Just as Vay fell into absolute despair.
"Wait!" Along with a startled shout, a figure flew toward the arena platform.
However, before he even touched the dome of the arena, he was pinned in place by a descending oppressive force from the sky, unable to move.
And this figure was not from Angel’s side, but rather... Gray Merchant.
If it had been earlier, Gray Merchant wouldn’t have cared whether Vay lived or died; he’d even have preferred Vay to die at their hands. After all, the lens turning red meant that Vay was the Mirror Bearer’s target.
But now, Gray Merchant was extremely unwilling to see Vay harmed.
Vay came from the Noah Clan, and an Avatar of the Black Earl was right across from them. Kill him, and you didn’t need to think to know the future trouble would be endless. Moreover, even setting Vay’s identity aside, the attitude he’d learned earlier from the referee—that the Mirror Bearer would most likely go back on their word—already made Gray Merchant unwilling to treat Vay, and the Noah Clan, as targets anymore.
All the more so since that Wizard opposite them who called himself Earl Mi had already agreed to find a way to release his memories. Relying on Apprentices to compete for slots to enter deeper into the Underground Aqueduct was already somewhat improper; if he were to then seriously injure or even kill Vay, how would he have the face to go to Earl Mi?
Gray Merchant had thought that Magic Elephant knew this and would be able to restrain his impulses, but to his surprise, the Magic Elephant who showed another side after his strength skyrocketed was so decisive and ruthless in killing that it was like he’d become a different person.
Gray Merchant definitely did not want Vay to be beaten half-dead or killed by Magic Elephant. Because of this, even though he sensed the Evil Woman’s face full of displeasure, he still moved.
At the very least, he had to remind Magic Elephant that he couldn’t kill Vay.
Only, what Gray Merchant didn’t expect was that before he could even enter the field, he was "disciplined" by the black‑clothed referee; the terrifying oppressive force crushed him so hard he didn’t even have the strength to stand.
Gray Merchant could only stare helplessly as Magic Elephant unleashed a scarlet death ray that pierced through Vay’s body.
One-Hit Kill!
"It’s over." Looking at that black‑and‑white‑like frozen scene on the arena, Gray Merchant felt his vision go completely gray.
Thump—
Vay collapsed powerlessly to the ground, seeming to have already lost his breath. Magic Elephant, however, stood where he was, laughing non‑stop; but as he laughed, he started inexplicably to weep, tears gushing like a spring, as though his tear ducts had lost all control. Under that expression where he was both laughing and crying, Magic Elephant’s eyes gradually turned blank and lost.
The death ray of the Ancient Gaze had been completely exhausted in that last attack.
At this moment, Magic Elephant had already fallen from the realm where he’d felt "omnipotent" back down into being "himself."
Perhaps in the eyes of outsiders, Magic Elephant’s situation wasn’t that bad; but Magic Elephant himself could clearly feel that his heart was hollow. He hadn’t returned to "himself," he’d fallen from the clouds into the mud.
The powerful contrast in Energy Level made it hard for Magic Elephant to accept for a time.
And this was exactly the "Energy Level Trap" Dox had mocked earlier—Magic Elephant had been screwed over by the Evil Woman.
Using a brief surge in strength in exchange for self‑doubt and self‑denial, the erasure of Potential, and a prolonged period of depression of unknown duration.
Magic Elephant now gradually came back to his senses a little. He saw the stunned Gray Merchant outside, and he also saw the Black Earl opposite, calm and unreadable...
Only now did he suddenly feel that he seemed to have killed a Noah descendant?
When he killed Vay earlier, Magic Elephant had felt excitement and fear at the same time; that shuddering feeling was stimulating, an uncontrollable pleasure. But now the shuddering was still there, yet the excitement and thrill were gone, leaving only lingering dread and... regret.
At this moment Magic Elephant was like a lost, bewildered child, standing on the arena, not knowing what he should do next.
He remembered that the Evil Woman wanted him to seize the spoils of war and obtain the Simos Hide. However, this Noah descendant opposite him didn’t have the Simos Hide.
Then what should he do? Wait for the next match, Kaier’s bout? Take the Simos Hide from Kaier?
But he’d already used the trump card the Evil Woman had given him; how was he supposed to defeat Kaier?
Magic Elephant felt himself shrouded in emotion, his head a mush. Any problem he could only think through in a single thread; the moment there was even a little branching, he’d fall into a state of confusion.
For this reason, Magic Elephant didn’t even know what he should do next.
While Magic Elephant stood there at a complete loss, he failed to notice that the Wise Sovereign floating in midair had not called the match to a halt. This meant the match was not yet over.
Because he was in a bewitched state, Magic Elephant couldn’t clearly see the situation on the field. But the others watching this duel could clearly see the changes on the arena.
Vay, struck by the death ray of the Ancient Gaze, should have been as dead as dead could be; yet, to everyone’s shock, he didn’t seem to be dead.
His fingers twitched a little, and then, under countless watching eyes, he slowly lifted his head.
At this moment, Vay’s face no longer showed his former features. It was just a mess of blood and flesh; you could even faintly see fragments of white shattered bone.
From that blasted, disfigured face alone, it was clear his current condition was absolutely terrible.
But compared to Magic Elephant, who had fallen into a deranged state, Vay still retained his reason.
Vay did not move, nor could he move; he could only gaze from afar at the Magic Elephant not far away who was both crying and laughing.
Then he roused what little Magic Power remained in his body and aimed it at Magic Elephant in the distance.
Magic Elephant was completely immersed in his own world and didn’t sense the Energy fluctuations around him at all.
Not until a massive Energy Blast, wrapped in a strong wind, came roaring at him from behind did he finally come back to himself in a daze.
However, even though Magic Elephant had come back to his senses and turned his head to see a palm of condensed stone, he still didn’t react—or rather... his reaction was delayed.
The stone palm smacked hard into Magic Elephant’s back, the tremendous force slapping him straight into the air.
Only when he was airborne did Magic Elephant suddenly feel that he seemed to have been hit by Vay? But hadn’t Vay already died?
And at this moment, Magic Elephant’s thoughts were still stuck on "Why isn’t Vay dead," with no thought at all for "How am I supposed to respond right now."
This too was backlash from using an unowned organ fueled by a power that didn’t belong to him. His thinking was stretched out and dulled, his sense of danger lost, and his ability to deal with danger had dropped to the level of an ordinary person.
This state wouldn’t last too long; with Magic Elephant’s powerful physical constitution, he would likely "recover" very soon. But the consumed Potential and the psychological trauma—those would not be restored in a short time.
You could say Dox had it right: this time the Evil Woman really had screwed Magic Elephant over.