In the audience, after a moment of bewilderment, someone managed to speak. "Did she use an artefact?"

The audience had been shocked by Lumia's show of strength. Nobody believed that such a small girl could generate such a powerful blow, therefore many began to doubt that Lumia had used her strength only. She must have used an artefact to amplify the punch force.

The two Immortals and the other warriors in the Tenth Phase, massing in the stands reserved for them, frowned.

"A few tricks won't save you!" someone shouted from the audience.

Crispio stroked his white beard thoughtfully.

Just like the others, Binio and Filopappo were flabbergasted. The two Elders turned to Crispio, awaiting confirmation: if their eyes still worked, Lumia had used only her strength to tear the Medusa's Aura apart. The little girl had identified the exact point where the Aura of the young heir of the Sect of the Worthy flowed and had struck a blow right where its balance was generated.

“Could this little girl be more terrifying than her brother? No, I'm not convinced at all. Although she managed to disperse the Aura randomly generated by Medusa, I doubt she can defeat her in a direct confrontation. However, if the girl is so strong ...“ Crispio’s words were expressing everyone's doubts.

If a little girl were so powerful, what kind of peaks would her brother have reached?

If Orma's bigwigs had examined and understood the situation in the arena, the other spectators were not yet fully convinced that a ten-year-old girl could be so frightening.

"Does anyone really believe that a little girl can win against Medusa?"

"She definitely cheated!"

"She cheated!"

"Exactly, she cheated!"

"Yeah!"

Even the members of the Sect of the Worthy seemed to agree with the audience. Sitting in a tribune reserved for the Sect, they were nodding in assent to the words of the people and commenting among themselves.

"Nobody can defeat Medusa today!"

"What a group of arrogant brats!"

"I don't think there is even the slightest chance that the King's disciple group could defeat Medusa and the others."

Even though the whole arena seemed to be against the kids of the Tristia Team, they seemed totally indifferent. By now, they were used to receive mocking words.

What had shocked everyone present at the clash was Lumia's talent. Not only had the girl said she had at least a 50% chance of defeating Medusa, but she had just shown that her words weren't just words!

“Do you think getting rid of the pressure of my Aura is enough to save your lives?" Medusa asked, with contempt. "At best, I can now consider you little more than a waste of time."

"It is I, in fact, who consider you a waste of time." A sure voice came out of nowhere, making the blood freeze in Medusa's veins.

The audience went silent again.

Tap Tap Tap Tap

Footsteps sounded from the tunnel Helial's group had emerged from, with a sound so dry that it seemed that the Colosseum was empty, as if everyone present in the arena had disappeared.

The only sound was that of Helial's soles coming forward, towards the centre of the arena.

Snowflake couldn't believe his eyes. He watched Helial come forward slowly and analysed him. "His Aura," he whispered.

Vlad joined him, equally amazed. "How is that possible?"

Lumia tightly contracted her facial muscles in a confused grimace.

The closer Helial came, the more his appearance left everyone speechless.

If Snowflake seemed a survivor of a bloody battle, then Helial looked like a beggar from Suburra.

The boy wore a threadbare cape, riddled with holes, and its colour was just the memory of a majestic, deep scarlet. Discoloured and torn, it gave off a feeling of sadness and melancholy.

At first, Frankenstein thought it was equipment. But, after examining it more carefully, he saw no ripple in the Mana around that cloak. No one, not even on the bigwig's stand, could find anything special in that old piece of cloth.

But it didn't end there: on Helial's head there was a rusty and dusty metal circle. It was so dirty that it was almost impossible to understand what kind of object it was. Not even in that rust-filled circle there was the slightest hint of Mana.

Then there was a last object, less conspicuous, but which caught the eye of the most careful in the audience for the alignment with the other two: it was a ring, also rusty, on Helial's right middle finger.

Aure's expression suddenly changed. He had recognized the ring.

"No, it's not possible ..." he murmured to himself.

Cesar turned to him, not understanding what he was referring to.

"What?" Asked the King.

"Look ... the ring, the cloak and ... the crown he is wearing," Aure said incredulously.

Cesar narrowed his eyes to take a closer look at his disciple and then, as soon as he realized what he was wearing, he opened his eyes wide and his pupils narrowed.

The objects Helial wore all seemed to be worn to the same extent.

So either Helial had just decided to have a fetish for antiquities, or they were part of the same Set.

And ... where did the ring come from?

Approaching his teammates, Helial smiled at them.

Only then did Cesar realize that...

"Is he only in the Late Stage of the First Phase?" exclaimed the King.

"Uh?" Aure couldn't articulate other sounds.

As strong as Helial could be and as unusual as his talent could be, if he really was still in the Late Stage of the First Phase, then there were two whole Phases between him and Medusa. Did he really hope to defeat such an opponent without having even passed the Second Phase barrier?

Not only was Medusa so strong and talented as to stand up to common warriors at the Fourth Phase, but the distance between each Phase was truly terrifying, equal to that between heaven and earth.

The great geniuses could also hope to pass a grade or Phase, if close enough. A person at the peak of the Third Phase would have faced, with a good talent, one at the Initial grade of the Fourth, despite the enormous difference. However, only one monster could have faced a warrior a whole Phase above him: for example, if a warrior in the Late stage of the Third Phase had faced one in the Late stage of the Fourth, the first would have been irremediably defeated.

And still Helial wanted to challenge Medusa, who was two whole Phases above him?

"Do you really have the courage to come here like that?" yelled Medusa, furious with anger at the sight of Helial. "You killed my sister and now, do you want to die like a beggar?"

Regardless of Medusa's words, Helial turned to Lumia. "Hey, little one, how are you?" He put a hand on her silver hair and stroked it gently. But as soon as Lumia turned to look at him, Helial felt a twinge cross his heart.

Lumia's gaze had changed again, once again.

Every time Helial left Lumia to train and every time he saw her afterwards, the girl's gaze seemed more mature. For some time, Lumia's gaze had no longer been that of an innocent child. To Helial, it seemed more and more to look towards the soul of a woman, through the irises of a little girl.

Shaking his head, the young man whispered, "I'm sorry you have to live like this."

Lumia said nothing, but wrapped her arms around Helial's neck, who had leaned forward slightly to look into her eyes.

The boy felt terrible about what his sister was forced to endure. The others admired Lumia's talent, but only Helial knew that the talent had been paid for at a very high price.

And from such a great power many responsibilities arise.

During his stay in Alexander's army, Helial had known several wise men and preachers.

There was a particular doctrine, which said that often, looking at the weakest and poorest people, one tends to see them as miserable. On the other hand, when one looks at those who hold power and wealth, his eyes tends to become full of envy.

And some argued that those who are rich and powerful are locked in a golden cage, forced to carry the weight of their power and their wealth on their shoulders; it was also claimed that his poisoned their body and spirit. They said that only those who have nothing and ask for nothing can be truly happy.

Only those who need nothing cannot feel unhappiness, since this arises from desires.

However, Helial had turned his mind to other great sages of the time, more than to those who preached the complete detachment from all goods and power.

Helial had approached a doctrine that said, contrary to the prevailing one, that he who renounces everything does it out of weakness. Indeed, if the most needy had accepted to possess wealth and power, they would have been dominated by it.

Iblis' disciple had learned that his need for absolute power would only serve him to live happily with his sister, not to dominate the world. Helial was not interested in becoming Iblis' successor, nor in guiding the universe.

He would not have let power dominate him, but would have dominated and subjected it to his will.

All these thoughts would one day evolve further and allow him to find a place in the world for his heart and soul.

The Mana Path was the set of knowledge that an individual put together, brick by brick. Understanding the meaning of one's choices, the consequences derived from them and the general sense of life would have allowed those who cultivated the Mana to reach the apex of the universe.