The Golem Mage

The entire crowd remained entranced, their eyes fixated on the massive blood dome that enveloped the battle ring.

It all began when Damien started casting the [Blood Mist] spell, and it soon became clear to them that his intentions extended beyond obstructing Marcus's vision.

Damien had strategically placed runes around the battle ring while obstructing Marcus's vision, the runes are what activated the domain, so he had his blood clone diverted Marcus's attention for a while and that's why,

It was only now that Marcus realized he had been ensnared within a sprawling blood dome.

Initially the crowd perceived his attempt as a mere tool to impair Marcus's sight, but the spectators are beginning to comprehend its true purpose, and that is to disrupt Marcus's senses entirely.

They came to this realization because they had witnessed Damien's actions first-hand.

Although the blood dome obscured their view, the screen above the battle ring granted them a glimpse into the unfolding events happening inside the blood dome.

[> Innate Bloodline Domain – Blood Maze <]

"Give up now, while I am still showing you kindness, for there is no way you can emerge victorious now that I have unleashed my bloodline domain," Damien proclaimed, his words echoing ominously within the blood dome.

The air quivered with an eerie energy, while a shroud of crimson mist draped the surroundings, transforming the battle ring into a labyrinth of pulsating veins and arteries, as if sculpted from pure essence of blood.

"But wait, I thought only high-ranking mages, particularly those of Tier 8, were capable of awakening their own domains," Marcus questioned, his hands already positioned on the hilt of his weapon.

"Well, this is not really a domain, but rather a quasi form of what a mature domain looks like, I was fortunate enough to witness a proper domain and, with instruction and my understanding, I managed to create a spell that functions similarly to a domain, albeit lacking some of the other attributes a true domain possesses," Damien explained.

"As long as it's not a real domain, I can handle it," Marcus replied, launching himself off the ground as he attempted to charge towards Damien.

However, Damien appeared unfazed and showed no signs of worry or agitation in meeting him head-on.

Raising his right hand, Damien commanded the earth to obey his will, causing large red stone pillars to emerge from the ground, forming a barrier that blocked Marcus's path.

Though Marcus was surprised by this display of earth manipulation, but his determination to close the distance with Damien remained unwavering.

From what he had observed, he realized he had no effective long-distance attacks to impact Damien.

Bang!

Marcus, while focused on navigating around the stone barriers, was caught off guard when a massive stone collided with him from the side.

The force sent him flying, crashing onto the ground with a resounding thud. Swiftly, he regained his footing, only to find himself confronted by a menacing sight—about fifty blood-red swords suspended just above his head, poised to descend upon him.

"How is he able to wield a spell of such magnitude? How is it possible for him to maintain such an abundant reserve of mana energy?" Marcus cursed inwardly, finally steeling his mind as he drew his weapon from its sheath.

"Fall!" Damien commanded, and with a swift gesture, the array of blood swords descended with alarming speed, as if they had eagerly awaited the command for an eternity.

The fans of the Holy Grail Academy watched in fear, some even closing their eyes, unable to bear witness to the impending moment. Meanwhile, the followers of the Bloodline Academy cheered vigorously for Damien.

[> Mid Tier Spell – Judgment Blade <]

Marcus's voice, although quiet, sliced through the clamour caused by the array of blood swords surrounding him.

As a brilliant flash of light from his large saber swiftly cut through the multitude of blood swords.

Bang!

Explosions resounded throughout, as a surge of light sped towards Damien, even in slow motion, the spectators struggled to perceive Marcus clearly, catching only a fleeting glimpse of a white streak passing Damien with the agility of a phantom.

At the edge of the Blood Maze, the light finally halted, revealing Marcus in all his glory.

His Academy uniform, his hair, and even his eyebrows radiated an ethereal aura akin to that of Michael when he had attained the glowing holy form.

Yet, it appeared that Marcus was even more adept at wielding this form than he did.

Without so much as a glance back at Damien, Marcus gracefully sheathed his saber blade, displaying a confidence that surpassed mere prowess.

"Winner, Marcus Sanctus!" declared the referee, shocking the crowd who all gasped at the announcement, Damien remained standing in the ring, seemingly unscathed.

However, their surprise was short-lived as they realized the blood dome surrounding them was crumbling, and Damien turned his attention towards Marcus.

"You're quite fortunate that my showmanship is limited by mana fatigue, otherwise, victory would surely be mine," Damien sneered, his hand gently caressing his neck.

"Well, perhaps you should have considered the consequences before staking everything on a pseudo domain, you've engaged in two intense battles, depleted most of your mana, and wear a fatigued body, how much longer do you plan to underestimate me?" Marcus retorted, his words filled with unwavering confidence.

"You may have had a strong start, but defeating me requires more than just cunning plans, you should have bowed out after the last match; you're completely depleted," Marcus stated as he turned towards Damien.

The spectators were initially confused by their conversation, but the slow-motion screen replayed the move, this time at a reduced speed that allowed the lower-ranked mages in the audience to follow along.

They observed Marcus, radiating with energy, as he charged at Damien with a slash aimed directly at his neck.

His speed seemed to have surged to sonic levels as they watched him bear down on Damien.

Despite the incredible velocity displayed on the screen by Marcus, it was evident that Damien had managed to react, as his eyes tracked Marcus's swift approach.

In that crucial instant, Damien's hand moved to cast a spell, but his casting wavered as Marcus's eyes betrayed a flicker of hesitation.

He had lunged forward at breakneck speed, targeting Damien's neck, under the assumption that Damien would be capable of defending himself or at least deflecting the blow.

However, Marcus had misjudged the situation.

Damien had run out of mana, and definitely he would have realized this even before the match started

And Damien definitely had neither resorted to using restorative pills nor attempted to exit the battle ring, so Marcus quickly perceived Damien's true motive.

Damien's tactic of engaging him within the domain wasn't out of a belief that he could win; rather, Damien's intent had been to sap some of Marcus's mana all along.

Understanding his own condition better than anyone, Damien knew he stood no chance against Marcus.

His strategy was to wear Marcus down, even if only slightly, to afford Dragov an easier battle.

With this revelation, Marcus found himself unable to complete his attack.

His blade, once steady and lethal, now seemed to twitch, harmlessly passing by Damien's neck without leaving a mark.

This was an accomplishment he had attained by tapping into the heightened speed granted to him when he entered the mysterious glowing state.

"You little shit, our score is now 243 to 241. I can't believe you sacrificed a point for someone else," Marcus taunted.

"That's because Dragov is going to win," Damien responded, finally succumbing to the exhaustion of his mana and the physical strain he had endured, as he collapsed on the ground. .