My Soul card is a Reaper
Chapter 803 - 803: Cinders and Venom

In the Grand Arena of Red Pavilion, filled with hundreds of citizens in the stands, Irene Ash stood barefoot in the center, ash swirling faintly around her ankles like smoke from a campfire. Her long coat fluttered as if caught in an unseen breeze. Her gaze was calm and confident.

Across from her, Redgar Haze cracked his knuckles. The soles of his boots sank slightly into the dust. His cloak shimmered faintly. A tattoo of scales crawled from his neck down his arms, glowing dully with each breath he took.

"Well," Redgar said, brushing hair out of his eyes. "Get ready to be beaten down, Lady Ash."

Irene blew gently on the flame with her fingers. It flickered out, and in its place, a flurry of ash exploded from her sleeve, spiraling into the air like a miniature storm.

"We'll see about that," she said.

The ash snapped forward like a whip.

Redgar leapt back, his body unnaturally fluid, arms crossing in an X as green vapor burst from his palms. The ash hit the vapor and hissed, sizzling like acid.

A moment later, the air twisted, and from Redgar's shadow, a massive anaconda surged upward, its fangs bared and dripping green mist.

"You think a gold grade Arcana spirit is a match for my platinum grade Arcana?" Irene smirked.

"Grade is just a tier. It doesn't reflect your combat prowess," Redgar shot back.

The serpent lunged, and Irene dove to the side before her palms struck the ground.

Ash exploded from the impact, spreading like a smokescreen.

The anaconda hissed and coiled back with its eyes glowing.

Irene then rolled to her feet and spread her arms.

From behind her, a heap of dead wood erupted from nothing: dried logs, sticks, and splinters tumbling to the ground like they had fallen from the woods.

She swept her hand forward, and flames whooshed up, licking at the timber, turning it into a growing bonfire.

"The hell…" Redgar's eyes narrowed.

"This is the true power of the Ash Clan, Lord Haze." Irene stepped into the fire. The flames curled around her like silk.

The anaconda struck again with its jaws wide, but this time Irene didn't dodge. She flung both arms forward, and a wall of fire exploded between them.

*Sssss*

The serpent reeled, hissing as its form flickered where the fire licked through it.

Redgar cursed and slid forward. A knife gleamed in his hand. He slashed low.

Irene blocked with her forearm, creating an energy shield. It cracked on impact, but she spun with the blow, her heel sweeping Redgar's feet from under him.

He hit the ground with a grunt.

"I should have known that you are a bunch of backstabbers," she said, breath steady.

"You annoying bit*h," Redgar growled, and the serpent shot downward from above.

The anaconda's fangs pierced her shoulder.

"Argh…"

Irene screamed, but in fury.

Her skin blackened around the wound, but even as the venom surged in, she clenched her teeth and attacked. A pillar of fire burst from her back, launching the serpent off her like a comet.

She staggered, clutching the wound. Ash spiraled tightly around her arm, forming a cast-like shell, smothering the poison's spread. Her lip bled. Her eyes burned brighter.

"Okay," she breathed. "Now I'm mad."

Redgar wiped blood from his mouth and grinned.

"Good," he said, rising. "I like it when they start getting serious."

Irene flicked her wrist, and ash burst outward like a shotgun blast.

Redgar ducked under the cloud, coughing, but before he could retaliate, Irene was already on her move, boots kicking up soot as she sprinted in a tight circle, circling him, dragging her fingers across the ground.

Wherever her fingers touched, small piles of kindling sprouted. Dry twigs. Broken bark. Pine needles.

"Planting little traps now?" Redgar rasped, flicking two poison-coated darts into his fingers. "Cute."

Irene didn't answer. She dove behind a shattered pillar. Flames sparked in each of the ash nests she had planted, ringing the arena in a chain of fire.

"Let's see how fast your snake can slither through hell."

She snapped her fingers. Fwoomp. The fires are linked. A ring of fire rose around Redgar, trapping him in.

He stood in the middle, unimpressed. "You think flames scare me? I live in Venom."

"Hidden Skill: Emerge of the Great Beast."

As he unleashed the soul skill, the green anaconda brightly flared, unfurling in full, a spectral, colossal serpent. Its level is seen in the 9-star realm now.

"Shit," she muttered.

Redgar grinned. "Yeah."

Irene then slammed both palms into the dirt. "Soul skill: Tornado."

Consuming one-third of her soul power, an enormous amount of ash erupted out of her body, swirling around her at blurring speeds, eventually forming a tornado of ash with her as the eye.

Redgar leaped onto the giant anaconda and ordered it to go ahead.

Irene, with heavy steps, started walking toward him, bringing the entire 400-foot-tall tornado with her.

Just as they were about to collide, a voice was heard in the sky. "Decarune Seal."

Two golden seals were launched from the sky at each other.

Before the other elders and Affea could even react, the seals struck Redgar and Irena, both of them staggered and fell to the floor. The tornado and the serpent disappeared from everyone's eyes.

Irene and Redgar, both surprised, looked at their hands with their eyes widened.

Their attention was shifted to the sky as the words came down. "I believe I put a ban on a fight between two Clan Leaders unless it is an official tournament. Do my words carry no weight or something?"

In the false sky, they saw four figures staring down at them. Two were unfamiliar, but the other two were clan monarchs.

"Brother?" Affea's eyes became in an instant. She couldn't help but fly right away toward them.

Reaching the group, Affea lunged herself right away into Azzy's arms, ignoring her current status, Qridus' presence, and everything else. "Chuckie, you are back… why did you take so long to return…"

Caressing her hair gently, Azzy smiled. "I'm back, Affy." Looking at her, he couldn't help but comment. "When I was gone, you were a little kid. Look at you now. You have grown into a fine lady. And even a Supreme realm expert at that. Becoming a 9-star Arcana Master at just 20 years of age, you are indeed the most talented of our generation."

Affea pushed away the tear drops that were just about to fall down to her cheeks. "Don't tease me. You became a Supreme realm expert at the age of 17. And I wasn't the only one who reached this stage below 20 either."

"Oh, there are even more?" Azzy was momentarily surprised, but just as he was about to enquire, a cough from Qridus reminded him where he was.

"Let's talk later."

He put aside the matter and slowly descended toward the Arena, where hundreds of eyes were on him.

As he landed on the ground, the other clan leaders and the Pavilion masters all left their seats and appeared before him, kneeling with a bow. "Greetings, Monarch." They collectively greeted him.

Even the citizens who were in the stands knelt in their spots.

Orion, looking at the scene, couldn't help but become amazed. He glanced at his father from the corner of his eye, muttering. "Indeed, it looks like Dad is some kind of King."

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