Zenith: Last Revenant - Chapter 54

The Champions’ Hall was a massive building covering a large area at the foot of the mountainside. It spanned over several hundred miles with incredibly spacious training rooms that could fit duels of almost any scale.

The ‘main training hall’ that Basir had referred to was the largest room of all of them. As Spencer stepped into it, following behind the anxious Shaya and Cassa, he looked with a childlike wonder at the spacious hall that probably covered a few dozen football fields in size.

However, he couldn’ enjoy basking in his own stupor as a familiar voice filled with arrogance rang out towards them.

“Hey guys, look, the Beast has arrived with the two bitches!”

Waving from the distance, they saw Basir’s surrounded by 6 other figures. Seeing the girls’ expressions darkened, but they did not utter a single word. Spencer, on the other hand, was rather delighted to see this greeting party, it was actually aligning with his plans perfectly. With the same friendly smile on his face as before, he leisurely followed behind the girls with his hands behind his back.

All of the ongoing duels halted upon Basir’s loud yell, looking at the direction of the newcomers. Seeing how the girls were accompanied by an unknown figure, most of the other trainee’s expressions soured, clearly showing their displeasure.

“My fellow brethren!” Basir started a loud speech grabbing the attention once again. “Our dear rank 6 champion, Shaya, and her friend are tasked by our honorable Elder to ȧssist this animal! Being the kind soul I am, I graciously offered my help in giving IT a lesson about the true power of our people!” He spoke with great momentum, making sure to give a push on the pronoun when referring to Spencer, clearly showing his disdain.

“YEAH!”

“SHOW IT TO THAT BEAST BASIR!

“YOU ARE THE BEST!”

His group of followers quickly chimed in, urging the crowd as well to join in.

Seeing how Basir is egging the other warriors against him, Shaya, could only sigh, thinking about the best course of action to take. She was aware of what he was up to, but unfortunately for him, she also knew the ‘true’ strength of Spencer. Despite his relatively low level of Fasha Energy inside his body, he had a much higher strength. A power that none of the champions could contend with…

“Shaya, what should we do?!” Cassa leaned closer, whispering into her friend’s ear with great concern.

“Nothing… We can’t do anything now, it’s their fault, not ours…” She responded with a sigh.

“But… They are still our people, while he is…” She whispered, slightly tilting her head towards the seemingly oblivious Spencer in the back.

“A what? Outsider? Alien? Beast? Which title do you want to use?” Spencer suddenly interrupted them, with a chillingly calm tone.

“Tsk…” Cassa frowned, facing towards Spencer. “What are you anyway? You are not from our people, and as the Elder said, you are not even from this planet. I don’t think calling you an alien would be rude!”

Spencer chuckled at her retort.

“It doesn’t matter what I am. Your Elder instructed you to ȧssist and train me. Are you questioning his decisions?”

“You! How da-” She immediately burst with embarrassment from his response, but was cut short with Shaya raising his hand.

“Stand down, Cassa.”

Stopping in her tracks, he turned around facing the casually smiling guy.

“Go, Spencer. Unfortunately, we couldn’t give you instruction so far, nor had the chance to introduce you properly, now that our people respect strength above anything else. If you want to make a good impression on the rest of the warriors, show it to them. Have a good and honorable duel with Basir but do not kill him!”

Spencer simply smiled at her words while stepping forward. As he passed by her, he silently muttered a few words that were only audible to Shaya, who could only sigh defeatedly at his words.

“Don’t worry, I’m just going to say hi!”

Passing by the girls, he casually approached the group of 6 with the contemptuously smiling Basir in the middle.

“So, are you ready… Uhm, what was your name… Bishy, Bashy, Bassa, of something?” Spencer spoke up first with a curious gaze.

Basir turned sullen hearing the question from the beast.

“You… Listen here, boy, I am called Basir Surtha, Rank 7 Champion of the Fashacalli!”

Hearing that he was being referred to as ‘boy’, Spencer couldn’t help but let out a silent snicker.

“Oh my, thanks, didn’t know I looked this young!” He responded with glee.

Then taking a deep breath, to calm himself, his expression changed to a sardonic smile. Increasing the volume of his voice, he loudly spoke, almost making the whole scene theatrical.

“Listen here BEAST, I, The Great Basir, will be kind enough to introduce you to the basics! I will lower myself and duel with you! Try to learn a thing or two!”

With that his smile morphed into a wolfish grin, looking at the platinum-haired shortie in front of him akin to a delicious meal. He looked at his companions who were still standing around, smirking at the small, fragile-looking humanoid with the same contempt and disdain as Basir. Understanding his look, they all took a few steps back giving the two some space.

However, before they could leave farther away, Spencer raised his right index finger into the air.

“Wait, I have something to say!” He exclaimed loudly, still with the same calm smile.

Thinking that Spencer got worried about the upcoming fight, the grin on Basir’s face curved even higher.

“What? Are you afraid that you will be hurt? Don’t worry, I will go easy on you! I don’t want to cripple the Elder’s new dog, just trying to give you some pointers!”

Shaking his head, Spencer responded calmly. However, under the calmness, Basir could feel a chilling sensation running through his spine for the first time. What was this? Fear? Was he afraid of this small, ugly thing in front of him?! How presumptuous!

His grin soured, his expression darkened, Basir didn’t know what to think currently.

“You misunderstand my intention.” Spencer began with a chuckle. “What I meant to say is that I would advise you all to come at me together. You alone…” His smile faded, revealing a cruel, murderous glint in his eyes, causing another chilling sensation to run through Basir and his group’s back. The calmness of his tone changed, only leaving the cruel, chilly undertone. “.. are far too weak and pathetic to even be enough as an appetizer. Even if you exert all of your power, I’m afraid I will kill you with just one hit.”

His words shocked not just Basir and his group but almost everyone that was focusing on the upcoming spectacle. Loud murmurs resounded from the crowd, most of them giving angry, murderous looks at this newcomer, thinking he is merely boasting.

Shaya and Cassa on the other hand could only sigh and lament at his words. They could only pray that he will not murder all of the champions…

“You!! Who do you think you are? I alone am enough to show you your place! I only need a single strike to take you down! I didn’t want to, but now I’m going to cripple you for your disrespectful words!”

Not wasting any more time, Basir immediately pounced at Spencer. As he launched himself in the air, the symbols on his arms lit up, releasing a faint orange hue. His fist that flew in the air rapidly approached Spencer’s face, it started to emit the same orange glow, blurring the air around it in the process.

“Take my Flaming Strike you BEAST!”

Basir shouted with utter rage as his fist connected with Spencer’s head releasing a loud bang along with a surge of air pushing against the Basir’s group and the girls.

However, despite the power behind his strike, the expected outcome didn’t happen. Spencer didn’t even flinch, nor did he take a single step backward. Gently grabbing Basir’s clenched hand, he pushed it to the side. After taking the full power of the Elder and Shaya’s strength before that, this man’s strike felt like a tickle. Not to mention he already had high resistance against heat due to the ‘volcano-accident’…

“That’s it?” Spencer suddenly asked with a frown on his face. “That’s all the power you can muster?!”

“You!!!” Basir shouted with shock taking a few steps back.

“What? Are you an idiot or something?!” Spencer asked with the same frown. “You keep repeating the same word, were you dropped on the head at birth?”

Basir’s expression turned ugly due to the amount of anger he felt. He waved with his hand at the boys behind him, signaling them to join the fray, throwing all honor aside.

“Guys come, let’s teach this beast a lesson about manners!”

Upon his words, the group of five behind him immediately stepped forward, quickly surrounding Spencer from all sides. Basir who remained in front of him, seeing the advantage in their numbers, with his confidence returning, revealed the same cruel, murderous, wolfish grin. Raising his right fist in the air and ċȯċking behind him, he growled the words under his breath.

“Let’s see how much beating you can really take, beast!”

Once again, the symbols around his fist lit up with an even brighter glow than before, basking his entire fist with a shade darker orange-colored hue than previously. Jabbing forward, he aimed for Spencer’s temple.

Following their leader’s attack, all five of them struck at different points of Spencer’s body from all directions. Their tattoo’s lit up, glowing in white lights as their energies surged, trying their best to land a hit and hopefully cripple this beast in front of them.

Although they all struck with full vigor, Spencer, just like previously when he first arrived, he saw their attacks in slow motion. Not wasting any more time, he vanished from existence, only to reappear at the same spot with the same casual stance as before a moment later.

However, just as he reappeared, the group of six ȧssailants were sent flying in varying directions. Two guys from the left and the right sides of Spencer had face caved in as they crashed into the ground. The guy in the back had their arms violently torn off and stabbed into the ċhėsts of the other two. Meanwhile, Basir was hanging in the air as Spencer tightly gripped him by the throat. Both of his legs were missing, nowhere to be found.

Trying his best to free himself only to be met with Spencer’s indomitable, vice-like grip, he could only look with utter shock and horror at this monster, this reaper… He couldn’t understand what happened. However, in the next moment, a surging electrical pain jolted through his nervous system, carrying the pain from his now missing legs.

As he was fighting to stay conscious, Spencer leaned closer, repeating his earlier statement.

“As I said… weak and pathetic… But don’t worry, I promised the girls I will not kill you…” He looked at his torn and missing legs, he suggestively licked his lips. “…but I never said I will not cripple you…”

With that said, he threw the now unconscious body towards Cassa.

“Here’s your champion!” – he loudly exclaimed towards the slack-jawed crowd.