CHAPTER 140 - THE FINALS

The trumpets sang and the audience cheered. It’s quite the same and different from the last time I heard the voices and cheers of the grand finals. For the past Battle Fiestas, I often remain in the audience’s seat joining the songs of joy and adrenaline. But now, I am the center of attention.

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, homosexuals and transgenders and even Apache helicopters! Welcome to the Championship Round of the Battle Fiesta!” The emcee shouted out loud.

The crowd went wild. There are even cheer-dancers giving us and my opponents’ support. The happy yells of the kids gave warmth to our hearts.

“Let us start with the introduction of our Entry-Grade participants! Hailing from the who-knows-where kingdom, with an enigmatic and elegant majesty, here comes Kaiser Irida Nanahara! She is accompanied by her knight in shining armor, the one who destroyed the odds and kept protecting his princess with his shield, Arth Victus!”

As the audience cheered, Irida and Arth entered the arena, all spotlights aimed at them. Both of them gave a confident yet kind smile to the people, and they waved their hands in a friendly manner to those who spectated them.

“And in the other corner, the ordinary man who is not so ordinary at all as he kept on exceeding our expectations! Kaiser Elzane Chaldeas! Beside him is the queen, the president, and the legend who always gave us a magical experience in this entirety of Battle Fiesta- Raynevere Treenity!”

Rayne smiled at me and grabbed my hand. We then entered the arena with jolly smiles and raised our hands to the encore. It was quite unexpected that we gained much louder cheers than our opponent as if we were the people’s favorite. It may be because Rayne displayed entertainment every time she took the stage.

“So, we are finally here… Chosen One,” Irida said with a smile.

“Yes,” I said with a smile, but shifted to my confused face and tilted my head slightly. “Still, what do you mean as the Chosen One?”

It was just my peripheral, but I saw Rayne take a serious expression. Irida must have noticed it and then she smiled and shook her head. “It’s nothing. It’s probably better if you did not know.”

I immediately took this cue, realizing that Rayne must have known what they were talking about the entire time. So I looked at my Gladiatrix. Rayne forced a smile, conceding that she could not hide anything anymore.

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“I’ll tell you later after the tournament, Zane. For now, focus on this Championship.”

“Okay.” I nodded.

I took a deep breath and rewired my brain. Looking back, I never would have realized that I would get this far. I never would have thought that I would find a Gladiatrix that would fight for me. I never thought I would be able to enter a Battle Fiesta. Furthermore, I never would have thought that I would be able to enter into the championship.

It’s all thanks to Rayne that I got here to where I am. She is the living embodiment that dreams can come true. Words cannot describe how much I love her.

I slapped both of my cheeks. I have to focus on this battle. Three things are at stake here: First, my dream of becoming a Kaiser Champion. Second, the exposure of the Treenity Innovations needed to bounce back. And lastly, Irida will accept our proposal to work together in bringing down the Masked Kaiser.

“All Kaiser and Gladiators ready!” The emcee shouted.

Irida and I activated our Gladiator/Gladiatrix Systems and five hologram cards manifested right in front of our faces. On the other hand, Rayne pointed her bow toward Arth, and Arth readied his tower shield to deflect Rayne’s incoming attack.

The buzzer beeped, signaling the start of the championship match!

[Battle Start]

As the battle commenced, Rayne took her first shot. Three energy arrows pierced through the wind, but as soon as it reached the target, it was blocked by Arth’s tower shield!

“Arth, Charge!” Irida said.

At that moment, Arth bulldozed all his way towards Rayne, while Rayne kept on firing her bow. Energy arrows get deflected every time it gets to the opponent’s shield!

Thirty meters. Twenty meters. Ten meters. Arth’s head-on advance is not fast, but it’s not slow either. I will have to assist Rayne or else she will be at a disadvantage in close-quarter combat! Arth has a specialty in close ranges, and I am not going to take the risk even though Rayne’s kicks pack a punch themselves.

I swiped my first Command Card and revealed it towards the skies! “Activate Equip Card: Striker Wing!”

Crimson cybernetic wings sprouted on Rayne’s back, and she took off with these wings up in the skies! While gaining altitude, she spun and then turned towards the opponent, firing her arrows while gaining distance!

In the nick of time, Arth was able to reposition his tower shield to protect his head. All arrows that Rayne unleashed were deflected once again.

“Circle him and continue firing!” I shouted out loud.

Rayne obeyed by hovering the perimeter, looking for an angle of opening. She continued firing her arrows again and again while repositioning every three shots. Meanwhile, Arth was left as a sitting duck, having nothing to do but block all the attacks.

I looked at my opponent Kaiser’s face. She seems to be sweating a little bit, but she remains focused on her poker face. I saw her graceful fingers swipe and hesitate at the same time. She may hold five Command Cards, but she seems to only have one choice- to activate the only one card she can use at her disposal.

This just means that Ryan’s advice to me was on point. Irida had already made a countermeasure for my general tactics, but now that I have changed playstyles, Irida is stuck in a pinch. She realized too late that I had already countered her counterplan.