by M E Robinson
~
“Ryan’s got a plan, doesn’t he,” Eric sighed as he watched the projection from the viewer’s lounge.
“Looks like it,” Mark replied glumly.
Jun laughed loudly. “It’s either going to go really well, or Ryan’s going to lose in a hilarious way. Either way, it’ll be entertaining.”
~
Back on stage, Ryan ducked under Seryllia’s swing, but didn’t strike, instead opting to take a step backwards, observing her actions. As Seryllia recovered, she sent a Flame Strike towards him, readying a Power Blow as Ryan avoided the magic. As Seryllia approached, Ryan’s eyes lit up. Holding his sword in both hands, he placed it at his waist, with the point facing backwards as he dashed forward.
With a grunt of exertion, Seryllia activated Power Blow, bringing her axe down vertically towards Ryan as he dashed forwards. Stepping slightly to the side, Ryan narrowly avoided the blow, the air from the axehead causing his hair to ripple as it passed him by. With a slight smile, Ryan continued his dash. As he passed Seryllia, his sword began to glow a pale white. With a flickering motion, Ryan slashed at Seryllia’s side, his sword passing straight through as he flew past.
“And Nelo uses a skill! What incredible timing, to be able to dodge Seryllia’s strike with such accuracy and then to return it with his own strike. I don’t recognize the skill though,” Halfthur commented excitedly. By his side, Wavesun was staring intensely at Ryan, trying to identify the skill he’d just used.
Turning around, Seryllia attempted to go back on the offence, but Ryan wasn’t done yet. Completing his dash, Ryan turned, his sword still glowing that pale white as he slashed downwards towards Seryllia’s calf, aiming to cut her legs from under her. However, even the best laid plans can crumble in the face of unknown variables, and Seryllia’s aggression was one such variable. While on the surface it appeared simple, Seryllia simply never stopped attacking, the abandonment of defense was something truly difficult to comprehend from afar.
Aiming his skill, Ryan unconsciously aimed for where Seryllia would have to step to avoid a normal followup strike, as he’d done in practice against other members of his swordplay group countless times when creating the skill. However, Seryllia surprised him, as she ignored his attack and slammed her shoulder into his chest. Tumbling down, Ryan’s attack went wide, the white glow disappearing as his skill was disrupted. Attempting to roll, Ryan was met with Seryllia’s axehead, swinging in from the side like a golf club with an ominous red glow.
With a groan, Eric, Jun, and Mark watched as the last of Ryan’s healthbar disappeared and he was whisked away by the blue light, as cheers filled the stadium.
“What a fight! Seryllia’s Power Blow finishes off Nelo, dispatching the valiant swordsman despite his best attempts to the contrary. And with that, Seryllia Vespin advances to the top eight, with her second consecutive victory against a member of Riptide!” Halfthur shouted, pausing briefly before continuing. “We will now have a brief intermission as we prepare for the final matches. Fighters in the top eight, please stay in the viewing lounge. I’ll be down in a moment to discuss some things with you.”
Chapter 34
The viewing lounge was noticeably emptier than it had been at the beginning of the top thirty-two. As more and more fighters had been eliminated, three clear groups had formed in the lounge. At one end of the lounge, Barns and Grott were sitting on chairs in front of Hydrus, who had taken an entire couch to himself as he lectured his companions, frequently motioning towards where Eric, Mark, and Jun were sitting at the opposite side of the lounge. In the middle of the lounge, Astrid and Seryllia had both taken a couch to themselves. Astrid had attempted to strike up a conversation with the other woman earlier, only to be harshly rebuffed by Seryllia’s indifferent attitude.
This was the scene that greeted Halfthur as he entered the lounge, accompanied by Wavesun. Alistair was noticeably absent, having remained in the announcer’s booth while Halfthur went to perform his duties as the master of ceremonies.
“Ahem. I’m glad you’re all here,” said Halfthur as he addressed the remaining fighters. “First, let me congratulate you all for making it this far. Out of a field of more than a thousand fighters, you are the best of the best. I’m not going to do anything too cliché like ask you to give yourselves a round of applause, but know that as the announcer, I appreciate the exciting show you’re all putting on.”
“Cut the crap. What are you here for?” Hydrus asked, directing an annoyed scowl towards the dwarf.
“Glad you asked. In order to hype things up for the top eight, Novarena has asked me to interview you all. I won’t interview you each individually, but instead I’ll interview the three from NRG, the Riptide crew, and our two lovely ladies as three separate groups,” Halfthur explained.
“Is this required? And do you need us to do anything special?” Mark asked.
“Yes to the first question. And no to the second. Just be yourselves. Maybe explain why you want to win, or who you’re most afraid of fighting. Anything that can raise the hype for your match, or make you more fun to cheer for is fine by us,” Halfthur replied.
“Fairly sure we’re all participating for the prizes,” Jun said, which earned him a laugh from Wavesun.
“True,” Halfthur conceded. “Anyways, we’re not expecting anything amazing. We just want to give the audience more reasons to cheer for you guys in the final seven matches. Now then, shall I begin with the three representing NRG?”
Making his way over towards where Hydrus was sitting, Halfthur took out a strange device from his pocket. Covered in runes, the device contained multiple magical crystals, which flared to life as Halfthur tossed it into the air. Rather than falling to the ground as expected, the device came to a halt in midair, rotating to point towards Hydrus and Halfthur, who’d taken a seat next to the lanky fighter.
“Come over here you two, don’t be shy,” Halfthur directed, beckoning to Barns and Grott who flashed questioning glances towards Hydrus. Giving them an unwilling nod, Hydrus moved over to make room for his companions.
“Before we start, could I get each of you to take one of these?” Halfthur asked, holding out a handful of disks. Reaching out, Hydrus, Barns, and Grott each took a disk, staring curiously at the small coin-shaped objects as Halfthur put the rest away.
“Now then. How about we start with the big question: what is NRG? Who is it that you three are representing?” Halfthur asked, as the view on the projection changed to show the scene in the lounge.
Hydrus smirked. “NRG stands for the Novanalba Reclamation Group. We are the founding members, and there are several more who are making their way up here.”
“Novanalba Reclamation Group? What are you reclaiming Novanalba for?” Halfthur asked curiously.
This caused Barns and Grott to snicker as Hydrus’ smirk deepened. “We’re here to provide Novanalba with skilled fighters, to reclaim its place as a home to the strong. From what I’ve seen so far, it’s clear that we’re needed badly.”
Halfthur’s face twitched. “Ah, so you’re not from Novanalba then?”
“Nope, we’re from New York, a true home to the strong. However, exporting our skill to lesser regions such as this is a noble cause, and we’ve chosen to take up that mantle. So we’ll do it to the best of our abilities, which are still far better than anyone else’s around here,” Hydrus said with a sneer.
Wavesun’s face went hard at this, his hand slowly reaching for the hilt of his sword.
“Right. Well, unfortunately that’s all the time we have for you three,” Halfthur managed weakly, hurrying to end the interview before Hydrus could get them all lynched.
“We didn’t even speak yet though,” Barns drawled.
“Sorry, but we’re on a strict schedule,” Halfthur replied. “Hydrus, Barns, and Grott from NRG everyone!” Halfthur said, turning to look at the floating device, but his voice lacked enthusiasm.
Rising from the couch, Halfthur fled towards where Serylli
a and Astrid were sitting, his recording device following as he escaped the snickering trio. Sitting down beside Astrid, Halfthur motioned for Seryllia to join them, which she did reluctantly, dragging her feet as she sat down as far away from the two as possible.
Taking the coin-shaped disks from his pocket, Halfthur allowed both Astrid and Seryllia to choose one, before putting the rest away once more. “Now then, both of you are here representing yourselves. After your performance in this competition, both of you will probably have quite a few invitations to join various groups, do either of you have anything to say about that?” Halfthur asked, with a slightly nervous look on his face.
“I’m actually part of a group with my friends. None of them could make it today though, so I was the only one who participated in the tournament. Unfortunately, I won’t be joining anyone else’s group though, sorry!” Astrid apologized, bowing slightly towards the camera.
Halfthur’s face relaxed at this, the tension disappearing as he realized that this interview would not be a repeat of the last one. Turning to Seryllia, Halfthur repeated the question, “And what about you? Any group that you’re part of? Any plans to grace some lucky group with your skill?”
“No,” Seryllia said simply, not deigning to elaborate.
Eye twitching slightly, Halfthur turned back to Astrid. “Your skill with the bow is pretty incredible. I know that as an otherworlder you’ve only been able to get true combat experience for the past two and a half weeks. Do you have prior experience with archery from your own world?”
“Nope!” Astrid responded happily. “The first time I picked up a bow was just a few weeks ago. It felt really natural though, and I really love all the Novanalbans who’ve helped me to improve my skills in these past two and a half weeks.”
Halfthur smiled at this. “Well, I’m sure they appreciate having such a talented student themselves. Now then, there are actually three archers in the top eight. Do you have any plans for how to deal with the other two should you face them? And which of the three of you do you think is the best? Seryllia, this question goes out to you as well. Which fighter are you most excited to fight?”
Astrid looked pensive. “Shin, from Riptide, is probably the best. He has really good movement abilities. The way he avoided claw-guy last match was really cool. And then he managed to snipe him even when he was using that movement skill. That was amazing to watch.”
Halfthur nodded. “Yes. Even I was surprised by that move. I was sure that Kifax was going to turn the fight around with that skill, but alas.” Turning to Seryllia, Halfthur gave her a prodding look. “And what about you, Seryllia? Who are you most excited to fight?”
With a glare, Seryllia turned back towards Halfthur. “Kyp,” she said, shooting a dirty glance towards where Eric was sitting.
“Right…Any particular reasons why? Do you want to test yourself against his magic? Do you feel he’s the most exciting fighter remaining? Do you just want to knock out another member of Riptide? Why is Kyp your target?” Halfthur asked, pushing for a real answer.
“Revenge,” Seryllia said simply, refusing to elaborate any further.
Wavesun snickered at this, enjoying Halfthur’s struggle to remain calm as he questioned the incalcitrant woman. With a sigh, Halfthur turned back to Astrid. “Finally, do you have any thoughts on Hydrus’ comments? Do you think that the skill level in Novanalba is low?”
Astrid shook her head. “Nope! I’ve met plenty of strong fighters in Novanalba, both players and adventurers. He might be strong, but I don’t think he’s the only strong person around,” she said indignantly.
“And you Seryllia? Do you agree with Astrid? Do you find the skill level of Novanalbans to be low?” Halfthur asked.
“No.”
“Good to hear,” Halfthur said heavily, having expected such an answer. “Now then, for our final interviews, I’ll be joined by the three remaining members of Riptide. Gentlemen, how does it feel to have made it this far?” Halfthur asked, plopping himself down between Eric and Mark, reaching into his pocket for the remaining three disks which he held out for the trio to choose from.
“Pretty good. It’s a shame that our other four members have already been eliminated, but it’s a pretty good feeling to have three of us in the top eight,” Mark replied smoothly as he grabbed a disk. Eric and Jun followed suit, each eyeing the disks with interest.
Halfthur smiled. “Great to hear. Now before we finish the rest of the interview, I bet you’re all dying to know what these little items are,” he said, pointing to the disks in their hands. “These arcane keys will be used to decide the matchups. Unlike the previous fights where you were paired by division, in the top eight, each of you will be paired up with the fighter who holds the Arcane Key that corresponds with your own. Now, if I could have all eight of you infuse some mana into your keys,” said Halfthur, turning to look at each of the fighters in turn.
Staring at the disk in his hands, Eric infused a strand of mana into the object, watching in suspense as the disk began to glow. Above the disk, a half circle made of violet light with the left half missing appeared, floating gently in the air next to Eric. Looking closer, he could just make out the number two, shining faintly from the middle of the symbol.
A similar scene played out across the room as the others infused mana into their own disks, leaving eight half circles floating in the air of the viewing lounge. Seeing this, Halfthur smiled. “Each of you has one of four possible symbols floating in front of you. The symbols are numbered to show which order the fights are in. The symbols are each half circles, split either vertically or horizontally. The winner of each fight will then matchup against the symbol that completes a circle with their own. So Astrid, since you have the left half, you’ll pair off against Hydrus for the first match. If you win your fight against Hydrus, you’ll get to fight the owner of the right half of the circle, which will be one of either Kyp or Grott. Make sense?”
Voicing their assent, the eight confirmed that they understood.
Halfthur smiled. “Great to hear. Now, back to the interview...Riptide - is there any meaning to this name? I’ve never heard of it before today. But here you guys are, having made a great showing, so clearly it’s a name to pay attention to.”
“It’s the name of our guild, we call ourselves Riptide because even if we’re not always at the same level as our opponents, we’re relentless. Sooner or later, we’ll drag them down and win. Thus, Riptide,” Eric explained.
“So it’s a name with meaning then. Well, I know I’ll definitely be paying closer attention to Riptide from now on,” Halfthur replied merrily. “Now Kyp, Seryllia said she wants to fight you in order to get revenge, is there any reason for her to say that? I’m sensing some history there,” Halfthur asked, his eyes sparkling.
Eric laughed awkwardly. “I beat her in a fight, but I guess she feels that my tactics were a little unfair.”
“More like your post-fight tactics,” Jun cut in with a laugh.
“Oh? And what might those be?” Halfthur inquired.
“Coercion,” Mark interjected with a small cough.
“What was that?” Halfthur asked.
“Nothing, nothing,” Eric said hurriedly, waving the nosy dwarf away.
Laughing, Halfthur turned to Jun. “As for you, Shin, Astrid spoke rather highly of your skills. What do you think about that?”
“She’s right. I am the best archer here,” Jun said arrogantly, leaning back in a relaxed state as he stared at the recording device.
“Well, you made it to the top eight, so I guess you really don’t need to be modest,” Halfthur replied with a grin. “Now then, what do the three of you think about Hydrus’ claim that Novanalban fighters are weak?”
“It’s bullshit,” Jun swore, leaning forward to look at Halfthur. “He’s going down this tournament. If I fuck up, then Eric can do it. But either way, he’s going to lose.”
Mark nodded. “Excuse my friend’s colourful language. But yeah, Hydrus mig
ht be skilled, but so what? There are plenty of skilled players. He’s getting cocky just because he’s a little better than average.”
“Kyp? Do you agree with your friends’ assessment?” Halfthur asked, turning to Eric who had been silent.
“Like Mark said, Hydrus is good. But we’re good too. Grott’s going down this round, and Hydrus?” Eric asked, looking over towards where the NRG trio were sitting. “You’re next.”
“It looks like we have a rivalry here folks!” Halfthur said, staring into his recording device. “Alright! Let’s begin the top eight! For our first fight it’s a battle of beauty against brawn with Hydrus against Astrid! Next will be Jun against Seryllia, and after that, we have Barns versus Mark, the first true battle between Riptide and NRG. The final battle will be Kyp versus Grott, with one of them looking to avenge their fallen teammate. I hope everyone’s ready, because the final battles are only beginning!”
With a delighted smile, Halfthur stood up. Collecting his recording crystal, he thanked them all for the interviews, before asking Hydrus and Astrid to follow him out as he left the viewing lounge with a huge grin on his face.
Chapter 35
The audience reaction to seeing Hydrus enter the stage was immediate. Where before he had been greeted by cheers and applause as a crowd favourite, now he was showered with boos. However, rather than shrinking back, Hydrus seemed to enjoy this new reaction, cupping his hand against his ears as if he couldn’t hear the crowd. Naturally, this only encouraged the crowd to boo louder, and the resulting wave of sound nearly bowled Halfthur over. Astrid was similarly affected, looking around nervously at the jeering audience members.
Leaving the two fighters onstage, Halfthur and Wavesun made their way back to the announcer’s booth, where Halfthur reactivated the voice amplification magic. “Ahem. Well, those were certainly some interesting interviews. It seems we have quite a few colourful personalities in the top eight. Luckily for all you viewers, the most colourful of those fighters are here on stage right now. Please give it up for Hydrus!” This prompted another wave of jeers, as Hydrus raised his arms and roared back at the crowd. “Facing off against him is our beautiful Sniper, Astrid! Which of these two fighters will advance and which will taste the bitter draught of defeat? We’re about to find out!” Halfthur shouted, doing his best to stoke the flames of passion that Hydrus had ignited within the crowd.
