As the announcement rang through the arena, a young man with an air of elegance and confidence gracefully made his way down from Alan's row. With a subtle gesture, he directed the announcer's attention and tossed a sack brimming with silver coins onto the path. Catching it with practiced ease, the announcer grasped the unspoken message, his voice thundering as he proclaimed:
"Ladies and gentlemen, please extend a warm welcome to none other than the esteemed prince of Pompeii, Augustus Moriel!"
Augustus entered the arena with a regal demeanor, moving as though he were a divine presence gracing the mortal realm.
The crowd erupted into cheers, echoing his majesty and celebrating his presence. On the opposite side of the arena, another figure descended from his seat. Clad in a robe of rich purple, the man wore a featureless white mask, a stark contrast to Augustus's attire of royalty, adorned with black and white and embellished with threads of gold. His hair impeccably styled, Augustus wore a humble smile that seemed to radiate warmth and dignity. Observing him, Alan couldn't help but wonder if this man hailed from Pompeii's noble lineage.
As Omeus and Augustus stood face to face, ready to commence their bout, the announcer began to announce the vows. However, Augustus interrupted, turning towards the audience and raising his voice in a tone of humility and respect.
"Esteemed people of Pompeii!" Augustus addressed the crowd, his eyes swooning in sincerity and valor. "We hold dear the principle that under no circumstances should life be taken, as it undermines the very fabric of our society. But I pose a question to you all: what of the sinners? What of those who tarnish our society with their actions, who defy our rules and standards? We strive to uphold our values, but how do we address those who challenge them?"
His words hung in the air, casting a spell of silence over the crowd. Even Alan found himself captivated by Augustus's profound questions, which resonated deeply with his own interests.
"I ask the respected priest here, to whom I urge to address my queries with this battle."
Augustus declared.
With a thunderous grunt, Omeus removed his mask, revealing an elder face with white eyes and a scar across it.
A surge of green energy filled the space beneath his robe, and a scythe descended to the ground. Omeus seized the scythe with force, tearing his robe in the process and revealing his muscular physique. The once silent crowd erupted into cheers, eagerly anticipating the battle to begin.
In response to his opponent's readiness, Augustus calmly remarked, "Very well."
With graceful movements, he closed his eyes and extended his arm skyward. A radiant green glow enveloped his hand as a rapier materialized, gleaming with shining steel.
As both Augustus and Omeus assumed their stances, the announcer retreated to his place, signaling the commencement of the third bout of the Chronos Wielder's Academy's physical test.
Without hesitation, Omeus lunged at Augustus, twirling his scythe with formidable speed. Alert and poised, Augustus took a step back, narrowly avoiding the deadly blade that grazed only a lock of his hair.
Sensing Omeus's next move, Augustus sidestepped as Omeus attempted to strike him from behind with the scythe.
With precision and agility, Omeus swung his scythe back and forth, aiming to land a blow on Augustus. Despite the relentless assault, Augustus maintained his composure, gracefully evading each strike. However, Omeus seized an opportunity, dashing forward and hooking his scythe into Augustus's leg.
With a powerful yank, Omeus tore through Augustus's shin, launching him into the air in a tumbling motion.
Taking advantage of Augustus's vulnerable state, Omeus delivered a forceful kick to his stomach, propelling him into the arena wall with tremendous impact.
The crowd gasped in awe as Augustus struggled to regain his footing, his resolve unshaken despite the punishing blows inflicted upon him.
Amidst the tumultuous mixture of excitement and anger from the crowd, Omeus surged forward, his eyes ablaze with fury, towards the stumbling Augustus who emerged from the wall, visibly injured and without his guard up. With a thunderous proclamation, Omeus charged at Augustus:
"Thou shalt not question the will of God! Question his plan, declare treachery upon the kind of man, and thou shalt adhere to capital punishment with instruments of God!"
With a powerful strike, Omeus delivered a devastating blow to Augustus's side, sending him staggering. Seizing the opportunity, Omeus followed up with a swift low kick, knocking Augustus off balance. In a rapid succession of movements, Omeus unleashed a flurry of strikes with his scythe, slashing across Augustus's chest with lightning speed, carving a cross-shaped gash on his chest, and tearing away fragments of his uniform. The arena echoed with the clash of steel against flesh as the intense battle unfolded before the mesmerized audience.
The crowd's emotions soared and plummeted as they witnessed the impending strike from Omeus aimed at the vulnerable Augustus. Yet, their anticipation turned to shock as Augustus intercepted Omeus's punch with his bare hand, his voice resounding through the arena despite his bloodied mouth:
"The sinners must be punished for their sins! Let man become God's instrument and leave the rest to God's divine will."
With a sudden shift to fury from serene smiling determination, Augustus swiftly countered, pulling Omeus towards him with a deft motion. A powerful roundhouse kick followed by a precise punch sent Omeus reeling, his once formidable stance crumbling under Augustus's relentless assault.
With graceful yet lethal precision, Augustus unleashed a barrage of strikes with his rapier, carving through Omeus's defenses with each calculated thrust.
In a shocking turn of events, Augustus drove his rapier deep into Omeus's chest near his heart, eliciting a stunned silence from the crowd as blood spilled forth from the fatal wound.
Witnessing the violation of a cardinal rule, Alan was on the brink of outcry, but restrained himself, his voice stifled beneath the weight of the unfolding spectacle.
As the crowd watched with bated breath, Augustus maintained his serene smile even as his eyes smoldered with fury. With Omeus writhing in agony before him, Augustus calmly spoke:
"Fear not... The area I've struck is devoid of vital arteries, nestled between your heart and lungs, a mere expanse of flesh and blood."
Alan leaned in, captivated by Augustus's clinical precision as he continued to explain, his words tinged with a chilling determination:
"Your body is rife with such areas... Shall we explore them further?"
With a swift motion, Augustus yanked his rapier from Omeus's chest with a forceful kick, only to drive it into Omeus's bicep.
As Omeus cried out in torment, blood gushing from his chest and arm, the crowd erupted into frenzied cheers, reveling in Augustus's relentless torment of his opponent.
The arena floor became awash with Omeus's blood as his agonized screams echoed through the air, transforming him into a pleading figure akin to a sobbing child.
He implored Augustus to cease his cruelty, his cries falling upon deaf ears as Augustus, now sporting a sinister grin rather than his previous humble smile, showed no signs of relenting. The crowd, caught in the frenzy, cheered on the display of brutality.
Witnessing Omeus's desperate pleas go unanswered, Omeus turned his cries to the announcer, who, drowned in awe by the unfolding scene, was frozen in mid air.
"Please, make him stop! I surrender! Take this!" Omeus cried out, tossing a sack of coins toward the announcer, who hastily caught it and hurried over to Augustus. He reached out, grasping Augustus's arm mid-strike, and pleaded for him to halt.
Augustus paused, his enjoyment momentarily disrupted by the announcer's intervention, and shot a menacing glare in his direction. Freezing the announcer in sudden shock.