The new wave of Tal’darim immediately changed the situation. Zenish’s supplicants fought side by side with Guraj’s warriors and started overwhelming those of Ma’lash. The Second Ascendant found his way to the duel between the Highlord and the First Ascendant and didn't hesitate to join.

“Zenish!” Ma’lash screamed as he dodged a series of slashes by the lesser Ascendant, only to get kicked in the arm by Guraj. He could take on Guraj alone, but two Ascendants? He wasn’t that good. “How dare you? What have you done?”

Ma’lash guessed he shouldn’t be surprised. Zenish has supported Nuroka from the very beginning, and Ma’lash himself didn't hesitate to send Zenish’s fleet into the most dangerous positions against the Swarm. Zenish certainly held a grudge against the Highlord, and it was more than enough to prompt him to form an alliance with Guraj and try to take him out.

Just like Ma’lash suggested, Zenish didn't answer. He merely glanced at Guraj, who only smirked at Ma’lash. The Second Ascendant merely doubled down on his attacks. Guraj quickly followed suit.

Ma’lash struggled to hold his ground, but three blades were stronger than one. Within seconds, Ma’lash found himself with a deep wound on his chest. One of Guraj’s blades managed to navigate its way past Ma’lash’s defenses and land on the Highlord’s armor.

Across the field, Ma’lash’s supplicants were forced back into a defensive formation as they were gradually overwhelmed.

“Uh!” Ma’lash groaned again as Zenish kicked him in the chest and sent him onto the heated floor of the pit. Guraj jumped into the air, with her blades pointing down at Ma’lash, thirsty for the Highlord’s blood. Just before the blades landed, however, Ma’lash was able to roll to the side. Guraj crashed onto the floor, drew a wave of sparks, and turned around in an attempt to pursue further.

The Highlord escaped the fate of being severed into multiple pieces, but he was obviously in a terrible spot. His armor was stained with dust. His power was exhausted. His plasma shield was in the margin of on and off. More importantly, two slightly weaker Tal’darim warriors were encroaching with all the fury in the world.

Seeing their master in danger, dozens of Ma’lash’s supplicants abandoned their enemies and charged at Guraj and Zenish, against all odds. Unfortunately, they were quickly cut down by Guraj’s blades and Zenish’s psionic power.

Eventually, as Ma’lash stood up, he found himself staring down at the blades of Guraj and Zenish.

The Tal’darim audience exploded in a wave of chatters. Some of them were surprised and even disappointed. Ma’lash was named “The Blade of Amon” for his skills and ruthlessness in combat. Seeing him fall to challengers so easily was a shock to most. Others used Ma’lash’s story to remind themselves of how important it was to have and maintain allies. If Ma’lash had, say, Alarak, as ally, then he would likely be able to hold this ground in this situation and possibly even turn the table around. Unfortunately, he didn't have any significant allies, and now he was outnumbered and beaten down.

Beside Nyon, Alarak frowned. Everything that happened since Guraj challenged Ma’lash yesterday was unexpected. He felt like things were getting out of control, and he didn't like it. Unfortunately, there was very little he could do. Even if he wanted to step in and help Ma’lash, it would be too late.

For the moment, all eyes were trained on Ma’lash, waiting to see how he would respond.

The Highlord didn't disappoint his people.

“So, Guraj. Zenish. At long last, you have finally shown your true self...as traitors.” Ma’lash coughed, showing all the top Ascendants how weak and injured he was. “I wonder who else seeks to accelerate my demise and use it to please their new Highlord.”

Guraj and Zenish looked at each other in confusion. Ma’lash was...inviting other Ascendants to go against himself?

Among the audience, Ji’nara was moved. She turned to Alarak and Nyon, slightly tempted. “Ascendants. Guraj’s victory is imminent. Ma’lash will be dead soon, yet his supplicants will never surrender. They will fight Guraj’s supplicants to the death. If we step in now, we can hep Guraj cleanse the rest of Ma’lash forces and preserve her own supplicants. It will be a show of good faith.”

Even for Highlords, supplicants were extremely precious. If Ji’nara and her forces could help Guraj lessen her supplicant casualties, the female Ascendant would really appreciate it.

Alarak didn't share his ally’s opinion. Something really felt wrong. He was cautious. It was in his veins. Instead of being tempted, he shook his head. Even if he didn't take part, as the Third Ascendant, soon to be Second, he would still be a force to be reckoned with. Guraj wouldn’t dare do anything to him. He didn't have the need to step in.

Nyon simply shook his head. Alarak thought he saw some mocking on Nyon’s face.

Ji’nara, seeing the lack of action from her two allies, decided to sit back as well.

But not every ascendant was as wise as Alarak. Half a dozen high ranking ascendants joined the battle with their supplicants and swore their allegiance to Guraj. The ascendants themselves, along with their supplicants, immediately started working on Ma’lash’s supplicants.

Within minutes, Ma’lash’s forces collapsed. Zealots and adepts were dissected. Ascendants were blasted apart. Vanguards and slayers wished they had a little more armor.

Guraj and Zenish exchanged a look. They have been rather conservative at first because they thought Ma’lash might have some sort of trick up his sleeves, judging from how strange his actions were, but now, with Ma’lash’s army gone, the fate was already sealed. Even if Ma’lash somehow returned to full health and energy, he would be overwhelmed by the hostile supplicants. A few dozen supplicants could be taken care of by any ascendant. A few thousands...that as whole a different story.

They finally decided to make a move on Ma’lash. The two, still cautious, walked toward the injured Highlord with their blades raised.

Suddenly, Ma’lash spoke again.

“Only eight ascendants? That’s a pity.”

“You’re mad. You must’ve taken a lot of terrazine before the dual.” Guraj retaliated. “It’s just a surprise all these terrazine didn't save you from the painful end soon to come.” She raised her blades, about to slash done, when she suddenly sensed something.

Turning around, Guraj found herself staring at fifty big blue entities.

Hybrids.

Forty hybrid reavers stood tall. Their entire body radiated raw physical energy. Their claws, already deadly from zerg physical strength and were further enhanced by protoss psionic energy, shined in blue light. Their tentacles flew behind their back.

Nine destroyers and one dominator floated in the air. Their powerful psionic energy made it as casual as standing or walking. Raw psionic energy cracked around them, destroying the space by their side.

The Tal’darim, inside and outside the Pit of Ascension, cried out in absolute shock and disbelief.

“Hybrids!” Guraj immediately knew what Ma’lash was planning, but despite logic telling her so, she couldn’t believe it. She turned back to Ma’lash with rage in her eyes. “This is against the creed of the Tal’darim! Amon is at the top of the Chain of Ascension! He is forbidden to intervene the Rak’Shir duels!”

The Rak’Shir duels were created to ensure only the strongest could rule the Tal’darim and serve Amon, but if Amon, the obvious overlord, decided to support someone, then that someone would never be challenged or defeated. It might lead to the weak dominating the top of the chain of ascension. To prevent that, Amon wasn’t allowed to intervene in the duels. Even the dark god himself acknowledged that.

But now...hybrids serve Amon and Amon alone. Judging from Ma’lash’s response, they were here to help the Highlord defend his throne, but…

Ma’lash smirked.

The hybrids immediately started striking down on all the supplicants except those of Ma’lash. Reaver claws tore open plasma shields while psionic blades and particle disruptors were rather useless. As the reavers charged forward, the rest of Ma’lash’s forces assembled and launched a counterattack on their foes.

Zealot after zealot fell. The lower ascendants in the pit were taken by surprise initially, but they quickly reacted. The challengers fell back. All the vanguards and ascendants remained well protected in the back line while the zealots held the hybrids back.

“Take them out! Victory to the Forged!” One of the ascendants commanded. While they did worship Amon and therefore the hybrids, these hybrids were their foe, and the Tal’darim would never go down without a fight. Plus, they were a bit confused right now of the obvious challenge of the traditions by Ma’lash.

The vanguards fired their scatter cannons simultaneously, and in just seconds, the rounds have covered most of the reavers. Unlike psionic blades and particle disruptors, these vanguards did quite the damage. Half a dozen reavers were wounded.

But that was it for the vanguards. Behind the reavers, the nine hybrids destroyers and the single hybrid dominator have gotten closer. The destroyers crushed nine vanguards with raw psionic power, and the dominator rained down a void storm on most of the challenger forces.

Zealots screamed as their shields, armors, and bodies were ripped apart. Slayers’ phase armors protected them for a few seconds before being fried. They tried blinking out of trouble, but most blinked out of the void storm, only to land inside other areas that was also covered by the storm. The few slayers that got out of the storm found themselves charged at by dozens of ravers who were pissed off for the wave of vanguard fire.

Adepts’ glaive cannons were excellent against zerglings, marines, and zealots, but they did very little against heavily armored hybrids. Their glaive cannons merely left dents on the hybrid carapace while the reavers could reduce the adepts to ashes with a single strike.

The ascendants did their best. Some challenged the reavers while others did their best to take down the dominators, but the difference in power was too great. The ascendants could barely go through the reavers’ carapace and the dominators’ plasma shield while the dominators could rip the ascendants apart with just some effort.

The ascendant that gave the order focused a mind blast on one of the reavers. The blast tore two tentacles of the hybrid off, but that was it. The hybrid screeched, and the life energy from the Tal’darim warriors killed throughout the pit converged and entered the hybrid, mending its wounds. The ascendant groaned and attempted to strike a second time, but before he could do that, he exploded.

The hybrid dominator turned its attention on the other ascendants...

Under the fire of the hybrid psionic units, the challenger formation collapsed. There were still hundreds of supplicants scattered across the pit, but without the superior numbers, they didn't stand a chance against the hybrids.

Hearing the screams of their supporters, Guraj and Zenish knew they were doomed. But they also knew they had no retreat. If they tried to run, even if they could get out of the pit, they would eventually be hunted down.

But if they could, somehow, bring down Ma’lash…

With a single cry, both ascendants leaped toward Ma’lash with their weapons ignited. But Guraj was horrified to realize she was the only one whose weapons clashed with those of Ma’lash.

Behind her, Zenish collapsed with half of his head gone. Half a second ago, when he leaped into the air, he was suddenly frozen by the hybrid dominator. The dominator had the element of surprise, and even a distance away, it took Zenish a couple seconds to break free.

Unfortunately, he didn't have a couple seconds. As soon as he was frozen, four blood hunters were already on top of him. Their blades were already coming down on him. Zenish managed to route his energy into his shields, which deflected thee of the four scythes, but the last one cut clean through.

Guraj was now alone. Her supplicants were gone. Her supporters were slaughtered. She was fully surrounded by hybrids and Ma’lash’s supplicants alike.

On the outside, the outrage has gradually quieted down. Whether Ma’lash broke the tradition or not, he was still the Highlord, and judging from the result of the Rak’Shir duel, he would remain the Highlord for quite a while. Anyone who rose a question about how the hybrids got involved would no doubt be silenced.

Even Alarak and Ji’nara went silent.

Suddenly, Nyon stood up. He said something into his communication device before turning to Alarak and Ji’nara, who were utterly confused.

“Let the show begin…”