Martin was in his locker room, wrapping bandages around both arms, silently staring into nothingness as he simulated multiple scenarios in his head. The anxiety he felt was quite high.
"It's like when I faced final exams," memories of his college life flashed through his mind.
-Foreigner, it's time- said one of the guards who had been involved in the previous accident.
-I'll be right there, thanks.-
The young man stood up and threw punches in the air as if he were boxing. With his current physique and enhanced senses, he could easily be a professional boxer.
"Come on, Martin, it's time to win."
*****
CELESTIAL COMBAT FINAL
Divine Emissary VS The Foreigner (10 PM)
LIVE SHOW
Alan the Wandering Gale (11 PM)
Delirium (12 AM)
*****
Martin walked towards the combat arena, fully concentrated, reviewing his strategy. The shouts and euphoria filling the air didn’t affect him at all; he was like a statue. A slender, soft hand grabbed his shoulder firmly, stopping him in his tracks.
-Are you ignoring this lady? You've become mean, Foreigner.-
-Miss Alice! Sorry, I was in the zone.-
-The zone? I see you still say strange things, hehe.-
-It's a state of absolute concentration where you perform at your best.-
-Interesting... You didn't hear me calling you from afar; such unbreakable concentration.-
Martin scratched his head awkwardly; dealing with women was always a challenge.
-So, what can I do for you?-
-I wanted to cheer you on and wish you luck... I thought you'd be more nervous, but as always, you're a reliable knight, hehe.-
-Thank you, Miss Alice. I'll do my best.-
-Good luck, Foreigner. Every day you get closer to becoming a real knight.-
-I'm not even close, nor do I want to be...-
-Well, in my eyes, you're much more honorable and worthy than most of them, hehe.-
Martin blushed and smiled awkwardly at the sincere compliment.
-Oh, right! I almost forgot. Did you do what I asked?-
-Of course I did. I bet 5 cuprums, hehe.-
-But I only told you 3...-
-I know, the rest is on me.-
-Ha... you're putting pressure on me. Alright, see you later.-
-Hehe, Goodbye Foreigner. May the Goddess bless you.-
The girl in gothic attire and blonde hair watched with a mischievous smile as Martin's back approached the combat arena. She felt a little worried for the young man and wanted to lift his spirits, but it was unnecessary from the start. Now, all that remained was to hope for the best possible outcome and enjoy the rest of the night.
-From a distant land, he came, pilgrimaging for days!-
-The most faithful believer in the Goddess of Generosity!-
-The follower of the divine! The one sent from the heavens!-
-Divine Emissary!-
Chaos took over the crowd, chanting the fighter's name. He had been living in the district for a few months and had made a name for himself before joining the tournament. He belonged to a small religious order that followed the teachings of the Goddess of Generosity, often helping those in need and doing good deeds. When he joined the tournament, it caused a stir, as it was rare for someone of his kind to get involved in such matters.
-From the depths of the sand!-
-The wanderer guided by the stars!-
-The aimless traveler!-
-The Foreigner!-
The rowdy crowd started booing and shouting obscenities. They didn't like the Foreigner at all, seeing him as a weirdo. However, some in the audience cheered his name enthusiastically, despite him not being the favorite. Among them was Alice.
The announcer, about to start the battle, glanced toward a specific VIP box, where an old man with white hair and a bushy beard nodded in response.
-BEGIN!-
Flash Flash Flash Flash Flash.
A rain of lightning began to fall in succession onto the combat arena, destroying and scorching everything in its path. The Divine Emissary was relentlessly launching lightning at Martin, who was running tirelessly to avoid being hit.
-STOP SPAMMING, DAMN IT!- the dark-haired man shouted in frustration.
"He's going to kill me," a terrifying feeling took over Martin's body. The colors before him were a brilliant crimson red, with each attack intending to reduce him to ashes. Seeing the current situation, he didn’t think he could withstand more than two attacks.
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Flash Flash Flash.
The pilgrim's face was hidden under the brown hood of his robe, but with each attack he formed in his hand and launched forward, his face illuminated—dark eyes radiating confidence and a face void of emotion. The lightning attack had enormous destructive power, but it wasn't as fast as real lightning, so with good intuition and quick reflexes, it was possible to dodge them.
Without even looking back, Martin jumped with his legs spread, and a bolt of lightning passed underneath him. Then, he leaped to the left twice, where moments later, two bolts struck the ground, leaving it a dark color.
Martin's ability allowed him to sense emotions through colors within a certain range. On its own, it wasn't much. However, a curious fact he discovered over time was that an individual's intent could be transmitted to inanimate objects. A street fight between gangs would show weapons enveloped in colors, a gift between peers would show goodwill, and so on in countless scenarios.
At this moment, each of the pilgrim's attacks was tinged with a crimson color, which helped the young man identify and dodge them precisely.
-Tchh! How annoying- for the first time in the tournament, the pilgrim's expressionless face showed annoyance.
-Same goes for you, spamming bastard- Martin quickly responded to the man's comment. If he could make him lose his cool, he'd have a better chance of winning.
-Let's see if you keep running your mouth after this- the man slowly closed his eyes and began to pray softly, the air vibrating with electricity.
-Damn... he's electrified the area- upon hearing the crackling in the air and seeing sporadic lightning traveling back and forth, Martin recalled his electromagnetism classes. An electric arc now surrounded the man.
BRUUM.
Martin grabbed a rock from the ground and threw it at the man who kept his eyes closed while praying. It was pulverized on the spot without even touching him.
-Planning to take a nap, you virgin baldy?-
-Chastity is a virtue the Goddess values- the pilgrim responded with complete calmness.
"I just have to react to whatever comes—" Martin's eyes widened in surprise at the scene he was witnessing. The colors shifted from crimson red to deep black, quickly covering the entire combat arena.
-Son of a...!- Panic took over his body as he began to look in all directions, searching for an escape route.
The entire arena was now covered in a deep black color, signifying instant death.
"Don't tell me I have to surrender without even doing anything," the young man continued to frantically search for a way out. At one point, his gaze settled on a pillar, and he looked up at the roof that provided shade to the combat arena.
-Goodbye, little one.-
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM.
A brilliant flash blinded those present, and an area attack flooded the combat arena, wiping out everything on it. A powerful tremor reverberated through the building, followed by a gale that lashed at the audience.
-WHAT HAPPENED?-
-WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?-
-Oh my God!-
-Can anyone survive that?-
-Poor kid, there's nothing left of him...-
-Not even ashes remain.-
The ground of the combat arena was scorched black by the powerful attack.
The Divine Emissary opened his eyes and made a gesture with his hands in respect for the life he had taken.
-It's over; we have a winner- the announcer said with some disappointment to the silent crowd.
The combat arena was outdoors, located in the inner courtyard of the tavern. It was surrounded by old buildings used as warehouses and lodging, all owned by old Alan, who had bought an entire block to start the business. The only entrance and exit were located in the tavern's reception, so no one could sneak in without paying.
Due to the business's success, Alan decided to invest in amenities, one of which was the installation of a roof supported by four pillars, so that rain or sun wouldn't affect the participants and audience. Additionally, there was a magical protection system that soundproofed the inner courtyard and, in turn, protected the participants from magical attacks like the one that had just occurred.
-Hahaha- old Alan started laughing uncontrollably, drawing the attention of the silent crowd.
Some people looked at the tavern owner in confusion, not understanding the reason for his sudden laughter. They glanced at each other, not grasping what was happening.
-There's someone on the roof!-
-Who is that?-
-I can't believe it!-
-That cheating bastard again!-
The audience in the back, away from the combat arena and outside the roof's shade, looked in disbelief at the young man on top of the structure. He had climbed up there to avoid the previous attack.
A small commotion of shouts and insults erupted in the back, but the rest of the crowd remained unaware of this and continued to be shocked by the attack they had witnessed.
-The winner is-
Thud.
Martin fell from the sky and landed heavily on the ground. In a blink, he leaped forward, tackling the pilgrim at the ankles.
-WHAT?!-
The pilgrim was caught off guard and fell to the ground with Martin, who grabbed his legs and arms, applying a lock.
-AAAHH!-
-Give up, you bald bastard!-
-AAAHHH!-
In an instant, the colors around the man turned red, but Martin was slow to react, suffering a shock through his entire body that sent him flying.
Crack.
The sound of a crack echoed through the arena as Martin hit the ground heavily.
-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH! DAMN YOU, NOW I'M REALLY GONNA KILL YOU!- the pilgrim's arm was hanging, broken during the lock.
Flash Flash.
Visibly in pain and exhausted, the Divine Emissary launched lightning with poor accuracy. His skilled arm was now useless.
-Argggg!- Martin managed to dodge the first bolt, but the second hit him square in the chest. However, its power was much less than the initial ones, so he could resist it without fainting.
-TAKE THIS AND THIS AND THIS AND THIS!-
A rain of lightning bolts flew towards Martin, who was charred and numb from the attacks he had received.
"I have to get close somehow to stop those damned attacks," without hesitation, he ran towards the pilgrim, who kept launching lightning at him.
Martin jumped over one bolt and, in a zigzag motion, dodged two more. Three more passed close by and struck the ground, and a final bolt grazed his cheek, numbing his face and sending a painful shock through his entire body.
-AAAAARGGGG, YOU BALD BASTARD!- Martin gritted his teeth against the pain coursing through his body.
The numbness delayed the Foreigner for a second, during which the Divine Emissary prepared his counterattack once again. This involved emitting an electric wave within a meter around him, damaging everyone equally, including the user.
However, the Divine Emissary had greater resistance to electricity due to his innate characteristics.
BZZZZZZZZZ.
A buzzing filled the air, quickly electrifying the surroundings. The pilgrim smiled maliciously, knowing he had the advantage in resistance.
Martin saw the red colors reappear around the emissary. He knew that if he took that attack again, he’d be finished.
-What?- The Divine Emissary's mouth opened in disbelief, and a second later, the discharge occurred.
-AAAAAAHHHH!-
He had received the attack alone, severely damaging his body for the second time. Meanwhile, Martin smiled slyly and spun halfway, delivering a kick to the man's face.
Thud.
The man was lifted into the air, his expression bewildered by what had just happened.
Thud.
A second kick struck his face again, sending him crashing heavily to the ground. Since he was a magic-type combatant, his physical strength and close combat skills were lacking.
Thud Thud.
As he bounced on the ground, a punch landed on his abdomen, followed by a left hook that hit his ribs squarely.
Thud Thud Thud Thud Thud.
A barrage of rapid blows rained down on the bald man, who was powerless against the situation. His eyes rolled back, and he passed out during the onslaught of attacks.
-Ah! ah! ah! ah! ah!-Martin panted heavily as he fell to his knees on the ground.
His entire body was trembling with pain, and his limbs were numb. His hair was singed, and multiple burns were visible across his body. His clothes were torn and soaked in sweat. He felt like he was going to vomit his internal organs at any moment; the rhythm of his heartbeats was irregular.
The crowd fell silent once again, their eyes wide open. No words could describe what had just happened; they were left speechless by such an unexpected development.
-What did we just witness?-
-An amazing ending!-
-We haven't seen a final like this in years!-
-The winner is-
-Huh?-
The announcer was ecstatic over the battle's outcome and was about to announce the winner when the Foreigner passed out and started foaming at the mouth.
-Foreigner?-