Chapter 34: Gurion Vs Ulrich Part 2

"Oh~! The Bandit Lord pulled a dirty trick and landed a vicious blow!" Quincy's voice rang out, riling up the already roaring crowd. "But everyone, you know the rules! There are none! As long as you don't kill your opponent, anything goes!"

She smirked as she took in the spectators' reactions. *The crowd looks happy—okay, that's good. I'll let Ulrich get a few more hits in before shifting the arena. Ah, I can't wait to see their reaction!*

Back in the arena, Ulrich exhaled sharply, wiping a thin trail of sweat from his brow before retrieving his swords. "Let me give you some advice," he said as he walked toward Gurion, who remained on the ground, clutching his face from the glass attack. "Always expect your enemy to fight dirty—and be prepared to do the same." He stopped just in front of him, casually resting one sword over his shoulder. "Be free, don't follow rules, and—"

Before he could finish, Gurion suddenly yelled, "Don't monolog!"

Ulrich's eyes barely had time to widen before Gurion's leg swept under him. His footing was ripped from beneath him, and with a startled grunt, he crashed face-first into the ground.

"What is this!? An immediate comeback from Gurion!?" Quincy shouted as the crowd erupted.

Gurion quickly got to his feet, though his eyes remained closed. His ears twitched slightly, honing in on Ulrich's movements.

"Ahh~ Fox ears," Ulrich groaned from the ground before pushing himself up. "Sigh, you demi-humans sure get a lot of advantages." Without wasting a second, he swung one of his swords low, aiming to cut Gurion's legs out from under him.

Gurion reacted instantly. With a small hop, he cleared the blade entirely before countering with a sharp kick to Ulrich's face the moment he landed. The impact sent Ulrich skidding across the arena floor, his body slamming into a stone wall with a dull thud. He winced, rubbing his head but still very much conscious.

From the VIP stands, Samwell watched with very mild interest. "His ability to enhance himself is adequate," he mused, his tone devoid of excitement.

"What stage do you think he's using, Father?" Matthew asked, his eyes fixed on the fight.

Samwell let out a thoughtful hum. "Somewhere between the third and fourth. He hasn't fully grasped the fourth stage yet. If he had, he wouldn't be struggling against that yokel."

Matthew nodded, though his attention quickly returned to the fight.

Back in the arena, Ulrich began pulling himself to his feet. "Ugh, that's the second time you launched me into—"

His sentence was cut short as he saw Gurion suddenly charging toward him, dashing at full speed the moment he heard Ulrich's voice.

"So intense!" Ulrich exclaimed, already reaching into his sash for another trick, but just before Gurion could reach him, a reverberating clap echoed through the arena.

The ground trembled. The air shimmered.

A sudden shift coursed through the battlefield as the fragmented ruins began to transform. Stone crumbled away, sinking into the earth as dense greenery burst forth. Thick vines coiled up from the cracks in the ground, twisting into gnarled trees that stretched skyward. Towering trunks emerged where broken pillars once stood, their canopies spreading wide, casting deep shadows over the arena floor.

Massive roots erupted from below, weaving through the terrain like serpents, creating natural obstacles and uneven ground. The very walls of the coliseum pulsed with an unnatural energy, distorting for a brief moment before settling into a seamless blend with the shifting landscape. Though the environment had transformed, the spectators still had a clear view—the upper canopy of the jungle remained thin enough to let them see the fighters below, while strategically placed openings in the dense foliage allowed visibility from multiple angles.

Gasps of astonishment rippled through the crowd as they took in the dramatic shift.

"What the hell!? The arena just—changed!?" one spectator exclaimed.

"Incredible! They turned it into a jungle!?" another shouted.

Quincy grinned, practically bouncing in the air with excitement. "Ohhh, I love seeing the reactions! That's right, folks! The battlefield isn't static—this year we're pulling out all magic to keep you entertained!"

Back in the arena, Ulrich scanned his new surroundings, a wolfish grin spreading across his face.

"Now this is more my style," he mused, gripping his swords as he surveyed the jungle around him.

His grin faltered slightly as he realized something.

"Now… where did that fox go?" He tensed, raising his swords, his eyes darting through the thick undergrowth.

Unbeknownst to him, Gurion had already adapted to the change. The moment the arena began shifting, he had leapt into the trees, instinctively seeking higher ground to avoid being caught off guard while his vision remained impaired. Hidden within the dense canopy, he remained motionless, his ears twitching as he listened for Ulrich's movements below.

Back in the fighters' waiting area, Xain had a question for the Demon Lord residing in his head. *Hey, Erkie? Can you control trees and plants with earth magic?*

Ercale let out a thoughtful hum before answering. *Not normally. But what she just did... it's probably a mix of earth magic and blood magic.*

Xain blinked. *Blood magic? How does that make sense?* That was the last thing he expected to be involved in making a jungle appear out of nowhere.

*It's complicated,* Ercale replied. *But blood magic can be used to manipulate vegetation. I won't get into the specifics now, but since she managed to reshape the entire battlefield on such a large scale without collapsing from blood loss, I'd bet she's a half-blood. Would explain the fangs you saw earlier.*

Xain had even more questions now, but he pushed them aside for later. Right now, he focused back on the fight.

Down in the arena, Ulrich moved cautiously through the dense jungle, his every step calculated as he scanned the treetops and undergrowth for any sign of his opponent. The thick vines and massive roots that had overtaken the battlefield provided excellent cover, which meant Gurion could be anywhere.

Ulrich hummed in thought. He needed to draw Gurion out.

Sliding his swords back into their sheaths, he reached into his sash, pulling out two small, round objects. A grin spread across his face.

"Come here, fox man! I'm right here!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the trees.

Almost immediately, he heard rustling from above—leaves shifting, branches bending. He reacted instantly, sparks flaring in his hands as he turned just in time to see Gurion descending toward him, ready to strike.

"Catch!" Ulrich shouted, hurling one of the objects toward his airborne opponent.

Despite still being blind, Gurion heard the distinct hiss of a lit fuse and smelled the faint, acrid scent trailing from it. His ears twitched. He didn't need his eyes to know exactly what it was.

"A bomb!?" he barely had time to exclaim before—

BOOM.