I regressed and became the Sword Ice King

Ambered sunbeams descended upon the Colosseum, infusing it with a new energy that revitalized the aura surrounding it. The Spectators began to settle down in their positions as the finale was about to begin and most people decided to stay until the very end.

Although the crowd had diminished, those remaining were most likely driven by sportsmanship after all– a finale of the Martial Son and the Mermaid Warrior wouldn't exactly be peak if they could guess the victor.

Speaking of which, the participants had already gathered on the Arena which once again stood pristine, illuminated by the sun's rays. The mages had done a splendid job at patching up the damages, restoring it to its former glory.

In the middle of the Arena, the participants faced each other within a safe distance and their referee, Michaelo Jun stood in their presence.

One was an elegant aqua blue haired beauty, her tresses cascading like a river of crystal blue. Her aquamarine eyes shone with a brilliance that commanded attention , their sparkle hinting at a strength that lay beneath.

Her delicate yet curvaceous figure exuded an aura of reverence, as if the very sunlight dancing across her ivory skin was drawn to her radiance. The sailors outfit she wore seemed tailor–made for her petite frame, accentuating her charm with a perfect blend of sweetness.

The other was a young man, a striking contrast to the girl. His dark onyx hair fell across his forehead, framing fearsome crimson eyes that seemed to burn with intensity. His gaze was heavy and intimidating, inspiring a mix of awe and reverence in those who dared meet his eyes.

An aura of diligent strength and unyielding resolve swirled around him, as if forged from his very being as he folded his hands.

He wore a sleek black jeogori, its fitted designs accentuating his muscular physique, paired with loose-fitted black baji pants. A golden belt clenched his waist, adorned in silver embroidery.

His black murim uniform exuded an aura that complimented the young man nicely.

His gaze was currently locked on Mariam, a scowl on his face as they anticipated the start of the match.

"You wish to fight me ? You who have come this far through luck ?" He asked, his tone laced with rational arrogance.

Mariam's gaze remained steadfast in her own way. She clenched her fist tightly and pondered on the few seconds she had left to think.

She never had a problem with the Kang Lin household but it seemed she wanted to fight to win this battle. It was getting rather annoying how people expected her to lose simply because his household is much stronger.

'Well sure, he's a powerful opponent…but I can tire him out right ? Ciara did a wonderful job on her part'. Memories of the battle that had undergone between Ciara and Raph flashed through her mind but it wasn't enough to placate the unease that grew within her heart.

"I…I simply don't want a lesson to pass me by". She replied, newfound courage slowly building up. It didn't matter if she won or lost; all she needed to do was give her best and even someone like Jang would have to think twice before charging straight in.

She would take this match as a practice match; if there was no way to win then she would struggle until her last strength. That was a promise she made to herself. There was no way she would win in the finals if she were to somehow make it through anyways.

After seeing Raph emerge victorious even after being pulled around and beaten to an extent by Ciara, it made her realize a few things about that boy.

One was that he was far scarier to face than Jang Kang Lin. At least one couldn't control people with their eyes. The thought of it sent a shiver down her spine.

"Now then ! Shall we begin the battle ?" Michaelo's voice echoed within the Arena as he raised his hands.
Experience exclusive tales on empire

The last match of the second lap was about to begin and with it, a participant would rise to the finals to face off against Jane Lucia and Raffaelo Jun. This was the decisive match.

The crowd cheered in a frenzy. Their cries and chants of the MERMAID WARRIOR shaking the ancient walls of the Colosseum, startling even the Patriarchs and the Royal family present.

They wanted to support their princess one more time. Her enchanted beauty and resolved strength attracted their hearts to her like a swarm of bees drawn to honey and that admiration and devotion converged upon her, fortifying the resolve of the Spectators.

Perhaps it was a siren call, captivating the hearts of all who bore witness, and compelling them to stand steadfast in their support for their beloved princess.

Jang turned his head, observing the peculiar situation with a strange expression. "You have a way to people's hearts ? Is that something all mermaids have ?" He asked, his tone laced with curiosity as the Spectator's screamed "READY".

Mariam smiled sweetly at him. "What can I say, there's no saying no to a pretty mermaid".

Michaelo dropped his hands, and disappeared and the Spectators screamed in unison. "FIGHT !!".

Mariam stomped her foot to the ground swiftly and water erupted out like a fountain. It surrounded her and suffused into her body, a blinding white light permeating through as her clothes transformed and her hair grew longer.

Her ears transformed into beautiful blue scales of fins and a mighty blue trident appeared in her outstretched hand.

A crown of water poured down from the fountain, forming neatly on her head and a symbol of yin and yang formed behind her. She spun her weapon around and slammed it into the ground as she threw a glance at Jang, a small smirk plastered on her face.

"going all out from the beginning" Jang returned her gaze with a mad frenzy in his crimson blood eyes. "Fine with me ! Let us Battle, Mermaid Warrior !". He cried out as he charged, a deep crater forming behind him as the wind swirled around them.

Mariam, bit her lips and charged as well, her leg forcing the ground into submission as bits of rocks flung aside due to her force. Water erupted out of the hole, filling up the Arena slowly.

"Hah ! Hah ! This is going to be interesting !". Jang laughed out in hysteria as they slammed at each other. Jang's fist collided with Mariam's trident and they were locked in a firesome stalemate.

"Now what, Mermaid Warrior ?".

****

Raph leapt into the air, his sister held firmly in his grasp as he fell down, a long deal of height onto the roof of the closest building.

A loud noise echoed within the stale air of the slums as pieces of plates bounced off. He had thought of lowering his momentum with his aura to avoid breaking into the building and it worked well enough.

Some residents had caught wind of the noise, after all the slums were still bustling with people even if the mood was rather dull.

Raph ignored their panicked gazes and rushed forward, his sister yelping loudly.

"Ra–Raph ! What do you think you're doing ?!" She asked loudly, attempting to fight her way back to the ground.

"Don't be embarrassed Morganna, we won't catch up with your speed so I need to get there with mine". Raph answered, running on a cloth line and jumping onto the roof of another building.

A resident screaming in protest of what he had done.

Morganna remained still for a moment then sighed. "this stays between the both of us" She said sternly, folding her hands and resigning herself to her fate.

"That what ? your handsome brother picked you up like a princess ?" He asked, an amused tone in his voice as he smirked at her.

Her pupils constricted and her cheeks grew red. "you better not you, brat !".

Raph laughed out loud, jumping onto another building where he spotted some children attacking a dog.

His gaze softened and a sigh escaped his lips. 'The slums….It's a terrible place to be born in…'. He thought but he couldn't let these thoughts distract him at the moment, after all he might have discovered something that may further alter the future as it is.

'The Red Auction House'. He thought, old memories running through his mind, causing an expression of disgust to etch on his face.

"Sister, you saw what I saw right ? Those people were going to sell them. The Demi-humans".

Morganna hesitated for a moment, then turned towards the sky. "I did. We will stop it while we can, and get back up as soon as possible". She said with a determined tone in her voice, her gaze shifting slightly.

"not to worry about that, I felt a third presence behind us before we left. They should have notified Dad by now, and the others will be aware". Raph said, noticing her sudden change in mood but withholding himself from answering further questions.

Morganna's eyes widened softly. "Oh…I didn't know that".

Raph's smile widened. "what can I say, I have really good intuition".

He jumped onto another building and spotted the giant box a few more kilometers away.

It seemed they were about pulling the last demi-human out of the box and forcing her into a line. A scowl grew on his face and his brows furrowed. 'All women ? I do not like this'. He thought to himself, a deepend resolve growing in his chest as he increased his pace.

"We have to save them. No matter what".