"You may have a dream you wish to conquer but I don't intent on dying for the third time.... its rather annoying."
Owen slowly cracked his fists and cautiously moved to the bone buccaneer, with a slight smile expressing on his face.
The bone buccaneer became quiescent and stared conservatively at Owen, unyielded, while removing the dagger which was pieced in its voided right eye socket.
"Ha-ha, I think that should be more than enough..."
'It's still standing?'
Owen questioned worryingly in his psyche while gazing the unhinged bone buccaneer. Moreover, his mythical scarf suddenly flipped and trippingly shapeshifted into a cloak without any slight mention, which startled him a bit.
'Again?'
Owen moved his arm and placed his hand on the shapeshifting cloak and couldn't help but recollect its past behavioural patterns.
"Well...You did exceptionally good until now but remember, I did say I had much to fight for..."
In a span of an instant, concealed from Owen's vision, radiant runes of attenuated emerald light, flashed upon the dagger like a rotating shaft and shortly vanished, but simultaneously gave rise to a speculative emanation of green illumination on its surface.
"What are you-"
Just as Owen was about to interrogate the bone buccaneer's cryptic words, it opened its boned jaw and muttered unfamiliar words in a subdued tone.
"Abstruse Allathan Runes: Blade Burst."
Instantaneously, the eyes of the bone buccaneer flashed a sheen, cerulean luminosity of blue whilst taking an alternative battle stance and slashed a diagonal strike with such indecipherable speeds that its visionary movements made an after-image, thereupon an effulgence of sorcerous light swelled in the alienating area.
Basically, it was too fast. Too swift to dodge, too quick to react and just too rapid to counterattack.
Owen could only look in dismay and tried evasive movements but the illustrated slash of illuminating light rushed his direction with absurd speeds, there was no time for a single thought. Outright, the mythical slash of light reached his position and-
Boom!
An explosive shockwave from an unreal attack, that travelled faster than the speed of sound, rang the entire celestial amphitheatre, as a cloud of sand particles raised in the air.
The aftermath was nothing short but devastating. Subsequently, a rotating circle of runes motioned around the arm of the bone buccaneer but momentarily disappeared whilst the shining of blue light in its eyes, also vaporized.
******
Witnessing this, most of the disguised figures nodded their heads in approval and silently mumbled their opinions to each other, however, one boastfully uttered without concern.
"See? This is the reason why I acknowledged the condemned's expertise on the dagger."
"Mhm. Sure."
*******
Afterward, the bone buccaneer inspected Owen's previous position in the ascent smoke rickety and shifted its sight back to the dagger, breathing a light air of relief, occasionally coughing.
"I gathered as much magic power as possible for that single attack...So surely, he should have perished...."
Declaring, the bone buccaneer directed its gaze towards the diabolical knight thirstily, yet, it was all for naught.
The fiendish knight continued to be indifferent and stagnant which baffled the bone buccaneer to redirect its studious attention around the arena.
The concealed numbers also were still and persisted to observe the duel silently. This was when the realization materialized in its skull.
"No....it couldn't be…..."
Eventually, the bone buccaneer motioned its head swiftly and stared distressingly at the rising smoke, preparedness on its movements.
The smoke ultimately settled and revealed a kneeling Owen on the ground, who shook weakly with heavy breathing.
Miraculously, he seemed surprisingly uninjured despite enduring an unreal mythical strike. Obviously, the bone buccaneer gazed shockingly but something caught its sight.
It was the black cloak.
That mysterious cloak was emitting weaves of light and was reconstructing itself from the damage, which it sustained from the bone buccaneer's assault on its surface.
Furthermore, the shapeshifting cloak was hardened like unbreakable steel, protecting him like a formidable shield.
"What the heck was that..."
Uttering, while struggling to stand up and a mysterious thin smile was seen on his face.
Giving particular attention to Owen's strenuous effort, the bone buccaneer's eyes colourised a familiar luminosity of blue in its retinas and moderately raised its fist.
'I cannot wait for Owen to stand up for I don't know the rest of his abilities. So, because of that, he is too dangerous...'
Suddenly, upon conducting its thoughts, the bone buccaneer's external surface became engulfed by a mystifying aura of sky-blue and swelled around its fist.
Shortly after, the bone buccaneer dashed against Owen with impressive speeds and delivered a powerful punch which was directed straight upon his head but once again, the black cloak hardened like an external shield and protected him.
Nevertheless, the force was rather powerful and still sent him flying like a doll and he collided against the wall of the arena.
After discharging the punch, the bone buccaneer's movements became torpid and it bend a knee on the ground whilst coughing inexistence air uncontrollably.
'Damnation, I utilized too much magical power.... It's now affecting my spiritual form. At this point, further usage of my power will weaken me to critical levels.'
The bone buccaneer stood up feebly and clenched its dagger tightly.
'If I was in the Material Realm, my power would have recovered but here? Yea...Its impossible for someone like me.'
Breathing out a non-existence air of frustration out, the bone buccaneer turned its gaze to Owen but,
"Damn, by the gods, that hurt! Now, you really pissed me off...…you walking corpse."
Regrettably, it seems Owen was seriously injured by the punch because he sustained a broken left arm in the exchange but all of his focus was on the bone buccaneer, although it was full of anger.
"Right...right back at ya, you undying insect..."
Owen paused his movements and his expression became dull, afterward, he let out a chuckle.
"I know. Its rather one of my best survival traits...."
Subsequently, the black cloak motioned and wrapped around Owen's broken arm, which relaxed his expression a bit.
Soon, both competitors stood opposite of each other, both entities giving an atmosphere of murderous intent, constantly showing cold glances and ultimately, they engaged.
Meeting, the bone buccaneer was the first to strike with a horizontal strike but once again, Owen quickly dodged and couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
'The bone buccaneer's movements are slower....'
And made a rotating kick, which aimed for the skull of the competitor but surprisingly, the bone buccaneer dodged as well.
'I guess having a broken arm doesn't help your attack speed huh?'
Owen thought as his face occasionally darkened due to the pain surging from his broken arm but regardless, he continued his battle with the bone buccaneer and used every tactic in his arsenal.
However, none of them slowed their assault and neither pushing one back. This was truly a free for all with both competitors fighting with all of their remaining strength and neither one wanting to stop their onslaught.
Nonetheless, a quarter of an hour passed and ultimately, both fighters were on the verge of collapse....
"This is not what I imagined our battle would go...."
"Actually...things are going according to plan for me..."
The bone buccaneer glanced Owen and shook its head. It was clear Owen was the most exhausted of the two, so his statement was rather groundless.
"Don't worry Owen, for I will deliver you a painless death so...yield already."
"Hah, how about a…...no"
"As...you wish. A painful death it is."
Abruptly, the bone buccaneer attacked with a downward diagonal slash which however, Owen easily dodged and used his left hand immediately to follow behind the strike to redirect and take control of the competitor's dagger arm but suddenly, the bone buccaneer threw the dagger into the air and rotated quickly with a surprising counterattack punch.
This stunned Owen but he quickly used his right hand redirect the punch and barely dodged, then the bone buccaneer stood in place and expertly caught the falling dagger.
"Damnation, I thought that would work-"
Before the bone buccaneer could finish, Owen quickly approached upon it with a phlegmatic expression and uttered,
"I think it's time to end this duel."
In that moment, the black cloak moved around Owen's right leg and wrapped around it like a second layer of armor and with a swift motion, Owen used all of the momentum he could master and made an upward diagonal kick toward the bone buccaneer's lower-right leg with all of his unexpended strength.
Instantaneously, the bone buccaneer's leg shattered upon impact and caused the bone warrior to stumble backward in a strong sluggish matter and eventually, it was skull grounded. However, Owen was also kneeling grounded due to the pain screaming in his leg.
Once again, both challengers were on the ground and wriggling to stand upward but this time, it was planned.
Looking, his opponent was now fully immobile and unable to carry out an additional assault. Plus, the bone buccaneer was also unarmed due to Owen's powerful kick which stunned it to loosen its grip on the dagger and now, chances of victory increased dramatically.
'Still, it came with the cost of my leg....'
He smiled thinly and nimbly crawled his way to the fallen dagger and grabbed it before the bone buccaneer could counterattack. Owen then stood on one leg and looked downward.
The bone buccaneer's facial expression froze as it gazed into Owen's phlegmatic eyes.
"Owen wait-"
"How should I say this? Well...good fight."
Apathetic to the bone buccaneer's last words and the wanting to destroy his enemy, Owen thrusted the dagger to the skull of his competitor.
Crack!
The dagger sank into the skull of the bone buccaneer, like a soft marshmallow, and just like that, the fight was finally over.
The bone buccaneer became motionless and Owen rested his body on the sand as his body screamed in pain from his exploited muscles. Acquired peace finally came into the enlarged amphitheatre and he could now breathe some air of alleviation.
Soon, Owen stood with one leg and a dagger in hand whilst gazing the diabolical knight and the disguised figures.
Observing, the diabolical knight nodded in satisfaction and magisterially stood from its reigning throne.
"Behold! Owen has defeated the condemned and thus prevailed his trial of redemption!"
Suddenly, all of the concealed figures motioned in different reactions.
"What? The boy won?"
"Ridiculous…..."
"Interesting."
"Well done indeed!"
"It was an average showing."
"Owen deserved this win, amazing duel!"
"Truly a warrior with excellent skill!"
....
…
..
*******
Awhile later, after the concealed figures said their wordings, the diabolical knight raised its armour hand and silence was restored in the arena.
"Owen Henderson, this is the first of many trials you have conquered but now, rejoice, your right into the Material Realm has come."
Owen narrowed his eyes for a second and closed them with a smile of understanding.
'True, more trials await me in that world but I will conquer them and rise to the top.'
He sighed softly and stretched his shoulder but unexpectedly,
Owen heard a pleasing rhythmical succession of a transcendental voice that radiated the concept of ideal harmony.... like the manifestation of sound and nature.
It counterfeited an atmospherical power. A descant power that engulfed through his veins, body and spirit, like a celestial decree of the universe.
"Warm...so warm."
Owen said while inspecting his body and instinctively looked upward. There, a heavenly spiritual figure of unimaginative beauty, yet faceless, sang like an angel that could reach the hearts of the gods themselves.
*Whoosh!
A gentle, aristocratical wind brow the entire amphitheatre, brushing Owen and a green emanation which enveloped his body and miraculously, his injures were fully healed.
'I-I can-t even pull that to words, amazing....'
Owen was just overwhelmed by the sheer melody, beauty of the apparitional elf's voice and power.
The Diabolical knight just nodded phlegmatically and turned its attention on the motionless bone buccaneer, saying in an even tone.
"Condemned, you have failed your chance of salvation, thus, you should be exiled from this existence and never return."
Snapped out of his daze by the diabolical knight's words, Owen narrowed his eyes in shock and turned his visual perception at the bone buccaneer.
However, what met his eyes was a handsome phantom who had an appearance and structure of a young man, smiling warmly at him like a distant friend.
"Honestly, Owen, you could have let me finish my words.... Well, I guess you won fair and square, so I won't hold a grudge but instead, I will give you a congratulations present for your efforts and....as something to remember me by."
Suddenly, conversant radiant runes of attenuated emerald light, flashed upon the dagger like a rotating shaft and shortly vanished, but simultaneously gave rise to a speculative emanation of green illumination on the dagger which Owen hand gripped.
"The condemned gave Owen the dagger..."
"Truly, the condemned is a memorial warrior!"
The previously silent, concealed figures explicitly stated which caused Owen to lower his eyebrows at the statue-like figures and looked at the apparitional buccaneer with a respectful nod.
"T-thank you."
"Haha, of course."
The apparitional buccaneer chuckled while waving his hand heedlessly. However, his facial expression became serious as he glanced at his origin bone body that was slowly disappearing into fine particles of black sand dust.
Simultaneously, his apparitional body slowly became more diaphanous.
"Before you go...…may I know your name?"
"Hm? You want to know my name now? After you destroyed my chances of survival, dreams and my existence? Honestly, you need to work on your manners..."
Owen blinked several times and nodded understandingly which caused the apparitional buccaneer to smile widely.
"I am just teasing. Of course, you may know my name! Its Malark Colvin."
"Malark Colvin? Ok, I will remember that name."
"You better. Afterall, you are going....to be the only person who will remember me."
Malark smiled bitterly and looked upward, gazing the similarly apparitional figure. He paused and pondered but eventually gazed the apparitional elf earnestly.
"...…I wasn't sure completely at first because my memories were scattered but now, I can definitely say without a doubt, that I was a big fan of your musical performance, Alaisa."
The apparitional elf gazed down for some seconds and nodded robotically which Malark chucked with a mournful grin.
"I guess that's better than nothing...."
"Don't worry."
Malark wonderingly looked at Owen with questioning eyes.
"Even if she doesn't remember this moment, I will remind her one day."
Blinking his eyes repeatedly, Malark smiled as he gazed the ground.
"Yeah, thank you."
Owen nodded his head and waved a friendly hand at him, yet, at the same time, the apparitional elf also waved.
"Ah, I guess I don't need to remind her..."
"Ahem, y-yea, I guess you don't."
"Oh, by the way...Malark. What is Allathan Rune Logodaedaly?"
Malark looked at Owen with lowed brows while shaking his head.
"Seriously?"
Instantly, the apparitional buccaneer vanished with his body and soul, exiled out of existence itself. Owen narrowed his stoical eyes and looked downward.
"Yeah, I really wanted to know...."
Ultimately, he shook his head and gazed at the indifferent diabolical knight.
"Owen Henderson, you have inherited Malark Colvin's dagger and should treasure it, fight with honour in his name."
Owen inspected his new dagger and nodded.
"I will make sure to keep it for my battles to come."
Pausing for a moment, the diabolical knight nodded understandingly and authoritatively raised his hand.
"Owen Henderson, your trial is now finished…. You may return among the ecclesiastical world."