The closer Noctis traveled toward the Grand Arena, the more obvious it became that the structure represented far more than simple entertainment for the Demon Realm capital. Entire districts surrounding the Arena existed solely because of the constant flow of combatants, spectators, noble bloodlines, merchants, and corpses moving through the enormous sector beneath the crimson glow illuminating the skies overhead. Violence had become so deeply integrated into the culture surrounding the Arena that nobody treated it as unusual anymore. Blood stained portions of the black stone roads while lesser demons cleaned shattered debris and dragged away damaged bodies with the same detached efficiency ordinary workers elsewhere might display while transporting construction materials.
The district itself remained active despite the endless cycle of death occurring within the Arena. Merchants openly sold weapons, bloodline stimulants, enchanted armor, demonic medicines, and circulation recovery compounds to combatants preparing for qualification battles. Betting halls occupied entire streets surrounding the main Arena entrances while nobles traveled between elevated viewing chambers overlooking the battlefield through reinforced abyssal glass capable of withstanding shockwaves from high-level combat.
Several wounded fighters sat outside healer stations lining portions of the district. Some carried injuries severe enough that ordinary mortals would have died instantly, yet even those combatants displayed little outward emotion beyond irritation and exhaustion. Healers moved constantly between treatment stations applying demonic regeneration techniques while corpse retrieval crews transported bodies toward processing centers integrated directly into the lower sections of the Arena district.
Noctis walked calmly beside Emeralda while observing the environment around him.
The deeper they traveled into the district, the more the atmosphere changed compared to the rest of the Demon Realm capital. Political tension and noble restraint faded here beneath a far more direct culture centered entirely around survival and strength. Nobody attempted concealing hostile intent. Powerful bloodlines openly released portions of their aura while candidates evaluated one another instinctively like predators assessing possible threats before entering a hunting ground.
"This place feels older than the rest of the city," Noctis said while looking toward the enormous Arena structure dominating the skyline ahead of them.
Emeralda nodded slightly.
"The Grand Arena predates several portions of the modern capital. Entire noble bloodlines built their reputations here long before the current Academy structure existed."
Noctis could believe it easily enough. The architecture surrounding the Arena carried traces of ancient reinforcement formations layered repeatedly throughout countless generations. The barriers protecting the structure itself felt significantly denser than those surrounding ordinary districts throughout the capital.
More importantly, the atmosphere around the Arena carried an unusual weight. The structure had witnessed so much death over time that lingering demonic energy practically saturated the surrounding environment.
A massive cyclops moved through the crowded streets nearby carrying a reinforced execution hammer over one shoulder while several lesser demons immediately scattered aside to avoid blocking his path. Further ahead, a group of Vajra warriors argued loudly outside a weapon merchant while abyssal flame flickered across several blades displayed openly throughout the stall.
Above them, harpies and sirens crossed between elevated structures connected to the upper Arena districts while heavily armored dreadlord nobles traveled toward private viewing halls positioned near the higher sections of the colossal fortress.
The Arena drew powerful bloodlines naturally.
Not because it offered entertainment.
Because it offered status.
Survival inside the Grand Arena served as proof of strength throughout demonic civilization.
Eventually the group reached one of the primary registration structures connected directly to the Arena itself. Massive guards wearing abyssal armor stood near the entrance while layered demonic formations covered the surrounding walls. The strength radiating from the guards alone surpassed most ordinary military forces Noctis encountered since entering the Demon Realm.
The moment the guards noticed the Vampire Covenant insignia accompanying the escort group, their posture shifted subtly.
One of the older guards stepped forward before lowering his head respectfully.
"Vampire Covenant representatives."
Emeralda acknowledged him calmly.
"We're here for Academy qualification registration."
The guard's gaze shifted toward Noctis afterward.
For a brief moment, instinctive caution surfaced within the older demon's eyes. Noctis immediately noticed the reaction. The guard lacked the ability to properly understand what he was sensing, but his instincts still recognized danger naturally.
"Name?" the guard asked carefully.
"Noctis Vaeltharion."
The surrounding guards visibly reacted after hearing the surname.
The Vaeltharion bloodline still carried enormous historical significance among ancient vampire lineages throughout demonic civilization. Even here within the Demon Realm capital, the name possessed weight.
The guard recovered quickly before stepping aside.
"You may proceed."
The interior of the registration structure resembled a military processing center far more than an academic institution. Massive black counters stretched throughout the chamber while bloodline officials processed candidates beneath countless abyssal formations embedded directly into the architecture itself.
The atmosphere inside felt tense in a way different from the streets outside.
Candidates waiting for qualification registration observed one another carefully while healers moved between sections of the chamber treating wounded survivors from earlier Arena battles. Several combatants remained covered in fresh blood while others sat quietly stabilizing internal injuries through cultivation techniques and bloodline regeneration.
Nobody appeared relaxed.
Every candidate present understood the qualification process could easily end in death.
A pair of corrupt dragonkin argued violently with one of the Arena officials near the center chamber while several abyssal demons observed the confrontation with obvious irritation. Nearby, a siren remained partially submerged within a dark water basin integrated directly into the structure while a heavily armored cyclops sat motionless against one wall sharpening an enormous execution blade.
Noctis approached the primary registration counter while one of the officials looked toward him.
The official appeared humanoid at first glance, though abyssal markings spread across portions of his skin while crimson eyes studied Noctis carefully.
"Academy qualification?"
"Yes."
The official extended one hand toward the black stone surface embedded into the counter.
"Bloodline verification."
Noctis placed his hand against the stone calmly.
Abyssal runes activated immediately afterward.
The official's expression shifted subtly while observing the readings spreading throughout the formation beneath Noctis's hand. The verification process stabilized far faster than most surrounding candidates currently undergoing registration.
"Vampire Covenant lineage confirmed," the official said after several moments.
His tone carried noticeably more respect afterward.
"The qualification rules remain standard regardless of bloodline status. Five consecutive victories are required for Academy admission. All matches are lethal. Outside interference is prohibited. Surrender may be accepted at the discretion of the opponent."
The explanation matched exactly what Noctis already expected. The Academy clearly had no interest in nurturing weakness. Candidates unable to survive the qualification process simply lacked value within the institution's philosophy.
"The Arena exists to eliminate those unworthy of Academy entry," the official continued. "Combatants incapable of surviving qualification battles would not survive the Academy itself."
Noctis accepted the black insignia handed toward him afterward.
"This identifies your qualification sequence. Your first match begins shortly."
Noctis turned away from the registration counter before following Emeralda and the escorts deeper beneath the Arena structure.
The underground corridors connecting the registration sectors to the combat staging chambers carried the smell of blood and burned flesh while distant impacts occasionally shook portions of the surrounding walls. Ancient demonic formations reinforced every section of the passageways while abyssal energy flowed steadily throughout the structure like veins sustaining a living organism.
The waiting chambers beneath the Arena resembled holding pens designed for predators preparing to slaughter one another.
Cyclops executioners towered over surrounding candidates while Vajra warriors sharpened weapons against reinforced stone walls nearby. Harpies perched above support beams observing competitors carefully while several sirens remained isolated within dark water basins positioned throughout the chamber architecture.
Further in the distance, Noctis noticed several corrupt dragonkin standing beside a heavily armored dreadlord noble whose abyssal aura distorted portions of the surrounding air.
Nobody attempted casual conversation.
The candidates evaluated one another continuously.
Several individuals noticed Noctis immediately after he entered the chamber. The Vampire Covenant insignia naturally attracted attention, but what unsettled many of the surrounding combatants more was Noctis's complete calmness.
Most candidates entering qualification displayed visible anticipation, aggression, or tension.
Noctis displayed none of it.
He simply stood quietly near one section of the chamber while waiting for his sequence to begin.
Eventually, a deep horn echoed throughout the underground corridors.
An Arena official stepped into the chamber.
"Qualification Match One. Noctis Vaeltharion."
The surrounding candidates shifted immediately afterward.
A massive cyclops rose from the opposite side of the chamber while gripping an enormous club carved from an entire demonic tree reinforced through black metal bindings. The creature stood nearly four meters tall with thick gray skin layered beneath countless scars and old Arena wounds. A single massive eye sat near the center of its face while jagged tusks extended upward from the lower jaw.
Several nearby combatants smirked openly after seeing the matchup.
The cyclops clearly carried Arena reputation already.
The creature itself stared toward Noctis before laughing loudly enough to echo throughout the waiting chambers.
"So this is my opponent?"
Its voice resembled grinding stone dragged across metal.
The cyclops pointed the giant club toward Noctis while grinning broadly.
"They're sending children into the Arena now?"
Noctis simply looked toward him calmly without responding.
The Arena officials guided both combatants upward toward the battlefield shortly afterward.
The Grand Arena itself stretched enormously beneath the crimson skies overhead while countless spectators filled layered viewing platforms surrounding the battlefield. Abyssal barriers reinforced the Arena walls while ancient bloodline formations stabilized the structure beneath centuries of accumulated violence.
The cyclops entered first.
The crowd responded immediately.
Clearly the creature possessed popularity among regular Arena spectators.
Noctis entered several moments later.
Compared to the cyclops, he appeared physically unimpressive at first glance. Smaller. Leaner. Human-sized.
Several spectators laughed openly after seeing the pairing.
"A vampire noble using guns?"
"He's too small."
"The cyclops will crush him."
The cyclops grinned even wider afterward while lifting the enormous club overhead.
"You should surrender now, little vampire."
Noctis remained silent.
The Arena official activated the battlefield barriers fully before signaling the beginning of the match.
The cyclops attacked immediately.
The giant club crashed downward with enough force to rupture the Arena floor while shattered black stone exploded upward from the impact. Violent shockwaves spread throughout the battlefield as spectators leaned forward expecting the fight to end instantly.
Noctis remained standing nearby completely unharmed.
The cyclops blinked once.
The attack should have crushed ordinary candidates from the shockwave alone.
The creature attacked again immediately afterward.
The massive club swept sideways and struck directly across Noctis's body with enough force to distort the surrounding air violently.
Still nothing happened.
Noctis barely moved.
The spectators gradually stopped laughing.
The cyclops frowned afterward before attacking repeatedly. Each swing carried monstrous physical force while several glancing impacts struck Noctis directly. Any one of those attacks should have shattered bones and pulverized internal organs.
Noctis simply stood there calmly while observing the cyclops.
The creature's expression gradually shifted from arrogance toward confusion and then frustration as its attacks continued accomplishing absolutely nothing. The more strikes landed without effect, the more unstable the cyclops became psychologically.
The crowd noticed the change as well.
The cyclops eventually roared furiously before gripping the giant club with both hands. Demonic energy surged violently throughout the weapon while veins bulged across the creature's enormous body.
Its strongest attack.
The cyclops raised the club overhead before bringing it downward with enough force to distort the battlefield itself.
At that exact moment, Noctis lifted Ruin.
One shot echoed across the Arena.
The blood bullet pierced directly through the cyclops's eye before entering the brain instantly.
The giant creature froze mid-swing before collapsing heavily against the Arena floor moments later.
The spectators gradually realized something deeply unsettling afterward.
Noctis allowed every previous attack intentionally. He had never bothered defending himself seriously at all.
The corpse of the cyclops remained sprawled across the fractured Arena floor while dust and broken black stone continued sliding slowly away from the impact zones left behind during the battle. Blood flowed steadily from the ruined eye socket where Ruin's bullet had pierced directly through the creature's skull moments earlier, though Noctis had already turned away from the body before the corpse fully stopped moving. The match itself had ended too quickly for most of the spectators surrounding the battlefield to properly process what happened.
At the beginning of the fight, the outcome appeared obvious to nearly everyone watching.
The cyclops towered over Noctis physically and carried the kind of monstrous brute strength that normally overwhelmed qualification candidates directly through raw force alone. Several spectators clearly recognized the giant executioner from previous Arena battles, which only reinforced the assumptions spreading naturally throughout the crowd once the match began.
What unsettled people afterward was not simply that the cyclops lost.
It was the realization that Noctis never treated the battle seriously at any point.
The giant executioner attacked repeatedly with enough force to pulverize ordinary demons into broken flesh across the battlefield, yet Noctis simply stood there and allowed the attacks to land while remaining completely unharmed afterward. The difference in strength between the two combatants had become obvious only at the very end of the fight, when the cyclops desperately gathered all of its remaining power into one final attack before dying instantly to a single bullet through the eye.
Noctis himself barely looked interested in the result.
He holstered Ruin calmly before walking toward the underground staging chambers while corpse retrieval crews moved onto the battlefield behind him.
The atmosphere beneath the Arena had changed slightly by the time he returned to the waiting chambers. Earlier, several combatants openly watched him with dismissiveness or amusement while others ignored him entirely. Now most of the candidates observed him far more carefully whenever he moved through the chamber, and even those attempting to hide their reactions no longer carried the same casual attitude as before.
A Vajra warrior standing near one side of the room slowly rose afterward while reaching for four massive curved blades attached across his back. The demon stood nearly three meters tall with crimson skin layered beneath dense musculature and reinforced black armor. Demonic energy circulated steadily throughout the warrior's body while all four crimson eyes remained fixed toward Noctis.
Unlike the cyclops, the Vajra did not waste time mocking him.
The Arena official entered the chamber shortly afterward.
"Qualification Match Two. Noctis Vaeltharion."
The Vajra immediately began walking toward the battlefield exit.
Noctis followed behind him calmly.
By the time both combatants stepped onto the Arena floor above, the atmosphere throughout the battlefield had already shifted compared to earlier. More spectators now occupied the elevated viewing sections overlooking the Arena while several noble observation halls positioned near the upper structure had opened additional viewing windows toward the battlefield itself.
Word regarding the cyclops fight had clearly spread throughout the Arena district.
The Vajra warrior entered first while releasing his aura immediately.
Violent demonic pressure spread naturally outward from the warrior while abyssal energy gradually coated all four blades attached across his back. Compared to the cyclops, the Vajra carried himself with significantly more combat discipline. His breathing remained controlled, his stance stable, and even the way he watched Noctis suggested actual battlefield experience rather than relying purely upon physical dominance.
Noctis stepped onto the battlefield moments later while casually observing the warrior across from him.
The Arena barriers activated.
The match began.
The Vajra exploded forward instantly.
Despite the warrior's size, his speed remained extremely high. All four arms moved simultaneously while the blades descended toward Noctis from layered attack angles designed to overwhelm defensive reactions before an opponent could properly adapt. The attacks themselves carried obvious technical refinement behind them, and several spectators watching from the upper sections leaned forward slightly after realizing the Vajra intended ending the fight immediately through relentless close-range pressure.
Noctis raised Nocturne and Ruin together.
Four gunshots echoed across the battlefield almost simultaneously afterward.
The Vajra's charge collapsed immediately.
All four arms exploded apart from the shoulders while severed limbs and broken weapons scattered violently across the Arena floor. Blood erupted outward from the ruined sockets while the Vajra staggered several more steps beneath pure momentum before his brain fully processed what happened.
The spectators watching the fight visibly stiffened afterward.
Noctis had not merely injured the warrior. Each bullet severed an arm perfectly while the Vajra moved at full speed across the battlefield.
Before the demon fully recovered from the shock, crimson distortion spread briefly behind Noctis.
Genesis Step activated.
Noctis appeared directly in front of the warrior before driving one kick into the center of the Vajra's chest.
The impact detonated throughout the Arena hard enough to rupture portions of the battlefield beneath Noctis's feet while the Vajra's massive body launched violently upward through the air. The reinforced barrier surrounding the battlefield shuddered heavily after the warrior tore directly through it before continuing high across the crimson sky above the Demon Realm capital.
Several distant spectators throughout the surrounding districts looked upward moments later after hearing the impact against the outer city wall.
Fragments of black stone exploded outward from the collision while the Vajra's ruined body embedded directly into the ancient fortifications surrounding the capital itself.
Noctis calmly turned around afterward before walking back toward the underground chambers.
Inside the pet space, Rengar stared toward the distant wall through the shared connection before laughing quietly.
"That one flew farther than I expected."
Bahamut lowered his enormous head slightly while observing the battlefield.
"The wall survived."
A faint smile appeared across Noctis's face afterward.
"That almost sounded disappointing."
The Primeval Sanguorath snorted softly before closing his eyes again.
Meanwhile, the atmosphere inside the underground staging chambers had become noticeably quieter after the second match. Several candidates instinctively created more distance around Noctis whenever he passed nearby, and even those still attempting to maintain outward composure no longer viewed him as another participant within the qualification process.
A siren-harpy hybrid perched near the upper support structures throughout the chamber while silently observing him. Her upper body resembled a demonic woman while black feathered wings folded naturally behind her back. Crimson markings spread faintly across pale skin while elongated talons gripped the metal beam beneath her feet.
Unlike the previous opponents, she immediately recognized danger.
The Arena official returned shortly afterward.
"Qualification Match Three. Noctis Vaeltharion."
The siren-harpy descended silently from the support structure before moving toward the Arena exit.
Noctis followed behind her calmly.
By the time the third match began, the Grand Arena had grown significantly more attentive toward Noctis's battles. The spectators no longer treated him as another candidate attempting to survive qualification. Too many things about the earlier fights felt fundamentally abnormal.
The barriers activated once more.
The siren-harpy immediately took flight after the match started.
Layered singing spread naturally throughout the Arena afterward.
The sound carried unnatural beauty mixed with mental interference powerful enough to destabilize perception directly. Illusionary distortions gradually spread throughout portions of the battlefield while invisible sonic attacks rippled outward continuously from above.
Several weaker spectators throughout the lower sections visibly lost concentration beneath the leaking pressure.
The siren-harpy continued circling overhead while strengthening the song further.
Most opponents collapsed quickly against abilities targeting the mind directly rather than relying purely upon physical force.
Noctis remained completely unaffected.
His expression never changed.
The siren-harpy gradually realized something was wrong afterward. The song intensified repeatedly while more illusionary layers spread throughout the battlefield. Sonic vibrations distorted portions of the Arena floor while the surrounding air trembled faintly beneath the pressure, yet Noctis simply stood there calmly while watching her.
Fear gradually surfaced within the siren-harpy's eyes afterward.
Then crimson distortion spread beside her suddenly.
Genesis Step.
Noctis appeared directly beside the airborne siren-harpy before grabbing her face with one hand.
The song stopped instantly.
Then he drove her downward into the Arena floor hard enough to rupture the battlefield beneath the impact. Blood, shattered bone, and broken black stone exploded outward simultaneously while the siren-harpy's body embedded deeply into the fractured ground below.
Noctis released the corpse before turning toward the Arena exit again.