"That's why your pathetic race is worth nothing in my eyes,"
Kira could only stare back at the monster in answer, knowing damn well that her anger would really be the worst idea right about now.
She could feel the ice she was trapped in getting awfully painful, and when she tried breaking it, it didn't budge an inch, the main reason being her mana was depleted. But her mouth was still free, and she had some words for this girl.
"You have some guts saying that, right after the general acknowledged my race. What, this a personal thing for you?" Kira asked, smiling even under her critical condition.
That seemed to strike a nerve on Dacia.
"You really think the general can hear me from all the way over here? I'm gonna enjoy wiping that smug look off your face. Just so you know, I'll never accept your race as one of ours!"
The second she said this, she fired off multiple ice shards, all to attack the defenseless monster who could only close her eyes and accept her fate.
"I think that's enough for today," I said.
I appeared right in front of Kira and destroyed each and every one of the ice shards thrown at her using my speed. Though it would have been much easier to use earth magic, but I still have a secret to keep.
"THERE HE IS, LADIES AND GENTLEMONSTERS! THE MAN OF THE HOUR!"
The crowd cheered with new found strength from my appearance, but I really couldn't care less. I stared back at the North student, who looked angry that I had intervened, and shook my head at her.
"What? You think you're better than me, is that it?! Come on then Furrhas, two on one will never be a bother to me!"
I raised my eyebrow in question, "Really? You want to fight me now? I just came to save my friend. Stand down, girl,"
"Not gonna happen you waste of space! This is a chance to finally show these people just how weak you guys really are!"
"I'm not going to fight you just because you asked me. I've got more pressing matters to deal with," I said while turning back to Kira, who had passed out in pain. She really was banged up real bad. Where's the med team when you need it?
"Ran away, just like your race always does. Huh, don't even know what I expected from you, but I guess trash always supports other trash," Dracia said with venom.
I completely ignored her, cause she was clearly just trying to get a rise out of me, and I knew fully well that were we to fight, she would somehow use Kira as my weakness so that she could win. There was also this eerie feeling I was getting from her that made me not to want to fight her now. But mainly, I had no idea how much danger Kira was in with her injuries.
"WE WANNA SEE BLOOD!" Someone from the crowds yelled.
"LET THEM FIGHT! LET THEM FIGHT! LET THEN FIGHT! " the crowd began chanting
I turned to the crowd watching and realized I was again placed on the screen. Good, cause even if they can't hear me with all the chanting, they could see my actions.
I raised both of my hands in the air, and made an X sign. Then, I pointed to Kira and hoped the crowd got what I was trying to do.
"HEY! THE KID SAYS HE'LL PROTECT HIS GIRLFRIEND!"
"YEAH, YOU'RE RIGHT! BUT I THOUGHT HE PROMISED TO MARRY MY DAUGHTER?!"
"SINCE WHEN DID HE MAKE THAT PROMISE?!"
"Ouch, such betrayal! Bad news for us, dear father monsters. The kid is already taken!" the announcer joined in.
I slapped my head in frustration, forgetting what kind of crowd I was dealing with. That said, at least they got something right. I was going to protect Kira.
I walked on over to her, all the while my beast senses alert of any danger the North girl might pose. But it seemed that unless I were the one to attack her, she couldn't outright attack an invigilator unless she risked more trouble. I made the right choice in ignoring her.
At last , five minutes after I had stepped in to save Kira, the med team had arrived to get her out. Though I couldn't used flame magic right now, I did use my saint heal ability to lessen the damage on her, but not enough to be noticed.
The med team came out with a flame and ice expert, and soon after melting all the ice from Kira, they placed her on a stretcher and moved her out of the arena. The North girl was still around, being nursed of her little injuries but still here, giving me a death stare.
I stared at her for one last time before moving over to the part of the crowd from where I assumed my classmates were. Kira would be alright now, but the main reason I didn't want to escort her to the med area is because I didn't want to meet the head healer again. My guts tell me that that would be a bad idea
Sure enough, just as I guessed, there were seats set aside for the students to sit on, and that's where I saw my class.
North and West were placed in one corner, East and South in another. I noticed Blade becone for me and I walked on over, after greeting the few North students who greeted me first. West outright ignored me, but I think that girl I rescued before from the great lizard gave me a wink. East was as friendly as always, Jay giving me a thumbs up.
"What's up guys? Still in the running I see," I began as I high fived my friends before sitting on a free seat next to Bareth.
"I thought you wouldn't have made it here with you being and invigilator and all, but I saved you a seat just in case. Where were you, Max? Cause I'm certain you weren't with the teachers in their invigilator area," Emily asked.
"Well, after lunch–"
"Wait, let me stop you there. Even that lunch you weren't around. We were making a plan, and we needed some of your input. Some rep you are," Blade said.
"Wha–hey! That wasn't my fault! I didn't even know what the next event was in the first place! And where or who I have lunch with really should be an arguing point. But for what it's worth, sorry that I wasn't there when you needed me. We good?"
"No we're not "good". You think an apology half-backed like that one would appease our souls?"
"Ease up on him, Blade. He did just save Kira after all," Jessie defended me.
"Oh, about that. Max, you know if you weren't around to save her, just about everyone here were about to risk it all and attack the girl head on. Even if we were to be disqualified," Bareth stated with a smile on his face.
"Yeah, but you didn't have to. Cause I was there. And also... You know what, never mind,"
I can't tell them that even if I wasn't there for Kira, she would have still been alright. There was someone else who wanted to save her. Though I don't have proof that he was there, I still sensed him around. Maybe it was the Beast king or Flinty. I'm not really sure.
"So, whose going up to fight Flavo? Griffin?"I asked as we all watched the arena being cleared by the clean up crew, excellent as always.
Griffin stared at me like I had grown a new head before answering, "I know I'm the temporary representative and all, but I know my limits. The one representing us is–"
"Me!" a gruff voice answered from the back. We all turned and saw Clive staring back at us with a frown on his face. He was sitting in the middle, between two other South students, Kim and Jackson.
"Have you been listening in on us all this time quietly and waited for the right time just so you could say "me"?" I asked him with a smirk.
"N-no! I just started listening in right now and saw it fit join in at the appropriate time," he answered defensively.
"Sure you were,"
"Nice to see you too, Max," Kim said. Jackson just nodded his head as a greeting. Doesn't like talk a lot, Jackson.
"Sup you two. Didn't see a lot of you during the competition,"
"Yeah well, when the main character hogs all the crowds attention, you just don't notice the extras, right?"
"Wait, now I'm confused. Clive was hogging all the attention?"
"No! Well... yeah, him too but I meant you, idiot!"
"Well soooorryy! It's not my fault the camera just loves me!"
He rolled his eyes at me. Clive suddenly stood up and started walking towards the door.
"Heading over to your fight?" I asked him.
"Watch how a real monster fights in the arena, Max. You could stand to learn a thing or too," he said as he disappeared into the doorway.
"Me? Learn from you? Unlikely,"
***
The class caught me up to speed with the previous fights, and we also shared some jokes, before I returned to the invigilation sector, where I was required to be. But I had a request for the general.
"General Zard, can I be excused just this once to go and watch the match with my friends?" I asked him as he was compiling the previous matches results in the tower.
"No can do, Max. We have another job for you, and that's to ref the last match," he answered as he typed down more calculations in the large computer, not even giving me a glance.
"Why me?! Or more importantly, why should I? The previous matches went on smoothly without a ref. I think you guys are just looking for somewhere to keep me busy other than just relax and watch the match,"
"That's... not true. And when I said invigilate, I meant from a far. Somewhere that no one can tell you're invigilating, and definitely not around your friends cause they can distract you,"
"Do I have to? Like, if I just stayed near my friends and still viewed the match–"
"What is this I'm hearing from you, boy? Refusing direct orders from your general?" a deep voice interrupted me. The head general walked in and everyone in the room had to salute his arrival.
"At ease, everyone. Now, what was the Furrha complaining about?"
"Nothing sir," I answered, dejectedly.
"Good. Now go do what you're supposed to, cadet,"
"Sir!"
*sigh*
No rest for the Furrha, I suppose.
–––
"We've come around the last round, and I can say with almost certainty that this has been one of the most exciting events I have ever watched. But that's just me, what say you crowd?" the announcer asked.
"WE WANT BLOOD!" one answered.
"WRONG ANSWER STUPID! WHAT HE MEANT TO SAY WAS THAT WE AGREE, RIGHT?"
"WE AGREE! WE AGREE! WE AGREE!"
"Nice to hear that. And funny enough, the nine billion monsters we're streaming to also agree with all of us. Well then, let the final match between Clive Dickson and Flavo Gustov, BEGIN!"
Both fighters immediately run at each other, and that was the start of the final event of the day. I'm near, as the general had requested, in case you're wondering. Just under the large arena doors, hiding in the shadows.
This fight was sure to be interesting, but something serious was occupying my mind.
"They actually streamed those horrendous pictures they took of me to over nine billion monsters?!"
"They really weren't great, weren't they?"
"You could say that again–what a damn minute. I'm supposed to be alone!"
I jumped out of my earlier position and took a fighting stance, ready for whoever or whatever was with me in the dark. The said monster slowly walked out to the light, and I immediately went to my knees in fear.
"Y-your Majesty, King Jason! Many lives to follow your grace," I greeted the king of all monsters.
"Calm down kid. I'd appreciate it if you didn't make a whole show out of this. Now stand up, you still have a fight to watch,"
"Yes, of course, my grace,"
I did as the king asked and turned back to the fight. But I really couldn't concentrate as much as the strongest monster known to the beastverse stood beside me.
Looks like that white beard of his had grown out a bit larger, and can I say more whiter? His face still looked that of a fifty year old, but I'm sure he's lived a lot more than just that small number. The long white flowing hair of his was let loose to fall on his back, making him look more impressive that I thought.
He was dressed in a large white coat, with golden strips on his shoulders, same as his trousers, which went well with his tall posture. He noticed me observing him and smiled, but I immediately turned my head back to the fight in embarrassment.
"If I may be so bold to ask of his majesty, how were you, or more accurately, are you able to hid your presence from me, and the entire multitude of monsters around?" I asked him.
"Simple really. I just shut down my mana reserves,"
"Just like that?"
"Yeah, though for other monsters, it might be just a bit more difficult,"
"By difficult, you mean impossible, right? And, if you will, can I ask when you arrived?"
"A little earlier before the day started. Why? Did you guess I was around?"
"Not guess. More like, I sensed your mana around here when I was passing by the corridors. Any particular reason you don't want anyone to know you are around?"
"That's... confidential,"
"Of course, my king. Sorry for stepping out of line,"
"Just watch the match, kid. And, once done here, we can both go out and give the results. And also discuss how you were able to sense me even when the head general couldn't, even if it was just for a moment,"
"Yeah, I guess I'll have to explain that–Wait what do you mean the both of us go out?!"