CHAPTER 200: BOOOM

While Aurelia and Loriel were busy admiring the unbelievable thing they had just witnessed, Duke Arselin was equally shocked—but for an entirely different reason. He couldn’t help but stop in his tracks.

In that moment of confusion, it was enough for Phillips to throw the Duke outside the arena. Even if he hadn’t gotten this opportunity, it would have happened sooner or later, as under his watch, the Duke would never have reached the actual match.

Duke Arselin barely managed to stay upright, using his water element to support himself. This should have been a moment of extreme anger, yet upon seeing his son healed back to his original state, he could only stare in confusion.

Have I been wrong? Duke thought

Malverick was even more confused than his father. Despite the pain he had felt during the healing process and everything inside his body becoming whole again, his tongue—which had been cut off—had not healed. He only looked at the man he had planned to kill, now sure he would be the one to die instead.

He masked his anger and malice, knowing this was not the moment for retaliation. His time would come. For now, he quickly stood from the ground.

Before he started running toward his father, who was standing at the edge of the arena, he looked at the foolish man who had let him live. He would repay this kindness by giving him eternal peace, later.

As this man shouldn’t be left alive. He looked around the same age as him, but Malverick wouldn’t lie—he was genuinely terrified of him.

He looked at Leon’s unreadable face. Malverick couldn’t comprehend what was going on in his mind. However, he didn’t spare another moment and broke into a full-speed run toward his father. Only near him did he feel safe.

Duke Arselin felt a sting from the presence of the referee beside him, who wouldn’t let him step into the arena. Otherwise, he would have already reached out to his son to check on him.

Seeing the blood at the corner of his son’s mouth made his veins throb with restrained fury. But for now, he had to wait for his son to come outside the arena and for the match to be officially over.

Yes! Come quickly, come to daddy!

He couldn’t enter because he knew, whether he liked it or not, the next time he tried to step in, that referee from the middle domain wasn’t going to go easy on him.

One clash had been enough for him to realize the disparity in their strength.

His son was just one step away from escaping the arena, which meant the match would end, and nothing would be able to stop him from defending his son.

Yes, come to daddy!

Silence ensued across the entire arena. The audience was, to say the least, not happy. They knew this could be the worst mistake Leon had made. These nobles were crafty. Even a teenager would understand they would come for his life, despite the outcome, especially after nearly killing Malverick, the Duke’s eldest son.

At least he should have killed him before going down, when he still had the protection of the academy’s rules. Now, his death would be pointless.

With the silence came a sobering air.

Just when the Duke thought everything was over, out of the corner of his eye, he witnessed something unsettling—a broad smile on the face of that monstrous boy from before.

He didn’t fully understand. His son was safe now. He was taking his final step.

But why is my heart beating so loudly?

In the next instant, the monstrous boy behind his son vanished, as if he were just a mirage.

Boom!

A blooming explosion followed immediately. Duke Arselin’s expression sank. He tried to move, but an invisible force pressed down on him. He couldn’t move an inch.

He felt helpless.

In front of his very eyes, the monster appeared. His son had desperately been trying to get out when he heard the booming sound that made him shiver.

Yet, he felt an unbreakable grip on his hand.

"Urrghh!" His bone nearly broke.

"NOOOOOOO!!!" He was helplessly dragged back into the arena, his tears touching the ground, his scream full of terror.

PLEASE!! DON’T DO IT!! I AM SORRY!!!!!

Despite his pleas, he was already spinning in mid-air, and then, with bone-shattering force, his whole body was slammed down.

Boom!

Malverick’s eyes turned white. His whole body, every inch of it, was writhing in pain. It was agony—the very pain he had desperately wanted to avoid.

ARRRRRGGGHHH!!!

The stench of blood clung to the air, heavy and acrid.

"Is he still alive?" someone whispered, voice cracking.

"He’s smiling while healing him—what kind of monster is this?" Another dreadful low whisper to himself by somone.

Crying and snorting, leaking from his face, he had been so close to reaching his father and finding safety. Now here he was again.

I want this all to end... No more pain... Please!!

He wanted to plead again, but he couldn’t form coherent words. What he said only sounded like gibberish. Yet he knew the man in front of him understood. Only coldness remained on his face, which made his soul shiver.

The thought of getting revenge on Leon later completely vanished from his mind. Now, he only wanted to get away and for the pain to stop.

Duke Arselin bit his lip hard enough to bleed, but he couldn’t even move. The cold eyes of the Headmaster from above told him that if he tried anything now, he would really die.

Just because people from the middle domain didn’t interfere didn’t mean he could do whatever he wished. Death would be inevitable if he blatantly disgraced them again, like before.

He couldn’t accept that. Who would take revenge for his son?

Even when the force from above disappeared, he couldn’t move. He only trembled in place, filled with hatred, knuckles white, lips bleeding, and eyes burning.

While Duke Arselin was losing his mind watching his son being treated like this, the Crown Prince, on the other hand, sat on his throne with his royal body trembling at the sight of the monster he had offended.

If I had known about his strength, I would have never supported that lustful fool Malverick.

He felt lucky that Malverick’s match was with this monster first, and he was in the other half.

Giving up on continuing the competition was undoubtedly the wisest choice now. The brutal torture of Malverick had shaken him to his core.

I am so lucky!

Yet his body didn’t stop shaking. It could have been him instead of Malverick, especially after how he had threatened Leon and his Commander, Seraphine, who was definitely his lover.

Phew.

A breath of relief escaped the Crown Prince.

Leon could see the look of despair on Malverick’s face. This was what he wanted to see. All the schemes and tricks that had once filled Malverick’s mind were gone. Leon knew it from the horror and incoherent begging that filled his ears like music.

All that swagger, reduced to a puddle of tears. Satisfying.

"This is only the beginning of what you started, Malverick. You have to experience much more... You’ve gone too far to be worth redeeming."

You lit the fire, and now you’re crying about the heat?

This isn’t a match—it’s a damn execution," a noble muttered under his breath.

What does that even mean? Irredeemable? Malverick thought. His mind was in chaos. The pain was already killing him, and Leon’s cold words pushed him further into madness.

The meaning of those words—he denied it every second.

N-No, it can’t be.

Yet Malverick had no time to think anymore. In the next instant, his body was fully healed again by a bright green light. The warmth, which should have made him feel ecstatic, only deepened his despair.

The arena air thickened with sweat, fear, and something that smelled like molten copper.

"Naaaa...ww...whhhhhaaa..."

His scream was cut short. Immediately after healing, the brutal cycle of absolute torture resumed.

No matter how much he cried and pleaded, it never stopped. He regretted ever crossing paths with Seraphine—and especially this monster, who was even more terrifying than her.

Agonizing screams echoed through the arena from time to time. The audience began to shiver with every new cry. Even those who had cheered now looked pale. Yet Leon never stopped.

His face remained fixed with a satisfied smile, which made the rest of the audience utterly terrified of him.

Loriel, who might have previously jumped down to stop the torture, now watched with a neutral expression. There was even a hint of support in her eyes. Whenever the green light of life energy came, a testament to his divine connection, her gaze turned fanatic.

Meanwhile, Seraphine enjoyed the brutalization with a big, loving smile. Her focus was entirely on Leon. She found him even more attractive right now.

Malverick’s agony was just background noise to her.

"Ki...ll...me..." his will broken. The only thing he wanted now was to die—to end the pain.

Leon’s cold eyes gazed downward.

The moment felt right.

The screams had lost their novelty.

Now, it was just a cleanup.

I should thank you—this is almost therapeutic.

Seeing Malverick lose all will had made him think that he had finally understood his sins.

In the next moment, Leon’s hovering leg came down.

Malverick only felt relief as he saw the leg about to stomp on his head. He feared being alive more than death. He just wanted to end the agony.

"NOOOO!!!!"

Leon ignored the voice and—

BOOOOM!!!

No one dared to cheer. Not even breathe.