No one had seen him since his release from the hospital, he and Sawyer had not trained at the top of the tower and the last weeks of it was occupied by his visit to the Dark Protectorate with the troop of the Queen's Saints, which intensified the presence of the Defense around the kingdom and within it, especially as foreign supporters were soon to arrive for the final of the five finalist princesses and new infrastructure had to be created to accommodate them. However, the queen had still not returned from the Dark Protectorate, nor her companions, so it was up to the ministers to manage the tournament outside of her presence and those of the Saints and their leader. This role fell to Caemgen Lestild - whom you already know -, Minister of Festivities, Darzan Mopops - a woman who is hard on everyone but loves chocolate and is therefore unable to get any because they are no longer in the Americas -, Minister of the Interior and Unitas Bersaj, Minister of Foreign Affairs - a notorious alcoholic who has to work, at the beginning of no one believed in it until it actually happened and they found themselves under a mountain of work, although he had taken the job to pretend to have a job like his predecessors - who were going to have to show their credentials to all the other nations and make some alliances, renew others and break yet others as a result of the transition.
Perhaps a nomadic nation, but a nation with living members, precious soldiers, a powerful guardian spirit, a congregation of archmages, a giant turtle, and the equivalent of an atomic bomb in its infancy - if you don't count the nation's ability to teleport from place to place without ever being caught, as if it were disappearing under all radar.
However, some of the ambassadors, even princes and kings, came in person to watch the fighting in the arena.
In the Nether, Malalalivia had managed to negotiate a magic screen large enough for some of the population of the Nether to witness one of the benefactors of this wretched district. She had heard that the Hero had prepared something crazy to confront this plant thing that had defeated them all rather quickly, and if this thing was really crazy, she couldn't wait to watch it in action.
Nalo-vace, show me that you don't deserve your title.
The spectators were settling in the stands to watch the semi-final of this tournament that was going to confront two anomalies of nature one against the other for the fate of the kingdom of Sylvania. The princesses and their champions settled in their respective places, the Fairy had not had any contact with the Hero since his defeat, she knew only later that he had gone to the bedside of Jacob and the other fighters, even those of the previous fights to apologize. As much for Jacob, she understood, as much for the others it was a total questioning. The more time passed, the more she did not feel in phase with the Hero who seemed distant lately, and Beneltig who has been missing for a month, his parents assured her that he is fine, he would take care of the young diplomats fairies where the Fairy's grandbrother, Kemiale, is.
- Are you still worried about those two?" asked Lucello, taking his chin.
The vampire slumped right next to her, where his champion should be under the suspicious gaze of the other fairies and champions.
Presumably, he had not received any injury from his exposure to daylight and even now he was not suffering any, he just seemed to have a much paler complexion than in the dark.
The Fairy sighed and nodded.
- Don't worry, they're very busy guys, whatever happens they'll be there in due course, and if not I'm here for you.
- Thanks, that's nice of you.
Mananélia Diasiré stood behind the other fairies and Féériques watched the two "friends" discuss and muttered a few quips to the winged fairy.
- What's wrong now, Mana?" said Al-Ryanis.
- Look at her gossiping with that whitish soy stalk as if she didn't already have other men for her, she silently got angry, it seems she doesn't care that her champion and lover are gone.
- We assured him that they were fine, so why make a big deal about it? And since when do you care about the human or Beneltig?
- I do not have anything to make of Beneltig! refuted it, it is just that to see it recouler with another man shows well the perversity of this bitch! raota-t-elle by tapping of the fist on the armrest of its seat, however as regards Nalo, it has rather interest has pointed the end of its nose if it does not want that you remakes him the portrait.
- I would have rather expected this from you, but I don't totally disagree with your proposal, but I trust this boy. And I know that you too, after all, are not in your good graces since you continued to teach him to ride despite your hatred of the winged fairy.
Mananelia grunted as she crossed her arms and looked away from the Fairy and her guest, then relaxed and admitted that she no longer had the same hatred for the Hero as in their previous encounters.
- Although it is tedious to teach him to ride, I don't mind his company, and he seems to be a good one.
- I can assure you: he is. Just a little quiet around the edges, but when you bring up a subject he cares about, his eyes light up with a sparkling light.
- I noticed that too.
- So don't worry, Jacob will get his revenge.
Meanwhile, Tadzi once again made a spectacular entrance, as he has done since the beginning of the tournament, and even of the hostilities with the fight between the Hero and the Jordan Makzaze, but this time through an illusion showing him riding a whale before landing in the middle of the stadium while surfing on a wave - a real conjurer this slime.
- Greetings fellow citizens!
The crowd shouted its relief at Tadzi's speech.
- I'm glad to see you too! I have quite a bad news, this doesn't concern our fighters but the queen...
The spectators were taken aback at the announcement of a misfortune to their beloved queen. Diplomats and other kings began to talk among themselves at the news.
- Don't worry, nothing happened to him, he reassured them.
A huge sigh of relief was heard throughout the assembly and the foreign diplomats fell silent - a missed opportunity to take over the Faerie nation and all those people who could be sold at a good price.
- But she won't be able to come to you during this fight, it's today that she has to come back but she might be a bit late. However, this will not spoil the festivities organized by Caemgen, our Minister of Festivities.
The whole audience applauded him and he answered them with a slow bow, as usual.
- This match is one of the first of the semi-finals and it seems to be the most sensational one given what these little flies on my shoulders have brought me, he chuckled happily, we will have in this beautiful early afternoon two super-powered fairground monsters face to face.
The Fairy grumbled when she heard that the presenter was still calling her friend a monster when he had proven time and time again that he was not, Lucello calmed her down by touching her hand, whispering to her to take it easy and reminding her that he was only doing his job as a hall driver. So she took it in stride and said nothing.
But suddenly, she received a projectile in the back of her head, she turned around quickly to look for the launcher and saw a few meters away, on a seat higher than hers, a redheaded fairy with huge freckles on her face who was waving stones that she was generating magically.
- My star monster will crush yours and send it back to where it should never have come from: the underworld!
- He is not a monster, Jigalénélia! the Fairy ardently refuted, and he will win and destroy your champion.
- Hope is beautiful. At the same time, it's all you could get since you were born, poor child...
With a simple wave of his hand, Lucello told the redheaded fairy in the glittering purple dress to be quiet and she complied by blowing her nose and making her stones disappear.
- To my right is an unidentified creature who has demonstrated his fabulous power during his previous battles and has routed the formation of four champions in record time. It is none other than Clandra-ζ!
A large flowering tree appeared on the ground and out of its trunk came the Treeman pretending to yawn and scratch the back of what could be called his head.
- To my left, having tried the iron many times, having fiercely fought creatures and men just as vile and powerful as he, with incandescent murderous aura, eyes sparkling with evil and cursed skin! The Man who knew how to slaughter his opponents one by one until he met his master in the presence of Clandra-ζ, here comes the one soberly nicknamed by the inhabitants: Nalo-vace!
The slime reached his hand towards the crates to his left, the gate opened and... no one came out. The slime extended his head to the cell and saw no one, the guards told him that no one had come, then he brought it back to his body.
- Uh... Well, it looks like our other dear fighter is missing.
The audience was stunned by this totally unexpected event on the part of the Hero. Would he have become afraid of his opponent and abandoned the ship?
This question did not come immediately to the mind of the Fairy, she knew her valiant knight, he was just late as usual, he was going to land running and sweating apologizing for his delay, and the fight could begin.
Nothing pressing.
Nevertheless, the seconds passed and created minutes that themselves passed by and were about to become the fifth minute, and still no sign of the Hero. Tadzi had warned that they would wait fifteen minutes before declaring the Hero forfeit and the plant creature victorious, which had reassured the Fairy, but now he still hadn't arrived.
What the hell is he doing?
And among the princely audience many whisper that he had to abandon her seeing that she was a hopeless case. Who would want to challenge such a lively and ungainly creature for the whim of a fairy believing the Queen's lies? Especially in view of the rumors that he would have quarreled during the Samarin, which brings bad luck.
The Fairy clenched her fists, stood up and shouted that he would come.
- He will not abandon me...
The princesses and their champions burst out laughing at the rantings of the Nameless Fairy, he was openly mocking the princess.
- What are you doing here? Where do you think you are? sent one of the princesses, stay in your place of unloved mute!
- No but she is crazy, she thinks she scares who?
Under the hooting, she lowered her arms and returned to her place. Ashamed to have been carried away thus, she brought her knees closer to her and tightened them. All laughed at her, except her friends who could not intervene and Mananélia who looked at her from afar, but did not say a word.
The minutes passed and reached ten, and no Hero entry.
What could he be doing?
The diplomats began to talk again, they had been told of a super-powered human who would have confronted the queen and had her respect, he would apparently be the hero of the legend and would have put himself at the service of a fairy of this kingdom. However, despite the announcer's announcement, no human being stepped on the sandy floor of the arena. Some people laughed and questioned the queen's word.
"How would a so-called hero run away from an enemy who is not supposed to be able to defeat him?" some said.
Still in the same position, the Fairy had tears running down the sides of her eyes, she sniffed to prevent the golden mucus in her nostrils from escaping. Lucello wiped her eyes with a handkerchief and assured her that the Hero would come, he is not the kind of man to shy away from what he has seen.
- Especially if he has the opportunity to take revenge...
Thirteen minutes and fifty-nine seconds, and still no presence of the Hero.
This was not normal, many assumed the plot. Some had heard of fanatics attacking children to kill them in honor of a secret goddess, others remembered that a Fenrir was roaming the city and that Nalo could very well have been one of his victims.
Tadzi asked Globox and Caesar if they knew where the Hero could be, neither of them knew. The holy knight had sent units to look for him, but they could not find him at his training place, at his home or at the beach... Mina, Lin, Jacob, Marina and Acamelia were worried about their friend, who was probably losing hope. The parents of the Fairy were clutching each other, facing the magic screen, praying that nothing happened to their daughter's champion.
Losing patience, some children started to shout the nickname of the Hero as if to invoke him, shouting his sobriquet, then it was followed by their parents, then the whole audience. They were waiting for the arrival of this human who had fought so valiantly all this time, who was so helpful to the people, who carried the old ladies and gentlemen on his back while he seemed fiercely busy. They all shouted in unison, chanting "Nalo" at the top of their voices without stopping.
In the Nether, all these poor souls also began to chant the name they had given to the hero, imploring his coming. While Lelelitio was worried, the lowly fairy of the Nether remained unmoved, smiling at the expectation of the Hero's coming. She knew in her heart that this guy who had fought with her in a cramped cellar, who had encouraged her to take the Hero's Will from him and keep fighting... would come!
- There is no doubt about it.
Hearing that people were calling for her champion, the Fairy raised her head and watched the crowd shouting and clapping as they awaited the coming of the Hero, the hero who was to fight for her beautiful one, the one who was to save him from the turpitudes of his non-wilderness, the one who was to put her on the throne of Sylvania... the one for whom her heart strangely started to beat.
Even the champions of the mocking princesses began to chant the name of the human while clapping their hands, they did not understand why they did or that they were enemies.
- Have any of you ever seen him train?" asked one of the champions, "Although these fights are short, this guy is the calibre of the greatest warriors and I don't want to see him lose by disqualification under any circumstances.
- I've already done an exhibition match with him and I can tell you that this guy has a hell of a lot of fight in him," continued another, "I don't see how he could run away from a challenge.
The most surprising thing came from Mananélia who got up from her chair and chanted the name of the Hero while clapping her hands, Al-Ryanis had wide eyes, then followed her in her steps. She glared at the Fairy who had not yet responded to her hero's call.
That's right! It's my turn to call him!
The Fairy came out of her living shell, got up from her seat and shouted to the heavens, putting her hands around her mouth so that the sound would resonate.
- My hero comes to my rescue!
Lucello watched the crowd with amusement. He knew the boldness of the Hero and did not expect him to shy away if his goal was to exterminate Nemesis Prime and the hero of the legend within him. If this is the thing that stops him, let him hang up his gloves and let Nemesis eat him like his predecessors did.
And as everyone chanted the Hero's name in unison, a great crash echoed through the skies, lower than the dark sky but definitely in the air. The crowd fell silent to understand what was happening. Another crash sounded closer, closer this time, an earthquake or perhaps the eruption of nearby volcanoes, but there was no alert from the mages on watch. Then a third one sounded, much closer this time, the spectators were getting scared.
What could have made such an awful noise?
Is it a plane? Impossible, these things have not existed for thousands of years!
A pteracid? These flying things don't run around especially in such inhospitable terrain as the Kano country.
No... That's what everyone had been asking for the last minute.
In the sky of Sylvania passed a shadow at full speed, all the inhabitants having nothing to do with the tournament observed this flying individual with fright and amazement.
A final boom sounded in mid-air, in the middle of the stadium roof before a great crash sounded in the middle of the stadium, a great mass of dust.
- By the windy skies! May the fog clear! Aquiline wind!
And in the middle of the field appeared the long-awaited Hero, wiping his body with strange shiny things on his hands and feet, still wearing his emblematic hood, which this time was red and black, and he was in the company of the dwarf smith Fokatino Daikis.
The whole kingdom screamed with joy at the arrival of the hero of the legend. It was unexpected.
The Fairy could not hold back to the point of falling to her knees and thanking the heavens for having brought her in time. All her relatives were relieved.
Lucello crossed his arms in delight at the coming of the Hero.
Indeed, I was not mistaken on your account, son of Elena and carrier of Mïra.
- You asked for a hero?" asked the Hero, "Well, I regret to inform you that you will have to settle for me, Nalo as you have so well screamed!
Although he wanted to show his indifference to their shouts of joy and the chanting of his name, he could not suppress a smile, even more so when he raised his arm.
However, contrary to what the Fairy had said, he had not come all sweaty and disheveled with a flat apology, he had managed to take care of his entrance. He had even turned the floor into glass. However, if one was more observant or had sharp eyes, it wasn't sweat on his face or body but blood.
What could have happened?
And he had not come with his usual weapons but with new ones: some kind of gloves and shoes with scratches on both hands and feet. This new equipment seemed to be made of iron, silver and another purplish metal, a most unusual alloy.
The dwarf stooped over the Hero and touched the claws on his foot.
- I think that's enough, right? I'm already in bad shape with all your stupid settings...
- Speak better to the lion king!
- You call yourself that but I don't see any mane or feline in you.
- And yet, whose idea did you have to do this?
- To carry a prototype of a technomagic weapon that has barely been adjusted? Yes, you are the one who came up with this idea.
Did they hear right?
The strange shiny gray claws that the Hero wore were technomagic.
All the warriors present could only smile at the mention of this type of weapon. They had been told that the Hero was up to something... they knew that they were not going to be disappointed with the outcome. The foreign visitors were also intrigued by the mention of technomagic weapons, it was rather rare to be in front of one of them.
Clandra-ζ cast curious glances at his opponent without commenting, he was as aware as the others that the Hero had prepared a weapon to confront him. He didn't really see what he could have made and mastered in a month that would allow him to counter him. His claws would not allow him to level his reaction and his shots.
The one whose name was mocked not long ago was the source of all curiosity.
- Idiot!" spat Mina, "you made us wait!
- Look at my shoes, isn't it worth it?" boasted the Hero.
- I will not even carry them for a costume ball! she retorted to him.
- Because you taste like centaur droppings sprinkled with my own vasilid droppings! Yes, I gave you a career in clothing, so my crappy taste is yours.
Which is an awful lie on the part of the Hero. No one, I mean NO one, would want to have this boy as a fashion consultant.
- Besides, why would I want a dwarf's opinion?
The dwarf Fokatino, who had passed by the Hero's hand, hit his foot, making him cry out in pain.
- I'm already hurting from your bullshit in your "lab", you didn't need to do that. Plus she's just a half-dwarf.
- So you're just attacking the dwarves?
- Do you meet a lot of djinn?
Their interactions made the audience howl with laughter - but they didn't have to go on forever, they hadn't come to see a clown show, nor the Hero for that matter...
Caesar went down to Tadzi and both of them approached the newcomers and asked the dwarf about his presence.
- It's my remote-controlled puppet, I don't even need to...
- Enough, I don't talk to you, invective Caesar, already you allow yourself to be late... moreover, in this state...
- It's my fault, Mr. Organizer, Fokatino intervened, we had many test phases and I had to put him on a tranquilizer for some reason, but don't worry, I have a remedy for his "drunken" state.
He took out a green vial and pushed it into the Hero's throat. Suddenly, while he seemed to be drunk because of the medicine, his condition became normal again and his face became firmer. His nervousness and irritation returned at the mere sight of his opponent, his face hardened and his eyes lit up with an intense glow.
- Are you done, blacksmith?
- Almost.
- You'll have to, demanded Caesar, because you're already late, you should be disqualified...
- ... but the "hurrahs" of the populace prevent you from declaring my fight forfeit? So wait a few more seconds, you'll get your money's worth.
The dwarf finished calibrating the technomagic weapon, the claws on his hands rotated in a circle, then returned to their original position.
- Everything is good, announced to him the arms manufacturer, you are going to make a tobacco!
- I hope...
- Did you watch all those animal documentaries and ice-sliding competitions for nothing?
- Of course!
- So trust yourself and you'll win. These things aren't my best creations, but there's no doubt that this shit is the most sophisticated I've ever created.
- It's good, I think, says Tadzi, we don't have only that to make.
- Calm down, man, Fokatino defended himself.
- No, he's right, their time is being abused, it's time to start. Anyway, thanks old man.
- You're welcome.
The blacksmith took a marble out of his pocket and threw it at the scoundrels, which teleported him there, and he began to look for a place. Caesar and Tadzi returned to their respective places, and the Hero got into a fighting stance, with his back bent and his right arm forward.
- Do you really think you can fight me in your bloody state?
- Don't worry about me, consider it as a handicap on my part, he retorted.
- Very good.
The excitement that emanated from the Hero was palpable, the sweat on his forehead, his nerves tense, his muscles contracted, he was ready to go on the attack.
- Tell me what this particular weapon is that you seem to have staked everything on?
- What's this? In homage to the documentaries I've been eating all month, I've named them: "Les Griffes des Fanalis"!
- Interesting, then they better be worthy of their name, fayiera-terran weapon.
- Don't make a wish you'll regret, alien weapon.
And with these words the whistle sounded and the two monsters were able to display the extent of their powers. The Treeman-ζ was carried away by the roots of the tree by which he had appeared, merged with it, metamorphosed into a gigantic living tree and sent his root hand at the Hero. The Hero put his hands behind him, the blades that serve as his claws went in circles around his wrist, the iron circle in the middle of his metal glove lit up and projected fiery flames that propelled him out of reach of the seizure but made him wallow at the other end of the arena sinking into his wall.
- I've done what I can with the adjustments, now it's up to him," commented the blacksmith.
The Treeman- ζ turned in the direction of the Hero who crashed into the wall and openly mocked him.
- That's who was supposed to beat me?" screamed Clandra-ζ with laughter, "Who could have put it in your head that you would have a chance against me at one month intervals? Dumbass!
Other hands made of roots came out and went to grab the Hero to gut him when suddenly, these were reduced to ashes and even more, two huge holes burned into the "sides" of the tree.
- What...
Arms crossed, hands towards his opponent, a smile on his face, the Hero reopened his eyes with blood running down his face, and began to sneer. This time he had caught his opponent off guard unlike their last confrontation.
- Who's the dork, the burnt tree? If you don't fight with all your might, you can already forfeit because I will go beyond my limits.