The undead army tio reappear after each of her powerful attacks. Something about this situatio off to Rawna. She eled her magical energy into her spear of destru once more. The dark energy radiated from the on with greater iy. “Fine,” she muttered to herself. “If Kael wants to py with forces he ’t trol, then I’ll show him just how heartless I be.”

  As Rawna eled her magical energy into the spear of destru, a deep, eerie ughter echoed through the arena that only she could hear. Rawna could swear the ughter was taunting her, mog her struggle.

  Her arm, already glowing with dark energy from the spear, began to ache intensely. The power that radiated from the spear started to envelop her entire arm. The dark energy twisted and coiled like serpents around her.

  Rawna’s gaze hardened. Her focus shifted entirely from the touro her singur goal: to destroy Kael and his undead army. Rawna jumped up high in the air and then hurled the spear downward with a force that defied reason. The on desded like a meteor.

  The sheer force of the impact created a blinding explosion that engulfed the entire arena. The shockwave rippled outwards, causing the ground to quake and sending debris and dust into the air. The spectators iands could do nothing but try to hold onto their seats.

  The announcer, who had been the battle gasped in shod disbelief. She stammered, “I barely get the words out… Rawna’s do again, folks! She’s turhe Grand Arena into a heap of rubble! This is somethin’ I’d never have believed if I hadn’t seen it with my own two eyes!”

  Str, the guardian of the barrier around the arena, found himself in a dire situation. Raowerful attack had not only obliterated the Grand Arena but also threatehe iy of his barrier. He struggled to repair the damaged magical defehat held the explosion at bay.

  The barrier crackled had many cracks and and showed signs of instability. Str’s e uniform was adorned with sweat. He eled his magito the barrier, fighting to restore its protective strength.

  The Grand Arena y in ruins, with debris and dust clouding the once-pristitleground. Kael stood amidst the chaos with his army of the undead destroyed once more.

  Rawna, who had been high above, desded to the ground. She observed carefully. There was something amiss and she now k.

  When the dust and debris settled over the ruined Grand Arena, Kael stood amidst the wreckage, his figure emerging from the haze. He looked battered and worn, but a faint, eerie light began to emanate from his body. The injuries he sustained from Rawna’s devastating attack seemed to heal slowly. A dark aura khe wounds back together.

  Rawna looked at him with disdaihoughts raced. ‘Kael should have been finished off by that st attack. Something is seriously wrong here.’

  Kael, weakly but with a twisted grin, chuckled. “Surprise, surprise…You want to see something, Darlin?”

  Without waiting for a response, Kael began ting again. The air around him glowed with dark magid to Rawna’s disbelief, the undead army reappeared once more. This time, the skeletal soldiers seemed even more powerful. Their bones held a dark glow around them.

  Rawna’s eyes narrowed in frustration. “Kael’s power has been insistent. First, he utilizes some sort of healing ability, then he brings back the undead, and each time they e back, they appear to be stronger. He’s running oy—he should not have survived my attack!”

  Her gaze turo Kael. “Kael, you have ‘it,’ don’t you?”

  Kael grinned. “It took you long enough, Rawna. Bravo.”

  Kael removed his dark cape, revealing the hidden item within. The item was a golden circur shield. Its surface was adorned with an array of mystical symbols that seemed to have a soft, e glow of light. The symbols etched to it had a silverish color.

  In the ter of the shield, a magnifit and ornate emblem stood out. The emblem depicted a resple, multi-faceted gem, which appeared to shift and ge color every sed.

  The announcer boomed, “Well, hold the phone, folks! What we’re lookin’ at here is her than the legendary Shield of Creation! Now, let me tell ya, this ain’t just any ol’ artifact. It was created by oddess herself, rumor has it this very shield has beeo craft mystical creatures—critters so wild they’re usually kept far outside our barriers. And if that ain’t enough, it’s been known to unleash a whole mess of chaht within our Kingdoms!

  And here’s the kicker—there’s a bounty out for the one who wields this shield, courtesy of the Westere Guards!”

  Muiler G’s eyes narrowed at the sight of the golden shield in Kael’s possession. Her ret defeat at the hands of Cha weighed heavily on her, but the appearance of the legendary Shield of Creation ignited a sense of duty with her as ae Guard. She pced one hand on her sheathe and was She was ready to take a.

  Rawna remaiaring coldly at Kael. “Is this true?”

  Kael responded with a wicked smile. “Guilty as charged, Rawna. I’ve harhe power of darkness. Now,you could walk the same path as I do. Join me, Rawna, and together, we bring these kingdoms to their knees. With your Spear of Destru, nothing stand in our way.”

  Rawna responded instantly. “I am not like you, Kael. I have no reason to destroy the kingdoms. I ead prosperity for our people.”

  Kael raised an eyebrow. “‘Peace’? How you say that when you’ve shown nothing but heartlessness? You’ve left a trail of destru in your wake. The lives you’ve taken, the people you’ve walked over, the darkness you’ve embraced, a…yoal is peace? What nonsense!”

  Rawna attempted to expin, “I was forced to do those things by my mother, the Witd leader of the South. She gave the orders, and I had no choice.”

  Kael, with a sinister gried, “But your mother didn’t carry out those orders, did she? You did, Rawna. Your heart has grown dark, and you ’t deny it.”

  Rawna looked surprised by Kael’s words. Kael tinued, “And there’s no reason for peace, especially not with ‘Dark Whirlwind’ out there.”

  The mention of ‘Dark Whirlwind’ sent a shock through the stands. Roselle’s eyes widened, but her anger fred at the mere mention of the name. Roselle ched her fist tightly and she gritted her teeth, but Risebelle used a soothing pat to sole her, though she was just as upset.

  Kael tinued, “Dark Whirlwind wants destru. She wants to show everyohat no force rival her power, not teology ic. But with these Goddess items, we ge that. We challehe dominance of Dark Whirlwind and assert our own power over the world.

  The Shield of Creation is a unique and powerful Goddess item. While I may have no magical energy left at the moment, it allows me to manipute the very essence of existeself!”

  Kael tinued while holding out his hands, “The power of re-creation is one of it’s capabilities. With this shield, I recreate that which has beeroyed. My Undead Army, the chaos they’ve sown, it all be brought bato existeter, stronger and with more power.”

  Kael’s eyes glittered with a malevolent gleam.“I joihis practice touro test the Shield of Creation’s power, and I have not been disappointed. With it, we reshape the world, wield dominion over life ah. Imagine what we could achieve, Rawna.”

  He leaned in closer towards her dire. “Join me, and together, we harhe power of the Goddess items and shape the world to our desires.”

  Rawna’s eyes hardened with flig emotions. The world had been unkind to her, and the heavy burdens pced upon her by her mother had left her feeling trapped. Kael’s offer, though sinister, was a tempting prospect of ge.

  Just when Rawna was about to respond, a anding voice rang out from the entrance of the arena.

  “Do not even think about it.”

  Prince Vuldo strode into the arena. A wave of enthusiastic cheers and appuse erupted from the crowd. The crowd roared out loudly.

  “Prince Vuldo!” they ted throughout the ruins of the Grand Arena.

  Vuldo’s presence was anding, and his regal posture only heightehe crowd’s excitement. His gaze remained focused on Kael and Rawna, but the roar of approval from the spectators seemed to bolster his resolve.

  Vuldo’s gaze swept across the arena, finally settling on Kael and Rawna. “Kael, you dare to wield a Goddess item for such vile purposes. And Rawna, you would sider aligning yourself with this darkness?”

  Vuldo’s gaze was sharp onto Kael. “As you all know, the wielder of the Shield of Creation has been sought by the Elite Guards. A bounty ced on this individual, and now, it seems the identity of this person has been revealed. I had hoped that the one who held such a powerful artifact would not turn out to be someone filled with such malice.”

  Kael’s eyes gleamed with dark satisfa. “Ah, Prince Vuldo. I see you’ve arrived just in time to withe full extent of my power. And yes, I am the oh the Shield of Creation. But it’s a shame that you, like Rawna, fail to see the potential freatness in this power.”

  Vuldo turned his gaze to address Rawna with a ster slightly ed look. “Rawna, the world has been harsh, and you have had to face your own trials with little aid, but joining Kael in his quest for dominion will n about the pead prosperity you’re looking for. His goals are far removed from any true vision of harmony.”

  Rawna’s flicted look deepened. “Nggh…!”

  Kael’s smirk faltered slightly when he saw Rawna’s hesitation. “Prince Vuldo The power of the Shield of Creation is mine, and it will reshape the world as I see fit. You and your ideals of ‘peace’ are outdated.”

  Muiler G, one of the four Elite Guards, stood beside Vuldo, ready to assist in Kael’s arrest.

  Kael’s ughter filled the arena. “You think the Western Guards stop me? I have the Shield of Creation, a goddess item. I was merely testing its power, and you’ve only seen a glimpse of what it do.”

  Kael raised the Shield of Creation. It’s surface radiated with a light aura.

  “I’ve unlocked the ability to create new spells,” he decred. While speaking, a swirling energy began to form around him, shaping into an intricate pattern of symbols and runes.

  The crowd watched in awe as Kael pleted the intation. Suddenly, a surge of raw, untrolled energy erupted from the shield, maing a devastating vortex of dark power. The very fabric of reality began dist.

  Kael spoke with disdain. “Look at this world, Rawna. It’s nothing but a pit of despair and broken dreams. There’s nothing sweet about it. We just live in fear of Dark Whirlwind and do nothing to stop them and rule over the world. Join me, and we wipe the ste . Together, we’ll create a new world from the ashes of the old. We will rule it all.”

  Rawna’s resolve crumbled under Kael’s words. She dropped to her knees. Her hands clutched her face, and she struggled with the tormentiation to embrace Kael’s dark vision. Her breaths became ragged.

  Iands, Roselle’s frustration bubbled over. “That does it! I’m going down there.”

  Roselle got up, but Risebelle grabbed Roselle’s arm, holding her back with a firm grip. “No, Roselle! This isn’t ht. We ’t intervene in this.”

  Roselle’s gaze was locked on the arena. Her fists ched. “But we ’t just stand by a Rawna be swayed like this!”

  Kintovar interjected. “Risebelle is right, Roselle. We came here to showcase the potential of Teology and prove its worth in this territory. Interfering in these flicts could lead to dire sequences.”

  Juliana added, “Even I haven’t mao obtain one of these goddess items in all my years. Our best opportunity to acquire one would be at the Eastern Annual Tour. Attempting to interfere and seize one now, before the tour is a risky move without the proper preparation.”

  Roselle, despite her strong desire to act, shook her head in uanding.

  Kael’s lips curled into an evil smirk. Roselle growled at him while looking downwards.