As dawn’s light filtered through the curtains of his room at the Purple Walnut, Hikaru stirred from his slumber, feeling a rush of anticipation for the day ahead. After completing his morning routine with eager excitement, Hikaru and Lydia made their way to the stadium. Clad in his oni mask, Hikaru strode towards the Royal Seating Box, an air of anticipation swirling around him. Surprisingly, Clay had beaten them there, extending a warm welcome and gesturing for Hikaru to take a seat beside him, just as he had the day before.
The air inside the stadium was charged with energy as spectators gathered, their voices rising in anticipation of the fierce competition about to unfold. The principal began today’s semifinal with a few words of encouragement, setting the stage for the referee to announce the first match.
Clay leaned forward, his gaze fixed on the bustling arena below. “I hope you don’t take this the wrong way, but I don’t think your little sister stands a chance against Sarya today,” he remarked, his tone tinged with concern.
Hikaru’s expression remained stoic as he listened to Clay’s assessment. He was confident that Sarya wouldn’t even show up for the semifinal, so there was no uncertainty in his mind.
Just then, Lydia joined the conversation, her voice calm and reassuring. “But you don’t need to worry, Hikaru. I highly doubt Sarya would maliciously cripple her opponent again, especially after being warned by the principal,” she chimed in, her expression earnest.
Hikaru offered a small nod, a sense of acceptance settling over him. “Don’t worry, Your Highness, Lydia. I’m prepared for whatever outcome today’s semifinal brings,” he replied, his voice steady despite the underlying tension in the air.
After the referee stepped into the center of the battle platform, the crowd hushed in anticipation. With a resounding voice, the referee declared, “Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for our first semifinal match! In the western corner, we have Masaki, a rising star known for her precision with the bow and cunning tactics.”
Masaki gracefully strode toward the battle platform, adorned in the same battle gear she had worn the previous day.
“And in the eastern corner, we have the formidable High Elf, Sarya, renowned for her lightning-fast strikes,” the referee continued, his announcement punctuated by a roar of excitement from the spectators.
Surprisingly, contrary to Hikaru’s prediction, Sarya showed up. As she confidently strode toward the battle platform, adorned in the same battle outfit as she wore the previous day.
Hikaru thought to himself as he started to feel worried: ‘I can’t believe she still managed to show up, even after yesterday’s warning. She barely survived against the leader of the pursuers yesterday. Even if she manages to win today, how will she deal with them later on?’
Shortly after Masaki and Sarya faced off on the battle platform, the crowds held their breath as the referee exchanged a solemn nod with each of them before raising his hand to signal the imminent start of the match. As anticipation reached its peak, the referee dropped his hand to commence the start of the first match.
Sarya stood her ground, as she drew her rapier, each dent on its blade a testament to the fierce clash she had with the leader of her pursuers the night before. While on the opposite side Masaki activated her [Phoenix Wings] unhindered as she ascended into the sky, her bow drawn and arrow poised as her gaze locked firmly on her opponent below.
[Quick Shoot] x3 (Common Skill)
*Swoosh –Swoosh –Swoosh* Masaki channeled chi into her arrows before rapidly shooting them. Using the same strategy as in her last match, she began shooting from approximately 10 meters away, then progressively moved closer before finally retreating.
Sarya remained rooted in place, employing minimal movement to effortlessly evade all the arrows. Her high wits and strength attributes enabled her to react swiftly with remarkable speed.
Stunned by Sarya’s effortless evasion, Masaki scrambled to find her blind spot, firing from various angles. However, despite several rounds of continuous shooting, Masaki’s shots continued to miss their mark, even though Sarya hadn’t moved from her original spot.
After her barrage of arrows, Masaki suddenly realized: ‘Oh no, I only have 15 arrows left! I guess I’ll have to get a little closer to her. If not, I’ll run out of arrows before I can even hit her! And just to be safe, let’s land first to extend my airborne time.’
Masaki landed a bit further from Sarya to guard against any sudden attacks before swiftly soaring back into the air. Aware that her close proximity increased her chances of hitting Sarya but also exposed her to counterattacks, Masaki approached cautiously, ready to shoot when the moment was right.
But as Masaki closed in to roughly a 6-meter distance, Sarya suddenly initiated her long-distance attacks while simultaneously closing in on her, catching Masaki off guard and leaving her unable to react in time.
*Swish –Swish –Swish* Sarya channeled her chi, causing the tip of her rapier to glow with a soft green light, and then launched three [Flying Thrust] attacks while running toward her.
*Slice –Slice –Swish* the first strike managed to cut Masaki’s bow in two while making a superficial cut on her left hand. The second strike completely severed her right wrist, while the third strike sealed her fate, leaving her crippled as it further divided the mutilated hand in two places.
Hikaru leapt from his seat, eager to soar into the arena, but Lydia quickly restrained him.
*TWEEEET* the referee sounded the whistle a bit late, but eventually blew it to indicate the match was over.
“Calm down and think for a second,” she urged Hikaru. “If you jump into the arena now, you might blow your cover for nothing. The tournament committee surely will handle things fairly without you getting involved, Hikaru.” Lydia said, while holding him down.
“…”
The stadium was buzzing with noise as the crowds seemed to converse with themselves about just what had transpired, while the medics swiftly arrived and escorted Masaki to the healing formation.
“Lydia is right, plus I also won't stand idly by if Sarya doesn’t give me a satisfactory answer! So, calm down,” Clay reassured Hikaru.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
Hikaru slumped back into his seat after calming down a bit, but he still glared dangerously at Sarya.
The referee announced a recess as the guards in the arena walked toward the battle platform to apprehend Sarya. But before they arrived three individuals with feathery crimson wings flew toward the battle platform hovering 3 meters above the platform.
Hovering in the air, Kaya Shigeo, the patriarch of the Kaya clan, along with Hikaru’s uncle, Kaya Hideo, and his cousin, Kaya Masaru, looked visibly livid. Kaya Shigeo pointed his finger at Sarya, demanding accountability for the situation.
“SARYA!” Shigeo began, his voice loud and full of hatred. “WE DON’T HOLD ANY GRUDGE AGAINST EACH OTHER! BUT NOW YOU HAVE RUTHLESSLY CRIPPLED ONE OF OUR BRIGHTEST MEMBERS. HOW DO YOU INTEND TO SETTLE THIS ISSUE? IF YOU DON’T GIVE US A SATISFACTORY ANSWER, DON’T BLAME US FOR BEING RUTHLESS!”
As tensions mounted, the guards ordered them to land, fearing that the Kaya clan trio might escalate the situation into a bloody battle. However, the trio chose to disregard their warning and remained stationary in the air.
“What do you guys mean by ‘give a satisfactory answer’? Accidents happen in this kind of tournament all the time! If any of the participants are afraid of the risk, they shouldn’t have participated in this tournament in the first place!” Sarya nonchalantly answered.
Hikaru saw that the Kaya clan trio was about to engage in confrontation against Sarya and felt conflicted about it. But he ultimately decided to stay put in his seat and just watch how the situation was going to play out.
A short while later, the dark elf, leader of Sarya’s pursuers from the previous night, along with his subordinates, still clad in the same attire, leaped from the spectator area into the battle arena. Their sudden appearance only served to exacerbate Sarya’s already dire situation.
As Hikaru watched Sarya’s enemies continue to pour in, he thought to himself: ‘Serve you right, with this many enemies surrounding you from all directions, look how dead you're going to be after the battle ends.’
The referee tried to diffuse the situation by persuading the trio to let the principal give Sarya her judgment. “Gentlemen, please hold back for a moment and let the principal personally judge her for her misconduct. If you guys act now, you will ruin your clan’s reputation. The crowds here will think your clan can’t take losses well, and even the prince in his booth will think the same! Is it worth jeopardizing your hard-built reputation over a fleeting burst of anger?”
As the referee advice made some sense, Shigeo held back his anger while maintaining his position in the air.
But shortly after, the referee noticed another group of people barging onto the battle platform, seemingly also holding a grudge against her. Judging by their attire, the referee knew they were Inquisitors from the Deva temple. He thought to himself: ‘Why the hell do you need to provoke all these people while I am refereeing your match, making my job increasingly difficult?’
The Dark Elf, leader of the inquisitors, spoke with a menacing tone: “Sarya, as I warned you last night, if our paths crossed again, your fate would be sealed.”
“Gentlemen, can…..” The referee once again tried to remedy the situation, but before he could he heard a familiar sound.
*Creak –Creak –Creak* the gate of the battle arena entrance groaned open, announcing the arrival of two figures. Leading the way was an enigmatic figure with a chiseled jaw, a glowing Asura symbol on his forehead, long blonde hair, and porcelain-like skin, casting doubt upon his gender. Following closely behind was Goun, his previously crippled hand now miraculously restored, with every digit intact.
As they approached the battle platform, the Dark Elf and his subordinates halted their actions, uncertain of their next course of action. The trio from the Kaya clan landed on the battle platform, kneeling, leaving the referee standing there unsure of what to do.
Meanwhile inside the Royal Seating Booth Clay suddenly rose from his seat with his brows knitted together before seating back down.
Lydia muttered unconsciously as she saw the enigmatic figure, “Fallen Angel.”
Hearing Lydia, Hikaru asked: “What do you mean by this “Fallen Angel” thing?”
Lydia explained: “Fallen angels are celestials from the Asura faction! That’s the only explanation how Goun’s crippled hand was restored.”
“That’s good news; if he can restore Goun’s hand, then he can also restore Masaki’s crippled hand!” Hikaru replied.
“It’s more complicated than that. First of all, our kingdom is allied with the Heaven Alliance, which is pretty much the enemy of his faction. So we can’t just ask him for a favor! But we also aren’t his enemy, as our kingdom didn’t persecute his followers like the other kingdoms," Lydia replied.
The enigmatic figure, followed by Goun, approached the referee, who stood completely still, and swiftly took hold of his Megaphone. After they arrived on the battle platform, Sarya also followed closely behind the enigmatic figure. While all of her enemies remained in their positions, unsure of their next move.
Note: Megaphone
Description: A device utilizing a sound crystal to amplify and project sound over greater distances, enhancing its reach and clarity.
The enigmatic figure began his speech: “Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Arael, a celestial hailing from the Asura faction. Today, I stand before you having heard a desperate plea from a devoted Deva worshipper in need of healing. As many of you probably witnessed in yesterday’s tournament, a young man named Goun was accidentally left crippled.”
Arael then continued his speech while pointing on the direction of the group of Deva inquisitors: “But alas, the Deva celestials not only failed to answer his prayer, but also hindered my efforts to heal this young man named Goun. They tasked their inquisitors to capture my subordinate, preventing me from fulfilling my duty of aiding those in need.”
Arael then pointed his finger at Goun. “Luckily for this young man, unlike the Heaven Alliance, those in my faction always aid those in need of help. Therefore, I healed this young man, despite his allegiance to the Deva religion.”
Inside the Royal Seating booth, Hikaru asked Lydia: “Why the Deva inquisitors just froze there unmoving, and let Arael said whatever he wants?”
Lydia then replied: “Those guys knew they don’t stand a chance against a celestial, as they are generally stronger than other orbies. Furthermore, even if they somehow managed to eliminate him, Arael would simply be resurrected in his God domain to seek vengeance in the future. That’s why, despite the Asura faction having been at war with the other three celestial factions for ages, they still remained in existence till this day.”
Arael declared, “Those from the Deva, Titan, and Olympian religions always blame my faction for any mishaps that occur in the world.” Pointing directly at Clay in the Royal Seating Booth, Arael continued, “They accuse us of injuring people to gain more worshippers, when in reality, it was the father of that man who initiated the Aran War, leaving a multitude of people permanently crippled. The kingdom can’t be so naive as to think that the war wouldn’t leave some of its citizens permanently injured.”
As Hikaru listened to the next part of Arael’s speech, curiosity sparked within him. He turned to Lydia and gestured towards the Deva inquisitors, asking: “Then why doesn’t Arael attack them, if he’s invulnerable and those individuals are seeking to harm his subordinate?”
Lydia then replied: “Well, as far as I know, all celestials seem to have an agreement among themselves not to kill mortal beings unnecessarily. This is to prevent mass extermination of followers. Just imagine if immortal celestials continuously killed mortals, we mortals would soon become extinct, which would also lead to their demise, as celestials rely on worshippers for their existence. Therefore, they avoid unnecessary massacres, especially with so many eyewitnesses present. Moreover nowadays if the masses dislike their actions, they can choose to worship deities instead.”
While Both Hikaru and Lydia were having their conversation, Clay frowned as Arael was pointing at him and blamed his father for initiating the Aran War, which is true but unflaterring.
Arael continued, “Asura faction and I are simply extending a helping hand to restore those in need and identified the true culprits, so don’t be deceived by those who blame the Asura faction for all their misfortunes. Their accusations are baseless. In fact, we might be the ones who can save you from your misery. So if anyone you know is in need of healing, just come to the High Elves settlement inside the Misty Grove forest where I reside!”
In his mind, Hikaru thought to himself: ‘Is the series of events in the tournament designed by Arael to promote Asura religion? What a cunning old fox!’
Once Arael finished his speech, he returned the megaphone to the referee and gestured for both Sarya and Goun to follow him. As he was about to leave the battle platform, the kneeling Shigeo tugged on his trouser, informing him about Masaki’s condition and pleading for his help. Arael responded that he could aid her, but Shigeo would need to bring him three followers who were willing to serve him wholeheartedly. He assured Shigeo that these three people would be treated well but bound by a divine contract to prevent their betrayal. It’s worth noting that this conversation was spoken at a normal volume, so most of the spectators in the arena couldn’t hear it.
As he was about to exit the battle arena, he saw the principal standing in the battle arena frozen as she didn’t know what to do. The principal needed to uphold justice and punish Sarya by at least disqualifying her for intentionally injuring another contestant, but she was too afraid to offend a celestial. On the other hand if she announced her win she was too afraid to offend Prince Clay. So she was caught between a rock and a hard place. Sensing the principal dilemma Arael approached her, and informed her that Sarya would forfeit the final match, so she didn’t need to think too much about it.
After Arael and his followers made their exit from the stadium, the principal strode to the center of the battle platform. With a commanding presence, she declared Sarya’s disqualification, her calm voice cutting through the tension in the air. However, she also decided to withdraw Masaki from the tournament due to her injury. Therefore, she informed the crowd that the next match would be the final.