----------------------------------------
Condemned To Death
----------------------------------------
11th September, 1507
After witnessing Finn’s fight, the crowd braced themselves for the challenges ahead. They knew now, at least, that they could battle without fearing for their lives.
"Alright, you—the girl with the short hair," Elara commanded, his voice flat as he pointed toward a girl standing at the back of the crowd.
She was 165 centimeters tall, her black hair cut into a neat bob. A ninjato hung at her waist, and her appearance, though unassuming, was marked by a quiet resolve. Her heart skipped a beat when Elara called her name; she hadn’t expected to be chosen so soon.
As she stepped forward, the weight of her family's hopes and sacrifices bore heavily on her shoulders.
In the bustling streets of Chimera Vale, commoner families sacrificed and longed for their children to go into the Realms Rite. For them, this event represented a rare chance—a glimmer of hope for a better life.
Before one could even participate in the Realms Rite, they had to first endure a grueling tournament of brutal test of skill and endurance. For eleven days, from dawn till dusk, participants clashed in fierce combat, their bodies pushed to the brink of exhaustion. Each day brought new challenges, new opponents, and relentless pressure to prove oneself worthy of entering the Realms Rite.
Yet, lurking behind the chaos of the tournament was another challenge—the overwhelming influence of the wealthy and powerful Lexarch families. With their vast resources and professional training, these families gave their offspring an edge that commoners could only dream of. For the girl, facing one of these higher rankers would mean a brutal, likely hopeless, match.
But she pressed on and finally made it to Realms Rite against all odds. For her, the path to the Rite offered the possibility of becoming a Lexarch and joining the upper ranks of the society.
As she approached the tranquil meadow, her eyes fixed on the soft glow of the white dandelions. She paused at a precise distance, gripping her ninjato tightly as anticipation coursed through her veins.
Suddenly, a delicate pink pellet descended from the Luminar tree, transforming into a mesmerizing blue gem before her eyes. The gem cast a dim light, revealing a faint, translucent figure—a minotaur, slowly materializing.
In a heartbeat, the spectral image solidified into a towering behemoth, its crimson eyes burning through the veil of reality. She seemed no larger than a mouse before a predator.
With steely eyes, the girl drew her ninjato and surged forward, closing the distance between herself and the minotaur. The beast bellowed, brandishing its massive axe as it charged to meet her.
At two meters apart, the minotaur attacked with a leftward diagonal swing. The girl deftly evaded by sliding between its legs as the axe buried itself in the ground. Mid-slide, she twisted around, aiming her assault at the minotaur's vulnerable flank.
Anticipating her move, the minotaur adjusted its stance and prepared another strike. As she closed in, it swung its free hand in a defensive maneuver, trying to intercept her.
Undeterred, the girl calculated her next move in an instant. She opted to slide again beneath the impending blow. She slid under the giant arm, aiming for the minotaur's exposed chest, knowing one arm was still gripping the axe embedded in the ground.
But just as her slide neared its end, the minotaur’s arm halted mid-air directly above her. A foreboding pause gripped her heart with trepidation. Then, with a thunderous crash, the giant arm descended with alarming speed.
Bam!
The impact caught one of her arms, crushing it under the minotaur’s immense weight.
"Ach!"
She cried out in pain as the minotaur’s heavy arm pinned her down. Her face contorted as desperately she tried to free herself, but her arm wouldn’t budge. Looking up, her eyes met the minotaur’s, its grin filled with cruel delight at finally catching its prey.
Knowing her fate was sealed, she made a swift but painful decision.
With her free arm, she swung her ninjato, slicing through the arm trapped beneath the weight. The minotaur, surprised by her boldness, didn’t expect its prey to be this desperate. With the trapped limb severed, the girl seized the opportunity, the girl leaped towards the minotaur’s exposed chest, knowing it couldn't defend itself with one arm holding the axe that dug into the ground and the other pinning her severed arm.
As the minotaur realized its defeat was imminent, it let go of the axe and attempted to do a desperate embrace trying to crush the girl and end her life before fading away with the gem.
With determination, the girl reached the gem and plunged her ninjato into it before shattering the source of the minotaur's power.
As the minotaur began to vanish, she felt a brief moment of relief—but it was short-lived. Suddenly, a sharp pain pierced her back as the minotaur's last attack connected, forcing her to cough up blood.
She was sent flying through the minotaur’s dissipating form, tumbling to the ground, her body rolling several times before coming to a stop. The girl’s consciousness then slipped away as darkness enveloped her.
...
A flame flickered beside the fallen girl, and a figure cloaked in white, adorned with dancing flames, materialized. It was Luna, arriving just in time to save the girl from the brink of death. Her weathered hand emitted a soothing green light as she knelt beside the unconscious girl.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Luna’s stern gaze softened as she assessed the girl’s condition. She sighed in relief, knowing the girl would survive, though she lamented the misfortune of the minotaur’s final blow.
Smiling warmly at the girl’s exhausted form, Luna offered a silent congratulations.
The crowd, hushed by the intensity of the scene, bore witness to the immense determination required to overcome the Realms Rite. The atmosphere was solemn, devoid of celebratory cheers.
Emerging from a flicker of flames before the crowd, Luna cradled the unconscious girl in her arms, the girl still clutching her sword tightly.
As tension gripped the onlookers, Elara’s ominous voice echoed, calling forth the next participant—a seemingly ordinary boy. He pushed through his fear and advanced toward the ominous tree in the distance.
As the Realms Rite unfolded, each youth stepped forward with the weight of their hopes for a better future. Despite varied strategies, most encounters with the minotaur ended within seconds. The creature’s deadly precision left challengers flustered and defenseless, their weapons often shattering upon impact or failing to breach the minotaur’s defense.
...
While the matches were unfolding, Seren away from everyone's view, discreetly made his way over to someone. The person immediately sensed someone looking at them but they didn't do anything as they let Seren get close to them.
When Seren was near enough, he spoke in a polite, almost vulnerable tone. "Ua, sorry to interrupt, but may I request something, Elder Elara?"
Elara, standing still, slightly moved his gaze to meet Seren’s nervous expression. He observed Seren quietly for a few moments before speaking. "What?"
"Can I please go last in the Realms Rite?" Seren asked, a hint of anxiousness in his voice.
Elara didn’t reply immediately, scrutinizing Seren with sharp eyes. Under his gaze, Seren fidgeted nervously, clearly uneasy as he awaited the elder’s decision.
...
Back in the battles that unfolded, many youths attempted to replicate Finn's daring tactic by hurling their weapons toward the blue gem on the creature's chest. Yet, their efforts proved futile. The minotaur, with uncanny speed and intelligence, adapted swiftly, countering each move with ruthless efficiency. One student exceptional skill finally managed to get through the minotaur’s defences and got his weapon to touch the blue gem. The youth immediately started celebrating, but a moment of misguided celebration turned to horror as the unfortunate soul discovered the minotaur didn’t dissipate. A silent, swift strike followed, and the youth lost a limb before the elders intervened, halting the match.
The students then realized that the criteria for success was not simply to touch the gem, but to make physical skin contact. It was a stark distinction between throwing a weapon that spelled the difference between victory and defeat, a lesson learned at great cost.
Whenever a youth's life was in peril, the elders intervened just in time. With mysterious powers, they dispatched the minotaur in various ways—engulfing it in flames, freezing it solid, or making it vanish without a trace.
Despite the more than fifty-meter distance from the elders, their timely interventions ensured the challengers' survival, offering a glimmer of hope amidst the chaos of battle.
Even Kai, known for his strength, struggled against the minotaur’s might. His great sword, though powerful, was too slow. Desperate, Kai had to consume a special potion provided by his family, only then managing to compensate for his lack of speed. Narrowly, he touched the blue gem and pass the test.
Lorien, on the other hand, proved himself an all-rounder. Skillfully wielding chained swords, he tangled the minotaur’s arms, immobilizing the creature. With his swords binding the monster, his only option was to touch the gem. Resigned, Lorien made contact with the gem, claiming victory in the Realms Rite.
One fight stood out: the battle of the twin brothers. Bald, with almost no eyebrows or eyelashes, and skin as smooth as marble, the brothers didn't use weapons, relying solely on their physical prowess. Normally, this would put them at a disadvantage, as weapons could be thrown or used for blocking. Yet, they won effortlessly.
Their success came from their agile, monkey-like movements. They dodged attacks fluidly, even climbing onto the minotaur’s back, where it couldn’t effectively counter. This gave them the opportunity to touch the blue gem unhindered.
The battles continued, with most youths barely surviving the first thirty seconds of their fights, the elders easily protecting them from the sidelines.
An hour later, it was finally the 90th contestant's turn. All eyes turned to a girl with an icy demeanor, her piercing cyan eyes and long, jet-black hair reaching down to her hips. Surprisingly, she opted not to use a weapon, but unlike the bald brothers, she lacked their agility. But before the fight began, she shocked onlookers by biting into her palm and starting the match with bloodied hands.
...
While the intense battle raged on the plains, Seren’s focus was elsewhere. Oblivious to the spectacle, he busied himself gathering sizable chunks of grass. With meticulous care, he began fashioning something from the grass.
Once satisfied with his work, Seren stood and walked toward Lorien, who was watching the match from a distance.
Lorien, noticing Seren’s approach, felt a flicker of suspicion in his eyes. His attention split between the ongoing fights and Seren drawing near.
When Seren finally reached Lorien’s side, his expression was unreadable, devoid of emotion. In a flat tone, he said, “I want to borrow the metal wire from your chained swords for this fight.”
Lorien studied him for a moment before asking seriously, “What do I get in return?”
“I will owe you a favor,” Seren replied simply.
Lorien remained silent, giving Seren a long, searching look. After a few seconds, he took out his weapon, removed the metal wire, and handed it over. As he did, he added with a hint of threat, “You’ll pay for any damages to the wire.”
Seren said nothing, taking the wire before slowly walking back to the stash of grass he had gathered. In reality, the metal wire was cheap, Lorien just wanted to make things difficult for Seren in the case of an accident.
...
As the minotaur unleashed its fury, the girl with the long, jet-black hair danced effortlessly out of harm’s way, enraging the beast further. In a daring move, she seized an opportunity when the minotaur exposed its chest, though she was still three meters away from the gem.
Suddenly, her bloodied hand clenched into a fist. With a swift motion, she swung her arm toward the minotaur, and its assault abruptly halted.
In a bewildering turn of events, the minotaur’s form began to disintegrate, vanishing into a cascade of luminous particles.
The crowd watched in stunned silence. Everyone had the same question: 'How did she win without even destroying or touching the blue gem?
Some speculated that the girl had used a secret weapon or power given by her family to defeat the minotaur so quickly.
"Smart," Elara remarked with a hint of amusement in his voice.
Finn, equally bewildered, asked for an explanation. Elara, relishing in the opportunity to tease Finn, explained the girl's unexpected tactic.
"The girl used the blood dripping from her hand to make contact with the blue gem, exploiting the fact that the Luminar tree recognized genetic code as a form of direct contact"
This revelation left the other youths in the crowd shocked and with a pang of regret for not considering such a strategy. But their had come and gone, many of them having returning from their attempts with multiple injuries or failed efforts.
Now, the last challenger remaining was Seren. Without needing Elara's reminder, he stepped forward, clad in rugged attire, his hands empty but clear determination in his piercing red eyes.
Everyone watched with anticipation. They knew Seren’s petty tricks wouldn’t suffice in this final battle.
----------------------------------------
Condemned To Death
----------------------------------------