The teleportation didn't bring Liora back to the City of Embers but to an empty stone chamber that was barely a few meters wide.
Countless Devil Runes floated throughout this place, and each time Liora stared at one of them, information would pop up in her mind.
...
"Challenger 1: Victories: 45. Draws: 1. Winning Streak: 12.
Challenger 2: Victories: 31. Draws: 0. Winning Streak: 31."
"Challenger 1: Victories: 311. Draws: 2. Winning Streak 156.
Challenger 2: Victories: 129. Draws: 2. Winning Streak: 57."
"..."
...
Information flowed as her eyes wandered over the runes, as if she were searching for something.
She continued looking until suddenly, she found something that interested her.
...
"Challenger 1: Victories: 1121. Draws: 2. Winning Streak 867.
Challenger 2: Victories: 1070. Draws: 1. Winning Streak: 901."
...
"Both parties are close to getting a thousand consecutive wins. This is it!", she whispered and made her decision.
The next second, her mind extended to the Devil Rune, whose glow soon swallowed her whole.
--
When her vision cleared, Liora was no longer in the stone chamber but back in the Life and Death Arena.
She stood in a sea of darkness under a blood-colored moon, surrounded by countless Devils whose howls shook the sky.
"Go! Tear him apart!"
"Kill her! Slaughter her!"
Their loud voices reverberated throughout the arena, almost making her eardrums burst.
Devils of all shapes and sizes filled the seats, but no matter their appearance, they were all filled with the same wild delight.
Liora found an empty seat and sat down, as her gaze drifted toward the arena below.
At this time, two figures clashed at its very center.
One was a canine creature with gray, wrinkled skin, while the other was a humanoid Devil composed entirely of black ink.
Their attacks were fierce, and the impact caused the entire arena to tremble.
The Ink Devil's movements were fluid and sharp, weaving through the Canine Devil's claw attacks with surprising ease.
Yet, when its own blows landed on the Canine Devil's gray skin, they failed to cause any damage.
The fight was brutal, but evenly matched, with neither side being able to overwhelm the other.
"Trash! Hit him harder!! Tear her apart!", a voice rang beside Liora, and when she turned to look, she discovered that it was a blob-like Devil.
It looked fragile and weak, yet, faced with the two Devils who could easily tear it apart, it cussed at them without any fear.
Liora knew exactly where its confidence came from.
During Life and Death battles, other Devils could come and spectate. Fighting was strictly prohibited in the stands, and as such, they didn't have to fear for their lives.
Even if they offended a powerful Devil, it wouldn't matter—they were untouchable here.
As for seeking revenge in reality? The Devils here came from all over the Crucible, and it was almost impossible to track down their real location.
While Liora was thinking, the battle in the Life and Death Arena continued. The two parties, the Canine Devil and the Ink Devil, collided hundreds of times, bringing destruction to everything around them.
Observing their fight, Liora had to admit that both of these people were stronger than her. If she were to face them at this time, she'd have trouble escaping, much less defeating them.
Just as Liora and the rest of the Devils were watching the fight, the whole Life and Death Arena suddenly trembled.
A ripple of crimson light spread across its floor, and all the noise died instantly.
Liora immediately sensed something unusual and raised her head. But what she saw surprised her.
Blood began to drip from the crimson moon, thick and slow. Each drop glowed before stopping midair and merging into two enormous, ominous numbers.
"60."
Then: "59. 58."
A brief silence spread throughout the audience, but it was soon broken by louder, more frenzied shouts.
"Hahaha! It's starting! The punishment countdown!", Liora heard the blob beside her say, and the eyes embedded in its soft body burst with uncontrollable joy.
She didn't ask what its cryptic words meant—she already knew.
Similarly, both combatants knew as well.
With the numbers' appearance, their movements turned even more savage, perhaps even desperate, using every method they possessed to try and kill their opponent.
The Canine Devil's body burst with gray energy and swelled, while the ink of the Ink Devil transformed into weapons and rushed toward its opponent.
Still, despite both of them going all out, neither of them could do anything to the other.
Seconds bled away.
"3. 2. 1..."
When the countdown hit zero, the crimson numbers liquefied, turning into droplets of blood that rained down upon the arena.
In the audience, Liora could see that this rain was not aimless, but specifically targeted the two challengers.
Drops of blood fell onto them and continuously sank into their bodies.
Then, screams tore through the arena.
"AAghh!"
"No! No! Mercy!"
The Canine Devil's body convulsed violently, and its muscles bulged and twisted as if something was crawling underneath its skin. Cracks split open along its body, leaking with gray smoke that carried the stench of burnt soul.
The Ink Devil didn't fare any better.
Its liquid body boiled and churned, forming collapsing faces that screamed in agony before melting away. The inky substance that made up its form began to evaporate, as if scorched by invisible flames.
Liora didn't look away despite this gruesome scene.
"AAAGH!! I yield! Mercy!"
The Ink Devil's pleas were desperate, but the arena showed no intention of stopping. Mercy was not a concept that the Life and Death Arena recognized.
A hoarse, cruel laughter erupted from the audience seats.
The blob beside Liora slapped its soft body against the ground like a drum, its laughter trembling with joy.
"Burn! Burn!"
The crowd's roar grew. Some Devils cheered, some laughed maniacally, while others simply watched in quiet satisfaction. Watching the Devils, who could easily kill them, receive punishment right in front of them, made them tremble with ecstasy.
The arena glowed faintly, as if savoring the Devils' agony and pain.
Minutes passed slowly.
The Ink Devil's body had almost completely dispersed, and what remained had turned into a puddle of yellow pus that hissed on the ground.
Suddenly, even that stopped—the Ink Devil was dead.
On the other hand, although the Canine Devil was suffering, it still burst with signs of vitality.
Its body had shrunk, its strength had weakened, but it still breathed. Its eyes, wild and hollow, flashed with a hint of relief.
"I... I survived...", it struggled to speak.
Its voice was low, but still reached Liora's ears.
Sitting on her seat, her gaze alternated between the Canine Devil and what remained of the Ink Devil, and she understood that the punishment was finally over.
"So this is the Demon World's Punishment...", she whispered.
Although the Canine Devil had survived, Liora knew that its fate might not be any better than the Ink Devil's. The Demon World's punishment had not only brought it immense pain but had also stripped away part of its power.
Once it returned to reality and news of the draw spread, it would have to fight again to ensure its survival.
Liora's eyes remained cold. She felt no sympathy for the Canine Devil, just as it would have shown none to her.
"This fight has opened my eyes...", she thought.
She surveyed the arena one last time, then closed her eyes and communicated with the Demon World.
The next moment, she vanished, leaving only the roaring, excited screams of the audience behind.