Frieren: Twin Souls

Chapter 13 Tournament Part 8 The decision

There was a stir in the stands, people whispering among themselves about what they had witnessed. Menno's actions confirmed his words, but when he introduced himself as the Shadow of Death, some felt chills run down their spines, as if another figure stood before them, and in a way, they were right. However, all this was interrupted by the king entering the arena, accompanied by two guards.He briskly walked toward his son, who had already recovered from his battle with the demons.

— Are you okay?— he asked.

— I'm fine, but I regret letting myself be tricked like that. — He replied, clearly angry with himself.

— You did what you could, no one blames you for that, you've already lasted longer than most in your position."

— Your father is right, Prince.—  Menno interjected. — You were doing really well, but the thing about demons is that you have to kill them as quickly as possible, so they don't have time to adapt to your fighting style. Don't dwell on this defeat, just learn from it, and next time you'll be the one to prevail.

— Menno speaks well— the king agreed. —Victory teaches us nothing, defeat teaches us everything.

 Prince Rion thought for a moment, sighed, and then replied.

— You're right, what's done is done, and next time the outcome will be different.— With that, he regained his composure and looked towards the fans. —I know, I failed and lost my fight, but that doesn't mean I'll stop fighting. You don't always win in life. Defeat hurts, I know, but you have to be able to pick yourself up and learn from it. So I promise you, next time I won't be defeated so easily and I will fight until my last breath to protect our kingdom and the people who call it home!

The prince's words encouraged those gathered, who didn't seem fazed by his defeat. On the contrary, one could get the impression that this defeat had benefited him. People saw him as an ordinary man like themselves, someone who also experiences failures but still gets back up and tries again.

—Thank you for your help, Mr. Menno, and I should wish you luck in the finals, but with skills like yours, it's more of a formality. — The prince said, a little more quietly.

— That's enough, Menno— he replied. —I was taught never to be overconfident, so you always have to give your all.

— The words of a true warrior — the king said with appreciation. —Come, son, let's let Menno and Himmel prepare for the finals. Good luck, and thank you again.— The king signaled the herald to approach and instructed him to announce the next bout.

— Ladies and gentlemen! We have reached the final stage of this tournament. Himmel and Menno, these two have already made history in this tournament and our kingdom, but the final test awaits them. Will they rise to the occasion? It's unknown, because as you all know, their opponents are the famous brothers from the illustrious von Kubert family, who took the names Goliath and Talos, and who have proven over the years to be fully deserving of their reputation. Ladies and gentlemen, may the best man win!

Herodl gestured toward one of the entrances to the arena, while Himmel joined Menno. Both appeared calm, but inside they were nervous. They had heard much about these two. Milten told them that their real names were Aaron and Alaric von Kuber and that they were cousins of Adelide and Layla. However, they weren't particularly close and, unlike them, relied on cold calculation. This doesn't change the fact that they would protect themselves if necessary. If they had been born during the heroes' journey, they would have joined them without hesitation. 

The pondering of this information was interrupted by the sound of footsteps, and the victors of the last tournament, Talos and Goliath, appeared before everyone's eyes. They were clad in heavy armor, their height (at least two heads taller than Menno and Himmel) giving the impression of a two-man army. As they took their positions, they drew their enormous two-handed swords, which seemed weightless in their hands.