The sun had barely risen, casting a golden light over the central arena as Damon and Arianne stood in line with the other competitors. The air was thick with anticipation, the roar of the crowd already reaching their ears from the stands. Damon's grip tightened around the hilt of his sword, his mind focused but his heart racing with a mixture of excitement and nervousness.
"So, this is it," Damon said, adjusting the strap on his sword belt as he glanced at Arianne. "I thought it was going to be worse, with all the nobles and their fancy weapons."
Arianne gave him a sideways glance, her lips curling into a smirk. "I told you. Not everyone here is a noble or a trained knight. Some of these people are just regular folk with a hunger to prove themselves. Like us."
"Right," Damon replied, though his mind still lingered on the idea of facing the elite competitors he'd heard so much about. But as they surveyed the crowd of hopefuls, he noticed that there were no noble houses in sight. The tournament hadn't yet brought the heirs of the grand families forward. What was left were the common fighters, many of them bearing the same nerves he and Arianne had.
"Competitors," a voice called out from the announcer's booth, cutting through the noise of the crowd. A tall man in ceremonial armor stood on a raised platform, his voice booming. "The tournament will begin in ten minutes. The first round will be held in the central arena. Prepare yourselves for battle. Only the strongest will move on to the next stage."
The crowd erupted in cheers, the air electric with excitement.
Damon couldn't help but feel a rush of adrenaline surge through him. He turned to Arianne. "Alright, let's do this."
Arianne's gaze hardened with focus, her calm demeanor never wavering. "Remember, stick to the plan. We don't need to go all out. Just enough to make it through."
"Yeah," Damon replied, though he wasn't entirely sure if he could keep it controlled. There was a fire inside him that had been ignited when he heard about this tournament, and it was hard to ignore.
The first few rounds passed quickly. Damon and Arianne fought their way through the ranks, encountering competitors with varying degrees of skill. Some were fierce but clumsy, others had quick reflexes but lacked the strength to hold their ground. It was clear that the competition wasn't going to be a walk in the park, but it wasn't as overwhelming as Damon had feared either.
For Damon, it was about using his sword and his aura together, the familiar movements of the blade paired with the energy that pulsed through him. His aura was raw, instinctual—something he'd trained to harness but never truly mastered. It allowed him to add force to his strikes, overwhelming his opponents with both his physical power and the sheer pressure of the energy he channeled. It wasn't always graceful, but it worked.
His first opponent, a burly man armed with a massive warhammer, came charging at him with wild swings. Damon sidestepped the first blow, his sword flashing out in a quick slash that cut across the man's shoulder. He followed up with a burst of aura, creating a shockwave of force that sent his opponent stumbling back, off balance. Damon seized the opportunity, closing the distance and landing a clean strike to the man's side, forcing him to yield.
"Not bad," Damon muttered to himself, his heart still racing. The battle had been quick, but the rush was real.
Arianne's opponents were equally varied, though she handled each of them with the grace and precision of someone who had spent years perfecting her technique. She wasn't just skilled with a blade—her true strength lay in her ability to control water, a gift she had honed over the years with her father's guidance.
For each of her opponents, Arianne's water manipulation became her ultimate advantage. She could control the flow of the liquid in her environment, turning a simple pool of water on the ground into a weapon to trap or disarm her opponents.
In her first fight, a lean woman with a staff tried to circle around Arianne, looking for an opening. But Arianne was faster. With a flick of her wrist, she summoned a jet of water from the nearby fountain, lashing it out at her opponent with precise control. The woman's staff was knocked from her hands, and Arianne swiftly followed up with a series of strikes, using the water to form shields and whip-like tendrils that struck from unexpected angles.
The woman stumbled back, gasping for air as the water wrapped around her legs, binding her in place. With a gentle push of her hand, Arianne forced the woman to surrender. The crowd cheered, but Arianne's face remained expressionless, her focus on the next opponent.
Damon caught sight of her after her victory, feeling a pang of admiration. "Nice work," he said with a grin as they crossed paths briefly on the sidelines.
"You too," she replied, not missing a beat. "Let's keep moving."
Hours passed, and Damon and Arianne moved through round after round, taking down one opponent after another. Damon's confidence grew with each victory, his earlier nerves fading as he started to see just how strong he had become. The fights were tougher, but none of them felt insurmountable. He and Arianne had the skill, and together they made a formidable pair.
By the time the first stage of the tournament drew to a close, Damon was exhausted but exhilarated. He had faced opponents with a variety of combat styles, each one a challenge in its own right. But nothing had been more intense than the last match of the day.
Arianne had just defeated her last opponent—a lanky man who had wielded a bow and arrows, but he had no chance against her speed and water-based control. Damon, meanwhile, had faced off against a wiry man who had relied heavily on agility. Damon's sword clashed against his opponent's dagger in a wild dance of slashes and blocks. But, in the end, Damon's raw strength and the force of his aura had tipped the balance, sending the dagger flying and forcing his opponent to submit.
The announcer's voice rang out once again. "The first round is over! Congratulations to those who have passed. Your next challenge will come tomorrow. Rest up, for the competition grows fiercer from here."
Damon and Arianne exchanged a glance, both of them breathing hard but with smiles on their faces. They had made it through the first round, but there was still so much more to come.
"Well, we made it through the first day," Arianne said, slinging an arm around his shoulder. "But tomorrow? It gets real."
Damon nodded, a spark of determination in his eyes. "Tomorrow, we fight to win."
As they left the arena and made their way back to their small quarters, Damon couldn't shake the feeling that the tournament was just the beginning. Whatever lay ahead, he was ready. And with Arianne by his side, he knew they could face anything.