Arie stepped back as a long, thin sword appeared in her hand. She raised it instantly to deflect the attack.

Bang

The strike slammed into the arena, and the ground trembled beneath them.

Calus didn't stop. He moved again, crossing space in a blink as he closed in on Arie.

But she didn't freeze.

Pang

A sharp metallic sound echoed as Arie was forced to retreat several steps.

Her gaze dropped to her arms as she sucked in a cold breath.

Her hands trembled.

The difference in strength was obvious.

Seeing this, Calus pressed forward, seizing the moment of hesitation as he appeared behind her.

Arie reacted instantly. Sensing the danger, she pressed one foot against the ground and twisted, blocking with her sword.

Bam!

The impact was explosive ,

the power behind it several times stronger than before.

Arie was blasted backward, her sword flying from her grasp.

Calus didn't waste the opportunity.

Each step he took was light as a feather as he closed in on her suspended body.

His palm opened and pressed against her abdomen.

Boom

A dull sound echoed through the arena as Arie coughed violently.

Her expression turned dazed. For a split second, her mind went blank.

But Calus didn't wait.

His knee dropped toward her.

Arie snapped out of it instantly. That strike , if it landed

would definitely knock her unconscious.

But Calus was faster. Stronger.

What could she do?

Arie gritted her teeth and drove her thigh upward.

Pow!

The air compressed between them.

A sharp pain shot through her abdomen as Calus's power transferred through the clash.

Her face twisted in agony, but she used the momentum to push herself backward.

Calus was briefly lifted into the air because of the counter.

Pah!

He landed gracefully.

Arie staggered, gasping for breath. A throbbing pain traveled from her thigh up toward her head.

---

"Is this the gap between the Silver Realm and the Gold Realm?" someone in the crowd muttered, sucking in a cold breath.

The elders nodded.

Of course, they had no doubt Calus would win

but they hadn't expected it to be this overwhelming.

Because of her physique, the Princess's attacks were several times more powerful than her peers'. Even against a Gold Realm expert, she should at least be able to exchange several blows without suffering injuries.

Not to mention her advanced battle training. She had been taught by masters since childhood.

Calus should have won purely by brute force due to his realm advantage.

But his attacks… his movements…

They were precise. Deadly.

From the very beginning, he had forced Arie into a defensive position and was now overwhelming her.

If the elders knew that Calus had once been a Diamond Realm expert in his previous life

and had experienced countless life-and-death battles ,

they wouldn't be so shocked.

To him, fighting someone with talent but lacking true battlefield experience was simple.

---

"It's only been a few seconds, Princess Arie… and blood is dripping from your nose," Calus said calmly.

Arie's body trembled.

She touched her nose and looked at the blood staining her fingers.

When had she ever suffered such a loss?

Then

She smiled.

Wasn't this what she always wanted?

Back home, no one dared pressure her in battle. They were too afraid.

"I'm fine. Let's continue," Arie said as she stood up.

She crouched slightly, raising both fists.

Boom

This time, Arie attacked first.

But she didn't use her sword.

She would use her physique.

Bang!

Calus responded in kind as their fists collided, the shockwave traveling across the arena.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

They exchanged blows rapidly, moving so fast their bodies blurred.

The more they fought, the more terrifying Arie became.

With each strike, a chilling aura seeped into Calus's body.

His movements slowed slightly.

His muscles felt heavy.

Fatigued.

"What a terrifying physique…" Calus muttered after creating distance between them, surprise flashing in his eyes.

"Huff… huff…" Arie gasped for air.

Whatever she was using clearly took a toll on her as well.

Calus glanced at his numb hands, then back at Arie.

Her eyes burned with battle hunger.

"This fight won't be simple," Calus thought.

Suddenly

Bang!

The arena slab beneath Arie's feet shattered as she appeared in front of Calus.

Instinctively, he crossed his arms to block.

But the expected strike never came.

Instead

A massive wave of cold aura engulfed him.

Calus's expression changed.

The dense aura slowed his body tremendously.

And then

A terrifying force struck his back.

BOOOOM!

Calus was blasted forward, crashing into the arena floor.

Gasps filled the stadium.

Arie had just landed a direct hit on a Gold Realm expert.

You must understand ,

the gap between realms was nearly unbreakable.

A Gold Realm expert could defeat dozens of peak Silver fighters.

At that level, one was no longer cannon fodder ,

they were a force of nature.

Gold energy enhanced the body to terrifying levels.

Yet Arie had managed to land a clean strike.

"Wow… Princess, I'm surprised," Calus said as he stood up and dusted off his clothes. "I guess I need to take this seriously, or I might lose."

Arie snorted.

That was exactly what she had told him earlier.

And yet

He had been playing with her the entire time.

"Sigh… would you believe me if I said I was only testing your strength? After all, you were truly terrifying ,

able to fight God Realm experts while only at Half-Step God Realm. That's an incredible feat…"

Calus smiled faintly at Arie.

"Can you blame me for wanting to see what's so special about this?" he thought.

"I'm going to attack now, Princess," Calus said calmly.

Arie's stance immediately shifted. Her left fist drew back, her right fist extended forward, her body coiled like a spring ready to explode.

But

It was already too late.

Calus appeared directly in front of her, his face inches from hers, a faint smile on his lips.

Her eyes widened in shock.

A powerful force erupted from her abdomen.

Dom!

"Cough—!"

Arie's body arched violently as her feet lifted off the ground. Calus's fist had buried itself deep into her stomach.

Bang!

Without hesitation, Calus pivoted and kicked toward her side.

Arie reacted instantly, raising her right arm to defend.

But the force was overwhelming.

She was blasted out of the arena, her body flying toward the stands.

The entire stadium went silent. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Just as she was about to crash into the spectators

Boom.

A soft, transparent dome materialized, intercepting her body midair and absorbing the impact.

The protective barrier rippled gently before stabilizing.

Silence fell over the arena.