Lillith – Chapter 33 – Arena!
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The sun wasn't fully up yet when the group left the hotel. The path to the arena wasn’t long, but it carried a cultural atmosphere, almost like a festival. It wasn’t just a tournament — it was a showcase event.
As they approached the arena, they could see its enormous circular structure standing out on the horizon. It had two main access roads. The front street was completely packed — dozens and dozens of excited people, some dressed in traditional clothing, others wearing magical accessories that sparkled under the sun. That was the entrance for the audience. There were many men, but women were clearly the majority.
The back street, on the other hand, was quiet and almost empty. That was the participants' entrance. Those walking down it moved in silence, focused, many of them wearing magical garments and pointed hats. The number of mages and witches there was visibly greater than that of other types of warriors.
“We’ve got a lot of mages in this tournament, huh... I wonder if anyone else besides us knows what kind of power the prize holds...” Armand thought, carefully observing the other competitors as he walked.
They continued along the back street when, suddenly, Armand spotted a familiar figure.
“Hey! Stellar, right?” he shouted, raising his hand.
The blonde woman turned around naturally. A silver strand in her hair glinted in the sunlight, and her expression was light, showing that at least in that moment, she was in a good mood.
“Oh, you're that professor friend of Luminar, right? So, did your mission work out?”
“Oh yes, it did. We hit a few bumps here and there, but in the end, everything worked out!” Armand replied with a slight smile.
“Glad to hear it!” Stellar then looked at the group. “Hey, the girls came too! You’re all joining the tournament?”
Lillith simply nodded with a smile.
“Great!” said Stellar, and then her eyes locked directly onto Emma. “Hey, Cidrix is competing too... we trained a lot for this. If you two face off this time, the outcome’s gonna be different!”
Emma looked away, remembering the day she defeated Cidrix at Stellar’s camp. She preferred not to say anything.
Stellar noticed that...
“Hey, girl, relax. You’ll be my opponent in the tournament, but if you take everything said this seriously, you’ll lose the fight before it even starts,” said Stellar, in a more direct tone, though not arrogant.
“Oh, yeah... sorry...” Emma replied, her head lowered.
“Huh?... Sorry?... Why is she apologizing?” Stellar asked, slightly frowning, almost speaking to herself.
Armand then broke the silence, trying to ease the tension.
“Are you competing?”
“You bet I am! Today I’m gonna show some mages and witches that you don’t need magic to beat them,” said Stellar, her voice full of conviction.
She then looked at the entire group. The silence between them was telling — their faces practically screamed, “Hello?! Four witches/mages right here?!”
“Oh... right... no offense to you all, haha...” Stellar laughed, slightly embarrassed.
“But I mean it more because of my specific training to deal with magic, you know?”
As she finished the sentence, she threw two punches in the air and ended with a kick. The punches were fast, strong, and well-positioned — but the kick... oh, the kick.
The arc it traced through the air was unmistakable. It started low and rose dangerously upward, aimed exactly where any man would have nightmares. It was a kick made to strike between the legs, with precision and brutality. The gust of air it cut through was strong enough to knock Celestina’s hat out of place. Everyone there knew exactly what kind of kick that was.
The girls were left speechless. The sparkle in their eyes was instant.
“That kick... was it stronger than Valerya’s?!” Armand thought, swallowing hard.
“Well, I’m off, folks. Gotta meet up with my team. Good luck!” said Stellar, waving before jogging ahead.
The group stood still for a few moments, still processing what had just happened. The wind blew gently, rustling their hair and cloaks.
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The group arrived at the large entrance gate for competitors. As they approached, two guards—both wearing black cloaks with magical symbols on their shoulders—stared at them seriously. One of them stepped forward, raised his right hand, and began to cast a silent spell. A magical circle appeared beneath each of the four, and then a light glowed on the girls’ chests—and between Armand’s legs. It was the mark left by the secretary.
The mark lit up with a soft glow, expanding a few inches until it took on its full shape. The guards confirmed with a nod, and then the gate opened with a heavy creak.
Without a word, the four passed through. Just ahead, they found the secretary who had registered them. She waved as she saw them, with her usual cheerful smile.
“Oh, you made it! Good morning! Are you ready?”
“You bet!” Lillith replied enthusiastically.
“Excited—I like that!” the secretary commented, looking directly at Lillith with approval.
“Well, folks, nothing complicated. Just follow this path here; it’ll take you to the competitors' stands. In about 40 minutes, the combat pairings will begin. Since the four of you registered with me, you're considered almost like a team. So the draw will avoid pitting you against each other.”
She paused, then continued in a lighter tone:
“However, if you all make it to the finals... there's nothing we can do. Only one can win the prize.”
She turned and pulled a rope blocking the way to a polished stone staircase adorned with magical symbols.
“Also, since I’m your secretary, if one of you wins, I get a bonus in my paycheck, so please give it your all!”
With a friendly smile, she pointed the way.
“Good luck, everyone!”
The four quickly thanked her and began to climb the stairs. The steps led to a wide hall, with large glass windows looking directly into the main arena. The view was breathtaking—the circular arena below was being prepared, with combat runes activating at strategic points on the ground.
“Woooow, look at that!” shouted Celestina, approaching the glass.
“It’s quite a view. I must admit, I’ve never participated in an event with this kind of view of the arena,” Armand said, crossing his arms.
“The closest thing... I think it was... that event in the dragon city,” he said, turning to Emma.
“Yes! Yes! My first and only event like this. How could I forget?” Emma replied with a subtle smile.
Armand then shifted the tone of the conversation.
“Okay, girls, come here.”
He gathered them in a more discreet corner of the hall, near a shelf filled with decorative scrolls.
“Here’s the thing—this tournament has an absurd number of participants. That means the first battles are usually easier. After all, powerful mages are rare.”
He looked directly at Emma.
“Emma, remember the mana-reading spell?”
“Hmmm... yes, yes. I barely used it, but I remember.”
“Use it before the battle countdown. If the mana flow is very low, there’s a high chance they’re weak mages.”
“Got it!”
“Okay, so avoid using your most powerful spells right away. They could be secret weapons in future fights!”
“Got it!” all four replied in unison.
A few seconds later, Lillith pointed toward the arena.
“Huh, hey professor, looks like the match draw is about to start.”
At the center of the arena, a cloud of magical sand began to rise, forming shapes in the air. It was like an enchanted hologram, creating lines, names, and glowing floating icons. One by one, the names began to appear in battle order.
The first match appeared: **Stellar vs. Cordrek**.
“Huh? Stellar’s fighting right off the bat? What a coincidence!” Armand exclaimed, surprised.
“In that case, I guess all we can do is watch and observe…” said Emma, already settling into one of the fancy red velvet sofas strategically placed for the competitors to watch the battles.
“Emphasis on ‘observe,’ alright? We haven’t seen Stellar fight seriously yet. We might have to face her, so it’s important to analyze her strategies!”
Everyone agreed. They sat side by side, eyes fixed on the arena.
A few seconds later, one of the inner arena gates opened with a metallic sound.
From it came a man. Tall, dark hair tied in a bun, well-groomed beard. He carried a staff with a red crystal on top, pulsing gently. His appearance suggested around thirty years old, but considering he was a mage, he was likely much older.
His outfit was the classic male dueling leotard. Tight, made for mobility... but also for humiliation. The fabric in the groin area was noticeably thinner, almost transparent under the morning sun. Obviously, the outfit was designed by a woman... He also wore two belts crossing his hips, where two small potions were attached.
Armand wrinkled his nose, knowing he’d have to wear one of those to be allowed to fight…
The man walked calmly to the center of the arena. He stopped and looked around, waiting.
Soon after, the opposite gate opened.
Stellar stepped out.
Her blonde hair gleamed, and her silver streak danced in the wind. She wore the female dueling outfit—a tight leotard, hers white, highlighting her athletic figure. The color matched her silver streak perfectly, giving her an almost celestial appearance.
“GO STELLARRR, KICK HIS BALLS!!!!!” Lillith shouted from the top of the hall.
Obviously, Stellar couldn’t hear from where they were and just kept walking to the center of the arena, serene and confident.
Silence hung in the air. The four watched closely. The battle had not yet begun.
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The judge entered from the side of the arena. She was a woman with a firm posture, her hair tied up in a high bun and a neutral expression. Her combat outfit was the traditional leotard worn by female fighters, but over it she wore a black and white striped shirt — typical of duel referees.
"Ready?"
She asked the mage, standing between the two.
The man simply nodded, focused, slightly adjusting his grip on the staff.
"Ready?"
She turned to Stellar.
"One moment."
Stellar calmly reached into her own cleavage, as if searching for something hidden between her breasts. Armand, watching from the stands, raised an eyebrow.
But... it didn’t look like she pulled anything out?
"Ready!"
She replied with a confident smile.
The judge nodded.
"Alright! 3... 2... 1... BEGIN!"
At the exact moment the word “begin” echoed through the arena, Stellar exploded into motion. In the blink of an eye, she sprinted toward the mage with ferocious momentum.
She threw a direct punch at his face — the mage barely dodged by leaning to the side — but then Stellar opened her right hand, revealing a retractable baton that expanded mid-air.
That was what she had hidden between her breasts.
The baton cracked hard against the mage’s face, the sound of impact resonating throughout the arena. He spun in the air and landed sideways in the sand.
"She did just like Cidrix when she fought you... The attack begins the moment the fight starts, no pause..."
Armand said to Emma, who kept her eyes locked on the battle.
The mage rolled to his feet and conjured a fireball with his free hand, hurling it at Stellar. She, with precision, spun the baton and deflected the flaming orb with its center, dissipating it mid-air as if it were a kicked stone.
Then, she swung again, aiming a lateral strike with the baton. The mage, now more alert, raised his staff to block. The baton clashed with the staff, but Stellar used the baton as a lever, pushing the staff and spinning her body with the momentum to strike his face again with the other end of the weapon.
He staggered. In response, he activated a spell with his free hand — his fist ignited in flames, and he aimed a flaming uppercut at Stellar.
She leapt back, dodging the strike. In retaliation, the mage launched a spear of fire that grazed past her side.
"Huh? Fire spear? That fast? That spell usually takes time to cast..."
Emma said, frowning.
"It’s the scepter..."
Armand replied, watching closely.
"Huh?"
Emma turned to him.
"The flaming scepter. It amplifies and enhances fire spells. He’s basically casting long spells almost instantly thanks to it."
"Got it..."
Meanwhile, Stellar kept the pressure on the mage. She zigzagged toward him, dodging small flaming projectiles he struggled to summon.
The mage summoned a fire clone. Stellar shattered it with a single baton strike, spinning into a direct attack between his legs.
He barely dodged — literally by a millimeter — and retreated.
Stellar looked up at his face.
It was the look of a man who had just seen his life — more specifically, the life of his testicles — flash before his eyes.
"I'm in his head now."
She thought, smirking.
She lunged, aiming a straight punch. The mage barely dodged, clearly slower now. She feinted a knee strike straight to his balls — the mage instinctively dropped his staff to shield his groin.
Exactly what Stellar wanted.
Using the distraction, she twisted her torso and elbowed him in the nose, followed by a sharp heel kick to the side of his head.
The mage stumbled sideways.
Stellar followed with a jab to the face — he blocked with his arm, unaware she was already raising her knee again. Predictably, he lowered the staff once more.
Stellar spun and brought the baton crashing down with full force on his staff.
The baton and staff collided with a dry crack.
**CRACK!**
"WHAT?!"
Lillith screamed, jumping off the couch.
"Isn’t that staff, like... made of steel?! How did she break it in half?!"
The mage stared in disbelief at what was left of his staff — the two smoking halves dangled from his hand.
In a panic, he unleashed a wave of fire to push Stellar back and retreated, trying to buy time. He raised his hand and began conjuring something above his head.
"Flaming supernova?! I thought they weren’t allowed to kill in this tournament?!?!"
Emma shouted, alarmed.
"Don’t worry. There’s no way he has enough time."
Armand said, arms crossed.
At the exact moment he finished his sentence, Stellar was already less than two meters away from the mage.
He looked at her.
Too late.
Stellar’s foot shot forward like a divine hammer, crashing into his balls with a devastating kick.
The sound of the impact was muffled, but the mage’s reaction was crystal clear.
"Uhh...."
The typical guttural groan escaped his throat, and his body bent forward. His hands shot between his legs.
Stellar, now standing in front of him, gently ran her hand through the mage’s hair, whose eyes were now watering. His hat had already fallen.
"It’s okay, you see? It’ll be over soon. You just have to surrender."
She said with a sweet smile.
"Never..."
The mage replied through clenched teeth.
A golden lock of Stellar’s hair glinted, suddenly highlighted.
"If you insist..."
She replied, now irritated.
She punched him straight in the nose — the mage faltered but remained hunched over, clutching his balls.
Another punch.
Nothing.
She grabbed the baton and slammed it down hard into his face.
Still... he didn’t release his balls.
"Uh... I think I may have overdone that kick, haha..."
Stellar joked, resting the baton on her shoulder.
She then shoved him hard with the baton — he fell onto his back, gasping for air.
"Now then."
She said, and without hesitation, brought the baton tip down onto his left testicle.
**"AAAAAGHHHHHHHHH!"**
The mage arched his whole body. Stellar simply leaned her elbow onto the baton tip, pressing with her full weight, and rested her chin in her hand, relaxed.
She looked toward the stands, spotted Armand, and winked.
Armand turned his face immediately.
"Is she challenging me?!"
He thought, swallowing hard.
Stellar applied a little more pressure.
"Come on... the fight's already over. Just surrender..."
"Naaaaooo... aaaghhhhh..."
"Come on... you’re not going to be able to cast spells anymore. You’re out of the fight... Spare your balls..."
"I... nahgghh...."
She added more weight.
"Okay, in that case, I didn’t want to, but I think I’ll have to burst one ball. Then you’ll give up and—"
"NO, NO, I GIVE UP, I GIVE UP, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, SPARE MY BALLS!!!"
"Okay!"
She said cheerfully, lifting the baton.
"The winner is... Stellar!"
Shouted the judge, raising Stellar’s arm high.
A few nurses calmly entered the arena, not rushing, as if it were just another regular workday. They placed the man — still in fetal position, eyes shut — on a stretcher and exited through the side of the arena.
Stellar, with light steps, also left the arena, heading toward the combatants’ bleachers.
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A loud bell echoed at the top of the Arena, reverberating through every corner like a sacred command. The central hologram lit up, hovering over the arena like a digital deity. On it, a large red X appeared over the image of the mage defeated by Stellar, followed by an animation revealing the next two fighters: **Armand VS Matilda**.
In the competitors' room, Armand was already standing even before the image had fully formed. He stared at the hologram, eyes sharp and calm, as if slowly entering a trance. With a subtle movement, he turned and began walking toward the entrance chamber door.
"Good luck, professor!"
shouted **Celestina**, with childish enthusiasm.
"Good luck, Armand! Try not to lose your balls in this one! I believe in you!"
yelled **Lillith**, with her usual sarcastic tone.
Armand didn’t respond. He was too focused. As he descended the narrow stairs leading to the arena’s gate, his clothing began to transform. With each step, his elegant professor’s outfit magically morphed into a male combat leotard. In less than a second, his attire was complete: tight, functional, and hugging every line of his body, as required by the tournament’s tradition.
The gate in front of him opened slowly, revealing the central arena once again. Now, without the acoustic isolation of the room, the roars of thousands in the stands flooded his ears with full force. The air vibrated with electricity.
A few seconds later, the opposite gate opened as well. And from there emerged **Matilda**.
She walked firmly, each step confident. She wore a stylish black hat, her dark hair tied in a bun, and a black female combat leotard that clung to her body. She had medium-sized breasts and a direct, fearless gaze.
As soon as her eyes landed on Armand, she didn’t look at his face right away. Her gaze dropped… and stopped. She was staring at the visible bulge between his legs, pressed tightly against the fabric of the leotard. Armand noticed. She gave a provocative smile, only then lifting her eyes to meet his.
She got into a combat stance. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes briefly, trying to sense her mana.
“Huh?!” Armand murmured, frowning.
He could hardly detect anything. The mana level was incredibly low.
“Hiding your mana from me? So I won’t know how much energy you have? Damn… there’s something fishy here…” he thought, tense.
“I’ll start off slow, just to test her power level…”
The judge, still wearing her shirt over the leotard, raised her arm.
“Ready?”
Both nodded.
“BEGIN!” she shouted firmly.
As the shout echoed, Matilda threw a small potion into the air with a quick motion. The liquid landed on her, wetting her hair. Then she accelerated toward Armand at an incredible speed.
“She’s fast!”
shouted Lillith from the stands, surprised.
“It’s the potion… You’d know if you paid attention in class…”
Emma replied, eyes locked on the fight.
With her hair drenched in potion, Matilda dashed forward like lightning. In less than a second, she was in front of Armand, attempting a direct kick aimed precisely between his legs. He dodged calmly and steadily.
She spun, using her foot as leverage, and lunged at him. She placed her hands on his shoulders and brought up her knee in an aggressive attempt to strike his most vulnerable spot. With a precise motion, Armand slapped her arm upward and jumped back hard, using mana to create distance.
“Two seconds into the fight and she’s already gone for two crotch shots? Just like that?” he thought, surprised by her boldness.
Without waiting further, Armand launched a counterattack. He ran toward her with controlled intensity. She threw a punch, but he lowered his body, dodging lightly. With his elbow positioned, he struck her stomach with minimal force.
**BOOM!**
The impact was so strong Matilda was launched like a rag doll. Her body spun several times in the air before bouncing violently off the ground. She rolled, tumbled… and landed **outside the arena**.
Silence.
The crowd, roaring with excitement just seconds ago, went completely silent. Armand stood still. He was in disbelief. He stared at the spot where his opponent had vanished, unable to comprehend.
“That’s it? Just… one punch? She… wasn’t hiding her mana?... That was really all the power she had?!…”
The judge raised her hand.
“THE WINNER IS ARMAND!”
But Armand didn’t move. He remained still, his mind trying to make sense of what had just happened.
The judge then approached and whispered discreetly in his ear:
“The fight’s over. Go back to your place so the next one can start. Don’t make me drag you by your balls, so get moving.”
The threat, though whispered casually, was more than enough.
Instantly, Armand snapped out of his trance, shook his head, and began walking back, the gates opening again to receive him. Still in disbelief. Still silent. Still trying to understand what exactly had just happened.
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