Chapter 319: Karma (XXXVII)
Since I’m now the God of Karma, I need to hide the fact that I can use elements like Ice. The only power I can use his my chaotic energy and my authority of Karma.
Of course, my god powers are also allowed, as are my sword arts.
So for now, I should simply take a few blows so I can use my authority to one-hit KO him.
And just as I was thinking...
Fwip!
Theon appeared in front of me like a blur, his fist already flying toward my face.
BOOOM!
His fist smashed against my guard like a thunderclap, forcing me back three full steps. The floor cracked under my feet, small shards of marble flying up.
"Fast..." I muttered, shaking the sting out of my arms.
SWOOOSH!
Theon twisted his body, kicking out with a sharp spin. His leg sliced through the air, releasing a compressed blade of wind that shot straight for my chest.
I raised my palm.
THUMP!
A wave of mana pulsed outward, blocking it just in time.
The air shook, my hair fluttering wildly.
When the wind faded, Theon was already gone.
FWOOSH!
Behind me.
I turned quickly, but it was still too late as his heel slammed into my ribs.
CRACK!
"Ugh!" I flew across the arena, rolling once before planting my feet on the ground.
My vision blurred for a second, but I steadied myself, breathing slowly.
Alright... so that’s how he wants to play.
I raised my hand, gathering chaotic energy into my palm.
The energy swirled, thick and unstable, until it solidified.
SHIIING—!
A black scythe took shape, made purely from condensed mana. Its edge shimmered faintly, humming with energy.
"A toy won’t save you," Theon smirked.
I twirled the scythe once, letting the blade whistle through the air.
"We’ll see."
CRACK!
The moment my foot hit the ground, the arena shook. I dashed forward, scythe in hand. Theon mirrored me, his hands glowing with greenish light.
We clashed in the center.
Clang!
My scythe met his fists again and again, with sparks and small gusts bursting every time we collided.
He ducked under a horizontal slash, his body blurring with afterimages.
Thud!
His elbow cut through the air, hitting my shoulder, but I turned with the momentum and swung upward in a clean arc.
WHOOSH!
The blade grazed his cheek, drawing a thin line of blood.
"Agh!" He wiped it with his thumb, glaring.
"You’ll pay for that."
VROOOOM!
His aura exploded again, stronger this time. The entire arena was filled with raging wind, almost cutting through my skin.
I squinted, planting my feet against the raging gale.
"Divine Art: Cyclone Burial!"
Theon slammed his palm against the ground.
BOOOOOOM!
A massive pillar of wind exploded upward, swallowing everything around us.
"Damn..." I muttered, slamming my scythe into the floor.
I poured more chaotic energy into it, and the blade expanded, creating a dark barrier around me.
The storm smashed against it, roaring like a living beast.
However, through the chaos, I saw movement.
Theon was coming again.
He appeared right in front of me, his right fist blazing with divine light.
"Fall!" he roared.
BOOM!
I caught his strike with the shaft of my scythe, the impact sending tremors through my arms. Pain flared in my bones, but I gritted my teeth and pushed back.
With a sharp twist, I redirected his blow and countered in one motion.
SWOOOSH!
The scythe carved upward, slicing across his shoulder.
Blue-green blood burst into the air.
Theon staggered back, landing on one knee. He let out a low growl, then wiped the blood with a grin.
"Not bad, Aestrea..." he said hoarsely.
"But I’m just getting started."
The air around him rippled. Runes began to crawl across his skin, glowing with light. His hair lifted slightly, his body surrounded by swirling emerald energy.
"Godform — Tempest Core."
The moment he said it, the entire arena howled.
The winds twisted into his veins, his eyes burning with divine green fire.
His aura spun wildly, tearing the floor apart beneath his feet.
I stood there, breathing slowly.
Then, I simply let go of my scythe.
Shhh...
The black weapon dissolved into thin air, fading into smoke and sparks.
"What? You giving up?" Theon blinked in disbelief.
I didn’t answer; instead, I only stepped forward.
"Fine then!" he shouted.
"Die standing!"
He thrust his hands forward, gathering every ounce of power into his palms.
VROOOOOOM!
A massive cyclone formed between us, twisting into a spear of green light. The pressure shook the entire arena.
The stone cracked, the sky above rippled.
And then...
BOOOOOOM!
Theon released it.
The storm slammed into me with full force, tearing through the ground and sky like divine wrath. My body was instantly engulfed in light and wind.
Every inch of my skin burned, every bone screamed.
But I didn’t move.
I took it, all of it.
The shockwave swallowed me whole, hurling debris across the arena. The sound was deafening, like thunder exploding right beside my ears.
I could feel my ribs breaking, my blood boiling.
My knees trembled, yet I didn’t fall. However... just at that moment, a faint mark glowed in my forehead, and that made me smile.
"Finally..."
I muttered slighly.
I had taken enough damage to activate the Authority of Karma.
Every wound on my body stopped bleeding. The pain didn’t vanish, but it became distant, almost numb.
When the storm finally died, silence fell.
Smoke and dust covered everything.
Theon lowered his hand, breathing heavily. His chest rose and fell as he looked toward the stands, where the professor was watching.
"Hah... It’s over," he said, grinning weakly.
"He couldn’t have survived that."
But the professor only replied, calm and coldly.
"Not necessarily."
"What...?" Theon frowned.
STEP.
A single footstep echoed through the smoke.
Then another.
From within the haze, I walked forward, slowly, calmly. My clothes were torn, blood streaked my face, but my eyes were steady.
Aside from a few cuts and bruises, I was perfectly fine.
"What...?" Theon whispered, disbelief spreading across his face.
Before he could react, I was gone.
FWIP!
I reappeared right beside him, less than a heartbeat away. My hand was already pressed against his chest.
"H-huh?" he stammered, eyes widening.
I smiled faintly.
"Impacto."
BAAAAAAAAAAM!
The ground erupted.
A blinding shockwave exploded outward as pure karmic energy surged from my palm, blasting straight through Theon’s body.
SPLURT!
Blood burst into the air like rain. His body twisted from the force, bones snapping, ribs shattering.
The marble beneath us cracked apart, dust shooting up in every direction.
Theon’s scream was drowned by the sound of the explosion.
When the light faded, he crashed to the ground, motionless, his body broken, blood splattered across the arena floor.
For a few seconds, there was complete silence.
Gurgle...!
He twitched as his wounds began to close, his flesh knitting itself together.
I watched quietly as his divine body reformed, because I had disabled my God-Killing Authority before the strike.
I couldn’t let anyone know I had this authority.
Theon gasped, eyes wide, clutching his chest as he tried to breathe.
"W-what... what was that...?" he choked out, trembling.
His trembling fingers dug weakly into the cracked stone beneath him.
When he looked up, really looked at me, the color drained from his face.
My... long, thin, vertical slits, glowed faintly in red and black, swirling with faint threads of chaos and karma that moved like living smoke.
Each time the light in them flickered, the air itself seemed to twist.
"Hh—hah... wh–what..." Theon’s voice broke, his pupils shrinking.
He froze completely, every instinct screaming at him to run.
But he couldn’t... his body refused to move.
A low hum echoed through the arena, the faint, eerie sound of my authority lingering in the air. It wasn’t loud, but it was heavy... suffocating.
Step.
I moved closer, slow and deliberate, my shadow falling across him.
"You feel it, don’t you?" I said quietly.
"That weight pressing on your chest. That pull you can’t escape."
Theon’s lips quivered, sweat rolling down his temple.
"W-what are you...?"
I tilted my head slightly, eyes narrowing.
The slits glowed brighter.
"I’m what happens when karma stops waiting," I said simply.
Theon’s whole body flinched at the words.
His heart felt like it was being squeezed in an invisible fist. The world around him dimmed, his own divine energy trembling like it wanted to flee from me.
"Y-you’re not—"
"Not what?" I interrupted softly, almost curious.
He swallowed hard, voice breaking.
"You’re not just an ordinary god..."
A faint smile crossed my lips.
"You’re right."
The silence that followed felt endless. Even the air had gone still, not a sound from the other students, not even a breath.
I leaned down slightly, my gaze locking on his.
"Do yourself a favor, Theon," I said, voice low enough for only him to hear.
"Don’t ever look into my eyes again."
His pupils trembled violently, and then, with a strangled gasp, he broke eye contact, collapsing onto his hands, his head bowed low.
The professor finally spoke, his calm voice cutting through the tension.
"...Match concluded."
He raised one hand, sealing the runes that flickered across the arena.
"The winner is Aestrea."
The noise came rushing back, whispers, gasps, the low hum of magic fading from the walls.
I straightened my back, brushing the dust from my clothes, and turned away from Theon without another glance.
As I walked off the arena floor, I could still feel all their eyes on me, the students, the teachers, even the air itself felt like it was holding its breath.
But I didn’t care.
I had already made sure that I wasn’t someone easy to mess with.