Zumba shifted slightly as he suddenly opened his left eye before looking at Zeras with an extremely sinister smile
“I’m glad you asked…”
A card was immediately spat out of Zumba’s mouth with speed as it slammed towards Zeras who was already on retreat on seeing Zumba’s deadly smile but it seemed he was still too slow as the card slammed on him and dispersed in his chest.
Zeras waited for about five seconds but he raised an eyebrow as he looked back at Zumba.
“Hey, was that another trick from your pile…”
“Idiot, you wish…”
“Ancient Art of The Joker, Soul Devour…” Zumba clapped his hands together as he slammed into the battle stage his eyes closed in slumber.
Zeras immediately went numb, as he felt Zumba’s words were like some type of catalyst he felt the world rapidly turning back and then he felt a shoving.
It was like he was being pulled somewhere not his physical body but more of his soul or consciousness.
The crowd went completely silent as they looked at the strange scene with Zeras standing on his feet, his gaze seemingly that of a person lost while Zumba slept on the battle stage.
“What.. what are they doing…”
“Why do they seem to not be here and at the same time here…”
“What was Zumba’s last art…” There were countless questions and hypotheses from the cadets but the Instructor row was quieter.
“How refreshing, it is not all the time we get to witness a soul battle…” The Infiltration Research Instructor a lanky man with long dark hair said as he reclined on his seat and placed both palms at the back of his head.
“For an early Meteor rank stage to be able to launch a Soul art, whatever Joker Art Zumba might be practicing, it seemed he has gone on a very high level in it.” One of the female instructors gave her opinion.
“Zeras would have no doubt won if it was a physical battle and Zumba is just delaying the inevitable. But now that it has become a battle of the soul, the result has been completely changed. I doubt Zeras had any training when it comes to the soul but the same couldn’t be said for Zumba who could launch one…”
“If things were as normal as they have always been, then Zumba would be doubt win…” One of the Instructors said.
“But a soul battle is far too dangerous, one extremely strong attack, and the soul can be damaged for life.”
“Thankfully we have the soul empress, she would be able to get any of them back in shape within seconds. Now we can watch just who among them possess the strongest soul among the New Cadets…”
— — —
Zumba slowly opened his eyes as he looked around the place he was in.
A completely dark place with a single golden-colored door just a small distance away.
A sinister smirk appeared on Zumba’s face as he looked at the golden door and walked towards it. Clenching open the door, he entered the place not bothering to check the content but first made sure he properly locked the door as he made a satisfying clink causing a satisfied smile on Zumba’s face.
“Now where were we?” Zumba asked as he stretched his backbones and fingers well before turning back yet what he saw made him stand there numbed as all his hair rose their ends.
— — —
Zeras felt a deep shoving force on his soul as he was dragged towards an unknown place with speed.
The shoving soon stopped and Zeras opened his eyes to look around him but was shocked by what he saw.
In front of him were long dark-colored steps that extended below into the distance.
He unknowingly raised an eyebrow as he saw he was in a seated position and looking at what he was sitting on.
It was a gigantic dark-colored throne, its surface made of the darkest material with bones of different creatures jutting out looking like a throne made of bones.
Etched in its surface were different runes, blood red adding a devilish aesthetic design to it but Zeras also noticed the runes were strange and the red of it was dulk as if in slumber.
“What an otherworldly style…” Zeras said looking at the throne as it radiated an extremely evil and spine-chilling feeling yet Zeras felt an unbelievably close association with it.
He raised his hands and he saw black scales arranged beautifully on it, each scale like a beautiful glass, and within it was a dark revolving gas.
Looking t his wrists, the back of his hands were covered in the same red scales, and his right and left palms had a long slit in them as if a cut was present in them. His fingers ended in long dark claws looking more like those of an abominable monster than that of a beast.
‘Just what am I becoming’ Zeras thought to himself before directing his gaze away.
“System are you there?”
[Yes]
The same golden-colored panel once again appeared.
“Um, where I’m I?”
[This is the Host’s Soul Space. The most vulnerable part of a being’s existence and where damages lead to almost irreparable injuries. It seems that through ancient art, your opponent has chosen to transfer the location of your battle and teach you a lesson that will forever occur to you in your dreams.
But unfortunately…]
“Why is it unfortunate?” Zeras asked curiously.
[Try activating your second Chaotic Existence Skill]
Zeras immediately willed for that and strangely his left hand raised beyond his control as it pointed straight upwards.
His Middle finger wrapped against his index finger as yeh words emerged from his mouth:
“Chaotic Existence Skill, Hollow Domain…”
A deep abyssal shadow emanated beneath Zeras feet spreading into the far distance as far as eyes could see as they covered the entire space.
If someone was outside, they would notice the shadows slowly taking the shape of a dark ball that devoured the space covering the area and preventing one from witnessing what was going on.
The shadow spread soon filling the entire space as they suddenly began congregating behind Zeras.
The shadow seemed to be forming something and soon an object was formed.
It was in the shape of a gigantic gigantic eyeball, with horrifying blood-red runes etched over all its surface while ruinous dark energy emanated from its pupils which looked like an abyss.
Looking into the eyes gave one an illusion of staring straight into the abyss.
His left eye also gained a change, suddenly became completely dark, and soon the dark in them started revolving forming like some type of cortex.
Zera’s eyes slowly grew cold and cold, soon all semblance of emotion faded away from him leaving nothing but three emotions present within him.
Fiery rage brimming with a deathly calmness and then disdain. As for what he disdained, his mind couldn’t register in this state where all his intelligence had been stripped away.
As if by coincidence, a figure suddenly appeared at the end of the steps below as he looked at Zeras rigged to his spot in shock and fear…
Zeras folded one of his legs on the other as he clenched his hands into a fist placing his chin on it before looking at Zumba curiously…
“Hmm, how interesting…”