Duality of Shadows-Chapter 937: See Her Again

While Alm and Bruno healed Caipora and talked, Ruri was busy destroying the specters and collecting their crystals. When the time was up, the formation brought all 17 participants back.

They reappeared at the center of the arena, exactly where they had been before being transported. However, the entire arena was now silent, as if a huge weight was hanging over everyone.

The young people who returned were also tense and confused. They had witnessed the events at the location. Although they hadn’t seen Caipora directly, they had seen the supreme white light and the heroic power in the sky. When the heroes arrived, it became clear that something extraordinary had happened.

The old man in charge of the event approached, serious, and ordered, "Everyone, present your points."

The young people, still stunned, turned to the old man and, for a moment, completely forgot about the test. After the arrival of the heroes, everything had changed. Dazed and fearful, they realized that the specters had fled to the center of the place, and the mist had nearly disappeared.

The atmosphere of uncertainty and tension forced them to hide. They knew they would be brought back after the time ended, so they chose not to take risks and simply survive, hoping to make it to the end.

The golem couple was the first to react, showing their crystals. The two waved, and their crystals gathered together. Immediately, a massive pile, nearly two meters tall, accumulated before them.

The old man was shocked. That was everything Ruri had collected in the last ten hours, killing incessantly. Alm and Bruno, on the other hand, had only a fraction of that total, the result of what they had destroyed in that initial rush.

"What...?" murmured the old man, surprised. "Did you mix them? Which part belongs to whom?"

Ruri narrowed her eyes and calmly replied, "We’re a couple. Everything belongs to both of us. You can consider half for each."

Taking a deep breath, the old man quickly counted, "Ten thousand... five thousand for each..." He still seemed incredulous at the amount.

He then turned to the others, who had finally snapped out of their shock and presented what they had collected. However, with only twelve hours to gather crystals, their results were modest. Some had less than a dozen, and the largest individual amount was no more than a hundred. The difference was glaring.

"The position doesn’t matter; the rewards are the same for the top ten. But, for the record: First and second places: Tarrasque Continent..."

The announcement was met in silence. From third to ninth place, the competitors from the Qilin continent took those positions. The tenth place went to a young man from the Fenrir continent. There was no celebration or reaction from the audience. The tension was palpable.

The frightening and powerful Djinn continent was completely disqualified. As for the participants from the last test of the Caipora continent, they were all dead.

As for Caipora herself, everyone had seen her act by forcibly activating the formation and invading. Then, the heroes were alerted and arrived at the arena, revealing that Caipora was a traitor who had invaded the place. This was the cause of all the tension.

While the judge was announcing the winners, Alm and Bruno felt something and looked at the Tarrasque, who was beside his three allies in the stands.

The dark and serious figure seemed to have lost all vitality in his eyes. He clenched his fists tightly, as if awaiting devastating news. They felt a strange familiarity with the Tarrasque at that moment, and soon a bloody premonition passed through their minds.

At that moment, a voice echoed in the inventory: ’He... damn it, that bastard... I tried everything to make him admit that he liked me. He always pretended indifference, but he never wanted to stay away.’ It was Caipora’s voice, full of pain, as she watched the scene.

The old man, after declaring the winners, began a speech that Alm and Bruno completely ignored. Meanwhile, Caipora bitterly explained:

’We met after I was demoted to take care of the continent. We got along quickly, and he, whenever he had no work, would visit me at every opportunity.’

’After thousands of years, I tried to make him take a step beyond friendship, but that stubborn head of his never admitted it. So I started playing tricks, deceiving him, irritating him, all to get his attention... without success. Only now... he realized why I tried to get close. I wanted to tell him everything... and we could have lived a little together.’

Alm and Bruno sighed as they heard this. It was a classic case of someone, due to pride or another reason, letting the opportunity slip away. Why was it so hard to accept one’s feelings?

The two thought in sync. The older they got, the more stubborn they became... maybe this applies to them as well. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons why the heavenly laws make people start over without memories. This way, they would have other opportunities that, if it were before, they wouldn’t allow themselves to experience.

Suddenly, in the middle of the old man’s words, a golden light illuminated the sky. He swallowed his words, and everyone turned upwards.

There, a heroic figure appeared and faced the crowd.

Tarrasque narrowed his eyes and looked at the figure coldly. Immediately, everyone noticed that the hero was also staring directly at him, and he smiled bitterly.

"Well, well... Looks like you have something to hide," said the hero slowly, as everyone widened their eyes. "You were very close to that traitor. I came to check, but now I’ll have to capture you..."

"Where is she?!" roared Tarrasque, almost exploding, with an aura of madness flowing in his eyes.

The hero laughed: "Her? I think you should be relieved. She really ran from us. Nothing left; her entire existence has been destroyed. The traitor thought she could control that power? Not only did she kill herself, but her actions didn’t cause any harm. Now, we’ll find out how she escaped from our hands."

Alm and Bruno saw Tarrasque’s soul fall into an abyss after hearing that. His eyes trembled, disbelief taking over him. Soon after, a bloody, vengeful aura emanated from his body.

The two now understood the reason for the familiarity: they had also gone through something similar. A painful loss of someone very close, caused by a senseless injustice. Insanity and thirst for vengeance overtook him.

’How the hell does he not have control in his mind?’ Bruno asked Caipora in the inventory, visibly confused.

’He never had great control... he was always on the side of the heroes, whether before the war or after. Because of that, he was treated better than others and had more autonomy. But no one imagined he’d revolt...’

She sighed heavily before continuing: ’In the past... he was at least vile and bloodthirsty; had no control and caused many deaths on the battlefield. After everything ended, the queen simply sealed him in the continent so he could benefit everyone without causing more problems. He only calmed down after I went to visit him and we grew close.’

Alm and Bruno understood; it wasn’t the queen who calmed him, but Caipora. That beast, at its core, was uncontrollable and bloodthirsty, but eventually, a figure always seemed destined to appear in his life to calm him.

It seemed like a preordained fate for Tarrasque by the laws; he was born with extreme power, coupled with a lack of control. Until... Alm and Bruno remembered the tales from Earth and Tarrasque’s tragic final fate.

*ROAR!*

Suddenly, a roar of fury and chaos exploded like a bomb. Everyone in the arena felt the impact on their bodies. The weaker ones were thrown into the air, coughing up blood uncontrollably.

Suddenly, a huge beastly figure leapt into the sky. The space around it shattered as a wave of destruction erupted. The hero’s eyes widened when he saw Tarrasque attacking him without warning.

He knew that this primordial beast wasn’t completely tamed; there was only a mark on his soul that could be used by the queen. Aside from that, he was virtually free, a privilege granted only to the most loyal figures to the sacred goddess.

"Fuck!" the hero roared, drawing a spear.

**CRASH!!**

The entire arena pulsed with golden power. It was two powerful immortals fighting. The old man, desperate, activated all the power of the city’s formation. In an instant, the whole city lit up, saving everyone from imminent death.

’No! He’s given in to his insane state again...’ Caipora roared in the inventory, filled with despair. ’That son of a bitch... he thinks I’m dead and no longer cares about his life. He thought I’d wait for him forever? That idiot...’

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*BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!*

Continuous explosions echoed through the sky. No one on the ground could see the fight; the space-time above was chaotic and distorted. Only waves of power spread in all directions, hitting the city below.

The formation protected the inhabitants, but it was already showing signs of exhaustion. The old man trembled, his face pale. They wouldn’t last more than a few seconds; everyone in the city would be swallowed by that battle.

Noticing this, in the arena, Thunderbird, Fenrir, and Qilin used their power to protect the people there. The hero was stronger than them, while Tarrasque should be on the same lower level.

The three looked at the sky, ready to help, but hesitated, thinking it wouldn’t be necessary, and also fearing for the lives of the people below. The heroes didn’t care about anything but themselves, and if possible, these figures prioritized the lives of others below.

The old man and the immortals took a deep breath. The castle’s heroes would come to dominate the beast; it would only take ten seconds for them to arrive. But then, the sounds of the battle ceased.

Suddenly, everyone felt their bodies freeze. A solid aura of death covered them. It wasn’t just them, but the entire city.

In the sky, Tarrasque was surrounded by a pulsating red and black aura. He stared coldly at the bloodied hero in front of him. Had he lost his sanity? No, he was completely conscious.

"You!" the hero exclaimed, incredulous. He only needed to hold on for a few seconds, but that beast was about to burn his body and soul in a single devastating attack.

Tarrasque was about to attack with everything, determined to take someone with him and relieve his frustration. He had no hope of revenge or achieving anything greater; this was his only chance.

The hero thought about ordering the three on the ground to help him block the attack. However, instinctively, he knew that might not be enough. ’Where did this beast get so much power from? This must be something from that traitor,’ he thought.

Tarrasque spat, his guttural voice contrasting with the words: "I’ve lived long enough... I don’t care about anything anymore. The only thing that made me breathe and move forward was the desire to see her again. Just being near her for a moment was enough..."

’You bastard! Why did you just want to be near?!’ A voice suddenly sounded in his mind, making Tarrasque stop abruptly, his eyes widening.

This lowered his guard suddenly, then...

*Pierce!*

A rain of blood erupted. The entire city below was bathed in black and primordial blood. Suddenly, a massive body plummeted from the sky.

The people in the city saw it fall. Even with only two seconds to react, they managed to escape because they were peak cultivators. Dozens of grand buildings were pulverized when Tarrasque hit the ground with a thunderous crash.

The city was in shock, but the fluctuations in the sky had ceased. The fight seemed to be over. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief; they were safe.

The hero’s eyes widened at the sudden change. He quickly descended and waved his hand to disperse the dust around.

Tarrasque’s massive body was covered in sinister purple lines, with a small hole in his neck. Inside, a rock resembling a thorn emitted a deadly and terrifying fluctuation.

"What... anti... anti-life...?" the hero murmured, incredulous.

"QUICK! FINISH HIM!" a booming voice echoed.

The hero looked toward the arena and saw a golem breathing heavily, completely worn out, with no Qi left, exuding a fragile fluctuation.

The hero realized that the golem had something to do with this, but didn’t waste time. He turned toward Tarrasque and smiled wickedly. His body pulsed with full power as he pointed his spear downward.

"DIE!"

A devastating strike hit the center of the city. The hero had no shame, attacking with everything, destroying everything, and sacrificing all the lives in the city without hesitation.

"No!" Cries of complete despair echoed through the city.

The old man in the arena panicked, but there was no time to act. The city’s formation definitely wouldn’t hold, and it collapsed in an instant.

The three immortals sighed heavily. They joined forces and used all their power to protect only the arena and everyone inside. It was all they could do.

**CRASH!**

The entire continent trembled as a golden avalanche swept through, turning the city into rubble. All the lives there were obliterated without mercy.

Not all. The arena was the only structure that remained intact, along with everyone inside. As for Tarrasque... only the Yin of death and primordial blood scattered in the air remained of him.