As soon as those words were declared, both fighters prepared for battle. Lightning snaked around Etris' body which burned the air. Pryce dashed toward the arrogant woman, his bat raised for a powerful smash.
The attack was evaded as the lighting maiden tilted her body. A whistle could be heard due to the dangerous weapon. It whizzed through the air, causing a slight gust of wind.
"You won't stand a chance if that's all you have to offer." She mocked.
Etris moved with lighting speed, her hand firmly clutching his face. They zapped high into the air in an instant. The volatile energy was channeled from her to the angry man's frame.
"Aaaahhhhh!" Pryce roared in pain. It was frying him. He needed to escape her grasp.
A powerful attack was thrown toward her side. Before it could connect, she threw him down to the ground. It didn't take a second for a powerful bolt of lightning to appear in her hand. Her arm blurred as she chucked it like a javelin. Right after the hotheaded man crashed into the ground, the bolt slammed into him.
BOOM
There was a large shockwave as electricity burst out in every direction. All of the spectators watched with mild interest. It seemed Ravencorpse had gained a truly powerful recruit! Etris slowly floated to the ground.
A few seconds passed before the dust cleared. Pryce could be seen standing up, some of his clothes torn. His expression seemed even angrier. How was it possible to get more angry than that? Steam was being emitted from his body.
"That fucking hurt…I'm going to break you!" He growled.
The strength of his aura had increased. He'd gotten stronger. Pryce barely tapped his foot, and the ground shattered. Wind mana screamed around his bat as he instantly appeared beside Etris. He swung.
WOOOSH
She leapt out of the way in the nick of time. The powerful swing had torn the ground open for several meters. Everyone viewed the destruction with surprise. He didn't seem that strong in the beginning!
After dodging that deadly attack, she decided to remain at a distance. It was the smart thing to do. No experienced fighter would risk getting hit by that. Multiple bolts of lightning were thrown at the delinquent. Pryce smashed through each attack, the sizzling pain only making him angrier.
The steam being emitted from his body turned hotter, and the ground began to melt. Etris didn't want to risk taking another attack. She zapped behind him and slammed her palm into his back.
POOF
A massive force of lightning shot out the front side of his stomach. He couldn't stop his body from flying away. Like tumbleweed, his frame skipped across the ground. He eventually caught himself and spit out some blood. It quickly evaporated.
"......" There were no more words to be said. Pryce had reached a new level of anger. He couldn't speak anymore.
Etris could feel her sweat turn cold. Listening to her instincts, she backed up even further. The sky turned overcast as storm clouds appeared. Lightning struck down onto the maiden's figure, engulfing her with power. Her hand pointed toward the angry man in the shape of a gun.
"Railgun." She muttered.
A powerful beam of electric energy blasted toward him. Time seemed to slow down. One second she was watching him from a distance, and the next, he was in front of her. The arrogant woman's attack had been ignored. Now she was vulnerable. A distorted grin adorned his face as he swung the weapon into her stomach. Pryce's bat had finally hit home.
PING
A resounding sound reverberated throughout the area. Like swatting a fly, Etris disappeared. The blow was so powerful that the surroundings were upheaved. The ground rose and the nearby trees were uprooted. The captains put up mana shields to protect the audience.
There was a moment of silence as everyone looked for the lightning maiden. Suddenly, a swathe of mana butterflies burst into existence. Etris' unconscious frame laid on top of them. Her ribs were shattered. King Solomon had caught her before she flew too far.
If the Archmage hadn't caught her, she would've disappeared over the horizon. The spectators knew that something was off about Pryce. His power had eclipsed that of Gold in the final moments.
"Winner: Pryce of Phoenix Talon!" Commander Vance exclaimed.
The audience was silent. This was supposed to be an exhibition match! Not a deadly fight to the death! Pryce slowly calmed down before clicking his tongue.The king cleared his throat.
"Although it was your victory, we don't approve of your brutality. Save that for your enemies. Not your comrades." Solomon declared.
"Tch." The hotheaded man only grunted before walking back to his team.
He glared at Frazier who looked in the opposite direction. Fighting didn't seem to be the right path to humiliate Pryce. They would get beaten instead. At least he could back up his words.
'Hmmm…That anger…It reminds me of a calamity beast.' King Solomon thought.
Without further ado, the healers of Bloody Thorn rushed over to Etris. Faye and some of her teammates did their best to patch her up. This would definitely be a humbling experience for the arrogant woman.
"Alright, who would like to go next?" Vance called out.
…
…
…
Time passed as several matches went by. The field had been reconstructed after each duel. Eventually, everyone turned toward the last few recruits. Eldan and a couple others had yet to participate. When the audience looked toward Silent Night, they frowned. Where was the Legendary recruit?
"Commander Aiden, where are your recruits?" King Solomon questioned.
The red eyed man frowned. After looking at his group, he shook his head. Irritation was boiling up inside. Muzette could feel his emotion. The succubus was extremely sensitive to these types of things.
"Don't worry captain ~ I'll go get them." She hummed before sinking into her shadow. Aiden then turned back to the king.
"Apologies, Your Majesty. My recruits are extremely abnormal. The newest one…he likes to wander."
"The Legendary? That is understandable. Most people with such potential tend to be eccentric. No worries, we'll wait." Solomon responded.
Once his words were said, the area went silent. People quietly ate their snacks and drank their beverages. Princess Sophia was extremely curious about the new recruit her father was talking about. Prince Osbern gnashed his teeth. How dare some lowly recruit keep his father waiting!