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    First came the meteor''s rocky exterior and, when that was done crushing the cultivator who was already deceased by this point, the golden pressure burst forth like a torrent of liquid, splintering the rocky meteor in countless fragments. Each of these fragments contained a significant amount of annihilation pressure in them and detonated the second they made contact with another solid substance of any kind. Perish Wheel was one centralised explosion but this attack was more like a fragmentation grenade of epic proportions. Perish Wheel was a pillar of targeted and precise doom. This was wide spread, random, and indiscriminate slaughter. As if the multiple detonations weren''t enough, the tiny rock shards were firing off like bullets with enough velocity to put down an elephant in a single hit. The spray was every bit as lethal as the chain explosions covering the entirety of the arena.


    The spectators were a hair''s width away from the action, watching the bubbling gold inches away from their faces on the other side of the barrier. The raw, ancient aura of destruction was fiercely lashing out at them even through the barrier, arrogantly posturing itself as their superior with no care for who the target was. Mortals, average cultivators, friend, foe, even the matriarchs were growled at without hesitation. Of course Ares'' friendly fire avoidance mutation that he''d been gifted by laying with Enyo would prevent any actual damage to these people but the domineering attitude his destruction mana possessed was immutable and here to stay. The rock fragments were battering the Training Field and was making a sound akin to lead rain falling on glass which worried a lot of the spectators and made them feel as though their deaths were imminent the second the barrier cracked. The C.O were keeping a watchful eye on the safety of the visitors though so that wasn''t ever going to happen. Yes this attack was absurd but it was also still only launched by someone in mental accumulation... Which just made it even more absurd from a logical perspective of what should and should not be achievable but that wasn''t the main point. The point was that anyone at the upper end of bloodline awakening, AKA aspect assimilation, or above could fend off this attack if need be. Impressive though it was, that fear factor and the risk of death only applied to people within Ares'' rough wheelhouse. There were still upper limits to his ludicrous firepower that couldn''t be circumnavigated no matter how much he charged his attacks.


    The match had been over for the past minute and yet the explosions were only now tapering off and quieting down. the ruckus abated and Ares'' shellshocked but very much unharmed team could finally remove their hands from their ears without being deafened by the parade of golden garbage assaulting their ear drums. If you were an enemy, the explosions were lethal, if you were an ally, they were annoying! Well annoying for anyone other than Bellona, anyway, who really quite loved them and was enjoying the show upstairs. Enyo was also somewhat partial to them but only at a distance as sitting inside them was disorienting. Plus she would rather be blowing things up herself than watching Ares do it. All watching him did for her was get her excited, both to potentially mix their mana together and make things go boom again or excited in a very different way. Neither of which were traits she used to possess but Ares had corrupted her down to the bone, apparently.


    Now that everything died down, and that really did mean everything as the crowd were stunned silent, Ares unfolded his legs and lowered them down to the floor in one fluid motion. He looked as though he was walking down an invisible step to land back on the ground, at which point the golden world he''d created faded away, releasing everyone from his sensory-enriching domain. The golden lining on every nearby object, and even the coliseum as a whole, was gone now and the lustre that typically dull objects had temporarily possessed also vanished. Even something as simple as rust on a chair had become a rich and vibrant colour but now things were back to normal. Ares started walking to the hallway to leave because he was finished here and his job had been completed with flying colours. What happened to the Isasz team now was irrelevant to him. They weren''t even his primary goal as displaying his prowess was the main reason behind his actions. To that end, he had no further reason to hang around and prance about in front of the audience. If they demanded an encore, what was he supposed to do exactly? Do a helicopter with his junk? He''d basically already done something equally as showy and he had nothing left to show these people!


    It was time for Ares to go home and take a well deserved rest. Yes he''d gotten some proper shut eye last night for the first time in a week but he was still a bit drained. His cultivation was still too low to pull off a full week training regimen without some repercussions down the line. There was a benefit to his non stop grind, though, as he''d learnt a lot about his pillar in relation to pressure. As he was a dedication cultivator, Ares'' cultivation was near enough guaranteed to make a considerable jump the next time he sat down and worked on it. It had been a while since he landed on the 4th stage of mental accumulation and the pagoda had stalled his progress for a while but, now, it was about to spring back up. If he could make it to the 8th stage he would be able to take the trailblazers and reach sensory enhancement, gaining divine sight which could be combined with Omniscience. Ares didn''t know what kind of benefits this would bring but he wanted them! He was going to go home, take a nice long nap, visit the elders, and then... Then he was going to do some monotonous cultivating... It wouldn''t take too long, as he was bursting at the seams, but man was it still a boring process. He envied Enyo who could get stronger just by lying on her back and spreading her legs for him. Well he did for all of a second or two before he realised that would give Enyo even more reasons than she already had to pounce on him all the time... Maybe it was better this way after all... Ares needed breaks sometimes damn it! He wasn''t a machine! Not yet anyway. When his revenant bloodline started to improve at bloodline awakening his stamina would also passively regenerate... this was something he was going to have to try and hide from Enyo... Although knowing her, she''d probably already researched his race in detail via Calla and was aware of this specific revenant trait, much to the detriment of Ares'' spare time.


    As he walked down the tunnel back to the waiting room, he realised the others were awfully silent. Esme and Li Li were still trying to digest the scenes from before and come to terms with the existence that was new Ares. Aejaz was biting his nails because he must have realised that training with Ares was about to get infinitely worse than it had ever been prior to this point. And Enyo was dreaming about honeycomb or something. She was the only one who didn''t care much about this situation. She was the person who knew the most about Ares out of everyone in his life so she knew full well just how omnipotent he could and would be. Her expectations for him weren''t so low that something like this would take her by surprise. She was impressed but not speechless and she probably never would be by him. It wasn''t because she didn''t respect him, it was the exact opposite. She respected him so much that the pedestal she put him on in her head was unreachable, ironically, for poor Ares. Ares could blow up an entire dimension tomorrow and Enyo''s reaction would just be an ''oh?'' and nothing more. She wouldn''t be surprised he could do it, she would be surprised he found a way to do it already. Her level of trust in Ares was delusional, and she knew it, but she felt there was no reason to change because she liked being this way. Rose tinted glasses all the way!


    Meanwhile, at the top of the coliseum, the Legion and Umbra families were still glued to their seat and staring at the ruined arena... Their eyes weren''t playing tricks on them, that golden Ares form was very much real... The first thought that ran through the Legions'' heads were that they were glad Ares wasn''t taking part in the war. Mako would make for a great addition to their forces in the event Ares involved himself but so what?! For war, whatever it was Ares had become was far more disastrous than what Mako was currently. The havoc Ares would wreak when his cultivation improved was unthinkable. Calla was a solvable problem, even though it would be hard, but Ares?... A single person could dictate the sway of an entire war on their own... Was he even still a cultivator or was he just a weapon with a pulse? No matter how many times they reminded themselves he was a champion of the ''destruction'' pillar, it wasn''t enough to prevent them from being taken aback every time his ability to destroy something was flaunted to an extent like this. Over in the Umbra camp, Verv was slobbering all over his seat in crazed excitement and his two other brothers were having a hard time holding him back from leaping into the arena and running after Ares. it wasn''t even a fight he would come close to winning but that was evidently not something that mattered to him in the slightest. He would throw himself head first into a guaranteed loss just to feel a thrill...


    Serene and Mako were more interested in the pressure application itself. Of the matriarchs, Serene was currently technically ''the least gifted with pressure'' and she was fascinated by this highly unusual method of manipulating it, and what it entailed, considering the unusual state of her own pressure. Her son wasn''t on the same page, however, as he was more distraught then curious. Deep down he knew that, in his current state, he would get rolled by Ares conclusively. He still had an option up his sleeve... But did he really want to go that far? It was a cultivation resource that would boost him to new heights as it was a legendary resource he''d plucked after many years of hard work tracking it down after following multiple clues... The reason he''d yet to take it was because the pain of even touching it was enough to knock him out... If he took it, the benefits he would reap were unknowable but surely massive... Ares was taking steps as a cultivator but here was Mako hesitating because he was scared of the pain... But surely Ares had gone through some agony too in the pagoda to get this far, right? Nothing in the cultivation world was easy and Ares'' gains had been massive. The suffering must have been proportional... Was Mako really going to wuss out and accept the loss in his duel with Ares just so he could raise his cultivation before taking the resource and feel less pain? After everything he''d said to Ares as of late about not making an effort, could he stomach becoming what he''d boldly proclaimed Ares was? Lazy?


    Cultivating at a high level wasn''t something you could half ass. Coasting by would cost you opportunities and there were some up for grabs for the victor of this tournament. Mako would only fall further behind in terms of ''opportunities taken advantage of'' compared to Ares if he didn''t go all out here... Now was the correct time to take it if he was going to as he only had one more match left before the finals... From now to his next fight was the longest gap he had available. If he fought his next match without taking the resource he wouldn''t have the time after to take it... Mako took a deep breath and steeled his resolve. As it turned out, the best way for Mako to take the next step in his cultivation journey had been declaring Ares as a rival. Ares'' feats were driving Mako to new heights and would be the reason he kept striving for the unfathomable heights above even the ones he was at now. Mako was determined, if nothing else. He wouldn''t go out without a fight. Whoever won their duel wouldn''t come out of it thinking it had been a waste of time, Mako would make sure of it. He stood up and went to leave as he had a resource to devour! Terros could see the unwavering determination in his eyes and said nothing as that was the correct way to handle this side of Mako. Silent encouragement was the best boost he could give to Mako right now.


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    Before Mako could leave the venue, though, a certain someone showed up in the Starlight camp. Margaret and Eagerton had been making notes and drawing various scenes of the splendid showing they''d just burned into their retinas, as was expected of them. Ares'' golden domain was captivating so how could these two pass up on an opportunity to capture something so incredible? Not happening. But there was someone else who''d been watching the match from the side-lines. Or, well, he hadn''t been on the side, he''d been floating above the coliseum in the sky, above the clouds and out of view. With a single graceful step, his sandal graced the floor and created a small ripple of serenity. It was a peaceful and tranquil ripple that sounded like the light ringing of a sonorous bell. The man''s presence was calm and beautiful. He didn''t disturb his surroundings, he incorporated himself into them with finesse and masterful movements to raise the overall quality and artistic value of the scenery. He was arguably the most handsome man in this venue, tied, if not beating out, Aejaz. His features were soft and so was his smooth skin. He leant more towards a pale complexion but was still hearty enough to have a pinch of colour. His long black hair shone under the rays of the sun, flowing elegantly behind him wherever he went. Orange like a blazing fire were the colour of his gentle eyes; eyes that didn''t quite stare but rather rested peacefully on whatever they happened to be observing. Like Veteran, he''d lost an arm at some point in his life but that didn''t hamper his beauty, rather adding to it instead as his bearing was sleek and almost feminine. Veteran''s missing arm made him look like a grizzled, well... Veteran. This person''s missing arm was almost as if the Gods had attempted to devalue this human''s aesthetic after accidentally turning up the beauty dials to eleven but still failed to make a meaningful difference. The robe he wore resembled a tapestry and the dull yellow served as a backdrop for the more vibrant colours that were also present. Red and orange petals with dark green branch patterns decorated his attire and gave the impression that he was attuned to nature in some manner. This assumption was correct as this one-armed swordsman was none other than one of the four seasons. He was the fabled Summer Colour''s Blade that belonged to the art-obsessed Starlights, Ya Ye. His one hand, wearing a black wrist glove with a red ribbon tied neatly around, was lightly placed on his chest, above his softly beating heart, as he gave a polite smile and cordial greetings to the matriarchs. "Serene, Rhea, Calla, it has been quite some time since I last had the pleasure of conversing with you all. It''s good to see you all doing well. Hopefully I''m not intruding but I simply had to come and have a chat with Margaret."


    Margaret glanced up from her drawings and waved, signalling Ye to come over and take a seat. As he walked past Mako, he pat him on the shoulder and said a few small words. "The colour of your determination is a fierce red, a good omen to be sure. Make the most of this conviction you have now, before it fades, and you will accomplish great things." Sending Mako on his way, Ye took a seat, crossed one leg over the other, and rested his arm on the chair''s armrest. Before starting the conversation, Ye took a deep breath to soak in the residual golden scent still lingering in the air. "What a bright smell. You weren''t exaggerating, Margaret. Ares really does have a wonderful radiance to him and he is worth keeping an eye on. I would go and have a dance with his pagoda clone but, regrettably, I''ve heard weapons aren''t allowed in there. Watching him compete ought to get the creative juices flowing again, so I''ll stick to that for now, but I do hope his cultivation increases quickly so I can assess him head on one of these days... But in order for that to become a reality I can''t have him dying in a place like this. We four seasons always seem to be at odds with one another and, annoyingly, it''s always a 2/2 split. The Ares matter is following that trend to a tee. I see value in him, and, being a revenant, so does the Winter Wrath''s Hunting Rifle... The other two aren''t too keen on this kid, however, and it looks like we''re going to have a full blown bout in the coming days because of it. We''ll be too busy duking it out to focus on our surroundings so could I trouble you with looking after the citizens here?"


    Margaret tapped her pencil against her chair a couple of times. "... Here? Why here?"


    "There are two assassination plots brewing in the background right now and Ares is the target of both. The other two four seasons will inevitably try and take advantage of the confusion the initial attempt will bring about to finish the job with the second. Well the Legion season will, the Willow''s season is still unsure about how to proceed. They''ll make a decision on the day and, given the four seasons'' ability to miraculously always split down the middle, I can hazard a guess as to who''s side he''ll be on."


    "This is news to me?!" Serene was annoyed that her damnable season was acting out of line again. Rhea wasn''t because her season answered to Major and not her. The reason the Legion season wanted Ares dead was obvious; he was a powerhouse revenant. Nothing more needed to be said in that regard and Ares making the Legion hitlist was an inevitability. Some of the Legion elders in the crowd were presumably contacting the season already so it was just a matter of time... Then there was the Willow season who''s actions were bizarre as there was no rhyme or reason to his choice here.


    "Well you know what that axe-wielding dunderhead is like. It''s almost impossible to tell what he''s thinking. If I were to hazard a guess, he thinks that Ares being a revenant is problematic for the sake of peace and stability. Sacrificing a revenant isn''t a big deal if it keeps the Legion quiet and content. Ares making his way to Vraizon will put Major on edge and nobody knows what he''ll do in turn. It could be that the axe man is simply trying to prevent that... Maybe? It''s hard to tell what''s going through that thick skull of his. It would make sense, though, as it would also explain his hesitancy. If Ares can handle the other assassination attempt by himself, then that will be more indicative of his true power than anything we''ve seen up until now. The people going after him are well and truly above his current cultivation. In other words..."


    Calla interrupted and finished the sentence because she already knew where it was going. In fact... Calla already knew about the assassination and had done nothing to stop it for the same reason as the Willow season... "He wants Ares to use a Canis Stimulant. Ares is a powerful cultivator but there are still ways of dealing with him currently. Although I don''t know how the Willow season found out about it, Ares is an adept. His lack of physical strength can be exploited in various ways but it depends on how strong his revenant form is... Alpha, beta, gamma, delta, epsilon, zeta... Any breed of revenant at, or above, gamma with an adept trait is a nightmarish combination. If Ares is lower then his physical strength will be uninspiring regardless of his revenant form and there are plenty of treasures out there that can take advantage of that. Without mana Ares would struggle hard. That enhancement just now used annihilation mana so, although he could still use regular enhancement, the disadvantage Ares would be at if his mana was sapped in its entirety is considerable. This is a means of dealing with Ares on the condition his revenant form is weak... But if it isn''t... Well then what? How do you beat him at all? It just becomes more and more impossible the longer you let him cultivate so that''s probably the Willow season''s line of thinking. Stopping an unstoppable problem before it reaches that stage is why he''s curious to know just how big a deal Ares truly is. To that end, letting the other assassination attempt play out, to draw out Ares revenant form via the Stimulant, is basically him scouting the opposition and acting reactively to his findings. I would expect a fight with him if I were you. Ares is an incredibly pure breed with even Dominus'' bloodline flowing inside of him. I don''t know the extent of it but he briefly mentioned another bloodline in him too... There''s a non-zero chance he''s like Dominus and has transcended our usual tiering system. Dominus was more than an alpha, he was a lord, and Ares is trending towards that end of the spectrum. The Willow season will not sit idly by after judging Ares to be a potential threat of Dominus'' calibre so I think it''s safe to say you should expect a 2 vs 2 fight and come prepared. Make no mistake, though, although the matriarchs swore not to get involved with the four seasons'' clashes, I will step in and stop things from going further than they should if it becomes necessary. I''m aware of the consequences but I won''t let anyone harm my child, not now that I''ve finally found him again. It happened once, it won''t happen again while I''m around, at least."


    Ye scratched his head with a wry smile... If he and the Winter''s Rifle lost to the other two seasons then, contractually, they would then have to turn against Calla for getting involved in their dispute... In short, he needed to win otherwise this crazy woman was going to be on his case. Thankfully he was widely considered the strongest of the four seasons... But then there was the Winter''s Rifle... She detested working alongside anyone and no one truly knew how capable she was. Her human form was considered the weakest of the seasons but nobody had ever seen her revenant form and lived to tell the tale so it was a coinflip how useful she would be during the scuffle. Chances are, it would be Ye vs the Willow season, and Winter''s Rifle vs the Legion season. If she could hold out long enough for Ye to win his fight then that would be good... The problem was that the opposing side only had to win one fight and then kill Ares which was an effortless task. Not only was Ares'' cultivation that much lower than the seasons but, after his revenant form ran out, the Canis Stimulant would sap him of all his strength. If Ares at least had it in him to run away then it might not be so bad but it wasn''t in the cards... Ye might have to go all out in the upcoming fight... Still, he viewed it as a worthwhile endeavour. Ares interested him the same way Ares interested all of the Starlight clan. All the elders, disciples of various sects, and clan members who were in attendance today were furiously scribbling away on notepads and other such diaries in the crowd. Ares may very well be valued more by the Starlights than the Umbra Wolves at this point... Ye could already see their planet roping Ares into becoming a muse for the masses at some point and dragging him along like some kind of show animal. He would bring about both a metaphorical and literal golden age if ever he stepped foot on their home planet and, considering he intended to visit all the four major clans at some point, it was basically already set in stone that he would become a rockstar in their home planet...