My Soul card is a Reaper-Chapter 986: Dreams of the Past: Rookie tournament finals (2/2)

Aurelius descended from the center of the battlefield, rising just above it into the air. He stretched out his hand toward the ground, not the heavens. A surge of soul energy erupted from his palm, rippling across the battlefield. Within moments, a translucent, colorless barrier encapsulated the platform, sealing the battlefield from the outside.

He addressed the participants. "For this final battle, additional restrictions have been lifted. First, you are allowed to use any type of potion, provided it isn't directly used to harm your opponent. Second, the restriction on flight is lifted; flying artifacts may now be used. And as you can see, because of the barrier, the 'out-of-bounds' rule no longer applies. Victory can only be achieved in two ways: your opponent must either admit defeat or be rendered unable to continue."

Aurelius' voice grew more solemn as he turned his gaze to both of his sons, lingering briefly on Rael. "Before you begin, I remind you that both of you have only just begun your journey as Arcana Masters. You have centuries, perhaps millennia, ahead of you to grow stronger, to surpass one another, if Zeus wills it. Remember this: before this battle, you were brothers, and after this battle, you will still be brothers."

The Duke paused, allowing his words to settle over the arena. His voice softened slightly, yet his tone carried immense weight. "Good luck. May the Heavens smile their favor upon you."

He ascended higher into the air, leaving the battlefield entirely to his sons. The silence hung heavy as the two brothers prepared for the battle that would determine the rookie champion.

Roughly ten seconds later, the Duke raised his hand and unleashed a powerful energy blast into the sky, its brilliance briefly illuminating the darkening horizon. It was the signal to commence.

Raphael wasted no time. His hand rose with authority as he summoned Astralith, the mighty zodiac beast. The grand creature materialized beside him, its celestial energy radiating powerfully. Without hesitation, Raphael snapped his fingers. "Transform."

Astralith's form began to shift, its body elongating, thick fur sprouting over its frame. Moments later, it stood as a majestic lion with a golden mane that shimmered like sunlight/.

On the other side of the platform, Rael summoned his Arcana spirit—an ominous Death Scythe that hovered menacingly by his side.

Raphael spoke, tilting his head as he studied his brother. "You sure you don't want to summon Eon's Hourglass? Or is it that you can't because of the distance?" His voice carried curiosity.

Rael didn't reply. He gripped the handle of the Death Scythe tightly, his eyes locked onto Raphael. Without a word, he charged forward, the sharp edge of the scythe gleaming in the barrier's ambient light.

"Well, if you don't have the hourglass as support, you won't be able to give any proper challenge. I might as well put you out of your misery, right away." Raphael waved his hand confidently. "Leo, crush him."

With a thunderous roar that shook the arena, the lion lunged at Rael. The beast's claws collided with Rael's scythe, creating a burst of sparks that lit up the space between them. Rael was forced back by the sheer power of the beast, his boots scraping against the platform as he slid to a stop.

As Rael steadied himself, Leo leaped into the air, aiming to strike him again. Rael bent his knees just in time, evading the beast's claws as it sailed past him and landed several meters away with an earth-shaking thud.

Straightening up, Rael turned his attention not to Raphael, but to the beast. His gaze hardened, and he brandished the scythe with a fluid motion that resembled a whip. "Come on," he taunted, his voice low and deliberate.

Leo roared again, the sound filled with primal fury. It charged at Rael, its golden mane glowing faintly as it gathered momentum. As the beast leaped at him with its claws extended, Rael's eyes shifted.

In an instant, his irises turned pitch black, swallowing all light within them. Even his pupils disappeared, leaving his eyes as voids of endless darkness.

Time seemed to slow as Rael stood his ground. At the last second, he tilted his head to the side, evading Leo's claws with unnerving precision. Simultaneously, he stretched out his left hand. "Die."

From his palm, a torrent of corrupted, dark energy erupted, spreading like a fog. It engulfed the lion within seconds, shrouding it in an oppressive, malevolent aura. The beast's movements slowed visibly, its once-mighty form faltering as the fog began to sap its life force.

In the stands, the audience gasped. Raphael's calm composure gave way to unease. He muttered to himself, "Astralith is trapped in that fog… and it's dying. That energy—it's reeking of divinity yet corruption at the same time."

Realizing the gravity of the situation, Raphael took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He began to motion his hands in precise patterns, drawing glowing runes in the air with his soul energy. Each rune pulsed with power as he connected them, forming a glowing circle.

As the seal completed, Raphael thrust it forward, his voice commanding, "Advanced Sealing Technique: Total Recall!"

The runic seal shot toward the fog, piercing through its darkness. The crowd watched in awe as the seal took effect, forcing the fog to dissipate. Astralith reappeared beside Raphael, weakened but intact.

Rael's darkened eyes turned toward his brother. For a moment, Raphael's gaze met Rael's, and a wave of dread washed over him. Behind Rael, he saw the illusion of a massive, otherworldly pair of eyes staring directly at him, vast and incomprehensible.

Raphael shuddered involuntarily, the sensation of those eyes boring into his soul. "What's this feeling?" he whispered, his voice trembling.

Rael stretched his hand toward Raphael once more, and the dark fog surged forward like a living entity, consuming everything in its path.

Raphael didn't hesitate. "Leo—Soul Skill: Flamethrower!"

The beast unleashed a torrent of fire, a searing sea of flames that roared across the battlefield, directly aimed at the advancing fog. The heat radiated through the barrier, causing the audience to shield their faces. But to their shock, the dark fog continued unabated, swallowing the flames entirely. The fire vanished as though extinguished by an unseen force, and the fog enveloped Leo once again.

Astralith's golden mane dimmed as it faltered under the suffocating corruption, its movements slowing. Raphael, though affected by the fog's encroachment, was quick to maneuver. With a few rapid steps, he escaped its grasp, narrowly avoiding its debilitating effects.

"So, it doesn't trap humans?" Raphael muttered, piecing together the properties of the sinister fog. He didn't allow himself a moment's pause. With a flick of his hand, he summoned his Arcana spirit back to his side. "Sealing Technique: Total Recall."

When it appeared beside him, once the majestic-looking lion appeared to be very weak and frail, its bones were almost visible like a lion that hadn't been eaten for weeks.

"Transform!"

Leo's form began to shimmer, its glowing outline shifting and reforming. A moment later, the beast was replaced by a stunningly beautiful young maiden, her features ethereal and captivating. Gasps echoed through the audience, particularly from the men, many of whom fell into a daze simply by gazing upon her in this Virgo form.

"Vine Snare!" Raphael commanded without hesitation.

Virgo's eyes locked onto Rael, her serene yet piercing gaze unleashing the spell. Vines burst forth from the arena floor, twisting and curling around Rael's body. In seconds, he was immobilized, his arms and legs restrained tightly. The dark fog dissipated at last, revealing the field once more, but Rael's eyes remained an abyssal black, their void-like presence unsettling. "I wish for that damn snake that crushed Eon's bones to appear, but I'm afraid I don't have much time left. The nonstop usage of ocular powers was reducing the time limit. I can feel it. I need to end this quickly."

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rookie tournament finals 3:

Rather than struggle, Rael allowed the vines to hold him, releasing his grip on the Death Scythe. The weapon hovered in the air, responding to his telepathic control. With a flick of his gaze, the scythe streaked toward Virgo like a black comet.

Virgo raised her hand, and more vines erupted from the concrete platform, forming a dense wall to intercept the scythe. The weapon closed in, its blade shimmering ominously as it met the barrier of vines. For a moment, the two forces clashed, but Rael's voice cut through the chaos like a death knell.

"We've played enough," he murmured, his tone cold and decisive. "Let's finish this."

He whispered his next command, "Claws of Death."

A sudden rift tore open in the air behind him, swirling with darkness. From within, two massive humanoid hands emerged, their fingers ending in abnormally long, razor-sharp nails that gleamed with spectral light. The hands moved with terrifying speed and precision, as though they had been waiting for this moment.

"Virgo, dodge!" Raphael shouted, his voice laced with urgency.

But the warning came too late. One of the spectral hands reached out, its claws piercing through Virgo's elegant form. Her eyes widened in shock, and she let out a soft cry before her form began to waver, the corruption spreading rapidly through her body.

Raphael clenched his fists in frustration, his calm demeanor shattered. "Virgo!" Never in the world did he expect to fall in such a state. The arena fell silent as the audience held their breath, watching the dramatic turn of events. They all expected it would be a one-sided battle.

Yes, it was indeed a one-sided battle, but it is just that Raphael wasn't the one who was dominating. It was the other brother who seemed to be winning.

Rael's pitch-black eyes bore into Raphael, his calm demeanor unwavering as the massive claws hovered ominously behind him. "You're next," Rael said softly, his voice carrying across the silent arena like a death sentence.

"Sealing technique: Total Recall."

Raphael's voice rang out, firm and focused. A flash of brilliant light erupted from his outstretched hand, engulfing Virgo in an instant. For a fleeting second, it seemed the sealing technique might work. But as the light faded, Virgo's form continued to be pulled toward the swirling portal. Her body flickered, and the bond between them snapped like a firm thread breaking under pressure.

"Return," Raphael commanded, his voice heavy with frustration. He clenched his fists, invoking the soul card's ability to forcibly summon his Arcana spirit back to his mindscape.

Virgo dissolved into shimmering particles, leaving him alone. Fifteen minutes until he could summon his Arcana spirit again. Until then, he had to fight his brother on his own.

Rael watched his brother closely, his voice calm and steady. "It's over, Raphael. I've won."

Raphael's eyes narrowed as he shook his head. "You're wrong, brother. If you think Astralith is all I've got, you're mistaken. I'm the disciple of Alexandrus, one of the strongest individuals on this planet. The Grandson of Zeus himself. Do you think I depend on my Arcana spirit entirely? It was nothing more than the first line of defense, the qualification needed for my opponent in order to face me directly." Now, his calm demeanor vanished and was replaced by subtle arrogance. At least, it looked that way for the spectators. In his own view, he was merely stating the obvious.

Raphael shut his eyes briefly, and when he opened them, they glowed faintly with divine light. A pair of white, feathered wings burst from his back, unfurling with an audible whoosh. A golden halo shimmered into existence above his head, casting a soft glow over him. Divine energy radiated from his transformed body, a faint aura of holiness enveloping him.

With a single powerful flap of his wings, Raphael ascended into the air, hovering ten meters above the platform. He gazed down at Rael, his voice steady and resolute. "I commend you for forcing me to act on my own, revealing my powers. But now, this ends."

He raised his sword, its blade gleaming with divine energy that pulsed like a living heartbeat. "This is Danya, the Sword of Judgment. My second Arcana spirit I have awakened in my master's tutelage, thanks to his guidance, I was able to awaken it before I even turned 12," he declared, his tone solemn. "Once wielded by the Supreme Angel, it now serves me. Prepare to face judgment."

Raphael lifted the sword high above his head. "Soul Skill: Judgment Day."

The blade swelled, growing to twenty times its original size. Its glow intensified, filling the arena with a blinding light that rivaled the sun. Gasps rippled through the audience as they shielded their eyes from the radiance. For that moment, Raphael looked as if he had descended from the heavens, an angel that came to their worlds to pass judgment upon a human.

Rael stood firm, his expression unreadable as he stared up at his brother. He muttered under his breath, his voice barely audible. "Indeed, you were a presence I couldn't defeat. But alas, you won't be able to show your superior prowess anymore."

Raphael's eyes narrowed, and he prepared to strike. "Now, face your—"

His words caught in his throat, replaced by a strangled groan of pain. His wings faltered, and he suddenly plummeted from the sky, crashing onto the platform below with a dull thud.

Above him, a shadowy figure materialized, taking the spot where Raphael had been moments before. Its form was shrouded in darkness, but its skeletal hand stretched forward, its fingers smearing with blood.

Rael's voice broke the silence, calm yet laced with a strange reverence. "The Ghost Lich."

Rael stepped closer to his fallen brother, who lay twitching on the ground, his body jerking with each ragged breath. His eyes, once filled with defiance, now only showed confusion and pain.

Rael's black eyes remained fixed on him, his face unreadable, but his voice was sharp and cold. "So, you finally understand what it feels like to have your heart punctured, huh?" He knelt beside Raphael, voice heavy with venom. "But don't worry, Raphael. I won't give you the same 'gift' you gave Eon. No… I'll give you something far more fitting that you remember for life."

Raphael tried to gather what little strength he had left, his soul energy rushing to protect his heart, and light elemental energy attempted to heal him, but it was futile. Rael had already sealed his fate.

Rael's hands stretched forward, and his eyes glowed with ominous power. He spoke with chilling finality. "Soul Absorption."

In an instant, the energy around Raphael's body began to unravel. Soul energy—his soul energy—started to slip from him like sand through an hourglass, drawn into Rael's palms.

Rael didn't hesitate. He sucked it in greedily, absorbing every last drop, feeding on it until there was nothing left. Raphael's body trembled as his soul orb cracked, the fractures widening with each passing second. Finally, with a final scream of agony, the orb shattered into nothingness. Raphael's body fell limp.

The silence in the arena was deafening. Rael slowly withdrew his hands, his expression unchanging. The barrier that had surrounded the arena vanished, and in an instant, Aurelius teleported to Raphael's side, kneeling beside him.

His palm hovered over his son's chest, his eyes widening in shock as he felt the absence of soul energy. "What have you done?" His voice was filled with disbelief and horror.

Rael's lips turned into a small, almost eerie smile. "I kept my promise, Father. One of your sons is crippled." His voice was calm, but there was no mistaking the satisfaction behind the words. "I've destroyed his soul orb. He's no longer an Arcana Master. Just a plainfolk. No soul energy, no powers."

Aurelius's face twisted with a mix of anger and disbelief. "You… You're saying Raphael is—"

Rael's smile widened slightly, but his voice dropped to a whisper. "As for me, when I wake up tomorrow morning... I will no longer see this world. I would be blind. I hope Eon would wake up before that happens."

Aurelius's eyes went wide with shock. "What!"