The spectators were chanting Casanova’s name and celebrating an obvious victory when the announcer’s voice reached everyone’s ears.
“Whoa whoa whoa! People of New Lumingard, I bring you some juicy news!”
Exclaimed J-Rider animatedly, his image bouncing from side to side in the big, floating screens. The audience quieted down a bit, as anticipation began to build.
“It seems that Lucio is surrendering his match!!!”
A wave of confusion assaulted the whole colosseum, and it hit the entire Casanova group even harder. Lilithra and Selorien were completely taken aback, their faces a mix of suspicion and shock as they looked around in search of the blonde man; but he had vanished without a trace.
Richard was shaking his head from side to side, his brows furrowed in annoyance. “Ugh, such a Lucio thing to do…” Added the warrior, while Lucretia sighed in exasperation from her seat.
“This guy…” She put a hand over her face, a dismayed look taking over her visage.
These two seemed to know the logic behind their Guildmaster’s actions.
“Ehem! Let me relay his message! Uhum, let’s see… ‘dear spectators, and beloved fans of mine! I am sorry to disappoint you, but there’s just no way I can win against the very Bob himself!’ haha fucking Bob! Ehem. ‘but I have no doubt that my comrades will take us to victory nonetheless!’ he says!”
Immediately, a mix of booing and shouts resounded through the coliseum. “Come on, I wanted to see a Guildmaster fight! Even if it was against Bob!” Screamed someone amidst the sea of people.
“It’s not like it changes anything—they still have two fighters and just have to win once!” Chimed in another citizen from the other side of the arena.
Similar comments could be perceived here and there, but none from the VIP seats. The faces around Ascalon were those of contemplative and knowing looks. Jay tilted his head, his smile rising to one side. “Lucio and his theatrics. Is he still testing the newbies?” Asked the cheerful man, and Ascalon furrowed his brows at the idea.
Then, Calista replied. “He does like to put on a show… I mean, where’s the fun in knowing who’s going to win in the end, right? But he must know something we don’t, because the young L’adariel is strong.” Her words carried truth, especially toward the end.
“Maybe he just wanted to go home early, haha!” Urvan laughed mockingly, and Jay joined in with him, their joy becoming contagious.
Though the whole ordeal was still not sitting well with Ascalon.
He had faith in his friends, of course, but he didn’t like that Lucio was still testing them in some way or another, especially when Lilithra was prone to worrying and overthinking. Ascalon sighed in resignation, knowing there was nothing to do about it but keep believing in them.
Lilithra, on the other hand, wasn’t feeling as pressured or nervous, partly because Selorien was going to fight before her, and she couldn’t imagine him losing. If worse came to worst, though… well, she would think about it then! As if reading her mind, Selorien shot her a confident look, smiling boldly and giving her a thumbs up. That was enough for her to beam cheerfully in his direction.
Meanwhile, new images appeared on the giant screens and showed the new matchups. J-Rider, who had been trying to appease the audience amidst ads and jokes, put the show on the road once more.
“Okaaaaaay everybody, the next match is upon us!!! In the casanova side we have quite the special elf! The young heir of the L’Adariel family, fighting for the first time in the colosseum! Seeeeeeeeelorieeeen! No nickname yet though!!!”
At the announcer's words, the crowd boomed in cheers, the voices belonging mostly to females. The male viewers were taken aback, and some booed in jealousy at the elf’s popularity, though they were drowned out mercilessly by the smitten girls.
Selorien himself narrowed his eyes and clicked his tongue in annoyance, and then walked in a laid-back pace toward the center of the arena. His uncaring attitude garnered even more cheers from the ladies.
“Well damn. Anyway! His opponent, to everyone’s surprise, is the only flower among the turds that dwell in the flaming fists! Her tongue is sharp, her smile a most dangerous weapon! Don’t be taken in by her looks fellas, or she’ll take your everything! She’s Zaaaarya the Charmiiiing Deliiiight!!!”
This time the womanly voices from the stands booed in unison, and the men clapped in satisfaction as Selorien’s opponent advanced.
Zarya was tall and lean, with short violet hair held in a pigtail at the back of her head, adorned by a few clips and accessories in the form of small cat faces and stars. Her face showed a contented smile, and her soft, pink lipstick was an eye-catching feature alongside her deep blue eyes and long eyelashes.
She wore her Flaming Fists’ jacket over a one-pieced, frilly white dress, and the most surprising part was that she looked immaculate. It was a heavy contrast with the looks of her companions, their jackets being a messy sight to begin with. Her legs were covered by white socks up to her thighs, emerging from a pair of small pink shoes.
Her whole image could be described simply as cute. As she arrived at the center, her cheeks reddened as she fidgeted with one of her shoes on the ground. “Hey, cutie!” She blurted out of nowhere, hiding her shy, smiling face with both her hands. The stands burst with complaints and death threats, from telling her to know her place to wishing to be in her shoes. Most men in the audience were just silent, wondering about life.
Selorien coldly nodded in greeting, unbothered by both his opponent and the rowdy crowd. Lilithra, watching from afar, felt a bit annoyed by his growing fan club. They were already being stopped in the street or at the cafe by his groupies from time to time, and now that Ascalon was hanging out with them, she didn’t want him to put up with that too.
She sighed deeply, her shoulders slumping in resignation as she realized that it was going to be a losing battle anyway. Still, it was surprising to see such an adorable-looking girl in the Flaming Fists.
Ascalon himself watched from the VIP area with great interest, trying to imagine what kind of fight was going to unfold between these two. He glanced over at Selorien’s grandfather, and caught Escarlata hurriedly looking away. Was she still wary of him? Ascalon’s gaze kept going and rested on the elf, who side-eyed him in return.
The elder was pretty sharp, as he expected, but didn’t seem any different. Ascalon thought that maybe he would be more excited about his grandson’s match, but it was clearly not the case. He decided to push away any creeping, meddlesome thoughts and focused once more on the arena, just as the announcer spoke.
“Now theeeen! You know the drill!”
Exclaimed the effusive man, expectation growing among the stands as they waited for the starting signal. Seconds passed, and then the bell sound boomed throughout the structure.
Without wasting a single second, Selorien summoned both his daggers and backstepped, his intense gaze fixed on Zarya while his body wavered and started to blend into his surroundings. The spectators whistled and shouted in amazement at the disappearing act.
Stealth+
—Skill info—
Miscellaneous skill
Rank: C - Level 62.
Potential: A.
Attribute: Illusion.
Effects:
The user blends in with their surroundings, gaining momentary lower invisibility. The effect ends when the user attacks another being, or is attacked.
This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Additional effects:
* Has a 3% chance of erasing the user’s sounds, such as clothes rustling or footsteps.
Zarya gasped in shock, her mouth and eyes opening wide. She covered her lips with her hand, giving a modest, coy look. “Woah~!” She exclaimed, her tone of voice ringing with surprise and awe. She looked around shyly, as if unsure of what to do, and then summoned her weapon. A long scepter materialized on her hands, its top adorned with an emerald embedded in a decorative winged frame.
Zarya then started to walk in circles, spinning around and retreating randomly as she swung at the air with her scepter, letting out cute yelps and other sounds with every hit. The spectators reacted in different ways, some thinking she was acting overly cute, others captivated by her adorable antics. It helped distinguish the people who didn’t actually know her.
Selorien remained at a good distance, hidden by his stealth skill, and studied the girl with suspicion. To put it bluntly, she seemed… dumb. Way too careless, to the point it felt like a trap. Sure, there was a fair share of people like Bob on the Flaming Fists—seemingly ordinary, or harmless. But Zarya? She somehow reminded him of Lucio.
He moved slowly, circling her while trying to carefully conceal his footsteps. He could use his shadow’s whisper potion and erase all of his sounds, but decided he didn’t want to waste it on this situation. While he stalked his prey, the girl looked anxious, and fatigued from all her incessant swinging. It was as good an opportunity as any.
Selorien positioned himself behind her and darted forward, quickly closing the gap as he raised his daggers with the pointy ends aiming at the girl. He was going to try and be as non-lethal as he could—enough to incapacitate her and finish the fight swiftly and decisively.
But in that brief span of time, he heard her snicker in mockery. Her scepter began glowing, and the next step he took felt heavy and unnatural, as if weighed down by a bundle of bricks. He stopped abruptly, struggling to not stumble into the ground while swinging his arms in an attempt to steady himself, and hastily glanced down.
Glyph of Gravity.
—Skill info—
Runecrafting skill.
Rank: B - Level 73.
Potential: A.
Attribute: Gravity.
Effects:
Places a glyph on a solid surface. Any entity that makes contact with the glyph’s boundary will be pulled toward the center.
Additional effects:
Unable to view additional effects.
There, glowing below his right foot, was a pink glyph etched in the arena. A screen appeared before his eyes, showing some of the info about the skill. While some details were available to him, the specifics of the skill’s additional effects were hidden, a common occurrence for abilities that were set to be ‘private’ to outsiders.
Alarmed, he backstepped with all his might, feeling a sharp pain as his limb slipped away from the invisible force pulling on it. Zarya looked back in his direction, her face beaming with surprise. “There you are!” She exclaimed as she clumsily ran toward him, swinging her weapon wildly. Selorien was flabbergasted by her antics, and kept retreating with some difficulty. His foot was hurting a bit, but not enough to impair his movements for the moment.
But he was more focused on her shenanigans. Was she really putting on a cute act for the show? He wasn’t going to fall for that, especially after catching a glimpse at her true personality. He could still hear her mocking snicker, and it kind of irritated him.
She stopped chasing him soon after, panting as she crouched slightly. Sweat glistened on her skin, and her face showed nothing but exhaustion. The crowd seemed touched by her earnest efforts and cheered her on, while Selorien took the chance to slip away into the shadows once more.
He had to be more cautious now, since she appeared to be placing glyphs on the ground as she flailed about with her scepter. He had to admit it was a clever strategy, although he thought it could be easily countered. He simply had to avoid treading in places she had tampered with. And even if he couldn’t see her magic he could try and predict her movements, making use of his keen sight and sharp intuition.
For one, he couldn’t go for her back, as it was way too obvious. The front? If she was half as cunning as he, she would expect him there too. Selorien had to think things carefully, and strategize another kind of approach.
Walking with cautious, slow steps, he circled his opponent once again. Zarya looked weak and tired, the sweat emanating from her body showing no sign of stopping. Was she actually that low on endurance? Or was her act just that good? Selorien didn’t want to risk it, so he was going to assume everything she was doing was an act, from her mannerisms to her very appearance.
He then decided to try something. Lurching his left arm back, he swung it forward and threw one of his daggers with all the strength he could muster. The blade flew, making a distinctive sound as it cut through the air, and Zarya perked up in surprise, seemingly taken aback. “Noo!” She exclaimed with a cute yelp as she swung her scepter wildly, hitting the dagger by pure chance and diverting the attack.
Selorien was convinced that she had done it on purpose, and moved quickly in order to change his position. But just as he took a few steps, he sensed another unnatural feeling below him. His eyes darted in shock toward the ground, seeing multiple, colored glowing glyphs appear.
Glyph of Repulsion.
—Skill info—
Runecrafting skill.
Rank: B - Level 75.
Potential: B.
Attribute: Gravity.
Effects:
Places a glyph on a solid surface. Any entity that makes contact with the glyph’s boundary will be pushed away from the center.
Additional effects:
Unable to view additional effects.
Glyph of Boosting.
—Skill info—
Runecrafting skill.
Rank: C - Level 58.
Potential: B.
Attribute: None.
Effects:
Places a glyph on a solid surface. Any other glyphs in the vicinity will get their effects boosted, depending on the user’s intelligence stat.
Additional effects:
Unable to view additional effects.]
Glyph of Tracking.
—Skill info—
Runecrafting skill.
Rank: A - Level 83.
Potential: S.
Attribute: None.
Effects:
Places a glyph on a solid surface. Any entity that makes contact with the glyph’s boundary will be marked.
Additional effects:
Unable to view additional effects.
As the screens appeared before his eyes, Selorien felt his body taking off from the ground. His world turned and twisted as he spun through the air, propelled by the glyph's gravitational repulsion. His sense of balance was thrown into disarray, and his stomach churned as its contents moved violently.
The crowd watched with bated breaths as the elf flailed high above the arena. Lilithra wore an expression of worry and shock, her brows furrowed in pain at the sight. She closed her fists tight, and cheered for her friend in her mind.
Moments later, Selorien’s airborne voyage reached its end. He crashed to the ground with a heavy impact, his body ragdolling through the arena thanks to the momentum and the glyph’s boosted effects. At the sight, the spectators let out anguished gasps, though some cheered for Zarya.
The elf himself didn’t move, his daggers now scattered who knows where. “Ugh… what a pain.” His weak voice boomed thanks to J-Rider, as he slowly rose from the ground with clear difficulty. At the same time, the girl approached him with playful steps.
Selorien mustered all of his strength and got up, trying to put some distance between them, but she raised her arms high, her scepter glowing ominously as she smiled shyly at him. “Whoa, easy there!” She exclaimed, suspicion plaguing the elf’s visage.
“I got you good, right? Let’s call it quits and go on a date!” The whole colosseum quieted down, before a storm of furious, womanly voices screeched through the structure. Selorien, taken aback and unsure of what to do, stood there with a dumbfounded look on his face. Just what was her deal?!
It was clear that Selorien was on the losing end, but he felt he could still fight. He narrowed his eyes as his body started to slip away into the shadows, trying to win some time to recover, but a transparent screen warned him about his actions.
Skill - Tracking - has been detected.
His eyes opened wide, a cold sweat assaulting his body. He recalled the earlier screens and the skills displayed on them. Sure enough, he vaguely remembered something about tracking. It wasn’t as if he had the leisure to read them carefully, after all. His shoulders slumped in disappointment, realizing that the girl had put him in checkmate. The worst part? These kinds of skills had a high chance of failing.
Her earlier bravado made sense. Her skills were just too good against him… Zarya countered him very hard, so to say. It was almost too convenient. What if…? His mind raced as his cautious nature took over, and he remembered certain details from his last dinner with his grandfather. What if… the matchups were rigged? He furrowed his brows in anger, as two plausible culprits crossed his mind: either his grandfather, Lucio… or both.