Chapter 387: Fourth Kill

"Now it’s my turn to attack."

Atlas spoke those words, making Ragathor’s eyes widen even further. Every instinct in his body screamed of impending danger, urging him to get away from there as quickly as possible. Somehow, he had to escape.

However, all his attempts had already failed, and even now, he remained completely trapped within the spatial structure surrounding him. Atlas slowly raised his right hand, and the very next moment, his fingers snapped.

The instant he did, space fluctuated behind Atlas as several small spikes began emerging from thin air, almost as though they had been present there all along. However, they weren’t ordinary spikes. Their shapes resembled monolithic, needle-sharp shards that seemed to have been gouged directly out of space itself. An ashen and blackish mixture covered their surfaces, radiating intense spatial energy despite Atlas not using even a single shred of his Aether reserves.

He had named this technique Spatial Spikes.

It was a technique he had developed shortly after creating Spatial Spawn, which had happened a month ago following his battle against Kael and Zaakrax. These spikes were quite literally made of space itself, created by altering the logic of space and applying one of the fundamental applications of the spatial force.

Unlike ordinary weapons, they didn’t require any physical material to exist.

"You said you would make me pay for damaging your dignity, is that correct?"

Atlas paused as he looked directly into Ragathor’s eyes with his own bloodshot ones. Ragathor’s pupils contracted as he stared at the spatial spikes hovering behind Atlas. He could feel the immense spatial energy radiating from them, and the mere thought of those things piercing his body was enough to leave him paralyzed. His instincts were warning him that those weren’t ordinary weapons, and that enduring even one of them could be disastrous.

"You think only you people have dignity or what? You are either completely dumb or arrogant, thinking the world is yours just because you’re strong..." Atlas paused once again before casually waving his palm forward. At that slight movement, the spatial spikes began advancing toward Ragathor’s face, moving at a painfully slow pace before stopping just an inch away from him.

Their needle-sharp tips remained pointed directly at him, close enough that he could almost feel the spatial energy radiating from their surfaces.

Ragathor’s breathing grew heavier as his entire body struggled against the invisible restraints. His very cells screamed at him to escape, but no matter how desperately he tried, he couldn’t even move a finger. The grim expression on his face gradually twisted into one of despair when he heard Atlas’s final words.

"I exactly despise people like them."

The very next moment, all twelve spatial spikes shot forward in a blur, piercing different parts of Ragathor’s body.

SHHK! SHHK! SHHK!

One drove straight through his eyes, causing his pupils to burst inward as the shard penetrated deep into his skull. The sudden, unbearable pain forced a scream out of his throat, and his entire body jerked violently against the restraints.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"

Another spike entered through his open mouth, tearing through his jaw and leaving the inside of his mouth mangled. Several more pierced his chest and abdomen, punching through his organs before emerging from his back.

Each successive impact made his screams grow louder, yet the pain he experienced was far greater than anything his voice could possibly express.

The remaining spikes tore through his shoulders, arms, thighs, and legs, leaving ragged wounds wherever they passed. Within seconds, his body had been pierced from almost every direction, with the spatial shards protruding from various parts of his ruined figure. Blood sprayed from the points of impact, but the damage went far beyond ordinary puncture wounds.

The spatial shards continued distorting the areas they touched, crushing and tearing the surrounding flesh from within. Ragathor’s body jerked violently as he struggled against the restraints, but even his desperate attempts to scream became increasingly futile.

The spike that had entered through his mouth had destroyed his jaw, leaving him barely capable of producing anything beyond a series of agonized, muffled sounds.

Atlas lifted his head toward the spectators and observed their reactions. Almost every single one of them was either trembling in fear or watching him with an expression of intense interest. Although he couldn’t care less about what they thought of him, he wanted to leave a message through this display, and it was a simple one: Never meddle in his business or mess with him.

Yes... that was all he wanted.

He had never wanted to meddle in other people’s affairs, so why were so many people eager to get in his way? He genuinely couldn’t understand it. Perhaps it was simply a matter of personality, or maybe some people just couldn’t mind their own business.

Whatever their intentions might have been, he couldn’t care less about them anymore.

He solely wanted to do his work quietly. If someone decided to interfere, they would simply meet the same end, regardless of who they were or what rank they possessed. His gaze briefly swept across the spectators before settling on five particular figures who stood out among them.

’They are strong... like that Black Arbiter.’ He took note of their presence before shifting his attention toward Ragathor once again. Or rather, what remained of Ragathor. His entire body had been reduced to such a grotesque state that an ordinary person would have immediately vomited at the sight. Yet, despite the extensive damage, Atlas could still sense signs of life within him.

’He is still alive? Seems their bodies are durable.’ After reaching that conclusion, Atlas raised his hand once again and formed another spatial spike out of space itself. His gaze rested on Ragathor for a brief moment as a thought crossed his mind.

’This might actually be my fourth time actually killing a person.’ He recalled the first time he had killed someone, back when he was in front of the Guild in the Angelic continent. The second involved Azarion and Orivian, who had existed within the same body.

Although there were two avatars and Trelisa had appeared before him and he had killed them, he only counted Trelisa’s death as one of his kills, since those avatars weren’t the actual individuals themselves. ’I don’t feel anything when killing a person anymore. Is it because my mind and heart have adapted to it?’

He questioned himself for a brief moment before shaking his head and dismissing those thoughts. There was no reason to dwell on something like that now. Without the slightest hesitation, he waved his palm forward.

The moment he did, the spatial spike tore through Ragathor’s already destroyed skull before flames of Nothingness spread from its surface. Within a single moment, those flames consumed Ragathor’s entire being, leaving behind not even a single piece of his clothing.

The spatial spike disappeared along with him, and the arena fell silent as the last traces of his existence vanished.

Atlas then lifted his gaze toward the Seraphic Kin, who was still floating above the arena and watching everything with an indifferent expression. For a brief moment, neither of them spoke. The Seraphic Kin eventually began descending toward the arena, and once he reached a suitable height, he finally announced the result.

"The winner of this duel is Atlas Mariorett."