Age of Strife Book 0: The Path of War

Chapter 14: The Thirty-Ninth Tournament

Three weeks would pass until the day of the tournament itself, Hiryu pushing his training beyond normal measures with assistance of the eight seniors had managed to attain the same mastery they would have in their respective craft. Though would it be enough would is yet to be seen, as even with his mastery of their respective skills the tournament would have more experienced fighters and warriors waiting. Thus not wanting to be idle, Hiryu had both studied and trained in secret to harnessing the six swords bound to him. To truly understand how to harness and utilize them to their fullest potential was not exactly easy, but what was surprisinglyto Hiryu was that he had felt as though he had done this before and would simply be retreading a technique long forgotten to him. In-time for the tournament Hiryu's understanding of the six swords deepen and in a sense their hold on his mind would lighten for every sword he used, though that did not stop the dreams entirely they did lessen over his understanding of the swords. "Hiryu, we're here.... Hiryu?" Returning to the present Hiryu had opened his eyes as he was sleeping on the carriage ride over to the tournament. To his left Hiryu sees his escort given by Mayor Gyrell to ride over to the tournament, shaking himself awake he answers "I hear you, thank you for the ride over to the tournament in the last two days." The escort nods his head in response before focusing on the road where Hiryu see a large city. "So this is Telveria City? Quite the sight...." As the carriage approaches into the city, Hiryu sees a sight similar to Centura as festivities and merriment is abound for the day in the commercial parts of the city. Before long the carriage arrives at a grand coliseum, Hiryu disembarking from the carriage thanks the Centura Escort and enters in the grand coliseum to all sorts of people gathering in the main hall. Wading his way through crowds Hiryu eventually be in front of a teller table, the one of the two staff available beckoned him over and ask "Greetings sir, can I help you?" "I'm a participant of the tournament, I have my papers here." Hiryu says as he present the papers given to him by Mayor Gyrell. The staff member raises his hand and says "Participants are to go through that door, show your papers there." Pointing at the door behind Hiryu, he sees a set of guards and anarchway with a sign saying Prep Room. Thanking the staff member Hiryu wades through the crowd again to the archway where he presented his papers again, and is let through to enter. Walking down the corridors Hiryu eventually reaches the preparation room where he is greeted by the sight of warriors sharpening their weapons, reading books, doing prayers, and all sorts of preparations. Hiryu finding his own personal space in the cramped room settles down and simply waits for a calling, looking around he sees the contestants don plate armor to leather binders and weapons ranging from swords, clubs, and spears. A twinge of doubt and anxiety fills Hiryu as seeing how harden the contestants are and how others are potential more experienced than him, he tries to focus himself by tending to the sword he brought with him that was not among the six bound to him. As he is tending to his ritual a commotion breaks out as Hiryu sees a barbarian of a man pushing an armor robed fighter. "Who do you think you are to push and shove like that?!" The barbarian shouts. "A Defender of Arkos, perhaps you've heard of me as Vanguard Je-Yel Hiyum." The armor robed fighter responds. The barbarian seems to be thinking for a moment before realization dawns on him and a smile grows on his face. "Oh? So you're the chosen for the Defenders eh? I can't wait to face you, that is if you can make that far." The barbarian says with confidence. "I could say the same for you-" Je-Yel says before the barbarian answers "Tervar, Tervar Khung. May the best man win." Tervar offers his hand and though JeYel is wary ultimately he shakes his hand. Hiryu once again looks around him and wonders how many of these warriors are bound by the monastic schools and how many are independent. "Quite the sight to see so many warriors of various backgrounds rubbing shoulders isn't it?" A smooth voice says. Looking to his right, Hiryu sees a well-dressed man with glasses looking over the various warriors. "Pardon?" "Oh don't mind me, musing on how good the turn up for this year's tournament is. Ah, where are my manner I am the concierge or rather book-keeper of this year's tournament. Call me Ferris." Ferris says. "Now I believe it would be time to have the contestants be ready." Ferris says as he pulls out pocket watch and then announces "Attention all, fighter! The tournament is about to begin and I require you to be in order, so please stand in two horizontal lines before the entrance over there" Ferris points to a door on the other side of the room "and I shall give you your opponents you'll be facing for this round." Hiryu seeing the warriors form up on a line joins up to adhere to Ferris request, looking left to right Hiryu sees that his fellow contestants are eager and wanting to get their opponent. Ferris walking to the front and facing the contestants states aloud "This round will have you paired with another contestant, and will have you fighting another pair of contestants. Whichever pair is left wins the match, but if your partner is knocked out and you still stand then you alone, you will continue with the tournament. The one who are defeated during the match will be retracted from further matches in the tourney." Ferris looks among the line of warriors and see them nodding and some grumbling under their breath as to the conditions. "Now then, let us begin pairing... to start off the tournament it will be Vanguard Defender Je-Yel and the Champion of Centura Hiryu against the Swashbuckler Rin-Taro and the Clockwork Aspirant Orion." Looking at Je-Yel, Hiryu sees him look back at him with a stalwart look on his face. Falling back into line Hiryu's mind begins wandering as Ferris list off the other contestant pairings. Walking onto a lift Hiryu looks up while Je-Yel says "You are a swordsman, yes?" Hiryu still looking up answers "Yeah, I do swords." Je-Yel lets out an audible humph before saying "That doesn't answer my question." Hiryu looking at Je-Yel says "Apologizes, uh... yes, I am a swordsman. I take you are a cleric of sorts, with the flail and shield?" Je-Yel looking at Hiryu with a discerning eye answers "Yes, I'll take the forefront and bulk of the attack from Orion. You deal with the swashbuckler as I'm indisposed of speed." Hiryu nodding at the notion of a plan, then feels the platform raises itself up to then stop at the top. Now standing in the arena Hiryu and Je-Yel looks around to see the people cheering and yelling all around them. However to his surprise he sees Kazuma among the crowd sitting beside other people around his age, and conversing with the Grand Defender of Arkos and various other monastic leaders it would seem. Soon an announcer cuts through to Hiryu as he hears "Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the Telveria Arena! Today is a day worth remembering as it is the 39th Imperial Combat Tournament, and to honor the Tournament's standards only the finest warriors have been found across the empire's lands to participate for honor and glory!" The crowds cheers roared louder but die down as the announcer continues "To start off the Imperial Tournament we have the famed Vanguard Je-Yel of the Defenders of Arkos spearheading our first round! But he is not alone as a Champion of Centura joins him in combat as he faces off against a cunning swashbuckler Rin-Taro and a mighty aspirant of the clockwork Orion! Now contestants,-" Hiryu and Je-Yel look forward as they see Rin-Taro and Orion ready in combat stances, responding they too adopt combat stances. "Get ready! Set! Fight!" As the announcer yells out start, a loud bang is set off as now the round has started. Hiryu and Je-Yel charged to the center of the arena where they are met by Rin-Taro and Orion, Orion matches Je-Yel's charge with a magic shield that encompassed him in a sphere whilst Je-Yel with a kite shield is pressed against the sphere with great pressure. Hiryu seeing Je-Yel matching guard goes to help him but is intercepted by Rin-Taro as she with a saber takes a stab at him. Dodging the stab Hiryu responds with a slash from his short sword and attempts to cut at Rin-Taro and close the distance between them. She backflips away and throws knives at Hiryu who immediately deflects them to the side, however one extra knife was coming his way and Hiryu responded by catching the knife. Rin-Taro now further away from Hiryu sees him holding the knife thrown at him and says "Huh, impressive... you deflected and caught my one of my blades. You're not some backwater champion are you?" Hiryu immediately readies himself while using the knife inverted in one hand before saying "I'll take that as a compliment, where are you from?" "Me? The Imperial Capital, and clearly I should stop holding back right now." Rin-Taro says before throwing a flurry of knives. Hiryu closes the distance once more and uses his short sword to deflect the majority of the knives whilst charging, as the knives fly and cut Hiryu eventually he intercepts Rin-Taro and begins engaging in a oneon-one duel. As Je-Yel is pressing against Orion's magic shield, eventually it shatters causing him and Orion to stagger. Recovering quickly Je-Yel charges into Orion, who quickly prepares another magic shield and forces Je-Yel at a stalemate once again. Using his flail Je-Yel swings at Orion who dodges and fires magic bolts at him from his fingers, taking the hit Je-Yel stomps on the ground but kicks dirt into Orion. Orion covering his eyes allows Je-Yel to take advantage of his moment of weakness and punches him with his shield forcing Orion to stagger to his feet. Shaking himself clean Orion quickly uses a ward to push Je-Yel back before casting bolts of fire to target and lock onto him. Je-Yel staggers and falls to his knees as Orion leans forward in slight exhaustion, both take deep breathes as Je-Yel calls out "You've gotten better Orion, much better reaction time." "Ah, you're too kind Je-Yel. You've gotten smarter in your tactics too that I had to use a few spell I didn't think I needed." Orion says in response. The two stand up straight while stretching, Je-Yel says "To the best man?" "Of course, may the best man win." Orion says before assuming a combat stance. Je-Yel readies his shield before charging at Orion to engage him more closely. With Hiryu he clashes sword against saber as facing Rin-Taro was no simple feat as she was cunning fighter leveraging flexibility and trickery to her advantage, blocking every attack he can soon he is disarmed of his sword. With his sword flying out of hand Hiryu responds with a cut from the dagger still at hand before following it up with a punch to Rin-Taro. Clutching her stomach Rin-Taro falls to her knees and looks at Hiryu with a pained expression before saying "Interesting... guh, you certainly are a combatant worthy of the name of champion. Though you should really-" In blinding speed Rin-Taro draws another dagger and attempts to stab at Hiryu; however Hiryu catches her arm and holds her by her neck to lift her up. "Ghuk!" Rin-Taro utters as her sentence is not finished, Hiryu replies "You are a worthy adversary, but this battle must come to an end." then slams her down to the ground causing her to fall unconscious. Hiryu seeing Rin-Taro defeated looks toward Je-Yel and sees him struggling Orion, he goes to help him but Je-Yel with a series of swings and bashes eventually breaks Orion's guard before actually landing proper hit. With a proper blow landing on him, Orion staggers before falling to his knees and Je-Yel using his shield to bash him backwards to his back before holding his flail to over him and saying "Concede, Orion." Looking around eventually Orion sees Rin-Taro laying on the ground unconscious, and with reluctance yells "I concede!" The crowd erupts in roars of cheers and yells as the announcer says "We have our winners! Ladies and Gentlemen our winners of the first round of the tournament! What spectacle to witness such martial prowess, and magical ingenious of our contestants will surely be a sign that this tournament will be entertaining!"Kazuma seeing Hiryu dispatch the swashbuckler with relative ease felt a swell of pride rising within him. "Your disciple is well-trained, I admit but once he is outmatched he will taste defeat at the hands of his betters." The Grand Defender voice says. Kazuma snorts as he turns to look at him and says "Then you've not seen how my disciples handle themselves Zeryas, Hiryu is unlike any you've seen before." "He certainly has talent I'll give him that, but would he be able to handle himself against a truly experienced foe is the question." another woman's voice interjects. Turning behind him Kazuma sees a well-dressed woman alongside a well-dressed man. "Ah Kassan and Musashi, I greet you. To answer that Kassan I cannot say but ultimately this is a tournament of skill so we shall see if he holds to your estimations." "Hmmm... you seem rather confident that the Adept would get that far." Musashi points out. "Then let's make a wager then... shall we?" Kazuma says as he pulls out a pouch.