With a sound like a gong bring struck the three stone pillars slammed into Alan's back shattering. Around his waist his belt pulsed causing a spectral version of him to swell up before shrinking back down on him. With a violent motion he wrenched himself free of the stone chains before rushing forward towards the mage.
"I don't know what Min was talking about. That mage isn't chanting diddly squat. He had me expecting them to practically go through some magical girl transformation level delays before they could do anything." Sael shook his head while watching the mage interrupt the duke's son's charge with another set of stone pillars erupting from the sand.
"He's just using the stored spells in his staff. Once they run out he'll be at a major disadvantage. If he can't win by the time he runs out of spells they will probably forfeit." Sael half turned to Becket trying to watch the fight and listen to him at the same time. "But that mage is definitely top notch. Most mages keep basic attacks or defenses stored but looks like he came with a distinct plan."
"Well it isn't hard, that meat head is just charging forward relying on toys from daddy to win. He has no plan or skill, just brute force and great defenses." Dego chimed in.
Sael felt personally attacked as he realized that same statement could, minus the toys from daddy part, have described most of his fights. He quickly changed the subject. "So how many spells can a mage store?"
"Depends on the quality of the staff and the skill of the mage. I'm not really sure how they figure it out but normally only half a dozen or so at least. Whoever that mage is, they're definitely good as that staff isn't anything too special."
The duke's son was whizzing across the field dodging stone pillars as he closed in on the mage in a way that made Sael suddenly wish he'd practiced flying more. 'Bastard flies better than I do.'
Another tornado of sand rose up catching the flying fighter again. The moment he was engulfed the mage sank into the sand while a duplicate formed out of the sand, rising up as he sank down. When the tornado was blown apart again by another of the powerful sweeping attacks the enraged fighter dive bombed the clone repeating his previous performance with similar results. Screaming out obscenities the young man struggled against the stone chains before being forced to activate his magical belt a second time to break free.
He slashed at the ground with overhead chops causing shockwaves to send wakes of sand away as he continued to rage. "Come out you hiding coward! Come out and face yours better? Stop using the same stupid tricks over and over. They will not work against a TRUE warrior like me!"
Everyone watched the arena floor intently expecting the mage to either reappear to attack or surrender. Instead the sand rose up as if to form another tornado around Godslayer. "This trick again? I'll blow it away as many times as you can try you stu…" his tirade was cut short when the sand instead of forming a tornado condensed around him pinning his arms down as he was encased in sand from the chest down. Still the sand didn't stop changing slowly forming until it defined a giant hand that rose up lifting the armored fighter high. Eventually the hand gave way to an arm, then a shoulder, and finally the mage was seen rising out of the sand again. They were still chanting as a giant figure rose up from the sand while more sand swirled around them before they were hidden away inside the blank face of the sand golem. As the giant golem of sand rose up the crowd went wild.
"Damn, they aren't just good. They are amazing! Check that out. They hid away to start such a long incantation while that dumb ass let them do it. Plus whatever spell that is has to be at least advanced tier." Becket was standing up like most of the crowd, luckily they had a front row seat otherwise Sael might have dumped Nee out of his lap doing the same. "Look!" Becket pointed as the spectral figure of Alan grew out then shrank back in. Sand expanded and pushed out but the giant's group didn't yield.
Raising its arm high the golem slammed Godslayer down into the sand making a small crater before it's huge foot came down to slam on top of him. People were screaming in excitement at the turn of events, some in true joy some at the thought of their sure bet no longer being so sure. As they all watched the leg pinning the duke's son exploded apart looking like a giant unseen blade was cutting it from the sole of it's foot all the way up to above it's knee.
"Damn how many advanced skills does that rich kid have? That was Endless Slash. I've seen it used by one of the guys in the guild to take down a griffon mid air during a joint raid." Dego sounded a mix of disappointed and disgusted.
Becket glanced at him. "You've been on a joint raid before? What level are you?"
Dego's chest puffed out. "I'm ten, Only reason I haven't done my class change is I was waiting for the ball to end."
In the arena the giant golem started to tilt back as if it was going to fall before it's destroyed leg reformed to slam down catching it's balance. Godslayer seemed completely fine despite the attacks and his unending stream of vitriol seemed to confirm he was sadly still unharmed. After that the golem tried to punch or stomp on the man several times but each time his limbs were blown apart.
"So who is going to win?" Beth asked curiously.
"Hard to say. Either the mage runs out of mana first or that fake Godslayer gets sloppy." Dego nodded.
"My money is still on the duke's son. Even if he decided to take a nap, I'm not sure that the mage has anything that can crack that armor. Flying boots and a belt of power combined with that armor will be almost impossible to beat." Was Becket's response.
"He still has that cheat sword too right?" Ara scowled at the fight as if somehow personally offended.
"Yeah and he still hasn't used it's trump card yet either." Becket was watching the fight intently. 'Damn even if there wasn't a monster like Sael in the tourney the best I could have hoped for is second. Money really might be the best super power.'
Godslayer went into a frenzy slashing apart the golem which repaired itself just as fast. After dozens of attacks he stopped leaning on his sword as his body heaved with exhaustion. But his effort wasn't in vain, the golem was pulling itself together slower and slower. "Enough play time little mage. Time to show this crowd what a real fighter can do!" With one final yell out he raised his sword high. Starting at the edge the bone blade started to turn to a black obsidian like crystal. It went from looking like bone chipped into a blade to glassy crystal chipped into a blade. The wings on his boots grew larger as before he kicked off causing an eruption of sand as he flew straight up.
"He wishes to imitate my king. Cute but pointless." Nee spoke up as they all turned to look skyward. After a while they saw a single ring cloud form before a streak came down to crash into the golem. Sand washed up to crash like a parting sea against the barriers briefly before sinking down. Running the length of the oval arena was a deep scar as if a giant blade had cleaved it in half. Tilting to one side half the golem fell away before dissolving into loose sand. A bloody arm still holding a metallic staff was seen in it. As Godslayer stood up from his attack the remaining part of the golem collapsed back and melted away revealing the now one armed mage.
Crying out in anguish the mage tried to scoot back. Alan, who'd already pulled off his helmet to wave to the crowd seeing the man still alive slammed his helmet down into the sand screaming in rage. He lunged forward, his sword poised to strike the man only to have the once again bone looking blade stopped as earth rose up to form a wall. Still the blade pierced through to stop barely short of impaling the man. Screaming in fury at being interrupted he ignored the moderator and his body swelled with a larger spectral image before compressing back. The blade started to slide forward through the stone towards the mage that was now motionless, having passed out in either fear or blood loss. Before the blade could impale the man Alan was thrown black as the earth erupted. A tall humanoid figure made of liquid silver had landed like a lightning bolt. It's features sharpened and then darkened turning into a tall dark skinned woman wearing a deep purple robe.
"This match is over, he can no longer fight." Alan hopped up his face turning purple in rage as the tall woman addressed him.
"How dare you interrupt my fight? He hasn't yielded yet!" He stomped forward trying to tower over the woman but finding her a match for his height. This only seemed to enrage him more.
"The fight was called and a moderator was forced to intervene. This is a tournament not a battlefield. Pointless death will not be allowed."
Alan's lip curled back in a snarl but the Guild Master simply stood there perfectly calm. Finally he seemed to grow tired of staring into the passive face of the mage and turned away spitting into the sand still furious. Looking up he saw the man sitting with his whores all of them looking at him with disgust. Faster than anyone could react he spun around and slammed his foot into the pommel of his sword knocking it forward to impale the mage through the chest. "Fuck you, I don't care about you or your stupid rules." He grabbed the hilt of his sword and wrenched it free from the shattered stone wall. He glared at the mage as if daring her to do something.
For her part Sele glared right back but instead of attacking the spoiled boy she yelled out. "Healers!"
Alan strutted away glaring at the green and silver clad man while ignoring the booing crowd.