Scorpard continued playing the Twillion Flute. The Corrulfs continued running at Giggiam. He dodged their attacks, endured more cuts, and struck a few.

"Make the Corrulfs go back into their cells!" Giggiam shouted up at Scorpard.

"I'm trying to get them to go back!" Scorpard said, throwing up his hands. A look of mock concern was on his face as he looked at the flute at every angle. "It's not working for some reason!"

"Stop messing around!" Megella said, stomping towards him. "Give him his victory!"

"I'm trying my best!"

Megella winced and sighed. Leieffa scowled up at Scorpard and appeared like she was about to stomp towards him. But she grimaced, turned away from her father, sat down, and frowned down at the arena.

The vice chiefs glared at Scorpard. Boos and angry shouting burst from the crowd as Giggiam continued to fight the Corrulfs. Except this time, Scorpard didn't control them. Half of the Corrulfs surrounded Giggiam, continuously slashing and snapping at him. But the other half faced Cutivia who laid on the dirt unconscious.

They didn't just run at her. Three of them pointed their open maws at a single point. A white and ethereal mist billowed out of their mouths and concentrated around the a single point. The mist condensed and compressed until it was a glowing and rippling ball of white light. They were about to use the only Skill a Corrulf had, a Soul Beam. If that hit Cutivia as she was, she'd receive a severe injury. She was unconscious, so there'd be no way of her moving.

If it hit her, it'd hurt, but he'd still win the competition. Her injury would be blamed on Scorpard. If he ran over to her, he could get hit instead. It's not like Scorpard would get rid of these Corrulfs, he had to kill them. He couldn't afford to put a handicap on himself like that when he was already in so much danger.

But she was his friend. He had to help her regardless of the cost. He stepped beside a Corrulf, lunging its fangs at him. Crushing its skull with a punch, he dashed past the Corrulfs surrounding him and sprinted towards Cutivia.

The corrulf's Soul Beam rippled and grew in size till it was five times the size of a person's head. Slapping the ground with a gust of wind and sending up a cloud of billowing dust, the Soul Beam shot towards Cutivia.

Giggiam reached her. The Soul Beam was so bright that it half-blinded him. He grabbed Cutivia, pulled her off the floor, and flung her to the side. He kicked the ground to dash away as well, but he could feel the Soul Beam's heat against his skin. It was too close.

It smashed into him. It felt like a giant hammer covered with a thousand needles rammed into him. The world blurred as he spun through the air in a pirouette. He crashed into the railings surrounding the arena in an explosion. Dirt, rocks, and wood splashed across the crowd. Dozens of members of the audience had to either leap out of the way, or get hit and sent flying by debris.

It had been a long time since Giggiam felt so much physical pain. He groaned in agony as he staggered up from the Soul Beam's crater. Blood covered him and trickled onto the floor. Every movement of his body surged flashes of pain across every inch of him.

He wanted to lay down on the ground and do nothing but moan and yell. But the injured civilians in the crowd all around him burned too much anger in his stomach. Scorpard didn't give up on his act of not being able to control the Corrulfs. So the Corrulfs still didn't give up on running at an unconscious Cutivia. A few ran after him as well. So he ignored the pangs of pain surging through his body in response to every inch of movement, jumped out of the crater, and ran at the Corrulfs.

Three leapt at him. He yelled in agony as he flung his leg at them. His foot crashed through them, splashing blood, fragments of bone, and pieces of pink flesh up and into the air. They dropped to the dirt.

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The rest of them ran at an unconscious Cutivia. He sprinted at them. He slid to a halt between them and her. They bristled at the sight of him. Their black and beady eyes bulged at the sight of their pack's blood dripping from his knuckles, fur collar, and black gambeson. They turned to run, but he snatched their tails and pulled them back.

He flipped one over and punched it in its chest, cracking its sternum and smashing its heart. He turned to another and back hand slapped it across the face, shattering its cheek bones, crushing its eye, and demolishing its brains. He grabbed the last one's ear, clenched its skull, and smashed it against his knee.

He killed them all. Their Soul Essence rushed into him.

A white screen flashed in front of him.

Congratulations!

You have gathered enough Soul Essence to reach Level 11!

He looked at his Stat Screen.

Level 11 (Silver) Mana 100% Origin Skill Omnigatherer Skill (1) Stunning Strike (Iron) Enchantment (1) None Twillion Skills None

Strength

42 Defense 42 Agility 42 Magic 21

The crowd's joyous and excited cheering punched his ears. The ground shook as they rattled the ground with stomping feet. Flowers floated down from above, thrown from the hands of admiring fans.

He glanced up at the noble's seating platform. Scorpard frowned down at the arena, shuddering with rage. The vice chiefs sighed with relief and lounged back in their seats. Their military asset with the greatest potential survived in spite of Scorpard's schemes.

Most importantly, he looked at Megella and Leieffa. It had been years since he saw Leieffa smile so wide. Her eyes sparkled. She was on her feet, shaking with joy. Megella smiled down at him and gave him a wink before turning to a group of Healers to run down to the arena. She followed afte rthem.

Scorpard finally put his Twillion Flute away. He raised his arms and pointed his palms at the crowds to quieten them down. The cheering was soon replaced by booing as their attention turned to Scorpard.

After a few minutes of stern looks and aggressive commands from the soldiers and System Warriors spread throughout the audience, the booing fell into angry murmuring, which then eventually quietened into silence. They all still glared up at Scorpard, as he began to speak.

"Congratulations, Giggiam Morronna!" Scorpard said. "Despite my decision to make the finals more challenging and entertaining, and despite my failure to control the Corrulfs with my Twillion Flute, you overcame the obstacles and won the finals. Your strength is truly admirable."

More angry muttering rose up from the crowd in a wave. No one believed Scorpard's excuses.

"So now I welcome you to walk up here," Scorpard said once the audience quietened down once again. "Come up here and tell me what you want me to reward you with. You've certainly earned it!"

"No," Giggiam said. Even now, trying to dodge tradition. It was despicable. "I'll tell you right here and now, in front of the people of Graeron, as per tradition."

The crowd cheered.

Scorpard frowned. But he took a deep breath and his face hardened. "Do it then," he said after the crowd quietened. "I'll give you what you really want," he growled.

Giggiam smiled up at Leieffa. She blushed and walked up to the edge of the platform. He fell to one knee. Scorpard scowled. Megella walked into the arena and up to Giggiam. She placed something small, round, cold, and hard into his palm. He held it up to the noble's seating platform. He held it up to Leieffa. Her wedding ring he spent years saving up for. She gasped at the sight of it.

"I want your daughter's hand in marriage," Giggiam declared.