After Allen called the Bastion for help along with every other patron he knew, Harris and Evelyn were taken to a special hospital within the Luminaire Ward. Meanwhile, the R&R Lounge was left devastated. Nothing would be done to fix it since it seemed Harris did not have the funds to repair it.
Allen would spend the rest of the night fuming and barely got any sleep. As soon as he was done with his shift at Coffee & Chronicles, he stormed over to Knight Arms where he saw Porthos using his favorite black jacket with red trimming as a rag to wipe off sweat.
Allen took back his jacket with one fell swoop and glared at Porthos.
“Oh, that was yours. It did smell like garbage.” Porthos sneered.
“Why did you pieces of shit go over to the Lounge to wreck it and hurt everyone there?” Allen asked coldly.
“Huh? Just what are you accusing me of, punk?” Porthos glared back at him.
“You know what I’m talking about. The Manticores went over there and beat up a defenseless old man and a young woman just for being a Grendel!” Allen roared and looked like he was going to charge Porthos.
“Ah, I think I did say something to a few friends of mine about how much of an eyesore that R&R Lounge is but I wouldn’t step a foot in that place myself,” Porthos spoke callously.
“So, you admit it. You bastard!” Allen pulled out his Stylus and pointed it at Porthos only to have him knock it swiftly out of his hand and pin Allen to the wall by his throat. His fierce grip threatened to obstruct all air from Allen’s lungs.
“You loser! Do you think anything you could do would be able to threaten me?” Porthos insulted the Craftless with clear disgust on his face. “Do I need to show you your place now to make you understand the hierarchy? Whether on the outside or in the underworld, we Crafters rule and we can do that openly here.”
Allen clawed at Porhtos’s fingers so strongly that his own started to bleed. It felt like a metal noose was wrapped around his neck. Without his Stylus and the magical energy provided by the crystal inside of it, he was just an ordinary teen with no supernatural power to speak of. He was only barely able to croak out. “I don’t…care…what you do to me…just pay for all the damage you caused…to my friends’ health and the lounge.”
A crowd had started to gather of other gym-goers who watched in trepidation. Physical disputes were uncommon due to being allowed to let off steam in the ring and they were worried leaping in unnecessarily could simply escalate the situation even further. Renzo, Vanna, and the rest decided to wait until Allen’s life would be in danger before intervening.
“...I’ll make sure the Bastion finds out about your connection to this.” Allen strained out.
“You can think the Bastion can do anything about this when the Status System controls them? Porthos scoffed and Allen’s forehead wrinkled in confusion. “You wouldn’t know this as a Craftless but Crafters have the right to dismiss investigations brought against them by those of lower Merit and mine is ranked at three.”
“That’s not fair...”The Bludgeoner Crafter’s grip remained uncompromising around Allen’s neck. However much he protested, Allen knew that would not change a thing. “...What if I up the stakes for our bet then? …If you win, you can take all the money I have but if I win, you have to pay for everything you hurt.”
Porthos simply laughed in his face again. “What could you offer me? Hieronymus Conglomerate offers a portion of their supplies from all the mystical businesses associated with them to up-and-coming Crafters from established families like me. That’s sure to be way more than a nobody like you could offer.”
‘Even Hieronymus is involved in upholding this system…’ Allen was bewildered at the thought of such a major corporation that acted in the public eye possessing such an intrinsic link to Atelier City’s underworld. ‘Just what can I offer..?”
“The rest of the Invite Cards…” Allen uttered almost voicelessly and the words took Porthos by surprise enough for him to loosen his hold. Allen slumped down against the wall. His feet almost reached the floor now. “...I’ll offer the rest of Virtuoso’s Invite Cards.”
“Say what now? You’d really sell out your whole team to get back at me? You really are a leech with no power or resources of your own.” Porthos’s remark cut harder than even he could have predicted. Allen, once again, cursed his own weakness that kept him having to rely on the strength of others, but he could not let this criminal get away with this. He could not leave the R&R Lounge to disappear into nothingness.
He let his limbs fall to his sides as he focused all his strength on speaking. “You heard me. I don’t care how, but I’ll find a way to convince them. I promise!”
“Haha, you don’t have anything to give without relying on the pity of others. There’s no way I’d accept such a deal from someone with no power to back it, but I’ll humor you since I’m such a nice guy.” Porthos declared sardonically. “You could make a good training dummy. Show up here every day in the morning and be my friends’ sparring partner for as long as they want for five days. Once the five days are done, we’ll have our duel then instead of waiting a whole two weeks for something everyone knows what the outcome will be.”
“But-”
“There’s no other route besides that. You agree to this or nothing changes about our deal. Make sure that lab rat girl is there too while you’re at.”
Allen gritted his teeth at that last insult at Nera but had to swallow his anger again. He was getting sick from doing that. “Agh…fine.”
Porthos smirked and let Allen fall to the ground to gasp for air.
***
In a fighting arena adjoined to the Bastion, many different types of magic users from various walks of life could compete in a mystical combat sport known as Knight Duel. What started as a way for Crafters to settle disputes with minimal damages became a global activity enjoyed by underworlders everywhere with an official league. Matches were regularly held within this league to rank Duelists against each other.
In this arena specifically, there was a minor league with a season that stretched from winter to spring. During the off-season, competitors would gain experience and points to participate in the main season by fighting in weekly matches. The arena was akin to a gilded dome with a circular ring raised ten meters above a pool of crystal-clear water and surrounded by a spacious stand for spectators.
Up above, a giant chandelier hung from a skylight with the lighting fixture gathering the different colors of the Luminaire Ward’s aurora into its glass bulbs. The rest of the ceiling was filled with murals of the zodiac. A collection of grand paintings orbited between the chandelier and the ring. These paintings concealed a special function that was foundational to Knight Duels.
This colosseum was known as the Atlas of the Stars, Atlante.
Presently, two Crafters were engaged in a Knight Duel at that very moment.
The Flutist Crafter, a man with dirty blonde hair and gray eyes, pressed a hole in his instrument and chanted. “Flutist Craft, Page 1 - Winter’s Grand Stalagctites”.
A volley of fuschia spikes made of air was fired at his opponent, a dark-skinned woman with caramel-colored hair and vibrant green eyes. She wore a ramshackle outfit made up of a woolen shirt and pants with many belts between them. Her appearance sharply contrasted the formal musician who wore a pristine sapphire trench coat adorned with golden buttons.
She nimble dodged out of the way and activated a Skill of her own. “Confectioner Crafter, Page 3 - Chocolate Mjoljnir.”
Using a conjured hammer, she easily knocked away the compressed air projectiles and went in to land a strong blow that left the Flutist reeling from the hit.
“Oh, you’re still standing! That’s surprising.” The young woman named Cocoa Niedermeyer said with starry eyes as she gripped her oversized hammer. It was so large that she could not wrap her hand around the three-meter-long handle.
“Of course, aura defense might not be my specialty but it’ll take more than that to take down a Stratum 3 Crafter. My apologies for disappointing you.” The Flutist lauded as he readied his musical Stylus for another attack and gave time for Cocoa to respond in turn. To nobles like him, Knight Duels were as much about etiquette and honor as winning the fight.
Cocoa simply shook her head. “No way would that be disappointing, that just means I can have more fun beating the crap out of you!”
The noble Crafter frowned then played another song on his flute accompanied by the chant,” Flutist Craft, Page 2 - Spring’s Blossoming Flowers.”
At first, Cocoa stood there as she could not notice anything immediately until she heard a faint buzzing noise in her ears. “Bees?”
That was all she could say before the entire area around her burst in explosions outlined by Extract shaped into gigantic fuschia flowers.
The Flutist smiled slightly. He was sure that since Cocoa obviously focused entirely on enhancing her physical strength with her aura she would be weak to receiving damage. His second skill’s air flowers that bloomed at point-blank range would be extremely effective in that case.
When the Extract eventually dispersed, he and all the onlookers watching were stunned to see Cocoa standing there unharmed. “Wow, that was pretty lame. I’ll just have to walk over to the side next time since it moves so slowly.”
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“Hmph, you won’t be so unamused with my next moves. I’ll bombard you with a slew of excellently crafted techniques you won’t be able to just laugh off.”
Cocoa slouched over with a toothy grin. “That sounds like a good time, appetizer.” In one step, she was already barreling toward him as a blur.
The Flutist hurriedly played another tune. “Flutist Craft, Page 3 - Summer’s Thunder Roar!”
A large compressed air shot out at Cocoa like it came from a cannon but she casually took a solid stance and smacked it back in the Flutist’s direction. Her parry added enough momentum to hit the circular wall of the ring. It missed him but was enough to ruffle his hair and clothes along with his demeanor.
“You may be a formidable opponent but no way you think you could best me with a weapon made of candy! That’s impo-” The Flutist Crafter's words were halted as he had to dodge away of an incredible hammer swing.
“Heh, that’s pretty ironic coming from someone who brought a recorder to a battle!” Cocoa laughed while continuing her mad rush.
“No honor at all! I’ll end this farce of a Duel immediately.” The noble used both hands to play one more song on his wind instrument. “Flutist Craft, Page 4 - Autumn’s Scattering Leaves.”
The air began coalescing into razor-sharp fuschia leaves that rotated around him at immense speed. The noble noted her great strength and endurance but he could win this battle through attrition. Each leaf could cut through stone, much less chocolate, and he directed them all at Cocoa Niedermeyer.
To his surprise, she ran fast enough to evade every single one of the small blades. She was a streak of motion as she raced around the arena while no leaf came close to grazing her skin. This dumbfounded the noble because there was no way a Stratum 2 could have such high strength, durability, and speed without using a single Skill to increase her physical abilities.
“How can this be…” The Flutist muttered to himself in disbelief.
“Haha, the thing about you long-range Duelists is that you're sitting ducks once someone gets past your projectiles. I just have to end this quickly once I get to you!” Cocoa declared then utilized another skill of hers. “Confectioner Craft, Page 2 - Licorice Járngreipr!”
A mass of blood-red tendrils erupted from her right arm then wrapped around each other until they formed a grotesque approximation of a giant arm with its muscle fibers exposed. At that unnerving sight, the Flutist poured much more of his Extract into his Skill.
The deadly leaves increased in tempo and intensity but the blonde-haired man blinked and the green-eyed woman disappeared from his sight. There was only a small crater left behind to tell him what happened. He looked up to see Cocoa had leaped in the air and catching the chocolate hammer she had thrown a fraction of a second earlier with her wireframe gauntlet.
In the next instance, she spiraled down to the ground like a meteor and the Flutist had to jump out of the way to avoid being flattened by that hammer strike that made the floor tremble. With a panic, the noble tried to use another Skill. “Flutist Craft, Page 4 - Autumn’s Scattering-”
Too late. Cocoa used her hammer like a lever and launched herself in the Flutist’s direction. The next thing he was aware of was a gaping hole in the side of his torso and Cocoa was behind him. His massive wound extended all the way to his left lung and upper stomach. Speechlessly, the noble in the formerly pristine coat collapsed to the ground in a pool of their own blood.
“Just as I managed to get a full grip on my weapon, you end up quitting on me. How unsightly.” Cocoa Niedermeyer let out an unsightly, hysterical laugh that rattled the audience as she let both her hammer and gauntlet fade back in ethereal particles. Blood from her opponent had splattered on her and she licked some on her cheek only to spit it out immediately after in disgust. “Heh, that’s much too bitter.”
“Duel Over. Winner: Cocoa Niedermeyer, Rank 18 out of 88. Commencing Mirage Break.” An electronic voice called out which signaled a painting that floated over the ring to have the glass inside shatter. This caused the ring itself to explode with silver particles and all signs of the battle disappeared for both duelists. While Cocoa only had the blood on her face fade away, the Flutist had the gaping hole in his body completely regenerate.
After a bit of trepidation, the crowd of spectators cheered as Cocoa’s victory was announced. She casually sauntered off to leave the Flutist to mend his wounded pride that had not been healed. She exited the Bastion from a door that led to a dimly lit alleyway. It was intended for Duelist to avoid annoying fans or hecklers.
“That was fun! I even got to work up quite the appetite!” Cocoa yawned out and grabbed something from the large pouch she kept around her waist. It was a candied apple that she devoured in the space of only a few seconds with her razor-sharp teeth.
She then checked to see a considerable amount of money deposited into her bank account and made a call with her Zero-Screen phone that lasted for a few minutes. “Yeah, Gram-gram. We’ll be able to hold out until the end of the month with the reward I got from the match. Tell the munchkins we’re having a feast tonight to celebrate!” The young woman cackled as she turned her phone off.
That was when the Flutist Crafter, Goffredo Taglieri, approached from one end of the alley. He was flanked by two other men. One had a long halberd hanging from his back while the other was armed with two jagged daggers.
“What’s up? Here to get a few pointers on how to do better in your next fight?” Cocoa asked carefreely.
“Not quite, more like I’m just setting things straight. There’s a match I need to participate in next week and I require you to forfeit in advance.” Goffredo not so subtly threatened.
“Ah, but you know the matches are determined by ranking right? Now that I surpass you in rank, that one will be mine along with the reward that comes with it.” Cocoa replied with mockery dripping from her voice.
“We both know that I’ll be the one to take your place if you step down. Just act according to your status and move aside. I won’t ask so kindly again.” Goffredo warned.
“Oh! In that case…I completely and utterly refuse.”
Goffredo frowned and gestured for his underlings to attack. They thrust their weapons toward Cooca but she swiftly weaved out of the way and struck them both in the neck. They did not notice anything at first but soon a glowing emerald substance started spreading on their skin and they howled out in pain.
“What did you do?” Goffredo asked with a solemn expression.
The Confectioner Crafter smiled thinly. “I gave them a taste of my poisoned candied apple but it appears they’re having a bad reaction to it.” One look at her hands showed her aura itself had become a toxic green that threatened to erode anything it came in contact with. She consumed the mystical fruit beforehand in preparation for an ambush like this one.
“So, you’re a witch just like the rumors say. You use potions and other concoctions to augment the properties of your aura before fights. I’m glad I spent the money on extra backup just in case.” Goffredo calmly relayed and Cocoa’s eyes widened as she heard footsteps from the opposite direction. “It all makes sense now how an unknown like you could win so many duels so quickly. You’re just a doper.”
Five more Crafters wielding various weapons emerged from the darkness. Cocoa bore a smile with her pointed teeth while not showing a trace of fear. She was grossly outnumbered but she would not go down without a fight. She fought against the assortment of melee and ranged weapons and was able to deal significant damage to her enemies.
“Flutist Craft, Page 5 - New Year’s Great Renewal.” Goffredo activated this technique and a fuschia light surrounded his underlings and the acid wounds left by Cocoa’s attacks quickly healed due to the Augment Skill that enhanced their recovery rate. They were as good as new. They quickly overwhelmed Cocoa and left her a bloody mess.
“If you want to forfeit, this is your last chance. Otherwise, I’ll simply render you incapable of participating in the next match.”
“Screw you.” Cocoa spat in his face and Goffredo wiped it away without a change in expression. “The Bastion won’t be too happy with you ruining their neat and tidy schedule.”
Goffredo scoffed. “As if they’ll care about that once it gets out you’re a deceptive Witch who uses unfair tactics. Knock her out and break her arms.”
Cocoa’s face contorted in loathing. “You disgusting pig that wouldn't know a thing about fairness if it hit you in that useless skull of yours…You nobles make me sick…”
This would have been all Cocoa could say as a pair of weapons came down to end her Knight Duel career before it could even truly start.
A roar of fire sprung to life in the alley that chased away all shadows.
“Aghh! My arm!” One of the hired thugs meant to cripple Cocoa screamed out in pain as a flame blazed from a cut on his arm. Similar cries rang out as the rest were slashed in quick succession by a figure too fast for the eyes to follow. The Flutist himself could barely keep up with what was happening as the assailant incapacitated everyone without a hint of effort.
Finally, Erno Rautianen came to a stop with his golden sword in hand. “How shameful. There’s no valor in ganging up on one person. If you wanted to take her out or cared about fairness, you should’ve done it all alone.” He stood tall among a crowd of his victims who burned alive.
The Muspelheim Inheritor was soon joined by Kurt Beito and the mysterious photographer who had been assisting him thus far.
Goffredo paid no mind to the newcomers and barked, “You won’t be able to put that fire out normally since it’s a curse! Shut off your aura and cut off each other’s flesh before it spreads any further! Hurry!”
Curses were usually Transference Skills that absorbed the afflicted’s Extract to sustain themselves. Those cursed flames were also resistant to being put out due to relying on magical energy instead of oxygen to fuel themselves. Once they had frantically shaved off the pieces of each other's skin that had caught on fire, Goffredo started healing them.
“You brute! I’ll show you what happens to someone who goes against my family. Flutist Craft, Page 5 - New Year’s Great Renewal!”
Once again, his Augment Skill boosted the recovery of his allies and their skin healed. Instantly, they all caught on fire once again. Their screams deafening and rocking the man to his core. Goffredo was left utterly speechless.
Erno chuckled lowly. “You have good eyes but replacing the slashed parts won’t be enough to get rid of the flames. When I cut something, as long as the flames can burn it, they’ll continue to spread until they completely incinerate my target.”
“That’s impossible. Once the aura comes back, the flames shouldn’t be able to siphon magical energy until you break through the aura again.”
“Maybe for an ordinary Crafter but not one who rivals the Grim Reaper.” Erno declared as his golden blade reflected the moonlight above into the flutist’s eye, making him wince.
Goffredo cowered at the mention of the Grim Reaper and raised his flute to use another Skill. Erno flashed in front of him and slashed through Goffredo’s torso with a flaming strike that destroyed his Stylus.
“If you want to survive. Shave off the flaming parts like before but without restoring them.” The photographer nonchalantly announced. He did not care much for the lot of them but their Statuses would alert the Advance Guard if they died. That could prove inconvenient while he and his party were still around.
Meanwhile, the Inheritor left the noble to writhe in agony as the flames spread from his chest and stomach to the rest of his body. He turned to Cocoa whose mouth hung slack-jawed at the grotesque display of violence that unfolded in front of her eyes.
“You got guts, Niedermeyer. How about you use your skills to take everything you want for yourself instead of relying on the scraps you get from beating cowards like that one? You can join my team at the Festival.” Erno propositioned with a roguish smile.
Cocoa's face stretched as an eerie reflection of his. A true genuine one of pure mirth for the first time that night. “I’d like to hear more. I wasn’t going to join despite the invite but if we’re on the same side, we can slaughter anyone in our way.”