Ch. 231..240

Chapter 231 Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon [Part 2]

"Before we start the duel, let me tell you the rules," Judge Dredd said as he stood beside the two fighters, who were still gazing at each other.

"Both of you had signed a waiver that even if you die, the other party will not be at fault," Judge Dredd stated. "However, we would like to prevent anyone from dying as much as possible, so when your opponent surrenders, or loses consciousness, the battle will come to an end."

"Also, I have the right to interfere when I think that the other party is no longer able to fight. As much as possible, I will hold back in exercising this right, but if I see that continuing the battle is pointless, I will stop it with the authority I have as a judge."

"Lastly, I and everyone here today wants to see a good fight. I hope that the two of you will not break our expectations."

Lux, who was seated on the Golem's shoulder, smirked.

"As long as my opponent doesn't croak early then you guys can expect a good fight," Lux said with confidence. "You won't croak that easily, right?"

The chubby boy sneered at the Barbarian who was also sneering back at him.

"Weaker dogs bark more," Einar replied in a voice filled with ridicule. "Make sure to not die from a single punch."

Lux snorted. "How can I die from a punch coming from you? Just look at your body. You look so skinny that my grandma can easily slap you silly."

Judge Dredd, Bruno, as well as a few of the audience couldn't help but glance in the chubby boy's direction in disbelief.

'Bruh, are you blind? Can't you see how buffed up this guy is and you call him skinny?'

That was the collective thought of everyone in the Coliseum, with the exception of Iris, who was holding her belly with her left hand and covering her lips with her right. Unfortunately, she could not prevent her entire body from shaking no matter how she desperately tried to stop herself from laughing out loud.

A loud laughter echoed from the stands, as the Barbarian King, Amastan Mordosk, laughed without a care in the world.

"Good!" Amastan shouted. "I like this kid. He has guts."

"Father, he is brother's opponent," a young lady, who seemed to be around seventeen years old, gave her father a disapproving gaze. "We came here to support Brother, not to praise his opponents."

Amastan chuckled as he looked at his beloved daughter, Fiora, who was his pride and joy.

"I believe that your brother is strong, but he's not necessarily the strongest," Amastan said in a firm voice. "There will always be someone stronger, a mountain above a mountain, and a heaven beyond the heavens. Such is the way of life."

"Father, who do you think is Big Brother's greatest threat in this tournament?"

"Threats? I am looking at one of them right now."

Amastan's gaze never left the chubby boy who was seated on top of his Rock Golem.

As a High-Ranker, it was fairly easy for him to discern the boy's strength. A single glance was enough for him to know that although his son, Einar, was stronger than his opponent, the presence of the chubby teenager surpassed his son.

As the Barbarian King, he had faced many strong opponents and had overcome adversities through sheer strength. Because of this, his intuition had been developed to such a high degree that he could tell that his son's foe was not as harmless as he looked.

'Einar, be careful,' Amastan said in his heart. 'This boy might be masquerading as a pig so that he can eat the tiger.'

—---

After Bruno's explanation, both fighters backed away until they were dozens of meters away from each other.

​ Everyone watched with bated breath as both fighters took a fighting stance and waited for Judge Dredd's signal to start their battle.

"Battle Start!"

The moment the signal for the battle began, Einar summoned two throwing axes and threw them in Lux's direction.

Orion was about to step forward to block it, but Lux ordered him to stand down and summoned another Rock Golem to block the two axes instead.

When the Rock Golem appeared and attempted to block the two projectile weapons, the axes swerved, completely evading the Rock Golem and continued to head in Lux's direction.

Orion no longer hesitated and attempted to swat the two throwing axes with his rocky hands. However, as if expecting his action, the two axes re-positioned themselves and slipped through Orion's fingers, before they continued to head towards the Chubby boy, who had a calm expression on his face.

The moment the two blades were about to hit him. Several spinning blades materialized out of nowhere and collided with the two throwing axes, stopping their advance.

Having been repelled successfully, the two flying axes flew back in Einar's direction where the young Barbarian caught them in a firm grip.

'For a barbarian, he sure uses his head well,' Lux thought.

In the beginning, the Half-Elf assumed that Einar would come charging at him like what his younger brother, Rol, did in his fight against him. It seemed that Einar had observed Lux's match with his younger brother, and no longer treated him as an ordinary opponent.

'He's probing my abilities and my Golem's reaction speed.' Lux thought, assuming that this was the Barbarians's plans. He believed that he wasn't wrong in his assumptions.

Einar, once again, threw the throwing axes, but this time, they were faster than before. Lux already knew that there must be some kind of hidden trick in the thrown axes, but he was unable to ascertain them at this point in time.

Instead of defending, he ordered Orion and the other Rock Golem to charge in Einar's direction and engage him in close combat.

With one mighty roar, Orion charged as he activated his Duel [EX] to force his opponent to exchange a blow with him.

While this was happening, Lux stepped forward and summoned Blood Moon and Blood Shield to deflect and block the throwing axes that were flying in his direction. To his surprise, the axes were properly dealt with, and both of them fell on the ground motionless.

The Half-Elf was now assuming that Einar was remotely controlling the two axes, so he decided to do an experiment. After the Barbarian was forced to face Orion, his connection to the two throwing axes were cut, leaving them unable to perform the maneuvers they did earlier.

"Jackhammer!" Orion shouted as he smashed his fist on the Barbarian's body with the intention of turning him into meat paste.

However, to everyone's surprise, Einar didn't back down and also threw his punch towards the Rock Golem's rocky fist, facing it head-on.

Contrary to what everyone expected, it was Orion who was sent flying by the exchange of blows, which made even Lux's eyes widen in surprise.

After dealing with the opponent in front of him, Einar unleashed another punch at the other rock golem, completely obliterating its sturdy arm in the process.

Without missing a beat, the young barbarian spun his body around and delivered a spinning kick, hitting the rock golem's waist, its body instantly shattering in half.

The crowd cheered loudly after seeing such a spectacle, but Einar didn't pay any attention to their cheers.

With one powerful stomp of his right foot, he lunged at Lux and roared like a tiger. The young barbarian's hands slowly transformed until it became the claws of a tiger, with its sharp nails extended in full.

"Tiger Claw!" Einar roared as he extended his hands in a clawing position with the intention of ripping off the chubby boy's head from his body, and put an end to the enemy who dared to look down on him, once and for all.

 

Chapter 232 Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon [Part 3]

"It's over," Fiora muttered when she saw her brother lunge at his opponent with the ferocity of a wild tiger.

Amastan, who was paying close attention to the match, didn't reply. Instead, he narrowed his eyes and waited for the chubby teenager's next move that would decide whether he would keep his head on his body.

He could tell that his son was serious in ending the latter's life. As Einar's father, he knew that once his son had decided on something, he would not stop until he succeeded in his endeavor.

Judge Dredd, and Bruno, had raised their senses to the limit. Just like Amastan, they also understood Einar's intention. However, their hands were tied.

They didn't know if Lux was able or unable to fend off the attack. If they blocked Einar's attack, they would have no choice but to declare him as the winner. On the other hand, if the match was stopped in this manner, Lux might tell them that their help was unneeded, so both of them were in a pinch.

Alicia had given both of them an order to protect Lux's life no matter the cost. But they were unable to decide if the one they needed to protect needed their help or not.

Fortunately, before the two judges could decide, Lux made a move.

Instead of dodging, or running away, what the latter did surprised both judges.

Lux stomped his right foot forward, and also lunged at his enemy with his own claws extended.

"Dragon Claw!"

Lux's hands transformed into red Dragon Claws, and clashed with Einar's Tiger's Claw, creating a powerful shockwave that sent strong gusts of wind blowing away from their bodies.

With both hands firmly gripping each other, the two raised their knees and kneed their opponent at the same time.

Due to the height differences, Einar's blow hit Lux's chest, causing the chubby teenager to feel a stinging pain on his chest from the blow's powerful impact.

The chubby teenager, on the other hand, was shorter than the barbarian, so his knee directly hit Einar's balls, making the latter grunt.

(A/N: Lux hit Einar's Family Jewels. If you still don't know what the Half-Elf hit then you need to return to your anatomy lessons, my friend.)

Both repeated their attacks over and over again. The first one to break free was Einar, who jumped back and landed several meters away from Lux.

As soon as both of his feet touched the ground, he immediately crouched down. He was biting his lips so hard that blood already started to stream down his chin. Clearly, the injury he received was not something he could brush off like if it was nothing.

Lux, who was kneeling on the ground and clutching his chest, spat a mouthful of blood. Einar didn't hold back and delivered blow after blow of punishment to his chest, breaking two of his ribs.

If not for the fact that he had upgraded his Body Constitution and acquired the passive skill, Dragon Scales [EX], and Dragon's Heart [EX], he might have suffered fatal injuries and would have also been forced to surrender to his opponent.

—---

< Dragon Scale [EX] >

– Makes your skin as hard as dragon scales.

– Greatly Increase Physical and Magical defense as if you are wearing a set of armor that covers your entire body.

– Reduces Physical and Magical damage by 50%

—---

< Dragon's Heart [EX] >

– Increase your Health by 30,000 Points

– Increase Health and Stamina regeneration by 100%

– When facing an opponent stronger than you, Health and Stamina regeneration will be boosted to 200% Health and Stamina regeneration.

– Gain Selective Lesser Immunity passive ability. You may only choose one Lesser Immunity Passive. Once you do, you can no longer change the passive immunity that you have chosen.

—-

< Selective Lesser Immunity >

– Greatly gain increased resistance to chosen Lesser Immunity.

– Chosen Lesser Immunity will automatically decrease the damage you will receive from the chosen option by 30%

< Chosen Lesser Immunity: Physical Attacks >

– All damage acquired from physical attacks will automatically be decreased by 30%

—---

Thanks to these two skills, Lux was able to survive the punishment that he received from Einar's merciless attacks that could have ended his life if it had been a few days ago.

Although Lux was not completely immune to Physical Attacks, his passive abilities allowed him to mitigate a great deal of damage, making him a decent meat shield against physical fighters like Einar.

'Sh*t that hurts,' Lux thought as he gritted his teeth. 'Still, I'm sure that he is hurting more than me.'

Lux didn't hold back and repeatedly kneed Einar's balls silly, making the Barbarian unable to sire any children if he didn't receive medical treatment as soon as possible.

"Bastard!" Einar shouted as he tried to stand up, but the damage he received to his family jewels prevented him from doing so. "I'll kill you!"

"You already tried," Lux replied with a sneer. "But you failed."

Although he could taste his blood inside his mouth, and was suffering from pain, the Half-Elf felt great because, even if Einar's balls weren't crushed after receiving his beating, it was definitely on its way to becoming a scrambled egg.

Einar's eyes turned bloodshot as his body grew bigger. Thick fur covered his entirety before he transformed into a giant White Tiger, with a pair of white wings behind his back.

His current form was similar to the four-meter tall flying tiger that he had seen in the Beast Tide during their defense on Whitebridge City.

The only difference was that the Flying Tiger in front of him was a White Tiger, who was known to be a Legendary Creature, and was well-known as one of the most ferocious tigers in the world.

An emblem appeared on the White Tiger's forehead, which was recognized by everyone as the word for "King".

This was also one of the reasons why Einar was one of the Four Kings, who stood at the peak of the prodigies in the younger generation.

"I can't believe it," Fiora muttered as she looked at her brother's Beast Form. "Brother actually used his Trump Card before the semi-finals."

Fiora knew that this was her brother's ultimate ability. He would only use this when he was facing a strong opponent as a last resort.

Seeing the Flying White Tiger in front of her, the young lady, who was also the Barbarian King's only daughter, finally understood that her brother had been backed to a corner and was left with no other choice but to go all out against a stranger that she had only seen and heard for the first time in her life.

 

 

Chapter 233 Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon [Part 4]

'Looks like holding back is no longer possible,' Lux sighed internally as he looked at the four-meter tall flying tiger that was eyeing him with a ferocious gaze. Clearly, he had pushed Einar to the edge, after having his balls crushed by him.

He was very tempted to drink a healing potion, but potions were no longer allowed for use in this stage of the tournament. They were only allowed to use them after the battle was over, or get one of the clerics to heal their injuries.

Just like Einar, Lux didn't think that he would be showing his trump cards so early in the tournament. Even so, he was up against one of the Four Kings, who stood above all the other geniuses in the current generation.

Lux simply had no choice but to fight with everything he had for a chance to advance in the tournament.

'I only have one shot at this,' Lux forcefully swallowed the blood that was rising in his throat, as he stood up to prepare for one final attack.

Orion stepped in front of Lux, allowing his Master to lean on him.

"Doppelganger," Lux said through gritted teeth.

Immediately two clones that looked exactly like the chubby teenager appeared beside him.

Both clones held onto Lux's shoulder, supporting him, while Orion positioned himself behind the three and took a fighting stance.

Einar, might have taken the form of a Flying White Tiger, but the injury he received from Lux was still there, making it extremely hard for him to move, he was only using the strength of his Bestial Form to stand straight, as he prepared to unleash his strongest attack.

The Giant White Tiger opened its mouth wide and a silver orb of light appeared in front of it. Einar was gathering a huge amount of magical energy before unleashing his special ability, Hyper Blast, which was just as powerful as a Dragon's Breath.

This was a trump card that Einar was saving for the final match, but was forced to use it now as a last resort.

"Enjoy your stay in the afterlife!" Einar shouted via telepathy as he unleashed his strongest attack. "Hyper Blast!"

The powerful silver beam of light shot out towards the three chubby teenagers, who had also opened up their mouths and were preparing to unleash their strongest attack as well. In truth, Lux could have ordered Orion to use his Duel [EX] to cancel the Barbarian's attack.

However, a part of him wanted to face Einar's attack head-on, proving that he was no longer the weakling he once was in the past.

"""Dragon's Breath!"""

Three red beams met the silver beam that Einar had unleashed and a sight that had never before seen in the tournament flashed in front of everyone's eyes.

As the two colors of light pushed against each other, the barriers that surrounded the arena started to crack.

Alexander, who sat on the main seat of honor, stood up and pointed his finger to the arena.

Immediately the cracks disappeared, and several layers of barrier reinforced the existing barrier, preventing it from falling apart.

Slowy, but surely, the silver light was starting to get pushed back by the three red beams that were ganging up on him.

With one ferocious roar, Einar unleashed all of his magical energy at once, trying to push back the attack that was nearing his location.

In the end, a loud explosion took place as the energy beams reached their limit and detonated against each other. The arena trembled, but the shields protecting the audience held firm, preventing any magical energy from leaking out.

When the dust cloud cleared, Einar, who was still in his Flying Tiger form, could be seen at the edge of the arena in a very sorry state.

Lux, and his clones, on the other hand, were all caught up by Orion. The Rock Golem had used his body to prevent his Master, as well as his clones, from being blown away.

Judge Dredd, who had created a barrier for himself was fine, but his clothes were now all covered up in dirt, making him look like a beggar.

"Orion, finish him," Lux ordered.

With a loud shout, Orion charged at the Flying White Tiger who was struggling to prop himself up from the ground.

The Rock Golem pulled his hand back, making the ground tremble under his feet. When he was only a dozen meters away from his target, Orion leapt up to the air and prepared to unleash his strongest move.

"Gaia Smash!"

Einar looked up at the Rock Golem with unwillingness in his eyes. He no longer had the strength to dodge, or block the attack that was coming straight at him from above.

However, before the Rock Golem could unleash his full-powered blow, a hand held his wrist, preventing him from completing the punch.

The one who stopped Orion was none other than Judge Dredd, who was still covered in dirt.

"This battle is over," Judge Dredd. "Winner! My Daddy!"

Fiora, who was seated in the VIP Room reserved for their family, stood up from the couch in shock as she stared at her brother's sorry state. Although the Flying White Tiger stood tall and proud, its eyes had already glazed over.

Einar had lost consciousness while standing up, prompting Judge Dredd to stop the match before the young Barbarian received more injuries from his opponent, who had decided to deliver the Coup de Grace.

A few seconds later, a deafening cheer erupted from the audience as those who watched the battle applauded the two fighters for showing them an unforgettable match.

The Clerics, as well as other Medical personnel, rushed towards the young Barbarian who had now reverted to his original form.

Blood could be seen staining his pants, and the Clerics focused their healing abilities in that area because they knew that this was where Einar was injured the most.

As for Lux, only a single Cleric went to check his condition.

"That was an amazing fight," the Cleric said before placing his hand on Lux's chest in order to stabilize the injury. Only a High-Ranking Cleric was able to mend, or reattach damaged bones, but they were currently too busy gathering Dragon Balls for Einar in order to create a miracle.

(A/N: Gathering Dragon Balls to make a wish for Einar to regain his balls kekeke.)

Right now, the young Barbarian no longer had the balls to continue because they were literally crushed during his exchange with Lux. if not for the presence of a High-Ranker Cleric, he would have been damaged for life.

Fortunately, it didn't end in the worst case scenario or else the Mordosk Family might have declared a Blood Feud against the chubby teenager, making him their public enemy number one.

The next match was delayed for half an hour so they could ensure that Einar's condition was stable.

The young Barbarian was a Prince, so they didn't have the leisure of treating him as an ordinary contestant, or else, things might get messy with the Barbarian Kingdom who backed him up.

As Lux was carried away from the Arena, the remaining three kings, and the Five Overlords, watched him from afar.

However, they were not the only ones that paid close attention to Lux. The other influential factions, noble families, as well as the Royal Families of the Six Kingdoms that supported Barbatos Academy were also watching.

These powerful individuals had immediately ordered their subordinates to investigate the chubby teenager's background.

If they were to make such a promising youth their subordinate then they were willing to pay any price to bring him under their wing.

Nero, who had a frown on his face, once again used the monocle to look at the chubby teenager.

'The results are the same,' Nero thought with disappointment. 'He is not Lux.'

He then shifted his attention to the VIP platform where Iris was seated. There he found her hugging the red-headed Half-Elf as she jumped alongside him, creating a weird, yet funny, scene.

As if sensing his gaze, the Half-Elf that was hugging Iris, glanced in Nero's direction and gave him a mischievous grin.

It was a grin filled with many hidden meanings, and one of them was contempt, which Eiko felt for those who were aiming for her Mama's hand in marriage, which she didn't, and would never approve of.

 

Chapter 234 The Pride Of An Elf [Part 1]

While Lux was recuperating from his injury, news of his performance spread throughout the other Six Kingdoms like wildfire.

The various Information Guilds, Merchant Guilds, as well as the Underworld Guilds, scrambled to put an identity with the chubby boy's face, who had appeared out of nowhere, and won against one of the Four Kings of the young generation.

The high officials of the Six Kingdoms that backed Barbatos Academy had decided to recruit the young man to their side by giving him the most tempting offer. Naturally, in order to do that, they must first know his background.

This was the first step to understanding who this person was, and what his goals were. As long as they were able to provide those for him, the possibility of gaining a future powerhouse was already in the bag.

The Four Princes, and the Five Overlords had been recognized by everyone as the strongest among the young generations. Anyone who was able to beat any of them would naturally gain popularity because it also meant that the balance that had long been held in place had now been shaken.

The commoners, nobles, high-ranking nobles, as well as the members of the Royal Family no longer looked down on the remaining contestants, who had stepped into the top 32 of the Lionheart Tournament.

If one more rough gem could be unearthed from this group of people, they would certainly profit immensely if they were able to bring them to their Domain and make them one of their loyal subordinates.

Iris wanted to visit Lux so badly, but Vera told her that going there would only raise suspicions. Now that Lux was no longer an ordinary chubby teenager, all of his movements, including those who visited him would be scrutinized by those who were trying to discern his identity.

One wrong move and the Half-Elf's plan would be ruined, so the blue-haired beauty had no choice but to remain in her VIP seat, and watch the next three battles that would also take place in the Main Arena.

Rol, who was devastated by his brother's loss, had gone all out in his match. But, since he wasn't in the right state of mind during his battle, the Boar, who was his opponent, didn't miss the opportunity and won the match by a very small margin.

Amastan, and Fiora, sighed in disappointment at Rol's performance. Both of them knew that if the young Barbarian had calmly dealt with his opponent, the victor of the battle would have been him, instead of the boar who was feeling very smug at the moment.

"Father, you should let Rol take the Trial of the Ancestors when we return home," Fiora said. "He can still participate in the next tournament, so we can just treat this one as a minor setback."

Amastan smiled. As the Barbarian King, he knew that losing wasn't something to be depressed about. As long as you learned from your mistake and strived to be better, a better and improved warrior would be born from the ashes.

Unfortunately, Einar and Rol still didn't know this fact.

The Barbarian King wanted to know just how far his sons' determination was. If they were not able to recover from this setback then it meant that they were never meant to do grander things, which required many hardships, and could only be accomplished through sheer determination.

'Fortunately, they are still young,' Amastan thought. 'There is still plenty of time to correct their mindset. Still, that boy, My Daddy, is quite an interesting fellow.'

When Amastan thought that he was calling a teenage boy his daddy, he forgot what he was thinking about and laughed, which made the young lady beside him think that he was laughing at the failure of her brothers, making her pout.

"Father!"

"Calm down, Fiora. I know. When we return, I'll take good care of your brothers, okay?"

Fiora nodded her head and shifted her attention to the next battle. Now that her brothers were no longer in the tournament, her interest in it had waned greatly. However, the next match rekindled the flames of curiosity in her heart after two fighters, who both specialized in the Wind Element, faced each other in the arena.

"Enlil Neifion, the sixth Elven Prince of the Elswyth Kingdom, as well as one of the young Kings of this generation," Fiora muttered as she gazed at the handsome, green-haired elf who was smiling with great confidence as he waved at the audiences that had come to watch him.

Since her brother, Einar, was of the same ranking as the Elven Prince, there had been plenty of opportunities for her to meet with the Elf, who looked down on the other races, except his own, and with good reason.

Elves were superior when it came to wielding the power of the Elements. They also excelled as Rangers, Magicians, Bards, Beast Tamers, Druids, as well as other professions that had something to do with nature.

They were also long-lived, which allowed them to learn more than the other races, as well as steadily gain strength throughout their long lifespan.

"His opponent is Gerhart Cenele," Fiora stated. "A wandering Half-Elf that cut ties with the Elswyth Kingdom, and has lived among the Nomadic Rowan Tribe that moves along with the seasons. Both of them use the Wind Element. In this battle, the one with the higher Mastery of the Element will win. Isn't that right, Father?"

"Yes." Amastan rubbed his chin with great interest. "But, I believe that the one whose determination is the strongest will win this battle."

"What makes you say that, father?"

"Just a hunch."

Fiora quieted down as she shifted her attention back to the arena where the two fighters were facing each other.

Gerhart had a serious expression on his face, while Enlil had a relaxed smile plastered on his face. Clearly, the Elven Prince didn't take his opponent seriously, even though the two of them were Wind Elementalists.

"Half-Elf, I admire your luck for coming this far, but this is where your luck ends," Enlil stated. "A defective creature like you is a stain in this competition. I will make sure that your journey ends right here, right now."

Gerhart didn't reply and simply removed the cloak that covered his body. Pointy ears that were similar to a Human's framed his face. His green-hair wasn't as green, or as lustrous, as Enlil's, but his eyes, which were as clear as the blue skies, stared at his opponent fearlessly.

The girls looked at the two handsome young men in the arena and giggled, while the boys wished that both fighters would kill each other in the match, so the world will have two less handsome boys that might become their rivals when it came to wooing the women's hearts.

Just before the match was about to begin, Lux appeared on one of the platforms reserved for the contestants of the arena. He had wanted to watch Rol's and the Boars' fight earlier on, but his broken ribs took some time to get patched up.

"Gerhart!" Lux shouted. "Defeat him using the strategy we talked about earlier!"

Gerhart glanced up at the stands and gave Lux a brief nod. However, deep inside, he was saying "What strategy? I didn't talk to you earlier. We're not even friends!"

The smile on Enlil's face disappeared as he gave Lux a side-long glance before shifting his attention back to his opponent.

Although he half doubted the chubby teenager's words, Lux was still someone that managed to defeat his acquaintance, Einar.

This meant that he needed to be careful when fighting against opponents who might have collaborated with each other in order to make a strategy that worked against him.

'I can't lose here,' Enlil vowed in his heart. 'I can't ruin the reputation of the Four Kings, just like that dumb Barbarian did.'

The contestants who were also in the same platform as Lux, looked up at him with admiration. Although they didn't want to admit it, they aspired to be like him and defeat one of the Four Kings and Five Overlords, who had long lorded above their heads for the past few years.

It was at that moment when two people stood on Lux's left and right side.

One of them was a blonde teenager, with blue eyes and sharp features.

The other was a good looking boy, with light-brown hair and eyes.

The one that stood on his left side was Gilmore Faisal, the Third Prince of the Axton Kingdom, and one of the Four Kings.

The one on his right was none other than Nero, who carried a strong grudge against Lux, because he had everything he ever wanted in life.

"Who do you think will win?" Gilmore asked while looking at the two fighters in the arena.

"Do you even need to ask?" Lux answered without even bothering to look at the blonde Prince, who suddenly decided to stand beside him. "The one who will win this tournament is me. All of you can just fight for second place."

The contestants who heard Lux's declaration sucked in deep breaths. Clearly, the question that Gilmore asked was who would win between Gerhart and Enlil. However, the chubby teenager didn't care and simply declared that he will be the one winning the tournament and everyone can just fight for the second spot.

"Interesting," Gilmore stated. "I think the one who will win THIS match is Enlil. After all, ants who think too highly of themselves are easily crushed by someone simply stepping on them."

"You must be talking about common ants," Lux replied. "I know a few ants in Elysium that can easily step on a king and turn him to meat paste. Hah~ ignorance is truly bliss."

Nero, who had kept his silence on the side, suddenly spoke out loud. He felt irritated about the chubby teenager's witty comments, which reminded him of the Half-Elf whom he hated with every fiber of his being.

"You are quite eloquent with your words," Nero commented. "It reminds me of a certain pathetic Half-Elf who got lucky in life."

The ridicule in Nero's tone was quite scathing, but instead of getting annoyed, Lux found his words very funny.

"Well, I don't know who that Half-Elf is, but it's not his fault you got born with a baboon's butt for a face," Lux chuckled. "Better luck in your next lifetime. Make sure to do good deeds so that you will have good karma in life. Maybe, just maybe, you will be reborn and, just like that pathetic Half-Elf, get lucky in your next life."

Gilmore and Nero suddenly had the strong urge to slap the chubby teenager at the same time for turning their words against them.

Both of them were already starting to regret their decision to stand beside the chubby teenager, whose tongue was sharper than both of theirs combined.

 

 

Chapter 235 The Pride Of An Elf [Part 2]

"Battle Start!"

Enlil smirked as he rose up from the ground and high to the air.

As a Wind Elementalist, he planned to use his ability to the fullest and show everyone that was watching that his "King" title was not just for show.

Gerhart hovered above the ground as well and flew high in the air to face the Elven Prince, who looked down on Half-breeds like him.

The two stared at each other for a few seconds before both of them unleashed a barrage of wind blades.

Their attacks met mid-air and canceled each other out, showing that they were almost equal in strength.

Well, almost equal in strength.

A moment later Enlil sneered as he summoned a few more wind blades, and Gerhart did the same. However, when the wind blades they unleashed met each other, Gerhart's Wind Blades dispersed, as they were overcome by Enlil's attack.

Gerhart had no choice but to dodge the attacks that were flying in his direction, but as if reading his thoughts. The Elven Prince whistled and summoned a Giant Eagle in the arena.

With a resounding screech, the eagle unleashed a gust of wind that held Gerhart in place, preventing him from dodging the Wind Blades that were headed in his direction.

Left with no other choice, Gerhart summoned a Wind Barrier in order to protect himself from the incoming Wind Blades that were all as sharp as razors.

Enlil, who was standing from far away, wasn't idle either. He summoned a luminous green bow and pulled on the string. Immediately, a green arrow, that was radiating a green light, materialized out of thin air and its radiance grew brighter the more Enlil pulled on it.

"Exterminate!" Enlil declared as he released the string to unleash one of his strongest attacks.

"Wind Reaver!"

A green arrow that shone in radiant light flew straight and true towards Gerhart, who was being besieged on all sides.

Enlil had timed the attack perfectly, leaving his opponent no time to block his killer move, which he had shot to end the Half-Elf's life. He wasn't someone like Einar, who liked to take chances. If there was a way to defeat his opponent as swiftly, and elegantly as possible, he would execute it without fail.

Gerhart, who had known Enlil for quite some time understood what the latter was trying to do, so he decided to go all out in order to protect himself from the impending death that was now flashing right in front of his eyes.

In a desperate attempt, Gerhart took out what seemed to be an ornamental dagger from his storage ring and raised it above his head. A moment later he spun around like a top, creating a tornado that rose towards the sky.

Putting his life on the line, he charged at the barrage of Wind Blades, dispersing them with the power of his own attack.

The tip of the tornado was shining in a silver light, as the dagger that was firmly held by Gerhart pierced through the attacks like a knife cutting through butter.

When the green arrow and the tornado collided, an ear rending screech that was similar to nails scratching a blackboard spread inside the Coliseum, making the audience, as well as the other contestants, cover their ears.

Lux, whose hearing was sharper than most, gritted his teeth as he covered his ears with both hands. Even though he felt great discomfort, his eyes focused on the tornado that was fighting Enlil's attack head on.

After several seconds, the green arrow lost its luster and exploded in a shower of green sparks, which were absorbed by Gerhart's tornado, turning it into a luminous green tornado that was now headed towards the Elven Prince, whose expression contorted in rage.

"Bastard!" Enlil shouted as he mounted the back of his Giant Eagle in an attempt to escape the green tornado that was flying straight towards him. "Why do you have Kinslayer?!"

When he saw the dagger in Gerhart's hands, he thought that he was just seeing things. But after it had successfully diffused and absorbed his skill, Wind Reaver, Enlil finally confirmed his suspicions.

The ornamental dagger, Kinslayer, wasn't just an ordinary dagger but a Heirloom of the second King of the Kingdom of Elswyth.

Just as the name implied, it was a dagger that was used to kill the First King of the Elven Kingdom, which ended his rule thousands of years ago. The blade had remained in the safekeeping of the Royal Family, and was said to have been sealed in an unknown location to prevent it from being used to endanger the lives of the current members of the Royal Family.

Because this was part of their history, all the members of the Royal Family had seen the replica of the dagger, which hung in one of the rooms of the palace that was reserved for the artifacts that could only be viewed by the Royal Family.

Gerhart didn't answer Enlil's question and just continued to approach his target, like a hunter going for the kill.

Enlil urged his Giant Eagle to fly high in the air before commanding it to descend towards the green tornado, creating a tornado of its own.

"Sky Fury!" Enlil shouted as he imbued his Beast Companion with the power of the Wind Element.

The two tornadoes collided like two green dragons fighting for supremacy. Sparks of lightning erupted at the center where the two tornadoes were confronting each other.

"Pierce through!" Gerhart roared. "Kinslayer!"

The blade of the dagger in his hand turned crimson red. Not long after, the luminous green tornado turned into a crimson tornado, making it look more deadly and intimidating.

Slowly, but surely, the green tornado was being pushed back, as the power of the dagger that killed the Elven King showed its might.

A resounding cry of pain spread in the surroundings as the red tornado pushed through the green tornado, dispersing it completely.

A giant, severed wing fell on the ground, which was followed by a second pained cry as the rest of the Giant Eagle crashed on the ground.

Enlil nimbly jumped off his Beast Companion before it fell. He was unscathed because he had used his Beast to take the brunt of the attack, allowing him to avoid a direct hit.

The Elven Prince looked up at the Crimson Tornado as it slowly decreased in size until it disappeared completely.

"I don't know how you got Kinslayer, but that blade doesn't belong to you," Enlil said in a voice that reeked with venom. "I will give you two choices, concede and return the artifact to me and I will no longer pursue this matter. Or…"

"Or you can just shut the f*ck up," Gerhart shouted as blood dripped off the tip of his blade. The blood didn't come from the Giant Eagle that he had almost slain, but his own blood.

Kinslayer required its user to pay the price of using it, and that was to feed it with the user's blood.

Several steel spikes had emerged from the handle of the blade, piercing the palm of Gerhart's hand, drawing blood, which also gave the blade its Crimson color.

The Elves who were watching the battle glared at Gerhart and labeled him a thief who had stolen something from the Royal Family.

The Elves that belonged to the Kingdom of Elswyth didn't know that, in the hands of others, Kinslayer was only an ornamental dagger.

However, in the hands of the members of the Royal Family, this blade could unleash a power that threatened those who shared the same blood as them.

Enlil knew this, but he chose not to recognize the identity of the opponent in front of him.

Because by doing so, he would be forced to acknowledge that the Half-Elf in front of him was a member of the Royal Family, whose blood was just as royal as his own.

 

Chapter 236 The Pride Of An Elf [Part 3]

Gerhart could feel himself getting dizzy because Kinslayer required a lot of his blood in order to activate. That also meant that he needed to end the battle as soon as he could, or else he would faint due to loss of blood.

Taking a fighting stance in mid-air, Gerhart pointed the tip of the dagger towards the Elven Prince who was glaring back at him.

"Sigil of Wind," Gerhart said softly as he imbued his entire body with the power of the Wind Element.

"Blood Rage."

The blade in Gerhart's hands glowed eerily as red mists rose up from its blade.

"Blood Rite."

The sharp spikes that had dug deep into his palms grew longer, piercing right through the skin in his hands, drawing more blood as it increased the potency of Gerhart's final blow.

"Blood Mist."

This time, red mist rose from Gerhart's entire body, making him look like a red Demon that was out to seek vengeance.

"Life Break!" Gerhart roared as he descended towards the ground like a red comet, trailing a deadly red trail in its wake.

Seeing the red comet descending towards the ground. Judge Dredd knew that even he, a Ranker, was in grave danger.

"Get me out of here!" Judge Dredd's voice spread in the surroundings. "I don't want to die!"

Immediately, one of the Mages forcefully teleported the referee outside of the arena as per his request.

Enlil, who was the target of Gerhart's attack, took out his own Ornamental Dagger and stabbed his chest where his heart was located, drawing blood.

"Mark my words, I will hunt you down!" Enlil pledged as blood flowed out from his body. "This isn't over!"

Enlil's body was immediately covered with a red light, before it disappeared completely from existence. He didn't ask to be teleported away by the Mage because Kinslayer would attack its target without fail as long as it was within a mile-wide radius.

Since Gerhart had designated him as a target, he needed to get as far away as he could in order to prevent himself from losing his life. The ornamental dagger he used was a life-saving item that would teleport him back to the Elven Capital back in the Elswyth Kingdom.

Just like Kinslayer, the ornamental dagger that Enlil used required his Heart's Blood, in order to fully activate.

A second later, a red comet descended on the place where Enlil was standing and exploded.

"Brace!" Bruno shouted as he raised his hands to reinforce the barrier.

The other mages also did the same, and cast layer upon layer of barriers around the arena.

One by one, these barriers broke apart, proving how strong Gerhart's kamikaze attack was. In the end, Alexander was forced to take action as he, along with the other high-rankers, personally ensured the safety of the people.

Red flames that seemed to devour everything could be seen through the transparent shield that Alexander had summoned to contain the destructive power of Gerhart's attack.

This was no longer an attack that belonged to an Apostle Grade warrior. It was an attack that was capable of killing a high-ranker.

Five minutes later, the flames subsided.

When the barrier was removed, the arena was no more, and a giant crater that was dozens of meters deep appeared in front of everyone.

At the center of it, a person, who looked like a dried up husk while holding a dagger in his hand, could be seen.

"Take him to the Intensive Care Facility," Alexander ordered. "Alicia, make sure to place High-Rankers to guard the boy. He cannot be killed on the grounds of the Academy."

"Yes, Sir," Alicia nodded as she contacted the High-Rankers of Barbatos Academy to take Gerhart into custody. This matter was an issue between Gerhart and the Elven Royal Family, and Barbatos Academy had no interest in involving themselves in their dispute.

After the Rankers had taken custody of Gerhart, who was still holding Kinslayer firmly in his hand, an announcement was made by the Academy.

The next match would be moved the next day, so they had time to repair the damages that were caused by the battle between the two warriors.

The audience left the arena with disappointed looks on their faces. Even so, they understood that the next match couldn't be held with the current state of the Coliseum.

However, as soon as they left the venue, word spread about the exciting battles that had happened during the first day, which instantly sparked the interest of those who hadn't watched the battles in the arena.

Although Lux's and the Boar's battles were overshadowed by Gerhart's suicide attack, their names were still mentioned from time to time, especially Lux who had also defeated one of the Kings in the tournament.

Although Enlil didn't experience a crushing defeat, he was forced to teleport away from the arena. A loss was still a loss. Gerhart had staked his life to take the Elven Prince's life, and the latter chose to preserve his life, rather than risk it to fight the Half-Breed he hated with every fiber of his being.

Now that two of the Kings had been defeated, the invincibility they projected towards the younger generation had shattered. The awe and respect vanished, and all that remained was a shadow of their former glory.

If they were mentioned and talked about in reverence in the past, they were now treated as common prodigies who were slightly better than most.

This new realization of the masses made the two remaining Kings, as well as the Five Overlords, feel like their reputation had been tarnished.

Even so, they couldn't refute the fact that Einar was defeated by the chubby teenager, My Daddy, and Gerhart had unleashed an attack that was capable of killing even a High-Ranker, forcing Enlil to escape.

With two losses under their belt, the prestige that had been built around their identities, had crumbled just like a sand castle that was swept away by a wave, forcing everything to revert to how it once was.

 

Chapter 237 League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen

"What do you mean he's not here?" an High-Ranking Elf Official asked after he was stopped at the infirmary where Gerhart was taken after the battle. "If you don't give me that brat, I promise you that you will not like it.

"You can't get what we don't have," Alicia replied. "If you really are so adamant in looking for him, I will not stop you, but, know this, angering three Saints is not a good idea. Next time, be careful with your words in case you are unable to take them back."

Alicia's words made the Elven Official's face become pale. Due to what happened in the tournament, he had completely forgotten that Barbatos Academy didn't only have one Saint, but two.

Also, the Nomadic Rowan Tribe, that traveled all over the Six Kingdoms, was led by a Saint.

In the Western Regions, where the Six Kingdoms, and Barbatos Academy were located, there were only five Saints remaining. Most of the powerhouses in the region were killed during the Hundred-Year War, which greatly weakened the military power of the Six Kingdoms.

Two of those Five Saints were in Barbatos Academy, and the third one belonged to the Nomadic Rowan Tribe.

The two remaining Saints were Hermits, who preferred to live alone and not mingle with the political framework of the region. Because of this, the Saint that was more active within the six kingdoms was none other than Alexander, who was the current Headmaster of Barbatos Academy.

"Forgive me, Lady Alicia," the Elf Official apologized for his rash actions. "I got too emotional after knowing that someone had stolen one of the Relics of our Kingdom."

Alicia nodded. "I will turn a blind eye to your outburst this once. Go and see for yourself if the person you are looking for is there, but I warn you to not disturb the other patients in the infirmary."

"Of course," the Elf Official promised before he was escorted, along with his entourage, inside the Infirmary where several contestants of the past Qualifying Rounds of the Lionheart Tournament were still recovering.

As Alicia looked at the back of the Elven Delegation, a frown appeared on her beautiful face.

'This is going to be a bit complicated,' Alicia thought. 'To think that Gerhart has such a background. Looks like the Elf Royal Family of Elswyth will have no choice but to post a bounty on his head in order to reclaim their Sacred Relic.'

When Gerhart was brought to the Infirmary to receive treatment, the Ornamental Dagger in his hand, Kinslayer, suddenly shot up towards the sky and flew towards West. A moment later, Gerhart's almost dried up body vanished without a trace, leaving the Clerics, as well as the other medical personnel, in shock and disbelief.

Clearly, Gerhart had made preparations before the battle, should he ever use the power of Kinslayer. Since he would be exposing himself to the world, he made a plan that would instantly allow him to leave Barbatos Academy, to prevent himself from getting captured by the Elf Royal Family.

Several minutes later, the Elf Envoys left the infirmity in haste. They planned to return to the Elven Capital and share the news of what happened in the tournament.

What they didn't know was that the moment Enlil teleported away from the Arena, he had escaped to the Inner Palace of the Elven Kingdom, where members of the Royal Family would appear once they used the life-saving artifacts that were given to them by their family.

After having his injuries treated, Enlil narrated everything that had happened in the tournament, including Gerhart who now possessed Kinslayer.

The Elf King, who heard this, had a calm expression on his face and told Enlil that he would handle the rest, and the Prince should just rest and recover from his injury.

On that same day, the different Elite Forces of the Elswyth Kingdom departed from the Elven Capital with two goals.

One was to visit the Rowan Tribe, and negotiate for Gerhart's surrender to them.

The other was to look for traces of the artifact in the off chance that Gerhart didn't return to the Rowan Tribe to seek asylum.

While this was happening, the arena was being repaired for the next battle that would be held the following day. After a first day of exciting battles, the audience was quite excited for what would be waiting for them when morning came.

"It seems that your sworn brother is on the run right now," Lux said to the Boar who refused to return to his original form, and kept his transformation up all the time.

"Hmph! Those pointy-eared elves will not be able to catch Gerhart even if they mobilize their entire army." The Boar snorted.

"Oh? You sound so confident."

"Of course I am confident. No matter how arrogant they are, they will not do anything to annoy Grandfather. If that old man got angry, even the Elven King would have no choice but to get down on his knees and beg for forgiveness."

Lux gave the smug-faced Boar a side-long glance before looking at the arena that was being repaired by Earth Mages.

"I forgot to say congratulations for beating Rol," Lux said. "Although I wasn't able to watch it, some said that it was a close match."

"I admit he got me in the first half," the Boar replied. "But, that was because I was taking things easy. If I unleashed my full powers, I would have killed him with just a single glare, you know?"

"Really? I didn't know you were that powerful. Last time we fought together, you were almost turned into Boar Stew during the Qualifiers."

"That is because I don't think it was worth it to show my trump cards so early in the battle. I am saving them for the final match."

Lux glanced at the delusional boar with an amused look on his face. "Has anyone told you that you have thick skin?"

"Yeah," the Boar replied. "My Sworn brothers and Grandfather always tell me that, but they also know that when I go all out, even Saints will have to run for their lives. I am that good."

Lux turned around and left the Boar to his fantasies. He was afraid that if he stayed longer, the Boar's delusional tendencies would rub off on him.

"Oi, where are you going?" the Boar asked as it hurriedly followed the chubby teenager who was leaving him behind. "Isn't this the part where you will say 'Oh! You're so amazing! Please make me your sworn brother!'. Fortunately, I like you, so I don't mind making you my sworn brother. How about we share some good food and wine as we pledge our brotherhood?"

"Not interested," Lux replied without even bothering to look at the boar, who was walking by his side and doing its best to convince him like a door-to-door salesman.

"How come? Don't you want to become part of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen? If you join now, I will share with you the recording of Lady Iris when she performed a ritualistic dance when she visited our Tribe a year ago."

"... You, do you want me to turn you into roast pork? Why do you even have Iris' dance performance?"

The Boar thought that Lux was just being shy, so it decided to continue trying to make him a member of the group that he had established alongside Gerhart.

"Are you interested now?" the Boar said with a smug-look on its boarish face. "Unfortunately, the recording crystal is a prized possession of our organization. If you want to see Lady Iris dancing in her Celestial Robes, you need to join us first and become my sworn brothe–argh!"

The Boar wasn't able to finish its words because Lux started to beat the crap out of it until it squealed like a pig being slaughtered. The arrogant boar begged for forgiveness over and over again, and was only released from its suffering after it had surrendered the recording crystal that had the video of Iris dancing.

After taking the crystal from the boar, Lux gave it one last kick in its belly, sending it rolling across the ground while crying "murderer!" and "fatty boy".

Since the battle wouldn't start until the next day, Lux decided to return to his room to rest.

"I haven't been around Iris much for the past two years because I was busy training for the entrance test for Elysium," Lux muttered as he played with the recording crystal in his hand. "I remember last year, Grandma asked me if I wanted to accompany Iris in the Rowan Tribe for their annual celebration. I guess this is where the Boar got this recording from."

Lux decided to activate the crystal to see Iris dance.

The crystal shone and transmitted a projection in front of him. In the projection, Iris was wearing a colorful dress that seemed to be a traditional attire of the priestess of the Rowan Tribe.

As the tribal ladies played their musical instruments, Iris spun slowly as if addressing everyone before she started to dance.

Her graceful movements, accompanied by her beauty was enough to mesmerize those who laid their eyes on her.

For Lux, Iris was a symbol of Luck.

He believed that her Luck Stat was so high that if she stood in the center of a group of people, and bird poop rained down from the sky, everyone else, aside from her, would get hit by it.

'Perhaps this was why she was invited to their annual festival,' Lux thought. 'The Tribe Chief might have thought that if she were there, she would bless their tribe with her Luck, allowing them safe travels because of their Nomadic Lifestyle.'

When the dance ended, Lux felt refreshed as if he had just been given a buff for clarity of mind and a cure for minor injuries.

Iris' performance was simply that good, that he couldn't help but feel happy, and regret at the same time.

Happy because he was able to see her sweet smile as she danced. Clearly, she was enjoying what she was doing, which also brought happiness to those who were watching her.

Regret that he wasn't there to accompany him and watch the performance live, alongside the Rowan Tribe, that had been blessed by her luck.

"I hope that Eiko is behaving herself properly," Lux muttered. The day before, Eiko had taken his form and appeared beside Iris to make those who were looking for Lux think that the chubby boy and him weren't related.

Also, it might also make them think that he had lost in the Qualifying Matches, allowing them to lower their guard. For them, Lux was their greatest Love Rival, because Iris had kissed him in front of everyone in the past.

News of this had spread like wildfire making those who wanted to make the blue-haired beauty their fiance, wish that they could strangle the red-headed teenager, and feed his remains to the fishes.

'Tomorrow it will be Nero's turn to fight,' Lux mused. 'I bet that he will take this battle seriously and defeat his opponent in a spectacular manner in order to regain the dignity of the Four Kings and Five Overlords. Unfortunately for him, this will be a useless endeavor.'

Lux knew that, even if Nero won in a flashy way, the prestige they once enjoyed was a thing of the past now.

Only if one of the Kings or one of the Five Overlords were to win the tournament then and only then would they be able to salvage their reputation.

'I hope his opponent is strong,' Lux thought. 'That way, I will be able to see some of the aces that he has been hiding.'

For the Half-Elf, the brown-haired teenager was someone he would like to meet personally in the arena. However, he was not delusional enough to think that fighting Nero would be easy.

Lux understood Nero, probably more than anyone else.

He knew that Nero would keep his aces close to his sleeves, and only use them at the right time, to turn the situation around, making him a tricky opponent even for the Half-Elf who had gone above and beyond all means, to fight the person who coveted the blue-haired beauty that loved him so much.

 

Chapter 238 Nothing Personal, Okay?

The next day, the crowd gathered in the arena once again.

The coliseum was filled to the brim, to the point that those who were unable to get in had no choice but to watch the battle on the projectors that were placed in various places of Barbatos Academy, so that everyone could watch the battles unfold in real time.

Nero stood in the arena as he faced his opponent. A confident look was displayed across his face. The battle should've been yesterday, but because of what had happened during Gerhart's and Enlil's battle, his match was postponed and moved to the next day.

As soon as Judge Dredd gave the signal to start the fight, Nero and his opponent charged towards each other.

A moment later, his opponent collapsed on the ground, unconscious.

"Winner Nero!"

The audience wasn't able to react in time, not expecting the battle to end so quickly. All it took was a single exchange for the good-looking brown-haired boy to win his match, without even breaking a sweat.

Nero turned around and walked steadily out of the arena. He was projecting an expert's attitude, which made the audience remember that he was one of the Five Overlords, who wouldn't just lose to anyone.

'Well played, Nero,' Gilmore, one of the last two Kings, mused. 'We definitely gained a bit of our dignity back after this quick win.'

Yesterday, the two remaining Kings and the Five Overlords had met and discussed a strategy for how to regain the dignity that they had lost.

It was Nero who proposed that they should end their battles as quickly as possible so there would be no room for doubt that they were truly the strongest members of the young generation.

His proposal gained the agreement of everyone present, so all of them decided to end their matches as quickly as they could.

As Gilmore was thinking that they had regained a bit of their fame, a gloating laughter that was magnified by a special artifact spread in the surroundings.

"Hahaha! He managed to win so fast because he was facing a weakling!" the Boar said with arrogance. "If I was the one who faced him in battle, that brown-haired wannabe wouldn't even last five seconds!"

"Hah? What crap are you talking about?" a chubby teenager asked. "If that was me, before the match can even start, I would have immediately kicked him out of the arena!"

Judge Dredd, who was standing in the arena, glared at the two clowns that were saying a bunch of bullcrap in his presence.

Beat Nero in five seconds? You barely passed the Qualifiers, yet you, stupid Boar, dare to say that you can beat Nero in five seconds?

Utter nonsense!

Kick him out of the arena before the match even started?

Do you want to get disqualified? That's foul!

Do I look like a joke to you?

Just as Judge Dredd was about to tell the two to shut up, the stupid Boar raised its voice and made a stupid declaration.

"Hmph! Remember this, members of the Four Monkeys and Five Baboons!" the Boar declared. "The moment you face me in the arena is the day that all of you will know what true strength is!"

"Um, I applaud your boldness, but you made a mistake. It's not Four Monkeys and Five Baboons. It's Four Clowns and Five Buffoons. Please apologize to all the Monkeys and Baboons in the world. Having them compared to those weaklings brings shame upon their good names."

"You're right! Um, sorry dear Monkeys and Baboons. I didn't intend to bring shame to your good names! Please forgive my ignorance."

As if waiting for that cue, a Monkey Beastkin stood up from the audience and shouted.

"On behalf of all the Monkeys in the world, I accept your apology," the Monkey Beastkin said. "Make sure to not make the same mistake again."

"I also accept your apology." A Baboon Beastkin stood up and made his presence known. "Being compared to them brings shame upon our race. Can't you see how handsome we are? We're the ones losing out from being compared to them."

"That's right!" the Monkey Beastkin nodded his head in agreement. "They just can't compare to our awesomeness!"

The Boar and chubby teenager praised the two Beastkins who suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Clearly, this was not part of the script. This unexpected combo attack almost made Nero slip as he walked towards the exit of the arena.

A second later, the boar's neck and the chubby teenager's neck were grabbed by Bruno whose face had already turned beet red due to anger.

"Are you two going to shut up first, or should I shut you up personally?" Bruno asked.

The Boar nervously chuckled as he handed the artifact that magnified its voice to Bruno who took it with a grumpy look on his face.

"I'm watching both of you," Bruno stated before releasing the two troublemakers, making both of them land on their bums.

The audience roared in laughter after seeing the two's comedic act, and had completely forgotten Nero's dominating performance. The prestige that they had tried so hard to regain turned into a joke, which made the Boar and the chubby teenager Public Enemies Number One and Two for the two remaining Kings and Five Overlords, who were still in the competition.

"You're up, Norman," Gilmore said while facing one of the Five Overlords. "End the battle as fast as you can."

"You don't have to tell me; I know what to do," Norman snorted as he jumped towards the arena from the contestants platform like a Madlad.

His next opponent was none other than the skinny swordsman, who had been with Lux and the Boar during the Qualifying Matches.

The skinny teenager calmly walked towards the arena, while Norman looked down on him with his arms crossed over his chest.

"I don't know who you are, or where you are from, but I will end you quickly," Norman declared as soon as the skinny teenager walked up in the arena. "Nothing personal, okay?"

The skinny teenager nodded his head and stood in place, waiting for Judge Dredd to start the match.

"Are both of you ready?"

Norman raised his hand with confidence. "I was born ready!"

"Yes," the skinny teenager replied.

"Battle Start!"

As soon as the battle started, a soft, yet resounding clinking sound spread in the arena.

A moment later, a cry of pain, followed by a shower of blood was heard and seen in the place where Norman stood.

His arms, and legs were cut off from his body. The young man, who was one of the Five Overlords, found himself lying helpless on the ground, with blood spurting from the severed limbs of his body.

"Nothing personal, okay?" the skinny teenager said before turning around to leave the arena under the dumbfounded gaze of the audience who couldn't believe what they just saw.

The skinny teenager didn't even bother to wait for Judge Dredd's declaration of his victory. In his eyes, his opponent was simply too weak for him to consider him as a serious opponent.

"Nice!" the Boar said with a smug-look on its face before turning to the chubby teenager beside it. "Do you think we can invite him into the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen? He has what it takes to be my sworn brother!"

Lux rolled his eyes at the shameless, thick-headed boar, who would pester strong people for them to join its organization.

He had long known that the skinny swordsman wasn't simple.

His performance alone was enough to shut up all opposition, leaving Gilmore's and Nero's group of elite prodigies, unable to stop themselves from treating the mysterious swordsman as a serious competitor in the tournament.

 

Chapter 239 You Dare To Chop Me?

"Are you sure that guy isn't Lux in disguise?" One of the Five Overlords asked Nero and Gilmore who both had serious expressions on their faces.

The skinny teenager who wore a bamboo hat was one of the suspicious people that Nero had listed as a possible candidate for Lux's hidden identity.

"I have double checked and that's not him," Nero replied with a frown.

Gilmore also nodded his head. "I also used an artifact just after the match ended, and it is certainly not him."

"Then could Lux possibly be that boar? Just looking at it irritates me."

"Yeah! That boar deserves a good beating. I'll make sure to turn him into a pork chop when we fight."

Nero and Gilmore weren't paying too much attention to the discussion as they're still bothered that they couldn't assess how strong the swordsman truly was.

Both of them were Grade A Disciples in the middle-ranks, so they had a hunch that the skinny teenager was about the same as them, making the other party a serious opponent that they couldn't afford to ignore.

"He is in group B," Nero said as he glanced at Gilmore. "If nothing unexpected happens, the two of you will be fighting each other at the final match of your division."

Gilmore nodded. "I will watch his next matches in order to better understand his abilities."

Deep inside, Nero was thankful that he wouldn't be facing the skinny swordsman in his division. He was certain that the mysterious swordsman had the ability to force him to bring out his trump cards, which he only planned to use in the Final Match.

'I'll also better take a look at his matches later,' Nero thought. 'Right now, he is the biggest threat in the tournament, next to that chubby teenager.'

After their latest loss, the Elite Prodigies were no longer in the mood to discuss other things with each other. The only thing they wanted to do was to ensure that they would win their next fights in order to avoid becoming laughing stocks.

The high-ranking officials of the six kingdoms also took note of the mysterious swordsman and immediately launched an investigation. Right now, Lux's and the skinny teenager's backgrounds were being dug up, so the officials could better understand their identities.

The next three matches were also quite entertaining to watch. Gilmore, as well as two of the Five Overlords defeated their opponents without too much problem, leaving a decent impression on those who were watching the tournament.

---

Meanwhile, somewhere in the Academy...

"Stop following me, you're annoying," the skinny teenager wearing a bamboo hat said to the Boar who was chatting beside him as if the two of them had known each other since they were kids.

"I will stop following you if you join the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen," the Boar said. "If you join, I will become your sworn brother. With me by your side, you can walk unhindered anywhere."

"I already said no. Stop being persistent."

"Is that a Yes?"

,m "Are you deaf? I said no."

"Yes, right? Great! Now you just need to sign this contract and we're good to go."

"... I'll chop you."

The Boar snorted and raised its chin arrogantly. "You dare to chop me? Fine. I will stand here. I dare you to chop me! Let's see if you can live peacefully afterward!"

The skinny teenager was really tempted to slice the boar into pieces. If not for the fact that he would be disqualified from the tournament and become a wanted criminal, he would have done it already, even disposing the body as sneakily as possible.

"So, are you going to join?" the boar asked as it continued to walk beside the irritated teenager. "We have freebies as well. Do you know the legendary sword called Excalibur? I have it in my room. If you join, I'll give it to you as a freebie."

"Not interested," the skinny teenager replied as calmly as he could. However, the trace of frustration and annoyance was clear in his voice.

He was nearing his limit, and if he didn't get to his room soon, he was afraid that he would really throw caution into the wind and hack the annoying boar into pieces.

"Oh, then how about Gram? This sword also goes by the name Balmung. Are you interested?"

"No."

"I also have Arondight, Durandal, Harpe, Kusanagi, Caliburn, and many other swords. I'll give one of them to you for free if you join my group."

"I said no!" The Skinny Teenager finally entered his room and slammed the door in the Boar's face. He had done his best to prevent himself from using violence because his Master had told him that violence wouldn't solve anything.

The skinny teenager signed in relief. Now that he had finally entered his sanctuary, he thought that the Boar would leave him alone.

Unfortunately for him, a knock on his door shattered this hope, which almost made him take out his sword from its sheath to hack the boar into pieces.

"Hello? What kind of sword do you want?" the Boar's annoying voice, which resembled a persistent salesman, reached his ears as it continued to knock on his door. "Just name it, and I'll give it to you. Have you heard of Caladbolg, Dainsleif, and Ascalon?

"If you join now, I'll give you not one, not two, but three swords free of charge. I'm so generous, right? Do you want to join now? Hey! Are you there? Knock knock! Um... if you join within the next five minutes..."

On that day, one of the strongest competitors in the tournament conceded and joined the Boar's League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, in fear that he would develop aneurysm if the Boar kept on knocking on his door until he was driven crazy.

The Boar left and happily hummed as it walked in the hallway after managing to add one more member to his group.

It was still doing its best to add Lux to its group, but the chubby teenager was someone who didn't bat an eye, not scared of using violence against it, forcing the Boar to beg for forgiveness after receiving a one-sided beating and escape with its tail tucked between its legs.

 

Chapter 240 The Boar That Gets On Everyone’s Nerves

The Lionheart Tournament continued with four matches being held everyday.

On the fifth day, only four participants of each Division remained and they would fight until only two remained.

On the sixth day, the final two would fight, and on the Seventh Day the remaining participant would enter the Semi-Finals.

A one day break would be held before the Semi Finals to allow the participants to fully recover their strength before their final matches.

The next day, the Elite Four would fight until only two remained, who would then fight in the Final match.

The winner would of course become the Champion of the Lionheart Tournament and receive the prizes that would make him the envy of every member of the young generation. Of course, the Second Place opponent would also receive some decent rewards, but it was nothing compared to the Grand Prize, where Iris' happiness was at stake.

Today was the Fifth Day of the Tournament and Lux easily defeated his opponent without breaking a sweat.

The Boar got lucky and managed to defeat an opponent who received a terrible injury during his previous match and had entered a comatose state. Because of this, it won by default, allowing it to proceed to its next match without even lifting its hoof.

The skinny swordsman also won his match. If one of the two Kings, Gilmore, didn't make any blunders, the mysterious swordsman and him would fight at the Final Division Match. This was a match up that everyone was looking forward to watching.

Nero had also successfully won his battle, and would face the last member of the Four Kings. If he managed to overcome this obstacle, he would become the Division Winner, and advance to the Semi-Finals, alongside the other Semi-Finalists.

"You know, having come this far, I realized one thing," the boar said as it ate some bacon. "If we all win our respective matches, we will enter the Semi-Finals and fight each other. If one of us becomes the Champion, then that means that it is still the win of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen! I'm so excited."

"I'm not a member of your League of Extraordinary Gentlemen," Lux replied in an irritated tone as he watched the boar eat the bacon that he had ordered for himself. "Also, why are you here? Can't you let people eat in peace?"

"One moment, I'm still eating," the Boar replied. "It's not all the time I get to eat free food paid for by others. But, when I do, I make sure to eat everything."

"Excuse me? I didn't give you permission to eat my food."

"Please don't disturb me while I eat. Didn't you learn good manners and proper conduct?"

Lux sighed as he waved for the waitress to get another order.

"Can I have another bowl of bacon?" Lux asked. "And one bowl of stir fried noodles."

"I'd like to have some pork chops please,'' the Boar said to the waitress. "Also, add some ham on the side, thank you."

The waitress smiled and bowed her head before leaving the two alone.

"Swordy will definitely beat that wimpy blondie and become the Division Winner," the Boar said as it waited for its order to arrive. "I'm worried about you. It is certain that the winner of tomorrow's match will be one of the Five Overlords. That means that you will have to face someone strong before you become the Division Winner."

"Just worry about yourself, okay?" Lux snapped. "You just got lucky that your opponent was in a coma. If not, you wouldn't even be standing here right now."

The Boar chuckled before wagging its hoof at the chubby teenager, who was fighting the strong urge to stab the boar's nose with a fork.

"He got lucky," the Boar stated. "If he fought me, he might not even be able to keep his life. So this is a blessing for him."

Lux rolled his eyes at the shameless boar, who he was certain would immediately be defeated after it faced the winner of tomorrow's match for its Division.

Right now, there were two matches that he would like to see, and they was none other than Nero's fight with a King of the young generation, as well as the mysterious swordsman's battle with Gilmore, who was the Prince of the Axton Kingdom, and was said to be the strongest member of the Four Kings.

It was at that moment when Nero, Gilmore, as well as the rest of their Elite Group entered the restaurant that was reserved for the contestants of the tournament.

The moment they saw the chubby teenager and the Boar eating together, they decided to walk in their direction to give the two a greeting, and a bit of intimidation.

"Well, well, well, look who's here, it's the chubby gang," Gilmore said in a teasing tone. "Having your last meals before you lose in your next matches?"

The Boar gave the blondie a side-long glance before shifting its attention to Lux.

"The loser of tomorrow's battle is talking to me," the Boar said. "What should I do? Should I give him my autograph so that he can keep it as a memento after he loses to Little Swordy?"

"Good idea," Lux replied. "I'm sure that he will treasure it and make it his family heirloom. After all, it was signed by one of the Final Four that will enter the Semi-Finals."

Although Lux knew in his heart that the Boar couldn't possibly enter the final four, he couldn't possibly ignore it after their rivals were talking smack about them.

"Good idea," the Boar took a small scroll from its storage ring and placed it on top of the table.

There were some words written on it, but Lux wasn't too interested to take a look at it. The Boar then dipped its hoof in one of the sauces that Lux had ordered beforehand and stamped it on the scroll.

"Here you go," the Boar said as it handed the scroll with its hoof print to the blondie whose expression was similar to someone that had eaten a fly. "I don't mind if you make this your family heirloom. You should be honored that I even took the effort to give you my autograph."

Gilmore didn't accept the scroll that the Boar was offering to him. Instead, his pupils changed color for a brief moment.

Immediately, the scroll on the boar's hooves burst into purple flames, which made the latter squeal in shock.

"You're lucky that you're not in my division," Gilmore stated. "Otherwise, I would have already turned you into roast pork."

"Stick and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me," the Boar replied after it had regained its composure.

Before Gilmore could even retort, Bruno, the High-Ranking judge of the tournament entered the restaurant.

When he saw the Boar, he immediately approached it with a scowl on his face.

"Oi! Where is the scroll that the Headmaster gave you?" Bruno asked. "Didn't he tell you that it was something that was supposed to be passed to me before the match began because it was something important?"

The Boar suddenly said "Ah!" before it rummaged through its storage ring.

Giimore suddenly had a bad premonition, so he decided to walk away while he still could. However, Bruno saw a part of the burnt up scroll on the floor and his face became extremely serious.

The stamp of the Headmaster could still be seen at the corner of the remaining part of the scroll, which made Bruno's face turn livid.

"You burned the official document of the academy?" Bruno said in a tone that reeked of bad vibes. "You dare?!"

"Um, it wasn't me that burned it," the Boar pointed at Blondie who was almost outside the door of the restaurant. "It was him that burned it."

Bruno turned around and saw the Prince of the Axton Kingdom casually walking out of the restaurant as if he was just taking a stroll.

Before Gilmore could even take a step outside of the restaurant, a large hand rested on his shoulder, holding him in place.

"Gilmore Axton, how about you and I have a little talk?" Bruno asked. "Don't worry. We will settle this matter before your match tomorrow. Come with me to the Headmaster's office."

Bruno didn't even give Gilmore a chance to explain his side of the matter before he teleported both of them out of the restaurant.

Nero and the other members of their Elite Group made themselves scarce and left the Boar and the chubby teenager alone.

They had a feeling that if they remained longer, the Boar might do something stupid again and involve them in the mess that it created.

Lux chuckled when he saw Nero and his comrades retreat far from their location. Even though the Boar was irritating, it managed to bring trouble to their opponents, which was a plus in his book.

In truth, he sensed that Nero and Gilmore were using some kind of appraising tool to check his, and the Boar's bodies. Naturally, he knew that they were trying to confirm whether he was the "Half-Elf" they were looking for or not.

Fortunately, the Mask of a Thousand Faces wasn't a simple artifact and no matter how many times they tried to use their anti-illusion artifacts, the results would always be the same.

"Here's your order," the waitress arrived a few minutes later and delivered their orders.

Lux ate his meal in a casual manner, while the Boar ate like a pig, leaving nothing behind. After it finished eating, it immediately left without saying a word, which left the Half-Elf dumbstruck.

It was only after Lux was about to pay for the meal that he realized what the Boar had done. Clearly, the Boar was a Dine-and-Dash type of creature, which made the Half-Elf wish that the one he would be facing in the next match, was the chubby Boar that was quite good at getting on everyone's nerves.