LUKE KUHN
"Lord have mercy Atreus has two elements." I murmured as Atreus Thyestes no should I call him Atreus Sigmaleo instead? His grandfather from his mother's side of the family was the sun maker himself.
I along with a group of young knights and squires watched as the two strongest members of our generation clashed.
Atreus moved like a thunder storm quick and destructive he forms his flames that are the color of dawn into whip swinging it at Sir Arthur who dodged with great speed his body crackling with blue lightning the whip fell downward igniting the grass bellow painting it the color of dawn.
Sir Arthur appeared behind lord Atreus his castle-forged blade swirling with azure waters that foamed and bubbled. Atreus reacted swiftly already having swapped from the Sigmaleo's Dawn fire to the Thyestes's heaven's true Ire he moved faster than Arthur as they exchanged moves in quick succession. Although I could not hear what he said as he grimaced I could tell it was curse.
'I think he said fuck or was it shit?'
I could not tell however because after all I wasn't close enough to read his lips. What I could tell however was that lord Atreus had drawn first blood both Sir Arthur's hands and thighs were bleeding from the cuts Atreus had landed on him earlier his surcoat was ripped in different places as well.
"Come on Sir." A young Vale woman said with panicked eyes.
From beside me my cousin ground his teeth and other members of Lionheart's entourage seemed concerned for their friend.
'Do they think Arthur is doomed already? I will admit the combination of Dawn fire and heaven's true Ire is troublesome but at the end of the day lord Atreus's elements are not balanced!'
As soon as I thought that Sir Arthur straightened his golden eyes blazing like to pools of golden sunshine as he first stepped?
"What the actual fuck!!"
I bellowed as Arthur appeared right in front of lord Atreus. I had not seen the movement itself however the fact that Arthur had appeared in front of Atreus that quickly without me his fellow seven star peer noticing was impossible.
I shook my head in pure amazement at Arthur's talent both at arms and in mana manipulation.
'And hear I thought I was insightful with my use of the tempest wolf state.' I thought.
However despite Arthur's sheer excellence Atreus seemed to know what he would do before he did it some man did say that the Thyestes were born for war was right because despite Arthur's relentless assault with his "first step" Atreus only had a few scrapes and cuts on his tunic which made me wonder how I would do if I fought him?
ARTHUR LIONHEART
"You have quite the temper old friend." Atreus said dusting himself off.
I ground my teeth wondering whether I should attempt my half-baked version of first step once more to outmaneuver Alpha.
'No that wont work idiot you need something else.'
I breathed in and out steadying myself.
'You're not as smart as Zeke or Lin you're not as insightful as Atreus when it come to magic nor are you as precise with your swordsmanship as Luke. The only thing you have is your three elements that work well together and your blade.'
I grinned as a plan started forming in my head.
I focused half of my mana towards my blade. I walked forward toward my old friend unrushed not caring about the murmur of the crow not caring about my whether my father of my uncles were watching the only thing I care about right now in this very moment is the opponent in front of me.
Atreus knowing me far to well despite the years that have mimicked my gesture by moving forward with his own blade.
Then for a single moment we simply stood the our blades low mana boiling inside our bodies ready to be unleashed.
The we began swing at each other long sword meeting long sword the echoes of castle-forged-steel echoing so loudly that I dare say it could be heard in the frozen forests of Agea. We both swung our blades with intent but to a common peasant who knew nothing of swordsmanship it would seem like we're just slugging it out for the bloody fun of it.
'Of course they'd be slagging wrong.' I though.
I perry an over hand right and spin left using my wing magic to increase my momentum blade slides pass Atreus's tunic drawing blood he grimaced and drew back already using Dawn fire to cauterize the wound.
"Quick thinking. But although this is fun I fear that the sun will set soon and most people want to go back home and prepare for the morrow so, how about we end this hear and now with a final clash."
I toss him a devilish smile.
Atreus straightened his stoicism gone for a moment as he smiled.
"Fine then lets give the people what they came for." He declared tuning his back to and sprinting with his body snaking with that ridiculously powerful lightning mana art of his family. Knowing what he was planning I run a the opposite direction blue lightning snaking on my body with wind magic enhancing my speed I arrive at the top of my blue hill.
Then I began the process of destroying Sir Hyle Seagard's favorite castle-forged-blade as I gathered water lightning and wind into a single point creating a storm of blue hues that seemed to be the embodiment of chaos on the other side I could feel the heat and chaotic sounds as Atreus struggled to combine his two none-compatible elements.
"It seems I be winning this one old friend." I mused.
Although Atreus and I were well matched in terms of swordsmanship and physical strength the were two areas in which we both excelled in place of the other. I excel in versatility because of me being a mage with three elements he on the other hand excelled in speed due to the unique nature of heaven's true Ire.
I smiled as my spell was at last completed I would have to find name for it later.
My palms sweating my heart racing I took my stance and watch my opponent as he some how.
'What in the bloody hell is that?' I thought as Atreus instead of continuing his futile attempt to combine his two elements instead he seems to have decided to infuse all his Dawn fire onto his sword but unlike me his elements have no senergy so he has decide to wrap his lightning around his flaming blade like a sword shaped net.
"oy, this lad has won our stupid bet that started all of this." I muttered to myself.
"Are you ready Lyonel." Atreus called from the other side.
'Who the fuck is Lyonel.'
"Its Lionheart and yeah bring it the fuck on you bloody stoic." I called back as we both lipped toward each other our blades melting and shattering under the pressure of our mana.
The we clashed and then the world turned black and white.
LUKE KUHN
I watched in pure awe and amazement as Atreus Thyestes and Arthur Lionheart the two young man who had just had one of the best duels I've ever seen.
"Fuck, that was fine show. But I wonder who won." Said Jon from beside me.
I stay silent waiting for the dust to clear.
I doesn't matter who won really its clear to me and everyone around who are the individuals who will be leading our generation to greater heights in the unconquered lands in Vanaheim, Agea and Gai.
I clenched my fist and ground my teeth frustrated that my efforts would never be truly acknowledged.
'Am I truly destined to be nothing more than a landed knight. A great honor some would say I could serve at my brothers council not that he would ever listen but the might be a chance for me to do something else.'
"Cousin." I said to Jon forcing him to snap out of his reverie. He glanced at me frowning.
"Why are you following the red lion?"
My cousin smiled a thin smile and said.
"I wont bother giving you a riddle Luke you are my blood after all. Let me see why do I follow the red lion as you call him nice nickname by the way.....its because he giving all of us." He gestures to all the young man and woman dressed in surcoats. "See a chance of advancing by his side. Do you know what he speaks of?"
I shook my head.
"No I do not." I said.
Jon spoke in Midgardian next and when he spoke he spoke in a hushed tone less people would hear what he was talking about.
"Sir Arthur speaks of assembling his own personal Army that is not under his fathers banner but his own instead."
I raised one hand.
"Well isn't that common for most young knights. We all know that most people would rather have their friends as banner rather than the sons of their father's bannerman."
My cuss snickered at that.
"True enough. However what Sir Arthur is proposing is that we all do the same in our own nations then...." Jon pulled his hands together as if read to applaud.
'Wait that means this tournament is for....'
His hands came together as he declared.
"We'll combine our raised armies into single host then we'll spit whatever lands we conquer in Gai and I think the might have been some talk of taking some lands in Agea as well."
Amidst my shock of the actual purpose for this event the dust finally cleared revealing the....
'The is no victor?'
Amidst the scorched scenery that was created by one of the Transcended two young man stood one in black the other in blue and they were both holding each others necks.
"So, that it." I said to nobody in particular.
Then the great storm Lorn Thyestes's voice rang out for all to hear.
"I declare the final duel to be a tie and the conclusion to the tournament at the courts of Mithra!!"
As the commoners and the lords gather in this event clapped I could not help but wonder what road does conquest end in?