Ito Xius leaned forward, his voice dropping to a whisper.
"This arena will protect the player area but lacks an audience section. Charlotte, you can exploit this to plant the seeds of death's intent."
Hearing this, Charlotte's eyes gleamed with excitement.
The Nen abilities of Taris had two primary uses:
Planting seeds of death's intent to create instant monsters—unleashing chaos upon ordinary people. Cultivating monsters over time to serve as sources of power for their Nen abilities.
The downside of creating instant monsters was their short-lived nature. However, they made effective allies in battle. These creatures boasted immense aura reserves and were incredibly durable.
"If I could have such a monster as a shield," Charlotte thought, her heartbeat quickening, "I could focus entirely on offense. That would make my situation far more manageable."
Her mind raced. "With this, I might actually stand a chance."
She clenched her fists. "Dominica may have already outlasted Cook, but if the instant monster can stall her long enough, I might find an opening to win."
In the audience outside the arena, the spectators were blissfully unaware of the looming danger. Their fate approached swiftly and silently.
The Battle Begins
The countdown ended.
Dominica stepped forward, her aura radiating confidence. Opposite her, Charlotte mirrored the gesture, determination etched on her face.
Two beams of light illuminated the fighters, transporting them to the ring in an instant.
Charlotte wasted no time, activating her Nen ability. The cultivated monster she had nurtured fused with her body, causing cyan scales to ripple across her skin. She moved like a predator—part snake, part lizard.
"Faster than Cook," Kaizen noted, his sharp eyes tracking her movements.
Although Charlotte was classified as a B-class Nen user, her combat prowess surpassed Cook's. Her speed and precision reminded Kaizen of a member of the Shadow Beasts from Meteor City—a notorious group of fighters. Their captain, an unassuming man in a suit, had similarly been underestimated due to his initial B-class ranking. But with exceptional combat skills and experience, he could rival A-class Nen users when unshackled.
"Still," Kaizen mused, "the Nen abilities of the Taris Kingdom don't typically work this way. Charlotte's power likely has weaknesses."
Dominica's Strategy
Dominica adopted her usual approach: defense first. She observed her opponent, waiting for an opportunity to exploit Charlotte's Nen ability.
While Charlotte attacked relentlessly, Dominica analyzed her.
"Fast, but weaker than Cook," Dominica thought. "Her claws and teeth suggest additional damage effects—perhaps venom or infection."
Dominica smirked. "Like a bandit's tricks."
She clapped her hands together, and the arena responded. Stone pillars erupted from the ground, creating a labyrinth that limited Charlotte's speed and obstructed her vision.
"Now, the tables turn," Dominica muttered.
Charlotte darted between the obstacles, her movements erratic but calculated. A sharp stone struck her side, tearing through her scales and leaving a bloody gash. She winced but didn't stop, narrowly avoiding a rising earth spike moments later.
Dominica, meanwhile, maintained her composure. Her aura pulsed with growing intensity.
"You're buying time," she said, her voice cold. "But time won't save you."
A Deadly Gambit
Charlotte's true plan unfolded. From the moment the battle began, she'd been scattering seeds of death's intent among the audience. Her attacks on Dominica had been distractions, designed to delay and buy time.
Now, a sinister energy spread through the auditorium. Black tentacles snaked out, wrapping around the necks of panicked spectators and burrowing into their bodies.
Screams filled the air. Chaos erupted as people tried to flee, only to find no escape. The more lives the tentacles claimed, the stronger they became.
Kaizen observed grimly. "So that's how the transformation works. Monsters born from death. A plague that spares no one."
Dominica glanced at the audience and scowled. She had anticipated this possibility and prepared accordingly.
"Enough games," she said, her aura surging. "I'll end this before that thing reaches the ring."
She clapped her hands on the ground, and the terrain shifted again. The arena's stone pillars crumbled, replaced by shifting sands that trapped Charlotte's movements.
Dominica summoned earth javelins, their sharp tips glinting menacingly. With a wave of her hand, they launched toward Charlotte at blistering speed.
Charlotte dodged desperately, but her movements were hindered by the unstable terrain. A javelin grazed her shoulder, drawing blood.
Dominica pressed her advantage, knowing time was against her. If the instant monster reached the ring, dealing with both it and Charlotte would become a far more daunting task.
As the audience's screams intensified, Kaizen narrowed his eyes. The spectacle unfolding before him was a grim reminder of the devastating power of Nen.
"A battle on two fronts," he thought. "And Dominica knows she can't afford to lose either."
------------
+244 chapters on patreon.com/FanficsHub