Emerick waved as he approached, squeezing through the sitting spectators. But after noticing Berteram his lips curved into a smile, and he spoke, "Sir Berteram Singlestrike! It's a pleasure to meet you, I've wanted to for as long as I can remember."
Emerick extended his hand to Berteram, who smiled before shaking Lauremont's hand. "Is that so? I'm flattered that even men like you wish to meet me," Berteram let out a hearty chuckle.
"Please, anyone who knows anything about history, wishes to meet you and knows not to cross you," Emerick sat down next to Berteram.
Leodore clenched his fists, staring at the board. "Arnet is up next," he spoke through gritted teeth.
Emerick lifted an eyebrow "You mean the Mr. Blonde prince? There are thousands like him." Lauremont chuckled. "So much so, that I don't know if I'm talking about him or you."
Emerick burst into laughter before Leodore shot him a cold glare. Throwing up his hands, he added "I'm only kidding. I've heard his skills are exceptional and some other rumors." His face twisted into a serious stern look when he spoke the last sentence.
"And by the manner, you reacted to his presence, I will assume those rumors might be true," Lauremont leaned back in his seat.
Berteram looked onto the arena, his brows furrowed in annoyance as he seemed to be in deep thought.
The announcer stood up, "Ladies and gentlemen, we will be moving on to our next battle. I know this is another exciting! So don't blink!"
The crowd erupted back into life as the announcer's words rang around the arena.
"Finally we will get to see Arnet Lionheart fight."
"This one is gonna be good."
Leodore could hear the crowd whispering amongst themselves.
"Now! Introducing the combatants! On your right, Rick Silverbrace!" The announcer pointed at the right side of the arena, as the metal gate lifted and Rick stepped out. "With a record of 24 wins and 2 losses! Give it up for him, ladies and gentlemen!"
Rick Silverbrace - the younger brother of Clark Silverbrace, the man Berteram had slain just yesterday - he stood at 190 centimetres tall. Wide build and a visible belly poking out of the light armour he was wearing. His bald head had a giant scar running across the entire scalp. The most unusual part was his weapon of choice - a giant steel shield. It was almost as big as him and thicker than any normal shield. In the middle was a spike.
Leodore scratched his head. "That must weigh at least 100 kilograms. Seems way too unconventional to be an effective choice."
Emerick shrugged, crossing his legs. "Physical strength is certainly his strong suit, what a peculiar way of using it though."
Berteram stared at Silverbrace, his eyes betrayed a twinge of sadness.
The crowd clapped as Rick dragged his shield alongside him with one hand, before stopping near the middle of the arena. Looking towards the entrance on the left side of the arena.
"Now, introducing the one all of you have been waiting for! The one and only, Arnet 'The Pride of Lion' Lionheart!" announcers voiced pierced the air, as the gate opened.
Stepping out of the darkness - loud cheering and screaming of women as they swooned over him along with loud clapping from the rest of the audience burst out - Arnet looked around, his chin high in the air and his chest puffed out. Living up to his nickname he seemed to be full of pride, as his gaze seemed to be looking down on everyone.
"With an impeccable record of 50 wins and 0 losses and only 23 years old. Lord Arnet is truly one of the best and strongest warriors in Acoptia!" the announcer added.
Arnet Lionheart had ditched his usual Crownsguard armour for an even fancier one. Made out of pure white metal, which could only be dragonium. On the chest of the armour was the emblem of the Lionheart family, a roaring lion head with a heart in its mouth. The lion was made out of gold while the heart seemed to be made out of ruby. Such armour could only have been crafted by elite dwarven smiths. Dragonium, a rare and luxurious metal, was incredibly hard to balance and make into effective armour or weapons and only the best of dwarf smiths knew how to handle it. Because pure dragonium couldn't be used for anything the smiths had to know the right amount and blends of metals to make sure dragonium doesn't lose its special properties. One of the reasons dragonium was so sought after was due to its incredible ability to let mana flow through. Making Mana Focus and Elemental Focus easier and increasing their effectiveness and reducing the mana drain.
Leodore estimated that such armour would cost a fortune, at least a few dragonium coins. 1 dragonium coin was 10 platinum coins, while 1 platinum coin was 100 gold coins, 1 gold coin was 100 silver and finally, 1 silver coin was 100 bronze coins. This was a ridiculous amount for most people, as even a few dragonium coins afforded the most extravagant noble domains. But to a family such as Lionheart, this was simply pin money.
Arnet ran his hand across his dirt blond hair, which was styled in curtains with a parting in the middle, before giving a slight bow towards where the king was seated. He had a smug look on his face as he stared down Rick - at 188 centimetres tall Lionheart stood almost at eye level with Silverbrace, but the shield wielder was much wider and looked to weigh triple the size of Arnet - before taking a step back as the announcer gestured them to get ready.
Arnet grinned, unsheathing his blade, a fancy longsword. "Let's make this quick, Silverbrace."
The announcer lifted his hand in the air. "3, 2, 1!" Dropping it, before shouting "BEGIN!"
Lionheart immediately clad his blade in mana. A vibrant and incredibly clear white mana enveloped the edges of his sword. Nothing less was to be expected from one of the masters of Mana Focus.
For most of those who are talented and skilled enough to reach the 3rd stage of Mana Focus the next step is to try and learn Elemental Focus, however, the 3rd stage isn't the ceiling of Mana Focus as those who keep training it further gain advantages that Elemental Focus doesn't have. While Elemental Focus lets you tap into the power of your element, furthering Mana Focus lets you develop the use and control of your mana. Despite the colour differing depending on the element affinity of the person, Mana Focus doesn't have an element as it is pure mana channelled from within the user. By mastering it, the person can not only extensionally increase their power and other attributes like speed but also acquire other skills that are impossible to attain through Elemental Focus.
Seeing this, Rick placed his shield in front of himself and waited for an attack as his shield gained a slight brown hue. Leodore could tell that it was the first stage of Mana Focus.
Arnet snorted, using Mana Focus on his legs too. "Pathetic display," he croaked. He dashed towards the shielding man, closing the distance between them in a split second.
Rick quickly willed mana into his feet, bracing for impact. As Arnet's blade clashed with the giant shield, a sound of metal on metal blasted throughout the arena, followed by an impact. Making the spectators gasp in amazement as their hair thrashed around.
Rick dug his feet into the ground deeper, as Arnet once again lifted his sword to strike.
"You think this piece of junk metal will be enough to stop my attacks, that's amusing," Arnet grinned. Bringing down the strike, this time even faster and harder. The blow sent Silverbrace sliding a few meters backwards.
Wasting no time, Arnet once again dashed in front of Rick. Lifting the shield up, Silverbrace tried to regain his footing. Quickly feinting a strike at the shield, Arnet quickly sidestepped to the right of Rick, who gasped in shock, trying in vain to move his shield to block the strike. Arnet promptly swung his blade down onto the defenseless Silverbrace. Blood splattering on the ground, as Rick screamed out in pain, stumbling backwards. His arm was barely hanging on, from his elbow.
The crowd groaned in shock and disgust.
"I think I'm going to throw up."
"That's horrible."
Leodore heard all around him, but his eyes were locked on to the fight.
Rick stared at his hand in shock, before balancing himself using his shield, so he doesn't topple over.
"Shit!" he spat out, in a low rough voice, before locking eyes with Lionheart.
Lionheart laughed mockingly. "You pathetic vermin, just give up. Your family of low lives won't care. Wait, is there anyone even left to care?"
Berteram's brow twitched at this comment, but he remained silently transfixed.
Rick gazed at Arnet silently before his eyes shifted down to the ground. With a grunt, Rick Silverbrace regained his composure, once again placing the shield in front of him. With the hurt arm strapped into the shield, he crouched, placing his other hand on the ground. Getting in a pose reminiscent that of a sprinting start.
Leodore quizzically looked at his companions. Emerick met his gaze and smiled. "It seems he's getting ready to go on the offense. But I fear it might be too late."
"Hm... Do you think it would have worked if he did it sooner?" Leodore asked with a raised eyebrow.
"No," Emerick responded instantly. "It seems the Lionboy is holding back."
Leodore nodded, turning his attention back to the fight.
Rick still in the same position, directed mana into his feet and arm. "Shield," he shouted out, propelling himself forward at high speeds. "Bash!"
The man his size along with a shield that size in front of flying across the arena towards Lionheart, created a loud booming sound as he broke the sound barrier. The spike on the shield, now covered in a slight hue of mana, was rapidly closing the distance.
Arnet smiled faintly, unmoving from his position, taking a wide stance. He brought his sword handle up to his chest, the blade in a thrusting position. Doing all of this in a split second, his blade lit up with mana even more as the crash was imminent.
Right as they were about to clash, Arnet stepped forward slightly, thrusting his blade straight at the shield. The impact of the blows meeting sent giant dust and sand cloud shooting out as the whole arena shook, obstructing the view.
The crowd screamed as hats and some belongings were sent flying from the powerful force of the impact. As it passed, murmurs spread throughout the arena as people waited for the view to clear.
As it cleared it was immediately obvious who won. Arnet stood in the same place he had, holding his sword's handle, while the blade was buried deep in the shield. Rick stood eyes wide as he looked at the blade piercing not only his shield but his hurt arm and his chest. Spitting out blood his eyes glazed over. He dropped to the ground, as the arm that was strapped to his shield had separated from his body.
"No match," Arnet spoke, pulling his sword out of the shield, which broke into pieces. Sheathing his blade, Arnet once again gave a slight bow to the King. The spectators finally realizing what had happened, burst into cheers and admiration.
Arnet shot a glance at the slumped Rick, spitting on him, before turning his head and walking away.
"Despicable, Lionheart is such wasted potential. Such skill wasted on a man like him." Berteram spoke, his voice had a drop of anger and disappointment, as he stared at the leaving Arnet.
Leodore sighed, leaning back into his chair as he shifted his gaze at the sky. He might have to eventually face Arnet, he could never best him, not the way he was right now. The prince knew himself that he had abandoned his sword training for numerous other responsibilities. He wasn't sure if he could best Lauremont either.
Emerick smiled, his eyes burned with excitement. "I want to fight that man."
After a rushed official announcement of the winner, medics quickly ran out into the arena, grabbing the unconscious Silverbrace and his severed arm, trying their best to clean some of the blood that was spilled.
"Dax Warbraid is next," Leodore spoke, as chills ran down his spine.
He had heard stories of Dax. The story of his nickname "The Monster" was something that had stuck with the Prince. 20 years ago, during a scouting mission around the Demon Kingdom, Dax's squad of 10 was ambushed by 200 demon soldiers. The squad quickly fell to 1 member - Dax. When the backup arrived from the post because the scouts hadn't come back, they found a bloody sight - a mountain of dead 200 demon soldiers - on top of it stood Dax Warbraid, drenched in blood and parts of his enemies. Not to mention he had only been 15 years old at the time.
Leodore gulped, both in fear and excitement to see how Dax fights.
Berteram on the other hand had worry written on his face. As he looked at the board. "This could get troublesome..."
"Why?" Emerick lifted an eyebrow.
"Our next combatant might just murder his opponent," Berteram said, sighing. "His power along with his bloodlust is a mix for disaster."
"He's fighting Aden Blanaco. House Blanaco is a famous noble house and they are known for their skilled swordsmen. This should be interesting." Leodore said, looking around the crowd. Spotting Aveline, their eyes met, as they both smiled in unison.
Berteram shook his head. "It is true, Aden has learned Elemental Focus and has trained with great fighters from a young age, however, I'm not sure he can do anything to stop what he's about to face."
The announcer jumped up as the crowd grew silent."Ladies and Gentlemen! We are back and ready to move on to the next fight. This one is bound to be amazing with two powerful combatants!"
"On the right side, we have the representative of house Blanaco! Aden Blanaco, with a record of 32 wins and 0 losses at of age 22!"
Aden Blanaco walked out, waving his arm to those in attendance, with a slight smile stretched across his face. Aden's long wavy light brown hair ran to his back, dancing in the wind. He wore light golden armour, with a red cape hanging down. In his left hand - a small almond-shaped shield, in his right a shortsword. Both seemed to be made out of high-quality materials. Aden stood at 182 centimetres tall and had a pretty thin frame, fitting his elegant look.
"On the left side, we have, "The Monster" himself. Dax Warbraid! With a record of 83 wins and 1 loss! Intro-" the announcer stopped out of shock, as the gate flew across the arena, and a giant looming man walked out, needing to hunch just to get through the gateless door.
"Holy shit." Leodore blurted out, staring at the giant man who could only be Dax Warbraid. "How is he even human?"
Dax Warbraid stood at a ridiculous 244 centimetres, but not only that, but he was also bulging with muscles. It was obvious even through the heavy dark armour he wore. The greatsword, on his back, sheathed, was at least 2 meters long too. The man's face was twisted into an intense expression, a full beard covering his chin, his dark brown eyes stared at Aden. His black hair in a buzz cut, made him look even rougher, along with the many scars layering his face.
Warbraid was a family known to produce some of the scariest warriors in Acoptia. With the shortest ever member measuring at 200 cm, with the biggest hitting 310 cm. However, their size wasn't the only trait they possessed. Firstly, their physical attributes were unnatural even for their size. Secondly, and most famously, the secret bloodline ability that only Warbraid possessed was Warbraid release - activated by anger, it let the members of the family almost double their mana effectiveness and increased their physical attributes also making them impervious to pain. This made them extremely deadly warriors - a near-perfect killing machine.
The crowd silently gawked at the imposing man, who made his way to the middle of the arena.
Looking down at Aden with a cold-blooded gaze. Staring back, Aden's face was filled with panic.
"L-Lets be done with the introductions then. Combatants get ready!" The announcer shakily spoke up.
Aden shook his head, collecting himself. "Monster, we will see how tough you are, barbaric cunt."
Dax kept his eyes locked onto Blanaco, seemingly ignoring his statement.
"3! 2! 1!" The announcer shouted.
"Begin!"
Aden instantly dashed forward, his sword and shield enveloping in vibrant red mana. Dax stood in place, as Aden promptly closed the distance, thrusting his blade at the abdomen of the large man. With an unbothered look, Dax moved his arm in the trajectory of the sword, using his armour to block the strike with a sharp clang.
Blood dripped from the forearm of the Monster, the blade piercing the armour was now stuck in Dax's arm. Aden swore under his breath trying to pull it out. Suddenly, Warbraid's free hand grabbed Adens face, lifting him into the air.
The spectators gasped, as Aden started trying to escape the giant man's grip.
"Weakling," Dax spoke with a rough deep voice, squeezing down harder.
Managing to free his blade from his opponent's arm Aden promptly tried to swipe at Dax's face. But the sword wasn't able to reach the destination as the large man's arms were longer than Blanaco's blade.
"Fuck it," Aden muttered under his breath, his sword and shield burst into flames, Fire affinity Elemental Focus. With the flame surrounding the almond-shaped shield, he quickly thrust it straight into the giant's eye.
Dax groaned from pain, loosening his grip, Aden used the opportunity to jump back. Sliding backwards on the ground Blanaco sighed in relief.
"I was almost a goner there," he spoke, standing up tall after regaining his footing. "You stupid brute, you tried to crush my head. Despicable." Red bruises already formed on Blanaco's face, right where Dax had gripped.
Dax shot an angry piercing gaze, while he held his other eye shut. "I'll crush your spine, worm." Starting to slowly approach Aden.
Blanaco brows furrowed. "You dare approach without drawing your sword? Insolent fool. Fine, I'll honour your death wish."
Looking at his flaming blade, Blanaco ran towards the approaching Warbraid. With every hurried step, he took towards Dax, Aden's flaming sword gained intensity. A smile stretched across Blanaco's face as he stopped a few meters away from his opponent.
"Die," Thrusting his blade towards, Aden shouted. "Flaming Hell Thrust!"
The flame on his sword suddenly concentrated at the tip of the blade, before a split second later combusting, shooting a beam of flames straight at Dax. The flame beam was incredibly powerful as it easily enveloped the large man, drowning him in flames and filling the inside of the arena with heat.
Leodore stared, his mouth slightly ajar. That move was impressive in every way, it would take usual warrior years to learn such a strong Elemental Focus move, yet Aden Blanaco had achieved it in such a short time. Leodore himself was only at the 2nd stage of Mana Focus and could only dream of unlocking Elemental Focus, let alone a move of this magnitude.
The flow of flames stopped, yet the streak of shot-out fire still burned, blocking the view. Suddenly the fire moves as a burning shape emerged with great speed, Dax darted straight for Aden, who could only stare in shock. The move had drained his mana as his flaming sword began to waver, sweat beads formed on his forehead. Bringing up his shield as Dax now stood over him.
Despite being engulfed by the scorching fire, Warbraid looked almost completely unharmed. "My turn."
Willing mana into his fist, which turned faint orange, Dax swiped away Aden's shield in a swift strike, before using his other hand to swing with a powerful strike which hit Aden directly in the face, sending him flying across the arena, crashing into the wall with a thud.
Blood splattered from Blanaco's broken nose and busted lip as he struggled to his feet. "I-I'm not done," he spoke with a weak voice, swaying around, groggy from the powerful strike.
Before he could regain composure, Dax once again dashed with incomprehensible speed for a man his size. Without stopping he kneed Aden in the chest sending him into the air, his body flailing. As he fell down, Warbraid prepared to throw a hammerfist. When Aden's falling body got into striking reach, Dax brought down the strike, sending Aden's body crashing into the ground with a loud thud, the ground cracking under the impact.
The crowd gasped in horror, some even shouted and screamed. Leodore could only watch in awe of Dax's monstrous power. He just had destroyed Aden without ever drawing his sword.
As the flying rubble and dust cleared, the gruesome aftermath was present. Aden laid in a pool of his own blood, his arm twisted unnaturally, on the cracked ground.
Dax Warbraid stared down at the broken man in front of him. "I won't kill you this time, but live in fear as the next time we meet I won't be so kind."
Before he simply turned around and walked out of the arena, while the silence still hung in the air.
"A-And the winner of the fight is Dax "The Monster" Warbraid. Now get the medics here!" The announcer's voice interrupted the silence.