A duel between mystics

"Ladies and gentlemen," The mellifluous voice of the commentator boomed, smothering all the chattering and cheering that had underscored the entire arena since Hugo entered it.

"Elite mystics of Giza… We are gathered here to witness the end of a conflict…"

"The exact details cannot be disclosed…"

"But we still get the chance to witness a true fight between two mystics…"

"On the left, we have the renowned mystic wizard who has been with us for ages…"

"He is the one and only…" The commentator's voice turned dramatic as he pointed at the masked mystic who looked as burly as an ox.

A shudder washed over Hugo as a humongous 3D projection of the burly man manifested over the left side of the amphitheater's stage; right above the man's head.

[This is some kind of refraction technology that bends and focuses light in weird ways to form a hologram. Is this the level of technology Gaia is at?] Hugo was surprised since he hadn't seen any tech that was at the level of the sight before him since arriving in Giza.

The bodily details of the mystic were magnified so vividly that Hugo could even make out the slight fluctuations in the man's expressions.

[People who aren't mystics have been ignorant about this just like I've been all along.] Hugo sighed as he turned his focus back to the mystic in question.

"The Beast of Giza – Galileo." The commentator finished his introduction.

"YEH YEH YEH…" Deafening cheering once again reverberated across the arena, however, the burly man only watched his opponent silently.

His grey eyes, visible through the mask, were fixed on his opponent, radiating savage menace. He held a long gripped single-edged blade with a circular crossguard in his hand.

The blade bore a striking resemblance to the Katana from the Orient back on Earth. It gleamed with a gray luster, vibrating within Galileo's hands.

Aside from his head, his body was enclosed in a delicate set of what appeared to be leather armor, adorned with runes. The runes were arranged into a microarray of mysterious ciphers that stood out on leather's surface.

[These should be the mystic artifacts engraved with runes. I wonder if I'm also able to use that armor and sword!] Hugo mused as he observed the Katana in the Beast's grip.

"And on our right side, is a genius only seen once in a century…"

"BOOO… BOOO…" Loud booing could be heard even before the commentator finished the introduction.

[Why is this mystic so hated by all the spectators?] Hugo wondered.

"The beautiful sensational nightmare of Giza…"

"Put your hands together for Annah – the Nightingale of Giza." The commentator hurriedly completed the introductions since the crowd's boos were smothering his voice.

[Is this the 'Annah' the group of girls mentioned before? Are they friends?] Hugo was surprised considering the low level of mystic powers projected by the girls he had met earlier.

A magnified visage of the masked woman appeared above the right side of the arena stage.

And oddly enough, the woman removed her mask exposing her beautiful face to the crowds, who strangely stopped their booing. The allure of the woman was like a fire extinguisher that put out all the boos in the arena.

She had silky lashes that quivered intermittently over her almond-shaped blue eyes and a wave of coral-black hair surged over her slender shoulders.

A diva's nose was perched atop her flirtatious pink lips which were now stretched seductively into a mischievous grin that was in symmetric harmony with her concave cheekbones.

[This is the kind of beauty that can launch a thousand ships, like Helen of Troy.] Hugo was stunned stiff by the image of the lady projected above the arena stage.

But what scared him more was the set of six throwing darts held between her slender fingers which were balled into fists.

The darts were inconspicuous enough to the point of being ignored, however, Hugo had a feeling that these were among the famed lethal assassin's artifacts of the Dark Church.

[How can she throw darts held in such a languid posture? A pity, she is likely to be decimated. Will this affect my plans for next week?] Hugo speculated.

[She doesn't even have any sort of armor on her! How will she fight such a well-equipped opponent?] Hugo mused as he turned his sight back to Galileo.

"READY" The commentator who was also acting as a referee bellowed at the top of his lungs as the cheering and booing once again resumed.

"And… Let the fight begin…"

At that instant, the cheers had transitioned into a pulsating rhythm of ear-splitting tumultuous noise, however, Hugo didn't care one bit.

All his focus was centered on the two mystics standing at opposite ends of the arena stage. Hugo even activated his magnifying-sight so that he wouldn't miss any action between the two opponents.

However, he was shocked when both opponents remained still as if weighing each other's powers.

[What are they doing?] Hugo was confused.

He had been expecting an exchange of flamboyant moves like what had gone on between Ali-Baba and Miss fox in Melekar, however, the opponents stayed silent and still as statues.

The cheering and booing of the crowd also started to diminish, and slowly, it turned into a chilling silence. All the spectators were quiet; their eyes glued to the 3D projections of Galileo and Annah on the stage.

And suddenly, the two opponents moved…

Annah drew her slender hand back; and in a flash, shrilling sounds echoed in the silent arena, as her left hand released a storm of darts that went hissing towards Galileo's face.

Galileo seemed to have anticipated the move. He raised his katana, lustrous with an ominous grey luster, and with a bellow, he hacked towards the incoming maelstrom of gleaming darts that were now whistling towards his eyes.

The katana glittered under the sparse rays of the afternoon sun, and an elongated shadow of the blade broke away and teleported right into the passage of the ghostly darts.

In the same instant, the Beast – Galileo swooped in Annah's direction. However, luminous sparks glittered as another blizzard of lethal darts came screeching in the winds, and in a blink, they appeared just before the advancing form of Galileo.

Galileo roared as he continued pouncing towards Nightingale's direction, the runes on his leather armor glowing and producing a translucent barrier around his form… And with a stomp, he appeared before Annah who was still trying to throw another set of darts.

Annah's expression turned ashen as she watched the Katana flickering with a dark and malevolent flame come clobbering towards her silhouette.

The Beast's eyes twinkled with unadulterated savagery, and his Katana glinted like a Grim Reaper's scythe, cleaving swift and hard towards Annah's slender neck.

"NO!… Behind you!… Behind you!…" Some of the spectators yelled at the top of their lungs as the silhouette of Annah being dissected by the chilling Katana vanished in a puff of grey smoke.

"How?" Galileo yelped.

The warnings of the spectators had come late…

Annah who had mysteriously teleported behind the 'Beast of Giza' conjured a dark dagger out of thin air, and with a pop, Galileo's barrier was easily compromised, as the gleaming short blade came scuttling towards the Beast's exposed neck.

"PUCHI…"

Hugo looked at the arena stage wide-eyed, mouth agape, his face gradually freezing in fear as a geyser of blood showered into the air.

"Plop."

And with a plopping sound, Galileo dropped onto the reddish-brown sands of the Giza Arena.

"Another stupid idiot." Annah's seductive voice echoed across the arena, and to Hugo's surprise, she started undressing the beheaded corpse of Galileo. Her actions were so measured like she had done it hundreds of times in the past.

In a matter of seconds, the mystic armor, the katana, and an extradimensional bracelet were retrieved by Annah, then she started mutilating Galileo's corpse.

[What the fuck?] A seed of panic was planted into Hugo's psyche as he watched the live decapitation.

"I can't let a mystic get near me in a fight. No, that is not right… I will never let any mystic get even a slight glimpse of me when we're in combat!" Hugo muttered softly as he even forgot that he was still imperceptible…