The sword cut through the air and clashed against a well placed shield. Its force was so powerful that it jarred the hand of the shield bearer. The shield bearer let out a grunt and bit down against the sudden pain. He applied his body strength and was successful in repelling the sword.
The swordsman without wasting time bashed his own shield against his opponent. This time his opponent couldn't cope with the force of the shield bash and was pushed back. His opponent couldn't rest his momentum and spilled out of the ring while falling on the ground on his ass.
The crowd erupted with a thunderous cheer. If there had been any roof on the stadium then it would have been blown away, such was the cheers of the crowd.
The referee raised his hand signaling the end of the bout.
"And the winner!!! And NEW!!! ARMED COMBAT CHAMPION OF RAISON!!!
JANN ‘O’ BOLLO!"
The ring announcer roared into his announcer tube to cut through the crowd's noise. He was on his feet while holding his head with both of his hands. He was in utter disbelief.
Two thinly clad ladies walked to the ring with a gold plated belt. The ladies stepped into the ring and with big smiles on their faces wrapped the gold plated belt around Jann's waist.
Jann to his credit managed to open his protective helmet revealing his bright smile. He waved to the crowd who kept on cheering him. The atmosphere inside the stadium was deafening.
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The ring announcer finally came back to his senses.
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THIS IS HISTORY MAKING IN FRONT OUR EYES!
AN UPSET OF THE DECADE EVERYONE!
AFTER 15 YEARS… 15 LONG PAINSTAKING YEARS, JANN HAS ACHIEVED HIS DREAM.
A DREAM DREAMT BY A YOUNG BOY HAS BEEN FULFILLED BY A GRIZZLED OLD VETERAN OF THE SPORT.
JANN ‘O’ BOLLO IS THE NEW TOP DOG OF OUR CITY.”
The ring announcer’s throat went hoarse as he was yelling at the top of his voice.
The crowd started chanting ‘JANN’ in unison.
While the new champion himself let his emotions show. Tears of joy rolled from his eyes on his grey beard. Years of hard work have finally paid off. He waved to the crowd while walking to every corner of the stadium.
Amidst all the cheers, all the adulation the new champion was getting, amidst all the frenzy of the crowd, no one was paying attention to a lonely figure sprawled on the ground. The former champion, the loser of the bout, opened up his helmet and continued to watch the sky. All he could think was,
“How did I lose?”
He kept questioning himself over and over again, repeating the entire sequence of the last action that led to his loss. Tears filled up in his eyes. Realization hit him hard… he was no longer the champion. All his hard work, his preparation, were for naught. Now all he was left with were the pieces of his broken dreams. The name, Ray ‘Eh’ Nos, once undisputed champion of Raison, will fade away in history.
“How long will you mope about?”
A young boy kneeled down beside him.
“Get up, this is not the end of the road but a start of a new path in our journey.” He said to Ray.
“Lecturing me with my own words.”
Ray scoffed but he finally started to stir and get up. Tears had dried up by now, but his remained focused, focused on the new champion.
“I’ll be back for my championship, Jann… I’ll climb this mountain once again.”
He murmured, but his eyes started filling up with a renewed determination. He stood up with the help of the boy and made his way back towards his personal room inside the stadium with a last look at the now victorious Jann.