Chapter 41: Iron Dragon (5)

“Wait a minute! The person who makes these hasn’t started to sell them yet. So even if you ask me, I can’t really answer the questions about how much it cost or the colors. It is quite comfortable though.”

“Then tell us who made it so we can ask them instead!” Esaa demanded.

“Well his name is-”

“So it is a man! Tell us everything!” Esaa demanded as she grabbed Christina’s shoulders. Christina looked around for some help from her fellow initiates, but the rest of them looked just as interested as Esaa.

“Well, his name is Thadius, and I met him in Yune more than four years ago-”

--- Grand Coliseum, Todos, Todos Kingdom ---

After waiting for the first matches to conclude. Thadius stood once more in front of the iron gate leading into the arena. This time he was alone, swinging his sword to test his new found Dexterity. The sword itself was in a sorry state. It had a huge dent in it from when he slashed off the warrior’s helmet in the battle royale. He’d given priority to his shield’s repairs and had neglected to get his sword looked at. Still, the fact that it dented so easily was a bad sign.

’What else could I have expected from something I got for free?’ he thought as he swung with renewed speed.

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From what the organizer told him, the main tournament matches would happen in rapid succession, followed by the bronze tournament. After all the tournaments were concluded, the winners would then be given the opportunity to face the Champion of the tier for coin and a Champion’s Belt. Needless to say, if he wanted to get repairs done, it would have to be right after this match.

The gate opened as his thoughts were occupied. An identical door opened on the other side, and his opponent cautiously walked out as the drums sounded.

When Thadius walked out, the warrior went pale as a ghost. Thadius wasted no time, running straight for his opponent with his shield raised in front of him. The warrior was stricken with fear as the imposing Thadius rushed him, and he lashed out in desperation.

The attack was so slow that Thadius hid his presence, fearing that the attack was a feint. Yet, the warrior just looked around wildly. Then it occurred to Thadius that the poor man wouldn’t be much of an opponent.

In one fluid motion, Thadius cut into his hamstrings and held a blade to his neck when he fell back to the ground.

“Please spare me! I have a family!” the man cried out desperately. He’d hoped he wouldn’t face the monster from the battle royale, but his prayers hadn’t been answered. All he could do was beg for mercy.

“Status card.” Thadius said quietly.

“H-here it is!”

“You are a fortunate man, Mr. Riley. I strongly suggest you go home and spend time with your children.”

“Yes!!” the man quickly crawled out of the arena, much to the disappointment of the crowd.

With the last match of the first round over, the second round commenced immediately. Thadius hurried down to the Durnon’s forge.

“Back so soon?” the dwarf asked as he hammered away.

“I completely forgot to have my sword repaired. Can it be done in time for my second match?”

The dwarf scratched his thick beard with a sorry face. “No can do. I have a pile of repairs at the moment. If you leave it with me, I can definitely have it done by the third round though. If you make it that far.”

“I’ll make it!” Thadius declared as he handed over the iron sword.

All he had was a dagger, but if the last was any indication, he wouldn’t need to worry so much.

Thadius paced in front of the gate leading into the arena. With only one match ahead of his second match, he decided to stay close instead of heading back to the waiting area. The chance that the match would end just as quickly as his was a possibility he couldn’t ignore, and he was far too excited to sit still.

A thick mist covered the arena beyond the gate, removing any chances of seeing who his opponent would be for the last round. So while he waited, he acquainted himself with the range of his dagger, flowing through the movements of Dragon’s Scales to quickly get accustomed to the change in range. The form wasn’t made for a dagger, but it shouldn’t be too much of a problem if he stayed attentive.

Minutes passed, and before long, a resounding scream echoed from the arena. Then the mist cleared, and in the center of the sand lay a motionless rogue with a hooded figure standing over him. From the staff in his hand, Thadius knew immediately that his last match would be against a mage if he could make it past the next round.

Arena hands immediately rushed out to the sound of drums to clear the body from the field. Then an organizer came up behind Thadius, surprised to find him already in place before him.

The gates opened, and Thadius’ Ambient Pressure washed over the arena once more. Unlike the first time, the audience in the stands yelled louder once the shiver rolled down their spines. To them, it was all a part of his appeal as a fighter.

He walked out into the evening sunlight with his eyes glued to the opposite gate. Would his opponent be a better match this time?

Out the other side came a warrior clad in sparkling white armor. He walked out with his sword raised to the sky and a face full of confidence. It appeared that Thadius would get the fight he was looking for.

They stopped a few feet a part from each other in the center of the arena. The drummers had delayed the start in an attempt to raise the tension since the last few matches had been let downs.

“Thena watches over me, sir! I will attain victory in her name this day!” the Paladin spoke reverently. Even Thadius could feel his faith, but the sweat on the man’s brow betrayed his discomfort from Thadius’ Ambient Pressure.

“And Tegaia watches over me. I look forward to seeing who emerges victorious.”

“As do I.”

The sound of drums echoed across the arena, and the Paladin wasted no time.

“Holy Light!” he cried out. His armor immediately blazed to life, robbing Thadius of his sight.

The Paladin had taken initiative, hoping to use his advantage to end the match quickly.

Unfortunately for him, Thadius was more than able to fight without his sight. The downward slice that was aimed at his head was swiftly turned aside by his newly evolved shield. Thadius responded quickly with his dagger, thrusting it at the man’s neck.

*Chink

The dagger found no purchase against the shirt of chainmail that lay beneath the armor. If the underlying chainmail was a no go, then the armor would definitely pose a problem.

’Then how the hell am I suppose to do this!?’

“Holy Slash!” the warrior cried as he recovered with a diagonal slice. The angle was low, forcing Thadius to roll to the side, but there was slight burning sensation as he dodged the move by a hairs breadth.

Thadius slowly opened his eyes to find small white flames on his shoulder. He patted the fire out quickly, then parried the lunge that followed after him. As the Paladin stumbled, Thadius hid his presence to give him time to think.

The Paladin wasn’t slow, but he wasn’t fast enough to give Thadius any trouble. The problem was his defense. Without any way to inflict some damage, the match would drag on. Not that it wouldn’t be a favorable situation for him. The one pressed for time in this situation was the Paladin, who was already starting to breath rapidly.

’I need more power, maybe if I…’

Thadius drew his Holy Fighting Aura from his body, which removed it from his shield, and infused his dagger with it. Small white flames danced on the edge, and the light bounced off of it beautifully.

Then Thadius rushed the Paladin, using shield bash to knock him off balance. He thrust again for the chainmail protecting the man’s throat. This time, the tip of the dagger slid through the links, resulting in a superficial wound. However; progress had been made.