Chapter 173: The Third Option

"It seems you're more than a group of rats," The Paladin smiled after he glanced at the destruction his spear had left. He stretched his arm out as his palm faced upward. A buzzing was heard amid the cries of the crowd and the spear took itself out of the rubble and flew to the paladin's hand.

"Careful, space is locked. We have no way out of here." Zas said, appearing to have tried using his ability. Hua was silent but seemed to be looking for a way out as well.

"It's futile to try escaping, we've used a space-locking- artifact." Jumana tried again. "Surrender now and we'll guarantee your safety." 

It seems that she didn't want to hurt Mistletoe's members because they have already helped end the war between the two nations. However, today's events were different.

As he stood there, Arthur weighed his options. There was the first option of surrendering, but he didn't even have to think before rejecting it. The second was to reveal his identity as Arthur Silvera, but this would have dire consequences.

The first consequence is that the Ilios Empire would know he was still alive, making his earlier efforts a waste. He'd have to run away again even if he managed to convince the association that he was truly Arthur Silvera and that the Ilios Empire was trying to harm him. 

The second consequence is his identity being revealed as a Mistletoe's member. This would endanger whoever had ties with him, including the other members and Master Ronin. Not to mention, his family is safer if he died as a hero than to live as a villain.

He was a villain to the Ilios Empire and the Enders, after all. For these reasons, Arthur had to choose option number three. 

Arthur stared at the Paladins silently and couldn't help but laugh. His laugh turned from a chuckle until it was loud enough to echo throughout the arena. 

"You make me the villain, but is not the Ilios Empire that has worked with the Nether Beings to activate the Calamity Spider?" 

The moment those words were out, the tension rose in tides. Mummers echoed through the crowd as the confusion took hold of their hearts. The knowledge that the traitor prince was a fallen one wasn't known to many. 

The Enders were a manifestation of forbidden magic. That's the general idea of the fallen ones, those that practice the forbidden magic and allow themselves to turn into monsters. Whoever is found to be working with these fallen ones is shunned by the world. 

"Your lies have no place here." The paladin raised his spear as if ready to deliver divine justice. "We've already caught you red-handed. Isn't the fortress in your possession now?" 

Another confusion was thrown as a question popped up. Was the crazed prince a member of Mistletoe? However, that didn't explain the footage of Mistletoe's members trying to get into the fortress. Were they there for their friend? 

This would answer a question of how Mistletoe's members were able to control the fortress. However, it was a contradiction as their behavior didn't match. They attacked the Union first then they attacked the empire? It didn't add up. Why start a war if you were going to end it? 

"You deceived the people by playing the hero after starting the war yourselves." The paladin pushed forward. "Chaos is what you seek!" 

"Oh, how noble you are!" Arthur spread his arms. "We've started the war, you say? Was it us that attacked the Union in a moment of weakness, or your Ilios Empire?" His voice was dripping with sarcasm. "You sin and blame it on the devil! I was lured, you'd say!" 

"Silence, Nether Being!" The Paladin's face contorted in rage as he pulled on his spear. "Perish as a price for your sins." The spear vibrated in the air as it again shot toward Arthur. 

Dread filled his heart as Arthur braced himself for the impact. Before the spear could reach him, Li was already in front of him. His broken blade slashed again but was unable to push the might of the Astra-ranker back. 

"Li!" Ivy appeared by their side in a moment as she punched at the spear. The spear shook before it flew away again and was grabbed by the Astra-rank Paladin. 

"I guess we need to weed the weak ones," The paladin grinned and threw the spear again, this time more destructive than the last. "Your disrespect was the reason for your death." The spear flew directly toward Ivy. 

The spear tore through space as it crossed the arena instantaneously. The spear was in front of Ivy before Li could slash again. She lifted her hands and clapped them together, using all of her mana with the defensive aura. 

The tip of the spear ripped apart her mana as it impaled itself through her hands, making Ivy scream in pain. The spear pushed forward, trying to end her life. At that moment, a hand grabbed the spear and stopped it in its tracks. 

"Ilios Empire." Arthur's voice was distant as if it came from the underworld, full of fury and wrath. "I'll remember this." A heavenly pressure descended on the arena as everyone felt suffocated. Arthur's body began radiating golden light as he began using his Art of Creation. 

"Take them down!" The Astra-ranker paladin issued his command and his followers surrounded the group. 

Arthur closed his eyes as the words flooded his mind. His mana started circulating in resonance with the origin of the world. The moment he started using his art, he was no longer pressured by the might of the Astra-ranker or his mana. 

'Existence is unfeeling, not designed to serve or destroy life.' Arthur recited in his mind as he opened his eyes, his whole body feeling lighter. 'It has no physical body, yet it's as real as everything and it's everything.' The spear began cracking under his hands as Arthur ripped at its very existence. 

The Paladin seemed to realize this as he controlled the spear to fly back, removing itself from Ivy's hand and she fell as blood gushed out. Arthur held her body as Li came to his side. 

The other members of Mistletoe defended themselves against the flaming and light attacks of the Paladin. Jumana shook her head and threw her hand as a giant runic circle appeared around the stage. Arthur could feel the runes try to restrict his body but he shrugged them off.

'No one can deny it and everyone needs to bow down to it.' The words repeated themselves in his mind like a mantra. He raised his right hand as the power of creation gathered in his hand, threatening to tear space apart. Carrying Ivy with his left arm and using the power of existence in his left, Arthur looked coldly at the paladins. 

The arena fell into silence as everyone held their breath, a heavenly presence descending on them. His palm facing the Paladins as his whole body shook. This art wasn't meant for combat, but Arthur was recreating what he had done in his breakthrough. 

'Except for me.' 

Arthur clenched his hand into a fist as the coliseum shook. The steal, earth, air, runes, and even mana started struggling to unpeel themselves and bow down. The whole world seemed to be shaking as Arthur felt his body's limit to hold this state for long. His blood vessels were being raptured and his bones threatened to fracture. 

The mana everyone tried to gather was humming as it started vibrating. Everyone looked with terror at the demonic masked person that stood in the middle of the arena, his fist gathering the might of giants. 

"Mistletoe will have its revenge," Arthur said through clenched teeth, barely making out the words. He raised his right fist and punched at the arena's floor. 

The moment his hand touched the floor, the world showed its anger. Whatever was being pulled toward Arthur a moment ago was no fleeing as a shockwave spread destroying everything in its path. The runes broke apart, the steal bent and was torn like paper, the earth caving in as if it was struck by a meteor, and everyone else was pushed back. 

Except for Mistletoe's members that were the closest to Arthur, everyone else felt their body trembling in front of something greater. The white-bearded Paladin's hand trembled slightly as he steadied himself against the shockwave. 

A dust cloud rose following the destruction of the arena and everything around Mistletoe's members. The white-bearded Paladin's face contorted as he slashed with his spear, pushing away the dust cloud. As their visions cleared, they saw that Mistletoe's members were nowhere to be seen. 

"They've fled!" The Paladin gnashed his teeth as veins appeared on his forehead. He turned his head southwest. "They've teleported southwest! Chase them until the end!" 

"Paladin Kiser, I'll have everything investigated once this is over. Your Empire still has some questions to answer regarding the Calamity Spider." Jumana turned to the Paladin as she warned. "If your people try anything suspicious in Runera, I'll have you all beheaded." 

The Paladin glared at her but could do nothing but nod. He threw his arm in the air as he summoned his followers and began the chase. This was far from being over. 

As the Paladin left, Jumana looked regretfully at the flames that even now refused to die down. She had seen the birth and fall of a genius. No, he wasn't only a genius, but a hero. His name will forever be remembered by the people that saw him fight the Ender. They had seen his struggle before he sacrificed himself against the foul being. 

'Arthur Silvera, you shall be remembered.'