Delilah would stand in the arena with her hand thrown into the air. The cheers all around would erupt. Damien would be throwing his hand into the air himself.
"We did it!" Damien shouted.
"Betamorion is safe," Leaun said. Kotoha had started bawling her eyes out. Iliya would look toward the other side of the arena. Connor would be looking at her. He would clench his hand on his cane, taking a step forward, leaning his hands on the railing. He would look down at Dramstin, who would lay in the dirt with a hole through his stomach.
"Come, Connor," Alexander said, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"This can't be true. Did we actually...lose?" Connor asked.
"Connor?" Lily levitated down next to him.
"We actually lost..." Connor said.
"Swallow the pill, Connor...We can't do shit about it." Faust growled in annoyance. Connor looked up at Iliya. His eyes twitched a bit.
"ILIYA HANABI!" Connor shouted. Those around Connor would take a step back. No one had ever heard Connor shout in this way. Iliya would look at him.
"Leaun. Get me down there." Iliya said, pointing at the arena. The medics had carried out Dramstin body and helped Delilah out of the arena too. Leaun would look at her but then nod. He grabbed her and jumped down into the arena with her. The other survivors of Betamorion soon followed. Connor would grab the railing and vault over it, pathetically landing on the ground as he would just fall to his knees. He would use his cane to stand but then feel a hand on each side as Alexander and Faust helped him up.
"What is this? The representatives of Betamorion and Saltorian are facing each other in the arena." Himpus announced.
"What is it?" Iliya asked.
"I would like the tenth round to be held," Connor said.
"What?" Faust looked in shock.
"You already lost? There no way we gonna accept-" Lean said but halted his words as Iliya moved a hand into the air.
"I'm against this proposal, but I'm willing to hear you out," Iliya said.
"In the past. There was a nation known as Tangolorian, which was tasked with protecting the other nations from a race known as the Xaes. Unfortunately, Tangolorian, after upholding their bargain for so many years, was betrayed from within, and the monsters known as Xaes were unleashed upon the world. It ate up the whole of Tangolorian and spread into Saltorian in the form of a disease that rotted our fruits and plants. Do you know how this plague starts?" Connor asked. Iliya looked genuinely surprised.
"Wait, you are saying the Xaes has spread into Saltorian?" Iliya asked.
"The Xaes haven't only spread into Saltorian, but it has eaten so much of our land that we can't live there anymore. There is no way we can prosper. Our nation has withered with the loss of our god." Connor said.
"Wait, isn't the Saltorian God here?" Iliya asked. Connor shook his head as he pressed a button on his cane, as the jester-like creature appeared.
"It's a robotic replica I made. Xaes spreads disease through nations by simply eating their god. Our god died fighting for us, and the dimension of Saltoian is withering. Only Xaes can live in a nation without a god as an anchor. Betamorion is different, though. While Saltorian had a God. Betamorion was created through a God's soul itself. The anchor is in the world, not inside a deity. That's why your world hasn't withered. The Alphamorion God sacrificed his whole soul and identity to give you a chance to live as humans. We wanted Betamorion's world so we could live here and one day take down the Xaes and fight back our god." Connor said.
"Wait, wait, wait, hold up!" Iliya looked at him.
"Didn't your so-called God use his powers during the fight between Vindur and Jessica?" Iliya asked.
"He did. Our god left a small fragment of his abilities behind that we put into the robot here. This robot can only hold back for so much more. He was created as a medicine against the Xaes, but sadly it could only hold back the spreading, not halt it. We need a new world. So I would like to request for round ten to play out." Connor said.
"But you can't win, son," Leaun said.
"That's why I would like to request a change of rules. I will be facing off against Damien as planned in round ten, but you allow to bring one more person in. It will be two against one. If the Saltorians win, we would like to call the tournament a draw. We will leave Betamorion in peace and go back to our nation. Still, you will start communication with us so we can find a way to stop the Xaes, but if you win, the whole of Saltorian will bow down to the name Iliya Hanabi, and We will become part of the Betamorion empire." Connor said.
"So what you saying is that if we accept this, we won't lose anything in general?" Iliya asked.
"Give my people a chance, Iliya. Jessica and Armfos died for this dream. I can't just watch it crumble in front of me!" Connor shouted.
"Connor, man. You don't have to go that far." Faust said.
"Two against one. Damien and one of your picking against me. The last round of the invasion of Betamorion. You won't lose a single dime other than maybe two lives. But give me a chance to at least see this through. All of my countrymen have fallen around me, trying their best to give us a chance at survival. So-" Connor would raise his cane and then slam it into the ground, echoing over the arena.
"Let me either die as a Saltorian or live to see the Xaes defeated!" Connor shouted.
