"Ah, I can''t wait to see my good friend Ramsey again!" Ares prattled on about the ways he was going to toy with his good buddy as everyone made their way to the Scorched Grounds. Along the way, they ran into Sadie wearing her full armour... Ares could already hazard a guess as to why... "You''re drunk again? If it makes you feel any better, I really do pity you."


    "Ugh, shut up. My head is thumping and I wanna go back to bed..." Sadie groaned as she dragged her tired body around town. She saw Enyo walk up to her, pat her on the shoulder, and suddenly she was right as rain and energetic enough to run a marathon! Maybe even two! As she thought about it, Sadie realised which art this was and turned to ask Enyo all manner of questions but she was hushed by Enyo who gestured at her to be quiet. [Oh I see. Being sneaky are we? Ok, I won''t tell. Thanks for curing the hangover though, shit''s a nightmare every time... Oh! Oh! I''ll start coming round after I get drunk so you can fix me!]


    [… You''re just using it as an excuse to come around and gobble up food...]


    [Enyo! I am appalled you would think so lowly of me! Of course I would eat delicious food if I happened to be around some, but that is just a coincidence! A perk, if you will!]


    [Yeah, yeah. heh, if I ever meet Aym, I''ll tell him you''re addicted to another man''s cooking.]


    [ENYOOOOOOOOO NOOOOOOOOO!]


    [Relax, I''m joking. You''re more than welcome to come round. Ares likes it when the house gets busy. Cleaning up is a bit of a nightmare, but he likes seeing everyone get together and have a good time so he doesn''t mind adding a bit of extra work to his plate to facilitate it. He''s going to be making customisable pizzas today so feel free to stop by and place an order with head chef Ares. We don''t have any alcohol left though, don''t ask why... I''ve been wanting to ask... You haven''t spoken to Rhea again since last time?]


    [No... I''m trying to get a hold of her, but I haven''t been able to. It''s been a couple of weeks, so her rampage is probably just ending now.]


    [Did you tell her about Bellona? It''s basically guaranteed now. Bellona doesn''t know yet, but Ares has already conceded that it''s the best outcome for everyone involved.]


    [Yeah, she knows... I''ll try contacting her again after the match. I wish I could help you with demon Rhea, but I value my life, so I''m staying clear after I call her again. Good luck. I''ll be cheering you on from the side.]


    [Shmuck. This, I will be telling Aym about. Being a revenant, he will undoubtedly mock you for your cowardice for the rest of eternity.]


    [Eh? Enyo?... Enyo?!… Enyo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!] Sadie was wasting her time as Enyo had already long since ceased the mental connection. Sadie kept trying to re-establish the mental connection but didn''t make any headway even by the time they arrived at their destination. Even as she was being dragged away out of view by Bellona, she still tried a couple more times to no avail. As they went to the top floor to spectate, Ares, Enyo, and Aejaz went over to the fighter''s entrance and met up with Li Li and Esme again. While they walked inside and were verified by the officials working there, Ares turned to Li Li.


    "Any news on Dirk''s end? I''m ready and roaring to go whenever you guys are... Provided you aren''t just marching us all to our deaths, that is."


    "Yes and no. We know where Accelyn is residing during her stay in Red Sun and for how long she''ll be there, but Dirk''s father, Poniard, is being a bit difficult. He''s trying to force Dirk into an arranged marriage with some chick from our clan apparently. The Li and Nick clan patriarchs are old drinking buddies and they supposedly arranged something or other. I could ask my old man what''s up with that, but he aint the type to tell me jack. He would probably just start kicking the crap outta me before telling me if I wanted the answer I should beat it out of him. That''s the coot''s style so I haven''t bothered. Anyway, Dirk wants to try again with his father one last time, but he wants us two to come along with him to see if we can maybe try convincing him ourselves. I''m the woman he wants to be with and you''re ''a sly bastard with a devil''s tongue'', he''s hoping we can finagle a compromise of sorts. If that doesn''t work... I guess I could try with my old geezer.... Not that I would have high hopes... He''d just smack us around, kick us out, and tell us to comeback when we''ve grown some facial hair..."


    "Not easy being the kin of patriarchs with power, huh? Still, this opportunity wouldn''t be available to you if you weren''t, so, you know, the good with the bad and whatnot. I''m not sure how much of a help I can be, but I''ll show up just for the fun of it if nothing else. Getting to mess with a patriarch is a rare occurrence and there''s no way I would turn it down."


    "Your motives aren''t pure... But you''re the exact kind of dishonest bastard we need to get an edge, so we''ll take it."


    "Ha, deal."


    As the match was just about to start, the group didn''t stay in their waiting room for long after arriving there. Less than two minutes after entering the room, a green light signalled it was go-time so they all strolled down the hallway leading to the arena.


    ""BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!""


    Oh, right, yeah, this. Ares was reminded that he was public enemy number one right now thanks to the onslaught of jeers aimed at him. There were a few brave souls cheering Red Sun on, but the rage directed at Ares, specifically, for his stunt the previous day was quite overwhelming. Hehehe, I wonder how they''ll react if I do this? Ares raised his fist high in the shape of a rock and winked coyly at the crowd.


    ""BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!""


    Ares burst out laughing as the rest of his teammates distanced themselves from him to avoid all the incoming trash that was being chucked at him. A layer of disintegration appeared above Ares'' head protecting him from a debris downpour as he continued strolling forward without a care in the world. Ares could even see a few meebles being lobbed his way. He was curious to see how many people would spit out their food if it was revealed he''d invented it. Still, it was good to know that Onno was hard at work selling his goods. Ares would get his share of the earnings after the tournament was over so all the meebles raining down on him was a good indicator he''d be getting a fair bit of stardust. Actually, if these people were going to keep throwing them, that would just mean they would have to buy more! Ah, I truly am a moneymaking machine! Onno must be so proud right now...


    The group made it to the centre of the stage in one piece after a couple of overseers went around chiding the audience and threatening to kick them out without refunding their stardust. Mr Clipboard smiled wryly at the Red Sun team before running over the rules once more just in case anyone had forgotten since their last bout. While this was happening, Ares scanned the Bhorashka team and waved with a silly smile on his face the second he saw Ramsey. The ram huffed and gave Ares the middle finger to which Ares theatrically draped a hand over his head and leant back like he''d been emotionally wounded. Flickering embers drifted of a maddened Ramsey who''s fire pillar magic had just been exposed to Ares. This information was readily available for anyone who cared enough to do research, but Ares was as busy as he was lazy so this method was preferable as far as he was concerned.


    When Mr Clipboard was done repeating the same old rules, he invited the captain of each team to go and shake hands before the start of the match. The captain of the Bhorashka group was Hawkins and the captain of Red Sun was Enyo so, naturally, neither of them went up. Ares and Ramsey silently gave their captains the puppy-eyed begging routine as their was a grudge at play here! They both received ''permission'' in the form of a tired nod and an eye roll from their respective captains. Ares and Ramsey strutted towards each other and Ramsey was the first to open his mouth but Ares cut him off at the path, getting his own words out quicker, further fuelling the ram''s rage.


    "Hey baa''stard, you actually made it to this round? Is this place a coliseum or a petting zoo? Dunno why you''re looking at me like that, I don''t have any grass to give you."


    "Grrrrrr." Ramsey pointed a burly finger at Ares. "You..." That same finger retracted and pointed at himself. "... Vs me. When the fight starts, put your stardust where your insufferable mouth is."


    "Ha, you want to fight me? Ok big guy, your funeral. Hey! Before the match starts, you wanna play a game of rock, paper, scissors for old time''s sake?"


    Ramsey entertained Ares no longer as he turned around and left without responding. Ares just shrugged his shoulders in disappointment and walked over to the rest of his team who were ready and raring to get things underway. Judging by everyone''s position and intentions, it looked like the start of the fight would be 5 separate duels to get things underway. Ares and Ramsey was a given. Li Li and the pred were eyeing up one another with respect as fellow brawlers. Enyo was facing Hawkins, the other captain. The two slender combatants who were quick on their feet, meaning Aejaz and Oat, were doing their best impressions of moss and trying to remain out of sight by clinging to the outer wall. That left Esme to duke it out with Leopold which was an interesting matchup considering the tactical approach both took to combat. They had a hit and run style that was rare amongst cultivators. Their match would undoubtedly be the most exciting back and forth to watch when things truly kicked off, especially seeing as how they had some of the highest cultivations of everyone competing.


    With everyone in position, Mr Clipboard took his leave and the entrances to the Arena were shut. Ares noticed two platforms, raised slightly to either side of the arena, that would likely be where those who were murdered during the fight wound up. They would be resurrected and confined to the platforms until they were allowed back into the ring, not that Ares ever planned on having this be relevant to him.


    Blaring from somewhere above the contenders'' heads, a loud horn signalled the start of the match just like back during the regionals. This horn was considerably louder and it produced a longer lasting noise than before though, likely to make sure it was heard amidst the ruckus of the crowd. Right out the gate, Ares Shifted over to the talisman.


    "Heh, I''ll be taking this, hope you don''t mind." Oat the stoat, and his cultivation of mental accumulation, 6th stage, came creeping out of the shadows and whispered to Ares in a quiet, raspy voice as he reached towards the talisman. This was the first time Ares had gotten a proper look at the fellow as he''d mostly been slinking around in the background up until now. Oat''s body was thin and, for lack of a better term, wiggly. His spine was capable of bending in unnatural ways causing his body shape to occasionally resemble that of an ''s''. His light brown fur on his back contrasted with the creamy fur on his front. His tiny, sharp eyes were as dark as the tip of his tail and his face sported a couple of whiskers around his button nose. The clothes the mustelid opted to wear were no different from that of your average rogue-type swindler, mostly leather with a few metal plates here and there covering his vitals. A dark brown hood covered his wide ears which had been somewhat flattened on his head as a result, causing them to point directly forward at whoever Oat was looking at. As Oat devoted his attention to the talisman, he heard a chant behind him coming from Ares.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "Adaptive Shot."


    Oat turned on the spot when he felt a swelling of mana in the air but couldn''t pinpoint what kind. It was a mana unlike anything he''d ever experienced before and, contrasted to his own nature magic, was like a violent smack in the face. When he faced Ares he saw the barrel of a gun, overflowing with golden mana, pointed in his direction. Before he could comprehend what was happening, Ares pulled the trigger.


    SCREE!


    A brilliant gold eagle spread its wings wide and soared into he air before swooping down and rushing towards its prey. Whether the reaction was natural, due to Oat''s biology, or not, he gave up on the talisman and fled the second he witnessed a true predator spawn into existence. Part of the panic was due to the shape of the magic inspiring dread in the stoat, the other half was due to whatever type of magic the attack was horrifying Oat down to his core.


    "Escalating Escapades!" Oat''s unique art of the ''unwavering wood'' aspect summoned a gnarled tree, with twisted roots and warped branches, ahead of him that would grant him safety. He deftly clamoured around the back of the tree and poked a portion of his head out to spectate the eagle cautiously. He felt relieved now that he was on his own home turf. The tree couldn''t attack but, provided Oat was constantly touching it, it was invincible. He could run up and down the tree and hide freely, forcing his opponent to play his game and come chase him under his unassailable fortress. Oat expected the bird to mindlessly crash into the tree and give him a breather but, unfortunately for him, the bird was smarter than that and took a detour, curving around the tree with its sights set firmly on the mustelid. It tilted its head before diving toward Oat who began scrambling around the tree, constantly trying to keep the tree between the bird and himself. The eagle committed to swoops and dives, pursuing the stoat relentlessly while slowly forcing him further and further up the tree.


    As Ares nabbed the talisman, he couldn''t help but be impressed with the bird''s intellect. He''d heard its ability to track was ''basic'', but this was seriously a determined animal if ever he''d seen one. Maybe it had something to do with the target it was chasing looking like a tasty snack to it?


    Back by the tree, Oat was reaching the top of his magical structure and had run out of places to escape too. The bird drew ever closer, extending its talons that were ready to grip onto the mustelid''s throat and drag him away.


    Gulp


    Oat chuckled nervously and called out to his companions with his smoky voice. "Fellas? Mind lending me a paw or two?" Although a sigh was the only response he received from his teammate, he knew that he was going to be bailed out of the situation so he relaxed a bit.


    ROAR


    CRASH


    Leopold exercised his lungs to circulate mana and used his lightning pillar magic to strike down the persistent bird, sending it plummeting down to the floor near the base of the tree.


    BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM


    Oat clung to the tree for dear life as it was nearly uprooted and blown across the coliseum from the detonation that rocked his magic to the roots. When the blast settled, Oat rubbed his eyes and stared at the dent in the floor surrounding his tree. All of the roots were exposed and a part of his supposedly indestructible tree had been shaved off. Oat put his hood back on and scratched his chin. "Yikes... Man, I really hate birds..."


    Back by Ares, Ramsey was menacingly marching towards him... Slowly... Very, very slowly. Ramsey was the slow and steady type that more closely resembled a 7ft boulder than any known living creature. He had a respectable cultivation of 8th stage mental accumulation, putting him above Ares by five whole stages which would be an automatic death sentence for most ordinary cultivators. His face was mostly covered in white fur and only two small dots could be seen on either side of his head. These deep red dots were what little part of his eyes could manage to poke out of the obscene amount of fluff on his face. His chin was thick as a brick and his chunky horns curled back over his shoulder blades. His body was well built and laden with bulging muscles. Muscles that were bursting out of his lumberjack attire. The red and black chequered shirt he wore struggled not to tear and his cargo pants were straining to contain his mighty legs. Unfortunately for Ramsey, his strength was also his biggest detriment as he could probably lug around and entire tree with his brute strength, yes, but he could probably also be outrun by a mecha dryad. Hell, Loris Lax could probably sleepwalk quicker than this bumbling mountain of a man. Ares took a step back for every step Ramsay took toward him, not because he was scared or anything, but because he was genuinely curious to see how Ramsey would deal with an opponent who didn''t come to him. Ares had every intention of speeding this process up by taunting the big guy and goading him into action.


    "Hey, I don''t suppose you''ve got any female relatives working the pole in Bhorashka? I can do you a favour and pay them a visit, you know, maybe send some stardust their way."


    MRAGFADHAGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!


    An incomprehensible fit of rage consumed Ramsey as he let out a garbled yell of frustration. Ramsey channelled his fury into chanting an art. "IMM-O-LATE." Ramsey''s unusual pronunciation, likely due to blind anger overtaking his sanity, aside, he''d just casted a rather dangerous art. His body ignited and tufts of burning fur flickered off him like embers, revealing his bare, burning skin underneath. Immolate was a conflagration aspect art that lit the user on fire, turning them into a fiery devil that would ignite anything they touched. It hurt to use. it hurt a lot. But it would also hurt anyone the user grappled with many times more, plus it gave the wielder a massive, ramping speed boost as compensation to enable hunting down the opponent. In Ramsey''s case, it also functioned as a means of shearing his excess fur. This reduced his overall tankiness by a fair bit but also increased his mobility on top of the arts already inbuilt function that performed a similar role. This art was powerful to begin with, even though it came with a cost, but a baa''ki like Ramsey would get additional benefits on top due to the way it synergised with his race. With his wrath renewed and quite literally reignited, Ramsey charged towards Ares, leaving fiery footprints and burnt wool in his wake. Ramsey was so hot the air around him possessed a mirage like quality that distorted his now fully revealed face into one that resembled the likeness of a vicious Baphomet driven by hatred. His jumbled roars continued as he ran at Ares, prepared to grip onto him and simultaneously melt and crush him between his burning biceps.


    Sniff Sniff


    "Is it me, or does it smell like mutton in here?" Ares jibe was predictively met with the same indecipherable response as before.


    BWAOUARHEGHHHHHHHHHH!


    "Say it, don''t spray it." Ares brought out the Black Ice Bane. "Alright, lets test that fortitude of yours and see what your made of. Test numero uno. Crystalised Void: Wall." Ares raised a crystal wall in Ramsey''s path and...


    Shatter


    … It''s safe to say, it didn''t last very long. Ramsey barrelled through the wall completely unphased. Even the disintegration tendrils melted as they tried to assault him. "Ok. Test number one is a resounding failure. Let''s conduct test number two. Crystalised Void: Tricky Rink!" Ares shoved the tip of the sword into the floor, releasing a tide of Crystalised Void that decorated the floor of the coliseum. Fortunately for the other fighters, all of them were far enough away to not be affected by the Rink. Ramsey''s burning body was like a beacon of light to the disintegration magic hiding within the Rink. The tendrils burst out and managed to make more progress this time, but being halted by Ramsey''s sturdy flesh in the end meant they hadn''t accomplished anything yet again. Ramsey''s fire coated feet burned away the floor until it wasn''t an issue and he ran straight through the field of explosions he was causing, by breaking the ice with his stampede, without faltering. He looked like an action star, like a kind of superhero soldiering onward through an explosive onslaught of landmines. Of course the fiery aura enhanced the heroism on display too. Ares had to admit he looked a little cool. If anything, all Ares was doing with these experiments were making Ramsey''s fans adore him even more. He was basically giving the guy a highlight reel here!


    "Ok. No more playing around big guy. Experiment number three. I''ll warn ya in advance, I''m feeling good about this one!" Ares splayed his fingers and twisted his wrist to cast an art he hadn''t thrown out in a long while. "Not Even Light!" A rotating black hole enveloped Ramsey who disappeared amongst the gooey black swirl. At the bare minimum, the art would extinguish his magic. Though, as Ramsey'' magic burned him from the inside out, there was a good chance the art would also inflict pretty major damage on top of that. Although Not Even Light was primarily defensive, it became a real offensive troublemaker against opponents who buffed themselves with magic. The magic in and around their flesh would cause the black hole to actively target the combatant which it usually couldn''t do. Ramsey''s overconfidence drove him headfirst into a blob of disintegration so the fact that he came tumbling out of it alive was actually rather impressive. Ramsey had lost an eye, an arm, an ear, a horn, chunks of his legs, and had a few holes in his stomach, all of which were leaking blood profusely, but he was alive! If that could even be considered living, anyway. Despite the embers of his magic fading, the resentment in his eyes did not.


    "COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!" Ramsey''s cry garnered him sympathy from the crowd. In their eyes, Ares had done nothing but run away and cast magic at him from afar the whole time.


    BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!


    Ares rolled his eyes at this incessant complaining the crowd had been doing and decided he''d had enough of this tomfoolery. If Ramsey wanted to get hiss ass beat in his own area of expertise in front of a crowd of onlookers then Ares would oblige. "Voidwalk." Ares took a step and vanished, confusing Ramsey who then felt someone tapping his back. Ramsey swivelled on the spot and jumped back to create distance.


    "Running away because I poked you? Now who''s the coward? You wanted fisticuffs, right? Come on then, lets get up close and personal!" A quick series of boxer-steps and some shoulder movements from Ares, followed by a combative stare, proved to a dumbfounded crowd he meant business.


    Ramsey hesitated because this opportunity felt too good to be true. Someone willingly coming towards him and entering his comfort zone was something only those who were stupid would ever even attempt, and yet here was a puny ''human'', not even half Ramsey''s total size, squaring up and advancing towards him. The disappearing act earlier also kept Ramsey wary as he had assumed Ares was a waste of space who would just keep chucking ranged magic at him. The sudden shift in tone, and the unveiling of Ares'' superior speed, threw Ramsey for a loop and made him opt for a slow approach, letting Ares come to him as he took a defensive stance in preparation. Ares stayed low to the floor as dashed toward Ramsey who''s method of retaliation came in the form an overhead punch, arcing down as though he were going to crush the floor beneath him. Ares took a strong step and planted himself in the line of the incoming swing as he leant into his own. His left shoulder sunk as his right one raised, dragging his fist upwards and into a rising uppercut to combat Ramsey''s punch head on.


    Thud


    The sound of a meaty collision blasted out from the point of contact shortly before it was followed by the sound of defeat.


    CRACK


    Someone''s knuckles had been splintered into tiny pieces, but it wasn''t until Ramsey staggered backward with a look of pain on his face that it became apparent to his shocked fans who''d won that interaction.


    Ramsey kissed his teeth as he looked back at the annoying human who was now circulating golden mana through his cape and veins, subtly wearing the aura of a golden god. No one ever said Ares couldn''t throw down mano a mano if he needed to. Running annihilation magic through his body, Voidwalk, Echoes, Double Jump, and Stamp Out all meant he had the tools to do it, and Ramsey and the crowd were about to find out the hard way that they''d been underestimating the mouthy pest.