Chapter 51: Cruel man

People ran over very quickly, they helped Yon to get rid of his burning clothes and began their treatment of his injured hands. He did wear a grimace of great pain but didn't make a sound. Safo asked what he could do to help but soon was sent back to his room by the host of the show.

In the end, Yon gave him a friendly smile letting him know that he was fine, it eased Safo’s uneasiness for an iota. The next match was designed taking into account that Yon will earn a swift victory and will be fresh for the following match with Kardon Gar. Safo was considered as a warm-up for Yon and others.

Unfortunately, with his seared hands, he couldn’t participate in a match with Kardon so instead of disqualifying him the sponsors of the event decided to give Yon more time for recovery and switch Safo Nur and B’hemah’s match.

When Safo was asked if he was cool with the decision he asked for ten more minutes for the preparations. And ran towards his room to meditate and consume a new portion of water from the well. Luna once more assisted Safo and already was equipped with a full bucket near the entrance to the soul room. With that Safo was charged for the next match in five minutes.

After a short apology for the inconvenience of not showing the public their favorite candidate, the host issued the next battle and called combatants to the ring.

For the crowd, those two particular candidates were among the losers before Safo’s match. After his performance, they were lost in their thoughts. A mere one orb soul was powerful enough to stand ground against five orbs one. They didn’t know what to assume and hesitated to jump to conclusions. Everybody waited for the result of the match between the two least popular candidates for the title of the King.

Safo felt himself as a child's bike ramming against a pickup truck, that much was the proportions of him and B'hemah.

{“Are you ready, Safo? You can do it. You saw his abilities, if you give all of you in the fight you can win.”} Luna became more confident in Safo after one fight. She recalled Kutch’s compliments about Safo’s resource for being destructive and that his skills were best in defense and as well as in offense. With her own eyes, she witnessed that it was a true statement.

“I will try.” Safo also felt a boost in morale after a victory. He acknowledged that if his foe was visible he could send as much heat as he wished. He was eager to check if his flame was threatening enough to damage or even melt the metal horns of the mighty bull.

The crimson bull was on his fourth, eyes red, full of blood and rage. Horns are ready to lash out with the first signal about the beginning of the match. Tail already cocked, aiming forward to shoot its deadly needles. This time B’hemah took extra care of his body, covering it with dark metal that he possessed. Sturdy substance fully enveloped the owner securing him for any type of attack, both from below or above. B’hemah the “Behemoth” Cultrin even shielded his eyes using his malleable metal resource.

Short, ten centimeters each, black needles flew in an instant as soon as the host reported the match open. Cutting through the air with an audible sound, about twenty of them came dreadful towards Safo. This time Safo felt an intention that someone wanted to finish his life, his sense sent the information even before the attack was launched. Safo turned on his Flame Armor and concentrated mostly on the front to face the first assault.

Not giving any chance of survival for his opponent, B’hemah grinding his hooves against the metal floor dashed forward with his horns slightly extended. By the time he had moved, he could see how the situation was with his missiles. Out of twenty only a few, four to be exact, were in Safo’s body, meaning that his extra reinforced horns had a fair chance to hold against a high degree flame aura.

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One in the right thigh, one in the stomach, and two side by side in his left biceps making his left arm dull and barely usable. The scene added to the bull’s speculations, Safo’s flame armor was not good enough when facing a fast-moving object. He continued his charge, extending his both horns, targeting the enemy's most fierce parts.

Safo couldn’t believe that his “durable” clothing had been penetrated so easily and that his flame armor wasn’t able to protect him from the metal projectiles. He couldn’t help but scream in agony when the needles went into his flesh and stopped only by drilling his bones. The amount of pain was just too much to keep the focus on the battlefield. When he raised his eyes it was too late, his wrists were pierced by two thick horns.

The bull didn’t stop his run though, not just yet. He stretched Safo’s arms as wide as he could, almost misplacing them from the shoulder and utilizing his momentum slammed the body to the ground finishing his attack with his head nicely landed to Safo’s chest.

Blood and air from his lungs exploded from Safo’s mouth. His eyes rolled back bringing him near to blacking out. Only Luna’s shouts brought back his slipping-away consciousness. Blood streamed out from the holes in his wrists. Drained from energy hands refused to work.

Safo held his head looking directly into the metal bull’s eyes, which was exhaling smoke from his nostrils preparing himself for the second perhaps final ram with his head, and grinned. Safo’s grin made the bull hesitate, he paused his actions.

“I can do it from any place on my body.” A low voice spoke and Safo dropped his head and a wide pillar of the highest heat flame that he could produce came bursting outward to from his chest.

Sounds of frenzy fire along with a bellow of a burning bull terrified the crowd. Chills ran through their spine, goosebumps all over their body made them feel uncomfortable to look directly at the sight that took place on the stage.

When the flames subsided Safo was still pinned to the ground, and the bull stood above him. But the dark metal started to melt exposing smoldering flesh that was under it. Thanks to the armor, B’hemah managed to survive but almost cooked alive while the metal armor played a role of a foil, wrapped around the chicken in the oven.

When the bustle of the medical staff of the event and the personal healers of the Cultrin family came to its end, Safo found himself in the medical room once more. This time his wounds had been treated well and promptly.

{“This fishnet material is good, I must say. So much melted metal fell on you and you are perfectly fine. We should thank Regal Advisor after the tournament.”} Luna and Safo began the discussion of the last fight.

“Yes, please remind me if I forget.” Safo said without any enthusiasm in his voice.

{“Is something is bothering you? You do not look pleased by your victory.”}

“Yes, I’m worried about the big guy’s well-being. I panicked and threw everything I had at him and a sight that I saw afterward disturbs me. I know that he would’ve done the same to me but it is hard to accept my new self. A cruel fighter.” Safo doubted himself that he ever could be in peace with the picture that his flame created.

‘How did I become such? I remember myself as a guy who was afraid of a fistfight. What else must I do to get home?! How many more people should I injure?!’ Safo feared that despite his half question he knew the answer straight away, he would do anything in his power and was ready to face any danger to see his loved ones.

Not long after the vicious match, the host announced the next one. The audience was still digesting the scene that they witnessed and the sheer power behind the royal psiora soul. Unimaginable potential hidden in the boy made their head spin. If only one orb could be so tyrannical, what would be the result of ten orbs? No one wished to judge.

The match between Kardon Gar and Yon Ace was a strange one. As soon as it started both of the combatants momentarily disappeared and the ring was empty for more than fifteen minutes. Nothing had happened except occasional spear appearances for a brief second. Then an explosion of a grenade woke up the sleepy crowd, but nothing followed it. While people began to complain Yon Ace materialized with his hands raised high and declared his defeat. Kardon Gar appeared after and with no comments went to his room.

Two narrators of the battle had no words to describe the disappointment of the spectators. Bad comments rained on the network, the show lost ten percent of the viewers online and hurriedly had to announce the fight between Yon Ace and B’hemah. Alas for the event supporters the idea made the already tense situation even worse. B’hemah the “Behemoth” forfeited from the match due to his injuries, automatically giving Yon Ace his first victory.

With no other options, the last match of the event was issued. Kardon Gar versus Safo Nur. s