Noon was approaching quickly for Aisrin. He was being held in a room simewhere in the palace. He was contemplating on how he would win the fight.
'Do I have any skills that don't require mana?'
(Two. Limit Break and Takeover. They're considered innate skills. Bit I don't know if those are allowed either. You can only ask.)
'Hmm, I'll open with Limit Break then. Takeover can be used as a last resort.'
(I wouldn't recommend Takeover. Verenia is right, there's a drawback that comes with it, especially after Divine Ascension.)
'What about Limit Break?'
(As of right now, there's only a serious fatigue that may follow after the twenty-four hour period.)
'Hmm... This Sword Princess.... Did you by chance get to take a look at her power?'
(Of course. I highly recommend surrendering. She's on a level far above you. She's a couple thousand higher at the least. She also a favor with the gods.)
'Then if I'm able to use Limit Break, that be my only chance.'
(Maybe.)
'You seem to have already decided on my defeat.'
(Its Inevitable. I can not calculate anything short of a miracle for you to aquire a victory.)
'That's sounds bleak coming from you.'
(Oh, so you trust me then?)
'You've been with me the longest.'
(I wouldn't say that.)
'Hmm?'
(Nothing. Just... be careful, and don't die.)
'That's guaranteed. I've things I must do before I die.'
Soon, a couple guards came into the room and began escorting Aisrin to the venue. The venue was a colleseum near the center of the city. He recieved looks of contempt from the guards and soldiers that lined his path to the venue.
'How welcoming.'
(This is your fault.)
'I still dint have a shirt.'
(I think you look rugged and manly.)
'I feel exposed.'
Aisrin was led into the colleseum, through a tunnel that ultimately opened into the main arena.
"Boy, you really know how to make a scene." Hephaestus stood next to the entrance with the three girls.
"Oh, is this my corner?" Aisrin joked.
"I'm glad you can keep such a carefree demeanor given who you face. That girl us nothing short of extraordinary." Hephaestus motioned towards the woman clad in blue and orange armor. Even her circlet was replaced by a half helm of blue and orange. A blue sword adorned her waist.
"Now I feel underdressed for the occasion" Aisrin joked further.
"I'm not kidding kid. Don't overestimate yourself out there." Hephaestus warned.
"Hah, I got it. Don't worry. I'm going into this fully prepared to lose. Even I know when I'm at a disadvantage. But, I have a plan." Aisrin sighed and laid his hand on Hephaestus' shoulder.
"Very well... That sword though, I swear I've seen it before." Hephaestus muttered. Aisrin began walking towards the middle of the Arena.
"I have a quick question, if u may bother your majesty. Can we use Innate Skills?" Aisrin asked as soon as he was within a couple yards of The Princess.
"My name is Elvira Von Fargos. Not 'your Majesty'! And yes, you can use Innate Skills." Elvira clenched her fists in aggravation.
"Okay." Aisrin nodded.
"The Royal Duel between Elvira Von Fargos and Sin, shall not begin!" An announcer indicated the start of the Duel.
'That was rather quick. And man, what a turn out! Is this the whole of the city?'
Aisrin drew his daggers, that he was issued back once entering the colleseum. Elvira launched at Aisrin quickly.
"Oh shit." Aisrin jumped to the side, narrowly dodging the blue sword.
"Tch." Elvira clicked her tongue.
'Is that just fashion here?'
"Limit Break." Aisrin activated his Innate skill, doubling all his stats. A crimson lightning began crackling around him, and he sped up further, getting around Elvira swiftly.
'Oh, I guess This'll be easier than I thought.'
"How peculiar, you have the same Innate Skill as me. Limit Break." Elvira vanished and Aisrins dagger buried itself in the dirt where she once was.
(I told you to be careful.)
"Noted." Aisrin jumped back, dodging a slash from the blue sword.
"Blood Qi. That crimson energy, I never thought I'd see Royal Demon Arts here." Elvira commented.
"Ah, this is a Royal Demon Art? Weird, it's not listed in my status." Aisrin mumbled.
(That's because you haven't reached the point in which you can actually use it. It only happens when you're either pissed off in rage, or using Limit Break.)
'Oh.'
"Those daggers of yours, won't withstand my Mythril blade. Perhaps you should surrender." Elvira grinned cockily.
"Ah, now I know where I've seen that blade." Hephaestus commented from the sidelines.
"That's the Heaven's Sword! Crafted by Blodenhiem!" Regina exclaimed.
"Heaven's Blade? How utterly bland, just like that crafting fool. Such a poor excuse of a blacksmithing god! I've forged butter knives sharper than that hunk of wasted metal!" Hephaestus scorned.
Aisrin, obviously couldn't hear this conversation. He was focused on dodging. The Mythril blade sang through the air everytime it was swung.
"See, I'm poorly underdressed!" Aisrin sweated. That blade was dangerously sharp. Adding the skills that Elvira had, Aisrin felt like he was fighting a god of death. Every strike aimed for lethal points.
'If I'm hit once by that blade, nevermind getting married, I won't be doing much of anything but fertilizing a field!'
Elvira was only getting faster, pushing Aisrin beyond his limits. He narrowly dodged a strike towards his right eye, only suffering a deep gash to his cheek and ear.
"Ouch!" Aisrin grimaced.
"What happened to your cocky attitude?" Elvira smiled harshly.
"Give it a moment." Aisrin responded. He stumbled a bit and had to block with his daggers a thrust towards his chest. His daggers shattered and he had to drop down to avoid getting skewered.
"Now what? You're weaponless. Think you can still fight? Face your defeat with honor, you stand zero chance against me." Elvira commanded Aisrin.
"Weaponless? I got two fists." Aisrin raised his fists up in a typical military stance from his old world.
"Is that so. Then I'm done playing around." Elvira scowled and launched at Aisrin at a speed far faster than before. Aisrin didn't move and instead chose to calculate her next strike. She was aiming for his eyes again.
'Its just a knife. It's just a knife.'
He easily dodged last second, using the momentum of his opponent, he circled around and watched as Elvira shot passed him. She quickly spun back around, now cautious.
"So you didn't specialize in daggers, but instead brawling?" Elvira questioned.
"Uh, no, not really. Just reflex." Aisrin answered.
"I'll offer one last time. Surrender while you can." Elvira pointed her sword at Aisrin, an ominous glare in her eyes.
"BOY! CATCH!" Hephaestus called out, Aisrin glanced at Hephaestus, who had just pulled a bronze Gladius from his storage and tossed it.
"Oh, sweet.... Wait.... doesn't everything that comes out of there growreallyfast!" Aisrin rushed his words together as the Gladius grew exponentially until it was the size of a semi truck and trailer. It crashed down, narrowly avoiding cleaving Aisrins arm off.
"Who the fuck weilds a giant as blade like that! Who did you make that for? King Kong?" Aisrin yelled back at Hephaestus.
"Just grab the handle!" Hephaestus laughed. Elvira looked at the giant blade with concern and confusion. Aisrin took the chance and sprinted passed her and jumped tords the handle. Elvira snapped out of her concern and rushed after Aisrin.
Aisrin latched onto the handle, and the giant blade morphed and shrunk. Because of this, he ended up dropping, and dodged Elviras slash once more.
The blade had shrunk and morphed until it was a single edged blade.
"I thought it was a gladius.. what the hell is this?" Aisrin looked at the bronze blade. It was easily held in one hand, it's blade was straight and sharp. The lightness spoke of speed over power.
"Oh, I think this suits me well." Aisrin smiled. Elvira rushed once again, flurry of attacks in no particular order. Slash, thrust, cut, cleave. She was running out of patience. Aisrin parried and blocked. The blade neither nicking or shattering against the onslaught.
The ring of swords clashing finally filled the odd silence that once exuded through the arena. It felt more like a Duel now. Elvira pushed harder, though she overpowered Aisrin in every aspect, the blade seemed to give Aisrin a clarity in his mind, making his reflexes just a fraction of a second quicker.
Elvira went for a downward cleave, but Aisrin caught it on the edge of his blade and twisted his wrist in the same motion, deflecting her power downward with all the momentum of her cleave. The blue sword sliced into the dirt, giving Aisrin his first opening, he had jumped back just in case. He quickly went for her neck, planning on stopping just short, he rushed towards her, thinking he'd won.
(DODGE!)
But it was too late, in a quick motion, Elvira let go of her sword, stood quickly and kicked upward while leaning back on her other leg, her foot slamming into Aisrins throat. It was as if he had run into a solid steel beam. He was launched back like an arrow fired from a bow, his weapon dropped where he was launched, and he slammed into the arena wall.
His throat was crushed, blood spewed from his mouth. He could breathe, but he couldn't speak. He dropped down to the ground, further expelling air, and aggravating his injury.
"Ugack!" Aisrin attempted to speak.
'What the actual fuck?'
(She's extremely skilled. I warned you.)
Aisrins vision was blurred and fuzzy. He tried to stand, but his equilibrium was off. So he only made it to his knees and sat there swaying.
Elvira picked up her sword and began walking up to Aisrin.
"I told you to surrender while you still could." Elvira commented.
'I won't lose to her! Fucking Royalty!'
The blade that sat on the arena ground began to stir, in the hilt, a blue stone shone.
"Hoh? Did she really?" Hephaestus muttered.
[Hold your hand out. Reach for the blade.]
'What?'
[Reach for the Blade.]
Aisrin held his hand out, as if reaching for something.
"Oh, now you surrender? How smart." Elvira misinterpreted. The blade behind her, shot towards Aisrin like a bullet. The hilt slammed into his hand, and a chaotic energy began to pour into his body from the contact.
(Temporary Ascension of Limit Break to Blood Qi, Royal Demon Arts.)
Aisrins eyes flashed gold and his skin began to darken until crimson. His hair darkened to a purple and the pain in his throat vanished.
Elvira shot backwards. The blade in Aisrins hand turned into a ring with a blue stone, and fixated on his right middle finger. A whole new aura exuded from him.
(Okay, I wasn't expecting that. But, you only have five minutes, don't fuck around.)
Aisrin glared at Elvira and launched himself at her. Elvira guarded, but Aisrin appeared before her in a flash and brought his fist up and connected with her abdomen, crushing her breast plate and flinging her into the arena wall.
The impact catered the wall and shook the earth under it. Aisrin pointed his fist at her as if to say, 'That's for earlier, now we're even.'
Elvira stared at him with pure anger and pulled herself from the wall and shot towards him, further damaging the wall with the force. Aisrin batted her away back into a wa, and the process repeated. She launched herself at him, and he appeared before her and smacked her back.
Verenia dropped to her knees as she stared at Aisrin. The pressure he exuded was on another level.
"Its as if I watching my father fighting instead of Sin-san." She shivered.
"Hmm, yeah, but he got too full of himself. That blade only gave him a brief surge of power, and he's used it all up. This fights over." Hephaestus pointed. Sure enough, five minutes had passed and he returned to normal, his body still as badly beaten as before he started the counter attack.
Aisrin stood there, his body completely numb.
(Five minutes are up.)
Aisrin tried to move but fell face first into the ground. Elvira was in poor shape, but she could move. She limped towards Ausrin and stood above him. She pointed her sword at his throat.
"Hah, hah, hah, surrender!" She managed to say while breathing laboriously. Aisrin looked up at her and gave one last cocky smile while giving her the middle finger.
"G-go fuck... yourself!" He managed to croak. Elvira stared down at him, her face clouded by pure rage. She lifted her foot up and slammed it down on Aisrins head, rocking the whole arena and burying Aisrin a few feet into the dirt. His arm went limp, and Elvira was declared the victor.