood in stunned silence.

The announcer's voice trembled before finding words:

"NTG6... has fallen. But what an amazing light show they put out."

In the Lounge of the other NTG Teams, the screen faded to black as the reflection off the TV of Para showed that he was in disbelief, watching his siblings get killed once again, but by someone... something way more dangerous than ever before.