Creation Of All Things-Chapter 71: Mark’s Retribution 2

The moment Tatia's words faded into the air, the atmosphere in the arena shifted.

A sharp gust of wind rustled through the vast stone colosseum, sending dust swirling around the three figures standing at its center. The crowd—silent, expectant—leaned forward, their eyes locked onto the trio.

Mark exhaled slowly, his fingers twitching. He could feel it. The pressure. The weight of the expectations.

From his mother. From his sister. From the powerful figures watching from above.

His heart pounded.

Aria rolled her shoulders, her smirk never leaving her face. "So… you finally grew some balls and showed up?" She tilted her head. "Took you long enough."

Mark's jaw clenched. "Tch. Shut up."

Alfred, standing a few feet away, didn't even react. His posture was relaxed, his hands at his sides. He didn't even bother looking at Mark.

It was disrespectful.

Mark's fingers curled into fists. "Are you even taking this seriously?"

Alfred finally turned his head, his face unreadable. "No."

A flicker of rage flashed in Mark's eyes.

Before he could say anything, the signal was given.

A single gong echoed across the arena.

The match had begun.

---

Mark didn't hesitate. He lunged forward, his foot slamming into the stone ground as he closed the distance.

Shadow Tendrils shot from beneath his feet, curling toward Aria and Alfred like snakes, aiming to bind their legs.

Aria barely glanced down before sidestepping, dodging the tendrils with ease.

Alfred?

He didn't even bother dodging.

Instead, he took a single step forward, shattering the tendrils the moment they touched his legs.

The crowd murmured in surprise.

Mark gritted his teeth. Damn it...

He pivoted, shifting his stance. A shadow-formed dagger materialized in his right hand, its blade gleaming with a faint, eerie glow.

He charged again, this time feinting toward Aria before spinning toward Alfred with a downward slash.

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A direct hit—

Or so he thought.

Alfred didn't move.

Didn't flinch.

Didn't even blink.

The shadow dagger connected with his shoulder—

And shattered.

Mark's eyes widened. What…?

Before he could react, Alfred's hand shot forward, gripping Mark's wrist.

And then—

Boom.

With zero effort, Alfred hurled Mark across the arena.

Mark's body slammed into the ground, rolling across the stone before coming to a rough stop. A sharp pain shot through his back.

The audience fell into stunned silence.

Alfred cracked his neck, looking down at his hands as if bored. "Are we done?"

Mark coughed, pushing himself up. He could feel his mother's sharp gaze on him. He couldn't afford to look weak. Not now.

With a growl, he flicked his hands, shadows swirling around him once more.

He had to fight smarter.

He couldn't match them in raw strength.

But speed?

That was a different story.

---

Mark vanished.

No, not literally. But his shadow movement was fast—unnaturally fast.

His body blurred, darting between shadows, moving in unpredictable patterns.

He reappeared behind Alfred, his palm outstretched, ready to unleash a shadow strike at his spine—

A fist slammed into his gut.

Mark's body lurched forward, the wind leaving his lungs in a violent gasp.

Aria stood in front of him, her fist still buried in his stomach.

She had predicted his movement.

Her smirk widened. "Too slow."

Mark stumbled back, clutching his stomach. His vision blurred for a moment, but he had no time to recover.

Aria was already moving.

A roundhouse kick lashed toward his ribs—

He barely managed to raise his arm to block—

The force sent him skidding back.

Aria lowered her leg, looking almost… disappointed. "Come on. Where's all that attitude from before?"

Mark growled.

He threw both hands forward—his shadows exploded outward, forming countless sharp spikes aimed at both Aria and Alfred.

Aria clicked her tongue. "Annoying."

She weaved through the attacks with ease, dodging each spike with perfect precision. Alfred, on the other hand—

Didn't dodge at all.

The spikes shattered the moment they touched him, unable to even leave a scratch.

Mark stared in disbelief. This… this isn't normal…

He had trained. He had worked hard for years to reach this point. He had been told he was special. That he was talented.

But right now…

He felt helpless.

Alfred sighed. "We should wrap this up."

Aria smirked. "Yeah. I'm getting bored."

Mark felt something cold crawl up his spine.

They hadn't been serious.

Not even once.

Aria stretched her arms before cracking her knuckles. "Alright, loser. Let's make this quick."

She vanished.

Mark's instincts screamed—but he couldn't react in time.

A knee slammed into his chin.

His head snapped back, his vision blurring as pain exploded through his skull.

His body lifted off the ground for a split second—

Then Alfred appeared behind him.

A single palm strike hit his back.

And then—

Boom.

Mark crashed into the ground, the stone beneath him cracking from the impact. Dust exploded outward in a thick cloud.

Silence.

The arena remained still.

Everyone watched.

Mark didn't get up.

A low groan escaped his lips, his body refusing to move. His limbs were numb. His mind was blank.

He had lost.

Completely.

Utterly.

And he hadn't even left a scratch on them.

---

Aria rolled her shoulders. "Welp. That was fun."

Alfred yawned. "Can I go now?"

The crowd was still stunned. The president. The Veridian leader. The powerful figures watching from above.

Selene's expression remained neutral, but there was something dangerous in her gaze as she looked down at her son's defeated form.

Mark, on the ground, felt his entire body tremble.

Not just from pain.

But from humiliation.

He had never been so thoroughly crushed.

Tatia chuckled from her seat. "Well… that was entertaining."

Adam smirked, arms crossed. "Told you not to blink."

Gloria sighed. "That was brutal."

Kael Veridian, still standing at the edge of the arena, let out a low hum. His sharp eyes studied Alfred and Aria.

"Monsters…"

He knew now.

Mark never stood a chance.

Clap. Clap. Clap.

A slow, deliberate applause echoed through the air.

"Not bad. You kids really are something else." A smirk played on his lips as he tilted his head slightly. "Back in my world, they would've called you children of the universe."