Ch. 241..250

Chapter 241 I Just Want Peace

"Keane, someday, you will find your reason for living," an old man wearing a robe that had seen better days said. It was old and ragged, and yet, it couldn't hide the majesty of the person wearing it. "Right now, you just live, for the sake of living. Life shouldn't be lived like that."

"Master, isn't being alive enough?' the skinny teenager replied. "I eat when I'm hungry. I drink when I'm thirsty, and sleep when I'm sleepy. I am content with what I have right now, I don't want anything else."

"Keane, contentment leads to stagnation," the old man commented as he stroked his beard while eyeing the young man in front of him. "Just like a sword that is forever inside a sheath, it is unable to show its true potential. It is merely a decoration, having lost its true value."

"But, Master, isn't being a decoration enough?" Keane inquired. "Wouldn't peace be better than war?"

"Peace is always better than war, but have you ever thought that in order to keep the peace, someone must have the strength to prevent it from collapsing? If bandits were to descend on a peaceful village to steal their livestock, money, and women, what could being peaceful do?

"If Beast Tides were about to trample on everyone, and everything you hold dear, does living peacefully make them go away? The answer is No. Only those with power can protect the peace of the world. A decoration may look pretty, but that is all it is. A decoration. It cannot carry the sky when it falls down on your head. Remember this Keane, and remember this well.

"Only those who have the power to protect the peace, are the one that keep the peace and safeguard the people from their suffering."

The skinny teenager didn't reply right away as if pondering something inside his head. A moment later, he looked up at his Master and said.

"Master, I have no desire to argue with anyone," Keane stated. "I choose to walk away because I just want peace."

The old man smiled and nodded his head in understanding.

"Keane, travel the world, and see with your own eyes if you can find the peace you are looking for," the old man replied. "Also, I have signed you up for the Lionheart Tournament that will be held in Barbatos Academy. Maybe, by interacting with people the same age as you, you will see things you have never seen before. Experience feelings, you have never felt before."

—--

A young man sat in the lotus position with his sword resting on his lap. He was breathing steadily as he meditated in order to cleanse his mind before his match that would be happening in two hours.

He didn't know who his opponent was, nor did he care. His Master had told him to see the world, and his first stop was Barbatos Academy. Even though he didn't want to admit it, he felt as if he had glimpsed the meaning of his Master's words, about the true meaning of peace.

Suddenly a loud knocking sound was heard from his door. A familiar voice, which made Keane's heart tremble and his skin crawl, reached his ears.

"Hey! Little Swordy, are you awake? Your fight will begin in a few hours!" the Boar's voice shouted from outside the door. "Have you eaten? Did you go to the comfort room? Want me to help you bring your breakfast? Ah, they are having lamb chops for breakfast, should I order two of them? I don't mind eating with you because you always look lonely…"

Keane opened his eyes and exhaled deeply.

"Master, the outside world isn't peaceful at all," Keane lamented. "I want to go back to the mountain."

Unfortunately, his Master wasn't there, so Keane had no choice but to fend for himself, and try to settle the matter with the annoying Boar that was knocking on his door in a peaceful manner.

—--

"Listen, Little Swordy, your opponent today might be weaker than me, but you mustn't underestimate him," the Boar said as it walked beside the skinny teenager and escorted him to the waiting area of the Coliseum. "He is one of the Four Clowns and Five Buffoons. Although they are a bunch of d*cks, they are still stronger than most."

"I understand. I will not underestimate him," Keane replied.

"Good. as one of the members of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, you mustn't lose to him and uphold our honor."

"I understand. I will do my best."

"This is what I like about you, Little Swordy," the Boar said as it glanced at the skinny swordsman with satisfaction. "You're very easy to talk to."

"Thank you," Keane replied.

Right now, he was just talking automatically like an answering machine. He had long understood that the Boar would just prolong his suffering if he denied, or disagreed with its words.

"Well then, this is as far as I go," the Boar patted Keane's waist with its hoof. "Go break a leg. Rather, go slice a leg."

"Okay." Keanne nodded as he went to the hallway that would lead him to the arena.

As soon as he appeared, the cheers and applause of the audience descended on him like a tide. He was one of the crowd favorites to win because of his mysterious identity, as well as his one move, insta-wins.

In truth, many of the young warriors who were watching the matches in the arena had aspired to become just like him. Even the young ladies found his unique style quite intriguing, making them want to know more about him.

They just couldn't understand how he managed to do it. The moment a clinking sound was heard in the arena, his opponents arms, and legs, would be cut off, preventing them from continuing to battle.

He was using the Sword Art that his Master had created and its name was "Grand Void".

His attacks were so sharp, that the severed limbs could easily be reattached and healed without problem.

It was a Sword Art that only the most powerful individuals within the Six Kingdoms were aware of. Without even fully drawing the sword, one could effectively slice a mountain in half.

​ Keane's Master jokingly said that when Keane was able to draw the sword out of its sheath and execute the final form of the Grand Void Sword Art, he would be able to slice the void, which would allow him to travel through the void, where space and time flowed differently.

The moment he stepped into the arena, Keane was finally able to see his opponent. One glance alone was enough to tell him that the blonde teenager in front of him was not like those people that he had defeated in the past.

'He's the real deal,' Keane thought as he rested his left thumb on the hilt of his sword, ready to strike as soon as the referee gave the signal to start the match.

The skinny young man hoped that after this match was over, he would be one step closer to the peace he desired, so he could return to the mountains where his Master was patiently waiting for him.

 

Chapter 242 Peace Will Never Be An Option [Part 1]

Gilmore looked at his opponent with a serious expression on his face.

His casual smile could not be seen anywhere, and it was replaced by a solemn look that he rarely showed to anyone.

This just proved that the person standing in front of him was someone that he couldn't afford to look down on, or he would suffer a terrible defeat at the mysterious swordsman's hands.

After watching the skinny teenager's battle, Gilmore had finally understood how the Swordsman was able to execute those deadly attacks that were able to slice off his opponent's limbs in an instant.

GIlmore was also a Swordsman. As a Prince of the Royal Family, he had been trained by only the best swordsmen of the land. Some even said that he was the next candidate in line to be able to bear the title "Sword Saint" when he grew up, but Gilmore knew that he was still far from achieving this prestigious title.

He might be arrogant, but he wasn't delusional. Gilmore knew that he was meant for greatness, but it would take him a long time before he could finally reach that peak where the Masters of the Worlds stood, looking down upon the mortal lands like Gods from their heavenly thrones.

"Are both of you ready?" Judge Dredd's question broke Gilmore out from his daze, as he refocused on the opponent in front of him.

"Yes," Gilmore replied, as he unsheathed the sword in his scabbard.

He knew that if he didn't take out his weapon now, he wouldn't have a chance later on.

The skinny teenager, on the other hand, nodded his head, signaling to their referee that he was ready to fight as well.

Judge Dredd nodded and raised both of his hands high in the air.

"Battle Start!"

As soon as the signal for the start of the battle was announced, Gilmore disappeared from where he stood and reappeared two meters away from the skinny Swordsman.

He had used the skill "Flash Step", which was similar to a blink ability that allowed Swordsmen like him to close the distance to deliver an attack against their opponent.

Gilmore's sword strike was like a blur that struck his opponent, but the skinny teenager was prepared to meet his attack as well.

A metallic ring reverberated inside the arena as two swords clashed against each other. Both Swordsmen had calm expressions on their faces as if they had already expected this outcome.

Gilmore knew that he couldn't distance himself from his opponent because his one-slice-attack was a long-ranged one. As long as he engaged him in close combat, the skinny teenager wouldn't be able to use the technique that had allowed him to progress this far in the tournament.

As they continued to exchange blows with each other, they got a better understanding of their opponent's abilities.

The audience roared and cheered for both fighters, despite the fact that they could only see two blurs moving around in the arena.

All the contestants were paying close attention to the battle, especially Lux, Nero, and the Boar, who stood beside the Half-Elf.

"Little Swordy is at a disadvantage against his opponent," the Boar commented. "If he can't gain enough distance to execute his attack, he will lose in a prolonged battle."

Lux continued to look at the battle with great focus. He didn't affirm or deny the Boar's words. The Half-Elf didn't know the skinny Swordsman enough to judge whether he could fight a prolonged battle or not.

All he knew was that a single mistake from either fighter would end this match in a heartbeat, and he was waiting for that small gap to better understand his future opponents.

Lux arched an eyebrow when he noticed something peculiar in the battle.

Whenever Gilmore executed a slash, the Half-Elf could see two slashes instead of one. The slashes happen in very quick successions, making him understand how deadly Gilmore's attack was.

It was like a hammer, hitting a nail twice. These attacks done in quick succession would greatly sap his opponent's stamina due to the power of two blows combined.

This was a passive skill that Gilmore had learned in Elysium which was called "Double Slash", allowing him to do double damage with a single slash.

However, the skinny Swordsman's counter to this ability was more interesting. After blocking Gilmore's attack for the first time, he would skid his sword downwards until it reached the handle of Gilmore's sword, before using the momentum to counterattack by moving his sword in a hacking motion, forcing his blade to descend on Gilmore's shoulder.

Whenever this happened, Gilmore would take a step to move to his right, in order to allow the blade to pass briefly by his side, dodging it completely.

A minute later, both of their swords started to shine, infusing their magical abilities to them, making them sharper and increasing the power of each blow they delivered.

Lux was also a Swordsman, but he had to admit that compared to the two fighters, his sword skills were mediocre. If he didn't have his crippling disability when he was young, he might have mastered the Kaizer Family's Sword Art, allowing him to stand toe to toe with the young Swordsmen of his generation whose way with the sword had surpassed most of their peers.

"Omnislash."

As soon as the name of this skill left Gilmore's lips, his body blurred which made the skinny Swordsman lose sight of him for a brief moment.

A second later, he felt a stinging pain in his back as Gilmore hacked him from behind. A moment later, another slash was delivered to his left shoulder.

If not for the fact that he had somehow managed to take a step back, Gilmore's sword strike might have severed his shoulder completely. Even so, a centimeter deep cut still ran down from his shoulder to his elbow, causing Keane to grit his teeth, as he blocked the consecutive attacks that followed afterward.

All in all, Gilmore delivered six attacks that were too fast, even for Keane to follow. Only his instincts as a Swordsman allowed him to barely block the third up to the sixth blow, avoiding serious injuries to his body.

When the blonde Swordsman finished delivering his devastating attack, he reappeared in front of Keane and delivered a sword thrust aimed on the skinny teenager's chest.

A metallic ringing sound spread throughout the surroundings as Keane's sword deflected Gilmore's attack, forcing the blade to pierce his left shoulder instead.

The blonde Swordsman was planning to deliver another deadly thrust but his instincts screamed at him to put some distance between them.

Gilmore immediately stepped to his right and backed away in a hurry.

A second later, a three-meter deep cut sliced the arena in half and made the Boar, who was watching from the stands, gasp in shock.

Gilmore, as well as the audience, stared at the Swordsman, who was standing straight and holding his sword in his right hand. Its tip was pointed at the ground, right where the deep cut started.

His left arm was a bloody mess, but his gaze was still as calm as the surface of the lake, untouched by the elements of the world.

For some reason, everyone looking at the skinny teenager felt as if his aura had changed. Right now, the presence that Keane was radiating was so sharp that everyone looking at him could feel their skin tingle.

Gilmore gave the deep cut on the ground a side-long glance before shifting his attention to his opponent. He had already known that his opponent was strong, but he never expected that the skinny swordsman's mastery of the sword to be able to cut the arena cleanly in half.

"So, you finally decided to get serious," Gilmore stated.

Keane shifted his attention to him as a bitter smile appeared on his face. He had done his best to hold back, but doing that against an opponent as strong as Gilmore was a stupid thing to do.

"I guess ending this battle peacefully was never an option," Keane replied. "I still have a long way to go before I reach my ideal."

Keane sighed in his heart as he pointed his sword towards his opponent.

'Forgive me, Master,' Keane thought as he prepared to fight with the Sword Skills that had been engraved in his body through constant training he had received his Master since he was young.

'It seems that I still have many things to learn about how the outside world works.' Keane mused as another sigh escaped his lips. "I need to find my version of peace, and in order to do that I must first sweep away the obstacles that block my way. That's right, I need to start with you first."

"You're being quite talkative for a duel to the death," Gilmore replied. "Didn't your Master ever tell you not to do that?"

The blonde Swordsman took a step and reappeared in front of Keane, who moved his sword to meet his attack as if he had predicted where GIlmore would strike him.

"You're right," Keane replied as he gazed at his opponent who was hell-bent on striking him down. "My Master taught me a lot of things, and one of them was… in the face of someone who wants you dead, Peace will never be an option. Since that is the case, I will no longer try to settle this matter peacefully."

Yes. He no longer wanted to settle this match peacefully. Since his opponent was someone who was determined to win, he could only answer his determination with his own, and teach him that even someone as peace-loving as him, knew how to draw his sword with the intent to kill.

 

Chapter 243 Peace Will Never Be An Option [Part 2]

Grand Void.

This was the sword skill that Keane's Master had perfected over the years.

The first form of this skill was called Splitting Trees. The moment that his thumb pushed the hilt of his sword up, and allowed his blade to peek out of its sheath, trees would be split apart in half.

The Second Form of this sword skill was called Splitting the Land.

When the blade left its sheath, a deep gash, that ran dozens of meters in length and several meters deep, would appear in the ground in front of him.

The Third Form was Splitting The River. With a single, quick slash, the raging water of the river would be cut in half, creating a passage that would allow anyone to traverse it.

The Fourth Form was Splitting a Hill, this attack would effectively slice a hill in half, in any way he'd like to have it cut.

These were the four Basic Forms of the Grand Void Sword Style. What followed next were the advance forms namely, Splitting the Clouds, Splitting the Mountains, Splitting the Sea, Splitting the Firmament, Splitting the World, and lastly, Splitting the Void.

Keane's Master could do all of these, which had allowed him to walk the lands unhindered, even though he was only a High-Ranker and not a Saint.

His Master had also earned a title among the High-Rankers. His peers called him "The Void", out of respect and fear for his insane sword skills.

When this powerful individual chose Keane to become his disciple, he was amazed because not only was the boy a genius in the way of the sword, he was also capable of analyzing any sword art and fusing it to his own.

Keane had even formed his own sword style which he called "Universal Peace."

Keane said, with as much seriousness as a seventeen-year-old could muster, that the moment he perfected this Sword Style, a Universal Peace would fall upon the world.

Keane's Master had no doubt that his disciple would surpass him in the future. A part of him was even looking forward to the completion of this Sword Style, which would usher in a new era of peace upon the territories that were under Keane's protection.

"Let me give you a warning," Gilmore said. "My sword has the chaotic attribute. I know that you are now feeling its effects, which dampens the circulation of your mana and blood flow. Even though it's not life threatening, it can still put you out of commission for several months if you have a weak constitution.

"So, if you plan to go all out, now is the right time for it. In a few minutes, I will assure you that you will be unable to raise that sword that you wield in your dominant hand."

In all honesty, Gilmore didn't have any obligation to tell Keane one of the attributes of his Pseudo-Legendary Weapon. The reason he told his opponent this was because he had recognized Keane as a Master Swordsman.

,m As someone who was also treading the path to become a Sword Saint, Gilmore didn't want his opponent to think that he used dirty tactics to win against him. A sword was just a sword. It was a means to an end, and it was a weapon bestowed upon him by his father, the King, on his eighteen birthday, as recognition of his strength and abilities.

"Thank you," Keane replied. "I will also give you fair warning. I am going to get serious. I will apologize in advance if I accidentally kill you."

Gilmore smiled and nodded his head. He knew that Keane wasn't lying. This was another reason why he recognized him as an opponent that he wanted to defeat using all of his might.

Keane's vision was starting to become blurry because of the chaotic mana flow and blood flow that was rampaging over his body. He was hurting all over, and he understood that he needed to end the battle in one swift strike that would defeat the strong opponent in front of him.

The skinny teenager returned his sword inside its sheathe in a quick, and elegant manner, like he had done countless times in the past. His aura surged around his body, making the ground under his feet shatter, causing dirt, and rocks to rise upwards.

Gilbert held his sword with both of his hands and took a striking pose. He also unleashed his aura and prepared for one last strike that would end this battle.

The blonde Swordsman's sword style was called the Azure Sky Sword Style. It was a sword style that relied on quick and deadly attacks to end his opponent. Seeing that his opponent wanted to end the battle with his finishing move, Gilmore decided to pit his own finishing move against Keane's, to prove to himself that he was stronger than him.

The audience quieted down as tension filled the air. No one dared to disturb the two fighters who were about to end the battle any moment from now.

Even the chatty boar had closed its lips as it focused its eyes on the skinny Swordsman, whom it called Little Swordy.

Judge Dredd, Bruno, as well as the other Rankers and High-Rankers in the Coliseum watched with great interest for the final outcome of the battle between two peak Swordsmen of the young generation.

Lux took out a coin from his pocket and flicked it towards the arena. For some reason, he felt like the two swordsmen were waiting for a signal to unleash their attacks at the same time, so he decided to be the one to give them what they wanted.

As soon as the coin fell on the ground, Keane unsheathed his sword, while Gilmore slashed down.

"Brilliance!"

"Spectral Slash!"

The moment these two attacks were unleashed, the entire arena was covered in a blinding light, forcing those whose Ranks weren't high enough to see through the radiance to cover their eyes.

The Boar and Lux reluctantly covered their eyes because the brilliance was too piercing, even for them. Both of them felt that if they continued to look, even a moment longer, a sword would stab their eyes and make them go blind due to how sharp and powerful the two attacks were.

When the light receded, only one young man stood in the arena, while the other was on the ground, lying in a pool of blood.

With a silent victorious roar, the young man raised his sword towards the heavens, as if declaring his victory.

On that day, two swordsmen fought, and only one emerged as the winner. It was a battle that would be remembered as one of the greatest highlights of the Lionheart Tournament for many years to come.

 

Chapter 244 Easy Peasy

Judge Dredd approached the young man who had raised his sword towards the heavens to declare his victory.

"Winner! Keane!"

Cheers rang out from the stadium while the skinny young man released a deep sigh before collapsing in Judge Dredd's arms.

The Clerics who were waiting at the scene immediately rushed to treat the two Swordsmen who had awed everyone with their superb swordsmanship.

Even those who thought badly of the Four Kings didn't say anything bad towards Gilmore, who laid unconscious on the ground. He had fought wonderfully as one of the strongest members of the young generation, and no one would fault him for losing in such an amazing match.

"I'm so proud," the Boar wiped the tears in its eyes. "I was the one who raised Little Swordy since he was young. This fight makes me very satisfied as a parent."

The contestants who heard the shameless Boar's statements couldn't stop their lips from twitching. Clearly, someone was taking credit for something it obviously didn't do, making everyone who heard it despise the Boar, who claimed that it was the one who raised the Mysterious Swordsman, who had successfully become one of the Elite Four that would enter the Semifinals.

Today was the last day of the intra-division battles, and whoever won their matches today would immediately advance to the Semifinals.

"My match is next," the Boar said in an arrogant tone. "Watch me win this match easy peasy."

"I will light a candle for you and put a flower on your grave," Lux replied as he watched the Boar walk down the platform that led towards the arena.

The Boar didn't even bother to turn its head because it didn't want to hear any bullsh*t before its match.

The audience laughed when they saw the Boar coming up on the stage. In truth, none of the audience expected this creature to advance to the Final Division Battle due to its lackluster performance.

Its opponent was one of the Five Overlords, but it looked at its adversary fearlessly with the "Never Say Die, and Never Surrender" expression on its face.

Judge Dredd glanced at the two fighters, and asked them if both of them were ready.

"I was born ready!" the Boar declared as it arrogantly raised its snout towards the sky.

Judge Dredd nodded his head before looking at the Boar's opponent.

"How about you?" Judge Dredd inquired. "Are you ready?"

"I concede this match," the young man who had several tattoos plastered on his body said with a firm and steady voice.

The audience, who was waiting for a good fight, thought that they were mishearing things. This match was important since the winner would immediately become one of the Elite Four, yet one of the Five Overlords, who was one of the seeded participants, conceded to the Boar, who was clearly no match for him.

"Um, are you sure?" Judge Dredd asked just to be sure. "Since the fight hasn't started, you can still change your mind."

"I will not change my mind," the young man replied. "I will concede this match."

Without another word, the young man turned around and left, leaving a dumbfounded Judge Dredd behind.

The Boar, who had just won its match because its opponent conceded, sighed.

"He understood that he didn't stand a chance against me, so he decided to concede as soon as he could," the Boar said with a smug look on his face. "Such an admirable warrior. I'm sure that the heavens will bless him. Um, referee… can you declare my win now? I mean, there are still other matches, right? I don't want to get blamed by delaying their fights…"

Judge Dredd glanced at the Boar before shifting his gaze at Bruno who was seated in the Supervisor's seat of honor.

Bruno could only shrug, which meant that he didn't see anything wrong with the fighter's decision to concede.

"The winner for this match is Cai!" Judge Dredd announced, making the Boar walk out of the arena with its snout raised high.

Lux, who was standing on the platform with the other contestants, was just as confused as everyone else. He didn't know why one of the Five Overlords would forfeit his match against the annoying Boar, whose only redeeming points were its appetite and chatty mouth.

A few minutes later, the said Boar returned to the viewing platform with a smug expression on its face.

"Maaaaan, I told you I would win my match easy peasy," the Boar bragged as soon as it stood beside Lux. "I'm so amazing, right?"

"Right," Lux replied as he glanced at the chubby boar, who was humming happily beside him. "Did you bribe your opponent? Did you threaten his family? What kind of black magic did you use against him?"

All the contestants' ears perked up after hearing Lux's questions. They also felt that the outcome of the match was very suspicious, so they decided to eavesdrop on the two chubby comrades who were seen together all the time.

"Bribe? Threatened? Used Dark Magic?" the Boar asked with disdain. "Do you really think I'm that rich, intimidating, and magically blessed to make my opponent concede without even fighting me? Just who do you think I am?"

"A thick-headed, shameless pig, who only knows how to eat pork dishes."

"Absolute slander. Isn't that cannibalism? Hey, I'm a vegetarian. I only eat healthy foods like vegetables and potatoes. Clearly, my opponent knew that I was superior to him, so instead of being hurt and humiliated by me, he decided to cut his losses short and admit defeat. This is a very noble thing to do, and I can understand his hesitation to fight me. I mean, I'm that awesome, you know?"

Lux rolled his eyes at the shameless braggart beside him and just focused his attention on the next match.

It was Nero's turn to fight, and Lux had always been interested in seeing how his rival fought, so he could observe his fighting styles and abilities.

'He is going to fight the last King that belongs to their group of elites,' Lux thought. 'I hope that I will see some of his trump cards before we clash in the Semifinals.'

Lux firmly believed that Nero would not lose his match, even if he was fighting against one of the Kings of the younger generation. That was how highly the Half-Elf thought of his opponent, who had looked down on him ever since they had gotten to know each other.

As if waiting for that moment, Nero entered the arena, bathing in the cheers of the people that had come to watch him fight.

His walk was calm and steady, and he was radiating a confident aura from his body. Clearly, he was sure that he would emerge victorious from this battle. After stepping to the center of the arena, he raised his head to look at the platform where Iris was currently seated.

He didn't say anything and simply stared in the young lady's direction for half a minute before shifting his gaze to his opponent who had entered the arena.

The brown-haired boy who had come from a commoner's household now stood on the greatest stage meant for the strongest individuals in the six kingdoms. This was the thing that he had strived for the past few years of his life so, now that he was here, he had no intention of letting others take the spotlight.

"Showoff," Lux muttered as he narrowed his eyes on the young man, who was trying to score brownie points with his step-sister, who only had eyes for her step-brother.

Lux knew that no matter what happened, he must win against the young man who now had everyone's attention.

He would fight and win not only for the blue-haired beauty whom he cared deeply for, but also for his past self, who had long longed to stand on the same stage as the brown-haired young man that stood before him.

 

Chapter 245 Overlord Versus King

Nero looked at the young man with curly dark-brown hair and green eyes, who was also looking at him with a calm expression.

He was none other than the last King of the younger generation, Ackley, who was proficient in using the Earth Element.

Just like Gilmore, he was also a member of a Royal Family that belonged to one of the Six Kingdoms that supported Barbatos Academy.

"The moment I saw your name on the list in my Division, I knew that the two of us would meet in the final match," Ackley said.

"I had the same thought," Nero replied. "I knew that you would be my last opponent before I stepped into the Semifinals."

"You're that confident in winning, eh?"

"But of course."

Ackley smiled because he had known Nero for a very long time. He knew that the young man in front of him had the qualifications to be arrogant, even if he was up against a Prince from one of the Six Kingdoms.

"Well, then, I hope you will give me a good fight," Ackley stated.

Nero didn't reply and only smirked. Words no longer mattered, and only their fists would do the talking.

Judge Dredd, who was officiating the match, glanced at the two fighters who seemed to have finished their little chat.

"Are both of you ready?" Judge Dredd asked.

"Yes."

"I am."

Judge Dredd nodded and raised his arms. "Battle Start!"

Ackley stomped his right foot on the ground and immediately, his entire body was covered in a rocky armor that increased his defense many fold.

Nero, on the other hand, slammed his fists together, creating a powerful spark that enveloped his entire body. A moment later, a silver-blue armor set with tendrils of lightning crawling all over its surface could be seen on his body.

Ackley stomped the ground a second time and several rocks, the size of an adult's head, flew towards Nero.

Judge Dredd, who was watching the match from the side, sighed internally.

'Why do you kids always have to destroy the arena? Don't you know how much it costs to always repair it every time your battles are over?'

In the earlier match, the Earth Mages had to work together in order to fix the stage that had been cut in half by Keane's sword slash. Fortunately, the cut was quite clean, so the mages only needed to fill the gap with Earth Magic, and reinforce it several times, before it got Bruno's, who was the final decision maker of the matches, approval to be used again.

Despite Judge Dredd woes, his gaze was still fixed on the two fighters who were fighting inside the arena.

Nero was moving around, evading Ackley's attacks, while the latter stood firmly in place, unleashing a barrage of Earth Magic at his opponent.

Several lightning bolts descended upon the Earth Magician, but the latter only summoned rocky pillars to block the barrage of long-ranged attacks that Nero was hurling at him.

"Earth has very strong defensive properties, while Lightning has a very strong offensive power," Lux muttered. 'Right now, Ackley has the advantage, but his attacks aren't able to touch Nero due to his quick movements.'

Nero tried several times to get close to Ackley, but whenever he did, several three-meter Earth Spikes would shoot up from the ground, stopping him in his tracks.

Glancing at his surroundings, Nero started to increase his speed, going around Ackley and trying to look for his blindspot.

Ackley knew what Nero was doing, so he decided to use one of his Trump Cards called "One with the Earth".

The young man that was covered with rocky armor merged with the arena until he disappeared completely. At that exact moment, a giant hand made up of rock materialized in the air and swatted down on Nero from his blindspot.

As if sensing the attack behind his back, Nero cloaked himself with lightning and shot towards the sky like an arrow in flight, completely evading the giant hand behind him.

Nero hovered dozens of meters above the ground and raised both of his arms. Dark clouds appeared and blocked the clear, blue sky from view. Clearly, he had summoned a lightning cloud to aid him in his battle.

The High-Rankers, who were observing the battle, frowned when they realized that the lightning they saw flashing amidst the dark clouds was black. This was no ordinary lightning, and those who had seen it in the past looked at Nero with a nod of satisfaction.

A moment later, a loud thunder clap reverberated in the surroundings before several black lightning bolts descended upon Nero's body.

"Abyss Lightning Bolt!" Nero roared and a giant black lightning bolt descended on one specific point in the arena.

A few seconds later, Ackley emerged from the ground. With a glance, everyone could tell that parts of his armor were destroyed, and his left shoulder had a big, black burn mark on it.

The smell of burning flesh reached Judge Dredd's senses, making him frown.

'Abyss Lightning from the Abyss Monsters,' Judge Dredd thought. 'That is one nasty ability.'

Most Abyss skills could penetrate through the hardest defenses and deal significant damage to their foes. While Nero's black lightning bolt could bypass any defensive abilities, the damage that it could deal to its target would be reduced by half.

Even so, he could easily rain black lightning bolts on his opponent until they were burned to a crisp with his long-ranged attacks.

Lux, who had experienced how strong Abyssal Monsters were, now had a serious expression on his face. Since Nero had acquired this Abyssal ability, it also meant that he had fought against one of them.

The Half-Elf was right in his assumption. During one of Nero's expeditions, he had stumbled upon a Rank 4 Abyssal Creature who specialized in casting long-ranged lightning bolts.

After much hardship, his guild managed to defeat it and acquire its Beast Core, which was prized for the amazing skills that one could acquire from them.

Since Nero was the Guild Master, he was able to get the Beast Core without too much resistance from his guild mates, allowing him to learn the skill, Black Lightning, which complimented his other lightning based attacks.

Lux observed the battle with a critical eye and paid extra attention to the intervals at which Nero could fire his lightning bolts consecutively. He was looking for any kind of loophole that he could exploit, but after five minutes of observation, he wasn't able to see anything that he could use to his advantage.

After the match had dragged out for another twenty minutes, Ackley finally surrendered after being repeatedly attacked by the Black Lightning, which rendered his defense useless.

Nero landed on the ground and gave a salute towards Iris' VIP platform before leaving the arena.

The crowd cheered and applauded the winner of the battle, and some of the girls even giggled after seeing the good-looking-teenager's performance of saluting the young lady, who was hugging the handsome Half-Elf beside her.

In terms of looks, Lux was clearly superior, but when it came to fighting prowess, Nero reigned supreme. At least, this was what Alicia thought as she glanced in the chubby boy's direction, who was going to fight in the arena next.

Keane, Cai, and Nero, had now entered the Semifinals.

Only one spot remained, and Lux would be able to claim that last spot, only if he won his match against the last of the Five Overlords, who was said to be as strong as Nero.

 

Chapter 246 Deadly Beauty [Part 1]

Lux gazed at the blue-haired teenager who was not as handsome as him.

Although he was fairly good looking, the Half-Elf felt that his opponent was a bit of a narcissist because he kept on admiring himself in the mirror, while combing his hair in the middle of the arena.

"Um, can we start?" Judge Dredd asked the blue-haired teenager with an impatient look on his face.

"Just another minute," the blue-haired teenager said with a smile. "I'm almost done."

Judge Dredd sighed, as he gave Lux a glance. The blue-haired teenager had been combing his hair for five minutes, and some of the people were starting to get impatient because of this.

Lux only shrugged after seeing Judge Dredd's gaze, which meant that he didn't mind even if his opponent took a little longer to prepare his hair before they started to fight.

Vallaki Meitar, Vall for short.

This was the name of Lux's opponent, and one of the Five Overlords. He had seen his battle once, and Lux assumed that Vall's battlestyle was somewhat similar to his Grandma Vera's.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Vall said as he faced Lux with a confident smile on his face. "We can start the battle now."

Lux nodded, and Judge Dredd raised both of his hands to declare the start of the battle.

"Battle Start!"

When the order for the battle started, Lux summoned his two golems, Orion and another Rock Golem, at the same time.

A moment later, the second Rock Golem charged at Vall, while Orion pressed his hand over the arena to make the ground shake fiercely.

Vall calmly observed this as if he was just a spectator and not a contestant fighting inside the arena.

Even though the arena was shaking badly, he remained standing as if his feet had been nailed on the ground, preventing him from losing his balance.

When the Golem was only a few meters away from him, Vall waved his hand and the Rock Golem came to a complete halt.

Silver strings had wrapped around the Golem's body, restricting its movements and preventing it from moving.

"Ugly things are not worth my time," Vall declared. A moment later he made a cutting motion with his right hand, and the Rock Golem was sliced up into dozens of pieces by the silver strings that were as sharp as adamantium swords.

Vall then smirked before running towards Lux and Orion, who was still manipulating the arena to make it shake.

As if he was skating on ice, Vall traversed the arena with ease, waving his hands fluidly and elegantly, like a maestro directing an orchestra to play a masterpiece.

"I have been paying close attention to you, My Daddy," Vall said as he circled around Lux and Orion with a smile plastered on his handsome face. "Even after displaying several powerful abilities, I have a feeling that you still have many aces under your sleeve. Care to show them to me?"

Lux didn't answer, and ordered Orion to smash his fist on the arena, causing Earth Spikes to jut out of the ground, forcing Vall to distance himself from them.

"How rude, I was just asking questions," Vall commented in a teasing tone. "No matter. I will see it for myself, isn't that right, Mr. Orion?"

Lux, who was paying close attention to Vall's movements, suddenly jumped to his right side and rolled on the ground.

A second later, a loud smashing sound reached his ears, as his Named Creature, Orion, tried to smash him with his fist.

Before Lux could even take a breather, the Rock Golem roared as it tried to stop himself from attacking his Master, but his body wasn't cooperating with him.

"Nice set of skills you have here, Mr. Orion," Vall stated. "Now, let him have a taste of your Gaia Smash!"

,m Orion jumped into the air and prepared to unleash his strongest attack on his own Master, who was looking at the blue-haired teenager with a serious expression on his face.

When the Rock Golem's fist was about to hit the chubby teenager, he instantly vanished in the air as he was forcefully unsummoned by his Master.

Now that the Rock Golem was gone, Vall could no longer manipulate anything to attack Lux, or so he thought.

Without any warning, Lux's right hand moved by itself and punched his face, making him grimace in pain.

Vall chuckled as he waved his arms left and right, controlling Lux's left and right hands as he manipulated them to continuously punch their own body's face.

"How does it feel to get punched by your own two hands?" Vall inquired as he continued to manipulate Lux to give himself a beating. "Are you enjoying it?"

Lux didn't answer, instead he kept on punching himself repeatedly, making Vall chuckle in amusement.

However, the smile on Vall's face disappeared when he felt that something was amiss. Lux just kept on punching himself repeatedly, and yet, the latter hadn't uttered a single word since the battle had started.

Vall's ability was to conjure strings. He could extend them for several miles, and use them to shred, slice, hack, bind, and even manipulate his opponents as long as the right conditions were met.

Even Nero was very wary of Vall's ability because once he started to infuse his mana into his strings, they turned invisible, preventing anyone from seeing them.

One could even say that Vall was every Summoner's, or Beast Tamer's, nightmare. Once he had attached his strings to their creatures, their Masters could only helplessly watch as their own creatures would attack them without any mercy.

It was at that moment when a rocky hand grabbed Vall's leg from the ground and held it in a vice grip.

The blue-haired teenager didn't panic and simply waved his hand in a slicing motion, cutting off the rocky arm with the strings in his hands.

A second later, he felt himself moving uncontrollably towards his right, where Orion had materialized.

The Rock Golem had used its taunting skill, Duel [EX], to force Vall to exchange a blow with him. Naturally, the Rock Golem planned to use one of his strongest attacks, and it was none other than the Jackhammer, that could easily smash giant boulders with ease.

"Impertinent creature!" Vall shouted as he made a crisscrossing gesture with his hands.

Orion's hand was cut off from its body, preventing it from dealing a devastating blow to his opponent. But, before Vall could even celebrate, the hair on the back of his neck stood on end as a powerful Dragon Breath collided with his back, which slammed him against the barrier of the arena and held him there until the duration of the attack ended.

Lux emerged from the ground, with smoke rising up from his mouth. He had timed his attack perfectly, hoping that it would put an end to his opponent, but it was not enough to defeat the blue-haired teenager, who had wrapped his body with the silky threads that were as tough as the strongest armors.

"You almost got me there, chubby boy," Vall said as he wiped away the blood that had seeped out of the corner of his lips. "Good thing, I prepared my String Armor just for you."

The smell of strings burning permeated the arena, as Vall endured the pain on his back. Although he had survived Lux's sneak attack from behind, the armor that he had weaved a day ago was burned to a crisp.

Fortunately for him, he was also wearing additional armor that mitigated most of the damage he received from Lux's Dragon Breath.

"I see, so that one is only a clone," Vall commented as he looked at the clone that was still punching its face left and right. "Well played. But, you have wasted your only opportunity to defeat me."

Vall raised both of his hands, and the entire arena was covered in a dome made of strings that looked just like a spiderweb.

The handsome teenager's face started to contort before his entire body was wrapped up in a silver cocoon.

A few seconds later, the cocoon broke apart and a giant, Alpha-Ranked Elegant Golden Jumping Spider, appeared in front of Lux.

The three-meter tall Alpha Spider emitted an ear-piercing shriek which showed how much the chubby teenager had infuriated it.

The handsome-blue haired teenager was gone, and what had replaced him was a monstrosity, which would give anyone a nightmare the moment they laid their eyes on it.

Vallaki Meitar.

One of the Five Overlords, and was said to be just as strong as Nero, had finally shown his true colors.

The Boar, who was watching from the platform, shuddered as it looked at the colorful, yet deadly, Jumping Spider, which was a Rank 4 Alpha Monster.

It was a creature that had long been recognized as something that a Grade A Apostle couldn't possibly fight on his own.

Nero, who was watching from the contestants platform, sneered as he looked at the chubby teenager who was facing death directly in the face.

The brown-haired boy admitted that if he was the one fighting Vall, he would have no choice but to use everything in his power to beat him in his spider form.

'You should have defeated him while you still had the chance,' Nero chuckled internally as he looked at the giant Jumping Spider encircling the chubby boy, while spewing silky spider threads in the surroundings.

He knew that unless Lux had a way to overpower his opponent, his chances of beating Vall once he completed his Slaughter Domain was as good as zero.

That was how powerful Vall was in his Beast Form, and even the Kings of the Younger Generation, didn't want to mess with him and left the narcissistic, and handsome, blue-haired teenager alone.

 

Chapter 247 Deadly Beauty [Part 2]

After getting hit by Lux's Dragon Breath, Vall immediately took on his Arachnid Form in order to recover faster from the injuries that he had received.

The Half-Elf gazed at his opponent with a serious expression on his face, somewhat regretting turning off the effect of his newly acquired skill, Abyss Touch.

As much as possible, Lux didn't want to kill anyone in the tournament, so he hesitated using strong attacks like Dragon Breath, while under the effect of Abyss Touch.

If this ability of his had been active, there was a high chance that Vall would suffer grievous injuries or, in the worst case scenario, die due to his last attack.

'I guess it's time to get serious as well,' Lux thought.

Immediately, Lux's body was covered from head to foot with dark-green armor. It was none other than the Favonius Legacy, which had been bestowed upon him by Cedwyn before he left Leaf Village.

—--

< Favonius Legacy, The Heirloom of the West >

(Degraded Pseudo-Demigod Armor)

Rarity: Mythical (Degraded)

Requirements: Must gain the recognition of Favonius' Will.

– This armor was once worn by a Saint. However, due to the passing of hundreds of years, the armor has degraded to the Mythical Rank.

– After its rank degraded, the stats of this armor also degraded. In order to restore the armor to its former glory, you will need the help of a Saint-Ranked Blacksmith.

– Only those that had been recognized by the will of Favonius can wield this armor set.

– This armor is Soulbound to Lux Von Kaizer.

– This armor can be worn by any Creature under your command.

+20 to all stats

+300 to Defense.

– 50% Resistant to Wind Element

– While this armor is equipped, the wearer will gain the ability to fly.

– While this armor is equipped, the wearer will gain the ability to use the skill "Sky-High Rush".

– While this armor is equipped, the wearer will gain the ability to use the skill "Gale Storm."

Active Skills: Razor Wind, Acceleration Charge.

p Passive Skills: Levitation, Auto Fit

Title: Favored by the Wind.

—-

< Razor Wind >

(10 Mana)

– Send razor-sharp wind blades at your target that deals +100 Wind Elemental Damage.

—----

< Acceleration Charge >

– Increase flying speed by 100%

—----

< Levitation >

– The wearer of this armor can hover up to two meters above the ground.

– This passive skill can be turned on and off.

—----

< Favored by the Wind >

– The effect of Wind Elemental Damage, or skills, will increase by 20%

– Thrice a day, you may cast the skill, Healing Wind.

—----

< Healing Wind >

– Restores 20% of the Maximum Health Points of everyone that is within a two-hundred meter radius of the wearer of this armor.

—--

'This is not enough,' Lux thought as he turned on his passive skill, Tempest Fury, that he had disabled before the start of the battle.

—---

< Tempest Fury >

(Can be switched On and Off at any given time)

– Any weapon that the user wields will be enchanted by the wind element, making it sharper, and able to deal additional Wind Elemental Damage.

– This Skill is applied to unarmed combat as well. Punches and kicks will be imbued by the power of wind, and deal additional Wind Elemental Damage.

– This Skill is also applied to ranged attacks, including arrows, throwing knives, throwing axes, darts, or any projectile weapons that the user wields.

– Adds +100 Wind Elemental Damage to all attacks by the user.

—--

A gust of wind blew around Lux's body as invisible threads of wind swirled around his arms and legs.

The High-Rankers amongst the audience in the coliseum could faintly see something similar to small tornadoes swirling around Lux's arms and legs,

This passive skill was a perfect pair with the Favonius Legacy Set because anything with the Wind Element was empowered by the Mythical Armor.

The Boar, Nero, as well as the other contestants, looked at the chubby boy's armor that they were seeing for the first time.

"So, you still have a few tricks under your sleeves," Nero muttered. "But will that be enough against your opponent? I highly doubt it."

Vall, who was paying close attention to Lux's movements, was unfazed by his armor. Although he could tell that it wasn't something simple, he firmly believed that no one could overpower him inside the arena as long as he was in his Arachnid Form.

The Giant Jumping Spider then began to jump around the Arena, as it weaved a silky web of death around the chubby teenager who had dared to hurt him earlier.

The near-invisible threads criss-crossed against each other before descending upon Lux. Seeing that his opponent was hell-bent on cutting him into ribbons, he hastily levitated above the ground, barely evading them by a hair's breadth.

The razor-sharp threads then sliced up the ground around the chubby teenager, turning it into cubes, making those who saw it gasp in shock.

"Acceleration Charge," Lux stated and his flying speed increased, allowing him to evade the countless silky threads that were being weaved around him by the Jumping Spider, whose movements had also increased dramatically.

Left with no choice, Lux flew towards the sky in the hope to evade Vall's dogged attacks.

Suddenly, Lux felt something tug at his foot, preventing him from flying higher.

When one of Vall's silky threads managed to grab hold of the chubby boy's foot, he used this opportunity to drag the other party back towards the ground with a vengeance.

"Razor Wind!" Lux made a slashing motion with his hand, and a wind blade cut off the thread that bound his leg, allowing him to break free from Vall's hold.

After distancing himself from his opponent, Lux was planning to unleash a barrage of Wind Blades towards the persistent spider when he noticed something bizarre.

The Jumping Spider was jumping in the air, using the silky threads as a means to propel himself higher. Clearly, he didn't want to let Lux have the advantage in aerial combat. Vall lunged at Lux with his jaws open wide.

His movement was almost like a blur, but thanks to the power of the Wind Element, Lux was able to predict where Vall was going to hit him, so he managed to evade the attack just in time.

Unknown to him, this was part of Vall's plan in order to gain a higher altitude than Lux so he could initiate one of his Trump Cards.

After emitting another ear-piercing shriek, the Giant Spider unleashed a torrent of silver threads, encapsulating the entirety of the arena in a dome-like structure. This special ability was something that Vall used to permanently trap his opponent, so he could slowly whittle them to death.

Only people who had stepped into the Initiate Rank could break past the deadly dome that he just created. The threads covering the entire arena were more than capable of slicing anything that went through it like knife cutting through butter.

Vall stood at the very top of the spider's web, while looking down on the chubby, flying insect, who was doing his best to not get tangled up in his spider webs.

Nero, who was watching Lux's futile struggle, laughed in his heart, knowing that this was the same move that almost defeated him when he fought against Vall several months ago because of a conflict in Elysium.

The only reason he managed to escape was due to his inherent lightning abilities that allowed him to flee the moment he realized that he was about to be put inside a silky cage, whose owner was known for his narcissistic and sadistic tendencies.

As the minutes ticked by, Lux finally understood that the more he delayed the battle, the thicker the cage became. Right now, the audience was having a hard time seeing what was happening inside the arena because of the thick webs that blocked their view.

'Fine, since you are so adamant on going all out, I'll do the same,' Lux thought as he stood at the center of the arena.

A faint crackling sound spread in the arena as Lux activated the skill, Abyss Touch [EX].

Since his opponent was doing its best to keep him inside the cage, then he would just attack the cage and its Master at the same time with one of the most deadly attacks in his arsenal infused with the Abyss Touch skill.

"Dragon War Art Ninth Form!" Lux roared as an image of a Red Dragon appeared above him. "Draco-Meteor!"

 

Chapter 248 Deadly Beauty [Part 3]

"Dragon War Art Ninth Form!" Lux roared as an image of a Red Dragon appeared above him. "Draco-Meteor!"

The Giant Spider, that was resting on the top of the Spider Web, felt the hairs on its entire body stand on end. A moment later, several fireballs materialized from above, then descended upon its silky home.

The moment the fireballs made contact with the spider threads, they were immediately ignited, and the red flames started to spread like wildfire.

A pain-filled shriek reverberated in the arena as the flames reached the Giant Spider's Body, breaking past its defenses, and burning it from within.

The smell of burning flesh and threads reached everyone's nose, as thick smoke spread across the coliseum, covering everyone's sight.

Alexander, who was standing at the highest seat of honor, stood up and waved his hand.

Immediately, the smoke dispersed, and everyone was able to see the giant spider, whose entire body was burning like crazy. Its shriek, which was filled with pain, anger, frustration, and unwillingness, was like music to Lux's ears.

The flames that were burning its body, as well as its spider web, were made up of flames infused with the power of the Abyss Touch. After a minute, its giant body crashed down to the ground like a burning meteor.

Judge Dredd and Bruno, who were the official judges of the battle, immediately appeared in the arena and extinguished the flames on the Giant Spider's body.

"Medics!" Bruno shouted. "Emergency Aid, now!"

As if finally broken out of their daze, the Clerics, as well as the other healers of Barbatos Academy, rushed towards the arena and simultaneously cast their healing spells on the twitching spider, who seemed to be just a step away from going to the afterlife.

Lux, who was responsible for this scene, could feel the beads of sweat that were forming on his forehead. He didn't expect the Giant Jumping Spider, who was as strong as an Rank 4 Alpha Monster, to almost turn into a barbecued spider, after receiving one of Lux's strongest Draconic Attacks.

'The Abyss Touch is something that I should use in moderation,' Lux thought as he stared at the spider who was being treated by all the Clerics and Life Mages that belonged to Barbatos Academy.

Judge Dredd and Bruno glanced at each other before shifting their gaze at the chubby teenager who was still covered in his dark-green armor.

Neither of them could believe that someone had been able to deal this much damage against Vall who clearly had the advantage in the match. As High-Rankers, they were familiar with the skill, Dragon Meteor, because it was an ability that Elder Dragons, especially Red Dragons, used whenever powerful trespassers entered their Domain.

'Is he a Dragonborn?' Judge Dredd asked Bruno using an artifact that allowed them to talk via telepathy.

'I don't know, but whoever he is, he will definitely be in everyone's crosshairs from this moment onwards,' Bruno replied. 'Dredd, it is time to announce the winner of this match.'

Judge Dredd nodded and walked towards Lux who was standing not far from them.

"Winner! My Daddy!"

Right after Judge Dredd announced the winner of the battle, the audience stood from their seats and applauded with all of their might. Their resounding cheers descended upon the arena, causing Lux to break out from his daze.

"""My Daddy!"""

"""My Daddy!"""

"""My Daddy!"""

"""My Daddy!"""

The audience chanted Lux's alias repeatedly, making Iris and Eiko, who was currently imitating the Half-Elf, join the chant as well.

The Boar's eyes sparkled as it looked at the chubby teenger on the arena. In truth, it had decided that Lux had lost the moment the entire stadium was covered with spider threads.

It didn't expect that those same spider threads that had trapped its friend would only serve as the fuel to barbecue the Giant Spider, who had now reverted to his original form.

The Clerics immediately carried the unconscious, and naked boy, who had suddenly turned bald after being exposed to the searing flames that burned his entire body, away from the arena.

Nero, who was watching this scene, clicked his tongue in annoyance. Just like the boar, he had also labeled Lux as the loser of the match. However, beyond his wildest dreams, the latter was able to reverse the situation to his advantage and win the battle, advancing to the Semi-Finals.

'No matter,' Nero thought as he gave Lux one last glance before leaving the arena. 'I will crush anyone that gets in my way. The champion of this tournament will be no one but me.'

—---

Half an hour after Lux's victory in the arena…

"You didn't disappoint my faith in you," the Boar said as it patted Lux's waist. "It didn't cross my mind for even a second that you would lose the match. As a member of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, the three of us did well."

"How many times must I tell you that I am not a member of your League of Extraordinary Gentlemen," Lux retorted as he walked towards the restaurant to have an early dinner.

"What are you talking about? We're friends, right? Since we're buddies, it is only natural that you are now part of my organization."

"What kind of logic is that? I have human rights, you know?"

The Boar chuckled, walking beside Lux as if it was the latter's best friend. The other contestants that were in the hallway, stepped aside to allow the two of them to pass.

Although it didn't look strong, the Boar had still managed to become one of the Elite 4, who would fight in the Semi-Finals.

Nero, Keane, Cai, and My Daddy.

These four individuals were now hailed as the four strongest members of the young generation, whose prestige now exceeded the previous Four Kings, and Five Overlords.

In Solais, the strong were revered, while the losers were forgotten. Such was the way of the world, and now, these four individuals were now under heavy scrutiny by the high-ranking officials, nobles, and ruling families of the Six Kingdoms that supported Barbatos Academy.

"Too bad, Little Swordy is still unconscious," the Boar stated. "Otherwise, the three of us could celebrate together."

Lux had given up on trying to break free from the Boar who wouldn't stop acting chummy with him. He understood that this was its personality and the more someone tried to push it away, the more it would stick to that person like glue.

Since that was the case, he no longer bothered and accepted its chatty company.

"Fortunately, we have been given a one-day break to recover," the Boar said as it sat on the ground, while Lux sat on a chair. "I hope that he wakes up after a day. I'd hate it if he ended up sleeping until the Final Round."

"You should worry about yourself," Lux stated. "Tomorrow, we will be drawing ballots. You already know that, regardless of who your opponent will be, you're not their match, right?"

"Huh? You're looking down on me?" the Boar asked as it tapped the top of the table with its hoof. "You really think I'm a pushover, huh? Just you wait. Make sure to pray that I will not be your opponent in your next match, or else you will understand how to spell the word Defeat."

"... Just where are you getting your confidence from?"

"Hehehe. That's a trade secret. Only members of my Secret Organization are able to learn this secret skill of mine."

Lux scoffed at the thick-skinned boar, who had called for a waitress and ordered pork chops and baby back ribs. It was planning to order more, but it stopped after receiving Lux's glare.

"I'm not going to pay for your meals like last time, okay?" Lux said. "If you Dine and Dash again, I will come find you and beat you up."

"... Um, Waitress, you can forget my order of extra fries, and chicken nuggets," the Boar stated. "Just pork chops and baby back ribs will do."

The waitresses had already gotten used to the Boar's tendency to order meat dishes, especially pork, whenever it was in the restaurant.

"Understood," the Waitress replied. "How about you, Sir?"

Lux was about to tell the waitress his order when his gaze landed on Nero, who had also entered the restaurant to eat. The two of them held each other's gaze for a brief moment before minding their own business.

They knew that this was not the place to settle their disputes. Whatever grievances or grudges they held against each other would be settled in the arena in two days time.

 

Chapter 249 I’ll See You In The Arena

"Little Swordy, don't die on me," the Boar said as it looked at the sleeping skinny teenager in the infirmary room. "I'm still waiting for you to treat me to food at the restaurant after you wake up. I'm out of money now and can no longer eat pork chops and baby back ribs. I have to settle for steak instead. Oh, the horror~"

"Um, excuse me, but can you not be too noisy inside the infirmary," a Cleric commented. "You might disturb the other patients."

"Oh. Sorry~"

"It's fine. As long as you understand~"

Lux helplessly shook his head after seeing the Boar get reprimanded by the Cleric inside the infirmary. The Boar had been pestering him to accompany it to visit Keane, A.K.A Little Swordy, to check his condition.

The doctor said that most of his physical injuries had already recovered and there was no danger to his life. It was just that he had overexerted himself in the previous battle and he was emotionally and spiritually exhausted to the point of collapse.

However, the Head Cleric had already given him some rejuvenation potions to help him recover faster. According to the one assigned to look after Keane, his vital signs were improving at a rapid pace and he should wake up tomorrow before the match starts, making the Boar quite happy.

"Let's go," Lux said after giving the skinny swordsman one last glance. "We still need to head to the arena for the drawing of ballots."

"Right," the Boar replied. "I almost forgot about this. I hope that I can fight that Nero boy, so I don't have to fight against my friends. I'm sure that I can send him flying."

The Half-Elf could only laugh in his heart after hearing the Boar's words. If Cai really ended up fighting against Nero, it was certain that the Boar would leave the arena as a roasted Boar once the brown-haired teenager was done with it.

Lux gave the Boar, who was humming beside him, a side-long glance. Clearly, he didn't have much hope of the Boar winning any of its matches. Still, being in the Elite Four had given it the confidence to brag at the other contestants whom it acted chummy with.

Surprisingly, although it could get annoying at times, the Boar was well liked by the other contestants that were eliminated in the competition. Some of them even encouraged it to do its best in the Semifinals, which boosted Cai's determination to win.

Several minutes later, Lux and Cai arrived at the Arena.

Nero was already there with his arms crossed over his chest. Cai snorted in his direction and completely ignored him.

Clearly, the Boar didn't like Nero that much due to the times when the latter and his gang ridiculed it during the Qualifying Matches.

"Good, all of you are now here," Judge Dredd said as Bruno walked beside him, carrying a box with both hands.

"In truth, we only need one of you to be here, but for the sake of transparency, we decided to let the three of you see the result of the drawing of ballots," Bruno explained. "Now, I need one volunteer from the three of you. All you need to do is draw one ball from this box. The name written there will become your next opponent. The other two contestants will then be paired against each other. Easy enough to understand, right?"

Lux, Cai, and Nero nodded their heads.

Just like Bruno said, only one of them was needed to draw the ballot to determine who would be paired up against who in the Semifinal Matches.

"I don't care who I fight," Nero stated. "So, I'll give them the opportunity to draw from the ballot box."

Lux smirked after hearing Nero's words. He then glanced at Bruno and made his thoughts known as well.

"I also don't have any problem with who I will be paired up with," Lux commented. "Cai, you can draw from the box, so we can go back and eat."

p The Boar raised its snout in arrogance because it didn't want to lose to Lux and Nero who had declared that they didn't want to draw ballots. Since the two of them didn't draw, why should it draw?

It also didn't care who it was going to be paired up with!

"I also don't care who I will be facing in the finals," Cai declared with arrogance. "They can kiss my foot for all I care, so I am not going to draw any ballots!"

Judge Dredd and Bruno suddenly had the strong urge to spit at the Boar who had a smug look on its face.

'If no one wants to draw, then how can we proceed with the match ups?!'

That was the thought that the two judges had. Seeing their dilemma, Lux decided to take the initiative to settle this issue peacefully.

"How about this?" Lux said with a smile. "Sir Dredd and Sir Bruno should just draw one ballot each. That would solve the problem, right?"

Judge Dredd and Bruno nodded their heads because this was indeed the best course of action.

"Are you fine with us doing this?" Judge Dredd. "If you are, then we can both promise that we will not do anything underhanded in choosing the matchups for the Semifinals."

"I have no problem with it," Nero replied.

"No worries here," Lux commented.

"I trust the two of you!" Cai stated. "Let Fate decide who fights against who!"

Judge Dredd and Bruno glanced at each other and nodded their heads at the same time. Since the contestants had no problems with this arrangement, they could draw the ballots without any problems.

Bruno was the one that drew first, and Judge Dredd was the one that drew last.

Half a minute later, both of them showed the colored balls in their hands, and the names of two contestants that would fight against each other.

—--

Nero.

My Daddy.

—--

As soon as they saw their names, Nero and Lux glanced at each other.

'So, it finally happened,' Lux thought as he stared at the brown-haired boy, whom he held a grudge against for a long time.

Naturally, Nero also held grudges against Lux, which made both of them fated enemies in the tournament.

Cai, who was standing beside Lux, sighed internally.

'Um, good thing I am not fighting against these two monsters,' Cai thought. 'Little Swordy is my opponent, but he is currently bedridden. Should I sneakily let him drink laxatives before the match started? I still have some of the potions Grandma gave me that are strong enough to make Mammoths fart like there's no tomorrow…'

While the Boar was still thinking of something diabolical inside his head, sparks were already flying between Lux and Nero, who had just learned that they would fight the first match the next day.

"I'll see you in the arena," Nero said. "I hope you don't disappoint me. I disdain weaklings."

"The match hadn't started, and I already know that I'm going to win," Lux replied. "I'm so lucky that I'll be fighting the weakest among the bunch. You better prepare your coffin before tomorrow's match, since I might accidentally kill you like Spider Boy."

Judge Dredd and Bruno calmly watched the two teenagers trade barbed words with each other. In reality, both of them were quite excited about this matchup and were looking forward to seeing who among the two young prodigies would triumph over the other.

Judge Dredd and Bruno had already asked Alicia about the chubby boy's true identity. Unfortunately, the latter's lips were as tight as a chaste maiden who hadn't known any men. The only thing they got from her was a good nagging, telling them that they should just mind their own business and not pry into other people's privacy!

Alicia, who was standing on top of the platform, looked down at the three contestants with her arms crossed over her chest.

Now that Lux had successfully entered the Semifinals, she wanted to know how the sickly Half-Elf, whom she had known for most of his life, had suddenly become so powerful in just the span of a year.

'Just what kind of serum did you drink to have come this far?' Alicia thought as a gentle breeze made her hair flutter behind her. 'Still, will you be able to overcome the one whom everyone favors to become the champion of this tournament?'

Alicia didn't know the answer to this question. Even so, she hoped that after the tournament was over, Lux's relationship with his step-father, Alexander, would have a little bit of improvement.

'I wonder what his Excellency would think if he discovered that My Daddy is actually his step-son before this is over?' Alicia mused with a smile. 'Goodluck, Lux. I'll look forward to your performance tomorrow.'

The beautiful woman gave the chubby teenager one last glance before returning to her duties. Now that the Semifinals were about to start, she had to ensure that the security in Barbatos Academy wouldn't be compromised on such an important day.

 

Chapter 250 Only One Would Have Eternal Glory!

The next day...

"... What do you think you're doing?" Keane asked as he stared at the Boar whom he caught holding a small kettle over his mouth.

He had been sleeping peacefully a while ago, but after sensing a malicious presence approaching him, he woke up to face the danger he was in.

However, when he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was a boar who was about to pour something inside his mouth using the kettle in its grasp.

"Oh? Did you finally wake up?" the Boar said after it lowered the kettle to the ground. "I was just worried that you are getting dehydrated, so I decided to bring you something to drink."

"... I am indeed feeling a bit thirsty," Keane replied.

"What a coincidence! I brewed this special tea just for you. Now, drink up! Hydrating yourself is important, you know? It keeps your joints lubricated, prevents infections, delivers nutrients to cells, and keeps organs functioning properly. Being well-hydrated also improves sleep quality, cognition, and mood. So, make sure to drink a lot, okay?"

"Okay," Keane said as he accepted the kettle that the Boar had handed to him.

Cai then produced a wooden cup that the skinny swordsman could use in order to drink from the kettle.

After pouring himself a cup, Keane looked at the murky "tea" that the Boar had prepared for him. His instincts were telling him that something was wrong with it, so he decided to do something about it.

He subtly started channeling his aura into the cup to purify whatever diabolical things the Boar had prepared for him. His master was also an expert when it came to alchemy, and had taught Keane plenty of methods to purify poisons, as well as other forms of hazards that could deal serious ailments to his body.

After making sure that the tea had been fully purified, Keane drank it slowly until the cup was emptied.

It was at that moment when a big smile appeared on the Boar's face as it looked at Keane with the "good boy, now prepare to get your anus rekd" gaze.

"It's good, can I have another one?"

"Of course! Please drink as much as you want. Fufufu! This will cleanse your colons and ensure that your body is well and healthy."

A mischievous glint could be seen within the boar's pupils as it poured more tea into Keane's cup. In its eyes, the skinny swordsman's butt cheeks were as good as clapped, and he no longer needed to worry about their match in a few hours.

After emptying the Kettle, the Boar happily left the Infirmary to have breakfast. It even happily greeted everyone it met with a "Good Morning", showing how good its mood was.

'... Master, the outside world is a scary place,' Keane thought as he drank the last cup of tea in his hands. 'Still, Cai is not as bad as it looked. Even though it tried to take advantage of me, there was still hesitation in its eyes. I'll make sure to not hurt it so much during our match today.'

The skinny teenager sighed as he looked outside of the window. His Master had told him to see the outside world and discover the meaning of the peace he was looking for. After experiencing many ups and downs in Barbatos Academy, Keane finally understood that in a world where the only one you could trust was yourself, being strong was a necessity.

'I wonder who will win between Nero and My Daddy,' Keane thought as he placed the cup on the desk beside his bed. 'This is a match that I can't afford to miss.'

----

Lux slowly exhaled while sitting down in Lotus position.

He had woken up quite early and started to meditate in order to clear any negative thoughts in his head.

His Grandma Vera had taught him this special meditation technique which he used whenever he was feeling faint back when he wasn't cured of his unstable body constitution yet.

This breathing method had allowed him to relax his nerves, and stabilize the flow of blood inside his body. After using the breathing method for half an hour, Lux finally opened his eyes. A faint golden glow spread inside his pupils for a brief second before disappearing completely.

"Grandma, I've made it," Lux muttered before standing up. "After all these years, I am finally able to stand on this stage."

Vera had brought Lux to watch the previous tournament that was held in Barbatos Academy. He had been in awe of the powerful warriors that had participated during the previous battle.

Nero had also participated back then and had reached the Qualifying Matches.

At the time, Nero was only fourteen years old, so he stood out and everyone became aware of his existence.

It was also due to this battle that the Elders in Wildgarde Stronghold decided to nurture him and made him the Guild Master of their Branch Guild in Elysium.

Lux envied him back then.

Nero had everything he wanted.

​ A strong body, powerful techniques, the recognition of the people around him, as well as the ambition to reach greater heights.

Ironically, Nero also thought that Lux had everything he ever wanted.

A caring family, a powerful background, strong connections with influential people, as well as having a beautiful step-sister like Iris always by his side.

Both of them envied each other, and now, the thing they both wanted was just a step away from becoming a reality.

If they became the Champion, everything that they wanted would finally become a reality.

If they became the Champion, they could finally shed their past selves like a caterpillar that was about to become a butterfly.

As Lux walked towards the arena, everyone that he met along the way stepped aside to allow him to pass. This was not because he was intimidating them or anything, but because of the awe and respect that he had garnered after reaching this far in the tournament.

Lux smiled as he looked at the arena in the distance. He was just waiting for Judge Dredd to call out his name so he could make his appearance.

Nero had already been called, and was showered by the shouts of the people that supported him from the background.

Now, it was now his time to step on the same stage as him, and end this decade long grudge between the two of them.

Only one of them could claim victory.

Only one of them could have Eternal Glory!