Chapter 480: Great Elder
From the moment Nikolai entered the arena, it was clear everything was different, bigger, louder and deadlier. He looked at the huge arena, almost double the usual size, with several thick walls, all reinforced with specialised metals. On each wall, a massive screen covered the surface, showing the inside of the arena, as if watching a movie at a 3D cinema.
"..."
Nikolai licked his lips, then swallowed, his throat aching faintly as it tightened. Tonight, he would fight the strongest enemy he’d come against, different from the other opponents; he just couldn’t calm down or laugh it off.
Ryan wanted to join him with the girls, but he refused.
"The seats are starting to fill I should head to the room I booked..." Unlike before, he didn’t need to meet the Arena Master and chose to just find his VIP booth alone.
The corridor tingled with energy, people excited about the special event.
"Hm?"
He found a poster for tonight’s match on the wall, a photoshopped image of himself facing off against some middle-aged male.
"He barely looks thirty."
Nikolai frowned because once one reached Great Elder, their bodies and looks would almost freeze, no longer growing older. So, the true monsters of each clan could look as young as Nikolai, although once they reached old age and reached near death, they would rapidly age.
Forget it...
The corridor hummed with a pressure that pricked Nikolai’s skin. Every step echoed off steel and stone, yet the noise outside was louder, a living tide of voices crashing through the walls.
The Great Arena.
He had fought Elders, monsters, shapeshifters, even assassins, but this place was different. The scale alone told him what kind of fight awaited. It completely mimicked the Arena from the Nexus in both atmosphere and scale.
This wasn’t something a small family could arrange.
The brilliant lights, fancy screens and music booming through the reinforced walls.
It brought a smile to his lips.
Nikolai brushed past attendants, ignoring their nervous bows.
A handful whispered when they thought he couldn’t hear.
"That’s him..."
"The wolf..."
"Think he’ll survive?"
Despite the clean exterior, the foul stench of iron and sweat lingered backstage, which brought a sense of comfort to Nikolai. The large door with his name pasted in a fancy style brought a smile to his lips.
His throat no longer stung when he came to his VIP booth.
The private chamber overlooked the arena, able to see directly inside, which was a privilege of those with money or status. He stepped out onto the balcony and leaned on the railing. From here, the scale finally revealed itself. Tens of thousands filled the seats, their chants overlapping into a single, vibrating growl that shook the earth. Giant screens hung above, already replaying his past victories in slow motion.
The first fight...
His fight against Honey Bear.
When he crushed Velran, each scene was edited and touched to make him look like a monster to be admired, feared and devoured.
Nikolai closed his eyes and took a deep breath, taking in the atmosphere. He wasn’t nervous because his blood burned hotter than usual, making him restless and hungry for battle.
On the far side, the gates shifted.
A shadow lingered behind countless men in suits, but Nikolai’s shoulders shook from the figure’s pressure; the immense aura forced him to focus. It pressed against him like the ocean leaning on glass.
"Great Elder, huh..." he muttered, licking his lips, thrilled at the strength his opponent displayed.
The crowd’s roar climbed higher, thunder shaking the screens. His name was being chanted now, over and over. Black Wolf. Black Wolf.
But Nikolai’s gaze never left that shadow behind the gate.
He knew this wasn’t about fame, or the crowd and maybe not even survival. To Nikolai, this was about proof, a chance to prove himself to his father. A sign that Nikolai can stand on his own and shoulder-to-shoulder with his father.
"Well then..." He looked down at the black-haired male with red eyes, not a werewolf but a vampire. "Let’s see just how powerful a Great Elder is."
***
Nikolai sipped a glass of brandy, watching the matches before his.
"A Brutal knockout!?" The announcer’s voice echoed through the speakers after one of the Elder beastmen defeated a ghoul that joined the event. He couldn’t help but smile at the finishing blow that literally beheaded the ghoul.
The arena lights dimmed, plunging the arena into shadow while cleaners removed the corpse. A hush rippled through the crowd, every cheer cut short as if someone had pressed pause on the world.
And Then... BOOM!
Eerie music began playing on the speakers, the gates flung open, and from the far tunnel, a figure strode forward with calm steps. Black boots struck the sand with a sound that echoed unnaturally, each stride sharp and measured.
The Great Elder Vampire.
Nikolai didn’t know which clan, but from the slightly ugly look, he presumed it was someone from the Nosferatu clan or their branch families.
He looked far too young, but those sharp eyes couldn’t hide his experience and killing intent. His hair was slicked back neatly, black with a faint blue sheen under the floodlights. His coat swayed with each careful step, lined with an elegant golden trim.
"Shit this is the real deal..."
The air became thick... and dense from the moment he appeared, growing the closer he came.
Nikolai’s chest tightened, the pressure squeezing his lungs like a pair of hands. He could breathe, but this was clearly a deliberate test.
"Ladies and gentlemen... tonight, you witness history! A clash unlike any seen in this arena’s lifetime! On one side, the rising beast who crushed all who doubted him, who tore through the Aren’s champions... the Black Wolf of Londis—Nikolai Volkov!"
The crowd erupted, stamping their feet in unison, chanting his name until it rolled like thunder.
Nikolai tilted his head back, letting their voices wash over him. His lips curled, the corners twitching upward, but his eyes never left the man across from him.
"And on the other side... You know him and love him! The Scarlet Executioner! A Gread Elder of the Nosferatu Clan, a man who bathed in the blood of ancient kings, who razed Troy to the ground in a single night! Lord Killian Fray!"
The roar nearly split the ceiling.
Killian didn’t react or flinch as if this was expected. He simply raised his hand and curled his arm in an old-fashioned noble greeting, bowing slightly to the crowd with a charming smile. His lips parted, revealing the faintest trace of fangs as he stepped closer to the arena.
"This is going to be annoying..."
Nikolai downed the last of his drink, tossing it into the small icebox. It was his turn to enter the arena, a sense of dread and excitement growing inside his body.
The booth’s glass trembled with the vibration of the crowd.
Even up here, high above the pit, it felt as though the entire arena might collapse from the sheer weight of voices. Tens of thousands stamped their feet in unison, chanting, roaring, demanding blood.
Nikolai leaned on the railing, one arm resting loose, then, with a final look, he gathered himself. His reflection stared back at him in the glass wall: dark eyes burning black, hair damp with sweat despite the cool air.
"Black Wolf! Black Wolf!"
He exhaled while rolling and stretching his muscles. "Time to go."
***
The steel gates opened once again.
A wave of sound hit Nikolai like a physical blow.
He couldn’t believe how many people came to watch his fight, although it made sense, knowing they were all monsters.
The chant rolled through the vast structure like thunder, rattling his bones.
Nikolai stepped forward.
The air shifted instantly. His boots sank into sand still damp with old blood, and his aura became unstable like a wildfire within. Lights shone from every angle, bleaching the world a harsh white, but the blurry crowd above only roared in delight.
He dragged his feet through the sand as he walked, leaving trails that hissed like molten stone.
The cameras followed every step, every action that Nikolai made.
However, for Nikolai, there was only Killian and silence.
Across the pit, the opposite gate remained closed. A heavy aura pressed against it, leaking through the cracks. The weight made the hair on Nikolai’s arms prickle. Great Elder. That crushing, suffocating power waited just beyond the barrier, and it thrilled him.
He rolled his shoulders, laughing under his breath. "So this is what it feels like up close..."
The announcer’s voice roared over the speakers, but the two combatants just watched each other with the cold eyes of two predators.
This pit wasn’t a cage for Nikolai; right now it was a proving ground...
Nikolai lifted his chin and stopped withholding his aura, creating a black flame around him.
"Come on, Nosferatu Dog!" he growled, eyes locked on the vampire. "How about you show me the power of the damn Great Elder."
"Arrogant Child."
The polite and elegant voice of Killian Frey echoed through the arena.
"Know your place!"