The Broken Halo

”Second strike. Demonic energy reinforcement,” the official said after Simon’s first strike was recorded.

Simon raised his fist again.

This was the more dangerous part.

He could produce a stronger strike if he wanted to. Even with his injuries, he was confident he could go beyond what he had just shown. But doing so would require him to push demonic energy through damaged pathways, and he had no desire to feel his body tear itself open for a test that was not even the final one.

So he chose the safest path.

A thin layer of demonic energy flowed into his arm.

It was not wild. It did not flare. It did not even look impressive. Compared to Akaza’s tattoo-like reinforcement or Sonya’s deep earth-like pressure, Simon’s reinforcement looked almost weak.

Some demons immediately noticed this.

”His reinforcement is poor?”

”Maybe his wind affinity is high, but his body is lacking.”

”No. Look carefully. His demonic energy is stable.”

The last voice was softer, but a few nearby demons heard it and became quiet.

Simon punched.

BANG!

The sound was slightly heavier than the first strike, but not by much.

The Impact Crystal shook again.

One ring appeared.

Then the second.

The third ring flickered just like when he struck the impact crystal without demonic energy.

Everybody including the official held their breaths, as if expecting something more to happen.

However... nothing happened.

The third ring vanished and only two rings remained.

The official announced the result.

”Prime Archfiend physical strength.”

The result was the same.

The crowd reacted in a more complicated way this time.

Some demons were disappointed. They had expected another fifth ring like Sonya or Akaza, or at least a fourth. A few even felt relieved, as if Simon showing a more reasonable result made the world easier to accept.

But the smarter ones did not relax.

A Minor Archfiend producing Prime Archfiend physical strength twice was not ordinary. More importantly, the second strike being almost the same as the first was strange.

Either Simon’s demonic energy reinforcement was poor...

Or he had deliberately held back.

Korran clearly leaned toward the second possibility.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

The difference between the two strikes was too small, and Simon’s expression had not changed at all. There was no frustration, no disappointment, and no embarrassment. He looked like a demon who had gotten exactly the result he wanted.

That was more suspicious than failure.

The official recorded the result, but his brush paused slightly before moving again.

”Blackmoon. Prime Archfiend physical strength. Prime Archfiend physical strength.”

Simon turned around and walked back.

The gazes on him were different now. Not shocked like with Sonya and Akaza, but more cautious than before. Some demons realized that even his ”ordinary” result was only ordinary when compared to monsters.

Sonya tilted her head when he returned.

”You held back.”

Simon glanced at her with a light curl of his lips.

”Who knows.”

Akaza looked at Simon’s face, then at his arm, but he said nothing. He could tell Simon’s condition was still not good, and this was not the place to speak about it.

Sonya folded her arms and snorted softly.

”For some reason, I feel like beating the shit out of you.”

Simon chuckled softly, but he said nothing.

He sensed a gaze and looked toward Korran.

The Iron Examiner was also looking at him.

Their gazes met for a brief moment.

Korran said nothing.

Simon also said nothing.

A second later, the official called the next name, and the strength test continued. But after Sonya, Akaza, and Simon, the mood in the compound had already changed.

The Black Horn Office had seen enough.

The remaining results were no longer the focus.

The combat test was.

The remaining tests passed quickly.

A few demons managed to produce good results, but none of them were able to change the atmosphere again. One Supreme Archfiend produced four rings with raw strength and a flickering fifth with demonic energy reinforcement, earning a few nods from the officials. Another Superior Archfiend barely touched the fourth ring and walked back with a proud expression.

But that was all.

No one formed the fifth ring again.

No one came close to Sonya and Akaza.

By the time the last demon finished, the Impact Crystal dimmed, and the official recorded the final result on the beast-skin list.

Korran Veyl walked forward.

The compound became quiet.

”The strength test has ended.”

His gaze swept across the Archfiends. Some looked confident. Some looked ashamed. Some looked like they wanted to disappear into the ground.

Korran did not bother comforting them.

”Those who performed well should not become arrogant. Those who performed poorly should not start crying yet.”

His lips curled slightly.

”There is one test left.”

The eyes of many demons sharpened.

Korran’s voice became colder.

”Combat.”

The word alone changed the feeling in the compound.

Affinity could be measured.

Strength could be measured.

But combat was different.

A demon with high affinity could die to a knife in the throat. A demon with great strength could lose to a weaker opponent with better timing. A demon who looked useless might survive because he knew when to dodge, when to strike, and when to run.

Korran raised his hand.

”The rules will be simple. Three battles. Win two and you pass. Lose two and you fail.”

A faint smile appeared on his face.

”Killing is allowed. Surrender is allowed. If your opponent surrenders and you still kill him, then whether you are punished or not will depend on my mood.”

Nobody laughed.

Korran lowered his hand.

”Do not disappoint me.”

The moment he finished speaking, the compound trembled.

The Impact Crystal sank into the ground along with the black platform. The old impact scars disappeared beneath the stone floor, and for a brief moment, the compound became empty.

Then lines of dark red light spread across the ground.

They moved like veins, forming circles, squares, and strange runes that covered the entire compound. A deep sound came from beneath the earth, and the floor split apart into several large battle stages.

Each stage was surrounded by a faint red barrier.

One of the officials stepped forward and spoke loudly.

”Enter the stage only when your name is called. If you attack before the match begins, you will be crippled. If you leave the stage without surrendering, it will count as a loss.”

The Archfiends became silent.

The real test had finally begun.