ATREUS THYSTES
The tournament does not disappoint many young mages have begun to make a name for themselves. None so than my old friend Arthur he is currently facing of against a blue eyed Persanian lad named John. Arthur is faster than I remember him being and it seems he uses both water and wind magic in a high level for someone his age.
'Yet where is his ice magic?' Don't tell me he to los...'
"His a terror isn't he." A deep voice said interrupting my thought. I turned to see my cousin Diomedes he is a tall for someone my age the same height as my grandfather I would wager his hair is a mane of red his eyes a bright olive. He looks just like all man of my house.
'But as thick as marble wall.' I lampooned.
"Diomedes where were you man? You missed Ajax's....pf fight earlier." Alex said suppressing his laughter. Diomedes raised one bushy eyebrow. "No! impossible Ajax was supposed to..."
"Destroy the competition." I finished for him not hiding my disappointment. Sure Ajax had defeated eight opponents in a row including Cyrus De Fontaine second son of the azure wolf himself.
'But then he proceeded to lose to that white haired girl!' I though in annoyance. To think the same girl who gave me that steel flower yesterday had made a fool of my cousin.
"The worst part." Alex said sparring a glance at Arthur's fight. "Is that she's not lord De Fontaine's true born daughter she's not more than his bastard whom he sired with some maid or whore! Who cares which she was born too. A man of house Thyestes just lost to a bastard girl in front of millions!"
Although Alex did not raise his voice to show his anger I could see the furry burning in his crimson eyes. I feel the same as him I mean how could I not? Ever since I arrived in Pangea eight years ago I have trained, eaten and shared musings with the family that I thought I would never meet. So, over the years I have developed a sense of pride for being a member of this great family.
"So, Maria will have to do all the carrying ha? Well since nobody would challenge the two of you in fear of humiliation." Diomedes said while stroking his chin.
"No!" I said with Ire in my voice. "We cannot afford to look weak! And I will not allow our family name be carried to victory by some! Theseus girl." Although I have always prided myself as a young man who would never allow pride to get in his way.
'But the family name is at stake!!' I thought eager to silence any of the perceived weakness of the scions of my house.
I try to say more but the loud sound of metal on metal draws all of our attention. "Oh shit!" Alexander exclaimed in amazement.
I shifted my gaze to the current duel. Arthur dressed in a blue battle tunic and black trousers moved fast dodging his opponents conjured water tentacles he retreated back for a moment assessed and engaged carving trough the mass of water with his blade which had a green aura swirling around it.
'Wind magic.' I thought bitterly.
The blue-eyed lad closed in meeting Arthur blade for blade his white tunic was already torn at the shoulder were blood was trickling but the lad did not yield. The sound of metal on metal gets even louder as Arthur as if possessed by some arcane spirit of war instantly swapped from wind to lightning his sheer speed leaves me in awe as his blade gently presses against the blue eyed lad's jugular in one swift motion. The young man dopped his long sword yielding the match to Arthur.
"Wait how can he use lightning magic?" I thought no wait I said it out loud. I closed my mouth after all nobody from my family including my grandfather knows that I spent eight years in the place known as the red hand. But I'm lucky because it seems that Alex and Diomedes are to busy admiring Arthur's sword play.
"Winner! Sir Arthur Lionheart!" The announcer said in a booming excited voice as I sighed in relief.
'Thank the gods they didn't hear me say what I said.'
"I want to fight him!" Alex declared grabbing the railing of the high box in excitement.
"No!" I said causing the bannerman of my house hold as well as other households to shift their gaze to me I took of my blue toga and looked at the now empty battle ground next I shifted my gazes to me but I stay calm and shift my gaze over to the common folk who came from different parts of the world to witness this event I looked at the small recording artifacts dotted around the area broadcasting to those who can afford to watch such an event.
"I'll fight next." I said taking out the card of challenge from my pocket which has the standard of my house on it I through it hard at the center of the battle ground it landed with a satisfying clank.
"It seems we have someone who is accepting a free challenge who could it be?" The announcers booming voice asked. As the card shimmered with the blue-white light of pure mana it then cast a projection of me dressed in a white tunic and a blue toga above my head in a background of fire and lightning floats a shield with my house's standard.
"It is the grandson of the Sovereign of the Hermes republic the great storm himself. It Atreus Thyestes!!" He roared causing the crowd to roar in excitement as well. And who could blame them the grandson of the greatest man alive who is untested and is known for his musings has decided to give anybody an opportunity to "humble the house Thyestes".
"I thought this was beneath you brother." Alex said. Causing Diomedes to nod his head in agreement. "Blame Ajax's foolishness in demeaning us in front of the other great house." I said sternly. But my brother laughed thinking that he knows me better. "This all an excuse to release your Ire because of grandfather. Come now brother do you really dislike Maria that much?"
I stay silent as signal for lord Jason Sparta one of my grandfathers retainers.
I grabbed onto the railing and lapped from the high box causing some nobles from the mid box to let out audible gasps. However thanks to Jason I land on my feet at the center of the battle ground without a single grain of dust upon my white tunic I took my blade from my dimension belt. I pointed the metal in the air as if intending to pierce the heavens a line of red lightning pored from my blade and snaked across my body.
"An entrance to beat all entrances!! Now who would challenge the grandson of the great Lorn!?"
For one single moment the stadium of at least three million people fell silent as I leaned on my blade and peaked up my card of challenge which had faded to grey. The sunlight bathed my form as I heard a satisfying clank next to me. I did not have to look down to know it was the card of the person who had accepted my challenge.
"Uncle!" A female voice barked. As I looked up to see a figure clad in white robes fall from the mid box to land softly on the arena.
'Judging from those robes she must be a southerner.'
"Whom do I face?" I asked my opponent. She chuckled and said. "You face Gu Chaerin of the Yeon Empire!"
As the dust cleared I could see whom I was facing it was young woman likely a year older than I she had black hair tied into a ponytail and haughty iron black eyes and on her face was the biggest smirk I've ever seen.
I looked behind me for a moment at the royal box where my grandfather and other important persons were lounging and probably talking about how great they were when they were young.
I shifted my attention back to the girl and took my stance.
Our blades met with a satisfying clang we both withdrew and clashed once more this time adding more mana into our bodies my face was so close to hers that our noses where nearly touching I drew-back once more assessed and engaged this time I decided to pore five strikes per set on every limb of her body however my opponent was also quite capable utilizing her superior footwork to paster me with slashes directed at my shoulders. As one of her attacks nicks across the shoulder I remembered my grandfather's teaching about my families swordsmanship.
"Move fast, strike hard. Like a famer cultivating the land stay patient circle them like a staving panther and when the time is nigh fall like a thunderbolt."
'The key with this fast opponent is patience.' I thought stoically.
I stay patient as I Chaerin moves around me then she launched a frozen crescent at me I moved out of the way in time but she was already upon me. I looked at her grinning face her blade was covered in a white aura of frost she charged at me with reckless abandon ready to end the fight.
But at the last moment I activated Heavens true Ire causing the whole world to slow as red lightning crackled across my body in one swift motion I guided the flat of my blade to rest upon the girls side. Red lightning snaked across her body as I flung her towards the crowd those who where ignorant screamed expecting the girl to crash into them however her lithe body slammed against and invisible force she slid to the ground unconscious.
I raised my blade in the air and bellowed.
"Storm Invictus!!"
My next nine opponents were the same from great noble families some of them were young northern knights such Lorn Vermillion, John Redwood and Adrian Dragonroad the was even Penglian prince who's name I have forgotten...oh so many forgotten names all of them humbled and broken before but...
'But this one is different.' I thought amused.
Because standing opposite me was the white haired girl who had given me the run steel flower last night.
I looked around the to see the stunned faces of the crowd as the announcers booming voice trembled in excitement. "Impossible the young leopard has defeated ten opponents in a row without a single break!! shattering that frau...I mean to say shattering the record of nine set by Sir Cyrus Lionheart this morning." As the crowd cheered I tuned my gaze to my opponent.
The girl was shorter than I by at least four cm and according to Luke she was ten and six meaning she was the same age as I. She is dressed in the colors of her father's house consisting of blue breaches and a white long sleeved training tunic.
I whipped sweat from my brow and spat on the ground.
'It seems its about time I rested, but I have to take of this one first.'
"So, you're the one who beat Ajax? What is your name girl." I asked my voice not betraying me. She smiled and bowed politely. "My name my lord is Franca Frost it is an honor to cross swords with you lord Atreus Thyestes."
Her accent is clearly Persanian and her voice is quite sweet. 'Like a Sirens hahaha so thats why Ajax lost? That fool his always been too fond of girls this might serve as a lesson for him not let his guard down just because something pretty is in front of him.'
"Well Franca as you Northerners would say on guard." I say taking my stance. She unsheathed her rapier and said. "En garde my lord."
I use the second form of the stormy shore the circling panther instead of rushing at ones opponent like all the other forms of the storm as we call it we instead approach them slowly and slowly pace around them.
Of course expecting ones opponent to merely stand in place and do nothing would be a foolish notion so we of the Thyestes combine the second with the sixth called teasing winds like the name suggests one aught to merely tease their opponents weak spot such as the ankles and knees.
So, that's what I start with I faint high and swapped low intending to weaken her speed but she simply withdrew and conjured a shield made of ice rushed back at me I furiously slashed at the shield but Franca would always use those opportunities to attack my left side which led to me having some frost covered wounds on the unprotected side of my body wanting to increase her offense she conjured a lance made of ice and like jousting she rushed at me but...
'Her speed is passible at the most. But I now know why Ajax lost to her.'
Instead of getting out of the way of her charge I meet it head on and I nearly buckle bellow her sheer physical might but I redirected her strike causing her ice lance to nearly be imbedded in the earth bellow however she dismissed it in time swapping back to her rapier as my blade collided with hers. Cautious of her unholy might I disengaged and circled around her red lightning snaking across my body cautious of my speed Franca conjured a second sword on her hand the blade made of ice and was short than her rapier making a perfect duel wilding partner for her rapier.
"You quite strong. You might even be a match for my cousin Diomedes in terms of strength." I said twirling my blade. Her icy blue eyes remined on my form however as if studying every movement I was making.
'Stupid girl but I don't blame her after all to win most of my fights thus far I have only relied on my swordsmanship and Heavens true Ire.'
"You're faster than I thought you would be my lord. But you should really work on your physical strength." She said smirking her to blades crossed.
'Oh...she thinks herself my equal!' I chuckled slightly.
I stop twirling my sword and then I moved. To her it must have seemed like I just disappeared.
I shutter her ice blade with my lightning engulfed fist and before she could do anything to defend herself I grabbed by her white hair and placed my blade on her slander neck.
"I am simply built different than you." I said aloofly.
"I...yield." She said with glassy eyes.
"Running on nothing but his own musings and arrogance the young leopard has defeated eleven opponents in a row now. But...will he continue."
The bastards words couldn't come at the worst moment as my vision swam then I realized that I was seeing two Franca's.
'Fuck why am I still holding on to her. No you cannot curse not even in your own head because your are the rational animal you must look composed no matter what!!' I disciplined my self inwardly. Despite facing back lash and seeing things in double I decided to wave my hand dismissing any more challenges for now.
I breathed in and out thrice and waved at lord Sparta to float me back up to the high box belonging to the retainers of different noble houses as I floated up I offered some words to Franca like all man aught to their fellows because after all we are children of the gods it maters not how we were sired.
"Stand..." I said her eyes meeting mine I don't know what is hidden within their deps however it does not matter for it is no business of mine. "Stand proud for you are strong."
'