The horns sounded across the coliseum, their deep, resonant blasts echoing through the vast stone walls. The crowd erupted in a wave of cheers and anticipation, the tournament had finally reached the semi-finals.
"Ladies and Gentlemen! We have reached the semi-finals! Our first match is one that I, myself have been waiting for eagerly! Lower the gates! The Queen and The False Prodigy, please step foot into the arena!"
The metal groaned and scraped as the gates dropped. Two figures emerged—one to roaring applause, the other to ridicule. The cheers for Aria shook the arena like thunder. In contrast, the jeers that followed Egeria were sharp, mocking, and merciless. He was the rat. The anomaly.
Aria's eyes locked onto him, her expression unreadable.
She wanted to win this tournament to prove herself to her parents. That she could become a harmonic before 20. To do that she needed to defeat all her opponents.
During her first match, she had defeated her enemy easily. On the quarter finals she had some difficulty against the Feral Maiden, but she had come out on top in the end.
Her current opponent, she did not think highly of him. She thought that he was a complete fraud, in his last match he had simply won by exploiting the enemy's weakness. That was not a honorfull way to win in her opinion.
"You are a fraud." She said firmly as she took her stance. The crowd roared as they heard her statement.
***
Egeria did not say anything to her, keeping his stoic expression. However as soon as the horns sounded across the coliseum, he immediately exploded forward, the sand shooting upwards as he did.
Aria was a second too late to dodge as his fist connected with her face, and then he immediately buckled his arm and shoved his elbow into her face once again. She crashed to the ground, but didn't stay there. With a swift, practiced motion, she tucked her legs and flipped backward, landing in a low stance.
Wiping away the blood that trickled down her nose, she looked at him with contempt. Getting up to her feet, she charged at Egeria, she threw a jab. However the jab was simply a feint as she followed it up with a roundhouse kick almost immediately.
Egeria tilted his body backwards and simply watched as her leg passed right before him, the force of the kick making fresh wind hit his face gently. After her attack failed, Aria immediately went in for a right hook, but Egeria immediately pivoted to her right side, grabbing the wrist and immediately punching her right in the face right again.
Ignoring the pain, Aria pried her wrist out of his grip and closed in for a tackle. Though she was met with a heavy knee-kick into her stomach, sending her reeling backwards.
"Who is the fraud?" Egeria whispered to her, making her feel even more rage inside. She needed to stay calm and composed. Her parents were watching.. she could not lose to this scumbag..
Aria sprung towards him, her fist went flying at him fueled with desperation and powerful force. However, it was met with no resistance as it simply glided through the air. In the next second following seconds, several painful sensations shot through her nervous system as her opponent had landed some heavy hits on her.
Despite the searing pain radiating through her body, Aria planted her feet firmly on the ground. Her breath was ragged, and her vision blurred at the edges, but she refused to fall. Losing was not an option—she had fought too hard. This was her chance to become a harmonic, to prove herself worthy, and she was determined to seize it no matter what.
A shadow flickered across Egeria's face as he met her gaze, perhaps her brain did not want to recognize to whom she was losing to. The realization clawed at her mind, unwilling to accept the truth—that she was losing to someone she considered a fraud.
"I expected more from a queen," Egeria said quietly, his voice laced with disappointment as Aria pushed forward once more, fueled by desperation. Her fist swung toward him again, but before she could land a blow, a cold hand shot out and gripped her face with iron strength.
Without warning, he slammed her head hard into the ground. The impact sent a shock through her skull, the sharp sting of sand scratching against her skin as her vision flickered. Her limbs trembled, and the fiery will that had driven her fight began to falter. The world around her dimmed, sounds muffled by the pounding in her head. She lay there, broken and defeated, the weight of failure sinking deep into her bones.
She had lost.
***
Egeria looked down at Aria. She was a mess, to say the least. Blood trickled from multiple wounds. Her nose was bruised and broken, her eyebrows split, and her face was smeared with dust and sweat. He was fairly certain he had shattered at least one rib with that last knee strike.
Yet, instead of guilt or remorse, a cold smile curled on Egeria's lips. He had done what no one expected, he had defeated the daughter of the mayor, the daughter of the strongest man in the town. The so-called "queen" was now broken at his feet.
The crowd erupted. Shouts and curses flew through the air, mixing with scattered cheers and applause. The nobles were furious, their pride wounded far more than their ears could bear. To see their "queen" beaten and humiliated was an incident they would not soon forget.
Egeria ignored the uproar. His eyes locked onto the throne where the mayor sat, watching silently. Without hesitation, Egeria raised his fist, mimicking the victorious gesture Aria had used time and again. It was a deliberate mockery, a silent challenge thrown in the face of the aristocracy.
The crowd's volume rose to a roar, some shouting death threats, others turning away in disgust. Even some of Egeria's own supporters averted their gaze, unsettled by the boldness of his defiance.
The mayor remained calm, his expression unreadable. Egeria felt a flicker of confusion. He had expected rage, perhaps a violent outburst at the sight of his daughter battered and defeated. Instead, the mayor simply nodded once, almost approvingly.
A loud voice cut through the chaos, snapping Egeria out of his thoughts.
"A brutal victory! The False Prodigy rises to the top, showing no mercy to his opponent!"
Without waiting for further orders or applause, Egeria turned sharply and walked back toward his cell, his steps steady and unshaken by the crowd's frenzy.
***
After this, Vex would be the one participating. He had defeated his opponent like every other match, however this time the battle had drawn out a bit longer. The day was approaching late-afternoon as the semi-finals finished.
Word had spread like wildfire. This year's tournament wasn't just fierce, it was legendary. Even those who hadn't planned to attend now pushed their way into the stands. Merchants, nobles, workers, children, every seat was taken, and many stood, shoulder-to-shoulder, eyes glued to the arena floor. The energy was chaotic and alive.
Everyone was eagerly waiting for the finals. The Genuis of the Valerius family, a true prodigy versus a False Prodigy.