Oni festival. The final day. Morning 8 AM.
Orc vs Ogre.
After various tribes fought each other, only these two tribes had all their members alive.
One of them was an Orc tribe consisting of five orcs– the Durbag tribe. The other was an Ogre tribe that Kaalmaahen had participated in– the Shakh tribe.
The Shakh tribe originally belonged to Ror Shakh. However, it was later passed on to his son while Ror focused on serving his king. Compared to the Shakh tribe, the Durbag tribe was a wild card entry nobody had expected to make it this far.
There could be two opponents in the events leading up to the final sacrifice. One from each tribe. Even so, the ritual needed the sacrificed energy to focus on only two opponents.
Tintinnabulation!
A giant bell was levitating over the battle ring 5 meters away from the ground. It was motionless and silent a moment before. But when it started ringing, it changed the whole atmosphere of the surroundings.
The bell had a height of 3 meters. Its mouth had a diameter of about 1 meter. It had a particularly ample sound bow that was producing mystic sounds every time the bell's pendulum-motioned clapper was struck on it. The runes on the bell would be lit up every time it rang.
The bell's sound had become even more prominent because of the absolute silence observed by the audience. Har Jahar had straightened himself up as well, indicating that the procedure was very significant to him.
Everybody had grim expressions on their faces. No matter which team lost, the audience was going to remember their names. They cheered for both teams.
The festival's ruthless setup had jaded the monsters' emotions. However, most of them couldn't help but feel sorry for the tribe members of both tribes.
Ting! Ting! Ting!
The bell rang as members of both tribes walked in. They also wore serious expressions on their faces. Almost all participants had groomed themselves a bit– wearing ceremonial armor and clothes or donning a precious ornament themselves.
They hadn't worn these ornaments for themselves. This was part of the procedure. The ornaments served as memorabilia in case they ended up dying. Echidna ornaments can either be claimed by the winning team or by the tribe to which the soon-to-be-dead Echidna belonged.
Varhan was seen wearing a simple pendant. It was the same pendant he always used to wear. So he didn't need to travel out of his way for today's events.
Har Jahar got up from his seat and looked at the motionlessly levitating runic bell keenly before addressing his audience.
"This is an auspicious day for all of the children of Echidna. Today will be the day the final worshiper and the Blessed will be known to us. Both are equally respectable in our eyes.
The Oni festival will not only bless the Blessed but all of us. Therefore, open up your hearts and let your feelings flow out of them like the rapids of a river trying to take over the banks.
Let the final selection begin."
Har Jahar said and bowed to the bell before sitting on his throne-like chair. The two tribe members were standing on either side of the bell, apart from one another. Their hands behind their backs- facing the crowd with blank expressions.
Ting! Ting! Ting!
A wave of unknown energy manifested in the form of white and azure clouds all over the battle ring. It encompassed the entire region all at once, making the battle ring look like an ethereal space that should only exist in fantasies.
Ting! Ting! Ting!
As the bell started ringing, the sacrificial energy started congregating around the tribe members. Since only two opponents were willing to fight to decide who would be the Blessed and the final worshiper among them, the tribe members and the audience were all nervous.
At first, the cloud-like energy rose to the waists of the Shakh tribe members. After a while, it climbed Kaalmaahen's body until it reached his chest. It climbed down on other members' bodies before dispersing away.
Half of the sacrificial energy that had been manifested in the battle ring started entering Kaalmaahen's body before disappearing. At this point, it was clear to all who would fight from the Shakh tribe.
Kaamaahen getting selected for the final duel wasn't surprising for anybody because he was a Monster Lord and led his tribe. He held an influential position in his people's hearts. Therefore, his victory or defeat would cause the majority of people to experience intense emotions - either positive or negative.
These emotions could also be employed to generate more sacrificial energy. Some people felt joyous and some felt worried about Kaalmaahen. Kaalmaahen had proven his caliber numerous times before. He was no underdog.
So of course, people started feeling various emotions when they found out Kaalmaahen would be part of the final ceremony. Plus, even those who were celebrating from Kaalmaahen's camp were only doing it after assuming he was going to win. Who would be able to beat such a talented prodigy?
Therefore, only Monster Lords had gotten selected as the participants for the final ceremony in the Oni dungeon's history. The audience wanted to chant Kaalmaahen's name. However, they waited for the ritual to end.
Ting! Ting! Ting!
Durbag tribe also had to follow the same process. The clouds of sacrificial energy started gathering around the tribe members. They slowly climbed over the bodies of each of them.
Ting! Ting! Ting!
As the mystic sounds of the runic bells echoed in the surroundings, all the remaining clouds started congregating around the person in question. Someone who hasn't yet become a Monster Lord.
"Varhan!"
There were so many mumbled noises mixed with surprise and other emotions at the same time. The name Varhan was repeated in those whispers, sticking out like a sore thumb.
The clouds on other tribe members' bodies had dissipated. The rest of the sacrificial energy was absorbed into Varhan's body in a few blinks.
Varhan had been selected for the final ritual along with Kaalmaahen despite just being an Orc Leader.
