Colosseum.
The surrounding stands were packed to the brim, a roaring sea of spectators. The noise never ceased, and every heart hung in their throat as countless eyes locked onto the battle raging below.
At that moment, Kevin 11 and Four Arms were bound together, tightly locked in Death Shackles, fighting desperately against Technorg and Blood Shadow Tiger.
As for Lucian, he had already transformed into Big Chill earlier. After entering Phantom Form, he broke free from the Death Shackles and regained his freedom.
Now facing the Shadow Death Guard, an enemy capable of tearing open space itself, Big Chill chose to switch heroes. His form twisted as he transformed into Ghostfreak, ripping away the white outer layer and exposing his original, ferocious appearance.
But the Shadow Death Guard responded in kind, unleashing his own trump card.
He crossed his arms over his chest and gathered all his power. Purple toxic mist poured out from within his armor and spread at terrifying speed, blanketing everything within a hundred-meter radius.
This was the Shadow Death Guard's signature technique: Venomous Domain.
By driving his shadow energy to its limit, he created a toxic field spanning a hundred meters around him, continuously poisoning anyone caught inside.
Those affected would suffer a 20% drop in overall combat power, while the Shadow Death Guard himself remained completely unaffected.
The flaw, however, was obvious. The domain made no distinction between friend and foe. As long as one remained within the toxic field, ally or enemy alike would be afflicted by the poison.
The Shadow Death Guard knew full well that Venomous Domain would weaken Blood Shadow Tiger and Technorg as well, but he didn't care.
In his eyes, as long as he dealt with Ghostfreak first, the remaining two would be nothing more than cleanup. He could finish them off effortlessly.
Surrounded by the swirling purple mist, Ghostfreak's inverted skull tilted slightly, a flicker of surprise flashing through his violet eyes.
He hadn't expected the Shadow Death Guard to not only tear through space, but also wield such terrifying poison.
Even so, Ghostfreak could already feel it. His body grew heavier, his strength and speed both dulled to some extent.
Within the hazy fog, a pair of golden eyes suddenly ignited, bursting with razor-sharp killing intent.
Shadow energy surged around the Shadow Death Guard's claws, purple flames rolling violently as they tore through the poison mist. Carrying overwhelming force, the attack tore straight toward Ghostfreak's position.
Ghostfreak let out a cold snort and slipped into nothingness, vanishing completely.
"Hm?"
The Shadow Death Guard's strike hit nothing. His eyes unfocused for a split second as he quickly scanned his surroundings, searching for his target.
In the next instant, Ghostfreak appeared behind him. Skeletal claws shot forward and clamped down on the Shadow Death Guard's exposed arm.
"Ah!"
The Shadow Death Guard cried out in pain and spun around at once, slashing out with his purple claws.
But he hit nothing but empty air. Ghostfreak had already disappeared again.
"Damn it… what the hell are you?"
The Shadow Death Guard growled, clenching his fists.
"Heh heh Didn't you say you can tear through space? Come on, try hitting me"
A hoarse, mocking voice echoed through the mist.
The Shadow Death Guard tightened his fists, golden eyes wide open, yet he still couldn't find Ghostfreak's position.
It was true that he could shatter space and strike Big Chill.
But Ghostfreak's Ethereal Form granted true invisibility.
Ghostfreak's intangibility worked by expanding the gaps between his own molecules, allowing him to ignore physical attacks. Big Chill's Phantom Form, on the other hand, hid his body within another dimension entirely to avoid enemy strikes.
In theory, Ghostfreak's method was the inferior one.
But every power had its trade-offs. Big Chill's Phantom Form left behind a visible blue outline, something the naked eye could still detect.
Ghostfreak was different. Like a truly formless specter, he could fade completely from sight, gaining countless tactical advantages.
The Shadow Death Guard's heart sank.
His attacks were devastating, but without being able to see his opponent, they were utterly meaningless.
Relying on surprise strikes, Ghostfreak steadily seized control of the fight.
The enemy was exposed, while he remained hidden.
Before long, the Shadow Death Guard's soul form suffered severe damage, torn apart again and again by Ghostfreak's razor-sharp claws.
"You monster..."
The Shadow Death Guard, encased in armor, dropped to one knee. His body trembled as he struggled to stay upright, clearly at the brink of collapse.
"Goodbye."
From the void, Ghostfreak tore open a rift across his chest. Black-and-white tentacles burst forth, writhing wildly.
From within the frenzy of those tentacles, a thick purple beam erupted. Like a roaring violet dragon, it slammed brutally into the Shadow Death Guard's chest.
Boom!
A thunderous explosion rang out. The savage purple dragon blasted the Shadow Death Guard away, sending him flying in a brilliant arc before he crashed heavily into the golden wall.
Inside the silver helmet, the Shadow Death Guard's once-blazing golden eyes had grown dim, flickering weakly like a flame swaying in a torrential rain, on the verge of being snuffed out.
Of course, Ghostfreak had held back. He still needed to collect the opponent's DNA.
A species this powerful couldn't be wasted.
As the Shadow Death Guard collapsed, the purple toxic mist surrounding the arena gradually dispersed, the air returning to its former clarity.
The Rabbit-Eared Alien, tall and slender, hovered in place atop her floating board.
Her beautiful eyes were wide open, her cherry-red lips forming a perfect O. Shock was written plainly across her face.
"Ah—th-this… I'm not seeing things, am I? The Shadow Death Guard contestant… actually fell!"
She shouted excitedly, her voice ringing through the arena.
"And the one who defeated him was an Earth contestant! That's incredible!"
The stands erupted into deafening cheers. Surprise, confusion, and even anger mixed together, but above all else was admiration.
To defeat the Shadow Death Guard meant only one thing.
A new champion was about to be born...
Ghostfreak cast one last glance at the fallen Shadow Death Guard, then turned and rushed toward another battlefield.
Boom!
Technorg swung his massive hammer, the violent shockwave smashing straight into Kevin 11's abdomen with a terrifying crash.
Kevin 11 screamed as his body was hurled backward like a rag doll. He slammed into the golden floor along with Four Arms, both of them landing in an utterly miserable heap.
"Oh, come on, Kevin, can you be any more useless?"
Four Arms complained, rubbing his aching head.
"You can't even beat that big idiot!"
"Shut up, Ben Tennyson!"
Kevin 11 snapped back viciously, his face twisted in pain and rage.
"You didn't beat that tiger either! You're just as pathetic. Don't act like you're any better!"
Four Arms spread his hands helplessly.
"Hey, who knows? That guy couldn't even touch me at first. Then he just kept getting stronger, like he was pumped full of adrenaline."
Technorg and Blood Shadow Tiger advanced side by side, killing intent blazing in their eyes.
Each step they took sent tremors rippling through the ground.
"It's over… this is bad,"
Four Arms thought grimly, his heart sinking.
Kevin 11 glared fiercely at the two approaching enemies, but waves of agony tore through his body. He barely had any strength left to fight.
"Die, Earthlings!"
Blood Shadow Tiger let out a furious roar. Dropping to all fours, his body blurred into a streak of crimson as he lunged toward them.
At the critical moment, a flash of purple surged in from the side.
Ghostfreak struck.
White skeletal claws extended, stabbing straight toward Blood Shadow Tiger…