The tournament scene is shrouded in palpable tension. The sun shines brightly over the arena, its light reflecting off the combatants' armor and weapons. At the edge of the arena, Throk, Durin, and Midoki watch the preparations for the upcoming fight.
- Durin: "What happened, Midoki? Why did you leave the room? You were... hurt." - With a worried expression.
- Midoki: "I'm fine, Durin. It's nothing to worry about."
- Throk: "If you were in bad shape, you should have stayed in the room, resting. The battle against Sir Valen wasn't easy." - He says this suspiciously.
- Midoki: "I know, Throk. But I didn't want to miss the chance to see Sir Alden fight. There's something strange about him this time... something I need to understand."
Throk and Durin exchange glances, realizing that there's more to Midoki's mind than he's letting on, but they decide not to press him for answers right now. Their attention turns to the arena, where the battle is about to begin.
The Announcer calls the next combatants into the arena. On one side, Gronnak the Metal Giant enters, his presence massive and intimidating, his eyes fixed on his opponent. On the other, Sir Oswald the Eternal Knight approaches with a firm stance, his armor gleaming in the sunlight.
- Announcer: "Ladies and gentlemen, prepare for a titanic battle! On one side, we have Gronnak the Metal Giant, whose strength can shape iron itself! And on the other, Sir Oswald the Eternal Knight, whose legend is immortal! Let the battle begin!"
The two warriors advance slowly, studying each other. The arena seems to shake under Gronnak's weight as he approaches, each step echoing like thunder. Sir Oswald, maintaining his composure, readies his sword and prepares to strike.
- Gronnak: "You think your blade can defeat me, little man? I am made of metal and stone. I am the mountain you will never climb."
- Sir Oswald: "I have faced challenges greater than you can imagine, giant. The mountain may be high, but it is not insurmountable."
With a roar, Gronnak begins his attack, activating his Solid Metal technique. The ground around Sir Oswald distorts and solidifies into metal columns that rise up, trying to imprison him. Sir Oswald quickly activates his Divine Aegis and charges at the metal pillars, cutting them with ease with his light-imbued sword.
Gronnak then uses Iron Spikes to launch metal projectiles at Sir Oswald, but the knight parries them with his luminous blade, cleaving the spikes in half. With a swift leap, Sir Oswald attempts a direct attack, swinging his sword at Gronnak's chest, but the giant activates his Stone Skin, making himself nearly impenetrable. Oswald's blade scrapes against the hardened skin, generating sparks but causing no damage.
- Sir Oswald: "Your resistance is impressive, but even stone yields to steel."
Sir Oswald channels his spiritual energy into a Solar Nova, a blow that combines light and fire, and launches it at Gronnak. The impact is devastating, creating an explosion of light that temporarily blinds the audience. When the dust settles, Gronnak is standing, but with clear signs of damage to his metal armor.
- Gronnak: "You have power, knight. But this is the end for you."
Gronnak then uses his Metalstorm technique, generating a storm of metal fragments that spin around him, advancing like a hurricane of sharp blades. Sir Oswald, even using his Divine Aegis, struggles to defend himself from the brutal attack. The knight attempts to counterattack with a Lumina Edge, but the metal fragments surround him from all sides, cutting through his defense.
With a final roar, Gronnak focuses all his strength into a Colossus Punch, a massive punch coated in heavy metal. The impact hits Sir Oswald in the chest, throwing him backwards with incredible force. The knight falls to the ground, his armor dented and cracked by the devastating blow.
As Midoki watches, Gronnak slowly approaches Sir Oswald's fallen body, raising a huge metal fragment for the final blow. Before the fragment falls, the announcer intervenes, declaring the winner.
- Announcer: "Victory is Gronnak's! Sir Oswald can no longer continue!"
Gronnak lowers the fragment, respecting the announcement, and walks away, leaving Sir Oswald lying in the arena. The audience applauds, relentlessly.
The sun had already set over the Kingdom of Lior, and the full moon illuminated the silent halls of the castle. Midoki, still shaken by recent events, was in his room, trying to find some peace amidst the whirlwind of thoughts that consumed him. Sir Alden's fight had left a mark on his mind, and something about the battle felt wrong.
A soft knock on the door pulled him out of his reverie. Before he could respond, the door softly opened, revealing Elyra, the Elf Princess, holding a folded newspaper in her hands. There was a somber expression on her face, something Midoki rarely saw on her.