CONVERSATION

Xhin: What are your thoughts on the match?

Klaus: Nothing of importance, I guess.

Xhin: Are you worried about your friends?

Klaus: I wouldn't necessarily say that.

Klaus and Xhin whispered on the sidelines as the Knight brothers stood ready, eyes locked on the eight demons poised to face them. Klaus recognized this as the first time he would see Lance and Arthur fight side by side, something he'd always been curious about. After a brief silence, Xhin voiced her concerns.

"But do you think this is truly fine?" Xhin asked. "I know they are formidable fighters, but these current champions and contestants are no jokes."

Klaus kept his gaze on the battlefield, addressing Xhin's worries with calm confidence.

"Trust me," Klaus said. "Your worries are misplaced."

Just as Klaus finished speaking, the alarm buzzed, signaling the start of the sparring match.

The smiles on Lance and Arthur's faces reflected their excitement as they began to move forward. Before they could close the distance, two demons advanced first, seemingly intent on ending the battle quickly without involving the others. Their expressions mirrored the anticipation of the Knight brothers.

As the demons rushed forward, Arthur stepped up to meet them. In a display of unmatched skill, Arthur outmaneuvered his foes, dispatching them with single, precise strikes while effortlessly avoiding their attacks.

Xhin's eyes lit up at the spectacle unfolding before her. She glanced at Klaus, whose gaze remained fixed on the battlefield. Arthur's smile widened as he turned his attention to the rest of their opponents.

"I would advise you all to take this more seriously," Arthur declared, his voice tinged with disappointment. "I mean, you are representing your realm, after all."

His cocky tone riled up the demons, especially Hex. The nonchalance Hex had initially displayed evaporated as he clenched his fists and stepped forward, now determined to fight in earnest. The other demons followed suit, rushing at Lance and Arthur, initiating a heated battle. The demons who had been temporarily knocked out quickly regained their footing and joined the fray.

The ensuing clash was a sight to behold—a battle between two different mortal species. Despite being outnumbered, Lance and Arthur easily held their own. Minutes into the brawl, not a single attack from the demons had landed on the demigods. The synergy between the Knight brothers was nothing short of extraordinary. Their choreography, intuition, and attacking prowess were beyond phenomenal, some of the best Klaus had ever witnessed. But in his eyes, this level of skill was to be expected.

Jhin, watching alongside Klaus and Xhin, was equally impressed by Lance and Arthur's prowess. Despite the smiles on their faces, the brothers' battle sequence was technical and calculated, leaving no openings.

"Both brothers are amazing, but Lance's movement is just incredible," Xhin remarked in awe, captivated by the elegance and precision of the demigods' motions.

Klaus had anticipated such a performance from the duo, which explained his lack of surprise at the direction the fight was taking. However, he knew that the demons had never seen a demigod battle before, which accounted for their awe.

"This is normal for him," Klaus said, continuing, "I mean, he did battle Drake on even terms for a long time."

As soon as Klaus finished speaking, the demon twins turned to him in shock, their expressions filled with disbelief.

"Drake?" Jhin asked, astonished. "Impossible."

Both Jhin and Xhin struggled to process Klaus's statement. Even considering the possibility, the idea that someone could battle Drake to a standstill was entirely unexpected.

"Are you certain of this?" Xhin asked.

"I guess," Klaus replied, also taken aback by their reaction.

Klaus's reason for mentioning Drake was to gauge if the demons were aware of his existence or if he was kept secret from them as well. If they had asked who Drake was, Klaus planned to downplay his claims. But seeing their reaction confirmed that Drake's significance was even greater than he had anticipated.

Some of the demons on the battlefield overheard Klaus's statement and were bewildered. Their perception of the battle shifted dramatically, realizing that their opponents were even more formidable than they appeared.

Returning their focus to the battle, Klaus and the demon twins could clearly see that Lance and Arthur were completely overwhelming their opponents. Hex was utterly baffled by how one-sided the fight was. He struggled to keep up with the brothers, and his frustration grew as his comrades were bested by two seventeen-year-old demigods. Despite this, Hex wasn't ready to give up.

Meanwhile, on the sidelines, Klaus pondered the nature of Drake and Ash, trying to understand more about their roles and significance.

CONVERSATION

Klaus: Who exactly is Drake to Ash?

Xhin took a second before responding.

Xhin: Drake is Ash's demon counterpart, as well as his offensive half.

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Klaus: Why exactly are they split people?

Xhin: Well, according to my knowledge, a God does not share physical properties with demons as they do with humans. This means that the compatibility is very low, and can cause a situation perceived as an anomaly.

Klaus: So because both physical attributes differ, Nekro and the Queen were unable to birth a child who shared the same traits, correct?

Xhin: Affirmative. And because of this, the offspring was conceived sharing a single presence, but different minds and bodies.

Klaus: So in hindsight, Drake is the demonic part of the two, with Ash being the Godly part?

Xhin: Exactly. And they are forced to coexist due to this anomalous nature.

This all made perfect sense to Klaus. He had always wondered why Ash's eyes appeared as if made of smoke, unlike those of anyone else. Now he understood: Ash's body wasn't truly human but a mimic of the gods, which explained the lack of normal pupils. Being mortal in a godly body, Ash still needed pupils, and they formed from his natural element. It was truly an anomaly.

As Klaus mulled over this revelation, his attention was drawn back to the battlefield, where the fight was reaching its climax. Hex was still fighting with all his might against the Knight brothers, but he couldn't land a single blow. The other demons, either unconscious or too exhausted to continue, lay scattered around. Despite this, the champion of the Under World refused to give up.

Hex launched another attack at Lance, who easily dodged and countered by sliding behind him. With a swift motion, Lance struck Hex's back with his elbow, causing the demon to stumble forward. Arthur then swiftly moved ahead of the demon before delivering a powerful uppercut to Hex's jaw, sending him crashing to the ground.

The brothers regrouped, standing over their fallen opponent as Hex struggled to rise. Despite his efforts, Hex finally collapsed to his knees, face down, in sheer exhaustion.

"I... I yield," Hex said, his voice filled with frustration.

"And with that, the battle is over," the instructor announced.

Lance and Arthur stood unscathed, as if untouched by the fierce battle. The other demons lay incapacitated, with Hex in the best condition but barely conscious.

Jhin and Xhin looked on in shock at the Knight brothers' overwhelming dominance over Nyxia's champions. Meanwhile, Klaus's expression remained unchanged, as if he had expected this outcome all along.

Arthur stepped forward, stopping just in front of his fallen opponent. He looked down, his intentions unclear.

"It seems we weren't all talk after all," Arthur said, mocking Hex's initial perception of the duo. "I expected less from you, but I can tell you're a cut above the others."

After his statement, Arthur suddenly extended his right hand to help Hex up. Hex looked up at the demigods with frustration but, despite Arthur's mocking tone, accepted the gesture and allowed Arthur to assist him to his feet.

"I completely underestimated you," Hex admitted. "Despite my first-ever defeat, that was an enjoyable experience."

He went on to explain how impressed he was with the demigods' talent and skill, especially given their young age. He apologized for his initial disrespect, acknowledging that he had been overconfident and now understood why Shynx had arranged the brawl. It was a lesson to show that more formidable beings existed beyond his realm.

"I think I'd say this was the best fight I've ever experienced," Hex announced, smiling and laughing at the thought.

Lance, surprised by Hex's honesty, appreciated the demon's genuine enjoyment of the battle. The two shook hands, thanking each other for the spirited match.

From the sidelines, Xhin smiled and turned to Klaus.

"Despite the desire for victory, defeat isn't necessarily less prideful," Xhin said. "There's pride in losing to a powerful opponent. Hex must recognize that they are truly formidable."

"I guess," Klaus responded, his eyes still on the battlefield.

Klaus' distant response and demeanor made it clear his mind was elsewhere, occupied by thoughts of someone rather than the present moment. He wondered about Avalon, concerned if she was doing fine. Despite knowing he shouldn't feel this way after discovering his most unwanted power, he couldn't help it. Since learning he was a demigod, he found it harder to disregard people other than his family, and this realization slightly frightened him.

Lost in thought, Klaus didn't notice his name being called until the instructor's voice broke through his reverie, pulling him back to the arena.

"It seems it's your turn to participate in battle now," the instructor announced.

Klaus looked around, noticing the unconscious demons being assisted out of the arena by the medical team. Hex was too fatigued to continue, and Lance and Arthur were also following the medical team. Klaus focused on the state of the demons.

"It's fine," Klaus said. "I don't mind not fighting anymore."

The instructor cleared her throat, drawing his attention. "You misunderstand," she stated. "The fallen demons will not be your opponents."

Surprised, Klaus turned his full attention to the instructor as she continued.

"The Queen anticipated that the demigods of War would opt to battle all the champions together, so she arranged alternative opponents for you."

Klaus remained silent as the instructor walked closer, then turned to her right where the twin demons, Jhin and Xhin, were seated.

"Jhin and Xhin, please enter the arena if you do not mind."

The baffled expressions of Jhin and Xhin mirrored Klaus's confusion. They hadn't expected this outcome either. Klaus felt this was unnecessary and wasn't particularly eager to battle.

"It's fine," Klaus responded after a moment. "I don't need to battle so badly that I would fight those assigned to guide us."

Jhin turned toward the demigod in a fit of rage. "Are you looking down on us?" he demanded.

"Is that what you got from that statement?" Klaus asked, annoyed by the misinterpretation.

Before the situation could escalate further, the instructor intervened.

"It's fine," she said calmly. "The two of them are highly trained warriors and fighters, so this is not a fight structured for sympathy."

Klaus remained silent for a moment, contemplating her words as she continued to reassure him.

"In fact, the reason they are not among the champions is that they are too young to participate in the Games of Champions," the instructor explained. "So I assure you, they are more than capable."

Klaus realized that arguing was futile, especially since this was a request from the Queen herself. He sighed, resigned to the situation.

"Fine... I guess," he finally responded, signaling his surrender to the idea.

With that, the demon twins were instructed to enter the arena and prepare for the battle.

After a brief pause, Klaus remembered the battle rules, recognizing that he couldn't use his powers to keep the fight fair. However, this posed a familiar obstacle.

"I'm not sure if I can still fight them," Klaus admitted, "considering some of my abilities are automatic, and I can't turn them off."

He was referring to his ability to perceive the world at light speed whenever he was in harm's way. With this power, along with his capability to move at the speed of light due to the absence of the sun in Under World, the fight would be completely one-sided. Despite this dilemma, the instructor remained unfazed.

"The Queen already briefed me on that issue, and we've come up with a solution," she said, walking towards Klaus.

She stopped and extended her hand, revealing a thin fabric.

"A blindfold?" Klaus asked, puzzled.

"Precisely," the instructor confirmed. "We also know that your powers are heightened by the night skies, so battling this way shouldn't be impossible for you."

Klaus wasn't sure whether to be baffled or impressed by their knowledge of him. It made sense, considering the Queen was married to the God who protected their realm, allowing them to gather necessary information. Given the effort they made to accommodate him, Klaus decided to agree to their terms.

Jhin, initially reluctant, was persuaded by his sister and the duty assigned by the Queen. He understood that his choice didn't matter.

The demons readied themselves in the arena as Lance and Arthur returned from the medical facility, their eyes fixed on the battlefield.

"Oh?" Lance remarked in surprise. "It would appear Walker is engaging in battle as well."

The duo watched from the sidelines as Klaus placed the blindfold over his eyes and prepared for the bell. He was completely unaware of what to expect but had a feeling that it wouldn't be easy.

After a moment of silence and anticipation, the bell rang, signaling the commencement of the battle.