73rd chapter : the black cat .
After that sudden announcement, a lot of holders have prepared themselves for the royal battle, which would open opportunities for them to regain their fame and stand next to their guild mates. And so that was also a good opportunity for Arthur to shine, even after seeing that he was the only one who didn’t understand much of the rules.
Upon hearing what Arthur said, everyone started laughing at him.
“That’s your problem not mine, don’t overdo it” Marco calmly responded. “Well, I’m not swearing anything for you cause I’m the one who’s gonna…” Arthur answered.
Before Arthur would finish his words, the guy from earlier that made fun of Nora spoke, beaming with a mocking smile on him.
“What is this!?! Gahahaha!! Seriously Nora!! Are you that scared to the point where you let this kid enter instead of you !! Gahaha!! Or perhaps you became a cunt that only listens to that whore’s words!! hahaha!!”.
Those words were infuriating for Arthur who looked at him then calmly closed the window.
“You passed the limits you know. It’s decided,” Arthur started stretching his arms and legs, calmly waiting for the bell to ring. “Nora is like my older brother and Minerva is the one older sister that cares for me, you touched my family so you’ll be the first one that I take down”.
In that moment a cold bloodlust was roaming around Arthur as his eyes shined with danger.
“Hein!? gahaha!! you really are a-!!”.
The guy responded, however before Dalian would finish his words of the starting signal, Arthur was already on top of the guy with an instant lightning saber, piercing through the guy’s mouth straight down, just to let him explode and get teleported back with a one hit to his guild’s table.
Everyone was shockingly surprised by that as Arthur stepped on the land with some lightning roaming around his body.
“Now come!! Filthy bastards of the other guilds!! Arthur Deca is the one and only opponent for you!!” Arthur said with enthusiasm as he released euro pressure for a second to scare the rest.
While the match started with a sudden shock for most of them, Emilis and the rest of the red mermaid members smiled to their fullest.
“I see, not having a serment was a bluff after all”.
Edina spoke so suddenly, therefore it wasn’t for Emilis to respond as Marco was the one to reply, the second he entered the room.
“Actually he doesn’t have one, that’s the least thing that I’m gonna say, and I came to let Sophie stay with you master, I’m heading back to get some things”.
Marco gave Sophie to Emilis as Layla walked behind him, still surprised the most one of them all.
Every guild master looked at Marco, holding Layla’s hand and leaving, then returned to watching the battle as Arthur’s sudden attack made them notice that their members were forced to retreat for a second to regroup themselves.
“Now then, what guild should I start with”.
Arthur was looking around, seeing that he was in the middle of the arena while most of the holders stood far from him, it wasn’t much of a strategic location but it made him realize that they will start by targeting him in a matter of minutes.
“That bastard’s guild I guess, dragon myth was it? I’m up for teaching them a lesson then”.
Arthur was talking to Yuna, right before suddenly dodging a slash from a holder as young as him. The calm response had Arthur within high ground before he would glance at who attacked him.
“you!! You’re Arthur, right?!”.
The little girl said with a soft smile, brimming with a different kind of enthusiasm. Arthur looked at her, standing silently there for a moment as he was about to blow her away, therefore she suddenly said,
“I like you! Let me join you in this!!”.
Arthur stopped completely for a second as he saw the other guilds finally regrouped themselves, although his mind was one something else.
“Huh?! Did that kid just get a beautiful girl to confess to him?”. Xavier was surprised as much as any other red mermaid member, but Marco calmly looked over it as a different kind of strength.
Ultimately not a single viewer in the world thought that it was a coincidence as even the guilds masters were getting amused by it.
“Oy?! Wasn’t that girl yours Edina?!”.
Jeanne asked, laughing while the comments at the corner of the section were exploding.
“Yeah she arrived late with some other girls but I wasn’t expecting her to do such a move, saying that so suddenly and to a wild punk like him… it’s amusing” Edina responded, surprisingly liking the odds of that situation.
On top of that sudden confession, Arthur sighed as he stood facing her normally, while that girl took the act of letting his guard down as a response to her words.
“You know that I’m going to knock you down when I finish these people there, right?!” he responded, asking after that.
“Yeah!! I won’t be losing either !! and!! I’m Lara!! Lara Tarabant!! A member of the Valkyries!!”.
Lara was shining in enthusiasm as she saw that Arthur ignored her for a second, only to catch an arrow heading towards her.
“I’m Arthur, red mermaid member”.
Arthur briefly responded then instantly dashed towards the dragon myth members. Lara didn’t exactly put anything else within these acts and so she happily dashed behind him.
As Arthur easily broke through their defenses a holder tried to slash him, he calmly dodged the slash by stepping a step to the back then jumping to the holder’s front, punching him with a single punch to the face and using him as a stepping stone to jump to the other one. Arthur kicked the second guy in the face too as he used him like a shield to parry a few arrows that headed towards him.
“You archers are a damn nuisance”.
Arthur complained then used a vanishing step to create decoys, a move fine enough to reach the archer and pierce an instant lightning saber to his heart. The lightning exploded, taking three others with them.
The second that Arthur was going to move again he guarded a hit from another holder. Right after him, Arthur was about to dodge another one but ended up getting shielded by Lara instead.
“You shouldn’t do that”.
Arthur seemed to be troubled by her sudden appearance.
“It’s ok!! We’re teammates for now!! Protect me and I’ll protect you!!” she answered.
Lara responded with a smile as usual, even amidst the battle acting like a little prim lady.
“You’re a nuisance!”.
Arthur said as he grabbed her from the back, instantly avoiding a huge fireball from another white tigers holder.
“You guys can wait for your turn!!” he said, releasing a bloodlust followed by a lightning strike out of nowhere.
Until now Arthur was the holder with highest points whereas all the guilds have pointed him to be their prime target.
“Arthur!! Use that lightning thing you used to do!! using the curse secretly won’t put you in trouble!!” Selicia said, appearing to his side after Yuna.
Arthur turned, looking at Selicia having a thumb up while he was guarding up a straight attack from one of the holders. Her smile and his didn’t quite match but he knew that she was serious.
“Arthur!! isn’t it a little bit a lot that you made them this furious?”.
Lara was fighting alongside Arthur while protecting his back by now, seeing him act weirdly and snuggle around didn’t exactly help the image she pictured after hearing about his acts. Ultimately, Lara’s interest in Arthur came from the words she heard by the seven seats of the Valkyries, whom she considers as her big sisters.
Hearing about someone her age, acting as if he owned the world was an intriguing matter to Lara after knowing that many kids her age got serments because of that rising incident.
Arthur’s presence was an entrancing picture for Lara.
“Hmm, not really!! I don’t mind what they’ll do, and!!”.
Arthur said before getting interrupted by another strong holder who had a longsword, Arthur mostly blocked the hit barehanded, getting some damage from that hit as well as keeping the holder shocked by it.
“That damn hurts goddamn it! fall down”.
Arthur used the sword as medium to let a strong lightning strike on its surroundings, distinguishing Lara from the hit.
“Seems like that lightning is draining their euro particles, rather than attacking their physical bodies that badly. That kid is as strong as an advanced C rank holder too, you got a little monster in your pack Emilis”.
Alexander gave his comment on Arthur’s moves after processing the battle, the guild masters looked at him then calmly sighed whereas they also saw Emilis brimming with life during that moment.
“Well to be honest”, Layla spoke after that, however Emilis interrupted her.
“There’s not a lot to be told about that kid, therefore believe it or not he was the one that helped me most in defeating the Palferia back then. And seeing him fighting now, I’ll calmly say that neither him nor that young girl Lara are near to their full strength either. Mine isn’t the only hax on the group”.
His words were a sudden terror for the rest of the guilds masters as Emilis looked at Edina keeping a steady face too.
“You’re as cocky as ever but I’ll agree with your words, Lara is the one and only youngest girl that is able to achieve the Valkyrie dress perfect synchronization. In other words she possesses another serment like weapon, just how funny is this? A boy who has no serment and a girl who ironically has two, what a lovely paradox”.
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While watching Edina giggled a little as all the other guilds masters nodded the two young holders who are considered geniuses by now.
On the other side of the battle Arthur was calmly fighting, he started using karma slowly with a few punches, draining ones that are making him faster, sharper and stronger. Lara saw that Arthur was going faster as she pouted a little, however she returned to smiling the moment that he blocked a hit for her.
“You’re getting careless and I have a plan so stand up for a moment and protect me” Arthur said, pushing the guy away.
“Haaa!? Are you telling me that he’s gonna use that here?”.
Alice said as Marco spoke about Arthur’s next move after this, the red mermaid were having their own discussion too with Arthur’s movements at its center.
“Yeah well he’s not using it at full strength, but this would keep him away from the upcoming troubles though, he thinks that I’m not sensing that he’s using karma”
Marco responded while watching Arthur leaping to the back with Lara protecting him. Lara was having a hard time compared to Arthur who was just standing there calmly exhaling his breaths out. That momentum became a full throttle for the viewers as they didn’t expect for the remaining holders from all guilds to be actually paired up on the two, even though those of the Valkyries started helping earlier, Lara eventually was the last remaining one.
“Arthur!! Are you not done yet!?”.
Lara was having troubles with holders because they were trying to bombard them, ultimately showing that she wasn’t suited for defense as much as how suited she was for attack.
“Ah!! I’m done!! Get behind!! I can use this only once!!”.
Arthur said, answering as he held his hands straight, cloaking himself with euro particles, then in a blink of an eye he accumulated lightning in the palms of his hands.
“You guys lost”.
Arthur coldly said before releasing a massive lightning euro ray on all of the guilds members which expelled them away from the arena, announcing that they lost.
The whole arena was empty, Leaving Arthur and Lara standing there with few others who were able to guard themselves from the hit right at the best moment.
“Just stay down already”.
Arthur, who seemed to be done for as an act, said right after finishing the other remaining holders by using a lightning saber on each and every one of them.
“That kid is far more dangerous than what he looks like, but my girl is the one winning this battle since she used him well”.
The fine grin Edina had soon turned to shivers for a second as she saw what Arthur was capable of ,
“So that’s why he was yawning about fighting with older holders, the council won’t like that, am I wrong, Layla sama?”.
Recka said, eventually looking at the shocked and scared Layla, who gulped her breaths from sensing the shuddering aura that Arthur released upon the start of the final fight.
One minute passed after Arthur finished off the other guilds members, making him stand in front of Lara last whereas the two were preparing themselves to go against each other.
“So the final showdown is me and you”.
Lara said with a smile, brushing off the tension of the situation.
“Yup, I told you I won’t be holding back even against you”.
Arthur returned the smile while stretching his arms and legs. He too had no care about the tension that the viewers brought by.
“You know!! Edina sama said that I can’t fight too so I couldn’t show all my strength!! As an elegant lady I couldn’t shout like you did earlier so you livened my spirits up!! However I’m the one who’s gonna win for the sake of my big sisters”.
The vibe around Lara completely changed for a serious one as she released a cold bloodlust towards him, Arthur didn’t give that any importance as he whistled after that.
“To tell you the truth it’s not only master who forbade me from fighting but my big brother too, he said that using my witchcrafts would get me in trouble however”.
Arthur let a euro pressure within exhaling his breaths only, looking like sparks of electricity around his body as the atmosphere at that moment had everyone hooked on watching him, to see what he would do.
“Lightning of the underworld”.
Arthur stood vigilant, as he released a far denser one with a cloak of lightning around his body. Once again, Arthur’s strength shocked everyone, showing that he wasn’t even going at full strength at the start of the battle either.
Lara was filled with enthusiasm again as she matched Arthur’s strength by releasing the Valkyrie dress right after he did the lightning of the underworld.
“Here I come!!”.
Lara roared, instantly dashing at his front with her serment pointed straight at him, trying to slash through Arthur.
Seeing that she went at full strength, Arthur smiled then instantly blocked the spear with an explosive lightning sent into the air. That single lightning had Lara go for a retreat, so that it won’t hit her but she failed, Arthur pulled her to his side then hit her on the guts.
The hit would have been a fatal strike if not for the Valkyrie dress’ defensive witchcrafts. Arthur continued his attack by leaping behind her with another punch but the spear blocked it, Lara used her serment as a decoy, rotating it to gain momentum although she kicked Arthur from below, sending him to the sky.
Lara followed her attack with lancing the spear at him but Arthur vanished from her sight midair as he went full speed, using three afterimages to surround Lara. That made her flustered about what to do in defense, however she used the spear again as it appeared out of nowhere and instantly hit Arthur, who switched to defense at the last second.
Arthur dodged the lanced spear then a lightning bullet from Lara’s other part of her serment after. He stood speechless as he saw her grinning a smug face in front of him.
“You’re not the only kid with an affinity for elemental attacks”.
As Lara said that, Sam and Marco smirked awkwardly. They saw that Arthur chuckled at her words.
“What are you laughing for?”.
Lara closed the distance in order to try and hit him but Arthur didn’t move, blocking the punch as he sighed.
“It’s a lost cause at this point to do something flashy but Zack senpai’s attack is the most useful here with karma that I guess”.
As he answered, Arthur made her lose balance for one second, enough to take a stance just like Marco’s wind thrust and along with his lightning Arthur paralyzed Lara’s movement, then he calmly hit her to the guts with everything he had to the point where the arena behind her got demolished by the lightning that got out his palm.
With that last hit Arthur won the royal battle, leaving Lara as the last opponent for him, although she made him use karma. In accordance even the guilds masters were rather not subtle about it, glaring daggers at Emilis for keeping his existence hidden until now.
After finishing his last opponent, Arthur noticed that the only ones who were present, were him and the knocked down Lara.
“Sigh, I don’t really have to do this you know”.
Arthur responded to Selicia, who forced him to hold Lara in his arms since she was unconscious, he refused at first but did what Selicia wanted and held her up crossing the portal back to the hall.
The second that he passed Lara woke up, getting healed right away by the world system.
“Is it morning?”.
She said half asleep feeling the backlash that the hit on the guts gave her.
“Not morning, and if you’re able to walk then get up”.
Arthur responded then saw her clinging a little more.
“Let me stay like this for a moment”.
Lara muttered to herself as she curled up her face in. Arthur looked at her then sighed before putting her down on her feet, she smiled before going back to her table.
The second that Lara went on her way, he saw a lot of eyes roaming around him, that feeling in particular wasn’t something Arthur was fond of, even back in the palm city.
“ah, the same as school I guess, Marco nii was…”.
Before Arthur would finish his words, he saw everyone from red mermaid rushing to him, joyfully celebrating his achievement.
“You sick little cat thief!! Damn that was a total massacre you did there!! Truly a red mermaid member!! That’s our Arthur!! You little bastard!!”.
With his family praising him and cheering him, Arthur looked at them with a little lighting spark in his eyes, he looked at his brother returning the smile to him as Arthur felt the warmth of his family.
“That’s right!! Praise me more!! tell how great I am!! Let these bunch of losers know that I’m unstoppable Arthur Deca sama!! ku!!”.
The second that Arthur responded with his usual reaction Marco hit him on the head.
“Don’t get too cocky, you know that Marco is going to hit you like that?”.
Hana said as everyone laughed at him, everyone in the red mermaid agreed to that while watching Arthur rub his head. Right after Hana spoke another unexpected person approached them.
“Arthur kun was it?”.
Cami came with Lara behind her, totally blushing. Arthur looked at her.
“Yeah?” responding calmly.
“You damn little cat really stole the heart of our little princess!! and I thought only the little sister was this adorable!!”.
Cami added so suddenly trying to hug him but Arthur didn’t let her do that as stepped to the back, looking a bit creeped out by her acts whereas Cami instantly felt down by his reaction. Eventually, she let it go and fixed her posture.
“Ah right, This includes our friendship for now Alice, if Lara wanted to stay with Arthur then we the Valkyries are backing her” Cami smiled at Arthur who was startled again, “And means also earning the Valkyries respect, Arthur kun you’re the first holder who earned this respect after a single show of strength so have pride in that”
Cami continued as Arthur looked at her being serious for a second then he turned to see the other red mermaid members whistling.
In response to that, Arthur vigilantly bowed to Cami the way that The Deca family bows to royalty as Yuna and Selicia had taught him that.
After that unexpected response which showed such an elegant and royal spirit within the red mermaid members as such Arthur’s acts, a lot of people stayed silent the moment he stood on the stage next to the guild masters and Dalian, who was up for the announcement.
“Uhm, Arthur Deca! The youngest member of the red mermaid and the winner of this royal battle, the second game of the festival, Truly a genius that we’ve never seen before in all of our history. Want to make an announcement, kid?”.
Dalian addressed Arthur, who grinned a smile at the red mermaid members then responded eagerly with a no, letting it go in a simple way with all the people gazing at him for that.
“After this, the MVP for today’s game is our second genius. Lara Tarabant!!”.
Dalian said as he turned the lights on the Valkyries’ table spot after giving Arthur the money prize. Within the rules, the MVP is the one who has the right to enter back the games alongside the winning player, therefore Arthur mistook it for the MVP being the only one who has such right.
“Haaa!! Wait a minute!! Wait a damn minute!!!” Arthur spoke, suddenly filled with rage “Wasn’t I the MVP here!! I was the last one standing!!”.
Arthur jumped at Dalian, catching him from the shirt with a furious gaze as sparks of lightning came out of him.
“Ahaha!! there’s an explanation to this Arthur kun so let go of me” Dalian smiled at him.
“There’s no damn explanation for this!! I w-!!” .
Before Arthur would finish his words, Marco caught him with chains and pulled him away, followed by a punch to his head to knock him down, in front of the guild masters and Dalian.
“Excuse my little brother’s foolishness”. Marco said before letting him lay down on the stage.
“No it’s ok, is he fine though?”.
Dalian responded then he saw Arthur wake up, silently standing next to Lara, who arrived just after Marco with no other words to add.
“Ahahaha!! it was really some misunderstanding that young kids had, The last one standing isn’t the same as the MVP, Both are allowed to join the other games but depends on how the guild master allows it, it’ll be one and only game, however the MVP doesn’t exactly win the full money prize, Lara being the MVP because she played a part in you beating the rest of the holders, am I wrong Arthur kun?”.
Dalian explained, in front of everyone the stuff slowly to Arthur who sighed then apologized for what he did.
“With this we conclude the game for tonight, as I said earlier, the kabuki guy is still out in the chase, with no further explanation I’ll say it for sure, run away and call for help”.
Dalian was dead serious about his words, however a lot of guilds were confident in their strength which led to Dalian looking for a simple excuse to hurt their pride by mentioning Arthur.
“For the ones who are actually going to act cocky and say that they’re strong enough for this, putting aside the guild masters and vice masters. Do I need to remind you that the non-listed ones were defeated by two twelve year old kids in such a simple game?”.
Dalian’s words crushed their hopes, as many voices went up and down, muttering like bees upon hearing him. And so Dalian finished talking at that moment, wishing them a good evening, then left on his own.
After that most of the guilds went on their way, the red mermaid was the last one to get out, waiting for Emilis who was discussing things with them.
“Let’s throw a party for this little bastard as a celebration!! I’m sure that tomorrow there will be no games!!”.
Xavier suggested out of the blue.
Everyone looked at him then glanced at Arthur who was smirking about that idea.
“You guys head first I have something to take care of I guess”.
Marco said suddenly as he went on his way first. They looked at him, feeling like he had something else entirely from what they were thinking.
“Huh?! what kind of work he has if Layla chan said that she’ll meet him tomorrow morning”.
Carla said as she was looking at him turning to the west, they nodded although not all of them had thought he was meeting her.
“Dunno but I guess he’s going to look for the kabuki guy”.
Hana spoke so suddenly as everyone took it as a joke. Though she meant what she said, she just played it dumb and laughed it out after seeing their reactions.
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image [https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GRPBPdFWgAA9Npt?format=png&name=4096x4096]