"Elena Hale, Kanna Yu, you guys are up next." The man with the scar announced after confirming the next match.
"Good luck," Sero nodded to the Deadshot, sensing that now wasn't the best time to be flirtatious. Raul was still on edge, glaring at the back of Liam's head.
"Thanks," Kanna smiled weakly. "Hopefully she's not as... brutal as Liam."
She stood up, adjusting her black kevlar suit and her bun as she followed the Scaletamer to the arena entrance doors. Though he felt a little bad for Kanna, he was secretly relieved to know that his potential opponents would be either Zioth, Steven, or Raul, though the Rage Fist seemed way too riled up for Sero to handle.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, the second match is about to begin! Kanna Yu, the Deadshot versus Elena Hale, the Scaletamer!" The announcer seemed to have recovered his enthusiasm as he addressed the audience. "Guns against beasts, who will win today?"
The crowd cheered as they focused on the two beautiful women stepping onto the arena, both dazzling in their outfits.
The tension in the stadium was no longer uncomfortable as the announcer started his countdown. Kanna warily eyed her opponent, who stood idly.
"5... 4... 3... 2... 1!"
Summoning her dual pistols, Kanna quickly launched a volley of mana railguns at Elena. The Scaletamer reacted quickly, opening an enormous jade portal in front of her. With a roar, her giant reptile familiar launched forward, blocking Kanna's shots.
As the battle ensued, the two fighters showed why they were at the top of their game. Elena's familiar's armored hide was proving to be a formidable obstacle for Kanna's gunfire. In response, the Deadshot used her agility to dodge and weave, trying to find an opening in Elena's defenses.
Whether by chance or skill, Kanna managed to tag Elena with a light red target on her chest. Firing a ball of red mana, the sphere seemed to have a mind of its own as it weaved around the Scaletamer's familiar.
Just before Kanna's attack connected, Elena smiled, snapping her fingers and opening two more portals. This time, a pair of dark green serpent-like reptiles slithered out, spitting out a hazy smoke that melted the red sphere. The snakes were long and thick like the trunk of an oak tree, slithering protectively around Elena.
Kanna leaped back to gain distance as the alligator snapped at her, missing her by inches. Sero could tell it was beginning to look bad for the Deadshot. The way Elena was surrounded by her familiars reminded Sero of his match against Anya.
Still determined, Kanna casted her signature Nuke, bombarding the alligator with explosive red light as she dove past it, firing railguns that hit the serpents with deadly accuracy.
As the alligator roared in pain and the serpents were quickly dispatched, it appeared as though Elena was vulnerable. Kanna rushed forward, prepping another nuke as she drew closer.
"Oh shit, Kanna might get a clean shot!" Sero said excitedly.
"No," Raul sat back and folded his arms with a grimace. "Elena's in no danger."
Sero's confusion was answered when he watched Kanna fire a close-ranged nuke at Elena, whose body glowed with a dark green aura. The Scaletamer batted away the beam, causing it to hit the arena wall with a boom.
"What the- I thought she advanced from the Summoner class?"
"She did," Raul looked at Sero with a side eye. "But one of her skills is 'Simulate', which allows her to borrow the strength of one of her familiars."
"The alligator?"
The Rage Fist shook his head. "Worse."
Elena met Kanna head on, knocking her back with a kick to the gut. Kanna hit the ground but recovered with a flip, her guns poised to fire again. Elena snapped her fingers, recalling her oversized reptile as another portal opened behind her.
Instinctively, Sero knew that this one was different. It was double, maybe triple the size of the portal that called forth her alligator. With a deafening roar, a massive shape flew out, crashing down onto the arena.
Recognizing the creature from fairy tales he had read as a child, Sero couldn't believe what he was seeing at first.
"That's a fucking dragon."
Kanna's eyes widened as the massive emerald draconic creature emerged from the portal. It was larger, laughably more than the alligator familiar, with wings that spanned the length of the arena and a long, serpentine body covered in armored scales. It let out a deafening roar that shook the stadium, causing the very ground to tremble beneath them.
"Elena's ace in the hole. She can summon it and borrow its power at the same time." Raul let out a small sigh. "One of the main reasons she's an S-rank. She was almost able to single-handedly overwhelm an A-rank monster outbreak with her familiars."
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
Kanna trembled under the gaze of the gargantuan beast. Sero couldn't blame her, since it was so large that he was able to see it clearly from the windows.
For a second, Sero thought that Kanna would swallow her fear and continue the match, but the Deadshot simply raised her hand in surrender.
The referee called the match, causing the audience to erupt in cheers and boos. Raul let out a sigh of relief as Elena stepped back, the dragon disappearing with a final roar. Kanna, still on the ground, looked up at the Scaletamer with a mixture of awe and fear. "Good fight," she said, her voice shaky.
Elena gave her a small smile before she walked away.
"Kanna Yu has surrendered! The winner is Elena Hale!" The announcer declared, fueling the crowd's excitement.
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After Elena returned to the waiting area, Sero felt apprehensive about the next match. Seeing the strength of the S-ranks was terrifying, and it made him reluctant to face either of them in the semi-finals. He contemplated doing what Liam suggested and forfeiting.
He quickly forced the thought out of his mind, remembering that his father was going through a battle of his own. Sero had promised him that he'd see this through to the end after all, and he was determined to make good on something for once.
"The next match will begin. Raul Delgato..." The man with the scar began. Sero bounced his leg nervously.
"...and Steven Bryce. Please enter the arena."
Sero let out a sigh of relief as Raul stood up and stretched.
"Good luck." Sero said to the Rage Fist. Raul nodded back, his expression serious. Liam's encounter seemed to really affect Raul as he followed his opponent to the arena.
Onscreen, Raul and Steven faced off against each other. The cheering quieted down as the announcer cleared his throat.
"For the third match, we have Raul Delgato, the Rage Fist versus Steven Bryce, the Blast Fist! Which of these Brawlers will emerge victorious? Who knows, but you can bet that this will be a slugfest you won't want to miss!"
As he began the countdown, both men crouched, their fists clenched and their auras bubbling. Sero wondered what kind of style a Blast Fist would have.
"5... 4... 3... 2... 1!"
Immediately, both men threw a punch, hitting the other's fist in a clash of might. Raul's fist glowed orange with power as Steven's fist emitted a purple aura. To Sero, they looked evenly matched.
Steven grinned as he pulled his fist back, quickly throwing a side kick. Raul blocked the attack with a palm, catching the Blast Fist's shin in his grip. In the next moment, Sero found the answer to his question as a purple light bloomed from the point of contact, causing an explosion that threw Raul back.
Even without his analysis, Sero determined that every attack Steven threw out had an explosive property to it, making close-combat a dangerous game to play. However, Raul seemed unfazed, surrounding himself with an orange aura that Sero realized was 'Focused Rage', a skill that enabled Raul to utilize his rage to empower himself.
Sero clicked his tongue, disappointed that Raul only used the skill during his matches. He would've loved to have copied the skill when he first met the Rage Fist. Maybe Raul would let him copy it later, after the tournament.
The two men clashed again, throwing punches and kicks with dizzying speed. Now that Raul had casted Focused Rage, he was able to deal with Steven's explosive hits better, though it was still damaging to receive.
To the audience, it was a refreshing match, seeing a fight filled with pure physical attacks with a bit of magic thrown in. Sero, watching on the screens, was impressed with how Raul was able to use his rage to empower himself, while Steven was able to utilize the explosive properties to maximum effect.
The two continued to match each other blow for blow, neither man giving an inch. Their battle took them across the arena, the force of their attacks leaving craters in the ground. The crowd cheered on, their shouts of encouragement only spurring the two fighters on. Even Sero found himself caught up in the intensity of the match.
After breaking from a clash, Raul and Steven stared at each other, both smiling with respect and excitement. Sero wondered if every Brawler class was a battle fanatic.
"Thank god I wasn't one." He muttered to himself, watching the two go at it again. Compared to the last two matches, the fight between the Rage Fist and Blast Fist was much more action-packed, dragging on with neither man giving any leeway.
However, it became clear that Raul was slowly getting the edge over Steven. His Focused Rage was growing stronger with every exchange of blows, while Steven's attacks seemed to be losing some of their punch. The crowd began to sense this shift in momentum as they urged Raul on with louder cheers. The Rage Fist responded by delivering a series of powerful punches and kicks, driving Steven back across the arena.
Finally, Raul demonstrated why he had been promoted to S-rank as he closed the gap between them, landing a devastating uppercut that sent Steven flying into the air. As the Blast Fist crashed back down to the ground, Raul was already on him, delivering a flurry of powerful punches and kicks. The crowd roared their approval, urging the Rage Fist on as he continued his onslaught.
Raul ceased his assault, jumping back as he crouched in preparation. But Steven was unable to get back up, managing to weakly raise his hand up in surrender.
As the referee called the match, the audience cheered once more. Raul dispersed his Focused Rage, walking over to Steven and offering him a hand.
"Good fight," Raul said, his voice slightly hoarse from exertion. Steven grinned, shaking his hand.
Despite the heartfelt conclusion, Sero felt a wave of nervousness as he prepared for his match against Zioth. He glanced over at the Soul Strider, wondering if he was just as nervous as Sero was. Zioth appeared calm and collected, staring up at the screen. There was no hint of worry or anxiety in his body, which didn't make Sero feel too good.
He took a deep breath, feeling his Rationality activate. There was no point in stressing now. Sero was going to do his best, for the sake of his father and for his pride. He checked his phone, seeing another photo from Nala. This time, it was a selfie of her, Amaya, and Casey between the two. All three were smiling, holding a thumbs up. Sero chuckled softly, slipping his phone away and feeling grateful for his friends.
As Raul came back to the waiting area, the man with the scar cleared his throat.
"Final match of the qualifiers. Sero Kassel, Zioth Lang, please enter."
"Good luck," Raul said, giving Sero an encouraging smile.
"Thanks." Sero followed Zioth to the doors, feeling as though he'd need more than luck this time.