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For an instant, the air inside the Colosseum seemed to freeze.
The ancient Egyptian champion held his shield, muscles taut and ready, as he awaited Ian's forty-meter-long great blade. But at the moment, he was about to charge…
Anubis spoke.
It was as though someone had pressed pause on the world, and Anubis seemed particularly attentive to certain words Ian had used.
When he heard the phrase "aircraft-carrier-grade steel," Anubis's golden pupils abruptly contracted. His jackal head lowered slightly as if piercing through the veil of time and space to glimpse forbidden knowledge.
"You come from the future."
The Death God's voice was low and resolute, not a question, but a statement. His gaze fixed on Ian, not lingering on his physical form but penetrating a more fundamental layer of existence where the threads of time intertwined abnormally.
Ian paused slightly in his motion of swinging the forty-meter blade.
A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes.
He hovered in midair, the blue flames of his jet thrusters illuminating the metallic sheen of his armor. The blade hung three inches above the head of the ancient Egyptian champion, Seti.
Ian had strong dueling principles and would never attack an opponent who couldn't resist. He wasn't the type to enjoy sneak attacks.
"You can even tell that?" Ian asked with interest. His voice, filtered through the armored visor, carried a faint electronic resonance; his armor was full of technology.
For wizards, learning the technological methods developed by Muggles was not difficult. They could "cheat" the learning process through magic, though it amounted to little more than cramming.
For Ian, though, crammed knowledge was more than sufficient. What truly interested him was exploring how to merge magic and technology to pioneer a new, integrated school of alchemy.
Anubis did not answer immediately.
His gaze swept across Ian like a scanner, taking in every inch of his composite metal armor and his silver-gray eye, which swirled with magical power. Finally, his gaze settled on the seemingly ordinary pouch at Ian's waist, which concealed endless space within.
The ancient Egyptian god of death gently tapped his staff against the ground. Dust from the Underworld stirred without wind, forming a subtle time vortex beneath Ian's feet.
"The imprint of time has left traces upon you," Anubis finally said. "You are not a creation of this era."
Ian chuckled. The joints of his armor emitted faint hydraulic sounds as they shifted. Casually, he plunged the forty-meter blade into the ground, and the weapon sank half a foot into the obsidian floor.
"As expected of the Gatekeeper of the Underworld, sharp eyes," he shrugged. "Now that you've figured it out, how about opening a back door for me? Can I borrow the oars?"
"The traces of time cannot be hidden," Anubis replied slowly. "You carry an aura that does not belong to this age. Your magic, your technology, your way of thinking...none of it belongs to the world I know."
Though no expression could be seen beneath the jackal mask, his golden pupils narrowed slightly.
Ian fell silent for a moment, then smiled faintly, a meaningful curve of the lips.
"You're smarter than I thought. At least smarter than most of the gods I've met. You didn't mistake me for some kind of raven."
It was a test.
Yet Anubis did not respond, only continuing to observe him.
"Death is not bound by time. Even time itself will one day die."
He was explaining his understanding of death and revealing the scope of his authority.
He could glimpse the future.
In that sense, he was something of a seer.
"Have you foreseen your own future?" Ian asked curiously.
"You are impertinent."
A hint of complexity entered Anubis's gaze, not hostility or surprise, but an ancient scrutiny, as though he had long foreseen this moment.
The gods had encountered many personalities like Ian's before.
A carefree magical prodigy.
Every era produced a few.
"The trial continues."
Anubis did not pursue the matter further. He simply nodded and raised a hand. The air within the Colosseum trembled as if an ancient mechanism had been activated.
Time began to flow again.
At the center of the arena, Seti's expression grew grim. The most renowned champion of ancient Egypt was now covered in wounds. His bronze shield was twisted and deformed, and the edge of his curved khopesh sword was chipped. He looked up at the metal giant hovering in the sky, his eyes showing anger and deep helplessness.
Ian did not hesitate. He slowly raised his massive blade, its edge reflecting a cold gleam in the sunlight.
"This isn't a duel!" Seti roared, his voice echoing throughout the Colosseum. "It's a massacre!"
Ian tilted his head. The neck joints of his armor clicked mechanically.
"Oh? Then what kind of duel would you consider fair?" His tone carried a hint of mockery. "Do you want me to come down and wrestle you barehanded? That's not something a grown man should say."
"That's not what I meant!"
Seti clenched his fists, cracking them. Veins bulged across his bronze skin. Suddenly, he threw his curved sword and shield onto the ground. Metal clashed sharply against obsidian.
"I surrender!"
He sat cross-legged on the ground and stared up at Ian.
"Do as you please!"
It was obvious that he had given up, casting aside the pride of a warrior.
And it was understandable.
As a battle-hardened fighter, he could see the situation with perfect clarity.
"I've already lost. No matter what I do, I'll lose," he said quietly. "The moment you took flight! The moment you put on that armor and pulled out that weapon!"
"I knew I was no match for you. This was never a fair fight."
With those final words, the ancient Egyptian champion glanced toward his civilization's god.
"But the trial is not yet complete," Anubis's voice echoed through the Colosseum. "You must fulfill your part."
His command was unwavering, and Seti could only smile bitterly.
"I no longer have the will to fight. I have lost my warrior's spirit." He slowly let the khopesh slip from his hand, and the shield dropped with a dull thud.
"I don't want to fight anymore."
He looked up at Ian, determination flickering in his eyes.
"You've won. I will not resist."
After all, he was just a phantom of history. Being chased like prey had already cost him enough dignity. The only thing left to surrender was a fragment of borrowed time.
He had thought it through clearly.
The Colosseum erupted.
"He's given up!"
"He's no longer a hero!"
"He's betrayed history!"
"He's abandoned his honor!"
The phantom spectators roared in fury. Some ancient, wailing souls screamed insults, while others angrily tore at their burial wrappings. A few agitated spirits attempted to leap from the stands but were repelled by the Colosseum's barrier.
Seti did not respond.
He stood silently, like a statue on the verge of collapse.
Ian looked at him.
A complex emotion flickered in his eyes.
"You're a true champion."
It was a measured evaluation, an unexpectedly emotionally intelligent remark. "You understand better than most that your opponent is not from this era."
Ian said no more. He slowly raised the massive blade.
"Since you've said so..."
The sword's light cascaded like a descending galaxy, tearing through the air and splitting Seti's figure in two.
There was no blood.
No scream.
Only a brilliant surge of luminous particles rose from him, scattering like stardust before fading into the air of the Colosseum. Seti's form dissolved into countless golden motes beneath the radiant light of the blade, ascending like reversed constellations into the dim Underworld sky.
Silence blanketed the arena.
Then...
Boos crashed down like a tidal wave. The stands erupted into chaos. Ancient wailing souls shrieked deafeningly. Some cursed Seti's cowardice; others furiously ripped at their shrouds. Several enraged spirits tried to throw themselves into the arena but were violently repelled by the Colosseum's barrier.
"Cheater!"
"He killed the hero of history!"
"This is blasphemy against the past!"
In response, Ian's "virtual spectators" shouted even louder.
"Ian! Ian! Ian!"
"The future defeats the past!"
"Wisdom triumphs over glory!"
"History isn't the end, it's the beginning!"
"Lord Ian is invincible!"
"The forty-meter blade will forever be a god!"
Just award Lord Ian the "Pyramid Cup" championship already!
…
Clearly, these virtual humans, equipped with the slang of future generations, were far more eloquent. Ian made an exaggerated bow, his metal armor joints moving smoothly.
Then, gripping the hilt with one hand, he pulled the forty-meter blade from the ground effortlessly. As the last mote of light faded, the entire Colosseum began to tremble violently.
The massive stone walls flowed and reassembled like liquid. The sandy ground melted into the pitch-black waters of the River Styx and rapidly solidified into a smooth obsidian platform. Twelve rune-carved stone pillars rose from the earth, each one topped by ghostly blue soulfire. A translucent magical barrier shrouded the sky.
The star chart of ancient Egypt appeared upon it.
"This Colosseum is exclusive to wizards," Anubis said softly, his tone carrying a hint of gravity. "Magic is no longer forbidden. This is the setting for the second trial."
His figure appeared in the seat of the highest referee.
He struck his staff heavily against the ground.
"The first trial... passed."
"The second trial is to challenge a Legendary Wizard equal to yourself."
Ian's armor made sharp ka-ka sounds as its components shrank and folded like living creatures. Ultimately, it transformed back into a metal bracelet around his wrist. The forty-meter blade shrank into an exquisite letter opener that he casually tucked into his belt.
"A Legendary Wizard equal to me?" Ian looked around, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"Interesting."
He wasn't nervous at all. After all, this wasn't his first time facing a Legendary Wizard.
At that moment, Anubis struck the ground again with his staff.
"Begin."
Suddenly, a fissure split open in the center of the obsidian platform. A figure clad in star-patterned robes slowly rose from it. The figure wore a diadem forged of gold and obsidian and held a serpent-shaped wand crowned with a gem that burned with ghostly blue flames.
When he lifted his head, Ian's pupils contracted slightly.
This was a demigod:
The legendary wizard of ancient Egypt, Heka-Ur. Legend has it that he stole the power of the Sun God Ra while still mortal, for which he was cursed by the gods to wander eternally between life and death.
There were no pupils in Heka-Ur's eyes, only endless constellations swirling within. His voice overlapped like the whispers of countless souls.
"Intruder... you disturb eternal rest."
Ian's fingers were already on his wand, yet a faint smile curved his lips.
"A demigod wizard? Now this is interesting."
He drew his elder wood wand. The way he held it was strikingly similar to Voldemort's: cool, effortless, and faintly stylish.
"I am unbeatable!"
Heka-Ur wasted no words. His serpent wand tapped lightly.
Boom!!!
The sky above the Colosseum twisted violently. A burning meteor tore through space, trailing a long tail of flames, and hurtled toward Ian. Divine fire flickered across its surface, the Sun God Ra's manifested wrath.
Ian's wand shot upward instantly.
"Fractus Spatium!" (Space Rend).
A distorted rift formed before him, made of silver-gray magical power. The meteor plunged into it and vanished.
But the next second...
The space behind Ian tore open.
The meteor burst forth from the rupture and struck his back!
"Spatial rebound? Nicely played."
Without turning around, Ian flicked his left hand into his pouch and tossed a small mirror behind him.
"Speculum Reflecto!" (Mirror Reflection).
The meteor slammed into the enlarged mirror and was reflected along its original path, this time, even faster, blasting back toward Heka-Ur.
The demigod wizard planted his wand in the ground.
A shield composed of starlight formed before him. At the moment of impact, the entire Colosseum shook violently. The shockwave tore spiderweb-like cracks across the obsidian floor.
"Stone Spear!"
Heka-Ur immediately followed with another spell. The ground split open, and countless stone spears thrust upward from beneath, aiming directly at Ian!
Ian's figure flickered. A magic circle flared beneath his feet, and he instantly appeared in midair, evading the lethal attack.
"Thunderbolt Arrows!"
With a reverse flick of his wand, three lightning arrows shot forth, carrying the force of thunder as they streaked toward Heka-Ur.
Unhurried, Heka-Ur swept his wand horizontally and chanted an ancient incantation.
"Holy Shield of Horus!!"
A golden barrier materialized, blocking the thunderbolts entirely. Sparks exploded outward, illuminating the entire Colosseum.
Ian's "virtual fans" were already in a frenzy.
"Ian! Crush him!"
"Hogwarts' pride!"
"Potions Master! Master of Magic! Alchemist!"
These were the cheers of the virtual supporters.
Meanwhile, the phantom spectators representing ancient Egyptian history murmured in shock and awe.
"Can he actually fight Heka-Ur evenly?"
"That's impossible. Heka-Ur is a demigod!"
"Who is that wizard?"
As the battle intensified, the Colosseum's structure began to shift dramatically.
The ground extended outward. Space folded layer upon layer. The original circular platform expanded into an immense battlefield. The twelve stone pillars transformed into sky-piercing towers with beams of light shooting from their peaks and weaving into a grid-like barrier.
The Wailing Souls in the stands watched in horror as their seats were pushed backward endlessly.
In the blink of an eye, the Colosseum had become vast beyond measure. Clearly, it was expanding with the battle's intensity, ensuring both sides had enough space to cast spells.
Suddenly, Heka-Ur spread his arms wide. The star patterns on his robes blazed with light.
"Ankh Udja Seneb!" (Life, Prosperity, Health).
The ancient Egyptian resurrection spell echoed through the space. The obsidian beneath Ian's feet softened suddenly, and countless burial wrappings emerged and wound around his legs.
Even worse, he felt his life force being forcibly drained, the wrappings were siphoning away his lifespan!
"Death magic?" Ian sneered. "How convenient. I happen to be good at that, too."
He let the wrappings coil up to his waist while pointing his wand at his temple.
"Memento Mori!" (Remember death.)
Silver-gray magical power rippled outward like waves.
The burial wrappings instantly decayed into ash.
At the same time, Heka-Ur staggered backward. Age spots bloomed across his face and wrinkles crawled visibly over his skin.
"You..."
For the first time, shock appeared in the Demigod Wizard's starry eyes. "You reversed my laws of life and death?"
Ian flicked his wand lightly.
"I just reminded you,death can't defeat me."
He spoke calmly, though with a hint of arrogance. After all, the god of death, Anubis, was nearby. His remark clearly showed little regard for Heka-Ur.
Heka-Ur was enraged. He removed his diadem, allowing the gold and obsidian to melt and recombine on the throne. Ultimately, a spear wreathed in blue flames formed.
"In the name of Ra!"
The instant he hurled the spear, space tore open along a blazing trajectory. This was no ordinary attack; it was a killing strike infused with the divinity of the Sun God!
The power of the gods was in motion.
(End of Chapter)